Cave wrestling at Seahorse World

After our visit to Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage centre we drove further north up to Beauty Point, to Platypus House and Seahorse World.  Not knowing which to stop at first, we followed our stomachs and choose the one with a cafe.  Platypus House it was!  

There was a tour about to leave, but considering all of the whining (and that was just from me!) we decided to have a quick bite to eat before the next tour began.   Toasties, coffees, flavoured milk, juice, lemonade went down a treat, but that was nothing compared to the homemade ice cream we indulged upon. I actually missed the first part of the tour, which was the movie screening because:

a) I was still eating my vanilla, raspberry and chocolate ice cream.
b) Pichu was still eating his, or rather, spreading it all over his face, and then deciding that my ice cream looked more enticing then his.
c) Pichu decided the hole in the floorboards was the perfect place to deposit one of his socks. Which was then irretrievable, much to his initial dismay, and then curiosity, as he started to remove his other sock with evil intent!

Luckily this was at the exact moment the tour group resurfaced from the viewing room and we were ushered into the Platypus rooms.  I spent the majority of this talk trying to get a photo of a Platypus eating a yabbie.   But those little buggers are pretty smart and they, unlike the gigantic earth worms, hide under rocks with their claws ever in snapping position.  The Platypus are not silly, they know the earth worms are an easy meal and the yabbies require alot more tactical thought and then patience as they try to eat them.

 

Next we walked into a room, and after being told to watch out behind the door.. um what?  Voltorb was immediately anxious.  It was an Echidna habitat, where they are free to wander wherever, in amongst tours.  We were treated to a feeding session where we witnessed some truly glutinous spikey fellows!

Seahorse World was the best part of the day, well other then the ice cream, oh and the buffet breakfast, not to mention the swim in the heated pool and spa.. I digress!  I was a women possessed here, with camera in hand I was determined to capture some of those beautiful creatures up close and personal.  And those 4 pesky shoeless children that were wrestling in their self appointed 'cave' were not going to distract me!  Oh wait, they are our Children?  

Great.

Note the missing sock.

 Umm.

Finally crashed, it is amazing just how much excessive swimming, late nights, early mornings, jumping pillows, indulgent breakfasts, full tourist activity filled day, sock posting, tantrums and cave wrestling can tire oneself out.

 

Pichu slept for a long time, we waited outside..  and waited some more.. and then gave up and moved him to the car and he was so exhausted he went straight back to sleep and sleep for another hour in the car!

3 of the boys with their American Grandparents.

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"The Block", Oaks style.

After much preparation and anticipation, our visitors have arrived!  

The last few days before their arrival in particular I liken to the reality TV show 'The Block'.  We had a deadline for room reveal, things were going wrong, and last minute purchases had to be made.  

Saturday, Coder squeezed in a tip run, and on his return we had to refit 2 carseats before I took the boys straight to Little Athletics.  Coder stayed to clean and organise the "Spider Shed".   After some fun field activities, an 'incident' where Voltorb nearly knocked himself out, a sausage sizzle and a medal ceremony, I dropped the boys home.

Massive egg on Voltorb's forehead and a tantrum (of course!) from Pichu.

Pichu was asleep in the car, so figured it was a good time to head straight into town to check out the HomeFEST expo that was only on for the weekend.  I wanted to get some much needed ideas and inspiration for the upcoming extension.

 Another tantrum at HomeFEST.

That night the hot water tap in the Shed was leaking profusely.  So much so, we had to turn off the system completely.   The builder was very understanding of the urgency and popped out to fix it in the morning.  

Sunday, I was up against the clock, driving from one shop to another to take care of last minute purchases. We couldn't resist stopping to pick blackberries on the side of the road (as you do), even squeezing in petrol, a car wash and vacuum (much needed!). As I pulled into the driveway at home, coder was waiting to swap and head to the airport.

I stayed behind with 3 of the boys, thankfully one of them napped the whole time.  I had to hang photos on the walls, clean the basin and wash all of the plates and cutlery.  

The millipedes have thanked us for fixing up their shed and have moved back in.  If not swept up it means sidestepping and hopping across the room, or stepping on them as they crunch like spilled cereal.  

It is looking great, and more importantly it seems to function as intended.

The boys were in 7th Heaven, lucking out with a mini Christmas as the suitcase of toys was revealed and devoured.

We have since kept them busy with many school and after school activities (Hockey, Swimming, Art).  Also, they seem to perfectly time their visit each year with the athletics carnival at school.  This year they came in extra handy, helping out at the sausage stall.

 We came prepared for the School Athletics carnival, it was really hot!

Watering the Garden Club plants at School.

 Dinner at Hog's breath proved a perfect backdrop for a quick photo of Pichu.

They will be here all of March, so I am sure you will hear of more of our adventures. 



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It is pretty late in the day for linking up, but I finally managed to get a post done!  Linking up with Grace at With Some Grace for #FYBF (Flog your Blog Friday).

Of renos and relos.

"Mum can I have a drink of water please" said Voltorb, immediately followed by a similar request from Pichu,

I had just given them dinner, thinking it would buy me some time.  I had literally sat down for 2 seconds before the first request of many started flowing in.  After getting said drinks, Legoman came home from Hockey, sat in my chair and proceeded to undress all of the hockey getup, before asking for x, y and half of the alphabet.  

Oshawott, apparently now finished with his dinner, is waving a disc in my face and somewhere on the other side of the room Pichu is crying in frustration at a toy.  I should just give up now, but if I do, I will never get anything written.

We have just had one of our sheds renovated to become a guest house, it was finished just last week.  It is looking fantastic! It's first occupants are arriving on the weekend, and this has meant a scramble to source, and then build, many pieces of furniture.  

Not to mention fitting it out with linen, utensils, and all the little nick nacks that a new guest house needs, particularly the metal lady bug that -needs- to sit up on the deck rail!

In the midst of all of this, our house extension plans have been approved and as of this morning, the last quote has come in.   We have chosen our builder and are hoping for a March start. 

Because there was not enough crazy going on, we figured it was a good idea to move Pichu to a bed. It was necessary for two reasons, his room is going to be bulldozed, and also he is just too big for the cot now.  

But that meant cleaning the room, ugh.

Needless to say I have had a couple of interesting bedtime with him since then.  Sunday night it was 10.30 when I finally surfaced from his room, then too tired to do anything but plonk myself in front of the TV and try not to disturb the other 2 sleeping children near me.  Yep, one on the lounge who had been evicted from the shared bedroom for keeping Pichu up, and another on the floor who was scared of sleeping in a new bedroom (a direct result of moving Pichu).  

It was so ridiculous I would have normally laughed (in hindsight mind you, not during the sleep battle!) but I was just so dead tired I couldn't muster it.

He has been getting up at 5 and 6 am the last two mornings, oh how it must feel to have this new found freedom!  However, with the late nights and early mornings he is just not getting enough sleep.  He completely zonked Monday while we were out.  

 

Sunday Coder completely emptied out our bedroom to vacuum and shampoo the carpet.  

I was at the Jazz Festival.  Oh yes, sounds divine doesn't it..  well, we were actually there cleaning tables with Scouts!  I have since realised I am, in now way, cut out for the hospitality industry. 

And now we have a lovely empty, clean bedroom.  All of the stuff is piled in the lounge room and it's "on the list" of jobs to get to.   We are expecting delivery of our new King bed any day now.

So back to the Relos!  Coder's parent fly in from Florida on Sunday! The boys are counting down the sleeps.  So am I.  I need some respite!




If you have enjoyed reading this and/or my photos, please subscribe via email at the top right of the page. Then head over and like my Facebook page. And then... follow along at Twitter too! 



I am joining in the IBOT linkup party that happens each Tuesday over at Essentially Jess.