Surf Bum...

We managed to get to the beach today whilst down on the Central Coast.


.. Time for a little front crawl!

... The three diggers follow us everywhere!



... Concentration!


... Dig Dig Digging!



We got Alfie on the bodyboard something we were unable to do last week. We should send this video clip to You've been caught doing something on camera or whatever its called!.... check out his little smile!

Scorchio...

OK so you don't measure temperatures in direct sunlight, but this was the thermometer outside our front door at 9:30am .... it's going to be a hot one!



... might be back with some storm footage this afternoon!

Time to Relax...

With Christmas over with for another year its time to kick back and relax. An what better way than to relax in our new Hammock. It was fixed today and hangs proudly between the house and the gate.



... Nervously I get in to the family sized hammock first!!!!



... Time for two!

Boxing Day ...

After the excesses of Boxing Day it was down to the beach for some exercise and a chance to eat the leftovers!!! We had a great time but none more so than Alfie who loves playing in the sand (... and eating!) The water was very warm and so we all managed to get in to swim, paddle or surf.

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Christmas Day...

We had a huge day on Christmas Day with Alfie getting up at seven and then full on through the day. As I think I had mentioned we had Christmas here this year and with some good weather we were able to get outside and have Christmas lunch on the deck. It was certainly hard work getting everything ready but with everyone mucking in to do their bit we got there in the end.

Alfie took an eternity to open his presents, in fact he had to continue on Boxing Day! He seemed to love his gifts and wanted to play with each before moving on to the next... Beth also seemed pleased with her presents (... must have been a good girl all year?) and I got some lovely presents too!

We hope that you all had a great Christmas too. Here are just some of the pictures from the day.

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Cocktail Carnage...

The impromptu drinks session on Christmas Eve Eve soon became a Cocktail night with everyone huddled around the Tiki Bar (... or the Sandbar! as it is known to locals!) in the back room. It was great having people around and the drinks were certainly flowing with Velvet Frosties and The Grinch being firm favourites.





It was good to have the experienced barman on hand in the shape of Mitchell, although Julie was soon mixing up a storm when she got her chance.



We served last orders at 10pm and moved on to another Hillsborough hotspot the Reece Lounge Mitchell and I continued late into the night with a few more drinks and some late night singing on Singstar until his eyes stopped working!! It seemed like such a good idea at 2am .... but less so this morning! Today has been a slow day for me!

Christmas came early...

... we'll it did for Alfie who has managed to pick up some very nice gifts already. One of the first came from Amy and Mitchell who decided to follow the age old Christmas tradition of people who don'y have children of their own (yet!) giving other people's kids musical instruments! It's going to be a busy few days with already the keyboard, dinosaurs, trucks and some building blocks to play with. Each gift has been perfect so far with every present being a firm favourite until the next one comes along.



Alfie put his musical talents to good use by entertaining a gathering of neighbours...

Santa's little helpers...

With so many presents being delivered this year Santa asked us to put together some of his presents to save him some precious time. Beth managed to put together a kitchen playset, Gramps a water play thingy and me a small trampoline. Santa thanked us for our efforts and promised that when he comes back on Christmas Eve he'll leave a little something extra for us.

Carols in the Park...

We've been doing a fair few Christmassy things, you know sitting in 30 degree heat singing about snowmen etc! We went down to a local park to watch some Christmas performances and eat some nibbles...


... an attentive audience!



... The Scallywags!



... Like father like son!




.... Bonus points for spotting me and Alfie on the big screen!

Alfie Month by Month...

Santa's little Helper...

Preparations are in full swing at Sydney Street for what we hope will be a great Christmas. We are hosting Christmas Day this year as well as a Cocktail night on Tuesday night and the Annual Hillsborough Boxing Day massacre (... neighbours come around for drinks and a very late night!)

Alfie has been very helpful on the many shopping trips and wore a smile throughout. He did however forget to smile when sat on Santa's knee but there you can have everything...



It looks like he will be spoilt again this year with lots of pressies to open. I think that he will have a much better idea this year what is going on. We have been able to buy toys and store them around the house without him taking too much interest. For the benefit of younger blog readers sometimes mums and dads buy presents to help out Santa, these are then collected and taken to the North Pole by his helpers.

Thanks for all the cards and gifts that have been arriving over the last month or so. We have all the cards up and the presents will be opened soon... only three more sleeps!

Bamboo my Birdcage...

With some bamboo in the garage needing to be used for something I decided to Pimp my Birdcage, now it looks a little less like a steelframed birdcage and fits in better with the garden. The birds seem quite pleased and have set about making a nest together... we'll keep you posted on any new arrivals!

Keeping the animals in...

With Alfie being increasingly mobile we are blessed with a fenced yard (sorry garden!)there was however one possible exit that Alfie had become increasingly interested in exploring. With the risks in mind J. Walker and Son (in law!) set about constructing a gate.

I have to say that I was amazed at the end result, although the fact that it isn't too small or too big and is still standing tells you that John had more to do with it than me! I learnt heaps and enjoyed doing it myself (...with a little help!)

A bumper crop...

With the live in gardeners giving the veggie patch the attention it deserves we are looking forward to a bumper crop of fresh fruit and veggies this year, in contrast to the mouldy chilli and the bird eatten pepper cultivated last year.



We have already tucked into the lettuce, tomatoes and the rocket, as well as using spome of the herbs in the cooking. We are very much looking forward to more of the same as well as melons, pumpkins and cucumbers. Its a lot of hard work but worth it as we a being rewarded with some edible end results.

Two years to the day....

It feels like yesterday and that we are very much settling into life in Australia. We still call the UK home, but we are slowly becoming Australian-ised! Still missing friends and family at home but made some great ones here too! Life has changed so much in the last two years for us, Alfie has certainly shaken things up! But its good to sit back on days like today and think about what has been achieved in those two years. I think we underestimated what moving to the other side of the planet with nothing would feel like. Sometimes we feel like strangers in a foriegn land, and there have been highs and lows particularly through the first year. We've come through it... I am actually looking forward to my first paid holidays in three years and the chance to relax and explore whats on the doorstep as a family.

Now that the two years is up we can book in for our Citizenship tests. Beth and I need to start some revison sessions...

All dressed up...

... and presentation evening to go to!



This week marked the end of my year contract at the Hunter Valley Grammar School. This was marked with a presentation evening for the students who turned up smartly dressed as always. Staff also had to dress smartly as you can see. I've not worn one of these since I graduated and then some years later was locked out of my brothers graduation! ... No I don't know where Robin is!!!

I can now look forward to a holiday until the end of January. I have had a wonderful year there and made some lifelong friends. The good news is that my contract has been extended for another year so that will take me through to January 2010, which suddenly feels like a long way away. While I am desperate for a permanent teaching position these are few and far between and I do feel very fortunate to be given the opportunity of at least another year as its a great school. ... We're hoping to get Alfie's name down for the Pre-school next year!

Breakdancing....

Wind him up and watch him go...

1. The Tripod.



2, Now spin it around!


3. Turn around and touch the floor.


4. Take the applause...

Gymbaroo...

Alfie continues with his weekly work outs at the gym. I think that they have really helped with his balance, movement and confidence. He has also had to toughen up after being assulted with a clave during the singing part of the lesson in recent weeks!!!

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He puts what he learns to good use around the home, his latest achievement becomes his most favourite thing to do. We have been treated at home to the on all fours leg lift and the jump. Time to get that video camera out again I think....

Dig Dig Digging...

Alfie's favourite book of all time is Dig Dig Digging... the story of diggers well digging! Not that interesting you might think!! Well not for Alfie who is enjoying his daily walks to see the diggers working on the roads around the house. He greets them with a "WOW" and they have started waving and tooting thier horns!

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Alfie is now such a regular spectator that last week he was invited into the cab. I'm not sure of what he made of it at first but he soon relaxed and enjoyed his time at the wheel.

Nice times with Nan and Gramps...

With Beth and I out to work much of the time Alfie is spending lots of time with Nan and Gramps. Which is great at their enthusiasm for viewing diggers and other road building machines is limitless.... Alfie also says that they like buying icecreams!!!

Grrrrrrr.....

Book Worm...

Alfie Month by Month...

Dolphins and Days Rockpooling...

On Sunday we had had a lovely afternoon with uncle Matt and Gramps rock pooling at Swansea Heads. We had a great scramble over rocks, sea snails remained uneatten by Alfie, ... one of their land dwelling garden cousins has been less lucky!!!, we had a paddle and had an explore.

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We also saw a pod of Dolphins swimming up the channel in search of their next meal...

What's doing down under?....

Okay okay so its been a few weeks, a very busy couple of weeks at that as I near the end of the school year... roll on those holidays!! Well what have we been up to? ... here are the first of several updates.... enjoy!