a beach pool party...

This year Evangeline wanted a beach party...we compromised and had a pool party with a beach theme!

We sent out invites in bottles...

She requested a pool cake...which mum decorated...


Had buckets and spades for treat bags...


And Evangeline had a fabulous time...

The kids swam ate swam and had a super time...
So did Morganne...

We played a couple of party games like What's the Time Mr Shark?

and Duck Duck Splash...

and had races pushing rubber ducks along with noses...

And races with pool noodles...

And of course sang "Happy Birthday", blew out candles and cut the cake!

All in all a perfect party for 8 year olds! Lissy

Evangeline is 8...

Today our very gorgeous girl Evangeline turned 8 years old...

She is always so appreciative of her presents and reads every card...and even waits for Morganne to be awake to help her open them...

 
Ben was still at sea...so she spoke to him on the phone...

We had a birthday tea with a cake...Diana and mum joined us...Evangeline helped decorate the cake...
Her favourite colour at the moment is blue...

Mum gave her a gorgeous maxi dress and necklace (a bit long but we will take it up!)

Evangeline has had a pretty full on year this year...she had her tonsils out after getting too many bouts of tonsillitis and having sleep apnoea, she has been diagnosed with dyslexia and celiac disease...so we have some challenges ahead but she is a wonderful happy active creative beautiful caring soul and we love her to bits...Her party is in a few days when Ben gets home...Lissy

my Parelli birthday...

Well today is my birthday! And I have had a good day!

Evangeline made me a bracelet and jewellery box...she has had this ready for a couple of weeks now...and Morganne enjoyed helping me to open presents and drew me some pictures....I was also given some nice jewellery and metal trays  from my mum and sister I plan to use in my craft room...

And my choice of activity for the day...a Parelli Natural Horsemanship lesson...lol..it was a family outing!

And since Chief was kind of my rather big present...it was a good choice!

Evangeline was keen to go so we skipped school and loaded Chief in the float at 8am and headed to Bullsbrook for a one on one lesson with Louise Atkinson...

And phew! I am worn out!

As Louise said I left home with a rather nice quiet horse in the float (trailer) and arrived at Louise’s place and unloaded a completely different horse…blimey! I suddenly had this crazy ex racehorse!

That was a huge learning curve in itself! If I had seen Chief like that I would have never have bought him! Luckily I know this is not him normally! But it is good to know how he reacts out of his comfort zone!

Louise helped me with him and worked him for the first half hour until he calmed down…it all seemed actually about him being there alone…no other horses…so Louise bought a young horse up to keep him company! It was good to see how to deal with him in that situation as I had no idea!

Then I was put through my pases…in the nicest possible way of course! There were a few things I was not doing correctly!

And few things Chief is doing like pushing very subtly usually with his shoulder which I had not even noticed…so a big thing to work on.

Parelli is all about safety and control and building a relationship with your horse. So he needs to learn to stay out of my space! Except when he is invited of course!
But it was great as I found out I was doing ok and that I could be more "forceful" with Chief as I was unsure as to how much pressure to put on. He needs to know that I am the alpha horse so to speak!

So I have some things to work on and some ideas to keep him from becoming bored!

And so I shall have another lesson and then I hope to be set to go to a clinic in April!

We did not much for the rest of the day and then had takeway for dinner! That suited me...no cooking and I was too tired to go out!

Do you think 7.30 pm is too early for bed...lol...and thank you for all the lovely birthday messages on Facebook....Lissy

three and a half...

Morganne is 3 years old today!

But she is telling everyone she is 3 and a half! And holding up 5 fingers...maybe she wants to be bigger!


And everytime her birthday was mentioned she requested a Dora party...so that was it!

She slept in a bit this morning and Ben couldn't wait any longer so woke her up at 7.30...she was pretty excited about the presents...especially the Dora gifts!

And birthday phone calls...


Then things took a big of a down turn ..she wouldn't eat or drink anything and just wanted mummy....oh dear...guests were arriving and she just didn't want to know about it...not usual for our happy chatty little girl...

But then she did perk up after some panadol...and sat outside with some water and her blankie for a while...
And then rather enjoyed her little Dora Cupcake party with her cousins and a few friends...

And she kept saying Swipper was going to get the cakes!

Mum made the cake...

And we have these very cute silicone cupcake holders with feet!
Then as it was heating up everyone went home and we had a swim...very nice...and then Morganne crashed and had a sleep!


Her temp was up to 39.6C this afternoon...so more panadol and lots more sleeping and she has perked up tonight...and she has been drinking plenty of water and ate some tea so she is doing fine!

We were all going to go to the Christams Carols but Evangeline has gone with friends...And Morganne has watched Maisy!

And so that is about it for this birthday...Happy 3rd Birthday dear little Morganne...Lissy

a tree house campout party...

For her 7th birthday Evangeline really wanted a sleep over in the tree house...

It is a two storey play house right up high in the trees...next to the fairy tree...

But I told her that want going to happen as they were all too young...

Ben worked hard and got the construction finished in the afternoon of the party! We will have to do some painting...

...but E was ecstatic anyway...So we compromised to have a camp out party...or sort of...the kids came late afternoon...

But not many photos this year! oh wellThey played in the tree house...(after E had a meltdown about not having the kids up the top until later when it was dark with torches...but fortunately she got over that one!)And as it was 41C here today we had sprinkler games...since our pool sprung a leak and emptied it self in the last 48 hours!

But the reticulation isn't working either so we moved the sprinkler around and gave the poor lawn a water!Next was a sausage sizzle tea...And why not eat in the pirate ship...And the cake...made by me but decorated by mum...And then as it got dark torches...And glow sticks... And my favourite sparklers...And the party favours...mini backpacks and torches...And so in the end a brilliant party! Lissy