Riding

Today we rode the bike to the park near the One Earth Café ― it's been a long time since we've been for a ride. The park had completely changed since the last time we were there, and now has bike paths. Louka borrowed someone's scooter and was doing quite well on it, given that she's only ridden one about three times before. I'd like to buy one for her, if I can think of where to keep it. The other mums ordered pizza from Domino's, but we went to the café for lunch.

Oh no, forgot the maple syrup!

Today we visited the building site to have fish-and-chips for lunch with Graham. He keeps a bottle of tomato sauce on site: I don't know what else he uses it for. But I forgot to bring maple syrup for Louka. Luckily she was happy with the pretend stuff she brought herself.

Oceanworld and other Manly stuff

Today I suggested we take the ferry to Manly and visit Oceanworld, the aquarium there. Louka was enthusiastic and we actually managed to get out almost immediately after Play School finished.


At Circular Quay Louka asked for an ice-cream. I'd been intending to get one at Manly so I said she'd have to choose: now or later. She chose now, so she ate it mostly on the ferry.

At Manly, we walked to the end of the harbour beach and found the Art Gallery as well as Oceanworld. Louka wanted to see the gallery first, so we went there. When we'd looked at all the exhibitions (I was interested to see a big pot by John Robertson, as I have some bowls and things by him) we found some pictures set up for colouring in. That kept us occupied a little longer. Then we went to Oceanworld.

Louka wasn't as interested as I'd expected. She enjoyed putting her hands in the touch pool, but was just as interested in touching rocks and the water filter as the shells, shark eggs, sea urchins and small fish in there. In the tunnel (where I thought she'd love the sharks) she only wanted to run round and round, with a wave to the divers cleaning the windows.

She eventually consented (with just a little coercion) to go and get some lunch. We wandered back to the wharf, along the Corso and all the way to Café Steyne. There we sat in the sunny enclosed outdoor area and pondered the menu. Louka wavered between a burger and a pancake, eventually choosing the burger. But she still wanted me to have pancakes. When they arrived we ate some chips (lovely and hot and crisp) then she wanted one of my banana pancakes. I drizzled on a little maple syrup and she picked it up and ate it in her hands. When I'd finished my other pancakes I let her have the remains of the syrup. And she dipped all the remaining chips in it. Maybe I should give it a try one day...

Then we walked along the beachfront for a bit while Louka checked the bases of the Norfolk Island pine trees for "dinosaur tails" and pine seeds. I think this is what she really likes best at Manly. Though she also enjoyed the $2 ride in the Corso.

Warm winter's day

This morning was bright and sunny and I tried to entice Louka to the park, but she was engrossed in her Lego and paper and scissors. I had to go to the doctor at quarter to twelve so we eventually got out. The doctor's waiting room was very warm and we had to wait quite a while. By the time we came out Louka had flushed red cheeks and complained of the heat. So I took off her long-sleeved t-shirt and let her wear just a singlet.

I'd packed some sandwiches and apple, and since Louka preferred a bushwalk to the park, we ate them at the table in the reserve. Then we walked along the tracks, finding a bamboo grove I'd never seen before (according to Louka, a panda was living there). Then Louka remembered that there is a playground in the reserve, so we headed in that direction and played there for a while before heading home.


I checked Weatherzone when we got home, and the maximum temperature had been 24.6°C.

Museum and art gallery

Today Louka wanted to go to the museum ― it's been quite a long time. I forgot how busy it gets in the school holidays, and we had to queue to get in, and the dinosaur exhibit was very crowded. We had to wait again to use the computer to design a dinosaur, and the kids waiting meant we could only do one. So we headed to Kidspace which, being for preschoolers, wasn't as crowded.


After a while in Kidspace we had our lunch in the café ― under new management it seems, with a smaller menu and no fish and chips. Then we needed to refill Louka's water bottle so I took her to Search and Discover where there's a nice bathroom. Then we spent quite a while checking out the various bones they have there.



We then visited Trishy at the Art Gallery. We didn't feel like afternoon tea so instead we looked at the Intensely Dutch exhibition. My image of the Dutch is rather stolid, but these paintings were brightly coloured and dramatic. Louka most enjoyed the ones with extreme impasto, or even swathes of applied plaster. Maybe she's really more a sculptor than a painter.

Swatting flies

At playgroup yesterday they had painting with fly swats. The table was covered with paper, and a few flies, spiders and other insects were drawn on it. You press the fly swat onto a paint sponge and whack an insect. This really suits Louka as she loves to paint and she also loves to bang bang bang!

Beach again

So today Graham thought Louka would like to see concrete being poured (apparently all his building work is a big attraction to the kids in the park). So when I managed to get her ready, we headed for Freshwater. Unfortunately they'd just finished pouring concrete when we arrived, so we just got to see them packing up ― folding away the big boom and the legs that support the truck while pouring, hosing down all the equipment and finally backing the truck all the way out of the street.

Then, no surprise, Louka wanted to go to the beach. This time I was a little more organised and had her rashie and swimming togs. She dug in the sand, ran along the beach and climbed over rocks. After an hour though she was cold, so I wrapped her in a towel and headed to the fish and chip shop to get lunch for us and Graham. Then a little play in the park before heading home.

More Play School

Some time ago, the lovely Fiona from Ravelry suggested Louka might like to visit the Play School set and see an episode being rehearsed. At the time I thought she would probably find it a bit overwhelming, but now thought she'd probably like it. I checked with Fiona and she said we could come today.

One of Louka's friends also loves Play School, so she came along with her parents too. We met in the ABC Ultimo foyer, where Fiona approached us. Well we were the only ones with three-year-old girls in tow. She took us through a back route into the studio, where Karen and Matt were rehearsing an episode about modern forms of communication. It was funny to hear Matt say he'd twitter while waiting for Karen at the park. Both girls were nice and quiet while the rehearsal was going on. Fiona also showed us the toy cupboard, where the girls could cuddle their favourite toys. Louka chose Meeka and her friend chose Humpty. Then I got to cuddle Maurice (who doesn't have his own web page!).


When the rehearsal was finished, Matt and Karen came over to say hello to the girls, and we all had our photo taken together. Then it was time to actually film, so we had to leave. Fiona walked us out the main doors and it we headed for the shop for a souvenir. Since Louka already has all the available Play School DVDs, half a dozen Play School CDs and a big box of soft toys, we ended up buying a Trotro DVD and a Justine Clarke CD. At least Justine is on Play School.