Holiday Activities - on the Gold Coast

The great thing about living on the Gold Coast is not only the great range of things we have to do locally, but the easy access we have to Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.  There's so many things I "keep meaning" to do with the kids, that I decided to put together a list...cause you know how some days, no matter how hard you try, you just can't think of anything to do?

Hoping you find my little list of school holiday activities helpful too!

Things we plan to do these holidays...
1. Queensland Museum at Southbank - I wanted to take the kids here over Christmas but it was closed for refurbishments. So this is first on the list for these holidays.  I love Southbank too, nice to have a walk with the kids through the grounds - last time we were there we even went on the Brisbane Eye!

Sitting up top on the Brisbane Eye

2. Ride on a Ferry - might sound silly, but riding a boat is something my kids don't get to do, and they were so excited to do it last time we went to Brisbane. Makes for nice and cheap entertainment :)

3. Railway Museum - we took the kids there when Alex was only 3 and Jasper was just a bub, and the Thomas exhibition was on. They loved it, and with my boys being train fanatics, we thought it worth another visit.  Hoping they won't be too disappointed Thomas isn't there?

4 Scooter & Bike riding - being 3 and 6 they both have a handle on wheeled sports now, Alex got his first "big boy" bike for his birthday last week (with trainers) and Jasper is a gun on the scooter. So there'll be a few trips to the Broadwater (lovely long flat pathways for riding).

Jasper on his scooter

5.  See the "Mummies" - I'm so looking forward to seeing this exhibition! I remember seeing the King Tut exhibition as a child in Melbourne (many moons ago); it sparked a life-long love of ancient history.  As Alex tells me he'll be an archeologist when he grows up, he's keen too! 

Credit for this image

6. Make the most of our VIP Passes before they expire.   Twice to Seaworld this week, and we're well on the way to that goal.  Check out this awesome shot I got on my dodgy/somewhat busted iphone...

7. Take a train ride - boys will be boys, and mine love trains. We've been promising them for ages that we'd take them for a ride on the train to Brisbane, so we'll do that when we go to Southbank.  They're very much looking forward to their train ride :)

8.  Get creative! Both my boys have recently taken a liking to being creative & crafty, which suits the crafter in me!  We've done some "$2 shop shopping", stocking up on crafting supplies on the cheap so we can get stuck into it.  I've got an old tablecloth I plan to lay on the grass in the yard tomorrow, set everything up, and just let them go nuts! Much better outdoors than in I think...

Playdoh monsters we made last week - creative doesn't HAVE to be messy

And that is about the end of my school holiday activities list for now! I think that will be more than enough to tick off, especially considering my kids are home-bodies at heart (when I asked what they'd like to do tomorrow I got told "trampoline" and "sandpit"..lol).

Night all, sweet dreams to your own little school holidaying munchskins x

Cass xo

The Birthday Olympics

This time, 6 years ago, I was VERY pregnant and eagerly awaiting our first addition! Actually, if I'm being honest, I was terrified of going into labour...that's why I did my first ante-natal class when I was only 4 months pregnant..lol!  And at that class I met someone who has become one of my closest friends, Tash.

We got chatting at the class and discovered our bubs were due only days apart, which lead to catch-ups and coffee mornings whist waiting for the bubs to arrive.  It was nice to have a friend in exactly the same situation as me.  Funnily enough, we didn't realize how similar we would become...

June 17th 2006, we BOTH had our bubs! 

It started June 16th......I sent Tash a text saying "I'm in labour!!!" and got a response of "yay for you, nothing happening here :( ".  A few hours later I got another text saying "Me too!".  And a few hours after that, whilst I was STILL going, I got another text which read "All done!".  It was a few hours after that message (about 12hrs to be exact...) that I was finally able to send Tash my very own "All Done!!!" message.  So both our baby bundles now celebrate their birthday on the same day, June 17th.

Here I am with Alex the day he was born - gee, I really look like I've had 24hrs of labour too!

And so the Birthday Olympics where born.  We coined the phrase to sum up the crazy, obsessive, enjoyably creative process we both undertake in an effort to throw great parties for our kids.  It's fun having someone to do this process with every year who loves it as much as me!

Alex's first birthday cake - luckily my skills have improved since then

 This year Tash threw a fantastic Disco inspired party for her daughter, which was held last weekend.  I am organising my son's Circus Carnival party to be held this Saturday.  I'm still in the throws of fondant clowns, side show alley games & cake baking! I'll be posting throughout the week showing you all the party prep, and fun things like cake pop making and how to make fondant clowns.  Here's the inspiration for this years party...

I've designed a two tiered version of this cake under special direction to "add more clowns mummy".  So let's see how we go....

Till next time, have a great day x
Cass

Drinks anyone???

Ah, the funny things the kidlets get up to in the midnight hours! I swear my two are vampires, all wrapped up in cuteness and blue-eyes.  And let me tell you something, if you want a baby who's a GOOD sleeper...don't name them after a vampire in Twilight ;)  (yep, my youngest is Jasper...namesake taken from movie in question).

But back to the drinks...

It's 9.30pm when I hear little feet stalking up the hallway just now.  I wander out of my study to find Mr 6 standing in the hallway, bleary eyed and yawning.  I ask, "what's up honey", to which he replies, "well, I just wanna know, are you making drinks?".

Huh???
As my mind drifts to thoughts of Bailey's and a wee midnight-cap, Mr 6 details how he'd like a drink of water "as soon as you can mummy", in his favourite blue drink bottle, "you know, the one with the press button?".  He then turn tails and wanders back to his room & into bed!

Photo Credit

The joys of motherhood and the 24-7 a-la-carte kitchen my friends!

Wishing you all a good night x
Cass