So far so good is where I’m at these school hols. There’s been a lot of fun and very little pain so far.
How are you coping? Having a ball or barely hanging in there?
I never know how it’s going to go. I look forward to them because by the end of term we’re all tired and in need of a break from the routine. But I’m always worried how long it will take me to lose my cool.
Last Friday felt like a long day. Maybe just being the end of the week. But I got the firepit going and tried to relax with a drink and my iPad while the kids went crazy around me. Slightly overdosed on toasted marshmallows though. They are sickly little things after a few too many.
If the holidays are starting to drag and you could use some ideas, try one of these …
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1. Playcentres
While Miss 7 went to the trampoline centre, Flip Out, with a friend, Master 5 and I headed over to Lollipops Playland. Alannah has grown out of this place now, so it was the perfect opportunity for Hamish to have a play by himself (and with all the new friends that 5 year old boys seem to make in seconds!).
2. Baking
The kids are always keen to bake, so when I saw this packet mix in the supermarket I couldn’t resist. For a while there I was the best mum in the world! They’re minion-mad those kids!
Miss 7 made these mostly by herself and was pretty chuffed about it too.
3. Playdates
Take advantage of other people’s backyards. They’re always more interesting to the kids than their own. I knew we lived close to the bush, but not this close! Hidden away in a school friend’s backyard is this beautiful outlook. Their neighbours are fields and horses and national park. How wonderful! The perfect spot for the kids to run wild while the mummies sit and chat over a cuppa.
4. Movies
Quite frankly I was relieved to miss out on Minions. The kids went with their grandparents and thought it was hilarious. But Inside Out! I am so glad Miss 7 and I went to see this together. How awesomely awesome is it? I absolutely loved it! Don’t think I’ve enjoyed a kids movie this much since Finding Nemo. To me it was all about the emotions of being a mum and wanting your babies to be happy. Yes there were plenty of tears from me. Alannah thought it was funny, especially Disgust and Anger, and she loved Joy and Sadness too. So everyone’s a winner! Yay!
The verdict has been unanimous amongst the Instagram peeps too. Everyone loved it, with special mention to Sadness. We loved that her importance was emphasised in dealing with your own challenges as well as empathising with others’. I can imagine referring back to this film next time Alannah’s having an emotional time.
5. Go to a park
I don’t find parks thrilling, but they are perfection for the kids. Plenty of space, a playground, bike/scooter track and trees that are made for climbing make Flying Fox our local favourite.
Miss 7’s mad about her gymnastics at the moment. Handstand to bridge and flip back, cartwheels, practice, practice, practice until she can do it to her satisfaction. I have to admire her persistence!
6. Explore a new suburb
We’ve been meaning to do this for ages. Just pick a suburb that’s different from your own and explore!
We headed off over the bridge to Marrickville and Leichhardt, and found them filled with delicious food! (Think Brunswick and Carlton if you’re in Melbourne.)
The kids went crazy for the amazing street art and had fun testing out their acting skills – obviously terrified of this leopard –
– and their modelling skills here. Strike a pose Hamish!
We lunched at The Henson in Marrickville, which manages to be family friendly, while still rocking an inner city hipster grooviness.
It’s incredible how much fun kids can have with a few toys and lots of new playmates.
For dessert we headed to the classic old school Italian cafe, Bar Italia in Leichhardt. I plunged head first into a cup of toblerone gelato. So rich! Smooth! Creamy! Almost like chocolate mousse.
7. Get out of town
How can this be our first trip to the Blue Mountains with the kids? I don’t know what we’ve been doing the last 7 years! But it was so much easier not having to worry about strollers and so forth. They’re good little walkers now and barely complained the whole day. Makes getting out of Sydney much more fun! I think we’ll be doing a lot more of this going forward.
The Scenic Railway was the highlight. The steepest passenger train in the world. Feels more like a lift than a train I think, but the kids thought it was the best thing ever.
8. Take in a show
There’s so many wonderful live performances to choose from during school holidays, but mid-year I can’t go past Disney On Ice. We are super excited to be going this week, so I’ll report back soon, but here are a couple of pics from the 2012 show. Look at those happy faces! The kids were only 2 and 4 and back then it was all about seeing Mickey, Minnie and the princesses. Now I think Alannah especially is keen to see the clever skating and acrobatics. I just find it remarkably peaceful to watch skating. So graceful. Almost like ballet. Takes me right back to Torvill and Dean.
I love that they manage to capture that magical Disney vibe in the show, which makes it such a joyful couple of hours for all ages.
It’s on in Sydney this week from Wednesday 8 to Sunday 12 July. Click the pic for more info.
How are your school hols going so far? Any recommendations for us to do this week?
Are you going to Disney On Ice too?
