Day 334 - Rollerblading Santa

I have begun my own little tradition of buying at least 1 new Christmas decoration each year. This year it was one I thought was rather cute. A rollerblading Santa, including the knee high rainbow socks. Now this is a cool Santa Claus!

Day 333 - Storms

We had a few wild storms here tonight. Now usually out of pure luck, the girls have slept through all the really good storms we have had. This afternoon it was the first time they have heard such loud thunder or even seen hail.

Poor Olivia was very scared, as was Ava as the night went on. I am hoping for a peaceful night sleep after the thunderstorms we have had.

Day 332 - A place to rest her head.

This is where we found Ava an hour after putting her to bed. You would have thought after not having a lunchtime nap that she would have flaked in her bed. Apparently not. Our company was obviously what she wanted, so she opened the door and lay down quietly and fell asleep in front of their bedroom door.

I was wondering how long it would take for one of them to fall asleep on the floor.

Day 331 - A blurry view from below

Today we had a catch up with Jodi, Jen, Julie and of course Cohen. It was a lovely day to catch up with lots of chit chat and plenty of food. It felt like forever since we had last caught up, and before they left for home today we begun to make plans for our catch up next month - which of course will be around the time the Jolly Fat Man in the Red Suit arrives.
As I was walking them out to their car this afternoon, Olivia followed us with my camera, which I thought was turned off! Apparently this is the view she saw walking out the front with Jodi and Jen. It is rather blurry, but what a clever chicken taking my photo of the day today!

Day 330 - Wake Up Jeff!

We went along to see The Wiggles 20th Birthday Show in the Big Top this afternoon with Teresa, Ian, Ella, Brydie and Kaleigh. The girls were enthralled with all the singing and dancing. Olivia didn't really move much from Shane's lap, Ava did a little bit of dancing, but it was Kaleigh and Ella who seemed to really get into the dancing. They seemed to have a great time.

The Wiggles were great, they had a lot of energy and really captivated my girls. Even though Olivia and Ava didn't know many songs, Ava tried to sing along to a few of the songs. I quite liked it when she bowed when The Wiggles did. What a performer she is going to become one day.

Day 329 - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

We have a wreath for our front door! I have been purchasing a few different things in preparation for Christmas. I can't wait to put all of our decorations up with the girls. I think they are going to have a lot of fun this Christmas.

Day 328 - A perfect lunch date.

Today, on a rare day the girls have care and I don't work, I caught up with Mel for a much needed catch up and lunch date. It was nice to sit and talk over lunch rather than trying to talk over our usual boxing and focus pads in our boxing classes.
We met at Brew Bar in Tuggeranong and ate quiche and salad, which was quite delicious. I am hoping that we have some more of these childfree dates before the end of the year.

Day 327 - Olivia

Quite often I forget to turn the monitor back off after their lunchtime nap and I then hear random ramblings from the girls, from some singing to laughing hysterically. Today I heard Olivia talking about lots of mud and dirt. It got me a little curious about where this mud was coming from. I went in only to find her playing with her Little People Farm Set, with a muddy pig.
It is very cute hearing them in their imaginary play. It is certainly a better sound than the girls fighting!

Day 326 - A brush with Danish Royalty

Today has been marked on my calendar for nearly a week as a potential 'Royal Spotting Day' with Princess Mary and Prince Frederik in town. Shane told me last week that they would be making a brief appearance at the War Memorial this afternoon - he even told me the exact time, it is great to have an insider with information!

The girls had been very excited about seeing a princess. Every time I mentioned the word princess, Olivia would call out Tinkerbell. I was waiting for her to call Princess Mary Tinkerbell this afternoon (but alas she didn't!)

So when the rain came this afternoon, it was not going to put a dampener on my day of royal spotting. I bundled the girls in the car with some flowers to hopefully give to her and stood in the soggy grass at The Australian War Memorial for 20 minutes before she arrived. I stood there with Shane who was the designated child carrier while I took the happy snaps along with a few other dedicated spotters. We thought that with the rain she wouldn't come around and meet and greet the crowd, but another 20 minutes later, we were happily proved wrong. She and Prince Frederik came around and greeted the crowd. When it was our turn to meet them we gave them the flowers from our girls and we had a brief chit chat. She is just gorgeous.

Nothing like a Royal encounter to leave you all warm and fuzzy.

Day 325 - Sleeping Beauties

The big girl bed transition has not been as bad as I thought. I even got to have a little sleep with Ava in her bed this afternoon. We chose good beds, they are really comfortable.

Here is Ava rather comfortable in her bed. I do love sleeping photos!

Day 324 - The next big step

The girls have been taking many big steps in growing up this week. Today was just another big step... the big girl bed. We have been talking about doing it sooner rather than later and so this weekend seemed like the perfect time.

So we put the beds together this morning after swimming lessons and tucked them into their beds at lunchtime. Only one ended up sleeping, you'll never guess who.... but so far tonight, I think they are both big girls asleep in their beds. I wonder how long it will take before they end up in bed together.

Day 323 - Happy early birthday Tony!

We went out tonight to celebrate poor Tony turning 30. I had a lovely token evening listening to very eclectic tastes in music. I was a little surprised that a group of 7 guys actually ventured into the 80's nightclub, but certainly made for a very interesting evening. Next time, we'll have to dress up. Hope you had a wonderful night Tony. Oh and life is so much better once you turn 30!

Day 322 - A little cheat

You may see today's post and think all my Kitchen Aid dreams had come true... well no, not yet. I did have plans to blog about starting Christmas activities at school too early, until this wonderful picture appeared on my Facebook. I love everything Kitchen Aid, and I have been a very good girl, even put my wishlist into Santa already! So Day 322 brings us my dream: A beautiful hot pink Kitchen Aid. Love.

Day 321 - What a Wonderful Husband!

With President Barack Obama in town today, Shane was told to have the morning off work and to come in at 10:30am. I was hoping to catch a glimse of President Obama at one point to have him appear on my blog, but of course with such high security I had no hope. 

So while working today Shane saw the convoy of cars pulling into Campbell High School and captured the President arriving and departing for his visit with the school. 

What a wonderful husband I have as my guest photographer today, thinking that i'd like these photos for my blog. Thanks Shane!

Day 320 - Ramping it Up

I have become a little bit of a exercise machine of late fitting in at least one workout a day if not 2 on most days. I am enjoying it, somedays a little more than others. Tonight I took another step in the fitter, healthier me direction. It was my first personal training session. It was a great workout, the one on one makes you work that little bit harder. Charlie my personal trainer, is very motivating and positive. I love it. Even if I feel very uncoordinated (which is usually every day!) she tells me that I am doing it right, so maybe it is just a mindset I need to snap out of. It has been a few months now and really I know I have come a long way already, but definitely have a long way to go still. Who'd have thought I'd run somewhere!

Day 319 - Mango

I just love Mango season. I hope the girls follow my love of mangoes. They are so deliciously sweet. I can't wait to eat more of them throughout the Summer.

Day 318 - Growing Up

It is amazing the day you look at your babies and realise that they just aren't babies anymore. Now I have had this moment many times, however today they have just grown up that little bit more. They took themselves to bed early and for once did not cry when they got their haircut. I was so, so happy with the not crying at the hairdresser. My babies are growing up.

Day 317 - Take 2!

We decided to try to celebrate the 11/11/11 again this afternoon with a BBQ with the family. It was a lovely afternoon. The girls were still a little under the weather, but on the mend and definitely enjoyed being out of the house for a few hours. Thanks to everyone who was able to come this afternoon, we had a lovely time and really should try to do it more often.

Day 316 - Show Time!

We took the girls to the Queanbeyan Show today. They enjoyed having a walk around outside looking at the displays and the animals. Ava enjoyed a jump on the jumping castle, a ride down the big slide and drive of a pink truck. Olivia enjoyed a little jump on the jumping castle and that is about it. I still find it amazing how we have 2 very different personalities. But of course I wouldn't have it any other way!

Day 315 - Happy Birthday Shane!

Today is Shane's birthday. We were going to mark the start of the new celestial year and his birthday with a BBQ with the family. However a night with a still sick Olivia and add to that a vomiting Ava meant that we had to cancel the BBQ and dinner became a little bit of a fizzer with toasted sandwiches and salad on the menu. The girls didn't even get to see cake because all they wanted to do is go to bed. So Happy birthday Shane, we may just have to reschedule another birthday this year for you so it is memorable for the right reasons.

Day 314 - Tools for 365

I captured a photo of a couple of the tools that I have used throughout my Project 365. I used an App on my iPhone to capture this photo of my 2 cameras, my small and handy Sony Cybershot as well as  my Olympus DSLR. If only I could have included my iPhone in this shot as I have used that as well in my blog. I figure with 51 days to go until I get to my goal of completing the Project, now was as good a time as any to capture the tools that have helped me get this far.

Day 313 - Bye Mum.

This afternoon when I took my shoes off after work Ava decided to wander around the house with them on and then all of a sudden yelled out 'bye mum, I am off to work!'

Day 312 - Here we go again...

We had a visit to the doctor today with Olivia after a night of fevers and a fairly unsettled time. Before the visit I discovered that the girls also had headlice, what a great double to have. So a trip to the chemist not only for medicine but Tea Tree Oil and headlice shampoo. Makes me itchy just thinking about it!

Day 311 - Pairs

The girls and I sat down to play a game of memory today. The girls enjoyed taking turns and finding the pairs. Next time I need to remember not to put out all the cards otherwise, like today they'll just keep turning over the same card.

Day 310 - Seeing double

If you were at the National Zoo and Aquarium today you might have thought you were seeing double. CARMBA organised a day out for its members at the Zoo and Aquarium. It was a warm day out and the girls had a lovely time walking around with their friends Ella, Brydie and Kaleigh looking at all the animals and having a little picnic lunch. We followed a wonderful day at the zoo with a swim at the pool. What a lovely day.

Day 309 - Car Wash

This afternoon the girls helped Shane wash his car. They were having a great time with their water and sponges. They loved it even more when Shane turned the hose on and watered them. They just had a great time. Now only to get the three of them to wash my car.

Day 308 - around, around and around...

Today was the annual roll-a-thon at school today. Students got to bring rollerblades, scooters, or ripboards to school and we went down to the park for them to roll around the park and raise some money for school. I was just grateful for a shady spot!

Day 307 - A new addition

I received a photo of Mick and Kate's 19 week ultrasound.

I think it is going to be a boy! But we just have to wait and see because they couldn't see during the ultra sound. Maybe at the next ultrasound we'll know.

Day 306 - OMG!

It is funny how acronyms have become a part of everyday language and apparently they are now the newest addition to furnishings. I saw this lamp in Spotlight this afternoon and it really is the best acronym to describe my day. The biggest OMG moment today was seeing a goat, yes a goat, in the middle of the Super Toyworld car park. I wonder what I'll see next!

Day 305 - Three little friends

Today we caught up with Mel and Patrick at Rodney's in Pialligo after their relaxing family holiday in Fiji. It was priceless to see their faces light up when they saw each other. It was so very cute. They have only been seeing each other at daycare on Friday's. It was nice to let them have a run around and play with each other outside of daycare while Mel and I could sit and have a little chat in the shade.