holidays

We are enjoying our holiday so far. We have had some really hot weather here so we have been spending a lot of time at the beach. Noah has bad beach etiquette. He smashes sandcastles that Richard and I build for him, he is not keen on sharing his impressive collection of buckets and spades with other kids and he also won't let others have a turn at batting when we play beach cricket. At least he is not throwing sand at people.....yet

Last night I looked after Haylee's 2 kids while she went to a fundraising ball. The ball was held to raise funds for the victims of the recent WA bush fires. I didn't hear a peep out of either of the kids; they were little angels. Last night I watched the movie Twilight and I now get the hype. I love Edward too!!

We have enjoyed some really great meals and some terrible ones. Tonight's meal was an absolute shocker and we payed a fortune for it. It is always disappointing when you pay a fortune for total crap. Even their muffins were packet ones. I know this because it is all I ever make myself. I however am not a chef and I don't charge people to eat my foul muffins.

Car trip from hell

We put this bib on Noah to catch the spew

2 hours into our trip. Noah was feeling really sick

Watching Playschool

@ Chinamans Beach

Noah goes down slides now on his own.

Art & craft

hhhhhmmmmmmm

The lead up to holidays is always an experience. I always spend the day before we go on holidays cleaning my heart out. It always feels like you have ten million things to do before you leave for your holidays; and most of these things are a complete waste of time as they always need doing when you get home again, but I continue to do it anyway. It is always a very tense time before we go away. I think it is normal because I remember Mum and Dad always being so uptight before we left for family holidays. Once you are all packed up and on the road the tension lifts and sanity returns, that is of course if your 18 month old is not spewing everywhere! We were only half an hour into our trip when Noah spewed everywhere. He was covered in spew and so was his car seat. I instantly thought “great Noah has gastro AGAIN”. We stopped for breakfast and he had something to eat. Another half an hour later he spewed again everywhere. We pulled over again and we tried to clean him up best we could. The lingering smell of vomit in your car is disgusting and it was all we could smell for the next 100km. We stopped in Moora for supplies; baby wipes to replace the thousands we had already used, flannels, Gatrolyte and water. While stopped Richard went mad with my perfume and he also sprayed hairspray all over Noah’s car seat to eliminate the smell. Now Noah’s car seat smelt like a sewer and it was also sticky. Noah did not spew again after that thank goodness. From Moora to Geraldton the car trip went pretty fast. We stopped for lunch in Geraldton and we let Noah play in this really awesome water playground on the foreshore before heading off again. We arrived in Kalbarri just after 2pm and it felt so good to finally be at our destination. We were now officially on HOLIDAYS. We now think Noah had car sickness.

It feels like we have already been here a week. Having children means you fit so much into your day. We go to the beach in the mornings and are home again by ten o’clock. Noah has enjoyed playing in all the playgrounds and I have enjoyed going for long walks with Noah in the pram. It is certainly a lot nicer walking around Kalbarri than at home. The ocean is so more appealing than dry brown paddocks. We are also looking forward to spending some time with my cousin Haylee and her 2 kids. Richard has gone fishing this morning and is destined to bring home nothing. He is the most unlucky fisherman. He went on a charter boat in Queensland and couldn’t even manage to catch a fish on the Great Barrier Reef....What a loser!!!

Did I mention that while here I don’t have to cook or clean? How fantastic is that? Even with all the pre-holiday crap that goes on it is so worth the effort. Holidays are such fun.

Carpets for Communties

This photo was taken while the Cambodian lady was making our actual rug

Last week I bought this beautiful rug to go in Noah's bedroom. The rugs were for sale at the markets and they stood out as they were so bright and cheerful. When I discovered there was a story behind each hand-hooked rug I knew I had to have one. The rug was made by a Cambodian woman and by purchasing a rug you are helping to fight child labour and human trafficking while also empowering a mother to return her children to school and keep them there. I found this all really interesting and the kids at the market who were selling the rugs were so passionate about their cause. Anyway Noah likes it!!

http://www.carpetsforcommunities.org/

Just his luck

Enjoying Pizza with Roger @ Kalamunda Park

While staying in Perth it has come to my attention that Noah is a very lucky person. I have refused to ever put money in those stupid ride-on toys in the shopping centres for fear that Noah would throw tantrums every time I wouldn't let him have a ride. I do however always let him sit on them for fun. Every time that he has sat on one lately someone else has come up and put money in for their child and because most of the ride-ons are for 2 or more children Noah always ends up with at least 1 free ride. Whenever Noah goes up to those lolly or bubble-gum machines he turns the little dial and more often than not lollies come out; and that is definitely without me putting money in them!!!! So even when I am trying to do the right thing by not spoiling him rotten or give him massive amounts of sugar he manages to get his own way. I must say he didn't get his lucky genes from his father or I.

Other photos are of Noah trying to scale the wall at AQWA and also some photos of Noah stuck behind Mum's TV unit. He was scared until he realised that some of his long lost treasures had rolled behind the TV unit. He has an obsession with balls and he is a real little boy now despite picking out a new hot pink AFL football from the shops the other day.

Sucky Sucky Kununnara

2008 With newborn Noah

At AQWA last Friday

2004

Hillarys Boat Harbour last Friday

Saying bye bye

2008

2008. Marlene & us

2006

My wedding. 2007

Guessing 2003??

2002

2000

2004

2005

Brooke was informed on Thursday afternoon; while staying with me at Mum's house, that she is to begin her teaching career in Kununnara. I couldn't believe it when I heard her on the phone saying Kununnara this and Kununnara that. Seriously she could not have gotten any further away in the state if she tried. Believe it or not Brooke actually listed this remote location as one of her preferences. So many people have said how beautiful it is up there and I do believe them but man it is so far away. I know she will be sad leaving behind her friends, family and B/F Beau but I also know that she is looking forward to this new adventure and location. I am of course excited for my friend and I am so proud of her for finishing her uni degree but seriously how can I be HAPPY that she is leaving me. I hate goodbyes and sadly Brooke and I have already said our goodbyes. Brooke hopes to be in Kununnara by the 25th of January. We go on holidays next week so last Friday was the last day that Noah and I had to spend with Brooke. We had a nice day at Hillarys Boat Harbour but it didn't feel like the last time I would see her before she left for the Kimberlies. I am going to miss her so so so much. Hopefully we will be able to visit her at some stage; a mad 4WD holiday perhaps??? I am sure she will be back to visit us on some of the school holidays but it won't quite be the same. Some of the people I care the most about in this world live the furthest away :(

Baby Sienna

This afternoon, after Mum finished work, we went to visit little baby Sienna Jade Bell. This was the first time I have seen Jade since she gave birth to Sienna. My Mum worked with Jade for about 3 years and in that time they formed a close bond. Jade is a young Mum and she is doing a great job adjusting to her new lifestyle. Today little Sienna seemed pretty content and we even managed to get some smiles. Sienna is about 3 months old and totally beautiful. Jade showed us all the baby clothes and gifts she has received for Sienna. The clothes were so adorable. Seeing baby Sienna makes me want another baby....A girl would be a real treat!!!

Aunty Brooke visits

Yesterday morning the lovely Brooke graced us with her presence. As you can see from the photos Noah loves his Aunty Brooke; he especially loves when she brings gifts. Brooke is so

kind to Noah; they always have a lot of fun together. Aunty Brooke is a bit mad!! Yesterday afternoon we went to Janet's house for a swim. The weather in Perth has been really hot so swimming seems to be the best option to keep Noah happy and to wear him out a little. On Tuesday I also took Noah to Belmont Leisure Centre for a swim. He loved it there as the water is heated and the toddler pool has a graduated bottom and plenty of little platforms to jump from and climb over. We wanted Noah to go down this huge and VERY slipprey slide but he was reluctant to do it so Nanna Dee showed him how it is done. Nanna arrived at Janet's house after she finished work. She had no bathers so she decided to go in with her clothes on. Noah laughed. After Nanna's very brave performance Noah decided that he wanted to go down the slide. He went down the slide while sitting on my lap and he loved it.

Noah's swimming continues to amaze me, not because I think he is brilliant but because he absolutely loves it. The more times he can put his head under water the better.

Teaching him to swim to the edge and grab the ledge on his own and pull himself up. I couldn't believe when he atually did it. It was a proud Mummy moment.

Showing Aunty Brooke his golf club while waving it dangerously close to her head.

A new piggy bank which Noah gets to paint himself.

Today we plan on going shopping again YAY and then we are going to visit a friend and her newborn baby. We are very excitied. Aunty Brooke will be heading back to Fremantle. Until next time we will miss Aunty Brooke and her fabulous personality. Noah is actually going to go wake her up now so we can go for a walk and check out the gianormous houses and views around Lesmurdie.