I really did have a great weekend. We missed the turnoff for the Aquarium and so wound up making an accidental trip across the Harbour Bridge and back.
We made our way through the submerged tubes and saw sharks, turtles, stingray, dugong, all sorts of colourful fish, and penguins.
We dropped in on Keda, who hadn’t had her baby yet (she has now - yay!), and hit the town with some friends. While the boys stayed with Mum and Dad, we enjoyed cocktails and tapas then moved on to another place for more tapas and churros, then to the pub for more drinks. Fantastic night out sans children, and look forward to more of those.
We woke to a cloudy, but not too cold, morning in Manly and it was just glorious sitting at the boardwalk watching everyone else care about their fitness.
We had a decadent brunch and walk through the shops before heading back to catch up with the kids and Mum and Dad.
Saturday night was spent with more friends. We discussed hairbrained schemes, old times, and future possibilities. I’ve come away with homework to do. It may well be the birth of a new Empire.
The weekend finished with a day at Taronga Zoo. Lincoln thought the giraffes were hilarious, Fraser liked the bilby, and Matt seemed to enjoy the nipple-squeezing chimpanzee the most.
I heartily recommend a weekend as a tourist in your own city!
It’s action stations this weekend. Matt’s finishes up working for his employer today and goes freelancing from July 1. So we’re extending this weekend to fit in some fun with the kids.
Fraser is wagging school tomorrow and Monday so we can go to the Aquarium and the Zoo with less people around. We head up to the aquarium first thing tomorrow, followed by a visit to Keda (psssst! I hope she has her baby today!). We’ve got dinner out with friends Friday night, plus brunch with other friends (Hi Bindy!) Saturday morning. Then popping in on a family birthday party before going to a dinner and stay-over at some other friends Saturday.
Sunday night should bring some relaxation time at Mum and Dad’s, then to the zoo Monday morning before we get back home. WooH! I’m tired just thinking about it. But I’m really looking forward to seeing the aquarium as I just know Lincoln will LOVE it!
In other muser related news: I have enrolled for the next Unravelling e-course. I’m quite excited about this one, and depending how this goes I may do her new follow-up ‘Senses‘ course later.
So I’m out of here for a few days but to get the party started here’s a video of Fraser school performance as part of the Commuity of Schools on Tuesday night. Enjoy!
I saw this over at Anna Laura Art. This gives real insight into what is on my mind these days.
Here is what you do:
“So what you have to do is type each letter of the alphabet one by one into the URL line of your browser. This will bring up your most visited site of this letter, or the letter being used within the address. Use the first site that comes up, or the second if you have privacy/security issues. It’s like a little outline of your favourite web sites!”
A. Aprill.Net - Here, of course! B. BOM - NSW weather radar. C. Citibank - checking the credit card statement and paying bills. D. Domain - Searching real estate. E. Ebay - I’ve sold things recently, hence it only just beats Etsy. F. Facebook - Enough said. G. Google - Speaks for itself. H. H&B - House & Baby. A favourite blog. I. IKEA - research *cough* J. Jax Tyres - I needed a wheel alignment. K. Kristin Hersh - I visit the KH forums most days. L. lastminute - I’m always on the lookout for a cheap airfare Somewhere Else. M. Google mail N. SMH - Catching up on the news. O. Google Spreadsheets - I keep my menu plan here and reference it often. P. Police Credit Union - Internet banking. Q. Flickr Search - my most recent search was for ‘home office’. R. Redbubble - Art for sale (including this shirt that I designed). S. St George - more internet banking and bill paying. T. Taste - for adding variety to my menu planning. U. Susannah Conway - Unravelling e-course “Ways of seeing myself”. I hope to register for the next course! V. Google Reader - I catch up on all my favourite blogs here. (Google gets alot of my business.) W. Wild Vanilla - Another Kristin Hersh and Throwing Muses forum. X. Xero.com - Online business accounting. Y. youtube - I was there yesterday looking at the Improv Foodcourt Musical Z. Zazzle - My tshirt is here, too.
After our day out bike riding on Saturday he crashed out on the lounge in Matt’s arms by 4.30pm and slept right through until the next morning! We woke him for dinner but he was not impressed so Matt ended up putting him into bed and I snuck in a little later to change his nappy. He must have been so puffed out from me pushing him on his trike for four kilometres!
He and Fraser spent Sunday morning playing with his new toys and while he napped I iced his Thomas cake. The cake turned out well enough.
He had a lovely time talking to, and playing with, all his grandparents.
Lincoln is developing more and more words now. Nanny, mummy, daddy, doh-doh (playdough), cheese, two. He loves Fraser and copies everything he does. He loves eating - particularly stuffed olives, cheese, and tiny teddies. He loves reading. Often I catch him sitting on his bedroom floor with books around him. And yes, he loves Thomas the Tank Engine.
Last week’s school Open Day at the conclusion of Education Week was successful. Lincoln played with toys in the back of Fraser’s classroom while we talked to his teacher. She’s still impressed with his reading and he’s in the top group in the class for maths. Another teacher comes across from another, bigger school one day a week to help program more advanced maths tasks for those kids who are doing especially well. We also saw the class present their self portraits to the assembly, and the parents and children participated in a trivia contest. We’re so proud to see Fraser doing so well at his little school.
On Saturday I made the trip down to the Canberra Centre to go shopping. I found some bits and pieces for Lincoln’s birthday, some crafty things, spent my Kikki-k voucher, and just had a lovely time browsing around the shops. On the way back I stopped at Ginnindera Village in Gold Creek. There’s some fabulous gift shops there!
Since then, we’ve had a head cold go through the family. Fraser brought it home first, then Lincoln got it, then me. Matt had it somewhere along the line as well. Thanks to Lincoln’s new Seretide inhaler we’ve gotten through this bout without needing the steroid drops. Yay! He still got wheezy overnight and coughed a fair bit but nowhere near as bad. I’m so relieved we’re making headway with managing this asthma.
We made hay while the sun shone today and went out for a drive. The weather is supposed to be bad all weekend but today was lovely. So we took the bikes up to Bowral for a ride along the bike track. Matt and Fraser rode off ahead while I pushed Lincoln on his trike. He had a lovely time. We saw a furry caterpillar, lots of dogs out walking, other kids, and we could hear the train going by in the distance. We stopped for a picnic lunch of rolls, sandwiches, and muesli bars before heading back home to prepare for the big day tomorrow.
I’ve made a slab cake and tomorrow I will carve and frost it. All the grandparents are coming to stay for the long weekend so I’m sure the boys will have a fun time.
With Lincoln turning 2 tomorrow I’ve scanned in a few photos of me for comparison.
Maybe I am nearly 4 here?
Here’s one of Lincoln from today.
Well I’m looking forward to seeing how the cake turns out tomorrow. Best get some sleep so my creative talents are at their best.
