Mary Poppins...

Thanks to Noonie we all got Mary Poppins tickets for Christmas.  Everyone was so excited to be going and we counted down for weeks before we went.  The musical was amazing!  The kids really enjoyed the whole theatrics of it all - the singing, the dancing, the props, the special magic pieces, the whole thing!!

kids dressed and ready to go

waiting for the show

Mama and the kids

The original plan was for Noonie to come with us but due to Noonie's special trip to England Mama joined us instead.  It was such a lovely afternoon.  The kids will remember this for a long time. 

school 2012

Well this was the year I was dreading.  The year ALL my babies go to school.  Lucy started prep this year (and has loved EVERY minute of it) while Matthew is inYear 5, Benjamin Year 3 and Annie Year 2.  Lucy was counting down the days until she started school and she hasn't looked back.   I struggled to begin with but then my time has been filled up fast with reading groups in all the kids classrooms as well as relief teaching and running the church's playgroup.  All this actvitiy has really helped me deal with the quietness at home.  I wouldn't have it any other way as ALL the kids LOVE school.  We are so blessed to be able to send our kids to such a great school.

Lucy in her Prep uniform

Matt, BJ and Annie in there formal uniforms

first day all the kids left for school

(Lucy had a staggered start to school due to being in Prep)

fun in the tub

Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.  Every child loves bubbles!!

The boys with their Father Christmas beards on!

This activity of playing with bubbles in the bath with never grow old.  The kids love piling into the tub to have a big bubble bath after playing in the rain.

growing up too fast..

I can not believe how fast my gorgeous kids are growing up.  It only seems like yesterday that we welcomed Matthew into our lives but that happened to be 10 years ago.  Before we knew it, we had Benjamin, Annie and then our lucky last, Lucy.  I just can not imagine my life without them.

updated kids photos

Here are some updated photos of the kids...

my four munchkins on mothers day 2012

my posers!!

Lucy 5, BJ 8, Annie7 and Matty 10

Matt and Lucy

Annie and BJ

that time of year AGAIN...

traditional first day back photos

Well that time has come again...first day back at school.  To be completely honest, this is not my favourite day of the year.  It is the start of homework, take home readers, assignements, parent teacher interviews, staff meetings, more meetings, camps, parent help and the list goes on (this is for the kids as well as for Stewart!) Also it is the time of year the house becomes quiet and still, Lucy looses her best mates and mopes around the house for weeks until she realises they are not coming back - until 3pm that is!! 

The kids DO however LOVE school.  They love seeing there friends again and meeting their teachers for the first time.  The first day of school is always exciting for them - and every day to be honest.  Matthew is in Year 4, Benjamin Year 2 and Annie Year 1, they kids are growing up so fast and I am NOT coping.  Matthew is is the big boys uniform now and Annie is in the formal uniform this year (prepies wear sports uniform everyday) and they look so grown up.  Mummy is so proud of you all and I know you always give your best.

Well the time had come.....the kids have been asking Mum and Dad to go to Aussie World forever.  Every time we pass Aussie World the kids always ask if we can stop and go and have a look - and we always say no because we are always passing it go somewhere and never have the time to stop.  So during the rainy holidays Dad and I decided to surprise the kids with a day at Aussie World.  To be completely honest Dad and I did not think there would be anything much there so we did no go prepared with hats or food.  What a mistake!!  When we arrived the kids were beside themselves with such excitement and Dad and I kept looking at each other thinking we hope the kids don't get disappointed once we are inside.  Well Dad and I were SO surprised.  Aussie World was very empty, beside one Year 7 class who looked like they were having an end of year breakup and a few other families.  The kids had so much fun on the ferris wheel, merry-go-around, Annie's favourite the swinging chair ride, Matty's favourite the dodgem cars and BJ and Lucy's favourite the Taxi ride and quite a few more.  We did not have to line up for any of the rides and the kids just went from one ride to the next.  Dad and I were so surprised at how long we stayed at Aussie World and also how much it cost us to buy lunch!!  Next time I will definitely be more prepared!!

an afternoon at the beach

We love the beach and quite often take the drive up the coast so we can feel the sand and salt water between our toes!!

school christmas play

Every year at school Prep to Year 3 have a celebration morning.  This is when ALL students in Prep to 3 perform in a Christmas pageant.  The teachers are amazing and make sure each child is on stage for part of the performance.  The Preps girls were Angels.... 

Annie as a beautiful angel

The Year 3 boys were villagers.....

Matthew singing on stage as a villager

The Year 1 girls were stars and the boys were the shepherds.  However, Benjamin was given an extra special role.  Each year a small group of children from Year 1 are given the main roles.  Matthew was the Inn keeper two years ago and two years later Benjamin was cast as Angel Gabriel.  He was so excited about his special part and gave it his all.  

Benjamin singing

Angel Gabriel giving his message to Mary

All the kids did a wonderful job and we are so proud of them all.

one year on....

I finally downloaded the pictures off our little camera which I haven't done for a year or rarely used for a year as this time last year I upgraded cameras.  And this is some of what I found....

Matthew at the beach (December 09)

Annie at the beach (December 09)

all the kids outside city hall (January 2010)

all the kids beach (January 2010)

the 4 musketeers

After watching Barbie and the three musketeers, the kids were inspired to make there own masks and become the FOUR musketeers!  So firstly off to the shops we went to buy some masks and some decorations and then off to the toy room they went to let there creative juices flow.  They all designed what they wanted first on a piece of paper before they started making them. 

the 4 musketeers and their masks!

You can not be a musketeers without some fighting

or LIMBO!!

playing in the rain

 What do you do when it has been raining ALL day and you are at school not being able to play outside?  Come home and play in the rain!!

BJ posing

the kids found a BIG puddle!

Annie VERY excited

Lucy jumping in the BIG puddle

Playing in the rain is exactly what Mummy ordered!!  It had been raining ALL weekend and then ALL day on the Monday and Mummy could start to tell that the kids had been indoors for too long.  So after school on Monday the kids were ordered to go outside and play.....with the promise of a warm shower and hot chocolate when they were finished.  The kids had so much fun playing in the puddles, jumping on the trampoline and running a muck.  It was definitely something that was needed as the kids were able to get rid of some of the energy that was being sorted up for a sunny day, which we did not see for the rest of the week. 

book week

At school each year they celebrate book week by getting the kids to dress up as a book character.  The kids put alot of thought into who/what they want to dress up as.  Benjamin even orgainsed Mama to make him a special costume.

Benjamin dressed up as Jesus.

Benjamin was adamant that this is who he wanted to dress up as.

Annie was a fairy

Matthew actually had South America Day so he dressed up as a fanatical soccer fan

Lucy did not want to miss out on the action so she dressed up as a spotty cow.  Even though she is not at school, Lucy does not like missing out on ANYTHING!!

the sky is falling....

....no it's just a possum falling out of a tree.

The kids were playing outside one afternoon when all of a sudden Mummy heard a crash!!  The kids were yelling something so I ran downstairs to see what all the commotion was about and there they all are standing need the Palm tree.  As I went in for a closer look I realised a possum sitting on the fence.  The kids informed me that the possum had fallen down and by the look on his face he seemed a little shell shocked.  The poor possum must have been on a palm branch when it fell down.  In a matter of minutes the possum had found it way back up to the top of the tree.

scooter kids

The kids love it when Daddy takes them to the skate park early on Saturday mornings.  Mummy also loves it because it means I can have a sleep-in in peace!!

Matthew

Benjamin

Annie

Lucy

All the kids love riding there scooters and there is no better reward then having a go on the jumps and trying out new tricks.  This does mean accidents and injuries - and YES trips to the hospital!!  Matthew being the adventurer that he is tried to do a 'trick' but feel over his handle bars and hit himself pretty hard.  Therefore, off to the doctors he goes for a check up jsut to be sure but the doctor advised Daddy to take Matty to the hospital as he had blood in his urine.  So 6hrs later the hospital discharged Matthew with a bad case of internal kidney bruising.  We had to keep an eye on him for a few days and he had to have a few urine tests to make sure the blood left his system - it took two weeks but eventually he was all normal again!!  Nothing like a trip to the hospital to fill an afternoon. 

face painting

When church had their 'Spring Fair' Grandma gave the kids a couple of dollars each to spend on whatever they wanted. Mummy tried very hard to steer them away from all the garage sale toys with SUCCESS and led them to the play area where they all decided on getting their face painted.

Lucy - a very sparkly cat, BJ - spiderman,

Matt - spider on face and a fuzzy man on arm like a tattoo, Annie- a beautiful butterfly

funny faces

The kids had an absolute blast playing around with their new 'spy' disguises. Matthew loves being a spy so anything to do with disguises, secret codes, special alarms then that is right up his alley therefore, BJ, Annie and Lucy follow suit because whatever Matty is playing they are playing it too.

Lucy

Matthew

a fun afternoon of painting

Mummy decided that we needed to brighten up some plain pillow cases that were in the cupboard. So out came the fabric paint, some stamps and lots of creativity. The boys discussed what they would like to do on their pillow case and Annie thought it was a great idea too.

all of us sitting around the table talking ideas

Mummy and her 2 beautiful girls

Mummy helping Lucy with her stamp

Mummy helping BJ

The end result meant the pillow cases were very colourful and personal with the kids hand prints on their very own pillow cases. We all had a wonderful afternoon exploring our creative side!