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Thursday, 10 April 2014

Australia Zoo (51)

51 - Take the kids to a zoo they haven't been to.

Oh my gosh we did this in JANUARY!  I am really rubbish at keeping this updated aren't I!!!  I have a few I really need to get crossed off of the list as they are complete (for instance my Penguin encounter... OVER A YEAR AGO.... ok I'll do that this week - I say now :P)

Zoo's.
I love going to the zoo.  Have since a child.  My fondest zoo memories was a camp when I was 10 in New Zealand where our class went to see The Lion King (wow... that movie has been out 27 years!) and then we went to Wellington Zoo where we spent the night in a giant hall!  I still remember the sounds of lions roaring as we were all trying (pretending?) to nod off to sleep.

My three - chillin' with the Irwin's

Australia Zoo is on the Sushine Coast and conveniently located up the road from Ty's Godfathers house.  We headed up to visit rellies and chucked in a visit for our little family of 5.
We loved it!  Alexis and Zavian are at an age where that sort of experience is awesome to them.  They enjoyed seeing crocodiles and alligators, camels, tigers, koalas, kangaroos and a variety of other animals.  Both of them (and us!) enjoyed the hands on experiences with keepers who walked around with a variety of creatures.  Zavian was able to somewhat conquer his fear of scaley things!  He patted a snake, and hesitantly stood beside a baby alligator!
Lexi enjoyed every animal that she was able to touch but was particularly thrilled by being able to hand feed kangaroos and pose for photos with them!
Memphis even got to have a photo laying on a snake!!!

The only thing I was sad about was the fact there were no elephants.  Years ago I went and actually hand fed an elephant - amazing.  The three they had were the oldest in captivity in Australia.  Last year two of the three passed, so they moved the remaining elephant to her private land where she roams her final months/years without being in the public eye.  As much as I wanted to have a picture of Memphis and an elephant, I must say I am glad she is where she is.

Lexi says Hello to a blue tongue lizard
Having a rest on a tortoise
What else do you go for!?
Lexi was so excited to pat a koala!
She was also more excited about this than she looks!
Meeting a baby alligator is serious business!
My fave pic of the day!
The kids get to pat a sake and ask questions about him
Turtle spotting
Tasmanian Devil wearing it's cranky pants!
The baby animal patting zoo was a great hands on experience
My beautiful boy
Bird show in the Crocoseum
And a croc show!  Naturally!
Posing with famous Steve Irwin - Crocodile Hunter
This camel had a thing for Ty's beard (someone has to!)
She also really liked Memphis and gave him a kiss!!!
I adored the Africa section
Giraffes!  My fave!

#nocaptionneeded!
Croc surfing, anyone?
It was a bit much for the wee-fella!
What an AWESOME job! 
Some sprinklers to cool us down on a cool day!
Kangaroo area was very much enjoyed by these two (the boys were asleep :( boo!)

Customary roo shot!
A quick ride to put a smile on his face!
Don't eat my baby!
Or my toddler!

Posing with Bindi!
My beautiful girl enjoyed her day!
**at some point I will scan in our photo of Memphis with the snake, and a photo of the whole family holding a python!

Wednesday, 9 April 2014

Whitewater World

The three munchkins waiting to head in!

Another theme park down, with all three in tow!
Themeparks with a young baby can be hard... Especially when having three kids means we are outnumbered.  Majority of rides/activities our children (who are shorties) require a parent... where does that leave the poor baby?!

We visited White Water World, the water park attached to Dreamworld, with very little expectations.
Zavian is notoriously known for his fear of water - any time we've gone swimming (pool/beach/anywhere!) he has clung to me like a koala and pretty much cried.
We went to White Water World with my friend Kylie, and her little girl Taya and I think that his fear of water was overpowered by the desire to impress his little girlfriend ;)
The day was dreary... not too cold, not too hot.  Rain apparently keeps people away from places they will be getting wet anyway?!  Go figure!  I love that it wasn't packed - made it a lot nicer for us!

OMG a family photo!

I've wanted Zavian to find his confidence in water for a long time... it's hard because Lexi LOVES water.  She'd happily spend all day paddling away in the water, whilst he would spend the entire time trying to get as far away as possible.  So I may have been beaming a little over the top when he wandered tentatively into the water and then without a lot of hesitation ventured up to the childrens water slides and ACTUALLY WENT DOWN.
Sure, he stood at the top and refused to go down until someone was firmly planted up against the bottom of the slide - but he still did it.  There was still water on the slide and he still landed and then walked through water.

This one goes in the Proud Mummy bank

Lexi LOVED it.  She's naive, I admit - and will go on anything with Ty and I without really realising what she was getting herself in to.  She now stands at 101cm, and as such was actually allowed to go on a few big slides accompanied by an adult (you know the ones, with big tubes!)  I didn't LOVE taking her on, worried she would let go mid-slide.  There was one ride Ty was so determined to take her on, that I breathed such a huge sigh of relief when I saw she had to be 130cm to go on (hahah so when she is like... 10 haha).  But she did SO well!

Cheeky and adorable - Lexi had a blast

Baby Memphis had his first ever swim, on a rather cool day no less!  He wasn't sure, but I think it was the temperature that put him off.  Half an hour in the water in an over sized rashie, he started to grizzle so I gave him a feed and popped him in to something warm and bam, out like a light.  He slept in his pram for the remaining 3.5 hours!  

Memphis has his first swim

Going with a third person was good.  One parent would stay with the kids at the kiddy pool (Memphis in his pram alongside) and the other two would go and do a ride.  We alternated and all got to do something.  Which was nice!  I am not a huge fan of rides... water... you know... water rides... however I did it! I went on 2 that I admit I did look at when I got to the top and tried to think of any other way possible to get down!!!!

I will say that I am sad we didn't attempt White Water World earlier in our passes - we left it to the last day with the assumption that Zavian would be his usual self and panic and refuse to participate.  Oh well, good to know.  And we do have Wet n Wild passes, so we will definitely utilise those!



Waiting for Lexi to come down the slide!
All tuckered out from half an hour of being held in the water hehehe
"Hmmmm, yes I do think I'll come back here!"
A day in the water = pruney fingers!  Lexi wasn't pleased!
Good way to tire them out, if I do say so myself ;)

Tuesday, 8 April 2014

PROJECT 365 {{WEEK 14}}

2nd April - 20 weeks old, this sweet boy of mine!
3rd April - Oh my... when did she grow up??
4th April - Parents Day at ballet... much better behaved!
5th April - Metricon Stadium: before Lexi did Auskick at half time
6th April - A whole lot of reshuffling at home
7th April - snail mail! (OMG 70c now!!!)
8th April - one handsome, clean lil fella!

Friday, 4 April 2014

Awards!

Lexi got her first award at school during the second last week (Student of the Week), and in the last week she got an award for reading!

Prep W Student of the Week!
GREAT reason too, especially for Lex!
She loves her home readers, so this was exciting for her!

Thursday, 3 April 2014

Lexi's first Easter Parade

Lexi got to participate in her very first Easter Parade!
Her class got up and sang Eggbert the Easter Egg... I was pretty proud of her, she was really in to it all! Not bad for a child who started the day telling me that no, she was NOT going to participate - she was going to stand on the side of the stage and cry.  Glad she got over that idea hahah.

Lexi is the purple egg in front of the teacher in the blue hat
Prep W perform Eggbert the Easter Egg
Little Miss LOVED being on stage
Lexi's first Easter Parade... no gawdy hat... a random apron and a chicken instead hahaha

Tuesday, 1 April 2014

PROJECT 365 {{WEEK 13}}

26th March - this playing thing is tough!
27th March - Lexi's first award at school!  Great one, too!!!
28th March - My boys mucking around!
29th March - Ty and I went to Dreamworld, alone, and went on THIS!
30th March - a family day at Whitewater World
31st March - Parents day at jazz... omg Lexi was feral :/
1st April - Oh my, Dumbo's a bit cute!