Before we moved down to Tasmania we would visit every year in January and the weather was never anything to be envied. People would tell me that it was unseasonal and that the weather was normally warmer, nicer, less breezy... Well the last few days have been hot or should I say unseasonal. We have been to the river a few times this week to cool off but today we decided to hit beat the heat by hitting the beach. We met up with some of the Triffitts (Levi, Louise, Ty and Cade), and the Cowards and spent the afternoon riding the sea biscuit, splashing in the shallows and just hanging out.
Pretending to sit.
Lachie has started solids and is already trying to self feed....
...especially if it is sand, I can only imaging what his nappy will be like tomorrow.
Trying to get a 'happy whole family' photo...not very successful :)
Chloe and Lachie were so good today. Chloe either entertained herself or hung out with (pestered) people she barely knows declaring that they are her best friend (I thought she reserved that title for me and me alone :), it is amazing what allowing a two year old to help bury you in the sand will achieve. And this little man, well the photos say it all.
We had a great day and kept cool at the same time, what more can you ask for? Maybe some aloe vera for a Mummy who was careless putting sunscreen on herself....when will I learn that just because I can't reach it does not mean that the sun can't see it :(
I'm not really into fancy smelly soaps, but these I make an exception for (I have even given some as gifts). My favorite is the lemongrass and yellow clay with poppy seeds. It smells so fresh and the poppy seeds are like little exfoliating beads (the closest thing my skin gets to exfoliating :). My first bar is getting dangerously thin but that just means it is nearly time to crack open the lime, mandarin and organic kelp bar. I first bought them at the Deloriane Craft Fair and was reluctant to use them until I discovered that our local health food shop had a little supply. Now I can use them to my hearts content (which I do, I have showers just to use this stuff :). They are Tasmanian made and are sold in various places throughout the state but there website says that they will starting an online store this year.
Yesterday we went down to Pop's River after dinner to cool down (summer is here, I can hardly believe it myself :) Chloe was happy being pushed around in her 'boat' as she called it and didn't to actually get in the water. However Lachie had his first swim. When his feet first touched the water he dropped the bottom lip but only momentarily. We put him in the 'boat' which he loved as he could stand up leaning on the side. As he enjoyed being in the water so much we though we would give him a real swim. He was like a little frog, his legs did not stop. So we decided to see if he would like going under the water....
Just over a year ago we went to Eddison Point, with Eden hoping to be able to catch some crays. However the crays were untouchable. Now with a little more experience and some new equipment Eden has finally cracked the cray fishing secrets. Eden thought it would be fun to take Jony and Myles cray fishing while they were down last week. With Levi joining in for the ride the four of them set off last Sunday night and returned home on Monday with twelve (I think it was twelve :) crays between them with some abalone and a few Flathead thrown in for good measure. Eden said that while he was diving he turned around and saw a large dark pointy face staring at him. His first thought was that it was (to quote him correctly), "A dirty big shark." After scaring it away he realised that it was only an inquisitive seal and he watch as it went and played the same trick on Levi. There had been a shark attack only the week before further down the east coast so it is understandable that they thought a seal could have been a shark but that doesn't make thinking about it any less amusing. When they boys got home from their trip with their catch we tried to get the girls to kiss the crays for a photo. I'm not sure how it happened but everyone got in the act of cray kissing and it wasn't until we were going through the photos that we thought to asked ourselves, 'What on earth were we doing? :) Thanks to the boys hard work the following night we had a lovely dinner of fresh crayfish, Flathead and abalone with leftovers to share.
Yes, another family holiday post... We went to the Pop's River one night to have a swim and a BBQ. The weather was not overly warm (I am still not acclimatised yet :) and the water was cold but it didn't stop the boys and under fours having a swim. The boys enjoyed the flying fox, the girls pretended to enjoy swimming and even though they kept asking to have another swim and then asked to get out almost as soon as they went in. Notice how Eden is in a wetsuit while the girls are only in their swimmers :) I went for a little paddle with a child safely planted on my lap as my way of ensuring that I wasn't knocked in the water, and it worked, this time. Earlier that day Vienna, Jony and Eden went for a kayaking for a few hours. I would have liked to go too but Lachie would not spare me for that long...maybe next time. We finished up with a BBQ and a chat. It was nice to sit around, talk and let the kids defrost in front of the fire :)
While my family was down from Sydney we went to a local wildlife park with the kids. While the park was not as polished as some I have been to the laidbackness (is that even a word?) of the tour made our visit a more relaxed and hands on which was great for the kids (and the adults as the photos show). There were koalas and Tasmanian Devils too touch and Wombats to nurse. I couldn't believe it when our guide started to pass the wombat around. I didn't get a cuddle as I had my own little sleeping koala strapped to me but everyone who had a hold said that it just snuggled in like a cuddly baby. Vienna had recently taken her kids to a wildlife park in Sydney where the guide told everyone, "No matter what, you never, never touch a Tasmanian Devil." As she knows that Chloe lives in the land of these little marsupials she couldn't wait to share this little bit of advice with her. However all was forgotten when our guide allowed everyone to pat one (somehow I don't think Chloe would have followed Adalia's advice if she ever found herself within arms reach of a little Devil anyway :) There were lots of kangaroos and wallabies in the 'bushy' part of the park. We spent a while feeding them especially the one with the Joey in it's pouch that kept popping it's head out to say hi (Vienna liked the one that had a long tail coming out of it's pouch...until she realised that it was actually a daddy and not a mummy as originally thought :)
This week we were lucky enough to have some of my family come down to Tassie for a visit. It was nice to just catch up and hang out. The kids really enjoyed spending time together and Chloe is still asking for and talking about everyone (she was even singing the Jony and Scarlett song at tea - singing their names to the tune of Jingle Bells :) I know that everyone came down to see me :) but we thought we would do a few tourist things as well. The Berry Farm and Anvers Chocolate Facory for lunch were a hit (with me at least). We also went to Ashgrove Chesse, 41 Degrees Salmon Farm (without Eden), the Honey Farm, The Gorge, City Park, a wildlife park, the museum, the beach and the river. The boys also went to the 20Twenty Cricket and to Eddison Point for a night. As you can imagine with thirteen in the house and four under three years old it got chaotic and noisy at time. Naps were skipped, routines did not exisit, meals were late but the company made it all worthwhile. Chloe and Adalia stuggled at times to share toys but one thing Adalia shared freely was her 'girlieness'. Fully dressed girls would disappear momentarally only to emerge either butt naked or dressed in only 'princess' skirts and fairy wings. Malachi opted for the fairy wand instead which I am sure his Daddy will be happy about. We stayed up way too late playing games, watching movies or just talking. Everyone was running on not enough sleep; but sleep is overrated when family is around and you are 'camping' as my brother-in-law Jony calls it. It was a great week that ended all too quickly; I can't wait for next years 'camping' trip.
Our web cam. Why? First, it allows us feel closer to our family especially those far away in Sydney.Second, watching Chloe interact with herself is so much fun. She loves to talk to herself, sing with herself, tell herself to stay there (see below) while she goes and gets things to show to herself and plays peek-a-boo with herself.
And this morning I discovered it helps do this.
No it doesn't fold the clothes however it does the next best thing. Entertaining and distracting Chloe for long enough for me to do it myself without her making toy beds with freshly folded clothes (faster then I can fold).
...insisted this little two year old as she emerged from her room. Somehow I don't believe her. Maybe because she only went to bed ten minutes earlier. Oh well, no nap today. And in case you were wondering, the thing on her head is not an inside out baby hat, it is curly hair. Or so she says.
(8am; Chloe sleeping off her partying from last night -this is a big sleep in for her :)
We didn't quite make it.
We had a wonderful time at the Websters (thanks again for a great party :) but at 11pm Chloe was begging to go to her own bed and Lachlan had fallen asleep so we decided to cut our losses.
By the time we pulled out of the drive both kids were screaming and by the time we got home Chloe had changed her mind and was now begging to go to Mummies bed. We soon learnt that there is no arguing with an over tired two year old so by 11:30 all four of us were in bed (the one bed) and almost asleep. As I was dozing I asked Eden if we should turn on the lounge room lights so when people were driving past after midnight from leaving the Webster's they would not think that we piked so close to the finish line :) But bed was too cozy and we did not want to wake the sleeping children. My last glance at the clock was 11:40...so close.
Pretending to sit.
Lachie has started solids and is already trying to self feed....
...especially if it is sand, I can only imaging what his nappy will be like tomorrow.
Trying to get a 'happy whole family' photo...not very successful :)
Chloe and Lachie were so good today. Chloe either entertained herself or hung out with (pestered) people she barely knows declaring that they are her best friend (I thought she reserved that title for me and me alone :), it is amazing what allowing a two year old to help bury you in the sand will achieve. And this little man, well the photos say it all.
