Currumbin

Today we went to the Wildlife Sanctuary.  We went with some friends from the Gold Coast.  Levi and I don't know this family very well but the kids are about the same age.  They have three boys, with one either side of Levi and a little one, who seemed to have enough patience for all the kids!  It was really fun to walk around the park and watch the kids having so much fun!  Oh, there were meltdowns and crankiness and toilet accidents (and that was just from the parents! - not really!), but generally they were just kids and it is so much fun making new friends.  Levi hates being an only child and is always wanting to find friends or alternatively begging for a brother.  For a little kid who is so like his mother in his need at times for quiet and alone time, he still at times craves to have someone his age to bounce things off.  Today he had that.  The boys either side of him, esp the one slightly (about 9 months) younger wanted to be with him. 

 The birds that are the signature of the Wildlife Sanctuary were conspicuous in their absence today but the kids all quickly forgot that with playgrounds and all the other things to do.  There is a high ropes course that we had talked about beforehand, and we went up there to have a look at it.  Levi made the height restriction but it was way way too scary.  I think the thing that took me down was watching some teen aged girl go flying over our heads and slam into a padded tree.  She then had to hold on while switching her safety harness.  Levi then decided that it was just too hard anyway.  If he hadn't, I think that I would have pulled the plug as well, because it scared the snot out of me, thinking that he would be way up there by himself!

Levi's favourite activity was digging for dinosaurs.  He spent quite a bit of time unearthing them. 

The playgrounds were all wildlife themed and this huge spider's web was creepy enough, but really out there with the huge Orb Web Spider hanging above their heads as they played.  There was tree snakes hanging over branches and frogs hanging off the trees, all fake.  There were water dragons and ibis everywhere, not fake!  Levi was completely wiped out by about two in the afternoon.  We came home (to the hotel) after that and played chess and cards for a couple of hours, before either of us were worth much.

Sunday

Today was a better day.  Levi is better and has been active .  we had Ty over for most of the day and they played complex Deltora Quest games.  Levi and I have read the first series at night.  I have been reading two chapters at a time and we got through the eight books fairly quickly.  They have captured his imagination and we have now started the Shadowlands books.  Shadowlands are the three books which together form the sequel.  I am getting Levi the DVD for Christmas but it will be a Santa present and so he won't know about it until then. 

They also rode their bikes round and round the house stopping only for lunch.  I took a photo of them eating outside with the carpet of Jacaranda flowers and then I realized that happily joining them was one of the bantams.  The nice one, the darker brown, is the one that comes up and wants to be petted and keeps you company when hanging out the laundry.  She wasn't scratching in there, she was just being with and she is the sweetest little thing!

After lunch Levi and Ty played poison ball on the trampoline.  It is a complex changed game that they play but fair and fun.  They put two soccer balls on the trampoline and then they start bouncing.  If you get hit by a ball on it's random bounce, you are out.  Then there is a level two and three, but I am afraid the rules at that level are so complex and so rapidly changing, that I am unable to understand them, let alone convey them!  I love watching them play and more than that I love watching them happily make up or change the rules of every game they play!

Busy Day

Today in contrast to yesterday, was incredibly busy.  We started by swimming practice at 7.30am.  Then we went skating at the skate park with Luke.  From there we went to climbing with Ty and then grocery shopping or the week and then Zac and Alex's house for water slide and dinner.  Levi loved it all.  I am a little sore from the climbing but it feels good.

 We stuck black plastic down with tent pegs and ran water and detergent down it.  The kids had a blast and ran up and down for an hour or so.  The dog also raced up and down, occasionally biting the kids as he went.  They were all trashed by the end but it was a great day.  Levi had one big meltdown but as Mattie (the dog) had just bitten him, well mouthed him, it was forgiven quickly.  And yes, he still reaches for his belly button when sad, or mine if it's close enough!!

Labour Day

Jo and Jane went away for the weekend and Pippy spent the weekend with us. I would love to get him a dog of his own but it is impossible at the moment. He asks all the time. It is so funny to watch Pip and Levi. They tangle up in each other and snuggle up. Frankly there is no room in the bed with those two.

The weather has started to turn and it is right when Brisbane is the most beautiful. Levi and I played in the creek together and made stepping stones across the creek. It will wash away in the next flood but it is fun while it lasts.

Levi quote of the day:

"I like the colour orange the best. Well the best today. I will have to think about tomorrow tomorrow"