Lillian my little Animal Planet Ranger. She is having fun spotting all the animals at WILDLIFE Zoo in Darling Harbour.
I was invited to try out the new Animal Planet Ranger activity at SEALIFE and the WILDLIFE Zoo. This fab new exhibition that is run across both the aquarium and the zoo in Darling Harbour.It was super fun and the kids loved racing around finding all the animals and learning more about the animals on their collectible animal planet ranger cards.
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So what do you do when you are an Animal Planet Ranger?
Children get an Animal Ranger Pack that have animal planet ranger cards, facts on animals, colouring in and much more!
Once my girls and their cousin got their packs they were keen to find the animals on their cards. First we found a cassowary. It is a big bird like an emu…well not exactly but the size might be similar to an emu.
We found the cassowary that was on the Animal Planet Ranger cards.
Kids can dress as a ranger, swap animal facts to earn more ‘animal planet ranger cards’, and make it your mission to find the animals before anyone else does.
If you wish to be an animal planet ranger it ends soon so be quick to not miss out.
The baby lost it after this picture. So this was the best one with all the kids. Score really when you are out and try and get a group photo.There is a viewing area so that you can look at the big enormous crocodile. It is great that this is now built as the last time we were at the aquarium it was still under construction.
The kids mission pack. Armed with this they raced around to find the animals on their cards and to learn more fun facts about the animals too.So much in the animal pack…. the kids will not be bored at all!
Finding Dory and Nemo is always fun
Julia loved taking photos while on our adventures at SEALIFE and WILDLIFE the other day.
The Art Aquarium is so much fun
Just before you leave the aquarium you have the chance to colour in a fish or creature to appear in the art aquarium. Once you have coloured in your art work, you then get it scanned in and in minutes it appears animated on the projected wall of fish and other sea life.
This is super fun for kids and I must say adults too.
I was so pleased that this was still at the aquarium. My girls loved it and so did their cousin as well.
Make sure you add your artwork to the art aquarium before you leave.
The twins and their cousin colouring in fish for the art aquarium at SEALIFE Sydney.
The twins and their cousin. All the kids had a fabulous time and there was so much for them to see and do. Just perfect for weekends, holidays or anytime actually.
A HUGE thank you to Merlin Entertainment for our fun family day out. It was such a pleasure to be with family and to experience your fun new exhibition. The kids had a blast and raced everywhere to learn more, see more animals and to explore everything. Everyone was super tired after our huge fun day out.
Fridays are not the same when you realise they are just like any other day.
Every morning this week I have found it harder and harder to get out of bed.
I have even thought that every day was Friday or at least close to it.
Yes I thought that Monday was Friday, Tuesday was and so on. Strange but it is true.
Maybe it is wishful thinking. Maybe it is wanting the school holidays to be here now!
Fridays are not the same when you realise they are just like any other day.
However the school holidays tire me out. All the activities to keep everyone entertained and the constant whinging does my head in.
So thinking everyday was Friday was rather silly. As a mum it being Friday really has no meaning. It used to mean that I could rest on Saturday, sleep in and relax. However with kids, Saturdays and Sundays are the same as any other day.
Don’t get me wrong. Holidays are great. Not having to be anywhere or do anything is great.
I have booked the twins into some days at vacation care. This is for two reasons. Firstly, the days that I chose for the girls vacation care has special excursions or activities. The kids will also have fun with friends, be able to run around and have fun without me telling them to be quiet due to the baby sleeping.
Secondly, while the kids are at vacation care I might be able to get a few things done. Yep I can focus on the blog, tidying up around the house and maybe have some quiet time.
I have booked the kids in some days while the baby is in daycare so that this will allow full on rest or peace for me. Not totally but it will be a nice break in the holidays.
During the two weeks of school holidays I have many fun things planned. Taking the kids to the movies, a visit to the aquarium and zoo, plus seeing Frozen on Ice.
I have mixed it up for the two week break so that it gives the kids some fun things to do, and mummy some time out as well.
Have you been thinking it is Friday? Is it due to the school holidays approaching that this is happening?
It will be good to not have to do the school run and other things in the afternoon.
Today is now Friday and I am off to get ready to go to the kids school. The girls have learnt some songs in Gundungurra for NAIDOC Week. The twins can now sing heads, shoulders, knees and toes in Gundungurra. Very impressive indeed.
What are you up to for the holidays?
Do you look forward to Fridays or is it just another day?
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The below post was written near the end of the Easter School holidays this year. Now we are in the winter school holidays and I am not sure that it will be much different. What about you?
Or have you been driven mental by the kids constant demands? Maybe you have found it difficult to keep kids occupied and busy while they are off school?
I don’t know about you, but I have a hate love relationship with school holidays. Yes, I know this term is usually written as a love hate relationship, but I think my way expresses more of how I feel.
The holidays are nearly over. Maybe I should be awarded a medal for survival or at the very least managing to keep people happy.
Would this award ceremony have others that have survived too? It could become a thing for parents that have lasted through countless trips to the shops, playground, park, and the millionth time watching your child’s favourite film.
Playing in parks is always a favourite thing for my kids to do. It allows them to run wild, explore and to just burn off energy that is not able to be done inside.
So what have we been up to these school holidays?
Went to the movies to see Batman LEGO Movie, Boss Baby, and Beauty and the Beast.
Spent time at parks.
Went to indoor play centres.
Watched countless movies at home.
Cooked.
Played with friends kids.
Had playdates.
Did craft.
Read books.
Went to the Easter Show.
Tried to sleep in… this really has not happened but the attempts have been made.
Also there have been many meltdowns, tantrums, and fights over the school holidays.
Kids have not been doing as they are told. Not listening to me and being downright rude and naughty.
I am actually craving some alone time.
Time that does not have yelling kids, noise or anything that might annoy me.
Time that will allow me to finally get a few things done rather than bits of everything and never get a chance to get back to it.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love the fact that holidays allow you to not be anywhere if you don’t want to.
So what do I love about school holidays?
Able to stay in your PJ’s all day.
Don’t have to make any plans.
Don’t have to pack lunches everyday.
Spending time with my lovely kids.
Seeing fun films that normally are just for kids, but since you have kids with you it is fully acceptable to watch these fun films.
Fun days out with the kids and hubby.
Things I don’t like or hate about school holidays:
No alone time.
Constantly on the go.
Never a chance to get something done for me.
Kids arguing and fighting. Although this happens when it is not school holidays, the fights seem to be amplified during holidays.
This is what it has been like when the kids have been naughty. Oh the joys of the holidays.
Wednesday the kids go back to school and Friday the baby will be in care. He is usually in care on Tuesday’s as well but this week it is a public holiday so we are all on holiday still.
I am looking forward to Friday. It will be a day that I can have some quiet time. Alone time. Time just for me. Kids will be in school, the baby will be at care, and hubby will be at work. I will be able to focus on some much needed tasks that I wish to get done.
Although I have a list of things that I wish to get completed, I most likely will be just sitting down and loving the peace and quiet of being in the house all by myself.
What do you look forward to after kids go back to school? Maybe you have not had a break due to working as well as trying to entertain kids during the school holidays.
Some plans for me:
Get my hair done
Have a hot bath and not be interrupted
Spend some time working on my blog
Catch up on some television
Finally get stuck into my screenwriting course that I have not had the chance to do
Get some exercise
And so much more
Let us know how you coped these school holidays and what you are looking forward to do once the kids are back at school?
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I know a cat photo is strange to put in this post. I did look for a photo of an annoyed mum or parent. Or even kids being silly. I thought that this annoyed cat summed up my feelings and might even represent some of my facial expressions over the holidays.
I love summer.
I love holidays.
However I am over the craziness of the school holidays and keen for kids to go back to school. There I said it. Lately everything is a drama, and I am so over it.
When is my turn to take a holiday????? I have been trying to use positive thought power to attract a family holiday to Fiji maybe, or possibly a working holiday just for me to Queensland or Melbourne. Who knows… I am just dreaming and putting it out to the universe at the moment.
I know a cat photo is strange to put in this post. I did look for a photo of an annoyed mum or parent. Or even kids being silly. I thought that this annoyed cat summed up my feelings and might even represent some of my facial expressions over the holidays.
One thing that I am not looking forward to is the weather getting cooler but one BIG thing that is making me smile is the hours that will be mine when kids and baby are at school and care.
Soon I will have some uninterrupted time. This time will be quiet. No kids yelling, no kids arguing and no baby demanding cuddles or screaming and crying. The joy of soon having two days to myself, aside from school pick up and drop off.
The girls start grade three on Monday and due to the baby being in care on the Tuesday I have organised something for me.
I’ve made an appointment to get my hair done. Yes some pamper time for mummy. It will be relaxing and so nice to do something for me and to be on my own for a change.
Are you looking forward to school going back? Are you over the kids acting feral and crazy lately? I know I am. I am longing for some lovely time to just be at home and to get things done. It could be blogging, sorting things out with the house or just sitting down and having some quiet time for me.
What are you wanting to do when kids go back to school? Let me know.
This time next week the family and I will be at the launch party for Penguin Expedition at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.
Genie is a gentoo penguin. She is only 14 weeks old. See Genie at the Penguin Expedition at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.
We are so excited to see the King and Gentoo Penguins, experience arctic temperatures, learn more about the penguins and just have fun being immersed in all things penguin, oh and plus my little explorers are looking forward to possible surprises and treats at the party.
While we are at the party we will be able to learn more with penguin trainers giving us detailed talks to help us understand more about their habitats and the lives of penguins.
Nog is a King Penguin. He is a cheeky character and can easily be spotted due to his funny walk. He puts his head down and waddles.
First of all, once you pay to enter the aquarium you can access the Penguin expedition. No more to pay. Also this is the same for multi-attraction passes and annual passes.
What can you do at the Penguin Expedition?
Penguin Expedition was inspired by Macquarie Island which is an Australian owned island in the South West Pacific Ocean. King and Gentoo Penguins are found on Macquarie Island, they breed here and have large numbers. The island is important because it supports 3.5 million breeding seabirds of 13 species according to Wikipedia.
You become an explorer no matter what your age.
Each person can travel in a raft through a sub antarctic environment. Don’t worry it will not be too cold. They say that it is “a cool-but-comfortable six degrees Celsius.”
During your voyage on the raft you can get up close with the penguins…maybe face to flipper if you are lucky.
You can even experience snow, winds and the southern lights.
The tour also seeks to educate visitors on the impacts of plastic pollution on the habitats of penguins and other sea life.
Learn about SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium’s penguin breeding program
Come and experience the Penguin Expedition at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.
“Penguin Expedition is the world first-of-its kind penguin exhibit where guests can get up close and personal to a spectacular colony of King and Gentoo Penguins at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.”
Make sure you follow me on Instagram , I will be posting about our time at the Penguin Expedition Launch Party and our time while in the city.
Taking the kids to the aquarium during the school holidays is a fabulous day out. They will learn so much and you can then explore the surrounds of Darling Harbour afterwards. Darling Harbour has an amazing children’s playground that can keep kids of all ages entertained for hours.
Have you been to the Penguin Expedition yet? Did you enjoy the new ride through the penguin colonies? Did your kids love seeing penguins up so close?
I hope this has given you another idea to take the kids to over the school holidays.
Oh and stay tuned for some amazing giveaways soon on the blog…..passes to some great places to take the kids this summer.
I think I might have end of yearitis. It could be exhaustion, or maybe it could be called being very over term 4. I don’t know if I have the itis, but I do know that I don’t want to have to go to school drop offs and pick ups anymore, I am over all the after school activities and my brain is now telling me it is summer holidays.
Although my brain is thinking it is summer holidays it is not officially holidays at all. I even thought yesterday was Friday for part of the day, I was hoping that today was the weekend but it was indeed Tuesday and the kids needed to still be taken to school.
You can imagine my annoyance at the fact that Monday was not Friday and Tuesday was not the weekend. No sleeping in and no holidays just yet.
On holidays well wishing I was on holidays and relaxing in my backyard.
I really want to just stay at home and potter around and do whatever I want, well with kids as well so maybe the doing whatever I want will never happen. Regardless of doing things that I have been wanting to get to for ages, at least I will not have to pack school lunches, drop kids and pick them up from school and of course taxi everyone to their after school activities. I could just stay at home. I might even still be in my pj’s and not bother to change all day? Maybe that is something that can happen.
I love not having to be anywhere urgently or needing to be somewhere at all. I like the days where you can just have a relaxing fun day at home and everyone has a relaxing enjoyable time. Although some of these moments are short-lived due to the girls claiming they are bored and then suddenly wanting me to take them out which will require a huge drive in the car.
Tomorrow night hubby, the baby and I are off to the local high school to see the girls dance in the junior dance group. I have heard that it is a mixture of many different dances and one kid even told me that there is the chicken dance in there as well. It will be nice to see the girls dance as they have been very busy practicing each week.
End of year dances are a huge clue that the school is getting ready to wind up activities for the year. I am thankful for this as I would love to just be left alone for a bit and not have to take kids or people anywhere for a while. I do think that this is not going to be the case as my kids like to go places even if it is to someones house for a playdate.
I don’t think it is just me that is feeling like this. The twins have been overtired, yelling and carrying on more than usual. I am putting it down to they are over school, very tired and really need the holidays to start.
Are you wanting the holidays to start? Do you think you have end of yearitis too? Do you think they feel like they have started already?
Having warmer weather always makes me want to be on holiday. Have you noticed that your kids are over it all too?
This time last year I was super organised. I had presents all sorted, some purchased and even some wrapped up ready for Christmas Day. I was a planning and organising machine. I was all over it and made sure no one got forgotten. (One other mum asked me in September last year if I had sorted the kids Christmas presents. I gasped with shock at this comment. Why would I get their Christmas gifts sorted when they just had their birthday? She said that she had kids in December and since I was due to have Alexander in January and we had no idea if he would come in Dec/Jan it might be best to get things sorted just in case I ended up in hospital. Geez I had not thought about this. At first I thought I had plenty of time and how silly to be doing it in September. Although I looked at the calendar and due to being very pregnant thought I best get organised.)
Now the same time this year I am not in a super organised state. I have a few gifts purchased and none for immediate family only a gift here and there for my husbands family so far.
Nothing has been purchased for the kids so far.
I hear you gasp in the disbelief of this comment. However it is very true
So why am I not on the ball this year? Well I have not been motivated due to the kids being very naughty and horrible. Every time I do something lovely for them they act like terrors straight after and make me wish I shouldn’t have bothered. Does this happen to you?
Today is the 11th of November and that means that there is only 6 more Mondays to go before it is Christmas! Yes you read that right! Not long to go now.
I have even added the friendly text “DON’T PANIC” so it might calm you down. Yes very Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
DON’T PANIC – There are only 6 more Mondays until Christmas Day! Yes you read that right. Not long to go at all!
Are you the type of person who purchases Christmas presents all year?
I sometimes do this. I see something that is perfect for someone and buy it and squirrel it away. One issue with this technique is that you need to remember where you have hidden the presents. You don’t want to be in a panic and have to race out and get a few new gifts due to not being able to find your clever organised gifts that you of course cannot find.
Or do you do all the shopping in the few weeks before Christmas Day?
Maybe you like to race around the shops on Christmas Eve and get the last minute specials. I for one would hate fighting the traffic and the people if shopping on Christmas Eve, that would be annoying.
I have seen some items for the kids but they are so expensive and of course we would need to get two of them so I dismiss them, then of course they turn evil and then my nice thoughts of going Christmas gift shopping has been sidelined to annoyance and why was I bothering at all.
This has been uttered more than twice from me to the kids, “If you don’t start listening and behaving Christmas is going to be cancelled!” Yes bad mother alert here. Have you threatened to cancel Christmas? Let me know if you did and how that worked out?
Don’t get me wrong I am not a scrooge. I love this time of year, the holidays and giving to others. The one thing that is driving me mental is that I race around doing for everyone and don’t seem to get much in return. Yes I have my cranky pants on today, maybe the cranky pants have been cleaned and worn again due to the constant drama in our house at the moment. Don’t think that I never clean my pants due to being cranky a lot! (I just had to put that in here)
Kermit helping decorate the tree for Christmas. He has done a great job don’t you think?
Is it the age that the kids just ignore you? Don’t listen? Race off and never come back when they are called? Hurt each other and more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As you can see I am not a happy camper with the idea of rushing off to reward little peoples bad behaviour. I do think that it is the fact that they are so tired due to it being the end of the year, they are super excited about holidays, being in a new grade next year and of course Christmas. Do you find that your kids go a bit silly at the end of the year?
There is still time to get a few gifts for the kids before the actual day. I am just wondering what to give my darling girls this year. I don’t want little toys that will get lost and also cost a fortune. I don’t want more stuffed teddies as they have so many already, they don’t need more dolls although they have asked for some. I could get them more LEGO but they might get annoyed it is not something different. I do like to get them a set of LEGO to add to their collection (due to the fact they both love to create LEGO I like to make sure they have enough to share, hence adding to the collection).
I have been asked to get horse or a kitten, we will not be getting a horse due to space and costs but the kitten will have to wait until we are in our new house.
Are you organised for this Christmas?
Have you had to deal with kids being naughty and not behaving?Do you tell them to act nicer or else they might not get pressies on Christmas Day?
Let us know what you do to make things easier this time of year.
Last week we had the best adventure. We were invited to Sydney Aquarium before it opened to see their new exhibit: “Jurassic Seas”. This new exhibit showcases animals that have outlasted the dinosaurs.
The kids, my mum and I had to be at the aquarium for 8.30am, yes that is super early when you live in the Blue Mountains. Although it was a very early day it was a highlight of the school holidays and the kids and I as well as my mum were looking forward to our adventures.
Kids and adults alike can learn about evolution and find out about lungfish, mudskippers, and much more.
One creature that the kids and I had never seen before was the nautilus. This creature has been around for 500 million years. Yes it is that old. We were extremely lucky to see the nautilus get fed as the staff at the aquarium do this before the centre opens. See the feeding of the nautilus below:
You can see the nautilus a bit better in the video below:
The nautilus does not like lights or noise so therefore it is best to feed it before the place gets too noisy and also with many people with their smart phones.
You can even feed the deadly Plesiosaurus using the aquariums state of the art technology based game.
The kids had a great time at the Jurassic Seas exhibit and we then went to explore the rest of the aquarium.
Nana and Alexander checking out the penguinsLillian looking at the penguinsAmazed at such bright and colourful fishOne of the dugongs at Sydney AquariumThe dugong came up for a close upThe girls and Nana on the Shark WalkAlexander and Nana looking at the bright and colourful fishAlexander was amazed. Not sure how much he took in and mind you he is only three months old but he seemed interested.
The girls were lucky to be able to feed some fish before the aquarium opened for business:
One of the favourite things to do at the aquarium was the “Art Aquarium”. At first I dismissed the kids wanting to colour in the print outs. I told them we can colour in at home, I was thinking that we had so much to see and do at the aquarium that coloring in worksheets might be a waste if we missed out on seeing some interesting creatures.
Amazed by the Art Aquarium
I did see the video wall with the fish and creatures but did not put it all together.
Checking out our art
The twins were telling me that they wanted to draw so that it could go on the wall.
Gosh….. what???? I took another look and then realised that the fish were coloured in by kids. They had names and you could see that they were scribbled with crayons and the like. How amazing and clever.
It was a brilliant and fabulous interactive exhibit that really got the kids involved. Once we figured out that there was more than just simple colouring in the girls got their creations happening, scanned in and we saw their creatures come to life on the art aquarium wall.
Once you have coloured in your work of art, you then scan it in so it will show up on the video wall.
The new activity is available daily and is included in aquarium admission, so if you are going to the aquarium this is a must do! You will all have a blast with this activity. Trust me, we stayed here for quite a while.
The girls also had fun at the Discovery Rockpool, this is an area that allows kids and adults to touch and to learn more about the creatures. The girls patted starfish and a sea cucumber, they also got to hold a shark egg.
The girls having fun at the discovery rockpool at the aquariumJulia holds a shark egg. I had no idea that it was like this. It feels like hard sea weed and it is formed like a spiral that allows the shark to have it slide into the sand easily.
Would you love to take the kids to the Aquarium for the holidays or just for the weekend? Well find out all the great deals for tickets here
THANKS:We all had a blast at the aquarium and would like to thank those that made it possible. Thanks so much for our invite and the lovely walk around before the aquarium opened. It was amazing and made us feel very special indeed.
I just now need to win the lottery. Bring it on!
Since it is a big drive and kids get a bit stir crazy in the car for a few hours I like to give the kids time to run around and get some of their energy out before our huge drive home. We love to go to the Darling Harbour Playground, the twins love it and they have a fabulous time in the water park area, climbing, playing on the huge slide, getting dirty in the huge sandpit and much more. It is an amazing space. Just make sure you pack some towels, a change of clothes as kids get wet and of course dirty while having some serious fun at this playground.
Climbing and having funWatching my big sisters have fun at the playgroundWe are going to get dizzy on this
All the different things that make water move, stop or go through are amazing.More of the path of where the water travels in the water park at Darling Harbour
Have you had a great time at the aquarium? Did you also have fun at the Darling Harbour Playground. Let us know.
Hope you are all having a fun time these school holidays. If you have not gotten to the city to have fun like we have maybe you can make a weekend of it or do it next school holidays.
I have been daydreaming about being on holiday. Yesterday it was made worse with a Getaway special about a cruise that you can do in France. It looked divine, amazing and just so relaxing.
Although I loved what the Getaway Special were selling me, I was getting rather depressed about the whole thing. I cannot go to France. I have three kids. I don’t have the money and also hubby does not have the time off work! So the longer I watched this show the more annoyed I got. Therefore I turned it off to busy myself with other things, like cleaning the house for my mum to visit (cleaning the bathroom ended up giving my left leg a HUGE bruise and it really hurts!)
I know….the idea of holidaying in France compared to housework and I had to do housework. Oh well, maybe I will be the chick in the commercial one day soon. You will see me swanning around a chic French eatery and looking calm and sooo relaxed. Just you wait!
A Paris Cafe. I can see myself having a bite to eat or just having a relaxing drink and watch the world go by.
I see specials for holidays everywhere; Television advertisements, discount deals to fly around the world that are emailed to me, flyers in the local newspaper for great holiday deals and also when I’m at the shops. I cannot seem to escape the idea of drooling over a holiday. I have been thinking that it is the universe telling me I need to have a break, just chill and have a holiday. I wish the universe could pay for it though.
A European vacation where I’m touring Spain, Italy or France is a great thought. However a Queensland or Fiji adventure would be lovely also. Even a quick getaway up or down the New South Wales Coast or a trip to Melbourne. I’m not fussy.
Another idea is maybe exploring Tuscany.. doesn’t this look amazing!
Actually anywhere at the moment that means that I am looked after, I don’t have to cook or clean is brilliant in my book…oh and if they have a kids club and babysitting is available would be advantageous as well.
Maybe it is the fact that I have had my third child that I am constantly daydreaming about being on holiday and having a break? Or is it due to the fact that kids are now again on school holidays and I wish we were all somewhere with a beach and I had a nice cocktail in my hand.
Yes I would rather be in a warm climate, in my swimmers on the beach and just relaxing. Pity this cannot be at the moment.
Hubby did ask me what I wanted for Christmas and I told him a relaxing holiday on the beach somewhere. I’m not fussy. Just somewhere other than home. A break is needed. However this was met with I don’t think we can do that. I did say, “You did ask me what I wanted”
I have also fantasied about being at a health retreat all on my own…. Yes a whole holiday just for me! How amazing would that be! My health retreat holiday would consist of the following:
Great healthy food provided
Wonderful drinks provided
Yoga
Swimming
Massages
Facial/Manicure/Pedicures and any other wonderful beauty treatment
I can sleep in on some days
Watch my own television
Do my own thing, not worry about others, and have some time for me!
I have never been to a health retreat so if you have let me know what you got up to. I am only daydreaming about what I could do while there.
This would be me at the health retreat. Yes not actually me but you get the idea. Me relaxing and having a much needed massage!
My down time actually is finally having a hot cup of coffee and a snack and drinking the coffee when it is still hot. Many parents will know the perils of making a hot drink and then drinking it when it is cold or having to chuck it out and start all over again.
Finally getting a hot cup of coffee. Also managed to get some work done too!
Maybe there is a takeaway here:
A weekend away here and there will be just as good. Now to just book them in and get organised. As said it does not matter where I go, just as long as it is a break. Time out for everyone is a good thing. It helps recharge your batteries and makes you have a happier outlook.
Are you bombarded by things that you cannot have right now? Is it the dream holiday? Is it something else that keeps on popping up in your email or in the mail? Let us know.
Today I’m driving to my mum’s and step dad’s place. They are currently house sitting in Newcastle and we are off to visit. The kids are excited as they are having a five day sleep over… Yes that means that mummy and daddy get a break (Mainly mummy gets a break in reality)
The kids feel very grown up having a sleep over with their grandparents and cannot wait for new adventures. When the kids come back we are going to be in the city and starting our weekend adventure in the city for the long weekend.
I’m staying over tonight but the kids are staying for the week and that will allow me to do some things that I have been really wanting to get done. Some of the things that I have been waiting to do are:
Tidying up in preparation for the new baby
Blog work for the new look and also posts for the current blog
Time out for me
Sleep
Sewing maybe????
We need to pack, tidy up some places so it is not that messy when we come home, have a shower and get ready to go.
I’m looking forward to our road trip with just the kids and I. I have made sure that I am not leaving in peak hour so that our trip will hopefully not be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.
Have the kids in the holidays stayed with family? Has this given you a break? If you managed to have a break what did you get up to?
Learn about all the fun places we went in the Winter 2015 School Holidays.
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We have been keeping very busy and have been out most days exploring. Below is a list of the places we have visited and you can learn what we did there and see some of the photos from our visits.
We all had a great time at the Wildlife park. Kangaroos, emus and the like are free to roam. They seemed quite tame but I did remind the kids that they still have big claws and are still wild animals.
The kangaroos let the kids pat them, feed them and be very close. They seemed very used to human contact and were very good around children.
Show times below are for weekdays and if you wish to find out weekend show times, just click here
1:30pm Reptile round.
2:00pm Koala round.
2:30pm Wombat round.
3:00pm Crocodile OR Alligator round.
3:30pm Tasmanian Devil and Quoll round.
4:00pm Eagle Show
As you can see shows are every half hour. So this will keep you busy and make sure that you are not waiting around for hours to see one show.
There is plenty to do at Sovereign Hill and you will not be bored. If anything your feet and legs will be very tired from walking around all day.
You can try your hand at decorating candles, watch gold being poured, see lollies being made, try your hand at gold panning in the creek and have a ride on the stage coach.
Just one thing to remember:If you purchase a family pass make sure to get it validated. If you do this you can come back for a second day. We did this and it helped as our first day we arrived at about 1pm so that we had plenty of time to see the sights and then stay for the lights that evening. We promised the kids a coach ride with the horses but missed out the first day. We managed to do the promised horse coach ride on day 2 and all was happy then.
I also did not know that with the price of the family ticket to Sovereign Hill we also got an automatic ticket to the Gold Museum for everyone.
Holiday Program open till 30th of July 2017 so you have a few days to get there if you can.
One of the girls is chasing the lollies that are falling down the building
See a train go across a building.
A view of main street with the snow and the lights.
After our first day at Sovereign Hill we went to the Gold Museum. The museum is in the same complex as Sovereign Hill so if you are there for one you may as well see both.
The museum is open from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm every day except Christmas Day. Last entry is 5.20 pm.
One exhibition that I was amazed by was the photographs of the whole of Ballarat. I have forgotten the photographer but he climbed up to the top of the town hall and took a 360 degree view of Ballarat at the time. The images were amazing and so sharp so that you can see every detail.
On Sunday we went off to the Daylesford Markets. It was a lovely sunny day and a welcome relief from the overcast days we have had. The drive was not too long from our hotel and was a pleasant drive through lovely countryside.
Once we arrived to the markets we walked around and looked at all the stalls. It was your typical markets, trinkets, clothes, and the like.
The kids got their faces painted while at the markets and then we went off to lunch at a local pub.
After lunch we visited The Amazing Mill Markets. These markets is a huge warehouse complex that houses many stalls of antiques and collectibles.
The kids new clothes
If I had heaps of money and did not have to post all my purchases back I could have gone crazy. I did purchase a jumper and a scarf for one kid and the other got a coat and a scarf also. I must say that the kids look rather stylish in their new clothes.
We wanted to come into Melbourne to see the Museum and catching up with friends that have decided to move to Melbourne was a great excuse to spend the day there and to see some great exhibits.
Dinosaur Bones at The Melbourne Muesum
It was a HUGE day as we had a bit of a drive from Ballarat to Carlton and also to back to the hotel.
So what did we see there?
Well we learnt about the human body, saw the real Phar Lap, dinosaur bones, and of course a giant squid. There was so much more. The museum was enormous and it was so well done and we were super impressed.
Phar Lap at The Melbourne Museum. I did not realise that he was so tall!
The building was just amazing and the facilities were impressive compared to what we are used to. Some of the museum’s in Sydney are in older buildings and are limited for space. The museum in Melbourne seemed purpose built and has the space they need for all exhibits.
If you book online for tickets you get a great deal. You don’t pay for kids that are under 12.
Also for parking if you book online you pay $20 for a full day of parking. What great value is that.
I hope this gives you some ideas on where to take the kids on the holidays and the weekends.
We are flying home tomorrow and the kids cannot wait to see their teddies again. We have all had a fabulous time and wish our holiday could last forever but we have to go home to our life and jobs.
What have you done these school holidays? Have you had a great experience somewhere that you would love to share? Let us know.
Monday we started our Ballarat/Melbourne trip. We flew to Melbourne and then hired a car to allow us to drive to Ballarat and then explore the surrounds.
We were surprised that the airport at Sydney was not jammed packed with school holiday travellers. Maybe many were going to a warmer climate compared to visiting a cold Ballarat in Winter. Today was freezing and the wind did not help!
Our trip started of with us planning to be on a beach, somewhere warm and not cold like home is. However this was not to be. I looked at many options as we had already paid for the accommodation component and had certain areas within Australia, New Zealand and Fiji that we could visit. As mentioned all dates for our trip were full in any warm area. Some places were great for us but the kids would be bored out of their brains.
I decided on Ballarat due to the proximity to Melbourne, and the fact that there is a lot to do for families in Ballarat and surrounds.
Pop Up Ice Skating Rink
Our first full day in Ballarat was Tuesday. I had organised tickets to the Pop Up Ice Skating Rink in the main part of Ballarat town centre. The kids were so excited to go skating but that did not last long. I joined them but was concerned about falling over. Julia had a bit of a fall but was all good, however she was upset and in need of cuddles. Both kids then decided that they did not want to skate anymore and would like to try the tobogganing. This was a huge hit and we all had a go.
The Tangled Maze
After our time at Winterlude we decided to go to the Tangled Maze. We all had lunch before we tackled the maze and that was a good move. There were many things to find to answer the questions in the maze and we were there for a while.
The kids racing around The Tangled Maze.One side of the maze. It was all created out of hedges and flowers. It would have taken ages, it also looked very pretty.
The maze really tired out the twins. They had fun, found the answers to the questions that we were given and managed to get out of the maze without having to be saved.
The kids having a fab time running around the Tangled Maze
Kyral Castle
I had no idea that there was a castle in Ballarat! But there is. Kyral Castle has a draw bridge, a moat and of course a dragon.
The kids and I outside Kyral Castle
“In 1972, Keith Ryall began building the castle, which formally opened 2 years later primarily as a tourist attraction but also as an educational, conference and function facility with ‘royal’ accommodation and a wedding chapel.”
The fire performer at Kryal Castle.
There were so many things to do for kids at Kryal Castle.
Here are some of the events from the Kryal website:
The daily program consists of:
10:15 – Roving performers
11:30 – Mounted Skill at Arms
12:00 – The Storyteller – Grab a seat and join The Kryal Storyteller by the fire in the rotunda.
12:30 – Roving performers
1:30 – The Joust of the Flame – In the land of Kryal there is an ancient tradition. In the darkest depths of winter, when the snows fall, the moat turns to ice and people hide away indoors against the fearsome winds from the west, they are visited by a dark and powerful force.
We did do the maze at Kryal Castle but the kids needed to be rescued. They were fine and all worked out well. So if you do the maze with the kids make sure they stay with you.
The dragon at Kryal Castle
If you are ever in Ballarat make sure you visit Kryal Castle. You will have a great family day out.
Stay tuned for more of our holiday adventures.
Hope you are all having a great time these school holidays. What have you been up to so far? Let us know.
As you would know from part 1 of our adventure we traveled to the city to be there and to avoid a super early morning start. Staying at Darling Harbour was great. We had a great view from our hotel and the Maritime Museum was a short walk from where we were.
The girls were so excited and the main thing they wanted to do was go on a submarine. Yes we had not even got to the museum and they were telling everyone that they are going on a submarine.
We went to the museum on a Saturday to allow hubby to have fun with the kids and join in. I also met up with my sister, her partner and her lovely baby girl. Plus my mum, and step dad joined in the fun. It was a good family day out.
So what did we do there?
At first we got a map so that we knew where all areas of the museum were. There is a lot of things on display so you do need a full day to see it all. The submarines and ships are outside of course and if you keep your wristband on you can come in and out of the museum.
Firstly we saw as many displays inside the museum as possible. I was taken with the amount of information from first hand people they have, diaries, pictures, posters and more.
We looked around and I was amazed that there were personal notes from soldiers that were in World War I. I saw a hand written diary of a solider saying that they were awaiting orders to leave, and you can see this below on the date of August 4th 1915.
The Cabinet of Curiosities.
The kids had fun with The Cabinet of Curiosities. This is a trolley with items that the kids can touch and learn more about. The girls loved it. They were able to touch and learn about the objects on display.
All items in the museum were very impressive. The displays were thoughtful and very interesting.
A model showing many people at work and at play.The kids were able to press different buttons to have different light and times occur.
I was amazed that there was a helicopter in the museum as well as other items.
Navy Helicopter
Going Places
Going Places is an interactive exhibition that is on until the 22nd of February 2015 and allows kids of all ages to see how different transport works, planes, bikes, airships and cargo ships.
Voyage to the Deep
The exhibition of the Voyage to the deep was what we came to see plus the ships and the submarine. The girls loved the fact that they could play with everything and run around like made people. They had a blast and had so much fun. As you can see from the video I took below of the girls under the water at the exhibition.
Here are some more images of the fun that the kids had at the Voyage to the Deep.
Voyage to the Deep was a whole playground that was underwater. It allowed kids to just have fun and touch and play with all that was there. It is great to see a museum having things that kids can play on and touch that also fosters learning.
The Maritime Museum was a fabulous day out and all the family had fun not just the kids. You will need a whole day as there is a lot to see and do so get there early. We got to the museum at 10am and left at around 3.30pm nearly 4.00pm so it is a big day!
We went to the cafe outside near the ships for lunch and it was good and handy. It served yummy things for kids and adults alike. It was close so it meant that we could relax there and were still able to access the museum due to keeping our wristbands on for entry.
Have fun and I am sure your little one will just love the Maritime Museum in the holidays or on the weekend. It will keep everyone interested. I highly recommend the Maritime Museum as it is fun, educational and hands on.
Do you take the kids to museums? Have you been to the Maritime Museum? Did the kids love it? Let us know. If you have been, what was your favourite part?
Disclaimer: Thanks so much to The Maritime Museum for our family passes that made this all possible. We had an amazing time and it was a wonderful family adventure.
The kids are at vacation care today and the original plan was to have a full day to myself. However this has been changed due to our visit tomorrow to the Maritime Museum. Since we live a while away from the city, we are staying in a hotel close to the museum to make it easier on everyone. I have told the other family to meet us at 10am outside the museum so staying nearby will help to not make it such an early start. If we drove from home it might be a 6am or so wake up call, and that is not on!
Since I had already booked kids into care they are only having a half day and at the time of writing this they should be on their excursion to the pool. I dressed both kids in their swimmers and had all their things ready for their adventure at the pool.
I am doing some things at home and then will pick up kids. After I dump most things at home all of us will make our way to the station to catch the train to the city. Then we will get our connection to the light rail to go to the hotel.
Did you know?
You can purchase light rail tickets when you get your train tickets. YES fabulous….. and all organised before I start the journey.
I decided to get the train tickets before I pick up kids later (nothing worse than fussing around with kids and money at the station, while worrying about when the train will come) I went to the automatic machine and realised that I could also purchase light rail tickets as well. How amazing and I also got the family deal. One kid travels free! So I have got the train tickets and also the light rail tickets before we go anywhere. Talk about organised!
Do you stay somewhere closer if you are off somewhere special? Do you do it due to living further away or just as a treat?
The girls are smart and have figured out we are most likely staying in a hotel, but have no idea where and how close we will be to the Maritime Museum. I think the kids will be super tired from swimming, a train trip and then the light rail, plus a small walk to the hotel.
Hubby has the bags and other heavy things and will meet us later after he gets off work. We have used the kids new suitcases they got for Christmas as we did not need much for an overnight visit to the city.
I am hoping to be able to visit the kids playground at Darling Harbour after our time at the museum and have organised a change of clothes as there is water play and the kids will most likely end up wet. The last time we were there the girls had a blast!
Have you been to the Maritime Museum? Did you enjoy it? I will write a full and more in depth post after we experience everything tomorrow. Do you love the Darling Harbour Playground? What is your favourite bit of it? I love the fact that it is free, and for all kids of different ages. So great to see a city incorporate activities for kids that are accessible and fun.
Thanks to the Maritime Museum for the family passes to make tomorrow possible and I am sure we will have an amazing day.
Today is New Year’s Eve. Hard to believe that it is the last day of the year. It only feels like yesterday that the kids started Kindergarten.
I am thinking of all the things I have achieved in 2014 and the plans that I put in motion that are yet to be seen and will be realised in 2015. YES big things are to happen, I just need to work more on them and I am sure they will produce great things! Personally and professionally.
What was your biggest achievement, personal, work related, to do with anything really. What is it you are really proud of?
What I am proud of in 2014:
That the girls did very well at school. Their first year of primary school went extremely well and I am a very proud parent. Yes add <Gushing and happiness here>
I finally got a groovy and fabulous new logo for the blog.
I worked with some wonderful and fantastic brands.
I did find a fab new theme for the blog but some other wonderful blogger took it, but due to this I have found an even better one. So very happy about this. New looking blog soon!
We had some great adventures as a family and had fun doing so.
Since I am on holidays I spoke to hubby via FaceTime on my iPhone..YES it is a great tool if you have not yet tried it. I love it. You can see each other and the kids can see daddy and tell them about their day. I ended our call with see you next year… talk about weird.
Some things on my to do list for 2015:
Change the blog to the new theme and update the site with all new things.
Work with more brands.
Start writing my books that I have been thinking about for a long time.
Lose weight and tone up. More exercise… yes I need to make it more of a priority.
Make the blog be my business. I have already adopted the mindset that my blog is my job. Although I don’t get paid for it. I do sometimes get the small paid job here or there. However like everyone I would like to make what I love more of a full time job. I hope that 2015 will make that happen. More work and letting me put my ideas into action will allow this I feel.
Maybe get a cleaner to allow more time for other things… I can hope. You never know right? If things go well, a cleaner would help me to create and be more. Fingers and toes crossed for this one!
Work on getting our new house done… sick of not having enough room!!!!!
More sewing and creating. Maybe something for me and not just the kids.
2015 is meant to be a great year for hubby and I according to Chinese astrology. 2015 is the year of the goat, but some reference it as the year of the green sheep. It is just like the book, “Where is the Green Sheep“, I have found it and it is next year, 2015 to be precise. However the Chinese New Year does not start until February 19th 2015. I like to think of the year as the Green Sheep rather than the goat.
What are you doing tonight to celebrate the end of 2014 and the soon to be new year, 2015? I am having both sets of grandparents for nibbles, drinks and to watch the local fireworks from the balcony of hubby’s parents house. I hope that the clouds go away to allow us to see the fireworks and all goes well tonight.
Hope you stay safe and have fun. May 2015 be a great year for all.
Let us know what you plan to achieve this year and maybe we can help keep each other accountable and allow each other to complete long awaited goals.
The kids cooling down with some fruit and being silly. They are having a great time on their holiday.
Let us know if you wish to share. Send in your comments.
We arrived safely in Coffs Harbour but the nice sunshine was not to be. It was non stop rain for the last two days and now today sunshine has finally graced us.
It seems a pity that the sunshine picked today to shine. Today is the day due to the non stop rain that we are all off to the movies. I was not too sure what to do with the kids in the rain, and thought that a film would be a nice filler due to it being so wet. I did think that as soon as we did it, paid for tickets we would wake to a lovely day.
The kids with Baymax at the movies
I will make sure to take swimmers and towels for later and hopefully we will fit in a swim at the beach today or at the latest tomorrow.
Have you gone somewhere sunny to then have bad weather. I am grateful that it appears that we will get to experience some good weather for some of the days. However I did note that the weather report before I left predicted rain all week. Maybe it has changed? I can only hope.
The twins are racing around everywhere and finding it hard to walk. I keep on telling them to walk not run, but I get the excuse, “We are excited Mummy!” Oh it is going to be a long week if I keep on having to tell them to walk instead of running. On the plus side we are having a fabulous time and the kids are enjoying seeing both sets of grandparents.
It is very warm here and a welcome change from the cool mornings and evenings of the mountains. Even though it is summer the mountains are still a bit nippy on some days. I miss the warmth of more balmy climates and being at the beach.
Are you having a great holiday or have you had to go back to work? Maybe you are off soon on a holiday in January rather than take it now?
I hope you are having a great time with family and friends. I have to go and get myself and the twins ready to go and see Big Hero 6 at the movies, they and I cannot wait to see the film.
My Christmas wishes to you. Thanks for following the blog and spending time online with me this year. 2015 is going to be bigger and better so stay tuned for some more fun.
Have a fabulous Christmas and stay safe. I hope Santa brings you what you have been secretly wishing for this year. I’m sure you are all on Santa’s nice list!
No more school for 2014. Kindy over and now on Summer Holidays.Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The kids are now officially on holidays. Yesterday was their last day at school. Also today is exactly seven days till Christmas and Santa arrives. Gosh it is getting exciting at our house. What about yours?
The twins have completed their first year at big school. Yes kindergarten is now done and dusted and they will go back as bigger kids entering grade one. The girls are so pleased with this and also some of their younger friends will be starting school next year and they are keen to look after then and show them around.
One thing that I did not predict was that the girls were very sad and cried a bit due to their older school buddy leaving primary to go to high school next year. It is sad but we can always see her at other times, and told the girls that one day they will also be leaving to go to high school. I know this is a way off yet, but it will happen in a blink of an eye.
I still cannot believe that they are six years old already, it only seems like yesterday they were babies.
So what have I learnt with the first year of primary school?
Notes from the school. You will find that you get a lot of notes. Don’t think your darling child will give you all these notes and some important announcements. You will need to go through their bag to ensure you have all announcements and notes from the school.
Keep some petty cash available for events at the school. There might be an excursion, stalls, fetes, cake stalls and so on. The kids need a bit of money to participate and if you have it at home it saves you going to the ATM or the bank.
Your child will lose some or nearly all of their uniform. Label everything! One of my girls lost a lunch box. Yes odd, but it happens.
If you can help in the classroom, I would do it. I loved helping the kids with their reading and assisting the teacher with this program. It was a joy to see my girls grow with their reading and be shown other things in class.
The kids school has an excellent canteen with very healthy food. If you have this option don’t worry about using the canteen for school lunches. They were cheap and gave me a break from thinking what to pack every so often. It was also a nice treat for the kids. Due to the fact that the kids go to school in the mountains and it is gets freezing in winter, having hot food options for lunches for winter is ideal and the canteen helped me then.
Change of Clothes. Due to the fact that kids are still young and in Kindy, I always had a spare pair of undies and socks in the bag. You never know if the child might have an accident or just walk in a puddle and get upset with the fact that they have wet socks. With the undies and socks, I also added a t-shirt, jumper and skivvy just in case the weather changes. In the mountains you never know so it is good to be prepared.
Hope this list helps some parents out there, my main point is to keep up with the news from the school. Make sure to read the newsletters and any updates. It is a whirlwind of info and events when you start but you become better at navigating what you need to do and where you need to be. I was also impressed that the teachers knew who each child was in the early days.
I did mention to the twins that due to the fact that the kids need to wear a uniform, teachers and others might find it hard to know who each person was. This was not true. Their teachers were amazing and figured it out. This was very impressive and made the girls very happy!
Now we are on school holidays and Christmas is fast approaching I have a number of things to get done. I have organised tickets to a film tomorrow for me and the twins, we are off to see the new Paddington film and I cannot wait. The girls have told me that they will help me tidy up a bit before Santa arrives and then the girls and I are off on a secret trip after Christmas…more info on this later!
How are you going now you are on school holidays? Are the kids super excited for the arrival of Santa? Have you got everything organised yet? I was lucky that I sorted hubby’s present yesterday, and yes I still need to wrap the kids presents but I have them.
However I just need to remember where they have been hidden throughout the house. Wish me luck I find them all!
