Sand Sculptures

Last week we went down the mountain into the heat to see the sand sculptures at Windsor.

I loved this one of Gollum.

We were blown away at the talent of the sand sculpters. Most of the artists have come from different parts of the world to compete in the sand sculpting competition.

They had a tent for the kids to have a go at their own sand sculptures.

Lou liked playing with the texture of the sand and poured lots of water all over it. It was more of a mud pie sensory sculpture, where as Mr F got stuck into making a monster.

It looked so inviting. I couldn't help myself and had a go too. It was also very hot. After living in the cool of the mountains, I'm not used to the heat any more. That's why I'm slumping and looking tired.

Modapdi (Mr F's monster) is a wild spirit from a book called Monsters & Ghouls.

I made a snail........... It's not as easy as it looks.

Coffee Shop

I have entered the word of i-Phone - my partner got me one for Christmas. I was a bit lost with it at first but it's growing on me. I can see how people can get addicted to these gadgets. Access to the Internet is faster than my old computer, which keeps crashing at the most inappropriate times, especially when I'm pinning on Pinterest. I keep forgetting to pop my camera in my handbag so I have been using the camera on my phone instead. I took these pictures the other day at the coffee shop of my boys having a chat. They look so cute.

Also, my kids love my i-Phone as well. I keep finding random pictures on my phone.

Here is Katie with a squid on her head.

Summer Holidays

Wow! Haven't those last couple of  months just flown by since I last posted. Well, it didn't help with blogger refusing to upload my photos. I would have posted 2 week ago but I got the poops with it and didn't get back to it until my partner found another way to upload my pictures from the computer. I'm seriously thinking of changing over to Wordpress. I looked at Typepad but I didn't want to pay to have a blog and it's not like I have adds on my blog to pay for the blog.

Well, happy belated New Year! I hope the weather hasn't been too weird in your part the world. In Australia we had a heat wave last week. It got up to 36 degrees here in the upper mountains, which is quite hot for us upper mountianers who are used to our cold misty days.

We did our usual family pilgrimage down the south coast for our summer holiday, met up with friends and had Christmas down the beach. We had to avoid the bluebottles which were floating around us and getting washed up on the beach. 

The kids loved the ocean water. The water was too cold for me so I only went in to my knees (and all the bluebottles put me off). We try and get down to my folk's beach house as much as we can. While I love the mountains, it is nice to get out of the mountains for a week or so, trying to find a balance between living in the bush and getting down to the ocean.

I find the ocean re-energises my soul. I try and get up at dawn and watch the sunrise, do some meditation and go for a long walk on my own. I didn't get to do that this time, I was too sick (but that's for another post!).

Lou trying to surf on his boogie board while dodging the bluebottles (jellyfish).

He did get stung on his arm. Just a little one washed up on his arm in the surf. We rinsed it with fresh water and he was ok. Luckly it was only a little one.

Here Mr F is looking all grown up. He's turning 9 this year - wow time has flown by.

I got an i-phone for Christmas and this is what happens when I let my kids play with it!

We watched the fireworks down at Ulladulla Harbour for New Years Eve. It was lovely to watch fireworks by the ocean. Even though there were lots of people, it's still not like the crowds in Sydney. These are picture that I took on my phone. I'm amazed how well the pictures turned out. 

After the fireworks, the kids went on a few rides. Mr F went on a Chair-o-plane for the first time. I was worried at first. His face looked terrified but after a few times around, his face changed from terror to a big smile. I was so relieved. He is like me - I get giddy really easily. I love the idea of amusement rides, but I don't have the stomach for it.

Hopefully, I'll be back posting regularly. I have a big knitting stash to get through.