Enjoying the sunshine

Our weekend - part two: Enjoying the sunshine



We do love to make a good beach shelter.







Everybody got to work and we lost a whole morning amongst the dunes.







I hope you are enjoying some winter sunshine too.

Our Easter break away

On Good Friday, we set up tables and chairs here (above) and enjoyed lots (and I mean lots) of fresh, local prawns and a huge salad. White white and this view. The children made new friends and we lost the afternoon scrambling over rocks at the waters edge. Collecting shells, chasing little crabs and catching baby shrimp in the rock pools.









Over the weekend we enjoyed magical weather, more beach, water parks, markets, bike rides, walks along the pier, playgrounds and museums.









The Easter Bunny found us at Dad's house, delivering not only chocolate but new books and warm winter pajama's. After breakfast, our traditional easter egg hunt began. Leaving our hunting baskets at home, we found that ice-cream containers do the job perfectly.

Holidays - the beach

Waking up to this for six days was heaven.

This was the entrance to the beach, just 20 metres from our cabin door.

As you can see the weather was magic.

Life was relaxed and unhurried.













• ice-creams on the beach, picnics by the river

• beach sounds: rainbow lorikeets chirping in the dunes, crashing waves on the shore, the strumming of an acoustic guitar, teenage boys playing soccer with their dads, my son's happy laughter as he crashed in the waves, willie wagtails early morning song, fishing rods being cast, my daughter's squeals of excitement as she jumped in the waves

• listening to the crashing waves while cooking dinner with the sunlight pouring through the windows and filling the room

• a lovely afternoon exploring Murwillumbah. Fantastic coffee at The Modern Grocer. A lovely morning re-discovering Bangalow (alone)

• sandcastles, crystal clear water, beach drawings and swimming at Dreamtime Beach

• Scandinavian favourites from a favourite shop: heavy rye bread, blueberry jam, Daim chocolate and cinnamon buns

• a friendly green tree frog visiting on our verandah

• eating organic chocolate ice-cream, sitting in the late afternoon sunshine and listening to 'the blues' at The Channon markets

• fishing just after dawn, beach walks before breakfast

• delicious Bangalow pork chops bought from the Bangalow butcher, packaged in a brown paper bag (remember that?) It tasted like the pork I ate as a child.

• collecting seashells and frolicking on the shore at dusk

• barbecue breakfast in the park: bacon, eggs, local sausages, rye toast and a quick homemade tomato sauce

• gourmet spuds piled high with fresh salad: grated beetroot, cous cous salad, tabbouleh, roasted mediterranean salad, tomato and cucumber salad, coleslaw and tzatziki



Mr Moo built the kids a Robinson Crusoe style beach shelter. Just as we were leaving the beach, a buttercup yellow butterfly battled the sea breezes and fluttered by to settle on a branch of the shelter. He sat for a while and enjoyed the view out to sea.

Just as we had done.

And then the sun came out.....

On New Years Eve the rain stopped, and since then, it has been very much, summer holidays at this house.

We have been spending long days at the beach, at the pool, at the river, at the rock pools, fishing, at the scooter park, at the playground and sometimes just at home. Breakfasts have been late, lunch has been casual and for dinner, easy barbecue's. We are loving eating all of our meals outdoors. The trampoline has been erected, the wadding pool has been filled and our cousins have arrived from up north to hang out with us. Lots of holiday fun in the sun.







We enjoyed a quiet New Years Eve at home. After spending the day at the beach, the evening started slowly. Plans for a gourmet barbecue went out the window with my new, I'm on holidays attitude. At 6 o'clock the kids were doing the usual "Mum, I'm hungry" thing. I told them, "Go outside and play, tonight we would be having party food, as it was New Year's Eve." I was pretty happy with what I found hiding in our fridge. There was a feast. The kids loved it.

There was champagne, music, sparklers, dancing, good conversation and much laughter. Who knew you could have so much fun with a four and a five year old!



It's a pity it was all over by 9 o'clock, when our tiny dinner guests finally fell into bed.

(don't worry, that is only water in the little ikea wine glasses)

Playing hooky

On Wednesday, Spunky Monkey and I spent a relaxing day at the beach. As before, there was no agenda. So when Spunky Monkey asked, "Mum, can we go to the beach today?" it was an absolute pleasure to say yes, instead of rattling off the usual excuses.



It was wonderful to sit on the riverbank, eating our picnic lunch with nothing else to do other than count the passing boats. Ferries, yachts, fishing trawlers, tinnies, jet ski's. Twenty-six, in case your wondering. All kept count with our primitive tally system, a pile of sticks.

After our lunch we went off for a walk. Hours were lost as we explored an unfamiliar coastline, clambering over rocks, searching for treasures and poking around in shallow rock pools. We had been at the oceans edge for a little while when Spunky Monkey stood up and and said "look Mum". I stood up and looked over my shoulder to see this....





We had been so busy digging around between the rocks looking for seaglass and unusual shells that we hadn't even noticed our beautiful surroundings. Because it was a weekday, it was practically deserted. Bliss.





I am really loving this time that we are spending together, it seems so precious and I know it will soon end. I really love listening to him. Seeing him. Knowing him.

Watch out! They are growing up fast, these little monkey's of ours.

Weekend walks

It was lovely to while away the hours this weekend outdoors.

Saturday afternoon.









Sunday afternoon.

You are my sonshine

(Yes, that is the beach you can see a glimpse of in the background. Thank-you Zoe, for recommending this cafe)

I have started to take Spunky Monkey out of school on a Wednesday, a trial for this term. He is finding the five days of Prep very tiring and this is leading to two things. (1) At school, his concentration is lacking. (2) At home, we are having a lot of meltdowns. Miss Moo Moo went off to Daycare, leaving us to spend the day together. I really want this time to be just us, one on one, no agenda. However, I did have a few mummy jobs to do in the morning, so to compensate, we went out for lunch and to the beach in the afternoon.

Unfortunately I had taken the camera back to the car before heading off on our beach walk. Collecting and exploring along the shoreline and in the dunes. Discoveries: shells, rocks, sticks, crab claws and gentleness, humour, excitement, wonder, understanding. After walking for a long stretch we sat on a deserted part of the beach. Drawing letters in the sand, making lasso's from beach vines and listening to the birdsong in the casuarina trees.

We thought we had made a friend in a tiny bird who was staying very close by to where we played. At one time I saw her come closer, just a couple of metre's away and nestle into the sand. A loud noise from Spunky Monkey sent her running off again , but I realised something and instantly her behaviour made sense. We carefully crawled further up into the dunes to discover two, small, perfect eggs, coffee in colour with chocolate speckles. Mama bird wasn't being friendly, she was protecting her young. Once we understood each other, we moved back and she went to her eggs, fluffed up her feathers and sat. Actually, we all sat there for a very long time, quiet (Mama bird and me) and contemplative, as we watched the vibrant, turquoise waves dance in the winter sunshine.

It was an amazing moment in time, and the first time I had sat still for along while.

Thank-you Mama Nature.

Holiday mode

It's been a very slow, lazy week around here for the school holiday break. We have been:

sleeping in (me)
still eating hot cross buns
listening to gypsy music and The Waifs
shopping and lunching with Nanny
having easy dinners (things like pizza and eggs on toast)
not doing the housework
park play
beach play
having breakfast out
still eating easter eggs
meeting friends at the local pool
having sleepovers at Grandma's (the kids)
getting haircuts
drawing and painting

Taking it pretty easy really.

But I have to say the highlight was cuddling and bathing this new baby.



Welcome to the world little Daisy (4 days old). Tooooo cute!

Missing out

Yesterday morning I sent Mr Moo and the kids off to the beach so I could get in some uninterrupted sewing time.

I ended up pretty cranky with myself, not only did I spend more time with the quik-un-pick than the actual sewing machine, but look what I missed out on!