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

things i'm loving 'relaxing with my husband'

Greetings all,

Oh, relaxation . . . as my our school holidays melt away, so do the dreamy moments with my husband.  We were very lucky to have 2 whole weeks with him, now it's back to reality - him in Brisbane soldiering, us in Canberra schooling.  I love this image, it's in my heart forever, handsome soldier resting his head on my lap at the park while the children play.

With a hot chocolate . . .  

 shared with the children . . . how BIG is my baby boy getting??  Notice the tear at the knee of his new jeans, argh??  Oh well, he's been having a ball running around.  He did ask if one of his sisters could crochet him a patch, from yesterday's crochet class - ha!!

 Then a round of milkshakes (this only happens when Daddy is around).

 How cute is this cafe, by a huge park + attached to a gift shop = perfection (with completely delightful service too!!)  More on this beautiful place shortly.

 Can you spy my 3rd girl climbing & my other 2 on the ariel see saw??

Thank you dreamy PaisleyJade with Things I'm Loving this week, i miss my husband & these carefree relaxing days already.  Love Posie

i'm grateful for 'parks & playgrounds'

Greetings all,

In holiday mode & loving it.  When the children say "can we go the park" i say "sure".  I'll take ANY free entertainment in the school holidays thanks . . . so Maxabella Loves, 'I'm Grateful For' the endless free entertainment of local parks.  Strangely enough, they are usually empty of any children, where are they??  In that childless town in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, hiding from the Child Collector (creepiest children's movie character EVER)??  Don't we all know 97% of kidnappings happen by someone you know??  Is it that awful to hang at the park with your children??  Healthy free fun, get out of the house!! 

First up, this photo made my husband & i cry with laughter, talk about odd one out.  My mother would never take us to a park with swings, there were NEVER enough swings, or the right swings & it never ended well.  I can see why . . .

Somehow my children always have to take parks to the extreme - swing the highest . . . 

 swing out over the slippery dip . . .

 climb up over the enclosed safety slippery dip . . .

 spin themselves into a stupor . . .

 ok so this is possibly what the park designers intended, to go up the rope, but then he abseiled down it, upsidedown??!!

I should have known, when they were little they'd climb over the sun shade canopy above the play ground equipment, shimmy down poles, all of them, like monkeys.  Ditto for the tallest trees.  My high schooler still loves tearing up a playground.  They are climbers & jumpers, choosing to go down the slippery dip head first on their backs, even as 1 year olds.  My sister (an overprotective/ sensible mother) could not watch my children in a park, they gave her a heart attack & her children would look on with that "why would they think to do that" expression on their faces (similiar to mine, only i'd be pretending they weren't my children).  Well, her children have broken how many bones compared to my guys - still 100% unbroken??  Anyway, long live the local park!!  Or if you're adventurous, a park in the next suburb over or beyond.  Love Posie