The Klaster Klan

Monday, January 22, 2007

When The Kids Are Not Skiing

This year we took up the kids mini bike. Scott and Tania and Marty and Julie also took their's with them. We found this great little track out near the Five Mile Boat Ramp. It was like a little circuit with hills and bumps for the kids to have fun on. Erwin also had his 4 wheel drive and had a little fun through the puddles and hills himself. Bailey just loves the mini bike and can't wait till he's riding his bike without training wheels, so he too can ride the motorbike. He rides it with Adrian but Bailey controls the throttle. Micayla is already almost grown out of the JR50 and we maybe buying her the next size up pretty soon. Bailey will be on the JR50 for some time yet though. Us girls just sat in our chairs relaxing with our books in hand and just watching the kids have fun; and the big kids too. I didn't get any photos of this to share with you because I captured it all on video instead.

Micayla and Mitchell Going Doubles

The are really getting good at kneeboarding now. Here you see Mitchell and Micayla going doubles. It was great to get Micayla on with Mitchell because he is really good at it, and it helped Micayla to move outside the wake. She is getting really confident now.

Mitchell is good at everything he tries. He even nearly got up on the wakeboard, which is actually an adults board. He did get up but not for long, but that was only because the board was too big for him. Mitchell is actually a bit of a dare devil and will go hard at everything, without thinking of the consequences; to him there are none! We have been starting to get a bit lazy and slowing down with getting the boat out in the water, and only getting it out in the afternoon and just lazing around camp prior to lunch. But now the kids just want to ski and then kneeboard and biscuit and then another ski. The boat is getting out in the water earlier now. It's so great to see the kids having so much fun. Its awesome for them to experience new things all the time and getting out from in the fresh air and sunshine.

Micayla's 1st Time On Skies

Yeah, what a little Champion. Her very first time on skies and she popped right up out of the water on her very first go. She did so well and she loves it. From then on she had a go every day. The second day she had a bit of trouble getting up, I don't know why, it just wasn't working for her. She got upset and didn't want to do it anymore. But the next day she was up and off again. When she is skiing, an adult sits in the boat holding the other end of the rope, which also has a handle on it, so if they fall off and forget to let go of the rope the adult holding the other end just lets go. Steve Overdyk was holding the rope for her and as she popped out of the water, Steve fell out of the boat. I wish we got it on video, it was soooooo funny. I thought Micayla would've been upset for sinking, but she too was laughing at Steve. Mitchell Graham also got up on the skies and between Micayla and Mitchell there was no stopping them. The other kids have yet to get up the courage. Brandon and Bailey are a little too young yet, they just stick to the biscuits.

Christmas/New Year in Moama

We decided to go to Moama later this year. As mentioned in the post below, we had Christmas at home with Adrian's parents. Then Adrian went with the boys motorbike riding for the next 3 days. He went along with Darren Fox, Scott Graham, Marty Peters, Steve and David Overdyk and a whole bunch of other people. They were meant to go to Licola but because of the fires ended up going to Tallanghi (not sure of the spelling), which is up near Kinglake. I couldn't wait for them to get home because that meant I could start my holiday as we were leaving for Moama on the 29th.

It was great leaving a little later because that meant our New Years party was at the beginning of our holiday instead of the end, when we are all thinking about packing up and going home. So with it only being 2 days into our holiday we were all ready for a party. And what a party it was. It was a black tie, cocktail party. But all that meant was you had to come to the camp fire wearing a tie. Us girls went to a little more effort dressing up than the guys. Adrian had a flashing bow tie, Scott made a cardboard one and wore it around his waist covering the fact that he was only wearing his jocks (for a little while anyway). Tania wore a tiara that ended up on Micayla's head and I wore half my costume from the 1920's Murder Mystery night in the Hunter Valley.

The night started off pretty slow with cocktails being made here and there while sitting around the fire. Then the rain came. Luckily we were on the edge of it and only got about 20 mins of rain, but we had an awesome nature provided firework show with the lighting. Because of the rain it made us move to under the blue tarp where all the cocktail ingredients were and this is where it got pretty messy. Cocktails were being made one after the other and then we started making our our concoctions. We started adding different coloured liquers to the Cowboy shots, making them cowgirls, a green one we called cowhoofter and one that turned out brown we called cowshits. We were having so much fun we were falling over because we were laughing so hard. We were drinking shots from unusual places and we were dancing the conga and lots of other "dancing" around the camp fire. Lets just say I don't think I want to see the video. We finally crawled into bed around 3.30am.

This mess was early in the night. I don't think I was capable of taking a clear photo by the end of the night but the table was definately not this neat by the end of it all.

Unfortunately when this photo was taken Bailey was fast asleep in bed so it's just the 5 of us. We are with Adrian's parents, Micayla and Bailey's Oma and Opa.

I just love this photo of Micayla and her Oma.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Christmas Over for another year

The kids got spoilt yet again. Our Christmas started on Christmas Eve with lunch at Rohan and Wanda's (my brother and sister in law). We did the usual, each family packed their own picnic lunch, and each supplied some nibblies. Of course there was way too much to eat but you just never know when to stop. The kids unwrapped their presents before lunch and that was over as quick as it started, but at least they had their new toys to play with. It was very relaxing sitting out under their pergola, chatting and laughing while the kids played. Lochy, as usual did an excellent job of entertaining Bailey. Bailey just idolises Lochy. They spent most of their time on the trampoline. Bailey would jump off it and Lochy would have to get off to help him back on.

This year we had Christmas morning at home. It was nice waking up in the comfort of my own bed rather than the caravan and opening the presents on the comfortable (warm) lounge room floor instead of the cold hard annexe. The kids were very excited unwrapping everything Santa brought them, even the stocking pressies were wrapped. Then Adrian's parents came for lunch. We handed out more presents then had a yummy roast dinner of beef cooked in red wine, ham and chicken, followed by the traditional plum pudding and brandy custard. It was very relaxing remaining indoors on such a cold Christmas day and not having to go anywhere else.

They got way too many presents to mention so I won't. Micayla's favourite was the Polly Pockets Quick Clix Limo and the Over the Hedge DVD and Bailey's is the Thomas the Tank tracks, puzzle and Cars DVD. Of course they got lots of lollies, which are nearly all gone.