Bula, Bula

Hi everyone, we're back from beautiful Fiji.  It was so much fun and hot and sunny (well there was that one day of torrential rain and cyclonic winds).  Lots of magical moments with our family and the two families we went with.  I highly recommend holidaying with family friends, especially if they have children of the same or similar ages, it just works really well for both adults and the kids.

While the trip wasn't without its challenges given our little one's aversion to being away from his home comforts, all of us had a wonderful time doing wonderful things like ...

Family snaps with both Mum and Dad.

A bit of Kava drinking for Dad.

The boys "got jiggy with it" Polynesian style.

Looking at "fishies" in a glass bottomed boat (don't recommend this if you suffer from claustrophobia)

Dad and the other dads caught us dinner one very early morning, it was delicious.

Of course there was plenty of pool work.

Followed by some Sudoku with Dad.

Lots of sitting here where we read and enjoyed the following view:

Wherever you love, I hope you are having a lovely day. See you soon.

The Best of Intentions

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Ah, life it can get so complicated sometimes can't it. 

Especially if you have a child with special needs.  We decided to intensify our little man's therapies both at sessions and at home, and exhausting as it has been for me with his "homework" and taking him to and from his therapists, the fatigue has been worth it as we have seen a remarkable leap in his development.  He is a real little star and we love him to bits.

We are about to start phase two by bringing a therapist into our home for 10 hours every week.  The idea is that by the time he starts school in 18 months that he will no longer need the "shadow" he currently has at preschool and that he will have caught up with his peers.

As it turned out despite all the best intentions of keeping up my daily posts, if only to provide a bit of "me" time with pretty pictures, it became impossible to keep abreast of other blogs let alone keep mine up to date.

But I do miss you all both my readers and also the blogs I like to read and I am determined to  return to the blogosphere. So, I'm back but it won't be daily and it may not even be weekly or monthly but rather intermittently, I hope you don't mind.

In the meantime, here are few pretty things that I'm loving a lot:

To carry my bits and bobs

By day

And by night

It was really wet a few weeks ago

Wishing it was summer

We're off to Fiji in a fortnight, this would be lovely for evenings

Sexy Scandi style

The most stylish height chart ever

And just to end the post with some family stuff:

The boys on their first day of school earlier this year

Comparing their Easter egg finds

On a day trip to the Zig-Zag Railway in the Blue Mountains

Have a happy day and see you soon.

Travel Tips

So after many weeks (actually months of missing in action here in blog world) I'm finally able to share some moments of our 6 week trip to Europe.  First, a few tips I would like to pass on to any first-time long haul travellers with young children:

1. 
   
   Do not let your 3 and 5 year old watch every single kid movie on their personal TV screen over and over again or play all the games you've packed repeatedly.  An overstimulated child will not sleep despite how tired they are (it was a 25 hour flight to Paris not including the 3 hour stopovers).  Your fellow travellers do not appreciate being woken by kicking (I kid you not) and screaming children.
2. 
   
   Don't forget to order the kids meal 48 hours before you check-in (we made this mistake both to and from Europe!!). Despite the snacks we packed, they hardly ate on the flight.
3. 
   
   If travelling in Europe in late July and all of August with a 3 and 5 year old, forget site seeing, you'll spend pretty much every day at the beach or in a pool. Actually forget site seeing altogether, their not even interested in castles.
4. 
   
   Stay in a house rather than a hotel. This was the best decision we made, the boys settled quickly and it provided a sense of familiarity for them which made the trip that much easier.

Ah, the joys of family life!!

Despite a few hiccups, we had a great time.  So on to the good times. I hope you enjoy just a few of my holiday snaps in the following posts.

All is Quiet

We're packed, all appointments have been attended, all plans have been finalised. F is out with the boys kicking a ball and I'm taking the time to enjoy a cup of tea and do some final blog reading.

We head off tomorrow mid-morning so this will be my last post for a bit. We're away for 6 weeks, 2 weeks in France and the rest in Portugal and I do intend to post a few of our adventures. Not sure how I will post the photos as the camera attachment for the iPad is in shortage worldwide!! I'll find a way to post photos of our holiday.

Welcome to my new readers, you have found me at an exciting time for my family, I hope you and my regulars enjoy the journey along with my boys and I.

I wish you all well until my next post somewhere in Europe.

Have a happy day.

Image: The' Dansant

Packing

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"Two more sleeps Mama" L said as he jumped into bed this morning with F and I.  We're packing today and these are the looks I'm going for:

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Have a happy day.

Three

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I have been tagged, by Brooke of Pure and Noble.  I have to provide three answers to a series of questions (yes a week of revealing a bit about myself). Here we go again...

Three Names I Go By

Engracia

Mama

Grass

Three Places I Have Been

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New Zealand, one of the most beautiful places on earth

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Italy, so romantic

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New York City, enough said

Three Favourite Drinks

Champagne, my drink of choice

Tea to start my day and beyond

Water, plenty of it

Three Jobs I Have Had

Solicitor (lawyer) for most of my working life

Book publisher for about 6 years (loved it)

Mama, toughest but best job by far

Three TV Shows I Watch

The news

Grand Designs, one day I want to design and build my own home on a country beach

Brothers & Sisters, pure escapist fluff I love it

Three Places I Would Like to Visit

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Brazil, would be nice to pop in meet some of my cousins

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South Africa, I've been seduced by the World Cup coverage

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Kakadu National Park, I'm really keen to discover this place with the boys in a few years

Three Favourite Retro TV Shows

The Brady Bunch

That Girl

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Three Places I Have Lived

Potts Point, Sydney

Paddington, Sydney

Darling Point, Sydney

Three Favourite Dishes

Scrambled eggs on toast

Piri piri chicken

Vincisgrassi from Buzo Restaurant, a lasagna with porcinni mushrooms, prosciutto and truffle, so good I always take home an extra serving (try this recipe by Nigel Slater or if you own it, The Silver Spoon version)

Three Things I am Looking Forward To

The trip to France and Portugal with hubby and the boys

Having a romantic dinner with F in Paris (we've been to Paris many times but this is our first trip together)

Watching my boys grow into wonderful, caring and decent adults

I am supposed to tag three people, but I'm just going to tag one, Jane from My Pear Tree House (no obligation Jane, but over to you).

Have a happy day.