Out in the desert

Cameron went out for a fly on Friday afternoon, so Patrick & I decided to join him. Unfortunately, as we arrived a sand storm began to roll in and after only 1 fly the fuel pump gave out, leaving us no choice but to pack up and go home. On the way I took this picture.

New Years update from Patrick

Hello Everyone,

I am doing so many new things now that I thought I would give you a little update as it has been quite awhile since I have done so, but my life is VERY busy, as you know and sometimes it is just hard to find the time.

Gosh, there are so many things, where do I start.......

Well, I am walking, no, let me correct that, RUNNING everywhere now. I decided on the 3rd November that crawling was for tiny babies and not for me anymore so I decided to walk and not look back. I know I took quite a few steps at a time when I was back in Australia on holidays but I was just testing the waters then. I now have 15 teeth and my 16th will be through soon - I can feel it in my bones. Mummy reckons another week at the most and she is usually right (but don't tell Daddy that!!!) I LOVE pressing buttons, putting lids on things and taking them off and I LOVE TO DRAW. Chalk, crayons, anything that leaves a mark. Mummy bought me a big scrapbook of paper to draw on but she doesn't understand that there are so many other things that my crayons can scribble on, like the tiles. She gets upset at me when I draw on the tiles, but I explained to her that it comes off with some spray and wipe and a scourer..........if only she puts a little elbow grease in to it, it would be off in no time!

I had a fantastic Christmas and got lots and lots of exciting new things. I cannot list them all (cause I forget some of them) but they included a kitchen, a toolbench (Black and Decker are THE BEST), some puzzles and books, some art/craft things, some magnet activities and a magnet board (cause mean Mummy won't let me in the kitchen - she says it is dangerous) and a HUGE ball pit from Mummy & Daddy that has over 600 balls in it! Pretty impressive hey :)

OH!!! Did I tell you Mummy and Daddy took me to Germany??? Well, they did and it was SO MUCH FUN! It was jolly freezing - I have never felt cold like it and I have never been so rugged up IN MY LIFE but we all had so much fun together, just the 3 of us, as a family that I cannot wait to go other places with Mummy & Daddy soon. Ooops, Mummy just reminded me that we are going to Beirut, Lebanon in March, with friends, so I am really going to look forward to that.

Mummy & I had a talk on New Years Eve and decided that since I am growing up to be such a big boy that I was no longer going to have a breastfeed from Mummy before I went to bed. I was a little reluctant about that (no more feeds from Mummy) but thought "Oh well, new year, new routine" and decided to give it a go. Mummy was quite upset by it - even though it was her idea (I don't get these adults sometimes) so I made it easy for her and went straight to sleep after my story and slept 12 and a half hours without waking. That is normal for me now by the way. I go to bed at 7pm and wake up between 7 and 7:30am. It gives me a great start for the day having such a big sleep. I always have a sleep after lunch (only 1 sleep a day now) and sleep between 1 and 2 hours which allows me a happy and fun afternoon.

I am starting to help Mummy and Daddy around the house now too. Daddy taught me the other day to put the clean washing into the laundry basket and Mummy showed me how to put all the dirty clothes into the washing machine. I know how to wash my face and hands with a facewasher and I can take my own top off if someone helps me get my head out. I try really hard to put my shoes on but it is still a little hard so for now I will just keep practicing. I also like to wipe the table on my highchair all clean.

I say quite a few words, Mumma, Dadda, there, duck, ball, more, no.........just to say a few. I know lots of things and am very good at following directions when Mummy askes me to get something, do something or put something away. If I want or need something, I grab Mummy or Daddy's finger and drag them to where I want to go to show them what I want or need - this certainly keeps them on their toes! I can drink through a straw and I eat with a metal spoon, not a baby spoon. I am strating to try and feed myself, with my fingrs and a spoon, and yesterday I ate some of Mummy's Thai red chicken curry and rice! I like things that are a bit spicy :)

My favourite things to do at the moment are to play outside, either at the park, beach or on my balcony and my favourite things to do are playing with my ring stacker, my tea set (which I got in a goody bag from my friends birthday party, drawing on my etch a sketch, reading stories or putting the shapes in my new wooden shape sorter. I LOVE cars and trucks too - Mummy says I am SUCH a boy - hehehe.

I enjoy watching Barney, The Wiggles, Pingu and Kipper. I got a new playschool DVD from Karen, Phil & Xander for Christmas so I am just getting into that too. It has lots of nursery rhymes on it.

Well, Mummy has just said that I can go outside and play now that it has warmed up a bit so I am off - Happy New Year to everyone :)

Love Patrick

xxx

P.S. I'll leave you with one of my favourite photos at the moment of Mummy and Daddy. I know it is one of Mummy's favourite's too.