Caching

Geocaching has been a fun new discovery. Have you tried it? While I still have a soft spot for our original low-tech "letterboxing" adventures, this is pretty fun stuff to do together.

Here they are at their third cache of the day (finally found in that log above.) The new issue here though, is that while wandering through dense bush, you really have to watch out for the spiders and snakes...

Want to try a new fun family tradition that bridges all ages and interests? Grab your hat, water-bottle, phone and even a picnic and head out there. Check it out in your area, caches are hidden worldwide and all you need is a GPS or smartphone app: click here to start.

They range in all difficulties and some even have items you can swap or that are "trackable" so you can see the history of where they've traveled. I love how there's something just a mouse click away that not only allows you some adventure, but makes you feel part of a larger community, too. You can read past logs and usually swap stamps, stickers or messages.

If you're less tech-savvy, you can go old-school and try letterboxing (feels more like a treasure hunt with clues you can print out and follow, rather than coordinates you have to track on your device): click here.

Really is fun for the whole family. Relatively simple, fast, and free too.

Extracurriculars

Am I a lazy mum? I don't know. I don't make my kids breakfast unless it's the weekend (or their birthday - pancakes and eggs in bed makes up for that, right?) I don't make my kids lunches (except as the occasional surprise and then of course I'm "the best mom ever.") I don't brush their teeth til they're 8 (like dentists recommend.) I still do their laundry (but that window is closing soon.)

I'm all about teaching them the skills and choices they'll need for a lifetime.

But what I don't do on the day to day, I like to think I make up for on the special occasions. Like holidays and birthdays and school excursions and volunteering. I try to be involved as much as I can and we've had a bit of fun already this year. First off, in their weekly cooking classes:

 Flat bread and soups, zucchini slice and salads, it's always something healthy and yummy and for the most part, freshly picked from their classroom gardens out the kitchen door. LOVE it.

 Swimming Carnival is always a blast. They sit with their "houses" (think Hogwarts) and there is soooo much cheering! I love seeing their nerves before each race.

They're so good about having a few teachers in the water for encouragement.

National Botanical Gardens with Annie's class. I manned a group of 12 and it was 3 hours of chaos but we learned a ton from our short walk with the guide and played lots of games among the foliage.

Aboriginals used to use those tall stalks for spears.

This type of daisy is crispy hard and lasts forever.

These bottle trees actually give water. Australian vegetation is cool.

 Watching the water dragons - we saw a ton that day.

Zoo Day was less hectic (probably because it was Will and Kenna's classes and ANIMALS are more fun than plants) but equally exhausting. Really cool zoo though - great layout, lots of interesting animals, beautiful foliage and great hands on feedings/pettings.

the lion Will fed chunks of red meat to

the lion Kenna fed

feeding emus - did you catch Kenna's face?

  Did you know giraffes have blue tongues to prevent them getting sunburnt while eating all day?

I've been taking the kids to drama class after school and it's a crack up. Will is soooo not a performer, yet sorta wants to be cause he lives for attention. Kenna is a total natural and Annie is just along for the ride. Of course, Summer is always just jumping right into the action like she's part of the gang.

Which she pretty much is.

See how she gets right up on that stage during their "plays?" (Will's in the green wig)

St. Patty's Day Fun

We've noticed that Australians can't be bothered to celebrate most "peripheral" holidays with any fanfare (Valentines/Halloween/St.Patrick'sDay/AprilFools are all admittedly silly I guess), so I'm starting to step up my game at home to keep the kids from feeling too disappointed.

They got all jazzed up the night before making this elaborate "leprechaun trap" called the Leprechaun Inn with enticing signs about the gold and the pool and the treasure to be found within.

Alas, our clever leprechaun escaped his trap... but not without leaving a trail of mischief throughout the house. He must have peed in the toilet, because it wasn't just the milk that turned green... then he tied all our green ribbons along the stair railings and left sneaky notes and gold wrapped rolos to discover at the end of a trail of four leaf clover clues.

 Started the day off at 6am with breakfast at the annual hot air balloon festival (due to the drizzle there were only 5-7 instead of the regular/spectacular 50 or so. oh well.)

 Then home to discover more green shenanigans and prepare more funny meals.

Little guy had a midnight snack of all the green foods he could find, then stole all the green fruit loops and gummy bears out of the package.

 (those leprechauns were supposed to have boiled egg eyes but the kids got impatient...)

Yes, corned beef and cabbage is just right about once a year, I'd say.