Happy 2011!!

We went to our usual New Year's Eve haunt - Reef Beach - to watch the Manly 9pm fireworks with the kids and friends, Steve and Helen. A quiet evening but wonderful to have the beach almost to ourselves with 1000s of people on the opposite foreshore jostling for position.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

The Basin with Fenna...

Our favourite place within an hour of the house - The Basin. We took Fenna here for the first time and she adored the place as much as we do.

The boat with Fenna...

After eight months of living with our family, Fenna finally got to come out on the boat with us. She loved driving it and hopes to own one herself some day soon!

Iona's helmet & happy shorts...

Who needs a swimming pool?

I took Pumpkin for a five mile run along the Manly Dam tracks yesterday. Normally I go early morning but made the mistake of going at 3pm on Boxing Day in about 30 degrees! I hallucinated most of the way home about having a pool (sadly a thing of the past) and about having more water in my drink bottle - also gone by that stage. When I got home the sprinkler was the next best thing - the kids were happy, Dunc got stuck in, I went in fully dressed in my running gear and only the dog seemed to be wary of the whole proceedings!

Xmas Day 2010...

Santa was smart enough to move the log in the fireplace but he made a bit of a mess though with his ashen footprints!

Barney appeared in our room at 5.30am having spotted that Santa had been en route to the toilet! Here are the kids at 6.20am waiting for me to let them loose in our bed at 7am to rip open the stockings. Dunc was still asleep so I ended up in the back paddock at 6.30am with four kids and the dog feeding the chooks and rabbits.

The calm before the storm...

Another feast - turkey and all the trimmings on a stunning, hot day following an afternoon at the beach.

Gingerbread house demolition and visit from Chloe...

After 3 weeks of looking longingly at the gingerbread house I finally picked a day (and invited LOTS of kids) when it could be smashed and scoffed! Arthur and Barney had Lachy, Hugh and Isaac here and had turned the driveway into an amazing scooter/skateboard park for the previous couple of hours. Chloe was also visiting from the UK for 3 days en route to Tasmania so she, Gavin and their three kids came up for the morning. Having lavished hours of attention on the gingerbread house it was demolished in seconds but the kids had a ball.

Now you see it...

Now you don't!!

Me and Chloe - just like the old days but too brief a reunion as always.

Xmas Eve 2010

This year Christmas was particularly special as even Iona seemed to get excited about the imminent arrival of Santa. After Arthur had convinced her to stop wearing the stocking on her leg, the kids finally got them all laid out and the fire guard removed (so that Santa could get through with his pressies!)

Stockings for the six of us, Fenna and of course Pumpkin!

The Xmas Eve feast was yummy glazed ham (my first ever but not my last!) and a seafood platter. Fenna had her first ever taste of oyster and crab.

Reggie the Rooster and his girls...

We have had four chickens for about 18 mths but recently the kids and Dunc talked me into getting a rooster as we have a big enough garden for it not to wake us up. We now have Reggie Kray, the rooster who is in 7th heaven with his TEN hens!!!

Xmas lights 2010...

Fenna and I took the four kids to see the Borgnis St Christmas lights again this year. Dunc had 'man flu' so chose to abstain! As usual the charity collectors were there with buckets for Bear Cottage, the Mr Whippy vans had multiplied and even a coffee van was available. Every child (including ours) seemed armed with a huge ice cream covered in sprinkles - ideal before bed!! - and a huge grin. The lights were as gawdy as ever but still quite entertaining. You wouldn't want to be the one house in that street choosing not to take part!

Arthur's Taekwondo

Arthur started Taekwondo training a few weeks ago and has taken to it with huge focus and gusto. Six weeks into his first term he was picked for grading (where he chopped the wood shown below with a hammer fist on the first attempt amongst other challenges) and achieved his much longed-for yellow belt.

Westmead Children's Hospital Christmas Parade

It's 'that time of year' again - the 'Kids R Xmas' parade at Westmead and Randwick Children's Hospitals, organised by our amazing friend Dee. Duncan and I both dressed up at Randwick last year whereas I went as Snow White again this year and he will go to Randwick next week. We took 200 show bags crammed with donated presents/magazines/toys as well as handing out balloons, friendship bracelets and extra goodies. It may only provide a few minutes distraction in a long period spent in hospital but it cheers most of them up for a little while, even the parents. The parade is in its 11th year now and goes from strength to strength.

Call me a 1950s housewife!!

I have declined invitations to decorate/build gingerbread houses for the past few years, only to be told off by the kids when friends' parents produce these amazing looking houses at parties/New Year to be smashed and demolished in seconds by hordes of sugar-hungry children. So this year I accepted the invitation and had a ball!! Helen and I were both 'gingerbread house virgins' but both got stuck in. The house now has pride of place next to the nativity scene and has yet to be touched. I will readily accept my invitation next year and even think I will be ordering a 2nd one to do with the kids - might stop me eating so many sweeties in the process!

Movember...

Growing a 'mo' in the month of November (hence Movember) is huge now in Australia and many other countries. Dunc decided to join the school team of two male teachers and many fathers to grow a moustache and raise money in support of men with prostate cancer and male depression. Each Dad taking part was asked to bring a photo of himself sporting the new 'tache' for the school office. We decided the whole family (minus me with the camera!) should be pictured with a moustache. Even Iona took it very seriously. Shame we didn't put one on Pumpkin too!

School play & baby elephant at Zoo...

The Allambie Heights Public School annual concert took place this week. Barn was a ghost out of 'Ghostbusters' and Arthur was dancing to Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean'. Bit of a hoot!! The photo below was taken in the playground after doing the make-up for the ghosts!

Below is the newest Taronga Zoo baby elephant, the 3rd born in just two years. She was born about 3 weeks ago - just divine.

More wildlife...

Had to include another red bellied black snake shot - this one is a baby but looks larger than it is as I have zoomed in.

This water dragon seemed intent on coming into the house. She dug a hole the following day (just around the corner from this) and laid six eggs. She was supposed to bury them and cover them over but she got disturbed and ran off. Several hours later we put them in the hole and covered them over anyway so it will be interesting to see if they still hatch or not! Apparently once laid/buried the hatchlings are on their own anyway so Mum is not expected back to oversee the hatching out or anything!

Painting...

The kids (minus Arthur who was surfing with Dunc) got a bit of painting in on the deck - practising for Grandpa's visit in January!!

Halloween...

We had planned to go camping with Matt, Laura and Hamish at Coolendel but pulled the pin at the last minute due to Dunc being unwell and the forecast of inclement weather. So armed with a bucketful of gory-looking sweeties (bought with the campsite in mind!) I took the kids to Laura's for dinner to be followed by trick or treating. Just as we were due to set out after dinner, the heavens opened and our scary looking boys and tiny witch almost hit meltdown at the thought of NOT trick or treating. With a brief break in the rain we dashed up and down the street, they were sufficiently filled with sugar and then we finished with a treasure hunt indoors for the remaining booty.

More birds...

This gorgeous New Holland Honeyeater was parading itself in the tree just in front of our verandah.

Check out this Wagtail puffing himself up to attract the girls...

And here is his first admirer - joining him thoroughly impressed!!

A female Superb Fairy Wren - not quite as glorious as the stunning male with the blue head.

Firetails and Grey-Backed Silver Eyes drink from the creek together.