I'd thought I'd better post a few holiday photos - before the next school holidays begin - What? February the 4th, already!!
On our holiday days we:
Did a lot of caterpillar catching; at one stage there were eight containers (read - my good tupperware) lined up on our outside table, all containing different caterpillars, at different stages of transformation. Spunky Monkey fed them each day and even put bamboo skewers into their containers, so they could make their cocoon on it. Many, many hours were lost watching in wonder. We were saddened that one or two died, but very excited when three of these beautiful moths, broke free, this one, right in front of our eyes!
On our holiday days we:
Well, just Spunky Monkey really; pulled things apart - anything he could gets his hands on. It is his latest obsession. Last week, Miss Moo Moo sacrificed her small toy dog. It's leg was broken, it could no longer walk, just yap. I think she felt sorry for Spunky Monkey. On this particular day, I had just said no to pulling apart my old camera, one of my phone handsets, a remote control I wasn't sure about, our old computer in the garage, an old keyboard, Mr Moo's old mobile phone, an old torch
and his remote control car.
Here he is on Christmas morning with his 'present' from Mum, a video player from the dump shop. He spent days and days amused with this old VCR. After pulling the insides out, he sat it out in the yard over five extremely hot days. Over these five days, he tried to cook a potato in it. Naturally it had become a solar oven! Each day he adjusted his way of thinking, always problem solving and improving. By day five he had a very thin slice of potato and had it placed in a zip lock bag to steam, if it had not been for the dark rain clouds that hid the sun for most of the afternoon, I think there might just have been something edible in there!
On our holiday days we:
Plaited Miss Moo's hair into tiny plaits. I think it was 12, as that was all of the hair ties we could find. I plaited as Miss Moo Moo and I watched
The Bachelorette (we love Des) and while Spunky Monkey went searching through the Little Ponies and Barbie Dolls hair for more bands. I'm sorry I didn't take a photo of her the next day - think early 1980's perm! It was pretty wild and I'm not sure if she will let me do it again.
On our holiday days we:
Spent quiet days at home.
Not usually all day, either the morning or afternoon. In those times we
collected and decorated and ate simply. Snack plates were perfect to those hot, hot days.
On our holiday days we:
Had sleepovers and play dates a plenty. Here the kids are packed, ready and waiting to be collected by their Aunt for a sleepover with their cousins. However, minutes after these photos were taken, Spunky Monkey announced that these vintage suitcases were to 'special' to leave the house. The mustard coloured suitcase/port was Mr Moo's school bag and the red one belong to the children's Great Grandma. After a bit of unpacking and repacking, Spunky Monkey trialed a backpack and a satchel, but in the end, he took his clothes for the sleepover in
bright, red, Ikea storage box!
On our holiday days we:
Had our cousins come for a sleepover too. I love this photo of the girls, absolutely passed out from all of the excitement. Just half an hour earlier there was much craziest: whispering, giggling, squealing, bed hopping, plans for midnight feasts and changing beds at 2 in the morning - each had their torch at the ready. I loved walking in on them, they would quickly stop talking and then laugh so much, that they would fall over. I think I was having has much fun as them. Of course, there was no midnight night feast, nobody stirred at all.
On our holiday days we:
Had a 'girls day out' in Brisbane. While Miss Moo Moo and I go to the ballet each year together, this was a special day, with Grandma, my sister-in-law and Miss Moo Moo's cousin. The
ballet was so beautiful. I love how the dancers come out into the foyer after the show to sign your program. Usually Miss Moo Moo is too shy to meet any of them, but since her cousin was getting signatures and chatting to the dancers, she thought she might too. However. she only wanted one autograph, and that, of course, was the Little Mermaid's.
On our holiday days we:
We took everything out of Spunky Monkey's bedroom, leaving only the bed and bedside locker. Here it all is, in boxes in the playroom.
Oh, my little collecting, boy, I had been wanting to do this for months. I had planned to do it while he was at school, but it just got too much. It worked out better in the end. He was able to see how wonderful it all was, with less clutter. We moved some furniture around and some out for good. All the books have gone back to the playroom bookshelf and the toys neatly boxed, fitted perfectly inside of his wardrobe, instead of piled along the walls. He loves his room now, and is keeping it wonderfully tidy, making his bed each day and even picking his pajamas up off the floor.
Although, yesterday a tiny bookcase and a basket crept back in. A shelf for displaying things he makes and a basket for odds and ends that he likes to collect. Right now in the basket is: a CD that does not play, a cork he found on the beach, a metal washer, two bottle caps, an empty perfume box from my mum and bits of a smashed up toy dog!
On our holiday days we:
Ate like this, easy, simple, barbecues and salads. With the heat,
oh my, the heat! I could not even think about dinner until at least 7pm most nights. Then I had to cook it!
On our holiday days we:
Drew and stitched. Really, it wouldn't holidays if you didn't have at least a few afternoons on the lounge, watching early episodes of Little House on the Prairie; me stitching and my daughter right beside me, drawing in a new book.
Oh, yes, that's holidays.
