Saturday, December 29, 2007

Christmas at Dad's vid clip

For some strange reason, Oliver had more fun, running after the trailer than sitting on the back of it. Dad is such a good sport about riding round and round in circles with kids squealing on the back.

Christmas at Dads

Wow what a busy week it has been. Some of our Christmas presents are still sitting on the table because we have not been home to put anything away. Yesterday we went to my Dad's at Yorktown and celebrated Christmas with him. We used to go on Boxing Day but since Sarra's birthday we get together on the next available day.

It was lovely catching up and relaxing at Dad's because it is so peaceful there. Dad showed me a huge cut along his nose where he got up to go to the toilet in the night and tripped over a planter pot and his face struck it as he fell. He got concussion and this gash in his nose that bled for ages. He also had a black eye. Next time says Dad, "I'll turn the light on first".

The kids begged as usual for Pop to take them for a ride on the back of his ATV. He can never get out of it. It is the highlight of their day.

Bridport fun

The next day after Sarra's birthday was absolutely perfect. We headed off to the dog beach to walk the 5 dogs. I must remember my camera on that beach next time as it is absolutely beautiful. It stretches for miles with warm white sand and is quite sheltered from the wind.

Oliver got an electric bubble blower from Oma for Christmas which he had fun with


Just before lunch everyone went fishing except for Mum, me and Oliver. Oliver had a nap so Mum and I sat outside relaxing and talking. The fishermen returned with 2 piddly little fish but they were just impressed that they had caught something at all.


After lunch we headed down to the beach. We went to Mermaid pool as it is so warm and sheltered there. The kids loved it and spent a lovely afternoon splashing and playing about in the water.


Burying Oliver in the sand

On the beach we ran into the Horsmans who are staying up at Bayview. Jayne and Jackie were sitting on the beach watching the kids and Faye was walking back along the beach with Kristen and Steph down from Canberra with their kids Mackenzie and Lachlan (I hope I have spelt their names right). I had to take some photos which they teased me about but I did tell them they could not escape the blog.



At about 5pm we headed home as the next day we were off to my Dad's for Christmas lunch (more food). The Wheelers decided to stay at Bridport and go straight to Dad's from there and then go back to Bridport until New Year's Day. We will head back to Bridport on Monday and stay over for New Year's. It is supposed to be 28 degrees on Monday so it should be another good beach day.

Boxing Day Bridport birthday

On Boxing Day Sarra turned 7. She was so excited to be going to Bridport to celebrate it with her cousins. The weather was quite windy and a bit cold when we got there and Nanny Gibson was already at Collette's house with the dogs all set for a nice quiet break from school.

That was not to last with us and the Wheelers and their 2 dogs descending on the place. That was okay because next door also had about 3 families with young kids and their dogs too so it turned into a pretty noisy street. Luckily Collette is on YSA convention in Melbourne so she can't see all the mess. (he,he)

Sarra got a pair of swimming goggles for her birthday and a beautiful dress from Nanny she can wear to church. Simon and I got her a necklace in Thailand from this huge jewellery place. It is supposed to be famous for its wonderful gems and stones but I did not notice anything special about it. Her necklace is silver with a little S on it. She also got a Bratz doll. They are the ugliest things I have ever seen.


After Sarra's birthday tea we all played games and tried to get the kids to bed. because they were all sleeping downstairs on blow-up mattresses they were just too hyped up and it was about 11pm before they settled down. We certainly had tired little vegemites the next day.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Santa has landed

Merry Christmas everyone!

We started off the day at 6.50am. Good start to the day, not too early. Oliver was the funniest. He walked into the loungeroom and all the presents were so unexpected for him, he kept saying 'wow,wow'.

We spent the morning opening presents from each other. Here are some of the pressies. Oliver got a train table to put his Thomas stuff on and some Bob the Builder tools. Sarra got a Nintendo DS and Bratz stuff. Hallie got a skateboard, Spiderman web shooter and leap pad books. I got chocolates, an iron, Capri gift voucher and a body scrub from the Body Shop. Ooh I love that shop. Simon got fish (2 have died already) to go in his 6 ft long tank that he loves, root beer - he loves this particular American one that you get from the Asian supermarket in Launy and then we got a barbecue for the deck which was for both of us but Simon picked it out and pretended it was for me too.







Oliver attacking his train table box


Note the Spiderman undies!!
We rang Penny in Canada and my Dad and then set off to Tammy's for lunch.

Jason is home from his travels overseas where he has worked for the past 4 yrs. He is only home until the 23rd of Jan and then heads off again for another year of working and traveling. It was good to see him again. A photo of him would have been good eh? I can't believe I have not captured him in any of them except on the video camera.


Oliver and Nathan concentrating on the PS
We had quite a gathering with the Rowlings (Tammy, Jason, Jakob, Aneika, Nathan, Henry, Katie and Lilley and Jason's parents, Les and Lynne, Kay and Dion with Josh, Allister, Paige, Piper and Savannah, Oma and Pop and us.


We had a lovely lunch with turkey, ham, pork and heaps of salads and desserts. We also had heaps of nibblies that even though you are full as a goog, you can't help grazing on. After lunch we opened presents. We have one family each year that we buy for and then we rotate around each year.

This year we had the Rowlings and next year we have Penny and Chris in Canada. Oma and Pop got the kids a popcorn maker which we absolutely love because one of the kids' favourite pasttimes is watching a movie and eating popcorn and it was just getting too expensive to keep buying the bags.

At about 3pm we headed back to our house as Simon had to start work at 4 and the Gibson's and Wheelers were coming to our house for tea. So for tea we again sat down to turkey and ham and roast vegetables and desserts, I'm amazed I'm still standing with all this food in me.


Jayme was on on 'giving out present' duty


We again opened more presents and I got a lovely vase from Collette, Tupperware brand tupperware from Lisa and a rice cooker from Mum. The kids got the game, Guess Who, puzzles, books, learning activities and clothes to name a few.



We had tea out on the deck and thankfully it was a beautiful night with no wind. After tea the kids and Collette played a little basketball while the rest of us sat back and relaxed. Everyone left by about 8.30pm and the girls and I played Guess Who for a while longer until the girls could not keep their eyes open.




Simon has tomorrow off which will be great as it is Sarra's birthday and after all this food today (groan), we are doing it all again tomorrow with a birthday party at Bridport...... and more presents for Sarra!!

Pre-Christmas fun

I know today is Christmas Day and I will get onto today's events in the next post but leading up to Christmas the kids always have such fun things to do. On Sunday night the Westbury Fire Service did its traditional lolly run with Santa on the back of the fire truck.

I was looking after Gabriel and cooking tea and had completely forgotten our tradition of hanging on the front gate waiting for the fire truck when I heard the fire engine siren. With Gabriel on one hip and camera in the other, I herded my three kids out the front door and went barreling down the footpath.

It was such a sight as Hallie was pushing her doll in the pram and I was trying to hoist my trakky dacks up while running with Gabriel. I had not tied them up properly and they were threatening to fall down as I ran.

We made it just in time and the kids laughed with glee as Santa threw lollies to them.

Yesterday the gym threw its annual Christmas party. They had face painting and Santa even popped in for a visit. Most of the time the kids love going to the gym and Hallie is always asking if Harri is going to be there.

Santa was not coming until 10.30 so Lisa and I did a pump class first and got down to the creche just before he arrived. Oliver had his face painted like Batman, Hallie chose a Ninja Turtle and Sarra a butterfly.

They only problem was that later we went to Pumpkin Patch as they were having a sale and I was trying to get the girls to try clothes on and not get the paint on their clothes. I was getting quite grumpy with them and flying the clothes up over their heads cursing the paint which by this time Hallie had wiped all over her sleeve. Luckily it all came off.


Sarra with one of her favourite creche workers/gym instructor, Louise