The New Year

Just after Christmas we went to the Australian Museum for the Canning Stock Route Exhibition of Aboriginal art - it was great - plus thanks to fb I have been able to keep in touch with my QLD cousins - so we met Ch and her partner there too - they were holidaying in Sydney from Cairns. The next day we went up to Pearl Beach where friends of ours had a holiday house - we went up for lunch and a swim. We don't often go tot he beach - except for January - when we normally rent a place for a week somewhere near water. This year after our European Extravaganza it was decided to forgo our usual summer holiday, so visiting our friends was a great way to still feel that we were on holidays even if we weren't going away at all. The kids as usual had a blast with the sand and the sea.

One of Hannah's friends from kindy who is being homeschooled now invited us over for a swim and a play. Hannah was very excited and was keen to scooter over...we had a lovely day there.

One of the best things I did was book the twins in for a holiday intensive swimming program - a week where they had a half hour lesson each every day - and we then usually stayed at the pool for a picnic afterwards. On three of the days one of their friends from school joined us for a play and some lunch. It felt like we were truly on holidays.

Both the kids had awesome swimming instructors.

Then we had a family lunch to celebrate the January birthdays - after which my SIL's 4 children came to our house for a couple of nights. The twins were in heaven - Hannah was especially excited about the idea of a 'girls' room' and Kit just wanted to play with his cousins...They are good kids and we had fun. It rained for a bit which was frustrating but once the sun came out and my MIL came by to help me transport them to the local park - we had a great time. They also did some baking of chocolate cupcakes and made pizzas for dinner one night. On their last day with us their Mum came and got them - but took them (bar her youngest) and Kit to the Harry Potter exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum.

Then last night we drove out to Orchard Hills to see an outdoor production of Jack and the Beanstalk. It was great value at $10 a ticket and we had a picnic dinner and a play at the park that was there too.

I have also done a little sewing - a beach coat for me and then a short set with the left over fabric for Hannah