and now there are 5 . . .

We went down to Bundeena the other day and Austin and Lily got to meet their new little baby cousin Zack for the first time.

Of course we had to try and get a picture of the 5 cousins, as you can see from the photos its virtually impossible to get all the kids to smile and look at the camera, and it's only going to get worse as Zack gets older - for now he just sleeps through the whole thing.



Austin was very sweet and gentle with his baby cousin



mini golf

After all the rain of these school holidays the sun came out on Thursday for a very brief few hours, Austin and I took our chance and went to play mini golf at Pirates Mini Golf . Check out his skills in the video, must have got them from his mother . . .



I beat you mum, nah nah nah na na (not hard though)



after drought comes flood

watch out - 30 posts coming up in one day, its definitely going to be a record . . .

brotherly love . . .

there's nothing like sympathy from your brother when you're upset to really calm you down . . .

Grandma and Grandpa's Park

Whenever we go to Mum and Dad's house the kids are automatically drawn to the park which is right next door. They beg to go down there to play (what kids wouldn't?), and each time we do I can't help but be transported back to my childhood and all the games Linda and I and the other neighbourhood kids played in the exact same places that my own children are playing in. Sure the equipment is different but the games all seem to be pretty much the same...

 

Learning to ride her trike

So excited to eventually make it up the chain ladder

Sydney Family Show

Ok so it did stop raining in the holidays long enough for us to fit in a quick visit to the Sydney Family Show at Moore Park with Caroline, Riley and Noah. It's a much smaller version of the Easter Show with rides, showbags and an animal farm but it's the perfect size for little ones, you can do it all in 2 hours as opposed to the whole day affair of the Easter show, which I'm not sure I'll ever be ready for . . .

 .

Mummy is a scaredy cat so Cazzie had to go on this with Austin



my daredevil loving the swinging chairs, this doesn't look high but it really is

the boys concentrating hard controlling the model trains



housebound holidays

So Austin's first school holidays are over and what did we do, not much really. 

All those plans we had . . . ruined by sick kids the first few days and then rain rain and more rain (and not just rain but crazy torrential, can't go anywhere kind of rain).

Yay for going back to school, there's only so much craft, books, boardgames, play-doh, baker baker, tv and movies a girl can take!

...to look on the bright side though I must just be very thankful we were in a nice spacious house rather than a pokey unit...

crazy kids

Sometimes all you can do is laugh . . .

 


lily was bathed, in her jammies and all ready for bed and then while I was distracted she decided to jump back in the bath with Austin but didnt bother taking her jammies off - not the first time she's done it either

 



another example of the Hulley kids who fall asleep anywhere and in any position, he really was completely gone to the world

 

the final breakdown . . .

After a year of endless breakdowns and hours of work keeping my dad busy, Steve's little runabout finally came to rest for the last time the other day. He broke down on the way home from work but managed to get it started again and with a few more stop/starts and me following in our car we got it close to home before it died again - and that's where it stayed until the next morning when the wreckers came to collect it. With rego due and the gearbox going it just wasn't worth fixing it, and I can't say I'll miss the little Red Bomber one little bit.

resident lorikeets

Nearly every afternoon we have a pair of Lorikeets that come into the garden and start squawking (which of course has nothing to do with the apples and watermelon we started feeding them...). They are so tame now and will even eat from Austin, which he loves of course. I am happy enough to just sit  back and watch, birds climbing on me freak me out a bit, must be because of my childhood trauma at Currumbin Bird Sanctuary in Queensland, where they used to give you trays of feed to hold and about a 1000 birds would land on you, well thats what it felt like to a 4 year old anyway.

no he isn't pulling the tail

nunu . . .

Nunu (noonoo) is one of my favourite African words, it means little bug but its also used as a term of endearment for a baby or a child. My beautiful little nephew was born on the 11th of April, yay for more love and cuddles; and the joy of watching you grow, learn and explore.

 Welcome to the world Zack Ethan James!

enough flash already

little chipmunk

My beautiful sis

Elvis



Austin's 1st Kingy

Austin has loved fishing for the last couple of years but since we got the boat he has become completely obsessed and wants to go ALL the time. For a 5 year old he has amazing stamina and patience when it comes to fishing and will stay out for hours without stopping or complaining he is bored. He doesn't sit there playing electronic games or drawing or anything either, he just fishes. Even bouts of seasickness dont stop him, he just says his tummy hurts but gets on with it. 

The other day Steve, a friend, and Austin took off at the crack of dawn to go looking for Kingfish on the Pittwater (and then out to the open sea - which Mummy wasn't too happy about when she found out). They were gone most of the day and managed to get a couple of small ones, with Austin reeling in his first Kingfish, as you can tell by the photos he was super excited!

and the fish tasted pretty good too . . .

easter eggs, birthday cake and goodbyes

Easter this year was extremely BUSY, so much happened in the space of a few days that I think we all need a holiday to recover. This year Lily's birthday fell on Easter Sunday so we decided to have her party on the Easter Saturday, which was fine but we also decided to get her a cubby house for her birthday, which was only delivered on the Thursday before and of course had to be put together before her party - stress!!! It all worked out though, the cubby was built , the party was great and she had a absolute ball. Then on Easter Sunday, we started with the usual egg hunts and chocolate overload; then we had birthday presents and more birthday cake; and then Brian and Monica flew home that evening so we had an emotional trip to the airport to end off the weekend. Phew, I'm tired . . .

Easter morning - actually more like night - Austin woke us up so early

Opening some of her presents

a trip to Zubi to visit Daddy who was working (fancy photo effects)



Shattered . . . not long after this she crashed on the couch for 4 hours



my little tomboy - she was keen to put on her princess outfit (a birthday present from granny and gramps) but then decided it was getting in the way of her bike riding so off it came!



Cake time for the 2nd time - and so happy to be the centre of attention again!!! This time mummy made an ice cream cake because she was sick of baking - and ice cream is so much nicer than real cake anyway 

Happy 3rd Birthday Sweetheart, you bring such fun, love, laughter and crazyness to our lives,

we are truly blessed and we love you so very much.

xo 

the cubby house - part 1

I feel guilty that Austin and Lily missed out on having a garden for the year that we were in the unit. Yes yes, we were at the park or beach nearly every day but it's just not the same as being able to open your back door to let them out to play and explore.

So to make it up to them I really wanted them to get them a cubby house/fort, and as Lily's birthday was coming up we had the perfect opportunity to kill two birds, but cubbies are not the cheapest things in the world I soon found out!!! I spent hours trawling cubby sites trying to find something decent but cheap, but eventually I had to settle for something we could actually afford, not the one I really wanted, which was really really hard for me to do - as Steve likes to say "only the best for Karen".

We got the cubby from My Cubby, they were awesome and organized for it to come in half the normal delivery time so we could assemble it in time for Lily's party. It comes in a kit form that they said should take a weekend to put together - well it arrived on the Thursday which gave Steve 2 days to finish it but he could only do it after work so it was going to be tight. But with a bit of help from me, his mum and my dad he managed to get most of it together in time, even with a few hours delay because of a missing panel. I was very impressed with my non-handyman husband. It still needs the sand pit, paint and a few finishing touches so I will post some more pics when it's completed.

Austin helping/hindering

the most important tool - beer

look at all those screws -  each hole had to be drilled

Monica and I were the 'holders'



Dad getting roped in on the 2nd day

nearly done

and he swims...

Austin started swimming lessons again a few weeks ago, this time only a 10 minute drive up to Terrey Hills - rather than the hour long drive we used to do to get to Roselands pool (we'd meet up with friends at the same time but can't do that anymore because of school). He goes before school which works out well because he doesn't start school till 9.25 and is up at 5.30/6 so the mornings at home are long, I actually like getting out and doing something.
After a 3 month break I was worried he would forget everything but he'd actually improved and watching him in his lesson I could see he had really got 'it' this time and was swimming properly and most importantly with confidence - another milestone complete . . .