Last Day Timing

Evie and Charlie had never seen fireworks so the whole day was scheduled around getting them tired enough to want an afternoon nap but not overly tired as they need to be up and about at 9:30pm.  So there was a morning gardening session followed by an energetic pool session with water pistol shooting and chasing.  This was now supposed to be the afternoon sleeping part.  Bring out the sleeping weapon. We never needed to use the car as a sleep inducer but for these two it works amazingly. The other day a fighting Charlie was asleep with one circuit round the block.  Having had a good nap we then had an afternoon beach session. This was the best yet with Evie using her goggles to dive and look under the water for snails, shells and grasses. Whatever Evie does Charlie has to do, so he was diving and swimming as well.  This all led into a good feed of leftovers and the drive to Portarlington. We had 90 min before show time and the playground used up 60 mins.  At first Charlie did not like the explosions but got used to it quickly.  This was a good 15 minute show for kids. The drive back was timed for grandies to fall asleep and the same for us. What we did not need was possums at 2:00am and the the power to go out as well. Maybe there is one less possum on a wire nearby.

book ends

Rest Day Video Day

 Time for a rest day although there was a cleanup which was mostly done by Debbie yesterday while I was doing the airport ferry bit.  I have gone back to check on any videos that may have been overlooked.  These are a hit with the stars of the show lately. Some TV time always grabs their attention and also means some quiet time but now there are requests to replay things that have been done during the day, especially with them in it. I have a few more here from last week.

action shot

Travel Day

 We have to be co-ordinated today trying to tire out some grandies whilst at the same time gathering everything from one end of the house to the other for the packing process. We included a walk and playground session as part of this.  The next bit is to have them sleep for the 90 mins to the airport so that when the flight is happening it will be nice and relaxed.  Easy, snacks and relax.

Water Play

 It is warming up again. Today's first activity was a garden job that got abandoned when we opened the lid of the green bin and a horde of black flies escaped. Debbie got the grandies going to the playground up the road while I did something with the bin. I caught up to them when it was coffee time during an hour or so of swing pushing. As the hairdressers was right there another job was crossed off with a quick booking for two kiddie haircuts.. The rest of the morning was water play and there will be more of that this afternoon across at the beach.  Beach update: Just got back from a wind change that blew our beach session away, so its more water play on the front porch which is nicely protected from the Southerly.

Wyndam Cache

 The action has continued today with another Pre birthday lunch, this time it was grandma who will be 90 next month. However in order to get some beans out, we stopped off along the way at a flying fox race track where Evie is now an expert at working the whole contraption on her own.  We then proceeded on the hour or so drive to Wyndam Cache for lunch.  There is a lot of choice here foodwise, although there is no play equipment. However there is a grassy play area and 1,000 cabbages. You can buy any of the produce in the shop attached.  Right now there is another beach session happening but to quote Jethro Tull, I have been allowed to "Sit this one out".  I did change Laura's shower head from a water saver to a water pourer, in this case the pourer the better.

Playing with the Tap

There must always be activities no matter how much there might have been the day before or coming up, So this morning we travelled to PortArlington to the much used playground high on the hill with Bay views over the You Yangs and beaches. It might have been high but not so dry as they have a water feature there which is good for paddling on a dry day, not that they haven't been stomping in puddles this week. So they walked the creek bed in barefeet as well as using the swings and slides. Evie also started to pickup the skills of finding treasures with the aid of directional heat markers... you're getting hotter.

Charlie Pre 2 Party

 Since Charlie was here with a lot of his cousins then lets have an early birthday party. To average out the driving we we went to Williamstown and invaded the locals with eight kids under eight.  There was a lot of food and a lot of fun and a lot of noise. There are many presents that will not make it on the plane next week. Getting in pizza was a good move especially with the oven playing up after the last electricity outage.  After 90 mins drive back Charlie is cooked but it was a big day.

Geelong Show

 This has been on my list since we moved here and also since we saw a good session of fireworks from our balcony some 5 yar ago. Because Evie and Charlie are here you are always looking for things to do and the Geelong Show beckoned, despite the rain.  Three adults cost $30 each to get in. Everything was awash from carpark to seats, to rides, to feet.  We used two spray jackets of ours on the kids and we had umbrellas. We tried to stay indoors for the first two hours and the the second two hours was Sun and heat. There were many highlights like getting up and close to many animals.  The showgrounds here are bigger than Melbourne. Most of everything is bigger and less crowded. There is a vintage machinery shed that is a permanent attraction here and it is huge with large boilers running everything. As for costs two show bags cost $75, two rides each was about $75 total and lunch was about $85.  I would recommend this as a dayout but not if you have a tribe of kids.  James' dreaded $10 curly potatoes were there but we did not go near them.

Charlie loves Diggers

Real Digger

Licking the Rain

Grandies Playtime

Debbie invented a new thing in the play area. Hills made under the carpet. These are good for dinosaurs to climb up and also for cars to go up and down.  These are currently the two big things, dinosaurs and cars, which is good to know because they are still the two things we have here from a generation ago, as there will be another week of action coming up here again soon. The first video shows best behaviour cherubs.  Later in the week we went to an indoor playground during the wet days. This is not as big as the Geelong one and was way more crowded.

Stacks on the Pill

Mini Bounce

 Grand Final day is a long day already but we got the Grandies to an indoor playground for a two hour session before lunch. We may have overdone it as Charlie was completely cooked when we sat down for lunch at the local tavern. This was abandoned in favour of packing it in takeaway containers. The final is about to start and we have to get back to the house but these teams are not particularly high on our list. We do have a birthday cake to have this afternoon.

Google TV

 Since we updated our TV last month we now have a spare Google TV device. These are very portable and easily taken on the road. The catch is your hotel room needs a TV with a HDMI port and a reasonable internet. We have been using it to catchup on the World Bicycle Champs, or should I say we have been falling asleep trying to watch the WBC. Today we have ferried the Grandies to Day Care so we have the afternoon for some site seeing. 

Dinofest

Travel days are normally long but we were on time and playing with Grandies by 1:00pm. We just had time to book into the room here and do some quick shopping before our half hour walk to the Dinofest. These are puppet dinosaurs of all sorts that are walking around or being carried or are just static reminders in their habitat. Evie and Charlie were convinced and a few times they were not willing to get up close. After the show it was a playground session for an hour or so and by the time we got back all we could do was get some pizza ordered in.  We have made it back to the room again in time for the world champs time trial for women but I doubt if we will be awake long.

Playgrounds

 There were a lot of photos taken in the last week and it is a tour of indoor and outdoor playgrounds.  It was a rest day yesterday but I did collate a few of them and some more video. The video is from the All4 Kids venue.  It is pretty funny. Nana gets buried in a pillow and cannot easily get out. The photos are from various parks.

Pirate boat

Mouth open Park No 1

Double swing Park No 2

Queenslanders Away

 Laura has passed her trial by aeroplane.  Take two kids under 5 with one large suitcase, a backpack and a computer bag and get them on the flight, all the while timing their sleep pattern to an exact period before boarding so that the actual flying time might be as less ratty as possible. Don't forget snacks, drinks and video devices with at least 10 Bluey episodes.  Before all that it was haircuts, chalk drawing, garden cleanup and book reading as well as more Bluey.  Topped off with a late airport lunch of regfrigerated sandwiches. We can look forward to all the same fun all over again in about two weeks.

big sand pit

Airport Leggo

All 4 Kids

 The cleaner was coming this morning at 10:00 am so it was best to move out for a couple of hours. The All4Kids is an indoor playground with a cafe in Geelong.  No appointments are need just pay for the kids ($13) and you are in. After you pay for snacks, drinks and lunch then they will have made their money. This place is huge and must have the world's biggest jumping castle. Now this makes two jumping castles in three days.  It fills a factory sized space with undercover parking.  There are a lot of injury potential.

Cooking School

 The toy kitchens are all the go at the Taylors, there is one inside and one outside so you can't miss any of the culinary art that goes on around here.  The main ingredient outside is sand flour which goes well with chalk eggs. The inside kitchen is much more civilised, flames at the touch and drinking fountains in the door, so all the latest requirements.

Evie took this photo

last morning

Charlie takes a swim

 It was go go go.  We arrived by 8:00am for a quick piece of toast as we had to get to swim school by 9:00am In the meantime we walked to the coffee shop so the cleaners could clean. Evie was the first lesson but the instructors do the whole schedule. At 9:30 it was Charlie's turn however he needs someone in the water and that someone was me. Now I have done some swimming in my time but this was another whole load of fish.  There was bobbing, bouncing, splashing and trouncing and he has to be 20kilo of floating flounder. We made it out of there to cross over to the library for some book reading.  The rest of the day was your normal non stop merri go round.

All aboard the Taylor Express

 I have to get into some sort of routine here but I think each day will be different. We arrived ok by taxi at Nundah but the driver wasn't happy at such a short destination. After a sandwich we took both  kids back to our hotel pool. It is kidney classic shaped and deep but we made the most of it. The room is larger than most but has an awkward TV high up on a corner. The temperature was ok for sleeping but it was still a disturbed sleep. It is a daycare day today so we rounded up both and dropped them off there for a days action. 

carlton supporter with soul

what plant is that

kitchen train

Charlie Outnumbered

 Molly and Elyse arrived with a brood of little girls, to add to the mayhem from the rest of the cousins.  The chasy game got even louder.  I got the new spit roaster together just in time for James to start loading it up but then we had the three hour cook time to fill in.  The Metchers had to get back for more basketball before the spit was ready.  It was well worth the wait with a choice of chicken and lamb. There were still 10 adults and five kids for lunch, so most of the three kilos of meat was eaten. Evie held up well with all the action and blew out the candles right on time.  Elyse directed the photo taking and with efficient management got all those kids smiling in one spot. The weather played its part as the clouds cleared away and another two hours was spent across at the beach. Grandpa ventured down the ramp and back with a wade upto his knees as well. Not to mention a half hour snooze under the umbrella.  We had pizza for tea as there was no more cooking to be had and if I had to wash one more dish I would have run away with the spoon.  

Cousins

Grandies

Candles

Shallows

Evie gets a ride

Who likes the beach?

Beach Walk

Bluey quiet time

hugs