Jamie turns 5!

Jamie decided at his 4th Birthday Party (Monster Trucks) that his 5th Birthday Party would be Hot Wheels.  So, what was the theme?  Ninjago!  Just kidding...

Lisa, our regular babysitter, has started making custom cakes, so for Jamie's birthday she did this awesome Hot Wheels cake.

Partying with our friends Kayde, Rory, Braden, Jake, Jake, Jamie, Gavin and Ryan

Smiley Birthday Boy

Make a Wish!!

Presents!

More Presents!!

Special bag for going back to Virginia.

Cool Hot Wheels track

Pass the Parcel

The only disappointment for Jamie was that nobody hid and yelled SURPRISE! at his party.  I tried to explain that we couldn't surprise him when he already knew about the party, but it was the only dim spot on the day.  Jamie's birthday was on Monday, a school day.  For whatever reason, it never occurred to him that we'd do anything at school, so he never asked.  :)  I arranged for 6 dozen cupcakes to be made (65 kids in the combined classes) and picked them up after I dropped Jamie off at school.

I conspired with the teachers to have Jamie sent off on a "special" errand at 10AM, so I could sneak in with the cupcakes.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize until later that he spotted me in the front office, but Miss Jo told him I must be paying a bill, so he didn't think anymore about it.  I went to the classroom and all the kids were gathered for storytime.  Mrs. Weily told everyone that we were going to surprise Jamie and sing Happy Birthday when he came back.  The kids insisted that they all had to hide.  Let me tell you its pretty hard for 65 kids to find hiding places in one room, but they did a pretty good job.  So, good that when Jamie came back in he was literally scared stiff when everyone jumped out and yelled surprise.  I don't think he even registered that I was there until after the singing.

Mrs. Weily gathered everyone back on the mat to sing "properly" and for Jamie to pick who got to go get cupcakes.  It was my only opportunity to get a picture and I apologize that the quality is so poor.  Probably the one and only time that I'll ever get to really surprise him.  Not sure if he really liked it, though.  Be careful what you wish for kid!!

Perth & Fremantle

Western Australia (Perth) was the number one destination on my list when I found out we were moving to Australia, well that and Coober Pedy.  I still haven't made it to Coober Pedy, but I FINALLY made it to Western Australia.  Ian and I took the long Memorial Day weekend and left the kids with a babysitter and met up friends in Fremantle (suburb of Perth).

We stayed in a very nice little bed and breakfast on the outskirts of Fremantle and spent the afternoon exploring the town and went up on the "Fremantle Eye" - a little strange to have the entire thing to ourselves, but amazing views.

Port of Fremantle overlooking the Indian Ocean

You think they like boats?

Ian arranged for the Torchlight Tour of Fremantle Prison (The Convict Establishment) for that evening.  Was lots of fun, but I might've enjoyed it more if it hadn't been the ten 12 year old girls on the tour for a birthday party.  In any event, I found it a fascinating place.  So much so, before we left we arranged to go back first thing in the morning to take the Tunnels Tour.  This required suiting up in overalls, gumboots, harnesses and helmets to climb 60 feet down a shaft into the tunnel system.

There is information here about why and how the tunnels were built (for water and by hand), but the primary takeaway for me was how completely miserable the life for the men would've been.  One of the most amazing facts is that this prison was still operational until November of 1991.  Not remarkable?  OK, what about the fact that there was NO running water to the cells? EVER.  The men had to use buckets for drinking water and...use your imagination.  Hope they didn't get the wrong bucket in the middle of the night.

Gatehouse for the Prison

Waiting for our tunnels tour

Looking back down into the shaft

We survived!

Looking down into the prison yard at the solitary confinement house.

There were two other tours at Fremantle Prison and I would've been quite happy to spend the rest of our trip exploring the prison, but I allowed myself to be led away and fed lunch.  :)

At Little Creatures for Lunch

Post lunch treat - very civilized way to serve hot chocolate (hot).

 We did finally venture into Perth and explored a little of the city and Kings Park.

London Court

Very English

View of Swan River from Kings Park Botanical Gardens, Perth.

City of Perth from the Kings Park Botanical Garden

Cottsloe Beach

Jetty at Cottsloe Beach

Potpourri of life in Alice

JAMIE

And so it begins...  :)

Jake, Jamie, Ollie, Ryan, Rory and Kayde - The Pinchers (Scorpions)

He's one of the few kids who looks like he knows what he's doing.  So proud.

Should've done that with my left foot, so awkward.

Jamie with his coach, Jamie.  :)

Did I tell you he scored a goal?  He's scored in every game this season.  :)

Some videos from a school concert.

Jamie introducing the next song:

RACES

I got a bit more adventurous with my headpiece this year, quite a change from past years.  It paid off, though, with second place in Fashions on the Field for my Fascinator.  :)

with Judith Dixon of Empire Style who custom designed my headpiece

BRADEN & GAVIN 

Just being cute (as usual):

New Big Boy Beds!

OUTSIDE FUN

Just a random camel

and a few of his friends

Out fossicking (fossil hunting)

Chambers Pillar

In a somewhat frantic attempt to get to as many of the sites around Alice Springs as we can, we've started taking a number of "day trips."  This last one was to Chambers Pillar (from Wikipedia: Chambers Pillar (Aboriginal name 'Idracowra' or 'Etikaura') is a sandstone formation some 160 km south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. Erosion by wind and rain has left an isolated pillar of 350 million year old sandstone, rising 50 metres above the surrounding plain.  John McDouall Stuart was the first European to see Chambers Pillar, reaching the site in April 1860, and naming it after James Chambers, one of his South Australian sponsors. During the subsequent years numerous visitors have added graffiti by carving names in the soft sandstone at the base of the pillar.)

It took us nearly 3 hours to get there, including stopping several times to open and close cattle gates on the way in and out.  Apparently, it was an important landmark for travellers making the trek to Alice Springs before the railway was completed.  Can you see it?

No?  Maybe this will help...

Still can't?  Well, imagine what the kids thought after driving on bumpy roads for 3 hours.  ;)

Coming into focus

 

Castle Rock

 

My favorite initials from 1970