Easter 2016

We have had a relaxing Easter weekend so far. It has even been raining most of today (Saturday) which is the first time it has happened since living here. It's not Easter unless it rains!
The Easter Bunny left some treats on Friday morning and hidden eggs throughout the Garage. This of course helped Amita and Lizzie be in a silly mood (which made for some good photos)!

Lizzie hijacking Amita's bunny ears she made at school.

Here's Amita trying to cuddle her sister while Lizzie is kissing some imaginary thing! Amita has some leftover bunny face-paint on her face from yesterday's school celebration day.

Later on we did a bit of Easter egg and rabbit painting. Lizzie takes an expressionist approach to her painting and is going through her 'black period!' :)

Amita takes her inspiration from rainbows. 

I let each of the girls choose an Easter treat/dessert to make for Friday night. Lizzie's choice was Humpty Dumpty chocolate moulds.

Amita made some little dirt cakes. They taste a lot better than it sounds! We used yogo on the bottom, then a layer of crushed Oreos (the dirt), a layer of green coconut (grass) and some little Easter Eggs to decorate. 

Here they are trying out their new sets of pyjamas from the Easter Bunny. 

We've been filling up our Easter tree with ornaments that represent a story or teaching from Jesus' life. 

We also planted a garden to help us remember the Saviour and his sacrifice for us, and that because He lives again, we will all live again too! 

Laurel Bank Park

We visited a really cool park in Toowoomba called Laurel Bank Park. It is huge! It has some great and different features that I haven't seen before. There are interesting garden statues all over of animals, dinosaurs and even some pixies having a fight! The giant flower beds of sunflowers, lavender and chilli means that there are butterflies and insects flying all over the place. It is sort of half fairy garden - half playground, and we love fairy gardens in this house so we had a great time.

With a cute dog statue. 

In front of all the sunflowers (I think Amita is trying to show me how she can click).

Being adorable on the playground.

Showing off her gymnastic skills. 

With Minnie and Mickey. 

Loving the swings!

Under the big arch - making my Sound of Music dreams come true!

Amita's High Five Award

Amita got the class award this week on Parade. It says:

For being an engaged and enthusiastic learner. 

Amita, you put 100% into all of your work. Well done!!

Amita was so happy that her award says 100 on it. She thought it must be pretty good then!
I don't think Amita has ever gotten an award that didn't say something about her being enthusiastic. On the 2nd day of school her teacher asked me if her jumping up and down on the spot habit was a sign that she needs to go to the toilet. I said, 'no, she just does that when she's excited,' She must be bouncing around the classroom like a jellybean all the time to be an enthusiastic learner!

Spiders

A conversation I had with Amita after she spotted a rather large Daddy Long Legs Spider behind the laundry door.

Amita: I don't like that Daddy Legs spider. It's scary!

Me: Don't worry, Daddy Long Legs are good spiders. They won't hurt you.

Amita: I still don't like it. I don't like the ones with Daddy legs, only the ones with sister legs!

1st Day of School 2016

Amita has begun Prep. She is currently in a P/1 composite class but we will have to wait for the day 8 numbers to go in to see if she gets moved around. She was so excited to start school and very pleased to find out her best friend from Kindy last year, Edward, is in her class with her. No tears from any of us!

Lizzie has started going to daycare 2 days a week and I have my name down to do supply teaching at the Primary School for those days. 

Lizzie's 1st day of daycare

Our poser!

A bit of sibling rivalry.

 Amita at her new desk. 

Box Trolls

A movie that is very popular in our house right now is 'Box Trolls.' It fits in perfectly with Amita's love of dressing up and making things out of recyclables. And Lizzie loves it because she gets to play with Amita. Amita likes to draw a shoe on her box and that means Lizzie gets to be the Egg. This is what happened last time they played Box Trolls. They are so very cute! 

Christmas on the Coast

We were lucky to be able to have a nice 2 week long holiday back with family at the end of the school year. Steve had been called as 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric and we needed to head to Stake Conference to get him set-apart and then got to spend a few days at Gramps and Gramsi's house. We then spent a week in an apartment on the beach and stayed at Nan and Pa's house for Christmas. We loved it!

Posing in front of the giant Christmas Wreath at Dreamworld.

There were not many young children around at Dreamworld so we went on all of the ABC rides without having to wait too long. Dorothy's rosy tea ride.

Meeting Dorothy after the show. Amita danced throughout the whole show and was dripping in sweat by the end - it did not bother her one bit. 

Bed times were a breeze. We had so much fun during the day that they always feel asleep easily at night. 

We love the Carrara Markets Santa. You take your own photos so it's free and he gave the girls a little fairy doll present too. 

Lizzie and Arden playing together at the Green family Christmas party. 

Amita learnt how to swim without floaties!

Having fun with Nan on the swing.

This year it's Lizzie that is scared of the water at the beach. Amita has gotten over her fear and loves it again (You can see her and Steve in the background). 

Special family dinner out in Surfers Paradise at Pancakes in Paradise (I still think that my homemade pancakes are much better). 

 We didn't bring any toys with us on our holidays but Lizzie still found a way to play. She loved getting these out of the fridge and stacking them. 

Lizzie got a bubble machine for Christmas and Amita is trying to pop the bubbles with her nose here. 

Buckle family nativity play on Christmas Eve. Amita is Mary, Lizzie is a Shepherd and Steve is Joseph.

Lizzie's new balance bike. She's pretty good at it and pretends to do little jumps on it. 

Amita got an Evie and Mal doll from the Disney movie "Descendants."

Lizzie is very happy with her Peppa Pig castle though keeps wondering where Mummy Pig is (she is not included in the set). I might need to find one for her. 

Amita's Goldiblocks Engineering set from the Jeffrey's was a big hit!

Undoubtedly Lizzie's favourite present of the day were the Russian Dolls that Amita got for her... and being with Nan! 

Boxing day was spent at the Wroe's. The girls got to meet their cousin Maddie for the first time and gets loads more presents!