Flat Stanley Visit the Knights in Tara

We were all happy to welcome Flat Stanley to Tara. Tara is a small country town in the Western Downs. It has a vibrant and friendly rural atmosphere and is known for cattle and sheep grazing area. The people are very friendly, so Flat Stanley’s stay with us was definitely great. He was tagging along with us wherever we went. As soon as Flat Stanley arrived in our house in Tara, we introduced him to all the members of the family. The kids loved him as soon as they saw him. Joshua and Isabella want to take him wherever they go. Flat Stanley just tagged along with us wherever we went. On Saturday we went to the Bunya Mountains for a picnic with some friends and we did a 4-km trek. The place was so beautiful. It shelters the world’s largest stand of ancient bunya pines and is a home to some forest animals like frogs, wallabies, shrub turkeys, among others. Birdlife is also abundant, with brightly-coloured parrots being popular visitors to picnic areas. We enjoyed feeding the birds and Flat Stanley did too. We all had a great time with our nature adventure at the Bunyas. The picnic was all the more enjoyable since we spent it with some friends from Toowoomba.

On Sunday we took him to a friend’s birthday party. We all had fun and I think Flat Stanley did too. There were lots of people and lots of food. They even had a “pig on the spit.” We love food and we love Flat Stanley. He is like no other friend and is unique in his own kind of way, the kind of friend who can fit in your pocket. And so he did.

On Monday, we just stayed at home. I was busy doing the chores while Joshua and Isabella enjoyed playing with the toys and watched Thomas the Tank engine on TV. Flat Stanley joined in every activity. He was happy to help me in the kitchen for a while, then gladly joined the kids for a play. He did enjoy dancing to some songs on TV while Isabella held Flat Stanley’s feet and swayed her body to the music as well (see picture below).



When I took Joshua and Isabella outside to play with balls and bikes, Flat Stanley sneaks in and playfully teased the kids by getting into every place. He jumped in on top of the pole, then lied himself on Joshua’s tennis racket (see picture below).





They all giggled and really had fun playing. The day ended with a warm bath and a nice dinner. Flat Stanley also enjoyed the storytime with Joshua before bedtime.

The following day was Flat Stanley’s last day with us, we took him for a walk. We showed him around town. We took him to a nearby shop, showed him the school which is only about a 5-minute walk from home. He was so happy seeing the swimming pool as well. It was a bit cold so we didn’t go for a swim, but I think Flat Stanley would be happy to jump in the pool for a bit of a swim. I guess we can take him next time he visits us again in the future. Flat Stanley was amazed at the sight of the birds in our verandah and was so curious about the sound that he often heard at night. I can’t seem to figure out what it was but I told him that it will remain a mystery, a mystery that can only be unraveled when he comes back, he smiled and said, I will definitely come back.

A Taste of Europe in Cabarlah and Highfields?

I haven't been to Europe but I have been dreaming of visiting the place someday. My knowledge of it was only based on second hand information, hmmm... made me wonder how it feels like to see and be in the place.  Well, check this one out, do you really think you can have a bit of taste of Europe when you go to Highfields and Cabarlah?  Well, you may not agree with me, but one thing is for sure. I really enjoyed visiting these places. A quaint and lovely place with a few but really exciting shops to explore. Had a chance to visit these two places one rainy Spring time, I think it was back in 2010.

Here's Paul, Joshua and Isabella in front of Black Forest Hill in Cabarlah. Lovely shop. You can get the best Cuckoo Clock you are looking for. 

Here's also a collection of our photos when we were there. See for yourself and if you've been to Europe, let me know if you can find similar places like this :)

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http://www.highfieldsvillage.com.au/pioneer_village

Source: ytravelblog.com via Falon on Pinterest

Camping and Fishing

Happy Birthday Lolo!

It is a family tradition to send birthday greeting and presents. I can't think of the easiest and the quickest birthday present for Tatay (my Dad), so I've thought of making this short video clip of his grandchildren, Joshua and Isabella and send it to him as a birthday present. Happy birthday Lolo! We love you :)

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Storytime: Dinosaurs!

I was really glad to be given the opportunity to work on the Dinosaur theme of the storytime at the public library. With the help of my friends, Prima and Cheryl, the kids really had an exciting experience of going back in time. Fun time at the Dino-land.

Joshua's Playtime

All work and no play makes Joshua a dull boy. Here's a glimpse of Joshua's playtime at the playgroup, storytime and at the Playschool concert. He is such a blessed little man to be able to experience a diverse type of learning and development through activities at the playgroup, craft and storytime at the public library and a once-off experience of a live Playschool concert. The joy on his face shows it all "I'm having a lot of fun Mum" !

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Family Fun

FUN is just being together! A collection of our family fun scrapbook, the first I've digi-scrap using smilebox so far. Find it really easy to have a user-friendly assistant to play with colours and designs. Isn't it good to just look back and recall your fun moments with family? I feel obligated to do this for my kids and my future grandchildren.

"We do not remember days; we remember moments." ~Cesare Pavese

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