December Has Arrived

  Sometimes we like to see just how much we can cram into 1 day. Here is what our Friday looked like:
6:00 am wake up
7:30 Breakfast
8:30  leave to take MA to school
9:15 home, quick pick up of the kitchen
10:00 EL swimming lessons
10:45 Dr. Appt
11:30 Lunch
Noon naps (everyone that was home)
2:45 pick up MA from school
3:15-5:30 Birthday party (all 3 kids and myself attended)
5:30-6:00 Matt home, change clothes and load up to head to Southbank
6:30 walk to tree lighting at King George Square with friends
7:15 no tree lighting
7:30 still not lit
7:40 EL has to use the toilet RIGHT NOW!!!
7:45 tree finally lights, Matt & EL miss it
8:00 we walk closer to tree since the crowd has cleared a bit
8:30 hang out with the Vonks at their apt
9:30 decide we better leave before kids melt down. It's 2.5 hours past their bedtime. Matt and I eat dinner at 10pm and call it a night

  The tree lighting was at King George Square but by the time we got there, the crowd was huge! We ended up watching it from down the street. Then walking closer once it was lit. It is the largest solar powered tree in Australia. It was a nice night out for it & the kids did pretty well while we waited. Even the adults were getting antsy.

  Saturday was Dec 1st and by far one of the hottest starts to Dec we have ever experienced. It was in the low 90s F or 32 C. We headed to Southbank for a quick look at the markets and let the kids play at the beach for a little while. Came home & did some yard work, then parked it poolside until dinner. Matt and the kids got me a Hurley shirt and shorts for my birthday and we had steak and potatoes for my birthday dinner (a couple nights early). We watched Christmas Vacation as a family until it was bed time.

 

  Sunday, we started the day off at the arrival of our elf, Markle. He brought Lego advent calendars this year and the kids seem to really like them! Then we packed up and headed off to the Australia Zoo & meeting the Vonks there. It was a warm day but plenty of shade as we walked around. MA & MV loved feeding the piglets. DB was not sure about putting his hand hear the goats. "They have teeth!" EL got to see her Cassowary-always a hit. We grabbed lunch then headed to watch the croc show. We then had to say our goodbyes to the Vonks. They are moving back this week and we will truly miss them here.

 A baby croc. Only EL was brave enough to go up for a pic with it.

 A Tasmanian Devil just out for a walk.

  Homeward bound just long enough to get our food for a BBQ with school friends and families. The kids were so excited to spend the afternoon with their friends they normally only see at school. And it was nice for the adults to hang out while the kids played. They ran, scootered, got really  dirty & ate just about all the food that was there. Everyone had a great time & we can't wait to do it again!

Our Kids

  EL was giving DB's monster trucks swimming lessons in our family room yesterday. She would do the exact same things as her teacher. It was so cute. Guess she had been paying attention.
  DB goes to Kindy. And he seems to be fitting in quite well and enjoying it. 2 teachers came up to me this week and said what a joy he was to have in the class & how he is so creative. Yesterday, he made a stingray out of Popsicle sticks and tape. Then the other kids wanted to make them too. I am so glad they have piles of craft supplies and let the kids use as much as they want everyday. I have a hard time giving free reign with supplies.
  MA is cruising thru the swim lesson levels. She has gone from learning how to properly turn her head to take a breath to working on the butterfly stroke in less than 10 lessons. She practices in our pool & seems to truly enjoy the challenges they give her. All 3 kids are becoming so much more comfortable with the pool. EL now swims around the entire pool holding on to a noodle.
  And we can now play Duck, Duck, Goose! in Italian. I got school supplies for next year delivered to my front door this week. Ordered online, just had to select the school and grade, check a box, & done! Now I don't normally mind getting this stuff at the store but here I have no idea what most things are so it makes it much more challenging to shop for the right supplies.

 

We found some frangipanis on the way to school