Wet road trip!

It's school holidays here at the moment, I managed to have a couple of days off mid week and wanted to do something different, new, exciting with the girls.  Last week the annual Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers (info)  was on. I decided to take the girls to check it out - I've always wanted to go but never got around to it, what better excuse for a girls trip, right? I had two excited girls to go on a road trip and spend the night away... except we woke up on the day and it was raining, it had been raining in Toowoomba and surrounds for a few days.  I decided we would still go and hope the rain eased off so we could still see something. It didn't. So we went and got some wet weather gear and were determined to go and enjoy the flowers and events. It was like magic, we put the raincoats and gumboots on and the rain eased up and then stopped!
Of course the most exciting part for the girls were the puddles, 2.0 may as well not have worn her boots and coat because she was absolutely saturated! nothing a warm shower and pyjamas didn't fix.

On the way home we decided to take adventure and drive the scenic route, which took us to the Darling Downs Zoo (info)  which I have to be honest and say, I had no idea it existed! 

Lumpy and 2.0 had a great time feeding the animals, and being able to touch them. 2.0 was the perfect height to be in the firing line for the emu's so we had to be careful around them - those beaks are huge. 

Water and ice play

Temperatures in the high 30°c range make it very unpleasant for the small people.
Before work I make some coloured water in a dinosaur mould and put in the freezer. Thinking the girls. Would love a play after school / daycare to cool down.
Lumpy loved playing with (and eating) coloured ice dinosaurs, 2.0 was not so sure! She was fine with just the water but not the added ice. After playing with the water and ice Lumpy went off to play on the swings and 2.0 played with some shaving foam.

(I just found this draft from March 2015! so will publish now!)

WOW, I've been neglectful!

So, I just realised there has been a loooooong time between posts!

Lumpy is now 6.5 - Loving school, loves reading, loving the Harry Potter series and is quiet an independent and strong willed little person.

2.0 - is now 2.25 - loving to sing (especially wheels on the bus, at 930pm), loving exploring the world, and is very opinionated on all things "mine.

I will try and do some more posts over the next few days of our adventures and happenings!

<3 p="" see="" soon="" you="">(I hope)

whoops!

Goodness, I got so busy with Christmas, getting Lumpy organised for starting SCHOOL! (where did my baby go?!), getting 2.0 ready for daycare part time and getting me organised for the return to work that I haven't done a post in a long time.

Firstly - Lumpy is a absolutely loving school. She takes her homework very seriously (even waving it under my nose if I have to get dinner in the oven before we sit to do it). She has taken to writing whenever she can - need your meal plan written out? Ask Lumps, Need a shopping list? Ask Lumps. I do miss my days with her :(, but good news is it is almost easter school holidays!

Secondly - 2.0 is loving day care and is incredibly mobile and active. She is always into something (mostly the plastics drawer in the kitchen or the coffee table drawers or removing the entire content from my hand bag to locate my keys) All while still smiling, a very happy little girl. Learning, smiling, being cheeky. tat seems to be her day <3 p="">
I will be sure to post some more regular posts again. have a great weekend.

Our first week with Elf on the shelf

We have had our first week of the elf on the shelf!  What a fun week we have had! 

On the first morning, we met our elf, Lumpy gave her a name "Hatty". I have had so much fun helping Hatty get up to mischief. Lumpy has loved running around looking for her. After the sElfies, she asked why Hatty had tags. WHOOPS. I said - Maybe she hasn't decided if she will stay here yet. The next morning she asked me to help her look for tags (Hatty was baking and up the back of the bench), the tags were gone. One very excite Lumpy.

A little unsure meeting her elf!

Hatty doing some sElfies!

Hatty making a mess while cooking!

The locals were not impressed with Hatty making a mess

Hatty and Ken got married.  - whiteboard marker does not come off the rougher surface at the back of the car easily.

Hatty and Tinkerbell  having out in the fairy garden.

Playing scrabble with Elsa and Thor! what a great Saturday night.

Corn chips!

Lumpy was looking through a cook book and found a 'recipe' for home made corn chips. Of course this was then followed by - Let's make chips!.
Great idea. As soon as 2.0 went for her nap we go ou corn chip making on.

Things you need -
Corn tortilla
Oil
Salt
Lumpy wanted cheesey ones so we used parmesan on half.

Cut tortilla into triangles. Lay in a single layer on a lined tray.
Brush with oil (our pastry brush is MIA so we used a clean paint brush!)
Salt/flavouring sprinkled on.

Bake at 180° fan forced oven for 10 minutes. We did a little longer and had a crispy darker chip).

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

It's 330 am on the first of December. I was up feeding 2.0 and getting a little excited about Christmas.  In about 2 hours Lumpy will wake up and check her advent calendar bag and find a cool pair of Christmas socks.  She will then go downstairs to have breakfast and meet the newest member of the family,  our elf on the shelf.

Our tree went up yesterday as today is a Monday and there is work and kindy. Lights and outdoor decor went out yesterday too.

Well, I fell back asleep after 2.0 was back to bed. So I now have photos of Lumpy meeting her elf, who she has named Hatty. She LOVED the Christmas socks and will wear them to kindy today!