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Our Important News

On Wednesday 3rd October Caitlyn started Pre School (yes again).
Praise God, she loves it, today is her 3rd week of going and she is enrolled for 2 days next year. We realised that she is 6 months older now than she was and we have taken her to Pitt town where her bestest friend Tahlia goes. So she is not alone.


The teachers are fantastic, the centre has been there since the 80's but is just exciting every time we go and when we get there at 8:45am- 9am there are kids everywhere playing and she just joins in. We have had no bedtime issues, she talks about going all the time and just loves it. Which is SO great for us, as I was worried that after last time she might not cope but I need to have more faith in my big girl. Miss Nicola was trying to explain that this is her preschool now not just Tahlia's as I think she still thinks of Clarendon as her preschool and this one Tahlia's.


So each Wednesday we drive to Kadens, throw Pip and Kalista in the pram and walk Caitie and Tahlia down to preschool as it is 2 houses down from their place. And now Caitie doesn't want me picking her up at 3pm, she want us to pick her up when Merra picks up Tahlia at 4:30pm and we have to walk back to Tahlia's house. Don't you just love her.



She gets a t'shirt, hat and bag and just looks adorable. The first day I forgot my camera but it was so cute here is both Caitie and Tahlia in their Pink shirts, Pink Hats, Jeans and Sneakers walking hand in hand carrying their dolls. Just a priceless moment.

I am so impressed with this preschool that the plan is to enrol Pip in for 1 day next year and Andrew swap his day off so we can have a day off without the girls and try and do some more Motorbike riding. I was a little hesitant to put Pip in as it is just a babysitting service for her age but then I realised that I need a break and for Andrew and I to have a whole day that is just us I think can only be beneficial to us and our marriage!!!! No housework that day..... And tell me where you can get a Babysitter that also feeds your child for $15.25 a day!!!!!

I should have gone with my gut instinct, 8:45am to 4:30pm is too long. When we got there Miss Nicola told us that she had started to cry at 4pm as she wanted to go home. So i will be picking her up at 4pm next week.


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Australia Zoo


WOW WOW WOW within 10 minutes of walking in the gate the $165 for us to get in was worth it (That was for Us, Caitie and Verlie). This is such a fantastic park, there are handlers everywhere with animals that you can touch, or hold and have photos with. The Crocoseum Show was great really informative and well down (the only pity was Bindi was coming next week she was filming in the US the day we were there.




Caitlyn patted a Wombat, Kangaroo, Koala, Baby Croc, Lizard and a SNAKE!!!!!! She loved it. Andrew got to feed and Elephant and we all got to see the new Baby tiger cubs.




It was hard not to be choked up when you saw photos of Steve Erwin and he is everywhere. There is a number of memorials and it was just so sad. Amazing guy!!!!


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Dreamworld

Well this ended up being pretty much a waste of a day and $150. This is not really the best theme park for little ones. We thought the fact they had Tiger Island, Nickelodeon Land and Wiggles World that it would be good. WRONG!!!!!

Tiger Island, really interesting for us but after 5 minutes for Caitie not so, as for Wiggles World they have 2 rides 1 of which was not working and Nic Land well they had 3 rides she could go on but other than that... not much else. We did find the Vintage Cars way down the back and this was a good one. Caitie even drove, well she thought she did while Daddy pushed the peddle and the car traveled around the track that is.


Sometimes you just have to see to believe!!!! So take a look at this!!!!


Amazing hey, did you know that you can get Hot Chips, cooked Hot Chips in 90 seconds out of a vendor machine!!!!

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Treasure Island Holiday Park Biggera Walters

We arrived at Treasure Island and were so impressed. This park is the BEST. They are a Big 4 park and have just been purchased by NRMA. So if you are a Big 4 member or NRMA member you get 10% discount.


They have 3 HEATED pools, 1 Toddler pool, 8 spa's, Putt golf, Go carts, Tennis courts, Huge Jumping Pillow, Swings and Restaurant. It is just the best park for young families and is some much better than when we were last there in 2000, B4K (before kids).




The girls loved the pool and some days Caitie's routine was Swim, Grapes, Jumping Pillow, Grapes, Swim, Grapes, Jumping Pillow, you get the idea. And Pip's was Swim, Sleep, Eat, Swim, Sleep, Eat...

The pool for Caitie was great got her water confidence back up and she was swimming under water from one side to the other, swimming backwards under water and even mastered backward underwater somersaults . If this is all that our holiday achieved it was worth every penny, but it isn't there was lots more. Pip just walked around and around as the water kept her standing and you just stood her up each time she lost her balance and went for a dunk and off again she would go.

Andrew hired one of the go carts one afternoon and rode all around the park with Caitie for an hour, while Pip slept and I read. We also had lots of fun playing Dora Ropes and Ladders.


We are expecting that as the conference was such a great success that it will be a yearly thing, so we are wanting to do this defiantly until the girls are at school and maybe even after as taking them out a few weeks a year for holidays is not going to cause them to fail. But we will be going in the term as it is just so much easier.

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September Holidays - Travelling to QLD

See I told you I would get around to it soon........

We headed off to Tuncurry/Forster on Saturday 14th Sept and after a trouble free trip arrived at a very run down and disappointing park that did not deliver what it had advertised. I did complain to Big 4 once we got home and in the parks defence, we were contacted by the owner directly so apologise and explain that he has just taken over the park and it about to poor over 1.5 million dollars into fixing it up and speak sternly to the lady that was very unhelpful at the front desk. It was encouraging actually as within a week of my email Big 4 contacted us twice, the owner called and Big 4 visited the park to evaluate the issues.)



Anyway once set up we headed into Forster for a walk and some ice cream.

Then it was back for a light tea and bed.

Next morning it was off to Grafton which again was a trouble free trip. We spent the afternoon around the very cold pool and then drove around for 45 minutes trying to find somewhere to have dinner and ended up at Macca's!!! Country towns on Sunday nights not much to choose from. The park was sensational, not a kids park but great transit park as we got a drive through site which meant we didn't even need to unhook. The only thing was we were next to the duck pond which was full of frogs that croaked all night and then at 4am the sprinkler's came on. But if that is all I can say to fault this place then it was good. We also stayed here on our return home trip. Drive thru sites FANTASTIC!!!!!! now they just need drive thru ensite site and we are set.

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Introducing Teghan Jade Amelia Parkinson

She was born Sunday 9th Sept to very proud parents Dave & Dee. After some feeding hiccups and getting her days and nights mixed up, as they all do, she is doing really well and is now a healthy 8pd. Dave is back at work and Dee is managing to get a few cat naps in while Teghan is sleeping. Overall they are loving their new bundle of joy and all of the new experiences that come with the responsibility of being parents.





Dave changing her 1st dirty nappy at home.

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Casey Stoner.... What a legend!!!!

Ducati 1 & 2 -Australian MotoGP 2007 at Phillip Island



What a great race, he had it from the start and he never lost it! It is just amazing this guy is 22 next week and is just amazing!



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Lizzie Turns 18!!!

Well yes she made it!!! and from all accounts she had a great day.



The girls and I went over in the morning with balloons and party hats and sang happy birthday.

Then in the evening we left the girls with Grandma Werlie and headed into The Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. (Andrew calls Lizzie a hooker the then 2nd time!!!!)

(The Birthday Cake/Sundae)

As usual the food was DEVINE and the service IMPECCABLE. We all ate way to much but had a lovely time doing it.
(Lizzie's 1st Hard Rock Hurricane)
We were amazed to hear that the Hard Rock will be closing its doors on the 21st Oct for the last time. Apparently after all these years their lease is up and the owners want to charge them $46,000 a month!!!!! apparently the entire property can be purchased for 7 million. So they are packing up and trying to find somewhere in Darling Harbour to reopen with 6 - 18 months. So they will be back. But Melbourne however is closing not to reopen.... very sad.

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WOOO HOOO we have broken the 1000!!!!!!!!!!

Can I just say thanks to all of you that have helped in breaking 1000 views!!!! without you it could not have happened. hehehe.
Love ya all

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We are back AGAIN!!!!!


Well we are back from our sojourn north and are all so much better for it.

We had a great time of relaxing by the pool, visiting the newest addition to the Parkinson clan, doing the theme parks spending time together as a family, even read a whole book and Andrew was blessed at the conference.



Here are some photo's and I will blog in more detail as soon as Pip & I have done the washing. He he he!!!