Easter Bunny Makes a Special Trip

Sunday April 17^th  Our Easter Morning

7.24am. The pitter patter of little feet parts the fog of my dreams and I open my eyes to find myself staring at the tousled hair of my 5yr old daughter. She climbs into bed beside me. I nestled her into the crook of my arm and gave her a kiss.

“Guess what today is?” I ask.

“What?”

“It’s our Easter!!” I said excitedly. “Come on, let’s go see if the Easter Bunny has left anything for you!”

We hopped out of bed and dashed down the hall to the kitchen. Sure enough, sitting on her Disney Princess place mat was a nest of little eggs, a Kinder Surprise Rabbit and a pink box with a Barbie egg and a Barbie stationary set: eraser shaped like lipstick, a pencil sharpener and a Barbie stamp- with pink ink, of course! S was beside herself!

G turned on the oven to warm up our Hot Crossed Buns.  Easter has definitely arrived at our house.

TV. Craft. Computer games. Lunch. More computer games.

Then it was time to curl up on the lounge to watch a Barbie movie of her choice. I was expecting the 3 Musketeers, or Barbie in a Mermaid Tale, but she settled on Thumbelina.

Since I’ve been ‘off the wagon’ for at least the last 4 days, I have this huge hole in my gut that I’m desperate to fill with food. The 100’s and 1000’s cookies, the packet of JJ’s, 3 jelly lollies, and even a bit of the Kinder Surprise Bunny do not seem to be doing the trick. I know I’ll pay the price for this week’s slackness come Tuesday. I just wish I knew why I feel this way. It's really frustrating that all the junk food that I'm eating isn't filling up the hole. Maybe V can help me shed some light on this conundrum at tomorrow's session.

We managed to fit a few more activities before C arrived to take S home. I gave S the biggest cuddle and waved to them as they walked out the back gate. I wonder when the good-byes will get easier...

To clear my head and catch my breath, I headed to the computer room to lose myself in a strategy game. 45 minutes later, I emerged feeling slightly more centred. G had spent that time making us pizzas and this time we had real cheese! I could hardly get through my pizza. It was so rich and so filling. For dessert, I got stuck into the licorice that I bought at the Easter Show. The sooner it’s out of the house, the better off I’m going to be.

In some ways, I’m going to be so happy to be back eating healthy food and exercising this week. I know it’s going to be tough. And I’m totally expecting J to kick my butt on Tuesday. Good thing- cuz I definitely need it!

It’s hard for me to fathom that this hideous sugar rush that I’m feeling right now is something that used to be so normal. I wouldn’t have thought twice about eating these foods before. Now, I know how bad it makes me feel and yet, here I am, stuffing piece after piece into my mouth. I think someone needs to save me from myself. I haven’t just fallen off the wagon- I’ve slid under the wheels! 

Yum Cha & Hop

Saturday April 16^th,

Little Miss stumbled in around 7.15, hugging her teddy bear tightly. I flung back the covers and she climbed into bed for a morning snuggle. There’s nothing better!

She did catch me off guard when she innocently asked, “Mumma Jay, do you believe in God?”

I cracked open an eye, kissed her on the temple and replied, “Yes I do. Do you?”

Very matter of factly, she said, “No.”

“Why not?” I asked. “Is is because you can’t see God?”

“Yes.”

But, that was about as deep as she wanted to get. I think this is a conversation that we will need to come back to down the track. Another quick cuddle and then it was slipper time! We bought some new slippers yesterday and they’re super fuzzy. She loves them!

Breakfast. Some ABC Kids TV and then a surprise phone call from my Dad. He’s been trying for weeks to get in touch with me- and it hasn’t been easy. S and I chatted to him for about an hour. It was lovely to catch up with him. It’s a cold and rainy day here in Sydney, but it’s nothing like the April snow that they’re having in Edmonton!

We have time for a few rounds of Plants VS Zombies on the computer before we have to jump in the car and head to Newtown for our Saturday Yum Cha lunch. For the first time in ages, we managed to score a parking spot right out the front! Couldn’t have picked a better day- it was pouring rain. As for lunch, it was perfect! All of my favourite dishes arrived on schedule. We love Yum Cha!

The traffic on Parramatta road was not ideal and we just made it to Burwood in time for our movie: Hop. It had some great lines and S loved it! Then, we headed home to make clay pencil bugs from one of our Mister Maker episodes. They should be dry by tomorrow which means we can paint them.  Tomato soup and chicken chipolatas for dinner. An episode of Dora the Explorer and it’s time for bed.

A perfect family Saturday. I can’t believe there is only one day left of my week with S. Time goes so quickly. 

Magic Markers

Friday April 15^th

S is up early today. I don’t know how she does it! I’m absolutely exhausted from yesterday’s efforts. I think my chiropractor is going to be unimpressed with me come Monday. My shoulder is aching from the backpack that I was carrying and my left hip and knee are giving me a bit of grief too. I think back to Disneyland and I have no idea how I survived those 3 days of constant walking. Being more fit has certainly made a positive difference.  Now I just have to work on my recovery!

Breakfast. Then it was time to try out the magic markers that we bought at the Easter Show. They’re pretty neat! I use the magic white marker to ‘erase’ a bit of purple ink from S’s nose. Works perfectly!

Off to the back room for some online Barbie games. I get Little Miss set up and then I make my way to the kitchen to catch up on the dishes. The hum of the washing machine was the perfect soundtrack to this picture of domestic bliss.

Just as I finished up, S wandered down the hallway to see what was keeping me. I congratulated her on her patience and then followed her back to the front room to play some computer games with her.

Time for something different. So we got dressed and headed off to Burwood. Our mission? To find some ‘create your own Bath Bombs’. Well, 2 shops & lunch later, we left without our bath bombs. Instead, we picked up some new clothes for S because most of the ones in her closet are size 3 & 4, and an Aqua Sand kit.

S had a huge Hubba Bubba sippa cup of water and a packet of JJ’s. I treated myself to a soy dandy. Some days I sure miss my afternoon coffee. Even with all of the other diet cheats, this is the one thing I’ve managed to keep up since the detox diet.

We played with the Aqua Sand. It’s really cool stuff! As soon as I scoop it out of the water, it’s dry. The water just beads off of it. Must admit, it’s a bit messy but we had fun.

Time to ring S’s dad to wish him Happy Birthday! It was wonderful to chat with him- it had been ages! Picked G up from the station, swung by Dominos to grab some dinner, then home to eat.

Bath time. Teeth brushing. Story time. And then bed. I think G and I will be close behind!

The Sydney Royal Easter Show!

Thursday April 14^th

Hooray! Today has finally arrived! Day 1 of the Sydney Royal Easter Show! S and I are very excited! I asked her if she wanted to drive or take the train. She opted for the train. I guess when you’re 5, riding on the train adds to the sense of adventure. We even managed to score a park at our local train station – the last one in the whole parking lot. It certainly felt like a good omen.

We arrived at the Showgrounds around 10.30am. Getting through the gates was pretty straightforward. The crowds were small and we didn’t have to wait in line at all. Our first port of call- the Licorice stand 50m in from the entrance.  I love licorice!! Whenever I know someone is coming to visit from Canada, licorice is always on my list! Unfortunately (or maybe now that I’m trying to lose weight it’s a fortunate thing!!) they don’t make Twizzlers licorice here in Australia. S and I chose 3 ropes and then headed off to the play area.

S had a good romp on the play equipment. There were rock climbing walls, spinning gadgets, and other climbing equipment. S showed off a few of her cartwheels and then we headed off to find an ATM. Cash is a commodity that we definitely cannot do without today!

Cash in hand, we walked over to a ride ticket window. I knew that S would be up for some rides- especially after Disney Land. Right by the ticket booth, there was a beautiful, steam powered, wooden carousel. S was keen to ride on a pony with a braid in its tail. I stood beside her – which meant that I was able to ‘ride’ for free. As we went round and round, I couldn’t stop looking at the carousel. It was hand-made in 1918. Unreal.

S was keen to get her show bags. I, however, was not. My plan was to go to the Show Bag Pavilion at the end of the day so that I wouldn’t have to carry the bags around. I tried to distract her with some food. She decided on deep fried cheese on a stick and a lemonade. We sat down on a bench to eat and watch a show on one of the stages.

I wanted to go inside and look at some of the displays. S came along grudgingly. We swung by the Dairy Farmer’s booth, but I didn’t fancy carrying cheese around with us either. There were lots of things to look at, but prolly not all that interesting for little people.

In the next pavilion, we came across a booth that caught our interest. They were selling magic markers! We watched the whole demonstration. I was suitably impressed and was happy to fork over the cash. With the goods safely stowed away in my backpack, we made our way back to the Fresh Food Pavilion in search of ice cream. Today was definitely going to look ugly in my food diary!

I wiped the last remaining evidence of ice cream from around the corners of S’s mouth. We explored a few of the kiosks but nothing really took our fancy. I was keen for some corn on a cob. There’s nothing better! S and I shared a shaved ice drink. Finally, with the eating part out of the way, we were free to explore in earnest.

Close to where we had been eating was the Garden Pavilion. I noticed a kids section, so I steered S in that direction. Good decision. She was able to plant her very own bean seed! They put the pink plant pot in a plastic bag, and I added it to the backpack. S played in the sand pit for a few minutes. Then it was time to hug some Fruit and Veggies! There was a tomato, a banana and an orange. I imagined those outfits would have been uncomfortable. S loved it.

Finally, to get some peace of mind, I agreed to take S to the Show Bag Pavilion. It meant that I would have to carry the stuff around for the rest of the day, but she had her heart set on going there. I knew that she wouldn’t be happy until she had picked out her Show Bags. Not surprisingly, her mood lifted as soon as we entered the Pavilion.  After much appraisal, S finally settled on the Barbie Show Bag (complete with make up and a carry bag), a Sour Bag, and a Hubba Bubba bag. Bubble gum is the latest craze! We also picked up a Bertie Beetle Gold bag for G. I resisted the Harry Potter Show Bag –even though it came with a stuff owl. In fact, I resisted all of the show bags. My plan was to pick up some more licorice on our way out!

On the other side of the Show Bag Pavilion was the Coca Cola Carnival. There were heaps of rides. The music was pumping! It took me back to my childhood. Every year my parents would take us down to the Ponoka Stampede. It was a rodeo complete with a travelling carnival and my brother and I loved going! I used to beg my parents to let me play the games-convinced I’d be able to win. They always looked so easy! S was no different. It was $5 a game, so much to her dismay, I only let her play 2. I suddenly had a better understanding of why my parents weren’t keen on letting me play them! At least they gave her a prize just for playing.Games: Sponge bob- fish (hacky sac), Duck pond (tiara)

Most of the rides were intended for adults with strong stomachs! They either spun around super quick or they spun upside down – or both! S and I were not brave enough to ride them! Even watching them made me feel dizzy! There was one ride that S was determined to get me on. It was called Pirate’s Revenge. Essentially, it was a mini log ride –complete with water. Lots of water!

It looked like a lot of fun and I had brought some extra clothes for S just in case. I tried to talk her into going on it later in the day so we didn’t have to walk around wet. It took a lot of convincing, but finally S walked past it. We wandered down to the other end of the Carnival. S went to the bathroom and then it was time to hit the Bumper Cars! We had a blast zipping around the track & bumping into other cars.

There was no way to avoid it. It was Pirate’s Revenge time! We handed over our tickets and got in line. I put the rain protector over my backpack to try to keep it as dry as possible. We didn’t want our show bags to get wet! I sat in the back of the log and they lowered S down just in front of me. I squished the backpack on the seat between us and reached around to hold S tight.

What a hoot! We squealed as the front of the log plunged over the top of the hill. Water sprayed up the sides of the log as we reached the bottom of the slope and sloshed over the plastic guard rail onto the people waiting in line. We had an awesome ride!! And, yes, we got wet –but not as wet as we did on the Grizzly River Run!

As we stepped off the ride, we had to pass a little photo kiosk. They had set up a camera to take a picture just as the log crested the hill and began it’s descent. It was such a cute picture! I couldn’t resist it!

Rather than eat more candy, we thought it might be a good time to pause for dinner. S chose a Dagwood dog and I settled for a spinach and fetta Gozleme. On our way to find a seat, I found another ride ticket! Now we had just enough to ride the giant Ferris wheel! It wasn’t quite like the Mickey Mouse wheel, but it seemed to go on forever! We had an excellent view of the Show Grounds, but after getting wet on Pirate’s Revenge, the wind was a little cool.

I was pretty much done for the day. S was looking a little worse for wear as well. We had been at the Show for about 6hrs. We walked through the grounds on our way to the exit. The park that S had played in earlier was on our way. She asked if she could stop and play. I thought it would be a great way to help her work off some of the food that we’d eaten!

It wasn’t long before she made a friend. The 2 of them ran from one piece of equipment to another. Every now and then, S would do a cartwheel for good measure. Both of them seemed quite content to play. I was quite content to plant my bottom on a park bench and watch. Another bathroom break. Then back to the park to play. Finally, S’s friend Tori had to leave.

We said good-bye to the park and continued on our way to the exit. And, there it was. Kid’s World. S really wanted to go on a few more rides, so I purchased some more tickets. She went on the mini-swings. Then we went on the Wacky Worm Roller Coaster. It reminded both of us of Mulholland Drive – a ride at California Adventure Land. It seemed pretty tame. Even the hill wasn’t too dramatic. The surprise came when the descent was over and the worm went into a curve. Suddenly, the speed increased and we could feel ourselves pushed back into our seats by the centrifugal forces! We had a blast! Then, there were just enough tickets for S to ride a mini Drop of Doom.  

Both of us were exhausted. I scooped her up and we headed for the exit. Only one last thing to do before we left- buy some more licorice. Normally I’d buy the bag with the most value, but I knew that I would eat it. So, with S’s help, I picked 4 pieces and bought a small container with licorice bits in it. YUMMMY!!

I hoisted S up onto my shoulders to make the trek back to the train station. We must have just missed a train, so we plunked ourselves down on the platform and waited. Not long until we’re home.

G was very excited to see us. S was super excited to show off all of her Show Bags! Neither one of us were very hungry. I took some watermelon and rock melon out of the fridge and put them in a bowl. Then I got some plain rice crackers. I figured we could share them.

Round about 8pm, a very tuckered out S was snugly tucked into her bed.

After a mug of soy dandy, I knew I wouldn’t be long out of bed either.

Little Dynamo's

Wednesday April 13^th,

Another lazy start to the day. A healthy breakfast. Relaxing in front of the TV. Our plan for today is to make our way to Alexandria for a couple of hours of fun at Little Dynamo’s Play Centre. Just before we left, I received a call from G. Her neck wasn’t any better and she’d managed to get an appointment with our chiropractor. I told her to ring me after she was finished so that we could pick her up from the train station.

Knowing that we wouldn’t be able to spend more than a couple of hours at Little Dynamo’s, I got S ready as quickly as possible and we hopped in the car. The tricky bit was finding parking! I hadn’t expected it to be quite so busy – but I guess it is school holidays! We parked a couple of blocks away. As we made our way there, we came across some bike racks. They were the perfect height and size for S to do a forward flip over the bar!

As it turns out, the play centre wasn’t as busy as I’d thought. And, most of the children were S’s age. Both of us were very happy about that! It can be a real drag when there are older children running helter skelter. S and I found a table, kicked off our shoes and headed straight for the slides!

The last time I was here, I found it so difficult to run and squeeze through small openings meant for children. I would be puffed out after climbing the stairs to the slide. Today, I found myself chasing S through the maze and keeping up with her! I slipped through the small openings without any drama and my stamina was brilliant! At one point, S decided we should race through the climbing equipment. I was actually running-hunched over to keep from banging my head on the level above me- but running! Secretly, I was thrilled! I feel fit and flexible! Now, if only I could bottle the energy of my five year old daughter!!

I ordered mini hot dogs for lunch. I knew S wouldn’t be able to finish all the food. So we shared. I settled for a decaf soy latte and a handful of French fries.

Shortly after we finished eating, there was an announcement. The Easter Bunny’s helpers had hidden some eggs around the Centre and it was time for the kids to find them! S was ecstatic! She managed to score 5 little eggs. Too cool! Round about 12.45, my phone rang. It was G. Time to put our shoes back on and head to the train station to pick her up.

The 3 of us decided to take a walk up to Mc Donalds for an ice cream. S still had lots of energy, so she rode her scooter and we walked beside her. I shared a mini M&M McFlurry with mini S and G ordered some lunch for herself. S was keen to play in the Mc D’s play area until G was finished eating.

Then, home. I needed to get ready for college. G was staying home with S which meant that the 2 of them could spend some quality time together.

By the time I got home from college, S was sound asleep. I settled down on the lounge, drank my soy dandy and then it was definitely time for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a huge day!

Day 2- Relaxing at Home

Tuesday April 12^th

S slept in until 7.20am which meant I did too. I figured that we would take it easy today and just hang out at home. We had a leisurely breakfast, watched some TV, and did some colouring. Then, we made Play Doh cupcakes and biscuits for our Play Doh Café.

To break up our day a bit, we decided to get S’s scooter out for a ride and stop by our local McDonald’s for lunch. I didn’t order anything for myself – well, I tried, but the decaf machine wasn’t working. Instead, I finished the small fries that S didn’t eat.

She had a great time playing in the play centre! It’s a good way to burn off some energy. Then it was time for S to put her helmet back on and for us to scoot back home. We had plans to make a fort in the lounge room out of blankets and sheets.

The fort was smaller than the one that we made last time but there was still plenty of room to bring in some toys. S thought it might be a good time to read a few of our Tag Reader books. We brought in the Zhu Zhu pets –including Shiloh, the baby one that we adopted yesterday. They roamed around and chirped happily.

The afternoon was passing very quickly. It was definitely time to fold up the blankets and put the fold up table back in the hallway. I turned on ABC Kids TV for S and made my way to the kitchen to get dinner started. On the menu for tonight- roast lamb and roast vegetables. Once the roast was in the oven, S and I curled up on the lounge to watch Barbie in a Fairy Secret.

Ken doesn’t look anything like the Ken doll that I had when I was a child. It’s difficult for me to imagine him as a teenager –which clearly he is in the Barbie movies. I quite like watching movies with S- even if they are super girly – like Dora the Explorer or Barbie.

Bath time! S got to choose the bath bomb for tonight’s bath. She has so much fun watching them dissolve in the water and listening to them bubble and crackle like Rice Krispies when milk is poured into the bowl. Then, teeth brushing, story time and bed. 

Day 1

Monday April 11^th   Day 1 of our week together

No work out this morning, so I was able to sleep in. I got up around 8.30am, made myself some breakfast and sat at the kitchen table to read my book. If it had been a little warmer outside, it would have been a perfect morning. I love lazy mornings like this-especially when I have a good book to keep me company.

Just before 11am, I pulled away from the curb to begin the 45 min journey to Castle Hill to pick S up. Sleep in, lazy breakfast, drive to castle hill to pick up S. Today is day 1 of our week together and I can’t wait!

I pulled into a parking space and as I closed the car door, I heard a little voice. I turned to look to my left and there she was! I started walking towards her quickly with my arms open and she opened her arms wide and started running towards me. I picked her up and swung her around. Having her in my arms is the best feeling!

S had some very exciting news for me! She’d lost a tooth last night and the TOOTH FAIRY had come to visit!! She was absolutely thrilled! And, man, I remember getting a quarter from the tooth fairy. She scored $2.50! Inflation is a killer!

Time to head home for lunch.  We said good-bye to C and to S’s baby brother and sister. The traffic wasn’t too bad. S played on my phone for most of the journey.

S was keen to have 2 minute noodles for lunch. Her plan for the afternoon was to go down to the shops to spend her Tooth Fairy money. I suggested that we raid her red piggy bank to beef up the pot a bit. There isn’t much that can be purchased at the shop for $2.50 these days.

We had a great time checking out possible purchases at the dollar store and then we made our way to K-Mart. S finally decided on a Baby Zhu Zhu pet and a Zhu Zhu pram. I picked up the new Barbie movie and bought her some comfy sweat pants.

Happy with our choices, we decided to head for home.  We played with her new toys and then it was time for me to get dinner ready. S loves Yum Cha, so I thought it might be nice to make some rice paper rolls for dinner. I cooked up the chicken mince and cut up the veggies. I even managed to pick up some fresh mint and fresh coriander. I popped the rice maker into the microwave and voila- the only thing left to do was to soak the rice paper and fill it with the goodies. Brilliant! And they were a huge hit! S loved them!

Bath, story time & then bed.