Christmas & New Year 2012. Love Instagram!

It seems my favourite App has caused a bit of controversy over the past few weeks with the threat of selling our photos without permission.  I was horrified when I first discovered it and I'm guessing the rest of its billion users were too!  After a huge public uproar they very quickly retracted their statement, promising that our photos will be safe!  I certainly hope so!!

I did think very seriously about closing my Instagram account and kept a close watch on what everyone else was doing (and to be honest I'm still a little undecided).  I love the App, not so much for the 'camera filers', as you can pretty much find hundreds of Apps to do that now, but more for it's social aspect.  It's pretty damn addictive.  So my solution for now is to create a watermark for Mrs D (currently in progress) to brand all my online photos.  Instagram - you have one more chance.  Don't let me down!!!

With that aside, here is our Christmas week (or two):

Master J and Curly the dog

We moved into a friends beach-side home for the two weeks over Christmas and New Year to 'house sit' and look after Curly the dog whilst they are away.  Even though it was literally 15 minutes down the road from where we live, it has felt like a real break and was just like being on holiday (except that I could pop home every time we needed something - perfect).

Taking Curly Houdini for an early evening walk

We've re-named Curly the dog, "Curly Houdini" the greatest escaping dog!  Mr D repaired at least 3 holes in the garden fence and he still managed to find his way out!  Luckily he had his name and number on his tag because every time the kids yelled " MUM! Curly's escaped again!!!!" we knew we'll get a phone call within half an hour to come and fetch him from somewhere!  We did have some major panic attacks the first few time he did a runner as we were supposed to be taking care of him and were wondering what on earth we would tell his mummy if we lost him???  However, we soon realised that most people in the neighbourhood were very used to a visit from Curly.  At about 9:30 on New Years Eve he did another disappearing act and we were all pacing up and down the street calling "Curly, Curly, Curly", when the call came saying that he'd been found at Curly (ironically) Beach, which was a couple of beaches down from us.  I think he just wanted to join in the party.  The couple who found him had had a few too many drinks to drive (as had we) so they sent him back to us in a taxi!!!

Swimming with my boy in the parent/child relay 

Master J finally managed to convince me to get into the water and race with him at swim club.  I think if I didn't some of the other mums (not naming any names) might have picked me up and chucked me in!!  I must admit I was a bit nervous before my race (it's been a loooooong while since I last swam any kind of distance).  I had last minute panics before I swam that I might not remember how to dive or that my boobs might fall out of my swim suit, or that I might belly flop!!!  (Not really the kind of things you want to happen with an audience).  Anyway I took a deep breath and dived in for my 50m swim and surprisingly, as I hit the water I found it quite exhilarating.  I sprinted the first 30 meters and then suddenly my fitness (or unfitness) levels kicked in and I felt myself huffing and puffing to the finish line.  I even managed to win!  The kids were SO thrilled that mummy won her race and it was an awesome feeling hearing them cheering from the sideline.

Miss L loving the water.  She's definitely going to be a water baby like her sister

Master J and his best mate having fun after doing their fantastic swim club races

A pre-Christmas sausage sizzle for the opening of the new Swim/Surf Club building.  Santa even arrived on a fire engine doing Gangnam Style

Some obligatory christmas baking.  The best Rocky Road ever!!

Miss L's first Christmas

The view from our 'holiday' house.  It really was spectacular

Boxing day movies (and a view)

Going for a long walk around the bottom of Long Reef Headland

Uh Oh - the quickest way to clear the beach

We were just chilling on the balcony having some lunch when Mr D spotted a helicopter, and then another, and then on the third sighting he jumped up and rushed off to get his binoculars (and he calls me a drama queen!!).  Whilst he and Master J were trying to work out what was going on, I got the lastet from Twitter that a there has been an attempted shark attack!  Master J was loving watching all the commotion (as was Mr D) and he kept shouting "Mum, I can see a fin!".  Great!!!! - I'm pretty glad I was on the balcony and not in the water.

No one seems to be worried about the shark today!

Beach babies 

I think this is my most favourite photo of 2012.  Caught purely by accident with my iphone.  

Me and my gorgeous girls

Look what I've started......

Watching the Dee Why fireworks from our balcony.  We had the best view in town

New Year's Day!  Nursing teeny tiny hangovers but loving the sunshine and some family time.  I couldn't have asked for a better start to 2013

Love those happy little faces

A year in pictures! The db's best bits of 2012.

I cannot believe that I am sitting here "rounding up the year"!  Where has it gone??  I know the saying goes that the older you get the faster the years fly by - but am I that old already??  2012 has been our first complete year spent in Sydney and has certainly been action packed.  Here is a quick summary of our best bits.....  

January
It was a lovely start to 2012 having mum and dad stay with us for a few weeks.  I loved  having them around so much that when I dropped them back at the airport to catch their flight I sobbed the WHOLE way home.  Luckily I had been warned that this would happened and after a few days I was back in the swing of things and waiting for their next trip to Sydney.     

February
Master J started Kindergarden his month.   It was an emotional day for me as he looked so grown up, yet so small in his school uniform.  I may have shed a tiny tear, but managed to hold it together very well.  Miss H also started her little Kindy and looked so grown up.  As they both started on the same day (very strategically planned) Mr D and I decided to take the opportunity to enjoy a lovely kid free lunch.  We were having such a great time that we almost forgot the kids and ended up being late to pick them up........on their first day!  Such bad parenting!!!!

March
March was a big month for Mr D as he was promoted at work.   On the 18th March we also celebrated making our first year in Australia.

April
This month our Miss H turned 3.  She celebrated her birthday at Steve Irwin’s ‘Australia Zoo’ in Queensland.  We spent the easter school holidays in Queensland, exploring some of the stunning Australian coastline.  It was our first loooooooong drive with kids and a very pregnant me, but it didn't put us off and we'll defiantly be doing it again.

Crikey! It's my birthday!

Enjoying some of Queensland's spectacular beaches

Beautiful Byron Bay and a big bump

May
On the 29th of May our beautiful little Miss L arrived into the world. We had a couple of slightly stressful false alarms on the week running up to her birth, and when she finally arrived we only JUST made it to the hospital on time!! (and gained a speeding and parking fine along the way).   I had the most amazing 5 night stay in the most beautiful hospital (or hotel) getting to know my new little munchkin.    It was hard being so far from my family at this time but I am so grateful to all our wonderful new friends that went out of their way to help us settle in as a new family of 5.  Miss H and Master J was SOOOO excited to have their new baby at long last and we had to visit both schools to show her off.  It really is amazing to see how innately strong the sibling bond is.

June
This month was a bit of a blur for me to be honest as I was a little sleep deprived to say the least! I did however manage to get a huge parking fine and crash the car! Fortunately no one was hurt (apart from our bank balance) but it was a real lesson for me, that I can’t do EVERYTHING on my own and that it’s ok to accept help. But on a more exciting note – we got news that my little sis and her Mr are expecting their first baby girl next year and I’m going to be an Aunty!!!

Settling in as the new dB5

July
Mum arrived this month from England (just in the nick of time) to meet our little Miss L and to help us all get through the first school holidays with three kids. It was an absolute godsend having her here and even though it was the middle of winter, the weather was beautiful and sunny and we had a wonderful couple of weeks. It made me realise just how much we miss not having mum and dad down the road.

When Granny came to stay

August
This month I decided to turn my blog writing into something a little more permanent. I initially started writing it as a means to keep family and friends up to date with our lives in Sydney.  I enjoy writing it so much that I’ve decided to go a little more public with it.  I suddenly have found myself immersed in a new world of social media and had no idea how ‘big’ it was out there! I’m learning so much all the time and want to keep going (even thought I’m hard pressed to find the time sometimes). 

Mr D takes the kids on a tree climbing adventure to give me some time to write!  

September
School holidays again! Can’t quite believe we are two­‐thirds through the first school year!  We headed up the north coast on our first road trip as a family of 5. It was only a 4 hour drive but we had to make several stops for feeding and wee’s and leg stretching. Thank god for ipads – I don’t know how my parents survived without them! We stayed in the beautiful Port Stephens Bay for a week and did nothing but chill out at the beach.  I even managed to read a book!!!

Road-tripping with 3

Family time on the beach

Miss L's first swim.  What a cutie x

Beautiful Hawkes Nest Bay

October
This month Master J turned 6 – at last!! I say that because he asked me at least once a week from the beginning of the year ‘how many sleeps until I’m 6?’ He seems to have grown up so much this year and bringing with it a whole new set of parenting challenges for us. Especially now that he can read – nothing is a secret anymore. The other day he managed to get onto the school canteen app on my iPhone and order his own lunch!!!! Telling me he didn’t feel like my sandwiches that day. However we are so proud of how he has settled, not only into his new life in Aus but also into school. (Not sure how I’m going to cope next year when the homework starts to come home). We also spent a long weekend away with my cousin LCJ and MT in a beach house up the North Coast of Sydney. I love it that I have one family member that is ‘almost’ around the corner.  It was an awesome weekend with lots of laughs!  The boys were on a fishing mission and even ended up knee deep in mud just to get to a great fishing spot!!!

Master J turn 6.  What a bunch of cheeky riders!

Mr D and MT relaxing with some ocean fishing.  Unfortunately they didn't catch anything we could actually eat!

LCJ with her newest niece

All this mud was Miss H's idea of HEAVEN!

November
The Sydney weather kicked up a gear or two in the heat department this month and has given me an indication of what’s to come in the summer!! HOT HOT HOT!! We’ve had some extremely humid days making my daily job of getting in and out the car a hundred times (well not quite hundred but it feels like that sometimes) not so pleasant! Roll on the school holidays. Master J also started nippers (junior surf life saving) and ocean swim club this month. He has taken to the water so well and I think we might have a little swim star on our hands.   Miss H did her first ballet recital on stage this month and was absolutely beautiful. It brought a little tear to my eye (yes, another one!!).

Master J swimming his awesome 25m race in the big pool!

Miss H and her beautiful ballerina friends waiting for their turn to go on stage

Ice-cream at the beach after school - you know it's summer time!!

December
This month we will have our first Christmas ever with just the 5 of us! We’re going to be house sitting for a colleague ofMr D's, so will spend Christmas and New Year at a lovely Beach House just kicking back and enjoying all the festivities.

I have had loads of fun taking Candy Bows to the local markets over the festive period

Have a good chat with Santa x

Miss L meets Santa at the beach.  It's strange to think she'll never know a cold, wintery Christmas.

Master J's school Christmas concert.  It was so cute I might have welled up just a tiny little bit.

With that I’d like to thank you all, my lovely readers, for following Mrs D this year.  I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and an exciting 2013. 

Summer with Sunraysia Organic 100% Juice 'GIVEAWAY'

"COMPETITION TIME"

Following my review of the delicious Sunraysia Organic 100% Juice pouch (which you can read by clicking "here" if you haven't already done so), the lovely people at Sunraysia have given me the opportunity to offer my wonderful readers a FANTASTIC giveaway.

So here's the deal:

THE PRIZE:
A family supply of Sunraysia Organic 100% Juice pouches for the WHOLE of the summer school holidays!!!!!!  That's a 6 week supply of juice pouches - pretty awesome if you ask me!! (based on 1 pouch per day for a family of 5).

HOW TO ENTER:

1. In the comments below tell me what is your family's favourite way to enjoy Sunraysia Organic 100% Juice (don't forget to leave an email address for me to contact you, if you were to win).
2. Sign up to become a member of "Mrs D and Candy Bows".  You can do this on the top right hand side of the home page.  I promise it will be worth your while xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

THE RULES:
You have to be living in Australia and you have to have at least tasted how awesome Sunraysia Organic 100% Juice is.  The competition closes on 20th December 2012 and there is only 1 entry per person.


*Thanks for Sunraysia and Birds of Prey PR for this great giveaway.  I have not been paid to write up this giveaway but was more than happy to do it as I love the product*