April School Holidays

Well, the school holidays are coming to an end. It's been a really great holiday with relaxing and hard work in a healthy mix. The first week Travis had Tasha sleep over and Wade and Brett stayed at Dren's. While they were gone, Cody put in some big days of work. We managed to clean out the aviary which took us 3 days and a whole trailer full of rubbish. The floor of the aviary was taken right out, along with all the woodchips on the bottom. All the timber was scrubbed down with disinfectant and new perches and branches were put in. Now the birds are a lot happier (their feathers are no longer ruffled after all that activity in their private domain!!).

Jessica also had a sleepover at Tempany's. Dren and JB picked up their darling and dropped off our ratbags on Friday evening. Ah, the peace and quiet was over!! Brooke's friend Justine slept over on Sunday night, and Jessica's friend Louise slept over on Tuesday night while Wade had a sleepover at his friend James'. All week long the neighbourhood kids (mostly kids from our church) were coming and going and the kids played alot in the park across the road.

Last Wednesday Cody went to work finally more to get away from the girls!! We had 25 girls coming over for a card party, so he really wanted to make himself scarce. Mum kindly took care of Brett, Travis, Owen and Madyson for the afternoon so Michelle and I, with the help of Roslyn could manage the card party. The girls were split into 3 groups and rotated aroung the tables until they had all made their cards. All in all, the kids had a great time and made 2 fantastic cards and a little lolly bag to take home. The amount of junk they ate was amazing!! No wonders they were bouncing off the walls. We finished a little early so before they were picked up they played a quick game at the park.

The 3 cards the girls made.

Thursday morning was our regular Wheels Day in the Rockingham parking lot. The older kids took their rollerblades and ripsticks along while Brett and Travis had their bikes. With lots of kids zooming around and lots of junk food to eat the kids always have a blast while the mums hold their breaths waiting for a collision! Thankfully this year their were no major injuries, just the usual scraped knees!!

Thursday afternoon we packed the caravan again and headed south towards Bunbury. We camped for 2 nights with Dren and JB at Belvedere campground just north of Bunbury. It was quite a nice spot in the bush, near the beach. In the evening we were visited by a possum and we heard alot more in the bush. The possum would take food (especially liked the grapes!) right from our hand. They just have the cutest faces. The kids were really excited to see them. The boys went fishing on Friday morning, Friday afternoon, Friday evening, Saturday morning.... and no fish!! Well, Wade managed to catch a few herring, but the salmon are just staying away this year. Can't say they didn't try though!! Friday morning Dren and I went down to Theresa's with Brooke, Travis and Tasha since it was her birthday. She was pleasantly surprised to see me there as well. I'm thankful for these opportunities we have to catch up with them as they live quite a ways away.

Then on Monday it was another work hard day. We managed to paint half the garage ceiling (my arms and neck are rather stiff now!!) as well as a first coat on Brooke's bedroom ceiling. The caravan is also cleaned up and ready for our next trip. We also managed a trip to Bunnings with Brett - that's always an interesting expedition, rather painful for the wallet. Anyway, we managed to talk him out of buying a banana tree and bought some seeds and seedlings to put into his garden instead. He just loves gardening!!! And my mountain of washing is now just a mound. Should be all caught up tomorrow!!

Now we have 1 more day before it's back to the routines of school life again. We have to go shopping for soccer boots and shin pads and soccer shorts and socks. Yup! soccer season has begun!!! No more free Saturdays until September.

Looking forward to our next school holidays in July!!!!!!

PS Sorry about the lack of photos. We kept forgetting to take it along!!

Easter weekend 2009

Another long weekend so we packed our caravan and headed south. Good Friday morning we made it nicely on time for the Bunbury church service, then after lunch at Dren and JB's we headed off to the Blackwood River. After a bit of driving around we found a clearing big enough for our caravan and the 2 tents and close enough to the river so we set up camp out in the bush, just us and the bush. Ah, it was so nice and peaceful. We spent the afternoon and Saturday kayaking up and down the river, enjoying the rapids and exploring the bush. The kids even went for a few swims, amidst Jessica's screeches of seeing a leech on her toe. Brett managed to fall and hit his mouth on the tow hitch of the caravan. Although it bled all afternoon, his wounds are healing well now. Even with the mishaps, we all had a really good time. Friday evening we spent in the caravan playing cards together. We had a wonderful family bonding time.

By Saturday afternoon Dave wanted to head to the beach to try his luck at catching a salmon. So we packed up camp and headed towards the beach. Unfortunately the campsites in our book were no longer there and so we had to go to plan B. Thankfully Ray and Theresa had a few acres they didn't mind us camping out on and so we set up camp at their vineyard. Sunday morning we had a lovely, relaxed morning with pancakes for breakfast and all. When it was time to go to church we asked the kids if Ray and Theresa had left yet only to hear them say "Oh, they left AGES ago!!" Uh oh, Busselton didn't start at 10 but at 9:30!! We jumped in the car, rang Ray who set up some chairs for us in the back of church and we snuck in 10 minutes late!! Between services we caught up with Ray and Theresa which was really nice. The kids swam and kayaked in their dam and everyone had fun catching up. After the afternoon service Dave, Cody and Wade went out to try and catch a salmon. They came back a few hours later with no fish... so Monday morning early our fisermen got up to try again. This time they came home with a few herring, but still no salmon. Dave's hoping we can go out again next weekend. That elusive salmon must be out there somewhere!!!

Brett never does anything the conventional way!!
On the way home we stopped in at Dren and JB's for a few hours to catch up with them. It's alway so neat to see how well the cousins get along. Travis and Tasha disappear straight away, concocting all sorts of schemes. Sure enough "mum, can Tasha come for a sleepover?" So next thing we know, Tasha is coming our way and Wade and Brett stay behind. After we had organised the sleepovers, Travis says to me all excited "In real life mum, is Tasha coming for a sleepover???" Now we have a week of sleepovers to look forward to!!

End of Term 1

It's already the end of term 1 and the kids are now on a 2 1/2 week break. To end the term the primary school had a small Anzac assembly to remember what the Anzacs have done for our country. It was quite enjoyable; all the classes did a presentation of some sorts:

The Pre-primaries had their little say:
"It's Anzac Day, it's Anzac day
our soldier comrades far away,
They died in war that we in peace
May live and love, that war may cease"

The grades 1 and 2 also had a poem to recite.
The year's 3 and 4 laid a wreath and the year 5's did a poem and a little play.

The year 6's presented their work they did in class on the Anzacs from the past to the present.

The year 6's also sang a lovely Anzac song about the soldiers in Gallipoli.

Then it was off for their holidays. Yippee!!!

Brett's Lost Teeth

The other day Brett lost his second front tooth at school so he now looks like a cheesy monster.

Doesn't he just look gorgeous!!!!

Not too Old

Well, yesterday I discovered I'm not too old to learn something new! Did you know that on the dashboard of your car you have the petrol gauge.... and beside the petrol gauge there is a picture of a petrol bowser.... and have you ever noticed that beside the petrol bowser is a little arrow.... and did you know this little arrow indicates what side of the car your petrol tank is??!! Well I didn't know this, and the amount of times I've pulled up to a petrol station and flicked open the lid to the petrol tank to figure out what side I had to pull up to, or have parked on the wrong side.... well, I wouldn't really want to tell you how many times!!! Now all the intrigue and mystery has been taken away and I will never have to wonder which side of the petrol bowser to pull up to again!!! Amazing the things you can learn!!!