Wallabies Weekend

We went to see the Wallabies play Wales (Rugby Union) in Brisbane this weekend. We went with Nick and Trace and the kids.We took the bus from Chermside... and as luck would have it Chermside has both an Irish Pub AND a Macca's ... Kids and Husbands very happy.

This is this bus trip to Suncorp Stadium. It was sardine style and the kids were right at the front... loving being parent free.

The Cousins

The Wives

The (Blurry ) Mighty Cauldron on Caxton Street

We got complimentary yellow wallabies jumpsuits with our tickets. Most people wore them (including us) and it was a sea of yellow for the boys.

I love how my Sis in Law still manages to look stylish whilst wearing a yellow jumpsuit AND eating a stadium burger !

Bear is nearly 15  and deep into looking and being LAID BACK ...this is as excited as he gets (even though the Wallabies are high on his list of heroes and tough guys).

Dave and I, on the other hand have no problem cheesing it up.

Poor Wales ... they play really well and gave the Aussies a challenge but ultimately went down. The Welsh crowd are big on singing and chanting and as they were singing out "Wales" Lulu and her cousin B were singing back "Fails"...

The Husbands

The next day we visited the biggest shopping centre on earth (well it felt like it). We ate excellent burgers and the boys went to the Movies.

Then we drove home to a very cold, windy and wet Sunny Coast. The End.

Girls Weekend

Tammie and I hiding from Anitra cos we are mature like that.

As part of my mission to turn Birthday Day into Birthday Week and then Birthday Month in early May I went on a girls trip with Anitra and Tammie.

Last years girls trip was to Melbourne and just as much joy (and food and wine) was had this year.

 

This year we went to Brisbane and Niet graciously flew up from the freezer and the weather was perfect.



Winess Protection Program

The apartment was great and close to the city. It was a comedy of errors trying to find it on Friday night but Tammie and her amazing ability to drive AND read her iphone map at the same time got us there. Niet and I were beyond useless with the GPS (fingers way too fat?) and it didn't help that the whole front facade of the apartments were covered in scaffolding!!! 

Friday night we went for a walk and passed a funky hairdressers so I asked them for a restaurant recommendation. They suggested Obar. It was fabulous the food and atmosphere was so luxurious.

Whilst I was asking the hip young and groovy hairdressers where to eat, I booked in for a blow dry the next morning.

Introducing Myke ... with Y

Myke with a Y was a shy and retiring type as you can see.

I told him we were on a girls weekend away for our Birthdays and he suggested I take a snap of him to remember what a great time we had.... and for the record he makes his own clothes.

I love OPI nail colour and have never seen this many colours. Alas I was overcome with choosers remorse and couldn't pick ANY. Idiot I am.

Whilst shopping in David Jones I took a lovely snap of Niet's shoes. She loves those shoes :-)

We rocked the town on Saturday night and I can now cross "clubbing in the Valley" off my Bucket List. I can also cross "looking like somebody's mother in the Valley" off the list.

Sunday night we drove to a really yummy Thai restaurant for tea. It was so good having Tam as tour guide and taxi... she knew all the good spots.

After tea we went up to the Mt Cootha Lookout, where you can see the whole of the city and surrounding suburbs. I took another pic of Anitra's shoes.

It was just us and  a hundred Korean students up at the lookout.

The next day we swung past Tam's office and then all too quickly we were hugging goodbye and I was training it back to the Coast.

I love  these two duds, and I especially like gettimng away with them and look forward to next years adventure!



April (Fools) Sumation

The fool is me! For waiting so long to post April's recap. I so love blogging but am finding my time to actually do it dwindling, after sitting all day long on a computer (and working flat out) coming home and jumping on our laptop doesn't happen. I need a few good hours and some awesome Internet capabilities to collide... still waiting for that. Anyhoo on to "what the Brooks did in April 2012". 

We attended the beach memorial and walk for Matty. This was good for Riley and I hope Matty's parents gained some comfort  from the tangible proof of how many people were touched by Matty in his way too short life.

I took the kids for breakfast after the walk. The weather was glorious.

My endless quest to furnish the renovated sections of the house continues.

Suddenly all the colours and fabrics I liked ... I hate.
Renovators fatigue?
Budget constraints?
First World Problem?

This is how my kids eat a cake. They don't like the edges. I don't like them (when they do this).

Lulu and I went to the plaza and had Sushi (the kid drinks too much coke... bad parenting for shizzle).

The boys were having a quiet chat and reflecting on some issue (it was back in April people)

of course it turned into Alpha Male domination ... I could devote a whole post to this subject but I will save us all by saying that David and Riley's life motto at the moment is "NEVER EVER EVER EVER GIVE IN" It's ace except its not.

We went to the beach as a family and watched a trawler get stuck on the bar (it doesn't take much to amuse us).

We spent some of Easter with Mum and Brian. Feasts were cooked.

I did one of my favorite walks around their area. I love the hinterland hills.

Someone beat someone at pool (I wasn't paying attention I hate pool).

People played cards (until people decided to go have a sleep and other people stepped in and played cards).

Mum always cooks someones favourite. This time Poppy got Creme Caramel.

We headed home early ... for the most exciting bit of dirt moving!

We had a chap come and dig out the side of our driveway hill and create a parking pad and retaining wall. It's so so so good.

We also had some school holidays thrown in to April. I took the kids to the beach where Lucy locked my keys in the boot. RACQ turned up to rescue us, except it was actually Riley who had to do all the hard work (small strong arms or something).

My work had a blue day. We all had to bring blue food and dress in blue etc. This is Lulu holding a cupcake one of my colleagues made. Its cookie monster! Some people are so creative. I made blue cupcakes ... boring but it filled the brief.

Lu is doing really well at school with her spelling and reading (as in she is trying her hardest and having a really good attitude). She sat for NAPLAN testing
I probably wont even open her results :-) She printed this quote out to stick on her pin board.

ANZAC Day saw us down the coast for breaky.

You know when your toddler starts to chuck a really big tantrum and you quickly snap a pic to show them after how silly they look? (No... oh well that was just me) The pic below is the teenage equivalent lol.

We hung out at the beach for ages and the kids both ended up swimming. They even started smiling.

David put together a new ramp to the new parking pad (have I mentioned how much I love that new parking pad? and that old husband?)

Back at the beach ... wow we did the beach a lot in April! The kids begged me to take them but the weather wasn't great... hence I was under a towel and they were in the water (if you beg me to take you and then don't swim you have to walk home lol).

and that was the pics for April. It felt like  we mostly  worked on the landscaping, party preparations and paving so I am glad that the pics have us doing a few other things too.