The August Update

August

Its been a busy month, I can't believe it's almost over. Now that soccer is over for the year our weekends are free again. We've been able to meet up with friends for picnics at a local park, it's wonderful, it has bike tracks, and nature trails and big playgrounds - hours of fun.

Craig had his birthday and has settled into his new job. The kids are loving school and the next lot of holidays are already on the horizon. Kingston is is his usual crazy, cheeky self.

The days and nights are getting warmer, spring is just around the corner and we can't wait.

It was Craig's birthday on the 11th. It was also his first day at the new job, so after school the kids wrapped presents for him and helped ice the cake. Hunter made him a birthday crown, so Kenzie decided she would make one to wear herself.

Here's the birthday boy opening his cards and presents.

Here he is blowing out his candles, with some help from Kingston. It was a fun night. That's the last birthday in our house until March. Phew. Although Christmas is creeping up on us......

Hunter and Kenzie have been doing very well at school. Hunt got a prize for being Student of the Week in his class. And Mackenzie won the "Caught ya being Good" Award at the school assembly and brought home this skipping rope. Now comes the fun task of teaching them how to use it. ( much easier said than done)

For Craig's birthday, my parents bought him a bike, helmet and baby seat. He put the seat on this weekend, and he and the boys went for some great rides. It's a Weeride Kangaroo carrier and goes on the front of the bike. It's very cool and very easy to ride with him on there. (So I hear, I'm looking forward to getting out on it this week.)

This is the part where Kingy first got on, he's not crying because he doesn't like it, those are "no mummy, no helmet, no" tears.

Here's Hunter ready to go and have some fun.

Eventually the battle was won, and off they went for a ride. Kingston loved it.

He was still a little upset with me though, I'm such a mean mummy making him wear a helmet.

Winter break 2009

The kids Winter break started on July 10th, and they didn't go back to school until the 28th. That was a big break for us, luckily Craig was home for the whole break, so we got to really have some fun. The weather has been fantastic, more like Spring than Winter so we really got to enjoy the break.

At Rouse Hill, the mall near us, they had an outdoor ice rink, it was $2 for 45 minutes skating and included the skate hire. Craig braved the ice with Hunter and Kenzie, while Kingy and I watched from the sidelines, and took pictures. They did really well and had lots of fun.

The following day we went to watch Ice Age 3 at the movies, we even took Kingston, and he was PERFECT, it was a cute movie. Later in the week we went into Darling Harbour to use our handy dandy aquarium passes, we love that place. They had a Spongebob theme for the holidays, which made it extra exciting as the kids tried to spot all the hidden characters.

Here's Hunter by the fountains in Darling Harbour. It's sad when your 7 year old only wants to pose for pictures of their choosing, where did my little boy go??

One of our favourite areas in the aquarium is the Mermaid lagoon, which is home to the Dugongs, and has lots of fun activities for the kiddos.

Kingston needed to jump in the picture once he saw Kenzie having one, now if only he could remember to smile.....

Here he is watching the Dugongs eating their salad.

Hunter likes the computers best, you colour a picture online then can send it to your email.

Kingy compared his weight to that of a Dugong, looks like he needs to eat a few more donuts to even register.

Kenzie got her face painted.

The boys found Spongebob and Patrick

Then they went back with Mackenzie so she wouldn't miss out.

One of the Dugongs, those things are HUGE.

Time for a quick popcorn stop.

The second week of the holidays, Hunter and Mackenzie went to a tennis clinic down at Stanhope. They went for 5 days from 9-3 and loved it. They learnt the basics, and made some new friends, they both want to go again in the next break.

Kingston wanted to learn tennis too.

Here's Kingy showing off his dance moves

On the last Saturday of the break, we took the kids to see the Disney on Ice show, Princess Wishes, Kenzie was mesmerized, and the boys enjoyed it too. When it was done, Kenzie decided that when she grows up, she'd like to be in that show, but we'd getter get her skating lessons first!

As a family we had been enjoying watching the show Masterchef, 6 nights a week for the past few months. It got all of us excited about food, and cooking. Even Kingy loved it, and his favourite person, Julie was the eventual winner. Hunter had seen a recipe for a Nacho Mountain on one of the kids channels and wanted to try it out, and so our first minichef was born. They were very YUMMY!

All 3 kids got a scooter for their birthdays from their cousins in Michigan, they have been a huge hit, everyday they're out on the patio having races and playing with them.