40/52 and 41/52: Little adventurers

A portrait of my children once a week every week in 2014

I'm playing catch up this week after being away on holiday. I have a billion photos to edit and a fair few posts to write about our amazing, amazing time away but first things first, let me celebrate the achievements of the two littlest people.

Noah: you had some pretty cool experiences on our holiday so you'll have to forgive me if I just draw them out over the space of a couple of posts. First things first though, that swing bridge. Golly me! We were on our way to Wainui Falls in the Abel Tasman - a good half hour walk up a valley. I knew there was a swing bridge on the walk but I had no idea it would be quite so terrifying - a 'maximum load one person' kind of bridge! Daddy and I were quite freaked out at the sight of it but kept it to ourselves so as not to alarm you and Mylo. Dad and Mylo went first together, but we then sent you off on your own to cross high above the raging river. You walked slowly but surely to the other side and told me once I made it across last that you'd been singing the LEGO movie song 'Everything is Awesome' in your head to encourage yourself that you could do it. So proud of you.



And the walking - boy we did a lot of that. At least half a dozen hour or more walks during the trip. You didn't complain once about having to wear a backpack with drinks and hats for you and Mylo, and there were literally only a couple of moments (here on Wainui Falls where your ankle was giving you gip and coming back from Wharariki Beach in the near dark) where you let on that you were at all tired. What a trooper!

 

 

Mylo: I don't know many five year olds that could do as much walking as you did on holiday. Each walk was at least 4-5km or an hour or more in length and you nailed it. OK, you did get a bit tired towards the tail end of some of the walks and there was the odd moment that Dad picked you up for a few minutes to rest your weary feet, but all in all you amazed us with your stamina!

 





There was one funny moment on the way back from the falls, where you informed us that you needed number twos. Once you and Dad got back over the swing bridge you had to hightail it back towards the car and the toilet. Daddy ended up having to run and carry you a lot of the way and you were saying entertaining things to him like 'I'm really sorry if I poo on you Daddy, I'll try really hard not to' and 'oh I can feel it coming but I'm going to try not to let it out'. Even enticing you to go in the bushes didn't work so poor old Daddy got an extra workout on that walk while Noah and I happily meandered back at our leisure! It made for a good tale to tell afterward though, and Daddy was very glad to find a dairy and get one of those giant milkshakes 'the longest shake in town' to rehydrate after that little experience.