Indoor play

This play area at a nearby shopping centre has become a bit of a hang out for us over the last few months. It's free and is a great way to entertain Isaac when it's not good park whether. It's also a good bribery tool while trying to get around the shops :)

Domestic goddess

Alright, domestic goddess might be a bit of an exaggeration but over the last few months I have definintely branched out a bit more in the kitchen. In particular with baking. Today I attempted scones for the first time and, for a first go, they didn't turn out too badly.

Teppanyaki take two

It was date night again tonight and we thought we'd try the teppanyaki restaurant we wanted to go to a few months ago. This time we rang ahead so after an early movie we were off to the restaurant ready to catch our supper.

After sitting down I noticed a man who had a very familiar face but I couldn't place it. About 5 minutes later I noticed a woman walk across the room who also looked familiar and then it hit me - it was Delta Goodrem and the guy was the host of The Voice, Darren McMullen. After much coaxing by my Darren I ended up asking for a photo with Delta and I must say, she was lovely.

Dinner itself was so much fun, the waiter was hilarious and there were lots of laughs watching everyone try to catch everything that was thrown at them.

Time flies

Our little boy is six months old today. He's definitely started to find his voice in the last few weeks ... and it's loud.

He's getting more vocal when he laughs but more so when he's not happy, which is usually when the food isn't coming fast enough. He's also starting to 'speak up' when Isaac is doing something he doesn't like. Good to know he'll stick up for himself as he gets older.

While I was entertaining him today I took a few snaps to show how easily his mood can change from one minute to the next these days.

A typically 6 month old I'd say.

Butter wouldn't melt

Like all families with young kids, bedtime can be a little crazy at our house. I don't know what it is but rather than being quiet and sleepy before bed, Isaac tends to be the exact opposite - loud and wired.

Frustration often ensues while trying to wash and dry a moving target, get him dressed for bed and have him pick a book to read. Luckily once he's finally down he's a very good sleeper so we don't usually hear from him until about 7am the next morning. On another positive note, he's super cute.

Matter of time

We had a lazy day at home today and decided to do a bit of craft this afternoon.

While Isaac was drawing a picture to send to Hoot and Jimmy Giggle I made a little calendar to help Isaac get more familiar with the days of the week. This is something I saw online recently but can't remember where exactly. I thought it would be a cute, easy way to grasp some time concepts

Donations

I've had this box of books lying around since before Noah was born and he's six months old at the end of the week. They're books I no longer want or need to keep but I feel bad just throwing them away. 

I tried offering them on Freecycle originally and one or two were taken however since then I've been meaning to donate them to a secondhand book store or the like. After my recent op shop trip I decided I would donate them to the local Salvos store. 

While mum was with the boys this afternoon I drove up the road for a browse through the store and to drop off the books. It's a big warehouse store so there were plenty of big ticket items like lounges, tables and chairs, some in very good condition. There was also no shortage of books already in the store but hopefully there's room on the shelves for a few more.

Plate up

This morning Isaac asked if he could go to Nanna's and I thought, why not? We had no specific plans for the day, dinner was already in the slow cooker and most of the washing had been done.

So we grabbed a big container of left-over pumpkin soup and headed to Nanna's for lunch. I think she enjoyed the impromptu visit and the free lunch we landed with. 

Isaac ended up staying for a sleep-over which means Darren and I get a night off from the dreaded shower and bedtime madness. Everyone is a winner :)

Op shopping

I took myself op shopping for a couple of hours this morning. Although I was mainly going for a browse I was hoping to maybe pick up a pot for one of the plants I bought last weekend. Instead I came across this adorable little wooden rocking horse for the boys. It could do with a sand and a bit of paint but for $10 I just couldn't walk past it.

Recycling seems to be a bit of a theme this weekend actually. Yesterday I rinsed out some old glass jars I had in the cupboard which I'm now using as candle holders and today Darren went to pick up some old bricks someone offered us as edging for our garden. It feels good to be giving new life to things that would otherwise end up in the garbage bin.

Actor On A Box

 

I took Isaac to the Sydney Theatre Company today for a viewing of Actor On A Box. It was a one person show aimed at children 4+ and retold the stories of The Emperors New Clothes, Hansel and Gretel and Jack and the Beanstalk. 

Isaac has quite a big imagination so when a friend told me about the show I knew I had to take him. I wanted to introduce him to drama and acting because I think it's something he might enjoy doing himself at some stage. 

The actress was great and very engaging with the audience (kids and adults) but I think Isaac felt a bit mixed about it. There were parts that he really seemed to enjoy and laugh at but I think in general the concept of one person playing several parts was a bit confusing for him. 

Regardless, it was a great way for him and I to do something fun together and I hope he'll let me take him along to more artsy things like this in the future.

Rollin'

 

Before we know it Noah will be on the move. He's started rolling over onto his tummy quite often now but still doesn't quite know what to do with that arm underneath.

A little help

I love coming home to clean floors and a sparkling sink.

It's a bit of a luxury but we have cleaners come in every fortnight to give the house a once over. We've done it ever since Darren and I first moved in together. It means we get to spend weekends doing things together and there are no domestic disputes over whose turn it is to clean the toilet.

Sunshine on a rainy day

I'm grateful to have a husband who notices when I'm a bit stressed and offers to come home early so I can have 'the afternoon off'. He even came bearing sunflowers which brightened up a very dull, rainy day.

Lots of brownie points were earned today :)

Prevention is better than cure

The cooler weather is here again which means the cycle of colds starts and the asthma puffers come out for Isaac. A couple of winters ago he had a few too many bouts of asthma so we put him on a preventer. Luckily he's always been good at taking his medication so the daily doses during winter aren't too much trouble.

Boys being boys

What a great day we had today. It's days like these I love being on maternity leave.

The boys and I ventured out to Chipping Norton Lake to catch up with Moe who is heading back home this week. His cousins, nephews and nieces all joined in kicking a ball, playing on the swings and splashing around in the water. Isaac had such a great time with the older boys who were so good keeping him entertained.

This was another beautiful little part of Sydney that I'd never been to before. Maybe I could start a whole other blog about the new places we're exploring.

Greener on the other side

I was inspired yesterday, after Darren started our veggie patch, to get some other plants to fill up the garden with a bit more greenery and colour. I took a couple of hours out this afternoon and headed to our new favourite nursery. I ended up with some big grassy plants and these colourful little guys.

There's been a lot of new additions to the gardens and yard over the last few months. Everything is still looking so young but I can't wait until it's all well established so we can sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labour (quite literally when it comes to the fruit trees).

Hidden gems

We took a bit of an impromptu trip out to Central Gardens in Merrylands today to meet up with the Allam's. We had a lovely, relaxing morning in the park catching up over morning tea.

It was our first visit to this park which I found using the Playground Finder app on my phone. It's got a couple of playgrounds for the kids, lots of grass for running around but the most unique thing about this place is the animals. There were some chickens roaming around (and being chased by numerous young boys) as well as aviaries and enclosures with Emus and Kangaroos. Some of the enclosures look a little tired and run down but it looks like they're in the middle of doing some renovations. All of this for free! 

I'm a Sydney girl born and raised but I'm always amazed at the little surprises that seem to be around every corner and how much of the city I'm still yet to discover.

Small storage

Noah and I met up with Mum today for lunch and a spot of shopping. It was lovely to spend time together without the distraction of a four year old.

The shopping part turned into a hunt for the perfect storage baskets to go under the monitor on my computer desk. Sounds like an easy task but it took a lot of walking from shop to shop trying to find not only baskets that were the right size but two that were the same. 

We finally found some at a bargain price and I think they look pretty good in place.

Yummy yummy

 

After a bit of a slow start Noah is enjoying his 'real food' now. He's managing to take his fingers out of his mouth ready for each spoonful now and even moving his head toward the spoon. The faces he makes when we introduce a new taste or texture are priceless.

O Brother

I love this picture from today because it captures the adoration Isaac has for his little brother.

Isaac has loved Noah from the very beginning (the squishing of his face constantly is clearly a display of affection) and is always so proud to show him off to everyone. I hope the love continues as Noah gets older and wants to start playing with his collection of cars and trucks.

Licence to ... drive

This day couldn't come soon enough. My last licence photo was not one of my best so I was looking forward to getting it updated. They're never glamour shots (especially since you can't smile in them) but as far as licence photos go, my new one isn't too bad. 

Another year older

Where is the time going? It really is true that everything seems to go quicker as you get older. 

I had a lovely day just relaxing at home with all my boys and shared dinner with the family tonight. It's rare that we all get together at once so it was nice having everyone around the same table for a few hours. 

Another big thanks to my wonderful husband for all the work he put into getting the dinner ready, taking care of domestic duties during the day so I got to relax and for a great present that made a few people a little envious :)

Road trip (part 2)

On the road again today as we headed back home. The boys were great in the car again. Isaac kept occupied with the iPhone most of the way but had time for a few silly faces while we waited for Dad to find a cache or two.

Small towns

We took a trip across the Victorian border today to a little town called Yackandandah. It's a quaint village with a number of antique and bric-a-brac shops that I would've loved to have browsed more if I was without the kids. We also encountered a guy making guitars out of old Arnotts biscuit tins and the like. 

A friend recently set up a Facebook group to encourage more people to visit small towns during their travels. In a country as large as Australia there must be thousands of small, old towns out there to be explored.

Kookaburra

We woke up this morning to find a Kookaburra sitting outside our hotel window which prompted a rendition (or three) of "Kookaburra sits in the old gumtree" by Isaac.

Road trip

We hit the road today on our way to Albury. There's a big Geocaching event being held over the Easter weekend down here so it was a nice excuse to get out of Sydney for the weekend.

The boys both did very well on the drive down, I was very impressed. We had a few stops along the way to make sure they didn't get too bored and could stretch their legs. We always try to stop in little towns when we travel instead of the big service centres and today we found a great little park in Berrima. It's not too far off the highway so I think this will be a regular stop whenever we head down the Hume.

Playtime

It was the last preschool playtime at the school for term 1 today. After a few visits Isaac has settled in really well and he is playing a lot more with the teachers and other kids. Today he seemed to have a great time playing dress ups and reading the story with Mrs Perrit.

It's only been going since midway through the term but already I can see some great benefits for him and for me. He's met three boys that are also going to big school next year and the teachers are getting to know him which makes me feel better when I have to send him off next year. He even met the Principal today (at least I think it was) and he's a Giants fan too.

All by myself

With a spare voucher I went to the movies today, all by myself. It was bliss.

I'd heard a lot of good things about The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel so I was worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations but I really enjoyed it. I especially liked reliving the India experience. I've been a couple of times now and it's true how welcoming and happy the Indian people are. It's made me want to go back.

Brunch

 

I caught up with another dear friend for brunch and this time I remembered to take a picture. Noah got to meet Uncle Moe today and after a serious start they shared a few giggles by the end. 

Moe is another friend with whom distance and time doesn't seem to matter. It was great to catch up, and there was a lot of it to do since my wedding in 2010.

Visiting Dad

 

Isaac and I had an impromptu visit with Dad today. We recently moved him to a new nursing home that has a lot more outdoor space so it was lovely sitting with the family on the grass while Dad enjoyed a beer and some chips. I hope we have many more visits like that.