Wendy & Mike are here: Part 1

With Wendy and Mike (Mimi and Gaga) being in America for the first time it has been amazing to share life over here with them.  We've had Mirabella's 3rd Birthday, time at the beach, sky diving, exploring Philadelphia, the "Please touch" museum and just had a nine day road-trip adventure North through seven states:
New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Pennsylvania.

Anyway it is awesome having Wendy and Mike and here are some of the highlights to date:

Bella wanted to much to swim for her birthday but running in the water and racing the waves out again tired the poor girl out.... Birthday nap on the beach with friends for Bella.

Yay we have arrived at the carnival: Bella and Abigail

Bella bear on her birthday ride

As we worked out who would be escorting Bella on her helicoper ride it because clear that "I'm three, I'm a big girl and so I'm going on the helicopter all by my self!"

She likes to be in control!

Mirabella's Birthday Dinner
"Bella what would you like for your birthday dinner?"
"Fish and rice mummy, I want mummy fish with rice"
We must be doing something right...

 Presents!!!  Bella screeched with delight when she opened her new doll house and a new baby doll that gets sick so she can act as doctor to and give it medicine.  Bella loves playing doctor role play games at the moment.... All of us have spent hours being patients & doctors; being told to take medicine, go to sleep or let your reflexes be tested.

The day after Bella's birthday was pretty much a continuation of it with the "Please Touch" Museum in Philadelphia.  A collection of exhibits designed to inspire kids and play.

The baby hospital was a real favorite of Bella's

Watch out this person just may be serving you at your nearest supermarket!

N&L Sky Diving

There have been so much happening so I feel like the blog has a bit of catching up!

So after wanting to skydive forever Lily and Nick got their chance!  So with Lily free and Wendy and Mike able to look after Bella we had no excuses! Nick thought it was appropriate that Lily have a Australian instructor and Nick have an American instructor. After signer our lives away we had a quick 15 minute training of what we needed to do…. How to exit the plane and what position to take up once we are flying through the air at 220 km/hr – amazingly you don’t get the aeroplane turbulence feeling in your stomach that you do when in a rollercoaster!Lily was super brave exiting the plane while Nick looked a little serious (trying to remember what we were instructed to do while dealing with the intense stimulus overload!). Check out the photos!

Bella not happy about "Mummydaddy" getting on an aeroplane without her

Mimi looking after Mira

On the long the way up

Calm exit

Fast way down.... Wow Jersey looks pretty from here

Soft touchdown!

August madness - Mirabella's 3rd Birthday Approaches!

Hi Folks,

It's been a few weeks since we last posted and it's mainly because we have been flat out!  Here are some photos!










Lily blogging & writing in between helping miss Bella learn all the time and being a cheeky-bean.

Bella's latest fad is "Because I love you".  This she uses in response to just about everything. 
"Why are you following me Bella?"
"Because I love you"



"Why are you feeding me playdoe you found on the floor?"
"Because I love you"







"Why are you not asleep yet Bella?"
"Because I love you and was waiting for you to get home... I love you sooooo much"



Another thing Bella is doing a lot of lately is hunting and finding bunny rabbits and crickets.... We also had fireflies earlier in the summer and they were a real treat! Putting them in jars and them becoming her best friend instantly.
"I love Mr Firefly, I want to hold and cuddle him!"



We have been exploring creativity and imagination also with masks, doctors toys (Bella loves to take our temperature and give us band aids and kisses to make us all better) and making things (a giraffe is her's and Lily's latest creation!



Grug is still her favourite book but Hairy Mclairy and Doc McStuffins are close equal seconds.



Bella also received her first BBF bracelet made my the kids next door.  Our 6  and 11 year old neighbours both joust over who is Bella's best friend; meanwhile Bella is dodging hugs from everyone and being cheeky ;-)

Only two sleeps till Mimi and Gaga come! (Wendy & Mike) A week until Bella turns 3!

2 Day family holiday in NYC and South South Jersey

So we had an excuse to go to NYC, my interview at a local energy engineering consulting company and so we were in the city taking in the sitghts and sounds.  The interview went well and afterwards I met Bella and Lily at a cafe on the Lower East Side called "Teany's" which was started by Moby in the early norties.  All the food being vegetarian or vegan I had my Canadian "bacon" bagel washed down with a  dates, strawberry and banana smoothie, TASTY.  Lily and Bella had just eaten a rice dish at a local Asian restaurant as per Bella's request for "RICE". It was here that Mirabella the little rebel found something she really loved:    A motorbike in her size!

After a big morning of adventure in the city and playing on the 2 playgrounds she spotted, it was time for a nap.

The next day we headed out to Parvin State Park near Vineland NJ. On the way there were cornfields, farms, horses, deer farms and many producers selling blueberries, tomatoes and all sorts of seasonal fruits and veg; it was the true country.  We even spotted some Confederate flags, true blue patriots! Once we arrived at the park there were awesome forest walks and a big lake with a beach were Bella and Nick worked as lifeguards.

Much love Bella, Nick and Lily