One Weekend Wonder {5} Cousins

One Weekend Wonder - {a weekly link-up} - a special moment or experience captured during the weekend. One you want to cherish.

My niece and nephew are here from the Solomon Islands for a week, while my brother & his wife travel in Europe for work. They're staying with my Mum and Dad; and are filling their days with lots of adventure and crafty fun. My mum is good like that.

We spent Saturday with them, and although it was as chaotic as any day with 4 children can be; it was still lovely. They had worked hard in preparing a puppet show which they needed Ella to participate in. It was gorgeous. Best show I've seen in a while :)

Sweet little cousins together! A moment to cherish.

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After the spectacular show and some lunch, we headed outside to burn off some energy.

Cricket, pond watching, duck duck goose & stuck in the mud - kept us busy & happy for a while.

Because our catch ups with cousins are so far & in between {due to all of us living scattered around the world} - we cherish them & savour them whenever they occur.

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Today, was a day full of nothing; yet a day full of everything. We stayed home most of the day and basked in the Spring day that actually felt more like a Summer's one. It was hot. Hot enough to get in the pool....

Chris and Ella got right in. Ryder and I just splashed around at the edge ;)

Chris took Ryder for a while, allowing me to laze in the sun. It felt amazing to have the sun on my skin - I shut my eyes and could smell the brink of summer. This summer is going to be a good one. I can feel it.

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Lots of inside play happened this afternoon, with the doors wide open - fresh air pouring in.

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Ella is really into 'charts' at the moment. Every solution seems to be "Let's make a chart for that Mummy!". It probably comes from me....I'm a visual person....I've made a few charts here and there to tackle parenting challenges like getting her to eat better, sleep more etc. However lately, she's started tracking all kinds of things on her own charts. Today she whipped together a "Work Chart"..... and whenever she sees any of us doing good work, we get a tick. Apparently Ryder's work is napping, mine is working on the computer, hers is completing some sounds & letters in her scrapbook and Chris's is working in his office. I got a tick today. Wahoo!!

Chris is always Daddy. However, I'm always CLAIRE on the charts! Ummm....Daddy's girl much?? :)

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Before heading out for a bike ride this afternoon, Ella & I baked up a fresh banana loaf. It was goooooood. We devoured it whilst still oven-warm, smothered in butter. It went down nicely with a cup of coffee too :) I've somehow outgrown my allergy to bananas {weird I know} so I'm thoroughly enjoying them these days.

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Tomorrow is the first day of the school holidays! Yahoooo! 2 weeks of no routine and rushed mornings. Two easy weeks with my girl in tow. Making the most of it!

Please feel free to link up with your weekend wonderful moments!

Have a great week all.

Monday Moonshine.....{week-a-boo}

11 weeks & 4 days ago, Ryder entered our world and has brought nothing but happiness with him....

He's a thriving, chubby little man; already weighing in at 7.5kg, but boy oh boy is he happy! When he smiles his whole face lights up and you can't help but smile & feel joy too! He's contagious! And, he's oh so delicious. I just want to freeze time & keep him this way for a bit longer. I'm really loving this baby stage. His soulful eyes, the way he grips onto his blankie so hard & smothers it into his face. His sweet baby smell. The skin rolls on his ankles and his perfect baby breath. He's such a ticklish little boy....simply touch his neck and he bursts out in a beautiful string of giggles. Oh, I love him.

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Saturday was a mixture of have to do's, must do's, want to do's and love to do's. We had ballet sign ons, housework to attack, the mall to brave & a special friend's 23rd birthday:

An afternoon spent eating cake, sipping tea, surrounded by happy friends & lots of babies; was the perfect end to a busy Saturday ;o)

And seeing my baby fall asleep in my friend's arms as she fed him......lovely:

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This weekend, we also discovered that blowing bubbles in the bathroom can be lots of fun....

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On Sunday, we enjoyed a morning visit from Chris's sister Michelle & her lurvely family. Cousins playing together = happiness. Happy kids, happy memories & happy parents :)

The gorgeous Miss Lily.

Ella & Elina, looking for the last of the gold from the GOLD DIGGIN' activity at Ella's party :)

Outside fun :)

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The rest of the weekend was slow & lazy. We sprawled out over the lounge room floor watching movies & playing with new birthday toys. We simply enjoyed being at home, with our littlest two, and ended the weekend with takeaway pizza & red wine :) Ahhh bliss!

{Awesome new puzzle - a birthday gift - and yes, she completed it....our little puzzle Queen!}

Have a great week all. We have a big week ahead. Someone's turning FOUR & starting pre-prep on Wednesday! Change is happening, whether we're ready or not :)

USA Trip. Part 4. Kansas.

I was a tad bit excited about our 7 nights in Kansas :) And not just because this place intrigued me {to see where Dorothy lived lol} but because my big brother Spencer lives there with his wife Heidi & 3 kids, Cooper, Amelia & Imogen! With Spen being in the Australian Army, they move {a lot} and are currently doing a 3 year stint in the USA! There was so many things I was looking forward to for this week ahead..... Cousins playing together! Relaxing! Shopping! Enjoying summer! Being with family! and Seeing new places, meeting new people & experiencing new things :)

The trip from Canada to Kansas was broken into two legs.....with a pit stop in Detroit. {And good ole' me....heavily pregnant, lugging bags & strollers & a 3yr old; paced through the WHOLE length of the Detroit airport at full pace to make our next plane.....to then discover there was a monorail that could've got us there in a smidgen of the time....and with a lot less effort on my behalf haa!!} THEN.....The flight from Detroit to Kansas City was probably the most terryifing experience of my life! It was turbulent THE.WHOLE.WAY! Ella snoozed through it without a care in the world.....whilst I sweated up an anxious storm & said my final prayers & goodbyes...totally convinced this was my last day on Earth! NOT FUN!!!!

Yet.....we made it, safe n sound! And boy oh boy was I glad when that plane touched down & I was greeted by familiar faces in the airport :) 

Let me tell you....our week in Kansas was GOOD! It delivered :) 

{Ella was in all kinds of "happiness heaven".....cousins, summer, dress-ups, ice-cream....it all equalled FUN}

Spen & Co, live in the Army Base {which is basically a mini city...it was HUGE!}. And I really loved it there. Due to the nature of the place, it felt so safe & so 'neighbourly'. I instantly fell in love with the tree-lined streets, the enormity & character of the houses, the squirrels playing on the front lawn, the old yellow school buses, the drive-thru coffee shop.....everything here oozed 'American Goodness'. It felt so different from home, which was nice....that's the point of travel isn't it? To feel new feelings, to see new things, to make comparisons, to be a part of something different! Yet it also felt so familiar, with the comforts of being with family :)

{Above: Cooper & Ella}

This old Carousel museum was gold! The kids had a blast! I think they rode the thing about 6 times :) My cheeks hurt from smiling at them everytime they spun past me!

{Below: The gorgeous Miss Milly Moo}

I excitedly got to experience the magic of WALMART again here :) Kansas was AMAZING for shopping...and shopping up a storm I did :) Ella got a 'Tangled Rapunzel' dress & doll from Walmart for a tiny fraction of the price we would pay in Aus. And she hardly took the dress off all week :)

A big {Wizard Of Oz like} storm erupted one morning whilst we were out.....so we took cover in a quirky little place; "Homer's Diner" for Coffee & real apple pie. This little place ROCKED! It was full to the brim of Coca-Cola memorabilia. I felt like I was in a movie set.....with the colourful locals, and the warm lady/owner who constantly tops up your coffee cup the second it runs low & knows everyone on a first name 'buddy' basis. It was nice!

{Above: I told you...it was my kind of place!! Meant for me! lol}

Even though we were missing 'carnival time' {The Brisbane EKKA & The Ormeau Fair} we were able to experience a 'real' local country fair one Sunday morning in Kansas! It was a hot HOT day & it didn't go exactly to plan, because when we got there, we discovered it was the last day & all the rides were shut down & being packed up :( But....the kids seemed happy enough with ice-creams & balloons and watching the dog show, animal displays & turtle races....yes...you read that correctly....turtle races :) Cool!

And I was super happy with; a REAL Lemonade stand {something totally 'american' in my books!} and delicious ribs hot off the BBQ!!

We ventured through the grounds for a while...wrestling 5 kids & annoying helium balloons {picture a windy day, long string balloons, 5 kids....lots of tangles lol} It was fun though!!

Then we got to tag along to a little girl's birthday party! Ella was in BLISS....a carnival & a party all in one day!

In between shopping trips, carnivals, parties & day trips out and about. We also enjoyed quality time with family & the little things in life.....like sidewalk chalk drawing in dressups:

And an awesome garden tyre swing {horse shaped}:

And enjoying summer with afternoon snacks on the front porch, with cousins {and underwear lol}:

And, Spencer's new toy arrived while we were there :) They will be having lots of water summer fun with this new beast:

We spent one of the days cruising the amazing shops at Legends. I bought so many bargains that day :) I completely stocked up on summer baby clothes, clothes for Ella, bags & purses for me & running gear & clothing for Chris. I was shocked at how overcharged we are here in Australia. Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Converse, Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, Osh Kosh, Calvin Klein & Guess....So So So much cheaper than here! So...what's a girl to do? SHOP SHOP SHOP :)

And, while at Legends, we had lunch at the most amazing place...EVER! The Dinosaur Cafe!

The most magical, animated & terrifying place....EVER :)

Ella went from super excited & in awe.....

To absolutely TERRIFIED :) Lucky she had her cousin Milly to look after her:

These photos make me melt!! Two sweet girls....loving each other!

One of the hardest thing about living on the other side of the world from both my brothers, is that our kids don't get to see each other as much as I'd like! Cousin sleepovers & hangouts are a rare thing, so when we get the chance to see each other & be together...WE DO! And on our 2nd last night in Kansas, Ella had a sleepover downstairs in Cooper's room :) Whilst Spencer & I went out to a Baseball Game....New York Yankies vs Kansas City Royals :) Another awesome experience for me....to tick off the list :)

Yes, complete with the giant finger & a pretzel :) FUN NIGHT!!!!!!!

I can't really pick just one favourite moment of our stay in Kansas, because I loved every minute there! It was the perfect balance of relaxation & busy-ness, out & about and home, rest & play....and lots of giggles & love between kids! That makes me happy!

Cooper, Ella, Imogen & Milly 2011!! Grab some Cousin Love, add some dressups & throw in a Kansas Summer & you get a sweet bunch of memories! Happy times!! And memories that I'm sure Ella has stored away in her book of life...to one day reflect on & cherish :)

Part 5 {the final part} of our trip will be posted up soon! Los Angeles....HOLLYWOOD baby!

Peace Out :)

Wordless Wednesday......{Dressing Up}

Ella with 3 of her Cousins @ play - Kansas USA, August 2011.

Super Heroes, Princesses & Fairies + Games = CHILDHOOD HAPPINESS!

Playing along with WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!

Happy Hump Day All :) 

Cousins Catch Up. {week-a-boo}

With both my Brothers living overseas, we only get to see them & their wives & kids every now & then.....every few months if we're lucky! That's why Christmas last year was such a big deal....having the whole family together at once :) One of the reasons Ella & I are heading off to the USA next week, is to visit one of my brothers & his 'gang' :) 

However, this last weekend, we were able to catch up with my other Brother's wife & their 2 gorgeous kids! They were passing through Australia on their way home from a big USA trip too!!

Ella loves any excuse to be outside, to explore a park, to play with other kids & to enjoy the seaside.....but doing this whilst catching up with cousins.....was definitely the highlight of her {and mine} weekend!

So, after Saturday morning's dance classes, we headed down the coast to meet them at one of our favourite places for an afternoon of fish n chips in the park & plenty of play :)

Hunter is now 5, Jayla is almost 3 & Ella is 3.5 years old. They got on like a house on fire.....hugs from the start & off they went arm in arm to explore & play :) 

I have a lot of memories of spending time with my cousins as a kid....and I hope Ella grows up with that same fondness & recognition of extended family closeness. 

Already at 3, Ella has three gorgeous girl cousins living just 20minutes from us {Ava, Elina & Lily}. Hunter & Jayla currently live in the Solomon Islands & Cooper, Amelia & Imogen over in Kansas! I love our growing family and the fact that we get to enjoy lovely catch ups & time spent together.....

"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses."  {~Joyce Brothers~}