The beginning of a great adventure
11 August, 2002

Well. A new beginning here. A new adventure. A place to record moments from our family's life. My kids are at such amazing ages. Every day they amaze me.

Joshua is almost six months old, and it is such a delightful age. I'd forgotten how happy and smiley babies are at this age. Joshua just breaks out in to a huge smile whenever he sees me. He laughs when he gets excited, his mouth open wide. I never tire of it, that smile. He makes me feel so special just being his mum. (It doesn't take very long before that particular feeling disappears! It won't be too many years and I'll be hearing "Awww, mum! Go away!")

And I'm really enjoying breastfeeding Joshua, which was so painful and problem-filled with Matthew. Josh loves solids, but he also loves the breast. He likes to be comforted on the breast, which is something that Matthew never did. Matthew considered the breast purely as food. If he wasn't hungry, he didn't want it. Josh, though, is such a different child - he loves to be comforted, held, rocked, nursed. I try to remind myself not to hurry past this time without savouring those moments when I'm holding him.

Matthew turned four in June, and he is at an age where his imagination runs wild. He plays imaginary games about good guys and bad guys. The world is black and white to him. He has had that surge of testosterone that boys apparently get around this age, and loves action heroes, firemen, policemen, cars, trucks. He is all rough and tumble, knees and elbows.

Tonight we played the popcorn game - we had a bowl of popcorn, and we took turns picking up individual pieces, holding them up and saying what we thought each piece resembled. "That looks like a robot. See, Mum, there's his head, and that's his arm." How can you not be amazed by a kid who can see a one-armed robot in a piece of popcorn?

Four is also an infuriating age. Matthew has to negotiate on absolutely everything. He finds it very difficult to take no for an answer, and will try to make a deal with you on everything. He's tomorrow's diplomat, for sure.

Four years old and six months old. I would never have guessed 10 years ago that I would be almost forty with two young sons. This parenting thing is the hardest thing, and the best thing that I've ever done. I can't wait for the next 10 years because I know we're in for a wild ride.

The beginning of a great adventure.