Baby, it's cold outside....

Dot, Neil and Erin left last night to go home to Spring-like England and the weather here in Ballarat has turned all Autumnal overnight and is mirroring my mood..... grey, drizzly and cold!! I miss them already (actually I was missing them before they even got to the airport....) Dinner was a very quiet affair and the house today seems very empty..... hurry back!

Click, clack....

For a while now Isaac has been asking me to look out for an old manual typewriter (the sort I learned to type on at school SO many years ago now). I'm not sure why he was so keen to have one but I think it had something to do with the click, clack sound the keys make as you strike them and the fact that Lemony Snicket uses a manual typewriter..... Anyway, today in a trawl round the op shops I spotted one that was just begging to be given a new home so, without further ado, I handed over my cash and became the proud owner of a hulking olivetti dinosaur! I could barely lift the thing but I knew that it would make one little boy very happy.



I was not disappointed..... Isaac was overcome when he saw it and that was enough for me! He spent AGES typing away, learning what all the buttons would make the carriage do and working out how to make an exclamation mark! He wrote four letters to family this evening so my little investment will be bringing joy to many over the coming weeks. Who knows, maybe he will write a masterpiece on it......

Been campin' again....

Took Dot et al to Bimbi Park for a camping trip and had a fabby time. We drove the Great Ocean Road again as it has some spectacular sights which we were happy to see again and I always find that there are things I missed the first time round so it is good to give things a second go!!

We did do a few things for the first time this time round including Evie abseiling off the Otway Fly! This was one 'attraction' we had visited before and after we had visited the first time she said that if we ever went again she wanted to abseil off the 25m high tower. Not one to be scared off and true to her word she had a go this time round! I was at the top (without the camera) as she got ready for the descent and Brian was at the bottom taking the pictures. She looked a little nervous when the man at the top told her to sit into the harness and swing out as if she was on a swing but she followed his instructions and made it down, even managing a wave to the crowd of family below!

Evie is the tiny person quite near the top in this photo! (you may have to click on the photo to get a close up to even be able to see her!! We only had the standard zoom lens so couldn't get a closer shot)

Here she comes.....

Safe on the ground again....

Proudly showing us her 'certificate'!


Evie also wanted to have another pony ride whilst we were away.... this time she rode on Dandy!


We spent a beautiful afternoon at Johanna beach (which is renowned for it's surf) building sand fortresses and rolling down the sand dunes (the kids by-the-way, not me!!)


A trip to Apollo Bay meant that we were able to climb to Marriner's Lookout and capture a stunning view of the coast (albeit a misty coastline that afternoon)


Another lovely camping trip to the Great Otway National Park.... I wonder where we will go next?

Ballarat Wildlife Park...

Spent the day at Ballarat Wildlife Park today and what a lot of wildlife we saw! Just a few snippets .. handfeeding kangaroos and emus, petting koalas, seeing echidnas and possums for the first time, a touchy-feely session with a boa constrictor and coming very close to a brute of a salt-water crocodile (fortunately there was plate glass between it and us!)

We decided to become members so that we can go again (and again) as it really did appeal to both the children and that way Evie can continue telling the kangaroos the story she started telling them on our first visit!

CAPTAIN MARVEL!!

Well, here is our real thing!! Finished the costume yesterday and, even before heading off for school this morning, Isaac had tried it on three times to 'show it off'! He thought it was perfect, which of course made my heart happy..... I still get such a kick out of making costumes for my kids.... though I really could do with learning a bit more about the nuts and bolts of making clothing and sewing things together in a logical fashion (I had to unpick a few seams during the making of this one!)

He went off happy and excited about using his 'superpower wrist bands' against all evil and tyranny in the grade 4 classroom!