A long overdue catch-up

It's been four and a half years since we last hugged. Due to covid and the all drama that ensued and remained with international travel - my friend Lisa hasn't been home to Australia for that long. I have missed her so much and was absolutely thrilled to come across a post she had made online as she started the very long trek back to Australia with her kids.

I was even more thrilled when she managed to make some time for us in what was a pretty hectic schedule and we got to spend the morning together at Hillary's Boat Harbour with her kids and my older ones. It was so good to laugh together again and hear our kids do the same.

Madeline and Madison got along like they'd been best friends for years (the last time they saw each other Madeline was 5 haha) and settled straight into piggybacks and chasing each other about... then had a wander at the shops together while the boys splashed at the end of the beach. It's never too cold apparently! 

Hooray for catch ups!

Of course we had to finish the day with Cold Rock, cause why else do you go to Hillary's Boat Harbour? It was a good day to have a good day. Hopefully there'll be a lot less years between our next catchup. ❤

 

Hillarys boat harbour with the Niupalaus.

Without a doubt, the kids favourite part of every school holidays is our standard date with the Niupalau's. We always have the very best time with them. This time we hit up Hillary's Boat Harbour and had a swim at the beach.

Joseph loved it! He was so happy because the water was nice and warm. I even came and stood in the water with the kids so he was thrilled.

Alex was in his element. He is such a water baby!

Maddie will find absolutely any excuse to wear a bikini, so today was definitely one of her favourites haha. I love that nearly every photo of her I manage to get is her sitting by Alex watching, which is what she does day in day out. It's very rare, but every now and then she tells me "MUM! You need to watch Alex, it's not my job!" Um well yes I know that, but considering you've made it your job and always tell me to go away...

We ended our day with a trip to Cold Rock for some icecream for everyone. $63 later, but worth every single cent. Look at those happy faces!

Just wouldn't be a real holiday without our party. ❤

life's a beach

would you believe me if i told you i went to the beach today? probably not hey! but i did. it was the australia day public holiday today and our lovely friends the newmans were going to the beach and convinced us to go too. 

if you know me at all. i only have to look outside to get burnt. i am whiter than the sand that covers the beach. i am so pale that my skin is practically transparent. everyone thinks that i don't like the sand, but i actually don't like the sun! i get burnt and i get a headache... enough said. decision was made: sunnies, lots of clothing (life hack from today: if you're like me and don't really want to be seen in public with a bathing suit on, work out pants and a top made from the same kind of material are so good in the water. they sit close to the skin, are super comfortable and dry quickly.) and bucket loads of suncream before we hit the road.

but we went... and it was a nice day. it was hottttttt and i felt it. but the kids loved it and are dying to go again. the newmans have a giiiiant shade shelter which i spent much of my time hiding under, while going in the water a few times. alex went in his little blow up seat and promptly got blown away from madeline (i trust that girl with her baby brother so much, she loves him so much and would never let any harm come to him, so i watched them in the shallows from under the tent) so we got that out of the water quick smart and i went and held him instead. it was actually quite windy considering what a fine day it was!

joseph loved playing with the girls in the water and sitting down in the sand. the kids really were in their element - must be that island blood... which made me think we really should do this more often! maybe i could handle it.

playing in the sand and making their own little puddle a little way inshore. the waves would come up and fill the hole every so often and they would squeal with delight as they got wet again.

alex was the absolute cutest - he loooooved the beach. especially the sand. after a few dips in the water, he sat with us and pawed around his little legs, getting his hand covered in sand and eating plenty of it too! ew. he was especially thrilled when madeline brought him a bucket with water and his own little shovel so he could dig and play about in the shade. so cute! looks like i have yet another water baby in the making.

this was my favourite part of the day - after a picnic in a local park and icecream from a "mr whippy" van who just happened to appear at the perfect time (with the most reasonably priced items i've ever seen in my life as well as tap and pay on board!) we packed up and made our way home. but not before madeline took this adorable selfie with her brothers. i love it (and them) so much. it was a great day, with family and good friends. 

australia, we love you! 

aqwa (and the mermaids!)

a day at aqwa was just what the dr ordered, so off we went for the day with the kidlets to have some fun by the beach. it has been a breeze having the four of them together... other than their own personalities sometimes leading to a meltdown or two, they never argue or get mad at each other. yes! so easy. i love seeing them so happy together.

after making our way through the shipwreck coast and the smaller tanks as you wander through the aquarium levels, we came out into the open and took the kids around the touch pool. joseph wasn't so keen, but the girls were loving picking up the starfish and getting to be a part of everything. 

but by far the best part of the day, was when we got to see the mermaids perform in the adventure bay tank. what an awesome show! two women who are very talented free divers, who have full mermaid costumes and do a show (or two) for a bunch of lucky kids. after these two full holiday week schedules are over, they'll go back to "mermaid mondays" during the summer, but i am so glad we caught it by chance... we didn't actually know it was on. the women even happily pose for photos for half an hour prior to their show so that children can meet the mermaids before they watch them.

as you can see, it's a cool way for the kids to spend some time chilling at aqwa. 

we are loving having the milnes here and i know already we are going to be so sad when they leave us... here is one more of our kids, acting as normal as they can hahaha. ♥

hello! hillarys calling...

public holidays are the best... and this one was no exception, our friends rob and bianca have (just) moved back from kalgoorlie (yay yay yay yay yaaaaaay) and suggested we head over to the childrens beach at hillarys boat harbour for a dip. so we did!  

it's no secret that i don't overly love the beach (i can't help it, i hate sand!), but i think i may be able to be persuaded in the future, the kids were so excited and had the time of their lives... plus it was so hot that the water was a relief to paddle in while the kids splashed and joseph ran in and out of the water.

what a gorgeous day to be at the coast, how lucky are we to live so close? plus burgers at grilld afterwards? the perfect night out.

aqwa with the fam!

today we went for a family outing to aqwa at hillarys boat harbour... having doug's dad here we thought we'd do something fun - and being that i haven't been since i was in primary school, i really couldn't remember anything about it! back in the day it was called underwater world - and it really is just that. a huge tank with a circular tunnel running underneath it, with a rotating walkway, as well as the option of walking at your own pace. it's super fun, with heaps to see and do.

we started in the shark tank - and did a few laps, my favourite thing to look at was the stingrays, they always make me laugh, the way they look like they have a smiley face underneath! maddie was a bit unsure at first but ended up loving it and pointing things out to doug and i as we went along... joseph loved every second of sleeping in his pram as it rolled along the moving path. (he didn't wake up until we were in the gift shop about to leave)

outside of the tank there are various other exhibits (mini tanks) and then a huge one outside where in summer there is the option of participating in something called "reefwalking" where members of the public can get into a suit and go into the second largest tank and have a walk around and a squiz under the water! way cool. there was a youngish staff member in there cleaning when we stopped to look and maddie at the suggestion of her poppy started calling him "scuba steve". she was thrilled when he stopped to wave to her as she gazed through the glass and told everyone that would listen for the rest of the day all about scubasteeeeeeve.

and me? i could not resist taking a shark selfie. top that selfie queens! i'm pretty damn proud of it!

this little girl had a great time running around and pointing out anything and everything to us... look mum! look at the fiiiiiish! mum! mum! poppy and her had a great time together, i am sure she is going to miss him terribly when he goes home.

there is a touch pool in the outside area, where you can get up close and personal with a whole pile of different sea creatures. was the biggest highlight in quite some time for me, to be able to hold this starfish! as you all know (unless you're a complete random visiting my blog for the very first time) i am obsessed with stars and would very much like my own starfish to take home and cuddle whenever i want!

of course, no trip to hillarys with visitors is complete without a pizza from little caesars. their gourmet pizzas are all kinds of amazing, and the three of us and little miss madeline had no problems polishing these off  (clockwise from top left in picture below: tri-beca, janes addiction and vegetarian)

icecream at hillary's

the coolest kid on the block (totally cemented by those ultrahip shades she's rocking... which nanna just happened to buy for her at marks and spencer in london) thoroughly enjoyed a fully supervised icecream date with her little boyfriend mason at hillarys last night

they had a great time fighting over the batmobile we walked past, but made up quickly

and shared a joke - i swear i would give almost anything to know what they are talking and laughing about... crazy kids!

uncle rob totally made maddie's night by shelling out a couple of his hard earned dollars to pay for a merry-go-round ride... so easily pleased! so either enjoy these gorgeous pics i am clogging your feed with - or suffer in silence! 

♥

cousins

cousins are usually the first friends we have as children no one will ever understand your crazy family like your cousins do - even if it's been some time between catch ups

(-adapted from a post on pinterest.com)

madeline's cousins have been down in perth the past two weeks or so and she's had a few chances to see them. it's been lovely - although my brother that has children (five i might add - he's very brave - or crazy - one of the two...) is almost 11 years older than me - so maddie's closest cousin in age is miss emma who is three years older. not that it will matter soon enough - as donna said the other day - it won't be long until they are teenagers and off to dances, parties, school balls. yikes! it's kind of funny how it's worked out though - donna (my oldest brothers wif)e is 15 years older than me, i am 15 years older than laura and sh'es just a bit less with maddie, i only hope maddie has as much fun with laura as we've all had so far!

grace came to have a sleepover with us this week and we went out for the day - hitting up the local save the children in joondanna and heading up to hillarys boat harbour for a look around and some general fun, although poor madeline slept through most of it haha.

grace with the sculpture at hillarys

grace with uncle doug and madeline

we had a great time - i love spending time with my nieces and nephews, they are so much fun...

thank goodness for cousins!