Willbanks' Down Under

Thursday, January 17, 2019

393 + 289 Weeks

The kids finished up their three day horse riding camp on Saturday. It was such hard work for them, but they absolutely loved it, so much so that they both wanted to go back this week! But I didn't indulge them. I can't believe both of them shovelled horse poo, cleaned out the stables, and then rode horses for the next 6 hours. Carmie did so well that in the dressage competition on the last day, she came first in her group. She's super proud of herself. I'm proud of them both too. Arley was the youngest one there, and he was exhausted by the end. Jeffrey and I took them out for ice cream at the end of their last day for a treat.

The weather got incredibly hot this week. Luckily the kids went to a pool party one day. It was Carmie's friend Delphi's 7th birthday. The kids had a blast, and got a good play in with all of their buddies. Another day I tried to take them to Mollymook beach, but it was so unbelievably crowded, I just couldn't bring myself to find a parking spot, so we went to the much less crowded Leisure Centre for a swim in the pool. It was a lovely day, not crowded at all, and the pool might be where we are spending the summer until the school kids go back to school.

On Wednesday I had a painting day, so Mum and Geoff looked after the kids. They took them to the sea pool at the harbour, and discovered just how much the kids love to swim. They are sometimes impossible to get out of the water, and even bribery doesn't work. Dida swam with them and was a trooper letting the kids jump off his shoulders. They are very excited to go back every Wednesday now :)

The heat still hasn't subsided, so we spent today at home playing Monopoly, and the kids played under the sprinkler. Afterwards Arley played with the hose by himself - watering the car, watering the trees, putting on goggles and spraying himself in the face, spraying me in the living room through the window... he had a blast. When Jeffrey got home from work, we went for a beach dinner, and the kids went for a swim. They just love the ocean. At one point it actually started to rain (thank goodness for the cool breezes too!), and we got the kids out of the ocean, told them it was raining, and before we could start walking to the car, they were both back in the ocean! Forget about poor wet Mum and Dad!

It seems like we have another hot one tomorrow, so I'm going to enjoy these night-time breezes.

Working hard at horse riding camp

Little Bear on his little horse Ginger. So cute!

Doing horse camp homework

First place in dressage!

Celebratory ice cream

First puppy dog drawing

Sprinkler fun

Evening swim

Thursday, January 10, 2019

392 + 288 Weeks

I can't believe a week has already passed. Arley's little bestie Jemma was back in town for three days while her parents moved the last of their stuff out of their old house. We had her for all of Saturday, and I thought it would be a good idea to take the three kids to the beach. So stressful! There were so many people at the beach, because it was such a beautiful beach day, and when the kids went into the ocean to swim, it was really hard to pick them out from the other swimmers. Carmie and Arley like to go quite deep, which is usually fine because Jeff or I go too, but Jemma was too scared to go out deep. So off my kids went, but Jemma held back and I couldn't leave her. I was such a stresscase! I managed to get the kids back in close, and convinced them that digging in the sand was just as much fun. But boy do my kids love to jump waves. Arley has been getting way too cold out there, so we bought the kids some wetsuits this week. They only got to try them once (and they got chafing on their necks, so I've had to buy body glide now too).

The weather has turned quite cold and rainy for summer. It has actually been quite nice to have a break in the heat and a break from the crowds at our beaches. I took the kids to the library book sale (we LOVE the library book sale!), and then we met Lolo in the cafe afterwards. We also had a play at the park and went to the harbour a couple of times for iceblocks. The kids' behaviour hasn't been stellar, and one trip into town was a disaster and sent me round the bend. I had two meltdowns of my own this week, but the kids definitely have had it coming, and since then they have been quite lovely. I think I just have been letting them walk over me a bit, and they have been taking me for granted. I'm the firm mummy now, and they are respecting me more, which is nice!

The kids started their horse camp today. It is for three days, and goes form 8:30 to 3:30 each day. The kids are not used to waking up at 7:15 and were zombies this morning. We arrived on time and the kids had to get stuck straight in to mucking the stables, which they weren't expecting. They took it in stride and kept smiling, and when they were done they learned to saddle up their horses. That's when I left and had the day to myself (yay!), and they spent the rest of the day horse riding. They loved it, and were happy and exhausted when I picked them up this afternoon. I was thinking this afternoon how lovely my day was, and how it felt like a weight was lifted not having the kids around, and how light I felt knowing I have two more days off. Then I was thinking how this is how it would be if they were in school, and how easy things would be. But then I started thinking about how quickly my day went, and how if they were in school five days a week, how quickly all of my time would go, and then they would suddenly be done with school and their childhoods would have gone by in a flash. That thought crushed me, and all thoughts of how easy it would be if they were in school vanished, and I felt so grateful that I have them with me instead. I wish there was a happy medium somewhere.

So, this week I finished up on all of my paintings for my show next month. It is such a huge relief to be done painting this series, which I started back in June. It has been SO much work, many late nights, and I'm really happy to be done. Jeff and I are taking them up to Sydney to my dealer next week, and I'll be dusting my hands of them :)

I'm off to bed now, as I'm not used to waking up at 7:15 either!

Mollymook beach with Jemma

Iceblocks at the harbour

Cafe after the library book sale

North Mollymook

Shovelling poop!

Thursday, January 3, 2019

391 + 287 Weeks

We have had another busy week, but our Christmas / New Year's activities are finally over. I am really looking forward to some quiet days at home and at the beach. We started this week with a trip to Gerroa to see a very old and close friend of mine who is in town. I haven't seen Ellie in over a decade, and we got to meet each other's children. We had a play at the inlet and then we took the kids to lunch. It was a really lovely day, and it was great to meet her little boy Gustav, who had fallen in love with Carmie by the end of the day.

We also had quite a few beach meet ups with my cousins who were still down here, as well as a dinner at Narrawallee Inlet. My cousin Rupert and his family had come for a visit, so we met at the park for dinner and then we had an impromptu beach soccer match. It has been really nice having family around. It took a while for Carmie and Arley to gel with their kids, but they got there in the end.

The carnival came to town again. It is ridiculously expensive, especially for a small town carnival, but the kids were desperate to go. They even made outfits for themselves. They had a good time on the bungee trampolines, and in the big bubbles, but Carmie was too old for a lot of the rides and got totally ripped off by one of the games there. Her carnival bubble was popped, so to speak, but Arley still had a blast. His t-shirt also got them a free ride - see the photos below :)

We spent New Year's Eve over at Lolo and Dida's house, as they have such a great vantage from which to watch the fireworks. It wasn't a late night, as the fireworks were at 9pm, so the kids got to stay up and watch them. The fireworks were pretty amazing, and the kids LOVED them. We were all in bed and asleep by midnight though, which is a little sad, but really, who has the energy?!

We have been to the beach a lot, because Arley's love for ocean swimming seems to have no bounds! He has been coming on my morning walks with me so he can also go swimming, and every time we say beach, he is all for it, as opposed to before when he was all complaints. One morning he did three big swims during our morning walk, even though the water was freezing, and then we went to the beach again that afternoon for more, and he was begging to stay there. It is so great now that we can tell the kids we're having a beach day and they are excited. It seems a little surreal, because we have been waiting so long for this to happen!

We have also had some play dates this week. Arley's little Scout friend Scarlet and her twin sister came over yesterday. It is great to have them both, because Matilda played with Carmie while Scarlet played with Arley, and then sometimes they all melded together as a group. However, we have realised that the kids get really ratty around friends, and our house is much calmer when it is just us! It was funny the morning of the playdate, as Carmie was teasing Arley that his crush was coming over. He just looked at her blinking and didn't answer. Then Carmie asked him if he even knew what a crush was, and he answered, "Yes, it's when you are falling in love with someone." So cute!

Arley's little friend Jemma is back for two days for a visit, to finish up with the odds and ends left in their house since they've moved. The kids were SO excited to see her - they have really missed her over the last two weeks. When Jemma's family go back to Wagga, I think this really will be the last time they see each other. It is nice to have Jemma around, because she keeps Arley entertained, but boy is she loud, and as I said before, the kids get really ratty when other friends are over. And I am really looking forward to some peace and quiet :)

Slo-mo bungee trampoline video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcPeveF9jrQ

Ellie & little Gustav