Road Trip Part 3 - Dubbo

On Sunday we drove to Dubbo, our final stop. Dubbo is about 4-5hours drive from the Blue Mountains. It rained most of the trip, very very heavily at times. We made if safely and really enjoyed our time in Dubbo. For those who don’t know, Dubbo is the home of the Western Plains Zoo.

We visited the Zoo on Monday and Tuesday morning, for about 2 hours each day. 2 hours is about as long as the boys will tolerate. The boys had a great time exploring the zoo and loved the animals that moved a lot. Their favourites were the Rhinoceros, Giraffe and the Otters. We saw feeding time for these, and other animals. Feedings seem to make the animals more alert, active and closer to the front. The boys pointed, laughed and talked the the animals. We found it quite amusing that in certain exhibits that used water to contain the animals, the boys found the water more interesting than the animal!

Tracie and Ethan watching the Rhino having it’s breakfast.

Ben and Sal with a Rhino in the background. Tracie and Ethan with some deer type animal far in the background. Tracie and Ethan and an Elephant Ben and Sal with an elephant Ethan and Ben watching the otters Monkey Tracie and Ethan watching the lions Ethan and Ben examining the screws on the bench (toddler curiosity never ends) Ethan Zebra Ben Tracie and Ethan Ethan, Sal and Ben Ethan and Ben examining the wooden pole

  Meerkats Ben escaping Ben walking around – apparently more interested in exploring the grounds than looking at the animals. Sal and Ben looking at the wombat Wombat Tracie and Ethan with a Giraffe Ben and Sal with the Giraffe Feeding time in the Giraffe enclosure. Ethan and Ben standing next to the statue representing a newborn giraffe. Ethan Ben Sal and Ben having lunch On Monday afternoon after the zoo and their nap, we took the boys to a park in Dubbo to play.

Ethan examining the slide

  Ethan on the slide, Ben at the steps Ben and Ethan Ben, Ethan and Tracie Tracie, Ethan and Ben Ben and Sal Ethan Ethan, Sal and Ben Ethan Ethan Ethan Ben and Ethan – playing in the water on the bench Ben and Ethan

Ethan

That’s the end……. We had a great time on our trip. On Tuesday afternoon we drove home. It took about 6 hours. They boys did great. Ethan didn’t feel well, and cried and whinged on and off for a few hours in the middle of the trip. We are all pleased to be home, and are now wondering where we’re off to next!

Road Trip Part 2 – Blue Mountains

 

After Sydney, we spent 2 nights in the Blue Mountains. We arrived Friday evening and once again, went shopping (these children seem to eat a lot!) cooked dinner and put the boys to bed. On Saturday we went to the Winter Magic Festival. The main street of Katoomba is closed off to traffic, and overtaken by people and stalls and a parade. It was cold, a little wet but we still enjoyed ourselves.

Below are some pics of the boys playing in the house. Unfortunately, due to the cold and rainy weather we didn’t get any pics at the festival or get to play outside with the boys in the mountains.

Ethan and Ben with all the stuff we took with us on our road trip. Ben and Ethan eating dinner and watching TV Ben - can you see the neck of his shirt is all wet. Poor Benny is teething so much he’s dribbling like a tap and every shirt ends up wet within an hour of getting dressed Ethan walking. He still walks with his hands up for balance. Ben and Ethan sneaking off to explore the other room. Ethan watching TV in the beanbag. Ethan and Ben looking outside at the rain. Ben and Ethan examining the curtain.

After the mountains we drove to Dubbo.

Road Trip Part 1 - Sydney

Our 7 day road trip started on Tuesday. We packed up all our stuff and hit the road around lunch time. I should also mention that last week we started to transition the boys to one nap a day, and by lunchtime they are very tired little boys. They slept most of the 90minute trip to Sydney.

Tuesday afternoon we did a little shopping, cooked dinner and put the boys to bed. Our hotel was a one bedroom self-contained apartment. The boys went to sleep in porta-cots in the bedroom. They didn’t like going to sleep in a strange room. They cried a little, but fell asleep quite well as they were very tired. Ben woke 3 times in the evening before we gave him some Panadol (Tylenol) and he slept the rest of the night.

Ben had a few teething miseries in the first few days of the trip and now has a total of 12teeth! He got 3 new teeth in the first few days of our tip. He now has the 4 middle top and 4 middle bottom plus his 4 molars. The 2 bottom molars are completely through the gum, he’s still working on the top 2 molars, they are slightly through the gum, but not completely. Ethan still only has 4 teeth (2 top, 2 bottom middle teeth).

Over the next 2 days we visited many friends in the Sydney area. It was great catching up with everyone.

Our two little boys are well and truly toddlers now. They are both walking very well and have a keen curiosity about the world. They love to explore, examine and learn about the world around them. They open draws and cupboards; they push buttons on TV’s and DVD players; they pull on cords; they pull toilet paper off the roll; they put their hands in bins and toilets; they climb on furniture without fear of falling off; they push chairs around the room and still enjoy eating all sorts of “treats” they find on the floor! With that in mind, imagine travelling with TWO curious toddlers to places that are not baby-proofed! Life at the hotel was chaotic. They boys do not appreciate being told “no” when they are only trying to explore and learn. We try so hard to let them play, but it is not always possible, and we found our self saying no, and consoling screaming toddlers a lot!

Below are some pics of the boys playing in the hotel in Sydney.

Ethan

  Ben and Ethan getting treats from Mumma. Ethan getting a treat from Mumma. Ethan Ethan Ben brushing his teeth Ethan Ethan and Ben exploring the kitchen Ben – again with his toothbrush Ethan and Ben Ethan and Ben having dinner – Ben is laughing. Ben Ethan Ethan climbing through the coffee table Ethan Ben emptying the baby bag. Both boys now love to empty things. Apparently this new skill is a developmental milestone that helps hand/eye co-ordination! Sal with Ben and Ethan early in the morning. Finally on our last day in Sydney the skies cleared and we got some sun. We took the boys to the park for a MUCH needed play outside. Below is Tracie and Ethan in the park. Ben exploring Ethan Ben feeling the sand in the sandpit. He’s never seen a sandpit before (only the sand at the beach) Ben playing in the sand and Ethan showing us his hand as if to say “Mum, I’ve got something weird on my hand, get it off for me” Ethan doesn’t like it when his hands get dirty!! Ethan Ben examining the tiles on the wall. Ethan in the sandpit. Ben and Ethan in the sandpit. This park had a very strange elevated sandpit. It was as high as the boys chests in parts, and as high as our waits in other parts. The surrounding ground was concrete. This sandpit made us both very nervous that the boys might fall out and onto the concrete, so we didn't stay long. Ben and Ethan. See the elevated sandpits behind them. Strange huh!?!? VERY cheeky Ben. Tracie and Ethan. Sal and the boys. Sal and Ethan Sal up in the climbing net looking down, and Ethan looking back up at his Mummy. Ethan and Sal, wondering what to do next. Ethan on the swing Ben on the swing Sal and Ben going down the big slide. Ethan playing at the bottom of the big slide. Ben and Sal climbing up the mountain. Ben climbed most of it himself, and only had a little help from Mummy. Ben and Sal

After an hour at the park we had lunch in the car and said goodbye to Sydney. Off to the Blue Mountains……