i'm grateful for . . . 'the park of all parks, best playground EVER'

Greetings all,

Well you are probably getting to know what kind of family we are . . . outdoorsy, active & all about our children.  There are terms like 'unplugging', 'free range parenting' & the 'let your children climb trees' movement - or you could just bloody well raise your children how you were raised - without technology, with parents saying "go outside & don't come back until it's dark" & allowing them to use their imagination & siblings for entertainment!!  Doesn't that make sense??  It's free & you'll find your children at their best, it's the greatest investment of everyone's time & energy.  

 I'm not even going to tell you how high this branch was!!  I don't worry or hover over my children, even as babies - yes, they were exposed to parks as new borns & loved spinning, swinging & crawling around . . . they knew their strengths, they don't fall & if they ask for help, i explain they are trying to do something beyond their skill or size, i'm not giving them a leg up.  To us, the park is their natural habitat (read: Army housing usually has crappy small 'rental' style backgardens of nothing). 

 I love that i have a high schooler who still loves climbing trees . . . 

 & a non-Avatar fan squealing with delight that this was the Navi forrest . . .

 it's actually the Cotton Tree Forest at the Pirate Park at Scarborough Beach near Redcliffe Qld, a short drive up from Brisbane & you pass all those Queenslanders to get here.

 Very glad this girl had leggings on under her skirt . . .

 she was practically doing hand stands on those big tree limbs.

 They climbed so high & right up the top . . . is my husband!!

 Our children started creating their own 'tree houses' & inviting each other over to visit . . .

 i took 80 photos here, it was hard to limit them for a blog post.

 This is the top of a cotton tree . . .

 & the children worked out how to get down themselves!!

Maxabella Loves, this week I'm Grateful For . . . the most amazing park find in the universe (& we've been to Disneyland) we only dragged ourselves away due to aching hunger, it was the true highlight to our school holidays & best of all, we had no idea this park even existed!!  Love Posie

supporting the Queensland economy with dreamy shopping . . .

Greetings all,

Oh boy, why did we ever leave Queensland & come home to the rain & freezing cold Canberra??  We had such a lovely holiday & did lots of dreamy shopping.  First stop, like always, was beautiful Simone from Beach Vintage blog's shop Just Plain Gorgeous in Bulimba (just around from fancy Kangaroo Point) it's where the beautiful people live.

 I picked up a pretty pink kaftan & delicious blue dress in there + some fabric, bliss!!

 Further along Oxford Street is a cute shop called Green Glass - they have the cafe by the park in this post.  Really lovely goodies & service to boot.

 Of course, a treat for the children to have some stationery fun in the school holidays involves a trip to Kikki-K, i think we went to the Chermside store??  I love this flag stamp!!

 Next time i'm in Brisbane, i'm checking out this shop, Frankie & the Fox, i was forbidden to enter by my husband, he doesn't understand my constant need for fashion eye candy.

 So just a quick snap on our way past.  The sign alone screams my kind of store.

 So farewell beautiful blue skies & sunshiney Queensland Winter.  I shouldn't complain, i've spent 7 Winters of my life in Darwin cruising along at 30C every day, no chance of rain, just that holiday feeling. 

Canberra is technically the sunniest city in Australia, i must admit, we have many Winter days which look like stunning Summer, it's just 2C outside & you're wearing gloves, so i'm just playing spoilt.  The best thing about Queensland is most positively definitely my husband, i miss him, sigh.  Have happy weeks everyone, love Posie

brrr it's cold in Canberra so i'm dreaming of Brisbane & beaches

Greetings all,
Thanks for all the head-cold-well-wishes, too sweet!!  Today i treated myself to some Peter Alexander knitted booties & flannel jammies, mmmm, cosy +.

 Dreaming of warmer places . . . i realised i hadn't done a post on our Easter holiday in Queensland!!  We dropped the puppy at 'doggy camp', then hit the road after a first-thing-in-the-morning-tyre-change (argh!!)  It took 3 attempts to leave the house, finally we were off, headed to . . . we'll see where we are at 4p.m. 'twas THAT kind of day!!  

 After an evening of fantastic Italian seafood in Taree, we got back on the Pacific Highway & headed to Coffs Harbour.  With my husband as the prize that afternoon, i was NOT stopping for family photos at the Big Banana.  My eldest daughter took this shot as we drove by (note: the family who DID bother to stop for family photos!!)

 Oh we do love our BIG things in Australia.  This is the Big Prawn in Ballina, in it's new location, i hope it's temporary??

 Yay, we made it to Brisbane.  My husband stood on the main road to 'wave' us in & much to everyone in the peak hour traffic & her parent's shock . . . our 3rd daughter leapt from the car at the red traffic light & ran to Daddy.  It was alarming & beautiful all at the same time, quite sure i looked like a kidnapper though. 

 The official first day of the Easter school holidays - we went to South Bank (remember seeing on the news - that man made lagoon area on the side of the Brisbane River that went under in the floods) & we worked out the parking machine.

 Just as the children announced they were starving, precisely 30 minutes after eating breakfast . . . we walked into an official opening of a refurbished-post-flood park at South Bank & da dah, fully catered marquee.  We assumed it was a private function, or at least for actual Queenslanders, but it didn't stop us from filling our bellies on delightful tastey treats. 

 Oh dear, like this shot of Anna Bligh, Qld Premier??  I don't think she would like it either.

 There were all sorts of clowns & entertainment - like bubblers??  We were quite impressed, within our first half hour of site seeing in Brisbane, the children had been filmed by news crews (so glad they didn't ask our children where they were from), we'd seen the state premier & we'd eaten a feast.  Thanks Queensland!! 

 Then handsome soldier took us on a tour of his current home town.  Clearly i had brought the chilly weather, sorry Brisbane, like you needed more rain.  This is Kangaroo Point, where the television stations set up to bring us views of the Brisbane River flooding. 

 Driving around Brisbane, i felt like i knew where i was going - from being glued to the news during the floods. 

 OMG, proof a man WILL read a map!!

 It wasn't very sunshiney at Easter but nothing stops my 4 children from swimming.  As Daddy was at work, we'd go swimming every day, rain or shine . . .

 or when soldiers are doing 'river crossing training' in full combat gear, packs, machine guns & boots!!  It's not every day your children are up that close to guns, at the pool??

 My husband LOVES his milkshakes & showed off his favourite milk-shake-shop.

My favourite place was the SunShine Coast, this is a water park at Kings Beach.

 As i lounge with a head cold under a blanket, it's nice to dream of the beach.

 We went past the GlassHouse Mountains a couple of times, on our way to the SunShine Coast & Australia Zoo (which deserves it's own post).

 Absolutely loved spending Easter Sunday at Dicky Beach.

 Our guys had a ball here, hours & hours playing by this wreck!!

 . . . discovering periwinkles . . .

 . . . being chased ashore by the waves . . .

  . . . collaborative sand castles . . .

 . . . ambitious plans . . .

 . . . while mummy relaxed . . . that is a great holiday Sunday!!

 Another day at South Bank, this time requiring emergency medical treatment!!

 You guessed it, our accident prone girl.

 Before we knew it, it was time to say farewell to handsome soldier & we left the eldest girl behind to spend a little more grown up time with Daddy & she flew home (lucky girl!!)  Must admit, the 1500km journey home, i wished i was flying not driving too.

 How pretty is driving through Tenterfield??  On to my brother's house 100km further down the New England Highway where i caught up with his family - all 4 of his children were home from University & boarding school, yay.  Oh, i got breath tested for the first time EVER!!   

 My sister-in-law had bought some wigs on eBay (99c) & my guys went kind of nuts playing with them, like totally crazy, possessed even!!  Oh that shiner my son is sporting was from their insane Boxer puppies who got a tad overexcited & jumpy.

 On the way back to Sydney we passed the 'Cloud Factory' near Newcastle.

Poof, another school holiday over, almost time for the next one.  My husband has been living in Brisbane for 18 months, so we're officially half way through our living-apart-situation.  His bachelor pad is fabulous, so close to the city & in lieu of our visit, he purchased a fridge/ freezer, washing machine & vacuum (don't ask how he lived 15 months without these basic appliances, but he's just never home!!)  Until then he had the basic man needs of bed, lounge, television & a small bar fridge.  No point in investing in anything else, he'll be home with us before we know it, yippee. 
Stay tuned for a post on Australia Zoo & some Brisbane shopping too.  I did a post on all the lovely bloggers we met on our holiday here.  Love Posie