Wednesday, January 28, 2015

A Mini Getaway



Over the weekend, we escaped to Paul's Uncle's holiday house for one last family getaway before the school holidays end... a lovely relaxing break nestled among the treetops overlooking the estuary.

Usually we don't venture too far from the water, with the boat and shoreline to keep little ones occupied. However with blustery winds, it was not ideal crabbing weather and we took a drive to the Mandurah foreshore instead.  Grace declared our morning visiting the King Carnival 'the best day ever', braving the scarily high water slide with Paul (while Sophie and I watched and took photos from below).  The merry-go-round, spinning tea-cups and mini golf were also highlights.



My highlight of the long weekend was definitely the sweet kookaburra who visited us at home one afternoon, allowing me to click away on my DSLR from nearby, unfazed by my camera.  That evening on dusk, he returned for a second time.  We sat in the bush beside the tree where he was perched and scattered left-over quiche around, amazed when he flew right beside us, barely a metre away. So tame, he only flew off when Grace discovered a huge bull ant crawling over her foot and her screams frightened him away.



Now, back home again, among the endless piles of holiday washing which have amounted after only a few days, the reality is beginning to sink in that Grace's return to school is just around the corner. There are school supplies yet to label, a library bag yet to be sewn and a pantry yet to be re-stocked. Next week we will be back into the routine of early mornings, lunchboxes and school bells dictating our days...


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The Lingering Summer Holiday Vibe

 

The end of 2014 seemed to disappear in a flash and while we were not ridiculously busy, blogging fell by the wayside for me for a little spell.  I dedicated November to gift buying and December to end of year functions and Christmas preparations, consciously keeping our activities as relaxing and low stress as possible.

And then after a wonderful day on the 25th, just like that, the busy season was over for another year and we fell into true holiday mode - days filled with lazy, slow-paced mornings, swims in our neighbours' pool and quiet time pottering around home for all.

Now, with Paul having returned to work a few weeks ago, we've tried to let the summer holiday rhythm linger. Days where we've caught up with friends or spent time outdoors by the water have alternated with ones where we have stayed close to home, the girls happy to pull out the paint set for a morning of art while I've tackled my latest decluttering project.  Housework has been done on an as-needed basis, the clock not watched as strictly and there has been a carefree feel in the air.




As for blogging, I am looking forward this year to getting back into my photography and to capturing more precious snippets of family life.  With 2014 zooming by much too quickly for my liking and our girls growing so fast, documenting this chapter in our lives has never felt more important...