Willbanks' Down Under: 182 + 78 Weeks

We had such a busy week this past week! On Sunday my cousin Beau and his wife Jenny came down for a visit, and we had a lovely family lunch and then a morning tea down at the beach the next day. Carmie became quite smitten with her Uncle Beau, and is still talking about him a week later. Then the night before we left for Sydney, I took Carmen to the carnival, because it finally came back to town (she has literally been waiting for it all year). She was so excited, and absolutely loved it (even though it is a tiny town carnival, she thinks it is the best thing ever). When we got home, Carmie threw the worst tantrum she has possibly ever thrown. I think she was so pumped up over Christmas, and then the carnival, and she got home and crashed, poor thing.

The next morning, Tuesday, we took Arley up to the farm, and we left for Sydney. Poor Arley wasn't very well, and had a very croaky throat, but he didn't seem bothered that we were gone at all. We stayed in Leichhardt, which is a great area for restaurants and shops. Carmie thought she was a very big girl indeed, eating out at restaurants late at night (late for her, at least). The first full day in Sydney, we took Carmen to the zoo, via the bus and then the ferry, both firsts for her. She had a great day, and passed out in Jeff's arms on the bus on the way home. On our second day, we took Carmie to the Aquarium at Darling Harbour in the morning, and then to Luna Park in the afternoon. We discovered that it would have been a very good idea to take a stroller, even though she hasn't sat in one for over a year. Carmie LOVED Luna Park. She was wonderfully behaved the whole time too. On the ferry on the way back from Luna Park, Carmie fell asleep so heavily that we couldn't wake her, and carrying her was impossible, so we had to sit at Darling Harbour for 45 minutes while she had a nap on a bench. She was exhausted. But she had such a good time. She chatted to everyone who would chat back. On the ferry she announced that she was going to Luna Park, and I replied, "Yes sweetheart," and she said, "I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to her!" as she poked a woman in the arm. Then she proceeded to tell the surrounding three adults that she is three years old, a big girl, and that she has moved to a new house in Milton, and it's a big house, but that she's "in the big city now!" On the second night, we stopped outside a restaurant to look at the menu, and Carmie disappeared. We discovered her inside the restaurant, at the bar reception, drinking a glass of water and chatting to the hostess, asking if we could please have some food? She is such a goofball. Anyway, on our last morning, we met up with my good friend Beef and her husband Ben (who Carmie also became smitten with), and we met their gorgeous little boy Connor. Carmie fell asleep for half of the drive back home, she was absolutely beat.

Meanwhile, Arley was at the farm with his Lolo and Dida, giving them a run for their money. He hasn't been very well, and he has a molar coming through, so he is not the most pleasant little guy to be around. He is really trying to talk though, it is very cute. He has added "duck" to his vocabulary, and he jabbers away all of the time. I can't wait until he can actually talk so that I can understand him when he's cross!