What a day!!!!!

What a day we had on Saturday! I'm tired just looking back at these photos!!! But leaving home at 8:30am, spending 8 hours all up in the car and being home again at midnight, you be the judge of how well we packed full the 7 and a half hours we were in Melbourne!

First some pics from the 'Celebration Tour', the last shows the original Wiggles line-up are performing before Greg, Jeff and Murray hang up the instruments and leave Anthony to bring in three new Wiggles... We went with our friends Tania, Craig, Jake and Sophie (although it took a bit of convincing James that even though we don't see them often they're still our friends!!!). There was a little bit of cross-promotion, as you would expect, with the 'Wiggles in training' spending a fair bit of time on stage with the Wiggles, without the Wiggles and with Dorothy, Wags, Captain and Henry. They were pretty good but it's obvious just how huge the shoes are going to be to fill... Time will tell how they go...

 Jake had some bones for Wags and was able to give them to Jeff

Little Sophie dancing it up (Jake in the red in the background)!

Then it was finished and it was time to shake some sillies out and play on the Federation Square playground and let the kids get rid of some more energy! You'll notice from here on in that James is wearing his Wags 'flap cap'.  He's been getting around in an old promotional Jack Daniels one that Matt had laying around in the shed so we think this one is a little more age appropriate!

Lucy wanted to slide but still won't go on them by herself so Dad to the rescue... he just fit!

 

Then off to explore the city, something our kids just love to do!

 Lucy entertained herself in the stroller!

A nativity scene on Swanston St...

And then off on the hunt for the reindeer stamps in Rudolphs Reindeer Roundup!

The Collins family crossing Collins St!!!!

Street art had James amazed...

 And then a milkshake stop!

The kids loved the Christmas decorations all across the city and the Myer window from the lofty heights of Dad's shoulders was a great sight (yet not worth the 100 deep line up to start at the beginning!)

 Then off to the tram, the highlight for James!!!

 2 stops on the city circle tram had the kids happy!!

 

Then off to Crown Casino for the Christmas fantastic light show and dinner...

 2 little girls waiting patiently for the show to start...

 James insisted I take a photo of his flap cap for Nanna... Here you go Nanna!

Then after a relatively smooth dinner time with very well behaved but tiring children we grabbed an icecream as we walked back to the cars along Southbank...

The weather was incredible, especially for Melbourne. These photos were at about 7pm and it was only 20 minutes later that we decided to put jumpers on for the first time that day!

 Jake & Craig. What handsome fellows!!!

 This little girl is only 2.  You wouldn't guess it from this pic!!!!

And chatting about the big day before we left to drive the loooooong drive home. We left the carpark at 8.30 and drove in the driveway at home at midnight. The kids slept from the Bolte bridge to home without a peep, and we were asleep a minute after our heads hit the pillow!

Huge, huge day. But what a ripper! Thanks Tarn & Craig. We love spending time with you guys.  Keep working on that teleporter from Mornington to the north east!!!