When in Sydney

If you've missed the goss, we've been away on holiday, spending eight days on the Carnival Spirit cruise ship.

We drove to Adelaide, flew to Sydney and stayed in the city a couple of days. I love Sydney, it's my favourite city. With Isabel being an avid Bondi Rescue watcher, we had to take a bus to Bondi, so she could see it for herself. She didn't exactly meet a lifeguard, but she soaked up just being there.

As we waited for the Bondi bus, the girls and Brett managed to get their mugs on Sunrise, standing outside the Channel 7 studio at St Martins Place.

The Easter weekend looking around Sydney was a bit crazy with every man and his dog out to see the sights, but we did alright. We visited the Aquarium and took our time walking all the way down to Chinatown for takeaway dinner, and back up along Pitt Street to our motel near Circular Quay.

We boarded the ship on Easter Monday and saw the sights from another perspective, aboard the Carnival Spirit.

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Adventuring in the Gold Coast

The girls had their first flight in an airplane last Wednesday. We flew from Adelaide to Queensland's Gold Coast. It took two hours, and an hour into it the asking of "When are we there?" started. A few toilet trips later, and we were descending. Thanks goodness. How vicious are those airplane toilet flushes? Geez you wouldn't want to drop anything mid flush because it would be GONE!

We went to Sea World on our first day, and drove to Mount Tamborine on the second.

After finding out Friday was a public holiday in the Gold Coast for the show, we decided we'd avoid the theme parks for a few days and we're doing Wet n Wild and Movieworld over the next couple of days.

It worked out quite well as a friend from high school, who lives near Brissie, joined us at the resort for the weekend. It has been awesome catching up, and the kids have been perfect company for each other.

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Goodbye summer holidays, hello school!

I am so ready for the kids to go back to school, that this last week of school holidays cannot go quickly enough.

At the end of school last year, I wondered how the hell was I going to get through the next six weeks without losing my marbles all over the shop. I might jinx myself here, one week out from the most peace I have had in the last 7 years, but I survived, hanging by a thread.

I speak too soon, because book day is on Wednesday, and I've yet to cover two lots of school books. I have three rolls of contact, which I know wont be enough, waiting in the wings writing desk. Why do I get nervous just uttering that word? Contact. I can feel the frustration of crinkly lines already. Last year Isabel was lucky enough to have a teacher who supplied plastic sleeves. I wait with fingers crossed.

That aside I am a little excited for Summer's first day. How gorgeous! I won't be the emotional mother, I will be the mother leaving burnt rubber marks in the carpark, in a hurry to leave! Good luck with that one Miss Newsom! 

I've recently donned Summer with the nickname of Jonah from Tonga. for the lovely way she calls everyone a 'dickhead', when she gets upset with them. I am hanging on the hope, and I know it's true, that she is an angel for other people, which is the most important thing. Most kids are the same.

I left an arm and a leg at the shops a couple of weeks ago, buying clothes, hats, drink bottles and backpacks. I will be applying for disabilty at the end of the week, when I leave my other limbs at the school front office for school fees, when I pick up the books.

We did have a great Summer holiday break. The best thing we did was buy them a pool for Christmas, it has been well used and loads of fun had. 

We've had more visits during the day with Granny at the old folks home. The residents actually loved seeing the kids, commenting they don't see enough little people. Bit sad really. 

We spent heaps of time going here and there, meeting up with family and friends. We really didn't have too many lazy days really. My lazy days are coming up. Who knows what is in store for me, as the kids both go off to school. 

I do know I will be starting to walk everyday, I need to lose the summer holiday flab, it's crept up on me. 

I am going to enjoy the time to myself at first and am wondering how long it takes me to get bored with myself. I am looking forward to seeing where this year takes me.

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Feeding native birds in Healesville

We've had a busy school holidays. The first weekend was spent away in Adelaide, for Izzy's gymnastics championships. She did really well for her first competition, with a silver ribbon, and three bronzes in vault, floor, bars and beam respectively. 

We had several days at home after that recuperating and catching up on washing.

A week before we'd been having drinks with the neighbours, and before you know it, we had a spontaneous snow trip planned for the second weekend of the holidays. 

I was really looking forward to this weekend, and I was not disappointed at all. Everybody had a fantastic time. 

Our choice of accommodation was the BIG4 Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park in Healesville, Victoria. While we were initially taken aback by the lack of room in our cabin, we settled in well and realised this place was a gem. The park is set in quiet bush land with the most amazing tall trees.

The playground, jumping pillow and BBQ area were steps from our front doors and we could hear nearby Badgers Creek bubbling away beyond that.

The one thing that stood out when we arrived was the greeting from the local bird life. Before we had fully unpacked our car, there were several Rosella perched on our porch, checking out the new occupants.

We got our hands on some wild bird seed (available from reception) and loved the chance to interact with these beautiful birds. 
   

female king parrot

male king parrot

Rosella

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Out of the mouth of babes

I didn't get my night away by myself the last weekend. It's all good, we went to the neighbours, the kids got to play til their hearts content, and I got to drink wine.

With no encouragement from me, or my other motherly neighbour, apparently we are all going to the Lake Mountain snow fields at the end of the school holidays. Four adults and five kids.

Men are their own worst enemies. A few wines and the inevitable scotch and their holiday is organised, bar the women's perspective bit, of all the fucking organisation.

I am actually looking forward to it. The last time we went to Lake Mountain, I was on the  cusp of an depression/anxiety diagnosis that Brett did not embrace. It was hard. Apparently crying half an hour into the trip, after the stress of organising all the shit for the trip on my own, was "ruining the whole fucking holiday". Yes, the man in life has less tact than a fucking grenade.

I am so ready for this shit, I am ecstatic.  I'm in a totally different frame of mind. I am going to ace this. And with my amazing mother of three under six neighbour in the cabin next door, I am going to feel so at home. The kid are going to have a ball, and me, well I am going to be having so much fun too.

We have a busy as shit school holidays, with Izzy competing in her first WAG gymnastic championship, in Adelaide, and then now, going to the snow in the second half of the holidays. 

What a ride. 

I'll be hanging on.

What is more exciting, is the Wattle Range Photography competition coming up this Friday night. I have been so looking forward to it, especially now since it was postponed a week. I have thirteen photos entered, and Izzy two. I'll be taking Izzy along with me for the opening of the exhibition. 

One of Izzys, showing people in the Wattle Range council area

I may have one too many photos featuring Summer in the exhibition, which is totes understandable. I don't have too many subjects to photograph besides my own family.

It doesn't matter whether I win anything at all. My mantra for this year was 'be brave'. This is the first year for me entering photos. I am being bold and brave, and having a go. At least, I am getting my photography out there. 

Some of the other photos, are photos of our local area, and this is what I am most excited to share with the wider world. 

Any hoo, back to gorgeous Summer. I asked her some questions via recent Facebook posts I had seen other parents post.

Here are her answers.

What is your name?  Summer
How old are you? four
When is your birthday? Junior (it's so November)
How old is  Daddy? 21, (gag, younger than my eldest son) her dad is 48.
How old is Mummy? 24 (Oh how I wish)
What is your favourite colour? Orange (such a cool colour and has been her favourite colour a long time)
What is your favourite food? Apple
Who is your best friend? Renae
What is your favourite song? Let it go
What is your favourite animal? Dolphin. News to me.
What are you scared of? Lions
What makes you happy? Funny stuff. She likes to watch funny stuff on YouTube. She has the best laugh too and a wicked sense of humour. 
Where is your favourite place to go? Swimming pool.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Shop keeper at Woolies. A couple of weeks ago this was a clothes shop. Now she has her sights set on Woolworths. 
What is Mummy's favourite thing to do? Cooking
What is Daddys favourite thing to do? Work 

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