Countess Park

Summer Mission #5

Countess Park, Mosman

Large shaded playground area- Aussies take sun protection seriously!

Favourites features:  Log Roll and sand conveyor belt which made a great pretend Santa's Workshop. 

We met a few other Americans here for a play and had a wonderful time.  This park is definitely on our list of places to go back to.  Our time there was cut a bit short when the skies opened and it poured down rain on us. 

Loved this wood goanna and the cute wombat rocker in the background.  Didn't love the wet sandy mess in my car after our visit.  Oh well- gotta take the good with the bad!

Inefficiency Perfected

Americans are a model of efficiency. In America virtually everything is faster, better, and cheaper. Some days, like today, I really miss that.

Today, after a four month wait, the little buddy finally got in to see an ophthalmologist for an eye exam. Getting an appointment to see a specialist around here is kind of like winning the lottery, and I knew I would need extra time to find the office and get a "park" so I left extra early. I'm glad I did because when we eventually did find a "park" it was right next to a park! Score one more for my summer mission!

Mooramba Park Dee Why

Even though we had an appointment we had to wait nearly 2 hours to see the doctor. Two hours is a really long time when you are a four year old boy. Even if you are a four year old boy with a new ipod touch.

Afterwards, I felt so sorry for him with his miserable dilated eyes that I was easily conned into getting him McDonalds for dinner. McDonalds just happens to be located at the mall, right next to the grocery store. Now you might be thinking, "How convenient to have the grocery store right at the mall." But in reality it is anything but. Try pushing a 4WD style shopping cart filled with a week's worth of groceries through a mall out to a multi-level carpark and you will quickly realize how absolutely inconvenient it actually is!

So it was with some hesitation that I wandered into Woolies to grab a few essentials this afternoon. I reasoned that the Little Buddy would be happily contained in the trolley with his cheeseburger and I could zip in, grab my milk and bananas and get out unscathed.

Of course just as I'm about to unload my 5 items he announces to me that he has to pee. Urgently. He's "bursting".

Every American mother of small children knows exactly where to find the restroom in the grocery store. It's as familiar to her as the dairy aisle. But alas, Woolies offers no toilet facilities for customers. Instead, we are directed to the mall bathrooms.

So I abandon my trolley- half eaten Happy Meal and all- near the check stand and make a mad dash into the mall with the Little Buddy in my arms. Luckily, we made it, and quickly headed back to Woolies to reclaim our trolley. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find the same customer standing at the check out. (That's right- it took less time for us to walk to the mall bathroom, pee, wash hands, and walk back than for the Woolies checker to move one customer through the line). Only now, I had lost my place in the queue and had to get behind a sweet little old lady with about 20 different types of produce in her trolley. Not surprisingly the checker didn't know what half of the items were. (Oh, these are regular peas, not snow peas? Let me cancel that transaction and try again). Eight minutes later, we finally made it through the torture that is shopping at Woolies!

And to top it all off, my $6.00, 3 litre bottle of milk leaked all over the "boot" of my car on the way home.

If my kids are eating dry cereal for breakfast next week, you'll know why.

Spit to Dobroyd and Sailing With Justin Bieber

Since I slacked off and didn't organise a get-away for us while my sweetie is off work this week, we decided to holiday at home and do some of the things we've always wanted to right here in our own backyard.

This morning we got up bright and early and set out to walk from The Spit to Manly.  This is an ambitious bushwalk- about 10k-and we had all three kids in tow.

About 2k into the walk we came to a lovely little beach called Clontarf.  And- BONUS- it had a playground we've never been to.  Summer mission #3- check!



After a bit of a play we were back on the track, heading past Castle Rock Beach and Grotto Point.  The views were typical Sydney views- which is to say they were absolutely stunning.


The track was pretty challenging; especially since I had the bubby on my back and the little buddy spent most of the walk on his dad's shoulders.  Did I mention there were A LOT of stairs.  Yes, there were.


As we made our way up to the Dobroyd Scenic Lookout I began to think that 5.5 km was plenty for one day.  The kids agreed.  And wouldn't you know there was yet another playground behind the reserve.  Make that Summer Mission #4! 

While the kids played we grownups decided to call a taxi to take us back to our car.  The rest of the Spit to Manly walk would have to wait for another day.



But when you're a family of 5 taking a taxi isn't as easy as it seems.  The cab company had a bit of trouble locating a seven seat taxi with an infant capsule.  We waited, and waited.  Finally I made an executive decision.  Send the dad back to the car in a regular taxi, and he'd come back and get the rest of us. 

So off he went.  Of course, when he arrived at the car he quickly realized he didn't have the keys with him!  So, back to the playground he came, picked up the keys, took the taxi back to the car, and finally, came back to retrieve us all.

Now you'd think that would be enough of an adventure for one day.  But no- there's more.  I had arranged for my hubby and I to take sailing lessons this week, and today was the first one.

We were both a bit surprised when we showed up at the sailing school and met our instructor who appeared to be a 13 year old Justin Bieber look-a-like. 

But, I'm happy to report he was actually quite competent.  The lesson went smoothly, we didn't damage anything, and they said we could come back tomorrow for the second installment.

Whew!  Next time I plan a holiday at home I think we will just make plans to plop ourselves on the beach.  In fact,  I think I'll pencil that in for next week.

Lounge Lizard

Playground Mission #2

Hit our 2nd "new" playground today:  Manly Lagoon Reserve.  So much fun! 

 

 

My Summer Mission

If you're a mom, you've probably experienced something like this.  You're driving along on your way to someplace very important (a doctor's appointment, the airport, or IKEA) with your preschooler in the back seat.  As you zoom down the street he catches a glimpse of some primary coloured playground equipment in his peripheral vision.  He pleads from the backseat, "We've NEVER been to that playground!!! Can we go there now, PLEASE?"

This scenario repeats itself over and over.  I always have to turn down his requests to stop and play.  There are just more important things to attend to.



But not today.  Today is the first day of summer vacation.  And I have made it my summer mission to visit as many "new" playgrounds as we possibly can.



This one is in our own neighbourhood.  The huge "fallen down tree" has been calling out to him for months.  Today he finally got to climb it.

Bring on summer! Let the fun begin!