Product Placement for Pull Ups

dear Judy,

I think I might have to claim editorial control; or at least phototorial (is there such a word).

I am improving my climbing. This morning while my breakfast (2 egg omelette with cheese, followed by a little porridge and apple) was being made, I was conscientiously doing my piano practice.

It occured to me, in between bang 1 and bang 2 what a wonderful bit of apparatus the piano is. Before the thought had left my brain (as you know thought processing is a little bit of an issue for me) I was up on top of it, trying to straighten the picture on the wall.

see you next week.

I don't think I better repeat what the cook said when she saw me.

love

Rosiepo XXXX

Mummy's knee

dear Aunty Tehzeeb,

The physio looked at the MRI and found that mummy doesn't have a torn cartilege in her knee. She has no cartilege and the two bones are rubbing together. Also she has a ruptured Bakers cyst. She will see the surgeon later this week.

We had a big storm here yesterday and two passengers were blown over on the tarmac. The wind was very fierce.

When you come to New Zealand, you should not come in Winter.

love

Rosie XXX

My Bedroom is My Space

dear Hope,

I am sorry you are sick and can't come over to play. Ear infections are horrible.

This is a photo of my new friends Kara and Georgia.

I am trying to teach mummy about privacy. This morning I had to keep shutting my bedroom door on her.

I wanted to tidy up my drawers and practice using headphone, in peace. I worked out how to take drawers out but not how to put them back.

love

Rosie

Daddy is in Africa

dear Helene,

Thankyou for your birthday wishes. I had a wonderful birthday here in Wellington. Remember when you were at my birthday when I turned four?

This photo was taken at Hope's birthday at 'Little Monkees'. I am wearing a new dress with a French label that mummy bought on Trade Me (like ebay).

Daddy went to Uganda the day after the party. He gave a big presentation to hundreds of people on their poverty reduction programme. On Saturday he is going to Semliki lodge for a rest and a holiday. He is very excited as he will see lots of wild animals and lots and lots of birds.

love and kisses

Rosie

Preparations

dear Briony,

Thankyou for everything you did for the party. Here is the photo of us making chocolate brownies.

I hope you are having a pleasant holiday. I am looking forward to you coming back here.

Today Eleanor took me to the beach. It was so windy I could hardly stand up. I was wearing the polyprops underneath that she gave me for my birthday and the warm jacket and hat from Kathmandu that Tanya and Tenika gave me.

love

Rosie

Thankyou

Hi,



Thankyou everyone for coming to my party and for the interesting and wonderful presents.


I know you had a nightmare Tania that I wouldn't recognise you... but it was no problem. I always remember people, though sometimes when they don't come to see me for a long time I ignore them as punishment. Last week Yasmine came for dinner and I just pushed her away and hugged Eleanor. She had to work hard to make it up to me as she hadn't been to see me since January.

love

Rosie

Happy Birthday to me

Hi,

Today is my sixth birthday. This is my birthday cake. It is chocolate and has green and yellow icing. It is a trampoline.

I am having a party after school. Lots of people are coming and I have a godmother here all the way from Auckland.

love Rosie

Bag Lady

dear Maria,

I hear that mummy is coming to visit you today in Sydney.

This is a photo of me in the music room with a very cool bag. Actually I am told it is for when you want to work with your laptop on your lap. It has a hard surface and a cushion underneath. The hard surface allows the laptop to breathe. Mummy got it from Ikea.

Tell mummy to take some photos of my cousins.

love

Rosie XXX

Going shopping

dear Mummy and Daddy,

Are you both enjoying Sydney? I am busy learning how to shop, so that I might join you one day.

I hear you want a wheelchair for round the house, mummy. That should be fun. But how will we get me up and down the steps for the taxi? Is this the question you are going to ask ACC?

I am fine here with Eleanor. We are having fun,

lots of love

Rosiepo XXXX

Flower girl

dear Tehzeeb,

Remember when I was 17 months old, I was a flower girl? This is the dress I wore and it still fits me even though it is now very short!

The dress was brought in Cairo and had a little fake fur jacket to wear with it. At 17 months I still couldn't walk and so I had to be carried up the aisle.

The wedding was outside in a beautiful grotto and I behaved very well, clapping enthusiastically for the opera singer.

During the photos I munched my way through rose petals from a bouquet and then slept throughout the reception.

love

Rosie XXXXXX

Getting ready for my party

dear Titaina,

Soon I will be six! I am having a party at my place from 4.00pm to 9.00pm. Carolyn is coming to play her guitar for an hour so everyone can sing my favourite songs. Some people will come after work and miss the songs but there will be drinks and foods for them.

Daddy insisted I have a new dress for the party and so mummy got this one down from the cupboard. She bought it in Pakistan some time ago. I love the beads around the neck and I really like looking at myself in the mirror. I know it is a bit vain to say so but I think I look lovely.

love

Rosie XXXXX

These boots were made for walking

dear Simon,

These are my first pair of gumboots. They are to wear for when I am gardening, though I did wear them to school last week.

Grandma Stella has been visiting. She smokes cigarettes. I have been trying to copy her but she won't let me have one. I can purse my lips and puff out to the side.

love

McTosie

Next top model-sleeping

dear Tanya and Tenika

I am looking forward to seeing you at my birthday party. This is me on a Friday night watching America's next top model.

Today mummy and Stella came to collect me from school. I didn't want to leave as it was bubble time. However I did show Sue (my teacher) how I can do all the movements to 'Mr Jack in the Box'. You have to get down on the ground and then pop up out of the box. Then you have to dance around and go back down on to the ground.

see you soon,

love

Rosie XXXXXX

Translation

dear Julie,

I am looking forward to seeing you at dinner tonight. My adopted grandma Stella will be there. Her birthday is the same day as mine. Stella is the mother of my godmother, Glenda. She likes those Ferrero Rocher chocolates.



Daddy asked Eleanor today the meaning of 'ooup' which I use for shoes and for watches. Eleanor explained it very well- it means 'Can I draw your attention to this very fine device'



lots of love

Rosiepo XXXXXXXXX

Barbie and I

dear Eleanor,

How is the new book going?

After school tonight I was given a car for my barbie doll. I pushed it all around the house, going eeeeeeeeeeeeee. It is purple, has a steering wheel and a mirror. Barbie likes it very much.

It is now high up on a shelf refuelling for tomorrow. I tried to climb up but could quite scale the fridge to get there.



see you tomorrow,

love

Rosie

Dress ups

dear Danial,

Happy Birthday. What did you do today?

The helicopter rescue guys just rang asking for donations.

They had to listen to mummy tell the whole story of how when I had a long convulsion on Corsica, we were flown to the other side of the island to the hospital in a rescue helicopter. I was unconscious so I didn't get to share in all the excitement.

Mummy has agreed to buy a first aid kit in return for their listening...

happy birthday again,

love

Rosie XXXXXXXXX

Puppy Play Date

dear Kelly,

Thank you so much for the menu for the month. I am sure I will get a more interesting diet and I will have the best school lunches..

Today mummy and I went for a short walk to see the dog that sits on the roof of the garage. We then saw two more dogs on a leash and I patted them and then walked them for the whole block. We then invited the dogs and their owner up to our back lawn and we played lots of hide and seek and chasing games and did lots of doggy kissing.

The dogs are called Georgia and Cara and they are coming back next weekend to play with me again.

lots of love

Rose McTose

Priscilla

dear Eleanor,

Thankyou for looking after me while mummy and daddy had another of those respite days. How many do they need! They said I was too young for the show. It was too risque. Well, as you know I am very much into risk, so I didn't quite understand their reasoning.

Today was the art exhibition at school. I got to dress as a dragon and brought home sparkly stars and a big paper foot,

After school Mel took me swimming and there was little boy who loved splashing me in the face, but his mother got mad at him. I thought it was very funny.

see you in the weekend,

lots of love

Rosie xXXXXXXxxxxx

Wishbone

dear Mr Wishbone,

I do like your coffee. Well, at least the dregs that I get after a parent has finished slurping. We grabbed coffees the other morning at the airport. I also bought a banana cake but it was pretty heavy and not so tasty.

regards

Rosie Helene Matheson

Westport in Winter

dear Stella,

Congratulations on becoming a great-grandmother. I am looking forward to seeing you next week.

This weekend I flew to Westport to stay with Grandma and Grandad. It was Grandma's birthday and we went to Punakaiki. I got to play on the beach and try to chase the waves back into the sea.

love


Rosiepo