Monday Granny and Tammy came for a quick visit after doing some shopping on our side of the world. Mommy and I cleaned the house on Monday from Top to Bottom. This included Mommy changing me from top to bottom a number of times as I kept getting dirty while we were cleaning. Going in and out the house with sand and mud and water was great fun for me, but not so much for Mom. She had a very odd look on her face each time she cleaned and I came to help. It was a sort of helplessness look. Mommy says that she is trying to train me. I think secretly I’ve converted her.

Tuesday Mommy and I went to the Pick ‘n Pay and then to a new park. Delta Park to be precise. I climbed up and down, in and out, and all over. A few new friends arrived from the surrounding houses and a few dogs joined in the festivities. There were a number of large groups of people with picnic blankets sitting around. This park is quite a find as we knew about it but we haven’t visited it before.

Wednesday we were supposed to go for a play-date, but Mommy got some last minute marking to do for her lectures, so we had to stay at home. We nevertheless had some fun at home. Wednesday afternoon after a snooze, we headed off to Colleen’s place to celebrate her birthday. It was great to see everyone again. I played outside for a while and then found two beanbags and a Bob the Builder hat inside and that was it, I wanted to play with the hat indoors. After a couple of hours Mom and I had to go. Mom had planned a nice dinner she needed time to make.

As it happens it was a lovely poached Salmon with root ginger and soy. Accompanying that was blanched veggies. Daddy and I loved it. It’s a real pity Mommy cannot eat fish, as she would’ve loved it too. We don’t see much of Daddy as he is working late at the moment, we understand but miss him. So by the time he was home Mommy and I were ready for bed, but Daddy stayed up for the Germany/Spain game. He came to bed very grim. I’m sure I don’t really need to tell you why.

On Thursday, Mommy had a few interviews and then with my begging to go out, decided I could go to the Delta Park again. I was so excited I couldn’t control myself. I screamed all the way there. Mommy did however stop for a Cafe Latte and got me a babychino for us to picnic with. Mommy had noticed that I had a bit of a headache and this was my treat.

Mommy and I played for about 90 mins. I met some new people there and some of the ones I met on Tuesday. Mommy let me play on the big jungle gym. I suspect that Mommy is secretly exercising me in a fun way, as I moan when being worked out in the old way. Lots of stretching and climbing happened today. I’m going to have to think about this and come back to you as to whether Mommy is crafting a new exercise regime for me or not.

Back home, we needed to do some garden and pool maintenance which I helped with, but got myself completely wet in the process. This meant that I got a change of clothes before my snooze. On waking I noticed Mommy busy in the kitchen. When I asked her to go out again, she said I could play in the front yard. Soon I realised Mommy was making a batch of Cosmopolitans. It was soon clear why, as Bronwyn arrived. I was really excited. I haven’t seen her in so long. Bronwyn was one of the first visitors I had when I came home from hospital. Bronwyn, Rhianne, Brannon and Gary bought me a stunning outdoor camping lounger. It is so cool. It took some time for me to find my way around it, but by dinner I was quite comfortable getting in and out of it. Mommy and Bronwyn spent a lot of time laughing and whispering. When Daddy arrived home he made a hasty retreat to the study to work, when he saw what was going on in the lounge.

Later in the evening I found both my old codgers sitting on the bed both with laptops doing various pieces of work. Quite funny actually I wonder if they ever saw their lives going like this? At least in my opinion they are fairly technically savvy.

Thursday night I fasted for the next morning’s MRI; it wasn’t nice to do, but I knew why.

Friday brought with it our MRI, I felt pretty rotten and nauseas for the rest of Friday from the chloral hydrate used to sedate me, but I did manage to head off to Aunty Nina with Mom and have a cup of tea. I did some playing at the park just before, but I was very unstable on my legs so Mom set off to Nina instead.

Saturday , I was still a bit funny from the meds, but that didn’t stop me from dragging Mom and Dad to the park, and then I sent Daddy to Dr. Anthony as he has been coughing for three weeks now. After that we headed off to see my cousins in Morningside. We played on the tennis court and had some tea, and then headed into Sandton City. Mommy decided I needed some outdoor time and we went back to the park, this time armed with Cafe Latte’s for the folks and juice for me. I played for over an hour while the folks took turns looking after me and reading the Saturday paper. I even went to the highest point on the jungle-gym on my own, and un-aided, slid down the massive slide.

Mommy treated us to salmon pasta when we got home. I had another small snooze and then watched a bit of the day’s match, which thank goodness Germany won, to take 3rd place in the 2010 World Cup. Daddy would have been very grim otherwise. Interestingly enough, Germany now holds the claim to fame of having won 3rd place 3 times consecutively. Incidentally, Germany also holds the record for the most appearances in the semi-finals, despite only having won 3 times.

Sunday we headed into Sandton City to get my birthday present from Aunty Kim, Shannon, and Ryan. Wow, Mom and Dad chose a lovely little house for me to play in. My first house hunting expedition proved awesome! They put it together while I was asleep so it was a huge surprise when I woke up and they showed me. In addition to that I also got a jumping castle with sides so that I cannot fall out. The old codgers are really pushing the gross motor skills aren’t they?

Daddy bought a fold out goal for me and a blow up ball to play soccer with, and while we were playing I shouted GOAL! This is my new word for the week. I also now call Mommy, MOM, so all day and night the folks hear, MOM, MOM, MOM. I’ve noticed that I’ve usually over used the word when Mom doesn’t answer. I wonder why that is?

Another first for the week is that I’ve started to be able to use the DVD player correctly. Ejecting the previous disk and putting the next disk in and pressing play is quite a feat for a 2 year old, on a front loader DVD player. Initially it did take a few tries for me to line the disc and the player slot up perfectly, now its second nature.

I can now identify some numbers, but 2 is definitely still my favourite. Why? Because I’m 2, don’t you know.

Good news for me is that music starts again this week. I’m so excited. On the downside, tonight is the last Soccer World Cup game; I cannot believe how quickly one month has gone by. It’s been absolutely wonderful playing host to the world.

During the week I’m also expecting to get the results from my MRI. I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that my condition hasn’t deteriorated more. Also, I’m hoping that the MRI reveals that my last procedure, eight weeks ago, was as great a success as it was expected.

Good bye for this week.

Lots of love,

Jarrod

Click here to see a funny video of me after my being sedated for my MRI on Friday.

 

Photo 1 Watching The Wiggles – up close and personal

Photo 2 Ticking off items on Mom’s shopping list

Photo 3 My first day at Delta Park’s play gym

Photo 4 Loving it . . .

Photo 5 Taking Pooh bear for a ride in my red wagon

Photo 6 Time to wash hands

Photo 7 Ok, hands are clean, what’s the problem?

Photo 8 And a quick sip of water

Photo 9 Bob The Builder

Photo 10 More baby-bootcamp at Delta Park

Photo 11 Sliding

Photo 12 Swinging

Photo 13 On the rocking horse

Photo 14 On my lounger

Photo 15 Waiting in the radiology reception for my MRI to begin

Photo 16 Dad tagged me

Photo 17 Getting ready for my MRI

Photo 18 In I go . . .

Photo 19 Still fast asleep an hour after my MRI was over

Photo 20 Loving the Jo’burg winter

Photo 21 Off to play in Delta Park

Photo 22 Thrilled with our new find at Delta Park

Photo 23 Playing hard

Photo 24 On the little slide

Photo 25 And coming down the long slide

Photo 26 Loving the swing

Photo 27 Vestibular work-out

Photo 28 My new favourite activity

Photo 29 Dad spins me around on a pallet trolley on Aunty Kim’s tennis court

Photo 30 My Wimbledon run

Photo 31 Dad takes me for a ride

Photo 32 My turn to pull Dad around

Photo 33 Pushing proved easy than pulling

Photo 34 Tennis anyone?

Photo 35 Playing in my new house

Photo 36 My very own jumping castle

Photo 37 Helping Dad prune the privet

Photo 38 At the top!

Photo 39 Jarrod giggles

1 Comment on House Hunting

  1. Lisle says:

    Jarrod, CONGRATULATIONS on your first official home. this is a very big step in a two year olds life…..

    let us know when the house warming is 🙂 will bring over a six pack of milkshake 🙂

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