Bayview to Church Point

Since arriving from South Africa we've been lucky enough to live in two of the most beautiful areas of Sydney, both with easy access to some stunning coastal walks. But like most things in life when something is on your doorstep you tend to not take advantage of it enough, but with Lily now older and able to walk a lot further we are determined to explore some of the walking and riding tracks around us.

Today was a pretty miserable day so we started with an easy one, a short flat track from Bayview to Church Point. It rained intermittently but it didn't matter, the kids had a ball jumping and riding through the puddles - such a great way to spend an afternoon.

 

special places...

With a week or so left until Austin starts big school and with Lily in preschool on a Monday and Thursday I got to spend some one on one time with Austin this week which was so special.
I let him decide what he wanted to do even though I already knew what the answer would be from my animal-obsessed boy - "Aquarium and Taronga Zoo Mum". We have season tickets to both and have been so many times this past year but he never seems to tire of them.

So on Monday we went to Taronga Zoo . . .

Then on Thursday we took a bus into the city and went to the Aquarium and Wildlife World

and of course what's a trip to the Aquarium without a hatching egg to take home . . .



We had such a great couple of days together and I will treasure the memories forever . . . but I think I've had enough of animals for a while.

Happy Australia Day

What else do you do on Australia day but walk to the pub . . .





last day...

Austin 'graduated' from preschool last year, but he didn't officially leave then because he went back for the first couple of weeks this year. Today was his last proper day, so it was goodbye hugs for all his teachers and friends, and goodbye to his classroom and cubbyhole and sandpit and vegie garden and bikes and stretcherbed and homecorner and everything else that is so wonderful and fun about preschool.

Putting the code in to open the door, when he first started I had to lift him up to reach it, not anymore...



His Aboriginal painting, last piece of artwork

Big School here we come, ready or not . . .

a kingy . . . finally

Steve is a mad fisherman, well his whole family is and Austin is heading that way too so it must be in the blood. In South Africa he had access to all the perks - a fishing cottage, boats, skis and the experience from years of fishing in the same places so it was easy and he knew what he was doing. But for the last three years he's been a frustrated fisherman, without a boat he's been fishing as much as he could off the rocks, beach and jettys but without much luck, it seemed like he would never get that big fish. 

But the other day he went out to sea on a friends boat and look what he caught . . .

He was so happy, I haven't seen him so excited about something in a long time

Austin watching the filleting process very intently

And Lily being a girl "Yukky, stinky Daddy"

giggling cousins . . .

Giddy Up . . . Batter Up

My friend Caroline got some half price vouchers for horse riding at Centennial Park, so we decided to take the boys before they started school and life became too chaotic.
We got there early on a Saturday and after some bike riding through the park we went next door to Fox Studios to get some lunch. As we walked over to the playground we saw a cricket match going on, part of a promotion for the Sydney 6'ers cricket team. Riley and Austin looked longingly at the boys playing, who were all a lot older, then asked if they could go play. We said sure, if they went and asked, so they did - and before we knew it there they were fully involved with the game. The players were so good, helping them a lot and they both got a chance to bat, after lots of misses they both even managed to hit a shot - well the bowler had to basically place the ball on their bats. They had an absolute ball and later posed with one of the players, Stuart McGill.

Then it was time for horse riding . . .

As Austin later said "that was a great day, I got to do 2 things, cricket AND horse riding" - I think the unplanned and free cricket was their favourite though . . .

school shoes

Back in November we took an extremely excited Austin to get his uniform for big school but of course he wasn't completely happy because we didn't have the shoes. The constant whining and asking about when he was going to get them was too much for me so a few days later off we went to the shoe shop, but of course being November they had hardly any styles or sizes left so he couldn't get them that day, oh the drop lip and tears that followed . . .
The lady told us to come back after Christmas, around the 29th of December when they got their new stock in. So we got through most of December and Christmas with not much mention of them, but then without me even reminding him, the morning of the 29th Austin woke up and exclaimed "Yay, we are going to get my school shoes today!!!!".

Such excitement sitting on the steps and waiting to be fitted

can you get a more cheesier grin

if only he knew how much he will hate wearing those shoes in a few months time - and for the next 13 years or so

Boots no.2

Steve has a very special friendship with Santa Claus, apparently he phoned the jolly man and they conspired together to surprise us all on Christmas morning with a pet python. Steve was so sneaky, knowing that I wouldn't be able to get mad on Christmas morning and especially not in front of the kids because Santa had supposedly given it to them. It's not that I'm against them having a snake, but I was just hoping to be living somewhere a little less cramped when we did. But anyway, we have him now and he's growing on me, I just wish we didn't have to store dead mice in our freezer . . .

Christmas morning

Austin has been completely fine with all the yucky stuff like feeding and cleaning the poo, which really surprised us, he seems to enjoy the responsibility

Lily looking a tad concerned as Boots takes the mouse

Happy New Year

My cousin Julie, her husband Richard and 3 gorgeous girls recently arrived back home after 7 years in Europe. We had a wonderful catch up at my sisters house in Bundeena, and it made me realise how amazing the internet really is - we hadn't physically seen each other in years but it was so easy to slip into old times and I felt like I already knew the girls and their personalities.

Ferry trip from Cronulla to Bundeena

Nan was also down so we tortured her and the kids trying to get the 'perfect' shot

Steve was working so we left Bundeena in the afternoon to meet up with him in Newport. We went down to a little park near the Newport Arms to watch the 9pm fireworks show. The kids were so excited and had an absolute ball, and best of all - old fogies that we are - we were home by 11pm. Just in time to watch the 'real' fireworks on the TV and vow (once again) that we will definitely be there next year. . .

New Years Day

One advantage of having such a mellow New Years Eve was that I woke up feeling great the next day, a nice change from most years when I've woken feeling seedy from way too much cheap champagne (gosh I sound old...)

It was a gorgeous sunny day so Caroline, Leigh, Riley and Noah came over for a BBQ, then we spent the afternoon at the beach, a really relaxed way to end off an awesome weekend. 

Here's to 2012 . . . may it be the most wonderful year for all our family and friends