Goodbye 2012 !

It was New Year's eve and we farewelled 2012 with a bottle of Moet and had we had a second bottle Brett may have even managed to stay up to welcome in 2013 !  

Whilst the adults indulged in their bubbly, the girls got their favourite meal of spaghetti bolognaise ! 

New Year's eve dinner was good old spag bol!

Apollo Bay

Our 'camping' trip this year was to Apollo Bay ... we thought that we would take a break from Port Fairy which was where we had been for the last three years.   It took over four hours from Horsham and we found out that Abbey can get a little car sick from the windy roads ...just before we got to Apollo Bay, Abbey threw up all her lunch and snack:-(    

Our home for the next 10 days

We had a great little spot to pitch our camper trailer ... right at the top of a court where there was not much through traffic at all so it was very safe for the girls to ride their scooters and bikes.  And ride their scooters and bikes they did!  Eloise is now so confident on her scooter that she even scooted on the half pipe at the Apollo Bay skate ramp with all the big boys and their skateboards.  Abbey too is quite proficient with the scooter and even attempts to try to do tricks on it just like her big sister.  However, her little legs are still a little too short for the balance bike and Eloise is still lacking a little confidence with her big girl's bike.

 

"Keep up Abbey, this is how it is done!"

We spent a lot of our time either at the beach which was only a two minute walk down the road.  It is a great beach with a few waves where the girls got to use the boogey board. Just outside of Apollo Bay in Marengo, about a five minute drive away there was also a nice little horse shoe shaped beach that was quite protected and perfect for kids. 

Apollo Bay beach

 

The other favourite activity was scooting into town (about a 10 minute walk / scoot) for a coffee followed by a play in the playground. Apollo Bay at this time of the year is extremely busy and it was far quicker to walk into town than to try to drive through the clogged main street and battle for a park.

Baby chino time

I think somebody enjoyed the baby chino

Lorne was even more crowded, which we found out when we took a trip there.  To get to Lorne it was about a 30 minute drive on the Great Ocean Road. However, we did have a nice relaxing picnic and play at the beach. 

Picnic on the main street of Lorne

The girls having a DMC about life and the universe at Lorne beach

"You're interupting our talk !"

On this trip, both Eloise and Abbey made some great friends with the kids that were camped near us as they were all about the same age.   There was Caitlin and Mia who were 6 and Emma who was 4 and they all looked forward to seeing each other first thing in the morning. It was the first time that Abbey had her own friend (Emma) as she usually gets left out when Eloise befriends others and leaves her without a playmate. 

Abbey and her Apollo Bay BFF, Emma

Emma pulling Abbey out to sea

Brett surrounded by the girls and their Apollo Bay friends

 

The girls and their friends in their row boat

Eloise and her Apollo Bay BFF, Caitilin, doing some drawing whilst Abbey was napping

Whilst the girls spent a lot of time with their new friends, they also seemed to have bonded a little more during this trip.  Each morning they would entertain themselves whilst mummy and daddy tried to stretch out a few more minutes of sleep or they would quite often take themselves away for a bit of chat. 

Eloise happily shared her 'makeup' with Abbey

It looks like they are plotting and planning something!

Boxing Day

We spent Boxing Day at a BBQ at Kim and Daryl's place where the girls got right into the country way of life from fishing in the dam to ... 

Eloise refused to touch the fish ... saying it was 'disgusting'

In the end she did get up close and personal but still no touching!

... washing and grooming the horse.

 

Meanwhile, Abbey found her own mode of transport .... Aunty Kim's new ride-on trolley from Santa. 

Abbey trying to work out how to get the ride-on going

'Hop in Eloise, we are going for a ride! "

Look who is in charge at the wheel !!

Judging by Kim's expression, Abbey has a way to go before mastering the art of staying on course!

Then it was time to cool down by the dam with a bit of chit chat with Grandma and Aunty Kim

Abbey wrestling with Aunty Kim

But it was not long before the water proved too tempting and the girls were in the dam

 

 

  
The girls certainly enjoyed the attention and all the activities .... 

Giving Uncle Paul a cuddle

"Did someone say cheese?"

It was no surprise that they slept like a log that night ! 

Christmas in Horsham

We drove up to Horsham on Christmas Eve with the girls doing very well on the four plus hour trip.  T'was the night before Christmas and the milk, cookies and carrot were out for Santa and Rudolph and they must have really appreciated them .... 

On Christmas morning the girls were very excited to wake up at Grandmas to find that Santa had remembered that they were in Horsham and had delivered their presents there.  Eloise was deliriously happy to see that the largest present belonged to her ! 

However, this then triggered a flood of tears in Abbey as her present from Santa was not as big !

Size does matter !  "Mine is not as big as yours"

But the tears soon dried up when they opened their presents and found what Santa had given them .... 

 

Eloise with her 'big girl' bike from Santa

Eloise helping Abbey open her present

"Abbey, you got a balance bike from Santa!"

The girls must have been good this year as Santa also brought them a bike helmet, some clothes, jewellery, books, toys as well as a bike each. 

 

Christmas lunch was at Paul and Denese's where there were more presents to distribute and open.  This year, Brett finally succumbed to Grandma's pressure and was made to dress as Santa and the girls were Santa's little helpers.

Grandma making sure that Brett got into the Santa suit

Santa and his little helpers

Santa and Grandma

The girls got more presents to open

Santa and Grandpa

Santa and Denese

Grumpy Santa and Kim

And then finally it was time for lunch which was the traditional roast turkey, roast pork, ham, potatoes and veges, followed by Christmas pudding, sago pudding and chocolate pudding with lashings of cream and custard.

And to work off that lunch we all took a walk and the girls got on the horses. 

"What are you looking at horsey?"

 

Eloise and Abbey with their cousin Billee