Inverloch

We had a great weekend away with Andrew, Mayna, Andrea, Dave and all the kids. 

Walking to breakfast ... Eloise and Lochie had raced ahead on their scooters 

Eloise and Lochie on their scooters ... a great way for them to get around

                      
The three older cousins/second cousins (Eloise, Lochie and Dylan) play well together as their ages are all within 6 months of each other.  Eloise being the eldest continues to be the bossy one and at the moment the boys do seem to do as their told !

We are now making a dent in the Big 4 list of holiday parks and the Inverloch one as usual had all the things to entertain the kids such as a jumping pillow, indoor swimming pool and a playground.  

The jumping pillow was a real hit with all the kids (young and very old (Brett) !)

 

Eloise trying to interest Dylan in some art and craft outside our camper trailer

The indoor pool came in handy as the weather over the weekend was a little wet and windy.

Eloise practising her swimming techniques

Abbey as you can tell from the photos below just can't get enough of the water and gets very angry when she is told that her swimming time is over. Perhaps we should start thinking about getting Abbey into some swimming classes ?

Abbey and Eloise also love the cafe lifestyle.  Here we are enjoying our Saturday morning breakfast in Inverloch.  It was handy having a kids playground right across the road from the cafe as it occupied them whilst the food was being cooked.                                    

Ahhh ... nothing better than a good frothy Baby Cino

After breakfast, it was a drive to Venus Bay to collect some Pipis.  The kids though soon lost interst and were more interested in climbing up and down the sand dunes. Dave did managed to get us a large bucket of Pipis which were deliciously cooked by Andrew in garlic, butter and parlsey. 

Abbey checking out the picnic lunch offering

It was a windswept afternoon on Venus Bay

Abbey, get out of the way...Dylan's wee may be blowing your way !!

Abbey and Zoey may be the youngest two but they are certainly doing their best to make sure that they are the cheekiest !  On this trip, they seemed to have discovered each other and come to the realisation that they do not necessarily need to try to keep up with the older ones. They both can talk quite well with Abbey being able to string two to three words together and able to name most things at nearly 20 months, and Zoey apparently quite the chatterbox at 2 years. However, the funny thing is Abbey and Zoey have not worked out that they can actually talk to each other ! The lack of verbal communication though does not seem to stop them from understanding each other !

There were plenty of kisses and hugs between Abbey and Zoey. 

Putting up the tree

We hope Santa does not mind too because we did put up the Christmas tree a few days before the 1st of December.  Eloise was keen as mustard to put the tree and she cleverly suggested that we should do it whilst Abbey was having a nap. 

Abbey is at an age where she likes to take things off and run away with it.   And Eloise was right, when Abbey finally joined us after her nap we had more decorations taken off the tree that put on !

Here is our very scraggly Christmas tree lovingly decorated by Eloise. I think that it is high time for a new tree next year ! 

Outings with Poh Poh and Gung Gung

Eloise and Abbey are normally with Poh Poh and Gung Gung every Wednesday as that is the day that Mummy is in Sydney for work.  So on Tuesday afternoons, after Eloise's kinder, Poh Poh and Gung Gung will take the girls back to Port Melbourne with them.  On Wednesdays, there is normally an outing to either Scienceworks, the Museum, the Zoo or Collingwood Children's Farm.  The favourite seems to be Scienceworks and the girls have been there at least a dozen times.

Here they are during one of their trips to the Museum, which is the alternative destination for wet rainy days.

Egyptian dressups at the Musuem

Checking out the stuffed animals

What is in there Abbey?

Lego time at the Museum

Scienceworks is truly fantastic for the kids because there are so many interactive displays and lots of interesting facts and figures for inquisitive minds like Eloise's.  Abbey enjoys touching all the buttons on the displays and climbing up and down all the exhibits.

Abbey playing with the telephone exhibit at Scienceworks

Lots of interesting exhibits at Scienceworks

The girls pretending to be rats at Sciencworks

Abbey showing off her balancing skills on the Scienceworks snowboard

Lunchtime at Sciencworks playground

               

Collingwood Children's Farm is also another favourite place for both the girls and Poh Poh and Gung who like the Lentil as Anything restaurant.

And then there is off course the zoo where Poh Poh and Gung Gung are also Friends of the Zoo.  They go so often that the zoo is treated as just another play ground !  Here they are playing under the big tree. Both girls are also very social and are known to charm and distract older school kids who are there on their school excursions

Making friends with the school kids

   
Abbey has a fascination with the wood carving of the orang utan at the orang utan enclosure and without fail on each trip she will give him a kiss and a hug and will always bid him farewell before leaving the area.

Abbey and her favourite orang utan

Abbey also has a fascination with all the stone animal carvings and again without fail she has to clamber on top of them for a ride.  

                        

Plate licking good

By the looks of things Abbey thoroughly enjoyed her lunch today.  It was scrambled eggs with tomatoes and when she asked for more, there was literally none left so she started to lick her plate !   Sorry Abbey, will make sure that it is two eggs in the scrambled eggs from now on !!  

The Motley Crew

We went to visit our friend Kon and Jess who had just had their third child, a baby boy named Spencer. They also have two daughters, Ava and Ruby who are5 and 3 respectively. 

Eloise and Abbey had a great time playing with Ava and Ruby. First they almost destroyed the pool cabana with their painting and then they turned the play room upside down and inside out and came out in some very colorful dress ups.

L to R: Eloise, Ava, Abbey and Ruby. 
Abbey seems to hear better with the phone on her eye  and Eloise looks like an Elvis inspired fairy !

One Hot Day

Summer is nearly upon us and the girls were not quite used to the heat and decided that it would be better to strip off.  Here they are enjoying their bare chested romp.  

As you can see their skin complexions are very different, Eloise has always had very olive skin and tans very easily.  Whereas Abbey has always been very fair. 

They do now play quite well together and whilst there are still fights over the same toy, Eloise is starting to show a little more maturity and will quite often let her little sister have her way and will also help her up and down the stairs or the couch.

Abbey at a loose end and looking pensive when her sister was not yet ready to play ....

.. but as soon as big sister came, an attack was launched ! Check the expression on Abbey's face!

Eloise strikes back !

Who do you think is the aggresor ?

"Gotcha Abbey"

Tickle, tickle, tickle

Playing is such thirsty work

Abbey at 19 months

Eloise at 4 years & 2 months