Cumba Wamba

Louka and I have being playing rocket ships for a while now.

This involves lying on the bed, putting our feet into the pillow slips of our pillow, putting the blanket over our heads and counting down to zero to blast off. I asked her once what the we were getting into (pillows) and she replied "Cumba Wambas"!

Moments after blasting off, Louka would announce we have arrived and we get up and go hunting for monsters. We would find one and then get a little bit scared and race back to our rocket ships with the monster close behind us. We would just manage to escape.

There are variations on this which might include rescuing Jungle (her doll) from the monster and my variation which involves trying to find a giant chicken while riding on my back.

This all sounds like fun and very interesting, but after a dozen times, I have worn a hole in my pillow slip and pine for something different - maybe something like sleeping.

Not a hip-hop dancer

I've heard good things about the Eveleigh Farmers Markets, and today I found that they also run children's activities each Saturday in conjunction with the markets. The rain is still around but it seemed mostly dry, so we headed off in our rain jackets.

Today's activity turned out to be a hip-hop dance lesson. It was supposed to be from three years up, but it was way beyond Louka's abilities. Not that she's that physically co-ordinated. She had fun for a short while, but it wasn't the sort of dancing she thought it would be, so we headed off to the markets.


There were quite a few stalls we'd seen at other markets (North Sydney and Blackheath) as well as a few new to us. Including a cupcake stall. After trying most of the available free samples (Louka loves free samples) she insisted on a cupcake. We grabbed coffees and found a table and sat down to enjoy them. Louka sat and admired the cupcake, and eventually pulled off the butterfly wings to eat, but then ate no more, so I packed it up to take home. I bought some lamb sausages for dinner and bread rolls for lunch, then headed home.


On the way back to the station, Louka enjoyed the skipping girls painted on the fence.

Little tired girl

Today it wasn't raining and it was sunny in the morning. We decided to dust down the bike and go for a ride. I took us to a park at Willoughby that we'd only been to once before. It doesn't have a lot of play equipment ― swings, slides, bouncy kangaroos and pelicans ― but the setting is lovely, full of trees and whimsical sculptural things.

After the obligatory swing session, Louka discovered a slide with a big stone snake nestled at the bottom. We had to creep past the snake to avoid waking it and making it HISSSSSSSSSSSS.


The other slide had a safety cage at the top, to protect me from the savage Louka lion.


There were funny fences and pretty flowers, and birds to chase.



It was also handy to Louka's favourite date smoothie café for lunch. After lunch I thought she might like to go back to the park, but she opted for home. When I stopped the bike to open the garage door, I saw that she'd fallen asleep.

Another wet playgroup

Yesterday the sun came out, and the mothers group convened in a park for the first time in ages. So we were looking forward to playgroup today, and hoping to be able to play in the park after lunch at the One Earth Café. But guess what, it rained again. Playgroup was still fun, and we enjoyed our lunch (with Diane and Kiana). Instead of going to the little playground round the corner, we bought the girls some hand-knitted finger puppets from Peru. Louka chose a lady and a dog, and Kiana chose two ducks.

Maybe the rain will go away soon?

Twins birthday

We were invited to Max and Lindsay's birthday dinner, so first there was shopping to do. Lindsay's present was easy to find ― she wanted a backpack and cap, and she likes pink, and pink backpacks and caps are readily available. Max's present was more difficult. He wanted tracksuit pants, and he likes red. We tried DJs, Myer, SDS, KMart, Target, and a couple of other surf shops, in vain. All tracksuit pants are black, blue or grey. So we got him some black ones with red text, and a black-and-red top to go with them. I was also asked to provide the birthday cake. It seemed easier to buy one than to commit to making one, so I ordered a chocolate mud cake from Pattisons. They recommended the large size.

I was just packing up the presents when I noticed the electronic tag had been left on Lindsay's backpack. So we had to go to SDS to get it removed. In the same trip we picked up the cake. Then home, because Louka needed a nap.

She woke at 5, so I bustled her into the car (after changing her out of wet pants ― oops). Of course we hit the peak-hour traffic in Lane Cove Road, and it took us about an hour to get there. Oh well, it was only to be expected. Picked up Graham walking from the station and arrived right on 6.30.

Once arrived, Louka grabbed Max's hand and said "Come". I didn't see her again till dinner was served, and then she was having too much fun laughing with the twins to eat any of the lovely pizza Micky had made. But she did have room for cake. It was a very nice cake, but only half got eaten.


Then Louka dragged the twins upstairs again and we grown-ups had a little talk together. Of course there was a little upset when it was time to take Louka home, and there was a tantrum about going to bed. But it was a good party.

Playgroup again

After the success of the North Sydney playgroup, Louka had a cold last week so we skipped it. But this week, in spite of showers, we went again. This time, Kiana and her mum also made it. Louka and Kiana went their separate ways at playgroup, until parachute time at the very end. Louka was most interested in the room set up as a café, which replaced the train room last time we were there.


But then we all went to NOC for lunch, where they played a bit together with the toys there. Then I mentioned to Diane that Sirocco Homewares has a sand tray that Louka enjoyed, so we went there after lunch. Diane bought a few things, and I bought Louka a toy dustpan and brush and myself a book about beach houses (I hope it provides us some inspiration).

Mothers day breakfast

Louka and Graham took me out to breakfast today.

I got my present, the entertainment book, when I woke up, so I browsed through it for cafés open for breakfast. I'd heard No Ordinary Café recommended for kids, and it said it had plenty of parking, so off we went. At first, it seemed to be all booked out; the tables we saw had reserved signs on them, but on enquiry we were shown to a table in the back courtyard. Upon which it started to rain. It had been pleasant and sunny for the past few days, so the rain was rather unexpected. It started to rain on Graham's back so he pulled the table, chair and gas heater further under the roof.


Then the drinks and food started to arrive, and everything started to cheer up. The drinks were hot, the helpings were generous and tasty, and the waitress turned the heater up to full. In the end, we really enjoyed our breakfast. And just when we were ready to leave, the rain paused long enough for us to get back to our car without getting wet.

Visit to Miki, Natalie and Ethan

Miki doesn't make it to mothers group all that often, she's got a lot on. But today she invited us all round to her place. She has a lovely spacious house and a lawn to play on, which was great for the kids. Sarah brought some face paints and Louka became a tiger. We all brought food (Louka helped me make banana muffins). It's always so nice to meet at someone's home, though Miki must have had a lot of cleaning up to do after we'd all left.

North Sydney playgroup

One of the other mothers in our mothers group had enthused about the North Sydney playgroup, and I'd been meaning to go for some time. Today we got off early to get there at 10am and secured a spot in the Ridge St carpark.

It turned out to be located in the playground near the North Sydney council buildings (where we play after the Northside Produce Markets) as well as three rooms of the adjoining building. These were set up with toys, crafts and train sets. Outside were ride-on toys and painting easels.

The only organised activities were some sport (which I couldn't persuade Louka to try) and a sing-along (which she enjoyed). But there was enough to do to keep her interested for the two hours ― in fact we could have stayed much longer.

All the fun of the fair

I was browsing the Webchild calendar and found that a church in Epping was running a family fun day today.

It was a pretty small affair, but it had two bouncy castles, sheep, goats, guinea pigs, chickens and ducks, face painting, balloons, play dough, fresh juices and sausages. We stayed the full three hours and it was hard to drag Louka away. And it was all free.