Mum's Day Weekend (yeah right!) and Toddler James...

Off to Cootamundra for Mother's Day Weekend... We had to be there Friday night so that Matt could set off dirt bike riding all day Saturday with Mike! They were off to bed very excited Friday night (Matt laid his clothes out right across the living room and packed and repacked his bag about 4 times!!!!!), and up bright and early Saturday to set sail for Wee Jasper National Park. The weekend is run by a group called Dirt Bike Crusades, a group of blokes who have dirt bikes and religion in common. Not the mix you'd usually expect is it????

While they were off riding through the park, Kez, Ella, Jack, Lily, James and I had a great day in the glorious Coota weather. We walked into town, did a spot of shopping, had a little treat from the bakery (YUM!) and then set off home again for the afternoon.

Jack had a friend's birthday party to go to so Kez took him off for some quality Mum-Son time. And while James had his afternoon sleep, I helped Ella make some 'metals' (sic) for the members of her basketball team as she was proud they had made the semi-finals. Ella also made some for Jack and Lily to make them feel special too! Lily pottered around doing her own thing while I was knee deep in purple and white cardboard and curling ribbon! Then James-o woke up and it was game on - flat out playing for the next couple of hours!!!!

What's Ella about to do here????

Ella had Lily and James' full attention...

James was/is besotted with his cousins [although perhaps a little too much as he got a bit close to Lily's chin with his teeth kisses :( ]

"I need a rest! Playing with these girls is HARD work!!!!"

"Oh alright, I'll keep playing..."

Our tired and weary men arrived home about 10:30 Saturday night, buzzing from the 'best day ever!' Mike said, "Just between us, I reckon I was a better rider than Matt" but I told him I'd keep that one quiet... Wouldn't want Matt to have any motivation to keep riding to improve and beat him...

Sunday morning arrived - Mother's Day - and saw Kerrie and I treated to a sleep in, and then pancakes baked and delivered to us...

I received a delightful massage voucher from James (he told Matt to pick it up from that place on the way to childcare) and will look forward to the 30 minutes of peace when I get around to using it...

Then it was Auskick time! Ella & Jack were very excited about showing their footy playing Uncle Matt their skills...

Here's Jack punching the footy and Ella closest to the camera just after her turn...

Ella punching...

Jack with a ripper of a drop-punt!

And then Ella with a text-book kick follow through... Matt and I were really impressed with the Auskick program. We've never really heard of what was involved in the weekly sessions but it was great to see kids learning splinter skills and then finishing with an all in game of footy!

Then back home for a lovely barbeque in the backyard, spoilt by another glorious Coota day...

The kids played beautifully together (Lily just kept a cautious eye on that carnivorous cousin of hers...)

We set off for home after lunch, James and I sleeping the first hour until a very weary Matt woke me, telling me he was almost asleep behind the wheel and needed some conversation to stay awake... So to top my Mother's Day weekend off, I drove the rest of the way home while Matt slept!

While I get myself organised to upload a video of the Toddling Tot, Here's a pic of him the other morning... I couldn't resist it... legs hanging out of his jumpsuit cos he won't lie still after changing his nappy, dressing gown on, and Bob the builder dozer from the Carmichaels in hand... Stayed tuned for the vid...