Christmas Day

Christmas Day here started at 5.45am.  We had a rule before bed that if it was still dark it was not time to get up.  It gets light at 4.30am, so we could have been caught out by that rule! 

Reuben was up first and came into the living room to open his pressy that was already under the tree, he seemed to not think that there would be any more, bless him!  He noticed all the rest under the tree, went running into Rowan’s room and shouted that Santa had been, they both ran into the living room and started opening their stockings!  So we had to run out to at least share some of their opening joy!

They had a lot less than usual due to being in Aus, but they were happy with what they got.  They both got what they had asked Father Christmas for, Rowan finally got a DS and Reuben got his baby furby.  We have also got tickets to see a monster truck show up the road later in the week, which everyone is looking forward to.  The boys also got an inflatable boat for the pool and some serious water pistols!  I also got both me and Tris a water pistol so we weren’t total sitting ducks, but ours are cheap ones that are just pathetic, but highly amusing J

After pressies, the boys played, we swam, I prepared some salads for lunch and Tris sunbathed!

Then our friends joined us, they have 2 girls, similar ages to the boys, so we all had a good play in the pool, knocking each other out of the boat and squirting with water pistols.

Unfortunately Reuben has ‘swimmers ear’, which is an ear infection caused by not clearing the ears of water, very common in Queensland kids in the summer.  Much to Reub’s disgust the doctor prescribed antibiotic drops and no going in water for 3 days!  We tried to keep him out of the pool, but as it was xmas day, they had loads of pool toys for presents and he had friends around who were all playing and having fun  in the pool it was impossible.  We tried to keep his head out but it just didn’t happen!  Sadly by the evening he was in a lot of pain, so it’s defiantly out of the water now till it’s better.

After a fun time in the pool, Tris got the Barbie going and the men cooked the meat whilst the women sorted out the salads and the kids.

We had a great feast of barbequed meat and fresh salads and were all truly stuffed in true Christmas style.

The rest of the day was spent, drinking, jumping in the pool, having water pistol fights.  What a different and fun way to spend Christmas.

Skyping family was also a big part of the day and it was lovely to see everyone but not so good to hear how bad the weather is this Christmas.  We dearly wish they could all be here to share our sunshine.

By the end of the day we were all pooped, but happy :)

2 Christmas elves the night before

After Santa had been, before the boys came in!

The unwrapping joy begins

The sun rising whilst the children open their pressys

Happy boys

Water Pistols for fun water battles

Reuben's new love - Furby

My Christmas present - new house rules

Tris hard at work on Christmas morning!

One cheeky monkey ready for an adventure on the high seas

Boo in his boat

Sleeping furby

Rowan playing DS.  It is slightly worrying how much enjoyment he gets out of it, look at that smile!

Christmas dinner veggies

Cool hand tattoos

Cracker time!

Christmas pudding and custard

The end of a lovely day

Christmas holidays

Just a few snaps of our first week of Christmas holidays...............

Tris doing his first bbq for others.  It seems that when you have a pool, everyone wants to come to you!

Breakfast with superheroes

This is the lake/beach really near to us.  It is just so lovely, full of families, the water is really warm and shallow, so the kids can play till their hearts content

A very cute batman

A very funny Santa

Tris setting up his fishing (new hobby) gear

Mid haircut.  Hair grows so fast here, we now have clippers as they need their hair very short as it gets so sweaty

Great big cricket in the laundry.  Reuben didn't want to touch it to get it out, but Rowan comes along saying, "I am the bug expert I will tell you what it is, then get it out!" 

Rowan and Tristan's morning chess game

Yabbies!  They are little creatures that live in holes in the sand.  You use a yabbie puller (a long tube that you pump) to pump the yabbies out, then you catch them and use them as bait for fishing.  It's actually quite good fun and the boys love having a bucket of yabbies to look at, they keep saying, "Hi, little fellas, how you doin'?"

Beach boy Rowan

Beach boy Reuben

Beach boy Tristan

Out for a Christmas meal

Reuben actually eating

Christmas eve on the beach

2 sleeps till Christmas

In our run up to Christmas this year it all feels a little different. 

Most days it is usually around 30c and our Christmas activities are based around water, either the beach, nearby lake or pool.  We really haven’t embraced the crafting we usually do at this time of year.

Christmas feels very material this year.  I am not sure why, maybe the lack of loved ones nearby to spend the season with, maybe it's not having lists of gifts I want to make for people as it costs too much to post them, maybe the lack of cold, wintery weather, maybe we notice the shops more here because we are closer to malls and big shops and maybe it’s the amount of junk mail we get in our mail box saying ooh ooh buy me for xmas!  I don’t know why but it does. 

The boys are really excited, Rowan wrote a letter to Santa at school asking for a Nintendo DS (again), so Reuben also wanted to write him a letter and asked for a furby (which he has been asking for since before we left the UK).  We have never done the letter to Santa before, so maybe that’s another reason.

We were going to go to a nearby church that had a nativity scene, but the boys didn’t want to.  So I asked them to tell me why we celebrated Christmas and if they could tell me then we wouldn’t have to go.  Rowan proudly told me the whole Christmas story, all he forgot was Jesus’s Dads name! 

I am not in any way complaining or unhappy, in fact we are loving it and even though it feels weird planning Christmas Day lunch when we know it’s going to be at least 30c it is great.

We have been finding loads of really fun free stuff to do near where we live.  We are a few minutes away from a lovely salt water lake that is next to the beach but sectioned off by a huge sand bank, it is shallow, warm and safe for the kids to play as they wish.  We can cycle there is 20 minutes along a boardwalk that runs through a nature reserve next to the beach.  We are feeling really fit and healthy, the boys would rather cycle to places than go in the car, so having only one car isn’t a problem.  We swim every day and are eating so many salads and fresh fruit it’s really great.

On Christmas Day we are having some friends around for a BBQ and pool session, it will be way too hot for a roast, so some salads and meat will do us just fine.  The kids will just want to be in the water and we can all relax by the pool with a drink.

Last week I dropped Rowan’s camera on the kitchen floor (which is stone tiles – blooming tiles I have broken quite a few things now!) and it broke, so now I am taking photos on my phone, but I am not sure how to get them off, so no photos today, but will work it out and get some on here soon.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas full of joy and smiles xxxxxxxxx

Snippets of life

This is just a random collection of daily life snaps.......

Our house

Pool time

Laundry takes about an hour to dry here, it's great!

The pool boy!

Our local park

A cheeky possum!

Local prawns on the barbie

Mr happy with his tongs!

First roo on the bbq

Our first fake tree

Rowan was unsure wether to decorate him or the tree

The finished product!