BOTANICAL GARDENS

Ever since we knew that Great Grandpa was coming over for another visit from the mainland, we planned to spend a day out at the Royal Botanical Gardens. It's a place that we love to enjoy as often as we can. The kids can run around barefoot on the open expanse of freshly mown green grass, roll themselves downhill until they are too giddy to stand and explore every nook and cranny of the gardens, while adults can sprawl out lazily and watch the world go by....

Unfortunately the day began with ominous grey clouds hanging over the area. We had hoped that they would clear and provide us with blue sky and sunshine, but as we came within 1km of the gardens, it started to drizzle.

We had all looked forward to the day so much, that we ignored the rain and headed into the grounds. We passed groups of people heading back to their cars, but as we entered the gates and rounded the corner we could not believe our eyes - standing in all it's glory was a grand old Carousel!! The kids were instantly drawn to it and squealed with delight when then realised that they would be able to take a ride! As we climbed on board it continued to rain, but by the time we had finished whizzing around, we were delighted to see that the rain had finally cleared and the sunshine was starting to seep through the clouds.

After inspecting the steam engine that powered the ride and having a quick lesson on how it all worked, we wandered idly around the conservatory, sub antarctic plant house, vegetable gardens, cactus house and Japanese gardens.

It's amazing how hours can pass so quickly while having such a lovely time with family.... it's something so simple, yet provides so many happy memories....

EASTER 2010

Easter is always a fun time to do craft and to deliver hampers of easter treats to friends, family and neighbours. We started with easter bunny paper baskets then moved on to homemade chocolates, hot cross buns and dyed eggs. Needless to say we all enjoyed the activities and created some happy family memories!

MARCH BABY

Our first celebration in our new home was L's 2nd Birthday! It's now official that all of the babies in our family have grown up to be little people. It's such an enjoyable time of parenting, watching them become capable of looking after themselves in many ways, but at the same time, still need the occasional tear wiped or knee kissed when they trip over themselves in a hurry to get somewhere. L shows both of these traits. She shows her independance by insisting that she does things for herself, she likes to join any game that her siblings are playing no matter how robust and yet sometimes prefers to cuddle up with her mummy or daddy and watch the world go by. She is a very special little princess full of affection and we all love her to bits!

SETTLING IN TO OUR NEW HOME

It has been long overdue, but I have finally taken a moment to update the blog from our new abode. There are plenty of other things that I should be doing, but I guess there never is a time when there is NOTHING that needs to be done!

We have managed to complete a long and stressful move from the countryside, into suburbia and are settling in quite well. It has been a difficult adjustment (possibly more so for me than other family members!), but the advantages of living close to town have helped to make life comfortable. Luckily the home we have moved to is in a fairly quiet location and although smaller, I am enjoying not having to clean such a big house! Whenever D or I come across something that annoys us about our new environment, we always remind each other "'Pros and Cons..... Pros and Cons....." there are many things that we now miss but also many new things that we can now enjoy. Life always seems to have a way of balancing itself out like that....

There has been plenty of work to do around our new home. The rose bushes can hardly be seen through the weeds and there appears to be the remnants of an old vegetable garden that is begging for a bit of TLC. We have however, already managed to turn the overgrown courtyard into a sunny herb garden and turn an old slab of concrete into a shady gazebo complete with table and chairs that will come in handy on rainy days.

Of all the changes in lifestyle that this move has provided, the one that I am enjoying the most is being in close proximity to the foreshore, beach, parks and playground. There is nothing quite like slipping out to take our dog Max for a walk before breakfast and taking in the fresh ocean breeze. I intend to make a habit of this... (now I just need to get myself to bed earlier so that I can be bright and fresh in the mornings!)

Life is full of surprises... one year ago I would never have guessed that we would be living where we are now. It certainly does pay to be adaptable, because in the end every cloud really does has a silver lining! (Sorry about the cliche!!)

Fun with Solar Power

R has always been intrigued by anything electrical, so when he received a solar powered 'Connetrix' kit for Christmas, he could not wait to start constructing the three designs that were shown on the box. On the first day the 'Rocket' was constructed, then over the next couple of days the 'Space Module' appeared, followed by the 'Satellite'. He enjoyed watching them come to life and had soon begun to make his own construction designs which he would proudly demonstrate.

Happy 4th Birthday!!

Another year has passed us by, with the silly season making the final month of 2009 zoom by in the blink of an eye. As usual, Christmas is celebrated and then Boxing Day is spent pulling down tinsel and trinkets to make way for Celebrations of another kind.

This year the Birthday girl turned 4! It's always so hard to grasp the reality of just how quickly our precious children grow. One moment B was laying in my arms, a sweet quiet baby who never really spent much time fussing. Her good sleeping habits continue, with her being the only of the three to happily stay snuggled up in bed until later than necessary. When coming into our room early, she prefers to snuggle in between us rather than jumping around all over the place as her siblings prefer to do!

This year for B's birthday, her Nanny had stayed over and we shared pancakes for breakfast, then later headed out for a country drive and picnic. The weather was glorious, so after some ball play in the park it was not surprising that we later found ourselves at a waterhole having a swim in the fresh clear water. After we had all exhausted ourselves (and lured B back to the car with the promise of her Birthday cake waiting at home) she ended the day in a bathtub overflowing with bubbles!

We all had a memorable time, a day the kids are wanting to repeat as soon as they can! It certainly was one which we will all happily recall for the years to come!

Mt Wellington Snow Day!

Winter seemed to whizz past faster than expected and as we watched the clouds dump snow on the caps of Mt Hartz from our balcony, we realised that the warmer weather was approaching before we had a chance to enjoy it. So after a generous dusting of snow was delivered, we grabbed some lunch and headed up to the smaller Mt Wellington for some fun! This was L's first visit to the snow and although R and B had both seen snow when they were younger, this was the first time that they were old enough to appreciate it. L was not sure what to do at first and planted her feet firmly into one spot refusing to move! R and B quickly learned the art of making snow men, throwing snowballs and making snow angels with squeals of delight and rosy cheeks! It was a fantastic day and one that we will remember fondly. It's easy to take for granted the places that we can visit on a day out - beaches, mountain peaks, lakes, rivers and waterfalls are all on our doorstep and there to be enjoyed...

Weights and Measures

When it comes to mathematics, learning about measurement is one of R and B's favourites. They love anything that is 'hands on' and after feeling the weight of various household items, loved to weigh them to find out how accurate their estimations were.

Music Time

There is nothing like expending that excess energy by turning up the music, grabbing an instrument and taking to the 'stage'.... The 'Music Time' CD is a favourite here and with our bag of percussion instruments and rhythm ribbons, we rarely get through the entire compilation before we are all exhausted and ready for a break!

Grass Heads

R and B both enjoyed growing their 'Grass Heads' and posing for some photos to put on the front. They are both looking forward to giving them a haircut!