Transport 2.0

For Matilda's first birthday, back in Oct '07, I hoped that she wouldn't get only "girly" presents. Sure, I'll dress her in pink 70% of the time, and even though I lurrrved my Barbies, I figured my girl also needs some non-girly things to play with. So when her Unca Cam asked what he could get her, I said a Tonka Truck. He really didn't want to, he wanted to get her a dress or something more girly, but I insisted that she should have a Tonka truck.

Recently, M's re-discovered the truck, and is enjoying it in daily life. These pics are from the other day:

M wakes up before us most mornings, as you do at 2 with your aged thirty-something parents, and now that she's happily getting herself out of bed, comes into our room with an armful of toys (currently: flopsy bunny, baby, Dora, and Emma her multilingual English-German speaking doll I got in Philly) and presents them to me. Once she even decided her Dad might wake up and respond to her, and gave them to him. Oh, and she brings her water bottle, too, for the long walk between bedrooms. ;)
A couple of weeks ago, her tonka truck ended up in the formal living room outside our bedroom (aka The Great Dumping Ground and Used Twice a Year room). One morning, after the usual footsteps up the hall, I heard a gentle whooshing sound. Matilda had her butt in the truck, and was shuffling herself along by her feet. I've had a few mornings where I've had to watch where I put my feet as I swing out of bed, in case I mistakenly put one in the truck and go for a nasty slide!

So, Unca Cam, M is LOVING her truck. She may not be using it in exactly the way it's intended to be used, but hey, it works for her.

Happy New Year 08--09!

NYE is Grandad's birthday, so after knocking off work and daycare early (yes, M's Mum and Dad worked through Christmas and New Year, except for the public holidays, pretty much), we went to visit him and say:

Happy Birthday!

We had a lovely afternoon tea, M took some photos with Aunty Janet's digi camera, and we got to see all the family.
We then went to B&L's house for their annual NYE party, and we spent the night there.

Some ANTM-esque "fierce" modelling from the kids of their new outfits from Singapore

JR loves it, he and B spend the night making cocktails, mocktails, litetails for all the friends and family, and generally sampling any leftovers. ;) The kids all tear around and have a great time dancing and playing all over the place. NYE was pretty hot, so after we arrived at B&L's, we hopped in the pool with the kids. I am a terrible Mum, and when I bundled up all the swimming gear, I didn't remember M's ear plugs and headband to keep them in. This means no head under water and you have to be careful with splashing around her. Yeah, tell that to K (4), D (5), and R (7)!! And to M for that matter, who LOVES swimming, and asks at least once a day if we can go back to B&L's house and go swimming. So L & I mocked up a makeshift ear plug situation that kinda worked for about one minute at a time, involving K's hair bands and some aeroplane-style noise ear plugs.

Now a nice photo

After a bit, the party started and M had a GREAT time. It was too hot to stay inside, so most everyone (except our wonderful bartenders) sat outside on the verandah. Although it wasn't as hot as the year that B & JR ended up in the spa at 2am with a blender full of mango margaritas!
Last NYE M stayed up until 9:45. After a few late nights when she's been up til about 10 or so, we figured our little party animal would be up until midnight, and she was!! I got her to bed around 12:30ish, and that went well until she decided to start the year with an early morning and woke up VERY cranky at 5:30. She went back to sleep before 7, but not without wanting to wake the rest of the house and trying to get K, D, and R awake and playing with her. Sigh. She is such a social, interested, on-the-go child. I'm not sure how we'd ever cope after dealing with M with a child who would clings to our legs and wouldn't leave us alone.

It may not look it, but M is practically comatose in these pics. She loved the sparklers and kept going back for more