10 Days... (part 2)

Wow, it's been so long since I wrote the first bit,
and never got back to finishing the rest. 

So here's the rest:

Day 2: River cruise in Strahan - so windy! 

Meeting the captain was pretty cool

(Day 3 lots of driving)

Day 4: Rainy day at Cradle Mtn meant indoor games 

and all day in jammies,

...long snuggly sleeps,

...lots and lots of reading,

...and then watching the snow fall in the morning when we woke!

Day 5: A walk around Dove Lake was not doable for these troops and that weather, but we did walk around a little bit, and even if we couldn't see the mountain, it was beautiful!

Day 6: Next stop Stanley. Highlight for Laura was this gorgeous cat who hung around our campervan waiting for cuddles, even ready right outside the door when we woke in the morning!

Beautiful views from on top of the Nut

Girl posing, boys wrestling.

Look we're in Penguin, and there's the penguin!

Not all fun and games on the road...

Day 7: Chocolate factory, amazing toy and collectibles shop, and super good fun at an amusing hedge maze named Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot. Hours of fun!

We stopped at cool places, saw lots of stuff. But what's really cool is to make your own game of falling out of your chair when we stop on the side of the road to have a picnic.

Day 8: Caves!

This was a huge highlight for the kids. They were beautiful caves. 

All the photos would mean little when you haven't seen it, I'll just choose two. 

It was so fun to see the kids so completely interested the whole time.

Day 9: Platypus, Echidnas, Seahorses, and mining for gold! Hands down the best was the echidnas walking all around us like little people with attitude. Interestingly, they're relatives of the platypus and not the porcupine or hedgehog as commonly assumed.

Stones into the water. Simple pleasures.

Rock and stick constructions. Simple, yet elaborately constructed in their minds, 

with purpose for every space. Hours of focused fun.

Day 10: Final day started with the chairlift in Launceston, the highlight being
the littlest being instantly keen to feed the peacocks, with the others
following her lead. She has no fear of animals, this one.
We ended with a 3 hours drive home and a whole heap of time
unloading the motorhome into our van, and then the van into the house.
Not for the faint of heart.
Collapsing into bed happy for our trip around the state, and glad to be home.

 Goodbye home on wheels! We have grown a little bit attached, but we must say goodbye.
See you again.
Maybe. :)

2 years and knowing it

We hit 2 with a bang with this girl. Had her first proper big tantrum on the morning of her birthday, in public of course. Here we go! It's okay, I've seen one other willful girl through this age (not including myself). Hopefully we can outlast this one as well. :)

In addition to her feisty-ness, she's a playful, musical, happy soul, and at each stage we have thoroughly enjoyed her. Feeling very thankful for these 2 years that started so suddenly, where people wondered if they had missed me being pregnant (as if that's possible), and I marveled at the little child entrusted to us. Happy birthday miss C, we love how you sing happy birthday, love BIG stars, and how you love all things living, and stuffed!!

10 Days on the Island (part 1)

So we did this trek around our state. Changed the plan a bit as we went along because - all that DRIVING! It was too much for the kids, especially the youngest who decided she would only be happy with her dummy in her mouth whenever we would give in to that. And if you know me, you know I do not like to give in. But for the sake of everyone it had to be done. It HAD to be done. 

Picked them up from school in this baby and we headed out.

Here's the crew when we first started out. 

First night fun with headlamps! Way cooler than using regular lights. 

And even though the first 2 days of driving was hard,
I found all these pictures on the camera that the kids had taken.
So there's evidence that it wasn't all crying from miss C,
she did have good times, and there was even fun to be had making origami! 

 

Singing... "up above the world so high". 

And stopping for a little bushwalk.

So basically when you're 1, you spend way more time
strapped into something than not. 

Fortunately she gave in and fell asleep.

Enjoying the little things. 

Our fearless leader. 

Seriously, who wouldn't follow this guy anywhere he would take them?! :) 

Finally getting to walk! 

Preparing for invaders... (this is apparently the shooting position Grandpa!) 

More to come. Too many photos to sort through...

6 year old fun

Nick turned 6 and Oma turned... well let's just say she turned a number that worked
with 4 at the end of Nick's 6, so it was the only year where 

I could make these cakes and the numbers worked.
Bit of fun...

Waking up...

Beautiful moon on his birthday - an eclipse that night! 

This boy moves around a lot, I can't often get a clear shot of him... 

A winner of a present - a digital (toy but still real!) camera that adds 

animation to the photo. The kids set up their own photography business 

on the day and they took turns asking everyone to book in a photo shoot.

Took 2 friends to the movies. 

Can't lose with popcorn, soft drink and then McDonalds afterwards!

Happy birthday Nick!
We love your easygoing nature,
your confidence,

your ability to make friends with anyone,
how you don't like when you don't know people's names,
and your love for your siblings. 

What a wonderful brother you are. 

Quote of the day (actually the night before): 

"I can't wait to be 6 cause then I can take Dad down in wrestling." 

(me: 'do you think that will happen as soon as you turn 6?') 

"Yep."

Friends who fly

So these little kids (oh sorry, they're big now) have known each other all their life.

And they've now each flown solo to visit the each other. 

Daniel's trip was last year, and Ella came here for the weekend a few weeks ago. 

Pretty exciting stuff, getting on a plane and flying away from your family. 

Considering I had never even been on a plane till I was 18, 

my kids sure are having a very different experience of life in that regard!

Here she comes Mum!

Nervous smiles 

Exploring the local Saturday market together, 

feeding on junk food and shopping for trinkets.

Enjoying the military open day.

Saturday morning Monopoly game

Sunday at church, so cute, singing and clapping along. 

 Thanks for all the fun Ella, it was a pleasure 

to have you here and we can't wait to see you again soon!

Boy Band Dan

The kids are getting ready for school and I hear squeals of laughter going on. 

This was the cause.

 

I wanted him to wear the new style to school and see if he could start a Boy Band. 

Didn't happen. :(

6 people in this for 10 days!

This is where we're going to bunk for 10 days on a trip around the state at the end of the month. So we have to get Miss C used to a regular bed so she can bunk in with the other kids. It'll be squishy, but the kids can't wait, the mum is definitely excited too, and the dad, well he's coming along happily, but let's just say a motorhome isn't his first choice of accommodation. But he's a good sport and, well, he married me, so something's gotta give! :) Anyway, he'll love it, he just can't admit it too easily!