Happy Birthday Nana!

We'd like to take this opportunity to wish Nana a very happy birthday (for tomorrow), and hope that she has a great day with friends and family. (We're sorry we can't be there, but we all pitched in and made you something, we hope you like it).

Here is the picture we we made. There are dots, stripes, squiggles and scribbles of every colour. Oli is very good at dots. He's also a great project manager.

The little man inspects his work to make sure it's up to quality Oli standards.

Now, to get it small enough to fit inside the computer...

Ok, that's as small as it's going to get, send it to Nana now?

Happy Birthday, Sue, we all hope you have a wonderful day <3

Quick Update

So today we were kind of busy, Daddy was busy helping Grant do some spring cleaning, so Oli and I came along to visit Isabel, Eron and Julian and play in the backyard. After playing and exploring for a little while it was time to say goodbye and head over to see Abi, Oli's first friend in Melbourne, for a bit of a jump on the trampoline and a socialise, and so I could catch up with some grown ups :)
Soon we walked back home (this area has plenty of hills! it was a good work out with the pram...) and sat down to have some fruit and watch some cartoons before a short nap. What an exhausting day - in fact, as I speak, he's already in bed, having turned into the Olimonster shortly after The Simpsons.
Unfortunately, the camera didn't accompany us today on our adventures, but I have some unrelated-but-extra-cute shots to post instead. Man, this kid is a talker, he just LOVES the phone, and a bit of quality reclining/cartoon time. Enjoy :)

Rainy Day Playdate with Isabel

Hey there Oli fans! Today it was too wet to play outside, despite it being quite warm (28C), so we had an inside playdate with Isabel. Oli and Isabel seemed to enjoy themselves; drawing, watching cartoons and munching on bananas and banana muffins for lunch.
Here are my favourite pics of the two little munchkins playing together; I think they are becoming good friends.

Playing in the garden & relaxing with Grant and the kids

Yesterday we spent the day at home, mostly, and played in the garden in the afternoon. Grant and the kids came around and I got some good shots of them all relaxing in the lounge room.

Monday: Fun at the Library

Just a quick update on yesterday's trip to the library for 'Shake, Rattle and Rhyme', a half hour session of singing and dancing for kids 0-2. Oli was actually one of the older kids there, this time, and had a great time. I expected to have some photos to share with everyone, but unfortunately had to keep such a close eye on Oli (not with the other kids, but the mothers' handbags - he even pulled a handkerchief out of some woman's bag) that I didn't even manage to get the camera out at all.
He really enjoyed the songs he already knew, joined in with some of the actions (I'm a little Teapot, Twinkle Twinkle) and had a great time with the other kids.
Usually the problem is that the kids are a bit older than he is and they don't understand what he's trying to say, but there were many non-talking little toddlers playing together. He had a great time with a little boy with curly blonde hair, rolling a cylindrical shaped ottoman across the library floor.
A great time was had by all, and we are definitely going back when it happens again in a fortnight :)

Yesterday's walk

Yesterday we went to the park sans pram, the little man walking and swinging between his Mum and Dad. Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos, but later on he went for a walk up the street with Daddy, and I managed to capture these gorgeous pictures. He is very serious about walking, as you can see from the expression on his face :)

Another beautiful spring day

I was just looking through a little file I have called ‘Oliver’s Milestones and Achievements’ to see how he has progressed since this time last year, and found that the only entry for 11mths was 'First Dance'.

Since last year, his little bobbing dance has evolved into jumping, kicking, head-bobbing, waving his arms around, clapping and spinning. He has a great sense of rhythm, and will dance to anything that he likes the sound of.

He head bangs to Guns and Roses, bops enthusiastically to (mostly very bad) techno, and claps excitedly and spins in circles when he hears the theme song of one of his favourite shows. I was so proud the day he did the truffle shuffle.

His enthusiasm for music always makes me smile; I can’t wait to see him become steadier on his feet. Confidence, however, is never a problem with Oli, he seems to be under the impression that he is capable of anything, and I am hesitant to dissuade him of that.
Anyway, because I know it's what you're here for, here are some pictures of Oli playing outside today: