A wet Friday morning

Jacob and I have just met up with Kel and Elliott for a play.  We met at Centennial Park and managed a good 20 minutes of playing before it started to rain.  We quickly got to our cars and drove to MacDonalds.  After the important business of getting coffees, babycinos and morning tea, the serious business of playing was started.

If you haven't been to McDonalds in Australia and you have small children, it's great.  I think everyone outlet has a play thing for them to ammuse themselves.  It is meant for children over 3 but Jacob has found that hasn't stopped him at all.

Well, once Elliott and Jacob got used to the area they had great fun.  First of all it started to chuck it down and unfortunately, even though there was a cover to the playarea, it leaked.  Well, Elliott and Jacob looked like they were having a game of dare to who would splash in the water first.  Elliott got his feet in first but Jacob stood under the fast dripping water first and they both ended up pretty wet.  I wished I had my camera.  They loved it and Kel and I knew if we said no, they'd do it more. 

After a while, or should I say after we'd had our coffees, we joined the boys in the play area.  As they were a little young they needed a helping hand up inside the play thing before they could use the slides.  Well, once they were shown, there was no stopping them.  Up and down, in and out and they even managed to find a way up to the highest point and come down the slide there too.  Our little boys are so brave.  I'll have to try and get a photo, to show everyone what they'd been up to.

Great fun for a Friday morning and I think it might become a regular place to meet when it's a little too wet for normal playgrounds and it's great that we can grab a coffee at McCafe too.

Random December Photos

New Year's Eve

We invited our friends' over to enjoy NYE 2008.  Susanne, Darren, Oskar & Isac and Kerry, Steve and Ella came late afternoon and we had a Spanish themed buffet.  When the children got a little loud and too noisy, the Dads took them over to the park for a good kick around with the balls.  It was bliss to sit for a little while and enjoy the nice and quiet house.  It didn't last long though but I managed to get a cuppa in!!

I'm slightly sad that the memories from this year's celebrations will have In The Night Garden and Thomas the Tank Engine in them!  Oh well, there were 3 toddlers about.

We went to watch the early fireworks, 9pm, had a great spot elevated above the Foreshore but Ella and Jacob really didn't like them.  Jacob had his arms very tightly around my neck, I could let go of him and he was still holding really tightly, his hat on over his eyes and just in case any light got through, his hand overs his eyes.  We asked if he wanted to look at the fireworks and he said "no no no no no".  I think he might now be traumatised for years.

At 9.45pm we went outside once again as the International Space Station would be going over us.  I couldn't remember the exact details but it was traveling very fast and there was only a short time (minutes) we would be able to see it.  Wow!  I was very impressed.  It went over our house really fast and was shining very brightly and then it must have gone over the curviture of the earth and it just started to fade and then disappear into the night sky.  Amazing.  Sorry for you non saddos like me.

Our friends slowly went home during the evening and then it was Dave and I left watching television.  At 11.30pm we couldn't stay awake any longer, so we went to bed, Dave was asleep in minutes, I lay there waiting for the 12 o'clock fireworks to go off and did they go off?!  They were so noisy, Dave woke straight away and Jacob slept through it all.  

The perfect way to welcome in 2009!  Happy New Year to you.