subtle hints

Ella has taken to leaving me subtle hints in the kitchen when she wants some new play equipment...

march

Girls cooking up a storm in the cubby
Some of Ella's kindy art, big art exhibition coming up on wed 1st, I think we are expected (and any other family or friends) to purchase art work at said art show, (proceeds obviously to the kindy) so better remember to go to the bank that afternoon...

Adelaide's lake/pond/so called river filled back up again and officially ok to swim in. (if you dare)

aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh
boo
Mel, with Holly and Ella, Holly is back from Perth for a week or so, (while Mel has her wrist fixed) so Ella and Holly have been catching up...
Bat woman
Lucy who now pretty much feeds herself, (been left to her own devices too many times...)
and getting cheeky
Just joking Dad, you know I wouldn't poke my tongue at you...

Some photos from WOMADelaide last weekend.







before, and mid flightafter... (at least no broken bones from this round of bouncy castle adventures...)
The Finn family doing their thing, Neil and both sons Liam and Elroy
Ella in the roots of a Morton bay fig tree
Ella and Isaacs little sister Annelise
more late night supercharged fun after strawberry and icecream pancakes...

lucy walking - backwards

Lucy has come on in so much in the last 48 hours, she was sooooo funny tonight, she has worked out the reverse gear, and had us all laughing as she took great pleasure in walking backwards till she backed into the cupboards, only to take 5 steps forward and repeat the backwards walk till she hit the cupboards again, followed by giggles and more attempts....
I'll have to try to get footage of it tomorrow perhaps.

Ang's classy birthday outing...

Took Ang to Hungry Jacks for coffee and a hash brown for her birthday... classy huh.

(While Ella was over the road at Hip-Hop dance lessons... )

learning to walk can hurt sometimes

Ouch. chin vs corner of ball bashing game...

Don't worry Ang, the Girls are still eating healthy

While Ang is away in Auckland at conference, I'm home with the girls...
no this is not what I served up for their dinner tonight, they are both sound asleep tucked up in bed... rest assured they still got meat and veges (sorry Kate-although Lucy did manage to hide most of her meat down the front of her high chair...) but while it's just me, who could resist beans on toast with cheese and chips, and a local drop (coopers brewed in Adelaide.)

Snake encounter

Australia can keep their snakes thank you very much.
Tonight, I was out riding my bike, minding my own business, and while heading along the esplanade just north of Semaphore (actually on Lady Gowrie Drive opposite Kybunga tce) about 6.15pm I notice a squiggly bit of rubber laying on the road... thinking initially that it was some rubber off a door trim come adrift from a car, or some other form of rubbish I maintained the 38km/hour speed that Craig and I were doing, by the time I realised it was a snake (alive one at that) it was too late to brake, and the car behind/beside us prevented us from swerving wildly into the path of traffic, so it was a case of just keeping the speed up, a little flick of the wheels at the last minute, and a little bunny hop, jumping over the top of the Red Belly Black snake, hoping it would not get time to get really angry and rear up or attempt to bite either of us. Craig managed to go around the right side of it and not get hit by the car, and I kind of went left and over the top of the other end of it. Luckily it had kind of got out onto the road, and had paused just as we came up, as if it was checking for traffic, (wise snake) and made a hurried retreat back over the foot path into the scrub on the sand dune after we disturbed his plan. It appeared to be heading out of the sand dunes, and over the road toward the houses. (wouldn't catch me looking to by a beach side house here...)
The driver of the car behind us watched the whole scene unfold, (was probably laughing at our sudden reactions once we realised that it was not already road kill) and pulled up beside as he came past and commented how close that was...

Any way, for the next few weeks, I will be treating every bit of radiator hose, lost plumbing pipe, crumpled up bits of oily black rag etc on the side of the road with a new sense of caution... and am looking forward to training rides back in NZ where nothing is going to slither out onto the road in front of you, or at least nothing quite that poisonous

So that is 4 types of Australian wild life that I have nearly run over on the bike now, first was Koala, while I was descending a hill at speed in the semi dark one evening in the first month or so after we arrived, then mountain biking with Phil I had some Roo and wallaby encounters, and now I can tick off bunny hopping a Red Belly Black. Hopefully the only snake encounter that I have to endure while here in Australia... (apart from the Zoo)

Lucy has found her walking legs.

The week of Ella's Brithday

firstly a bit of Lucy, just cause she is cute

feeding baby

feeding herself, (if you can call it that)
and riding in the bus.
Then some fury cuteness that we spotted 2 of while out for a walk with Grandma Margaret and Barry in one of the national parks that borders Adelaide city.
then on to the birthday girl. here we are Wednesday morning, opening presents... Lucy being very helpful...
one very very happy girl.
Lucy always has a smile for the camera esp if she has a plate of fooooood in front of her... (she is a good eater!)
Then some special guests around for the morning, our friends from Minnipa, which is a long 6hour drive away, Michael and his 5 (under 5) Abbey, Jamie, Lauren, Jake and Alex (twins born a few weeks after we arrived in Adelaide) (also known as Greenways family, as this is where we met) us Dad's downed a few coffees while Ella played with Abbey and Jamie. Don't know who convinced Jamie he had to wear the fairy outfit, but I'm sure it was not his own choice... Mum Carly is currently over in NZ visiting family.
then kindy and special treatment as the birthday girl of the day. (note the double decker cake, Ella had been asking for a double decker cake for her birthday, and this playdough number got me off the hook!!!)
then on to saturday and the party in Helicopter park, dress up of course, and friends Sophia and Matthew were up for anything... if anyone got hurt on the playground Matthew would soon fix them right up.
in the car with Sophia and Matthew, Ella and Annelise
Then the very special guest arrived, our friend Mia from Fairyland!
some fairy help!

pass the parcel, go Batman!
more pass the parcel
Cake time!
make a wish Ella
and lastly Lucy, playing hide and seek...

learning about taste.

first a little dress up in Daddy's sweaty helmet after he came home from a ride, which was why the camera happened to be within arms reach... then...
later while Daddy unpacked the shopping Lucy decided she would taste test all that she could get her hands on in the bottom of the pantry. That obviously included garlic. This was the point where she broke a clove off looked at me with a 'can I eat this Dad?' look and I started to say no, but then thought, well she could just learn this one for herself, and reached for the camera instead...
Daddy are things supposed to heat up in my mouth like this?
don't know if I like this
Ok the Gag reflex works Dad... Glad you got that on film now a little help over here Huh??!!!
Ok, Daddy is rolling around on the kitchen floor laughing so this must be funny???
I think I'll just try to push the clove back in were it came from and perhaps Dad won't really mind the teeth marks
and slip it back in the bag where I got it from, and chalk that one up to experience...

footnote: I haven't noticed her trying to eat things out of the bottom of the pantry since... Dad.