Tag Archives: fun

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Such a good girl

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Sunday, 21 September 2014: One Year, One Hundred and Seventy Three Days Old.

Hubby, a friend of his and I went out fishing in the boat today and of course we had Baby Ayla in tow.

Ayla was SUCH a good girl; I can’t express how proud and grateful I am of the beautiful, calm, friendly and content little girl she’s growing in to!

We were out on the water for 7 hours, right through the middle of the day, and Ayla was literally an angel the whole time. She spent the the day sitting up on my chair, chewing on biscuits, chatting away to us and playing with her dolly. And whenever a fish came on board Ayla would get as excited as we were, happily pointing and declaring “fish! fish!” over and over until we threw it back.

Ayla’s awesomeness meant it was the first time since becoming a mum that I’ve actually been able to join in on the fishing action properly, without worrying about her getting into lures, falling over at every wave or eating bait… Mmm yum! Instead, I was confidently able to relax and enjoy being out on the water with my bestie (Hubby) doing what we love, while the person we love most (Ayla) watched over us and cheered on from the sidelines.

As if in thanks for her great behaviour, (in case the perfect weather, calm water and good fish weren’t enough) the “Fish Gods” put on an amazing display of beauty when a pod of dolphins came up to play beside the boat. Ayla stood up on the deck while I held on tight and we watched in awe as the dolphins swam effortlessly beside the boat coming up for breaths of air and riding the bow wave.

We all felt so lucky and happy to be witness to something so naturally beautiful; it was one of those perfect moments that make you feel blessed and thankful and get a sense that maybe you are on the right path afterall and that everything’s going to be ok.

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Daredevil in the making

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Saturday, 17 August 2014: One Year, One Hundred and Thirty Nine Days Old.

Ayla’s a little daredevil in the making!

We went to a sports club for tea with friends tonight where there was an outdoor playground for the kids.

All the other kids were bigger (of course) and older than Baby Ayla, and because they were hyped up on kids meals and ice cream the playground was chaotic and overwhelming.

It didn’t take long for Ayla to find the slide though, and while she was trying to climb up other kids were sliding down.

After a while Ayla worked out how the other kids were doing it, and decided to copy…

Ayla climbed up eight steps, then up another step to a platform about 1.6m high.

Ayla then toddled to the top of the slide, carefully held on to the sides and sat down, then pushed off and “wheeeee!” down the double-hump slide she went.

Ayla was SO happy with herself, screeching and dancing on the spot when she reached the bottom, then off she ran back to the steps for round two.

Over and over again Ayla went down the slide, unassisted. While there were two year olds who were scared to slide without their parents holding them, but not our Ayla…. !

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Downhill

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Saturday, 9 August 2014: One Year, One Hundred and Thirty One Days Old.

Ayla started going downhill today… For fun!

What th’?! I hear you say, but don’t worry, I mean that Ayla learned to run downhill this after while our little family were out in the yard pottering around.

I has completely forgotten how fun it was to run downhill as a kid until I saw Ayla do it by accident, pause, laugh, and go straight back to the top to try it again… This time whilst saying “yay” and holding her arms in the air.

Mind you, I shouldn’t really call it a hill, it’s more like a mound of dirt with grass on it, tucked away in a back corner of the yard.

But to Ayla it probably felt like Everest as her little legs got faster with each step closer to the bottom they took her and her little belly poked out front as if gravity was calling her.

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The Show!

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Friday, 25 July 2014: One Year, One Hundred and Sixteen Days Old.

We took Ayla to the Royal Show today and all three of us had a ball!!

The livestock, as always, was a highlight and Ayla bravely patted goats, emu chicks and cattle but she seemed to like the two little piglets the best.

We also stopped to watch the Mouse Circus for a while that had Ayla’s head turning like it was on a swivel.

Ayla napped in the pram while Hubby and I checked out the arts, crafts and cookery pavilion and stuffed our faces with corn on the cob and dagwood dogs.

When Ayla woke up it was time to hit sideshow alley where she and Hubby had a ride on a kids carousel that left them both a little dizzy!

Ayla had a go on the “catch a duck” game where she pulled a rubber duck out of the water using a fishing net almost all by herself, and chose a weird brown bug toy as her prize.

Ayla also had a go at the clowns where she put all five ping pong balls expertly down the throat of a scary-looking clown, consequently winning her favourite prize of the day, a tiny little cartoon pig.

Hubby won $30 cash at the bottle smash game, and then killed it on the dogems while Ayla screeched and laughed and waved to him from the sidelines.

We finished off the day with show bags, Ayla choosing the Dora show bag because it had a hat and hats are her new thing.

When I say she chose, I mean it! I took Ayla to the stand and asked her which one she wanted. Ayla looked at them all then said “hat” and patted her head.

The only show bag on display with a hat in it was Dora the Explorer and when I clarified “do you want the one with the hat Ayla?” she pointed straight at it and started bobbing up and down excitedly in my arms.

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Jumping Castle

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Saturday, 19 July 2014: One Year, One Hundred and Ten Days Old

Ayla went in her first jumping castle tonight!

It was at her little friend Caleb’s first birthday where a jumping castle had been set up to keep the bigger kids entertained.

After the kids wore themselves out, it was time for us adults to get in and jump about and as Ayla was still up and at ‘em thanks to a big late-afternoon nap, she joined us.

I didn’t know what she’d think at first, or even if she’d be able to stand or crawl or do anything at all inside the inflatable castle, but Ayla’s balance and confidence was unmatched as she squealed and bounced about by my side.

After we’d had enough and become so puffed out we could hardly breathe (I don’t know how on earth kids stay in those things for hours on end) we re-joined the party on the patio.

But the fun bug had already bitten, and Ayla spent the next fifteen minutes trying to squirm out of her Daddy’s arms, saying “more!” and pointing to the jumping castle.

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Unbelievable

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Monday, 14 July 2014: One Year and Fifteen Weeks Old.

Ayla has learned how to take her own nappy off…. It’s chaos.

Hubby and I were rushing to get out the door for a surprise dinner he’d arranged for our wedding anniversary, and Ayla was not interested in cooperating.

After getting out of the shower Ayla decided she’d have some no-nappy time, even though I’d decided she needed clothes on for when the baby sitter arrived.

Ayla’s never been interested in change times, taking great pleasure in kicking and yelling at me, and tonight was no exception.

The only difference was that after the battle when Ayla was back on her feet toddling around, she trumped me by swiftly undoing and taking off her nappy, stuffing it in a bucket, covering it with a toy as hiding it in the corner… Unbelievable!

Without time to argue I grabbed another nappy and put it on Ayla while she was standing, then promptly (and successfully) distracted her with food.

NOTE: this photo is of Ayla SLEEPING on the change table. She didn’t fall asleep there, but she stayed asleep while I changed her!!

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Pull along puppy

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Saturday, 12 July 2014: One Year, One Hundred and Three Days Old.

Hubby and I gave Ayla a new toy today; a pull-along puppy.

It was a present a friend had given Ayla for her birthday, but we’d kept it aside until such a time that we’d knew Ayla would use it and give it the love and attention it deserved.

And that was today.

Ayla has been such a good girl lately and Hubby and I are both so proud of her, we wanted to reward her and decided to give her a new toy.

It was a big deal because we don’t make a habit of spoiling her with gifts, and Ayla seemed to know that she’d done something good to earn her puppy.

Ayla spent most of the evening toddling around with her puppy in tow, stopping to give him and pat or a kids every now and then.

At one point Ayla even took her puppy over to The Dog’s bowl for some water and Hubby and I melted with love at our smart, happy, precious little girl.

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Balloon

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Friday, 11 July 2014: One Hundred and Two Days Old.

Ayla was given her first balloon today and she wore it on her wrist like she’d been recieving them for years.

We were in an arts and crafts shop that also sell party supplies, and Ayla had become too heavy and awkward for me to carry so I’d put her on the ground to toddle around.

Ayla had a wow of a time pulling packets of beads and spools of ribbon off the shelf while I wasn’t looking; gosh that kid can make a mess real quick!

But although I might not have been watching, the lady behind the counter had been and Ayla’s curious antics won her a new fan.

When we approached the counter the lady ooh’d and ahh’d at how cute Ayla was, and giggled at how excited Ayla got when she saw a bunch of helium balloons ready for some customer to come and collect.

While I was putting my change away, the lady went and got one of the balloons and had a wrist-knot ready before I could blink.

Ayla watched intently as we slipped the ribbon over her hand and when I put her down she began squealing with delight!

Ayla walked out of the shop with the hugest smile, stopping to look up at her balloon every few steps…. Her balloon that read “Happy 15th Birthday”

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“Fish!”

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Tuesday 1 July 2014: One Year and Ninety Two Days Old

Ayla can say “fish!” and she said it at least a hundred times today!

We spent the morning at the Vic Markets, then headed to the Melbourne Aquarium for the afternoon.

Ayla LOVED it. She is at such awesome age now that she toddled about from tank to tank, pointing and screeching and saying “fish!”

It was so adorable and my heart must have melted a thousand times over.

I think Ayla’s favourite was the coral reef section where there was a mini tunnel underneath one of the tanks that Ayla didn’t want to leave.

She also loved the massive shark tank dome, and she ran from one end to the other and from one side to the other for ages.

At the touch pool Ayla held a shark egg casing and a pearl shell and she touched a sea star.

When we got to the estuary section we kept Ayla well away from the lifelike crocodile model… Just in case!

After the aquarium us girls went back to the room for a rest while the boys hit the Casino, Hubby coming home $200 richer!

So it was our shout for tea and we found a fantastic Yum Cha in Chinatown that proved to be a great way to end an awesome day.

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Snow!!

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Monday, 30 June 2014: One Year and Thirteen Weeks Old.

We took Ayla to the snow today, and it was my first time too!!

Oh my gosh, there are no words to explain what a great day we has, and there’s no way I can capture it all in a blog post.

The day was PERFECT for snow. After driving up to Lake Mountain from Melbourne on a mini-road trip with our friends, we stopped in at the last town on the way to get some gear.

The tiny town was buzzing about how great the snow was up on the mountain; just the night before they’d had 30cm fall, and the same the night before that.

We got snow chains for the hire car, waterproof pants and some overalls for Ayla, a couple of toboggans and some snow boots and headed up.

The drive was amazing. Fresh snow on the trees and on the side of the road, then no sooner had we parked the car than it began to snow!

Hubby and Adam had a go on the tobboggans first, while we girls hung out in the cafe, ducking out onto the balcony to feel the snow fall on our faces and crunch underneath our boots.

Then it was our turn on the toboggans and gosh it was fun! Pip hadn’t been to the snow since she was a girl and we raced each other down the slope before having a mini snowball fight at the bottom.

Then it was Ayla’s turn. We tucked Ayla and her snowsuit into the waterproof overalls and three-sizes-too-big gumboots so Hubby could take her down the slope on the toboggan. She loved it!

After three rides Ayla had had enough so we made a snowman at the bottom of the slope and took some photos.

All too quickly it was time to go. Our hire car was covered in snow and our faces were pink from the stinging flakes and within minutes of getting in the car Ayla and Evie were both sound asleep.