Happy Merry New Year

Well you won't believe what we have been up to. Although you may have suspicions due to the extensive blog hiatus. We did the unthinkable and absconded for Christmas. To the beach no less. And I must say, I would highly recommend disappearing for a week from Christmas Eve, the only negative being the process of having to stuff all the presents in the car. Feng Shui Nonna came and stayed for few nights and brought a teeny tree for us to redecorate on arrival so we didn't miss our house or the Christmas lego too much.

Roboboy was quite concerned that Santa may not realize we were at the beach and would leave the presents at home, but gosh that Santa seems to be switched on.

Santa had obviously taken note of the school work book complete with detailed drawing of the requested item. With accompanying text just to be sure, "Aleene Con Cwest" (Alien Conquest). I myself just breathed a great sigh of relief that the most wanted item back in June was still highly prized come December (one wouldn't want Santa to not hit the mark of course).

And Liongirl, well anything pink and she is pretty much happy. The prized items appear to be a toy manicure set from her cousins which she wields with gusto on any set of nails she can find and a talking My Little  Pony Fairy wand with my all time favourite cracker of a line " I'll be the best looking pony in the library". The Duplo hospital that she has been coveting on every visit to a Target all year appears to be providing therapy of sorts as she provides medical care inter mixed with periods of  Time out for various infractions.

I did make a pavlova of course, it's completely traditional and pretty easy. Unfortunately due to an incident best described as an implosion, this is the best photo I can provide.  Can I add that before I dropped that very large dollop of cream on the top, it did look perfect. Liongirl thought the whole event was for laughs and frankly any pav disaster can be recovered with a slathering of cream and fruit and no one is any the wiser when it comes to the eating part.

We had a barbeque lunch and then spent the rest of the day playing with our Christmas cracker racing Santas,

as well as a lot of this.

Liongirl suddenly worked out how to swim a few weeks before her third birthday and is just like her brother- completely fearless in the water with no awareness of her limitations whatsoever. She can easily swim 3-4 metres now but would probably then sink like a stone when she had to stop and take a breath. Makes for constant parental vigilence but so pleased she is a water baby too. She was not so at ease with the ocean waves though, which meant some quality time for Roboboy and I to hang out and make some sand creations.

Mother and baby dolphin of course. There is always time for a moustache, and a general horse around.

And how about rounding the day off with a spot of ocean gazing from the bedroom window.

While getting stuck into reading some delicious Christmas presents as the kidlets collapse with icypoles in front of the Octonauts Christmas special on ABC kids. Could life be more blissful than this?

Actually yes, it can be more blissful. Just wait until you see the spoils of regional coastal town op shopping! Back soon, and wishing you all a very happy merry New Year.