Canberra trip - day 2

Our main purpose for visiting Canberra was to visit the Australian War Memorial. I hadn't been there since my year 7 Snowy Mountains/Canberra trip back in 19somethingorother.  It is an amazing place full of Australian military history, memories and days gone by.  We spent 5 hours there.  Not only is it a war memorial but it has a huge museum inside.  Donald and the boys were in heaven when we spotted the tank and the Amiens gun.

The boys had an incredible time watching, reading, learning and dressing up (me too).  I think my boys look good as peace keepers or how about nurse Lisha off to tend to the wounded soldiers.

My favourite parts of the war memorial were rather moving and beautiful.  The Roll of Honour and the specially placed poppies, the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier with tiled mosaics and stained glass windows, the sandstone walls and arches looking up to the Roll of Honour and the gargoyles sculpted out of sandstone of the Australian People and Animals.

Beds and Cupboards

This is how the boys went to bed both nights while we were in Canberra, Toby jumping on the top bunk and Sam and Ethan sharing (wrestling) down on the bottom bunk.

This is what we woke up to both mornings, finding one or all three of our boys hiding in the cupboards. It was a novelty as the cupboards were empty, unlike our jam packed cupboards at home.  A perfect hiding place.

Canberra trip - day 1

We have been promising ourselves a trip to Canberra for a couple of years now and we finally did it.  We packed the car Friday, took the boys out of school early and headed south for our Nations Capital.  Now a trip with the Walkers is never complete without some car trouble or other.  Nothing major this time just more bits and pieces falling off the Millenium (Horrendous) Falcon.  Our car is literally held together by black tape....all except those bits which fell off.

Nothing like a little interlude on a family car trip, trees to pee against, pine cones to discover and views as far as the eyes can see.

Late Friday afternoon we rolled into Canberra.  Our first stop was Parliament house.

We spent a little time walking around and talking a little about why Parliament house was so important, Donald is a wealth of information and the boys listened attentively.

.......and then the boys went running up the grass hill that covers the side of Parliament House and we enjoyed the view of the old Parliament House and the War Memorial in the distance.

Then the boys ran down to the bottom and Donald attempted a roll down the hill.  The grass was just so soft, I walked down bare foot thank you very much, I didn't fancy throwing up at the bottom from rolling down.

Singing in the rain

On our walk last Sunday morning Ethan asked me why we were carrying our umbrellas, it was cloudy but not rainy when we started out.  This is why.......

The rain bucketed down on our way home.

Ashley James

My cousin Kerri (who had the lovely baby shower last month) and her husband Mitchell have had their first baby.  On Monday February 16, Ashley James Corn was born and I got to see him today.  What a little cutie.  He's a very peaceful baby and he's just delicious!  Kerri and Mitchell are doing fantastic too!

Don't you wish you could?

Go on click on it

Intrepid explorers

With all of the rain we've been having lately the boys have a touch of cabin fever.  To alleviate some of the crazyness we went for a walk on Sunday morning.  We now have afternoon church so our mornings are free.  Our walk around the block brought us to the nearby creek which only a week ago was but a trickle.  It now has a nice bubbling brook kind of feel to it, I think the boys thought it was more of a roaring river though.  With leeches, puddles, rocks, trees, slimy stuff  and rain it was a great day for exploration.

They are out

We were hoping for Christmas, no such luck.  

Ethan's two front teeth have been loose for a few months now.   

On his first week at school this year, the dentist sneakily removed his first big front tooth.  It was kind of protruding at a 90 degree angle and wouldn't budge.

Yesterday after much wiggling Ethan finally removed his second front tooth.  Ethan said he "sucked it out" after a few attempts at pulling it.  We now have a collection of 3 teeth that Ethan so far wishes to keep, he's not ready to swap them for money yet.  Why?? Click here.

Things I have seen today

Toad stools

Sam playing golf with toad stools

Green moss and gum nuts

Early flowering magnolias

Pine cones

Jelly fish on the grass

Seed pods where the weird jelly stuff fell from

Changing of the leaves

A full creek