Home Is A Salve

Going home this weekend was exactly the tonic I needed.


To hit that open road and get the hell out of Sydney.


The world knows I needed it. I felt lighter getting out of this city. To escape the traffic, the crowds, the noise. I could list endlessly why I needed to get out of Sydney. I'm no longer in love with this city. I feel like it's over between us.


It's not you Sydney. It's me. Actually Sydney - it is you. You've changed. And I don't think I like you anymore.


Going home, feeling my way through familiar spaces, slowing down, feeling the grass underfoot. I got to spend quality time with my babies. Although it's a bittersweet thing, this slowing down. Because when you slow down, you get to know what you miss out on. Everything must be photographed, documented, because who knows when you'll get to do it again? And then by documenting everything, you miss out on being in that very moment.  It's almost a paradox. 


It's most definitely bittersweet - and the only cure is to book in more holidays to look forward to. I'm looking forward to the June school holidays. Busting out of the city again to enjoy more time with my parents and my wee babes, and more time for living. 


Tiny clung on to me this morning as I was about to walk out the door to work. She didn't want me to go. I didn't want to go.


That wasn't bittersweet. It was just bitter. 

Listen Up Lego Afficionados:: School Holiday Guaranteed Boredom Busters

If you're looking for something for your smalls to do these holidays, I've got some hot diggety ideas for you. Mamas - let me be of service! 


First up - if you're in Sydney - check out the school holiday menu at the Castle Hill Powerhouse Discovery Centre. Holy cow they've got some ace activities on offer - the Doctor is booked in for the LEGO Master Builder course - a full-day, hands-on, fun workshop that aims to stimulate creativity while developing teamwork and problem solving skills. The kids are in teams and together they work to build houses, castles and towers of strength using LEGO. Suitable for 6–8 year olds. $60/$55 Powerhouse members. Kids can bring their own lunch, or order their healthy lunch pack. Bookings essential as numbers for the workshop are limited to 12. 


Call 02 9762 1300 to make bookings. 


But even if your smalls aren't into LEGO be sure to check out what's on offer - because there is so much goodness going on over there, make farm animal peg pals, as well as a whole bunch of make-and-do activities, mini workshops including liquid nitrogen (YES! LOVE!), junk jewellery making. I could go on - but see for yourself all the fun and learning that's to be had (it's fun learning, so it's extra good). Go here now!


And for LEGO afficionados nationally - well you've got to listen up because the school holidays are the perfect time for the kidlets to get their LEGO on. Hot diggety! 


LEGO Australia, in conjunction with Toyworld stores are searching for the nation's best LEGO builder in 2012 for the National LEGO Building Competition - entries are open until April 30th. 

The kidlets are encouraged to use their creativity and construction skills to build the LEGO model of their dreams for the chance to win the grand prize of a family trip to LEGOLAND in California. Like this doesn't have the Doctor's name written all over it!

It's easy to enter - children just have to take two identical colour printed photos of their creation to a participating Toyworld store to obtain the official entry form. 

Visit Toyworld for details. 

image of someone else's LEGO awesomeness via Oddee 

We're On Holidays. And We Have Gold Fever.

We visited Nundle this morning to check out all that was a-happening as part of their annual Go for Gold Chinese Festival. 


Once we arrived in Nundle we took the smalls straight to go gold-panning. They had a hoot sifting through the soil, and both struck it big, and got to bring their gold home. Once that was over the Doctor said he wanted to go home... Hmm. 


We meandered through the crowds, ate sausage sandwiches, went to the Nundle Woollen Mill, watched the Chinese dragon performers - which was pretty rad, went to my favourite Odgers & McClelland and stocked up on boiled lollies (I have a sweet tooth, yikes!) and my favourite beech nail brushes - random combo I know, but this is the general store - and the curation of goods is inspiring and so aesthetically pleasing! I never knew I loved brooms so much.


Ah the country air. I can not get enough. 


I definitely do not want to come home. 

Kids Night Out

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.

If you’re looking for activities for the kids these holidays, check out the free outdoor cinema at Sydney Olympic Park.   We went on Saturday night, and it’s fun – we can vouch for that. We kicked back with other picnicking families and enjoyed each other’s company, on a clean, green patch of grass, under a perfect blue sky, and waited until it darkened enough to watch Cars 2.


The smalls loved the laid-back vibe, hanging out with other smalls, and the novelty of lying under the star-strewn sky and watching a movie. It was pretty special curling up with those little wiggly bodies and enjoying this first with them.

The Doctor finished the night with his: “This was my best night ever.”


Running until January 29th Kids in the Park has a whole menu of activities (more than 50!) to choose from an ace school holiday program catering to all ages (and all free or under $20). If you’re into movies, there’s lots to choose from (The Smurfs, Harry Potter etc) – you can check out the flicks here .

Kids in the Park runs every school holiday at Sydney Olympic Park.

Zootopia

I am SUCKING THE VERY MARROW from this holiday at home. Today we visited the zoo. It was hot. But it was merry. We had such a great time. We got there early, we applied zinc, our hats, and drank water, and we stayed 'til 2ish. We saw so many animals - including the new tigers. My goodness, they are uber cute, and amazing, and wow - they are JUST SO AMAZING.

Why am I yelling?!

Who knows?

But the zoo was great.

We love the bird show. We didn't line up for the seal show - but, funnily enough, the one person that I clicked with in Mother's Group - way back 7 years ago, is one of the seal people zoologist people, and I saw her, in passing, but didn't get to say hi.

Gosh darn, I just knew you'd be enthralled.

Of course, Tiny, the whole way around the zoo kept asking me to take her photo. And who am I to decline?

And Then.

I was planning to write something profound today.

About revelations.

Epiphanies.

About life's little hopes, glories and joys.

About how this New Year is going to be oh-so-much better than the crummy one we just left behind.

Except I've forgotten everything I drafted in my head.

Instead you're going to have to make do with these snaps taken from our last few days. I am still relishing my time at home, on holidays.

A few days ago, I foolishly got sunburnt.
We made a massive sand castle/fortress at Balmoral on New Year's Day, while everyone else was hungover, we enjoyed those first few hours of 2012.
After a sweltering day, we managed to sneak in a swim. Well Matt, the Doctor and Tiny did. I chickened out and thought the water was too cold. Tiny is convinced she can swim. The Doctor is enjoying swimming. He never wants to get out of the water.





How is your Summer faring?

Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart

The very next day I got an inflatable Santa suit and wore it to work.

And now friends, all my colleagues have until mid-January to recover from me being dressed as Santa for the afternoon. I am on holly-days.

PS - If you are staying in the Hunter Valley, or just driving through, be sure to check out the Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights. Amazeballs.

Day 6: Frocktober

We're away from home at the moment, and I have taken the bull by the horns and gotten in a bit of op shopping. I haven't indulged in op shopping for a really long time.

And HELL-O! The Op Shop gods shone down brightly, despite the big chill and the rain, it was a fortuitous meeting of my money and vintage dresses.

All hail the new-to-me dresses. Can't wait to get these babies on in the next week. And you shall have photographic evidence too. I promise.

PS - thank you to every one of my sponsors for Frocktober. Together we've raised $150 for Ovarian Cancer research. High fives!

Tiny Goes To Rio (Tinto)

Yesterday I decided to take the smalls on a last hoorah to celebrate my final-day-of-very-long-weekend-spent-being-very-lazy-at-home.

Hop or Rio? The Doctor voted Rio. Tiny voted Hop. And then she decided on Rio Tinto, and was hell bent on heading to Rio Tinto until we gently explained it wasn't really a destination she'd dig on (boom boom!) unless she wanted to wear a hard hat.

And apparently she did not want to wear a hard hat. Rather, she'd prefer to wear:

3 x skirts

1 x dress

2 x tops

1 x net

Yep. A net. She really wanted to wear this net to the movies.

I am pretty darn liberal when I let my kids choose what they want to wear. But I stood there and started imagining walking into the cinema with this small child with a net on her head. I had to tell Tiny there would be no net wearing today. Save that for when Daddy wants to go out in public. He LOVES it when you wear nets out in public.

And Rio? We really loved Rio. Despite having to sit in the very front row, and damning the critics and their miserly star allocation. We three all loved Rio! And luckily Tiny's vision wasn't obstructed with the net.

A (Really) Long Weekend

Five days at home seems so luxurious.

I've been back working for eight months now, so this time with my little family feels like stolen time. Ultra good for the soul. Perfect for recharding the old batts.

We've hung out together, I've sort of tidied, I've baked (and misread the recipe and inadvertently doubled the butter in the brownie recipe FAILWHALE), we've gone walking, we've played frisbee, we've egg hunted, we've tidied bedrooms, we've chatted, we've cuddled, we've stayed up really late, we've caught up with DVDs, we've curled up on the couch. We've had such a beautiful time.

And we've still got two days up our sleeves. Aye carumba. I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Date Night:: It's Love

My littlies have gone for the week up to visit my Mum and Dad. They were BUSTING to go. They love spending time with my Mum and Dad. And I cried.

I welcome the chance for date night, but the house is unusually quiet, and life feels awfully empty without my smalls.

We've called. We've Skyped. I've missed them. I've even kind of missed Tiny's midnight visits.

Nevertheless, Matt and I have enjoyed hanging out together. Date night. Dinner at Fratelli Fresh, meandering the streets afterwards. Window shopping after the shops are all closed. Chatting. Hanging out in book shops. Curling up on the couch watching a movie uninterrupted. An impromptu dinner in the city together.

Tomorrow the little peeps come home and I'm so excited to be spending all weekend with them. I can't flipping wait.