Your Turn!

Did you realise that I live with a Hairdresser? Well, I didn't either until yesterday.

Monet had her teddies lined up against the lounge wall and I heard her drag her little step chair from out of the bathroom to near her bedroom door. I saw her grab a 'blankie' and her 'blunt-as-they-come' paper scissors.

"Okay Molly, time for a hair cut" I heard. Oh dear, I thought.

But after watching (and photographing) I knew there was nothing to worry about. Those scissors couldn't even really cut paper even if I tried!

But then I got all worried when Monet said to me, "Your turn!"

"Me?"

"Yeah, c'mon. Take a seat".

So I squatted down on the chair. And like a true professional she put the 'blankie' around my neck and started...

(Notice all those beads around her wrists and neck? Can you see what else we've been up to?)

I shouldn't have worried. She played a very good hairdresser. I even got a hug after my haircut!

The last few days we've had an Ice-Cream shop in our house, along with a Grocery store and now a Hairdressers. As long as she doesn't want to play 'Butcher Shops' we should be right!!! *heehee*

No Messy Ice Cream Eating Around Here...

I remember months ago, Kikimiss blogged about these holders for ice creams for 'little hands'. I thought they were a nifty idea but never did anything about actually buying one. Pretty typical of me, I must say.

Last week, when out with my parents at one of the local shopping plazas, we stopped to get a 'milkshake' each. (That's what you do with your Grandparents don't you? Go out and buy milkshakes?) Anyway, as we sat at the shop slurping away, I noticed they were selling ice-cream cone holders for a measly $2. They are along the same line as the Dripstik ones, which is why I purchased one.

It got put to good use on Sunday.

Sunday saw us all pile in Lyndon's car and drive up to Port Douglas for a look around and some lunch (which we had at the ever-faithful-good-value-for-money Courthouse Hotel, the big white Hotel on the corner, if you know Port!) After playing at the park at The Point (again), the only way to get Monet off the play equipment was a promise of an ice cream. A big chocolate ice cream. (Yeah, I know all these reports have come out saying parents shouldn't bribe their children, but hey, everyone does, don't they?) Perfect opportunity to use the ice cream holder.


Do you think she enjoyed it? You'd be correct in thinking yes, she did.

And did the holder work? Yes, it did.

She might have got ice cream on her face but there was no dripping onto her clothes, legs etc.,

Two bucks well spent I'd say. Even if I forget to take it with me ever again (which is possible) at least she used it once and it worked.

With a Splish and a Splash...

You know the 'wet season' has begun when it rains solidly for two days straight. And you have thunderstorms for two nights straight. Cairns received over 300mm in 48 hours. I can't believe it hasn't rained this morning but the forecast for the next week is more and more and more rain.


We are making the most of today's non-rainy-day (so far), by Monet going on her bike to the local shop. She rode around like she owned the place and had been riding for years. Besides not knowing exactly how the hand brake works yet and not quite being able to ride up slight little hills, she's doing really well and we get lots of smiles and waves from people.


Yesterday when it was slightly drizzling, I took Monet over to the park to do some puddle splashing...



To be a little kid again right?

The playground was flooded but Monet didn't mind splashing around in the puddles and playing.



When we returned home we had awful trouble trying to pry her gumboots off. Her foot was suction cuffed into the gumboot and we laughed and giggled for about 5 minutes twisting her boots off. When both feet were finally free I tipped the boots upside down to discover that both boots had about half a cup of water each in them! I think I might invest in a pair of these Croc Georgie wellies for her at some stage...


...as the little Target brand Size 10's seem to be getting a little tight. Literally.

We did lots of beading yesterday too. Monet loves threading the beads onto the elastic/nylon strings and making stuff. I was lucky enough to score a necklace yesterday made with her loving hands. We'll be making more later today I predict. Thank goodness for $2 shops, though up here those $2 shops are more like $2 Warehouses, they're huge!!


I predict that we'll be doing a bit of baking in the next few weeks (months??) too, along with colouring in, glueing, cutting (or 'snipping' as Monet calls it - Thanks Grandma!), stickers, eating, play doughing, painting, drawing, indoor picnics, blackboard games, card games, library visits, television watching, you name it!!!!.... Now, would someone like to come and do my housework?

A Wet and Rainy Last Day

Yesterday was my parents last day up here. We had grand plans to do a few things but when we woke in the morning it was raining...and it didn't stop raining. In fact, over 30 hours later it is still raining and my parents are now gone....

In the morning we decided to visit one of the local shopping plazas (as you do) then, after coming home and having some lunch, I thought that Cairns' Crystal Cascades might be a nice place to visit. I was right.

The cascades were flowing and everything looked alive and well and green and tropical. A lovely place to visit on a wet and rainy day, believe it or not.

The Cascades lie in a little valley behind Cairns and it is a quick and easy drive to get there. It is about 20 minutes from my house.

Monet had a brilliant time in her gumboots and holding her umbrella. She splished and splashed, laughed and sang. Oh! she thought it was the best thing she had done in a long time. (She wants to do it again today!)

My dad enjoyed taking photographs, bar getting a little wet (no umbrella for him!) and mum enjoyed the walk and seeing everything look so green....

It was a nice way to spend an afternoon before my parents left, headed back to country Victoria, a good 3 hour plane flight south. It was nice to have my parents up here over the Christmas break and I am sure they had a relaxing time. It was nice for us to have them here to entertain Monet! *heehee*

Not sure when our next relative visit will be. It will probably be us visiting Kimbofo in good old London town!

A Friday Tour

Maybe I could make an income by being a tour guide. Na, only kidding. But I have done this tour a few times now.

Yesterday morning, with a picnic basket in the back, loaded with cool drinks, ham, cheese, lettuce, gourmet tomato spread and fresh crusty bread, along with the picnic essential (ie. potato chips), with Monet and Grandma in the back and Grandad beside me, the Subaru was off through the Kuranda range and headed towards Atherton.

Our first stop was the little place called Rocky Creek, not far before Atherton. There is situated a War Memorial Park and knowing that my dad is a World War Fanatic I thought he'd appreciate the stop there. I appreciated it too. It was so peaceful and picturesque.

The site was originally a hospital used in 1943-45, where patients were bought here from the South Pacific battles. The area of the Atherton Tablelands was the biggest military base in Australia and by placing this memorial park where it is, is a great reminder...

A couple hundred granite rocks with plaques on them dedicated to mainly military units, but also other units who are remembered in the World Wars (Salvation Army etc.,). One of the plaques bears the inscription of "You are here today because of where we were yesterday". Those words could not ring more true.

Here, Monet enjoyed "map reading" once more...

If you are ever on The Kennedy Highway between Atherton and Mareeba it is certainly worth a stop. And you never know, you just may be spied upon when in the toilet by one of these, like I was...

Talk about give me a fright, right at the wrong moment! *heehee*

From there we visited the Cathedral Fig Tree (again) and then we went up to Lake Eacham for a picnic lunch, much to Monet's delight! My girl loves picnics!!

We walked around a little after our picnic, watched the young locals jumping into the lake (something I could never imagine myself doing at that age!)...


...we walked to the Turtle Viewing Platform. By the looks of it there were turtles below...



There was, but they were too hard to photograph so I gave it a miss... But it was nice to actually see the turtles swimming about since last time we visited the lake we couldn't see any.

Back in the car we drove down to Millaa Millaa Falls, which was showing off. Loads of water and only a few other people there. Monet was very keen to take her shoes off and paddle in the water by the creek after she spotted a group of 4 Japanese tourists doing the same.

The 150 kilometre trip back to Cairns, via the Bruce Highway was good. The road was quiet and the weather started to turn. We had done our tour just in time. Phew!

Even though we were gone for over 6 hours and I drove about 315 kilometres (something I hadn't done in a long time!) I found myself not to be at all tired like I thought I would be. I even came home and cooked a Roast for dinner, which was enjoyed by all.

Maybe the Red Bull which I had in the morning really worked for me. *yeah, right!*

Grandad's Birthday

Today is my father's birthday.

This morning (whilst Lyndon is at work) we went into Cairns for a cool drink (of the milky variety, not the alcohol variety) and for a little stroll along the marina. It was nice to do this for a change.

We even saw one of the helicopters that take people out and over the Reef, something I hadn't seen in quite awhile, so it was nice to watch this...


On the way back home we detoured via the Flecker Botanical Gardens...


I'm not sure who enjoyed this more. My dad, the photographer, or my mother, the mad gardener, or Monet, using her Dora-like skills reading maps and following paths and the like. I'll blog at a later date about the Gardens, it deserves a post all to itself.


Once home we had a little lunch party for Grandad (party pies, sausage rolls, cheezels) then sang Happy Birthday...

I made the Baked Banana Cheesecake late yesterday and I've posted the recipe here. It was delicious and a nice change to eating birthday cake, like we did on Lyndon's birthday 10 days ago...

Nice hat!

Happy birthday to not only my dad, but Lyndon too, who was disappointed I didn't blog about his special day. I hope this post makes up for it...

Baked Banana Cheesecake

I made this, a first for me. A baked cheesecake. Pretty easy to make and full of flavour. I made it on the occasion of my father's birthday...

*Taken from 'The Australian Women's Weekly All Time Favourites' published 1997*

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar mixture
90g butter
2 egg yolks
1 tbs water, approximately

Banana Filling
2 x 250g packets cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (approx 3 large bananas)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbs vanilla essence
1 tbs rum, optional

Method
Grease 22cm springform tin.

Sift dry ingredients together; rub in butter, add egg yolks and enough water to make the ingredients cling together. Press mixture into a ball; knead on floured surface until smooth. Cover with plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Press pastry evenly into prepared tin to cover base and sides, trim edge, lightly prick base with fork. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Cover pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice. bake in moderately hot oven 10 minutes; remove paper and beans, bake 15 minutes or until browned lightly. Cool.

Pour filling into pastry case. Bake in moderate oven about 1 1/4 hours or until set; cool. Cover cheesecake; refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Banana Filling Method
Beat cheese and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth; add remaining ingredients, beat until smooth.

Serves 8-10

Ellis Beach

Today I took my parents up the road to Ellis Beach, which is Cairns' furthermost beach. It's not far from where we live and is quite lovely and quiet too. It is rather long and nice to stroll along to collect shells, or rocks in Monet's case...

The beach has a great outlook over to Double Island which is off Palm Cove. The island is only for the 'very well off'. It helps if you are famous too. When Keanu Reeves was in Australia filming The Matrix series he 'rented' the island for an astronomical amount. You can only imagine.

There weren't many people about but I think that is the beauty of Ellis Beach. I swear each time I've driven past (on our way to Port Douglas) it seems quiet. Except on Sundays. The little village there 'pumps' with cars, bikies, surf life-savers and 'nippers' (ie. Little surf life-savers!)

Monet enjoyed collecting her rocks and Grandma enjoyed collecting shells. Grandad enjoyed strolling up to the beach end and taking photographs (we call my dad the paparazzi, always camera in hand and people say I'm bad!!) I enjoyed doing all three activities. Including watching...

Grandad showed Monet that the wet sand is like one giant art easel, so she began drawing everyone.

This one is me.

I should go up there more often, afterall, it is only a quick 10 minute drive north from where we live.