Christmas holidays - Day 2

Twas Christmas Eve and we were offically on holidays.  I'd forgotten how tropical the weather can be in Coffs Harbour.  It can be hot and muggy, even when it's overcast.  First order of the day was to take the kids to the Pet Porpoise Pool (now called Dolphin Marine Magic).  This was meant to be a day of fun where you can touch a dolphin, get kissed by a seal, feed the fairy penguins, and basically get up close and personal with some marine life.  Once we were through the gates, it became clear that the only people who wanted to be there were me, Michael, and Henry.  Buster just wanted to run around and wasn't interested in the animals, and Milly panicked if an animal came within five metres of her and wouldn't stop whinging.  Our day of fun was fast becoming our day of "why do we bother?".

 





 

Thank goodness for Henry.  He patted a dolphin, got picked out of the audience to play throw and catch ball with a seal, feed the penguins, and was front and centre completely engrossed in a reptile show.  Buster and Milly were finally happy when they got an ice cream.

 

While Henry, Buster and Michael were at the reptile show, me and Milly were watching a baby dolphin and its mother swim around a large pool.  There were big viewing windows at the sides of the pool and wouldn't you know it something magical happened.  I was filming the windows waiting for the baby dolphin to swim by and it swam up to the window Milly was looking through and started interacting with her.  Milly would run up and down past the windows and the dolphin would follow her back and forth.  Milly stuck her face right up to the window and the dolphin mirrored her actions back.  It was the most beautiful thing to see her and the dolphin playing together, with the added bonus of Milly finally smiling and having fun.  Their little play session lasted a good few minutes and I'm so glad I got it all on film.  Their playdate ended when the dolphin splashed Milly with water, but she didn't care. 

 

After the experience, Milly was keen for me to buy her a toy dolphin but she was just as happy to have her picture taken with one instead.  As did Buster.



 

Then we were off to lunch.  We had heard The Greenhouse Tavern was good for families and they certainly had a lot of things to occupy the kids with while they waited for lunch.  The food was a bit ordinary though.

That night we watched the Carols by Candlelight on the tele and sang along to the songs we knew.  Milly made sure we put out some biscuits and milk for Santa, plus a little something for the reindeer.  The kids then went to bed, with Henry given strict instructions to try not to wake early and if he does not to wake anyone else.

Christmas holidays - Day 1

We've just returned from our little Christmas holiday family tour, which saw us spend time in Coffs Harbour and Inverell with both the Bartley and Hobson families.

 

Day One was the big drive to Coffs Harbour (approx 5 hours).  The kids were set up with DVDs and individual snack bags, which kept the annoying "Are we there yet?" question to a minimum. 

 

Not surprisingly, the first snack of choice from their bags were the chocolate reindeer noses.

 

It was very sweet to turn around and check on them, only to discover Milly and Buster holding hands.

After arriving at Coffs and enjoying a refreshment, and with the kids bathed and in their pyjamas, we set off to enjoy some of the Christmas lights.

One house we visited even had a snow machine.  Although it was more like soapy hair mousse than icy snow.  The kids didn't care, they were loving it.

Well, not everyone was loving it.....

... that was until they got kissed by a robotic reindeer.

Even Santa showed up to do a song and dance.

Christmas craft

Henry's first sewing project.

Twinkle McJingles

Hot, hot, hot

Putting on his parts

 

My Nan always had a saying for someone who pouted and carried on when they didn't get their way.  She'd say "they're putting on their parts".  I've now started using this saying with Buster.

 

Buster seems to be going through his 'terrible two' stage, albeit two years late.  He can throw a good little tantrum if he doesn't get his way, and just like his mum (aka me) he knows how to hold a grudge.  He sometimes gets himself so worked up about not getting his way that he exhausts himself and falls asleep.  In the past two weeks this has happened a number of times, and each time he's fallen asleep before midday.

 



 

Christmas photos and outtakes

A conversation with Buster

Buster:  Mamma, elves aren't real.
Me:  What do you mean they aren't real?
Buster:  They're not.
Me:  But who makes the toys for Santa?
Buster:  Elves.
Me:  So they are real?
Buster:  No.
Me:  Does that mean Santa isn't real?
Buster:  No.  Santa is real and the tooth fairy is real.
Me:  Why can't elves be real?
Buster:  Because they're not.

Buster's first concert

I've just asked Michael how he would describe Buster's performance in his end of
year preschool concert.  His words.  "It was as good as expected".  "Patchy".  "He was there".

Admittedly, we had low expectations.  We anticipated someone who would do his own thing or maybe be silly.  It's not easy for four year olds to sing and do choreographed pieces with a large group of adults watching, taking photos and filming bits of it.  He was kept in close check by his teachers who made sure one of them was always next to him.  All the girls in his preschool group were very in to it.  They performed with pride.  Most of the boys were just watching everyone else but by half way through were singing just as loud as the girls.  Then there was Buster. 

So what did he do?  Well, he stayed with the group as they performed.  He pulled faces and he did his own choreography.  He is his own little character.... and he is quite a character.  We love him to pieces.  He is our Boo.

I took a bunch of out of focus photos, but I feel they do capture his contribution ...... and as Michael said "he was there".

Award season

School presentation day was today and weren't we the proudest parents to have both kids chosen to receive awards.  Henry's award was for "Excellent attitude toward literature and reading" and Milly's award was "Excellent attitude, application and achievement". So very proud we are.

Then later that day at karate, Henry was singled out to receive a "Respect" award.

In the meantime, tomorrow is Buster's final day at preschool for the year.  He will be performing in an end-of-year concert and graduating from his preschool room.  Next year he joins the school readiness room where they might have a challenge on their hands.  Until then, we are looking forward to just what kind of a "performance" Buster will put on.

The tree is up

 

O' Christmas Tree

 

The mantlepiece

Santa found some reindeer

Cutting the grass