Trying to find something new and interesting to do in the school holidays is always a challenge but last year we became members of FOZ (that's Friends of the Zoo - for those not in the know) and we have been able to pop over to the Zoo for little visits all year. It's been awesome.

The great thing is we get to have a little looky loo and then head home when we have had enough, not just hang around until we get our "moneys worth". As you probably know - smaller people have had enough fairly early in the piece and they morph from luscious to feral pretty quickly. I don't think we were the only people in Melbourne who had that inspired idea today though, as every man and his dog appeared to be there walking in front of my photo opportunities and invading my personal space.  

Alright truth be told, it may not have only been for the kids. Selfishly, I wanted to go and hang out in the humidity of the butterfly house and pretend I was on holidays, somewhere nice in the tropics. So, we cut a path through the crowds and as we made it to the butterfly house we found that it was closed for maintenance. How disappointing for me... I mean the kids.

Anyhoo, we spent about an hour or so ooohing and aaahhing over the babies. Orang-utan and elephants - that is, and in the seal and penguin enclosures which strangely we seem to have missed every time on our previous visits. We then fought our way back through the crowds - there was a huge long line out the front of people still waiting to get in to see the animals (obviously not for the serenity, as everyone else was in there taking up space too) and we still made it home in time for afternoon naps. The two year olds not mine. So I thought I should share some of our happy zoo snaps with you.

Enjoy,

Lee

I got up extra early the other day to capture the beauty that is a sunrise over suburban Melbourne. OK, so it wasn't that early. The sun didn't get going until 7.20 - so it wasn't really that much of an effort. But it was cold....... and it is beautiful

Take a moment to look outside the mundane for the beauty in everyday moments.

Enjoy,

Lee

Everyone knows it demonstrates a poor example of mothering when you set the kids up in front of the TV for hours whilst you get through your daily chores. Oh, alright, while you spend your time focused on 50 Shades of Grey.

So, in an effort to get the kids out of the house and "get more culture" into our lives, I packed up the 2 and the 9 year old (who is already on school holidays - I'm sorry, didn't we just have those, like a week ago?) and we headed off to Scienceworks at Spotswood, Melbourne.  

Scienceworks is hosting a new exhibition at the moment - Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention. (It runs until November). You have to book a time to go in, which seems to be the way things are going now with major exhibitions at museums but it wasn't overly crowded and you did not have to get out when the next group was allowed entry but it didn't matter as we'd had enough by then anyway.

It has lots of interactive stuff - as you would expect from Scienceworks but it was much more suited to kids 5 or over - my 9 year old really enjoyed it but the 2 year old just didn't get most of it. This was fixed when we went upstairs to the 'Nitty Gritty Super City', aimed at smaller kids who want to touch everything!

'Playing with Light' an exhibition which is also now on at Scienceworks until February 2013 was a clear favourite with both kids. So much fun the kids didn't even realising they were learning something at the same time.

'Playing with Light' is included in the initial entry cost but Wallace and Gromit are extra . I didn't think any of it was overly expensive for what it was - you could easily spend the whole day there and it costs about the same as going to the movies.

Don't just take my word for it, go check it out. Here is the link http://museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/ just in case you are  after some more information. 

If you find anything great for the kids to do in Melbourne during these school holidays or at any time really, I would love to hear about it.

Toodles,

Lee

As a stay at home mum my job description is varied, often sees ammendments added and new tasks are joined on to what seems like a never ending "to do" list on a daily basis.

My to do list, like every other stay at home mums includes the usual "life changing" tasks like washing, vacuuming, dinner, picking up kids and driving them about to their various appointments, like swimming lessons and the dentist. In essence my role is to keep everything rolling along at home with the least possible amount of hassle to my husband who is out doing the "actual earning". In essence, I guess you could say I am like a personal assistant to the CEO, only I work 7 days a week and I don't get a paycheck. Which is often where the frustration comes in.

I am sure I am not alone in those feelings of frustration. In being the one behind the scenes who never gets the credit. I imagine all those people who work so hard behind the scenes to create a movie, which goes onto phenomenal success must feel like that, when the "stars" of the movie are really the only ones who get a mention, no matter how important your role was.

I guess my biggest beef comes about from not being the primary account holder. You know, the husband is away at work and you are trying to handle all the day to day running of your family and a problem arises with the electricity or the phone or you have to call the bank. So you call on up to deal with the problem, between kids naps and bus stop picks up, you wait on the phone, forever,  listening to some crap muzak and some recorded voice telling you how important your call is - you finally get through to an actual person who tells you that due to the fact that you are not the primary account holder they can't help you. Due to privacy issues.... you understand. What!!?
 
This happened to me spectacularly a few years ago when my husband was in Western Australia playing golf "for business". We had just moved into a new house and there was a mix up with the electricity. Which they cut off. So my then four year old and I were sitting in a cold house, in winter, in Melbourne, where we didn't really know anyone and the sun was beginning to set on a friday afternoon. To which the electricity company "couldn't" help me because I was not the primary account holder. Eventually it was rectified after numerous angry phone calls to my husband (from me) and more angry phone calls to the electricity company (from my husband). 

As the stay at home mum, you are often not eligible to be the main account holder because your job, whilst important, is often not regarded that way in society due to the lack of financial reward it brings. So, even though you are left to organise all the bills, find the cheepest providers for services and follow up all the mail that comes through - you don't have any real sway with anyone outside of your immediate home. Not where it counts anyway. I think that is what may have happened in the United States Postal Service. So much responsiblity, rain, hail or shine and yet no actual power to speak of. No wonder the term "going Postal" has caught on.

Gotta run, I'm just on hold with the bank ...... I may just go postal yet.

Cheers,

Lee

I know it's Melbourne - where are the four seasons in one day that everyone talks about so fondly? - Not me, mind you.

Well this morning as I walked my 9 year old to the bus stop in a balmy 9 degrees it got me thinking about winter and what people actually see in it. I mean, people actually move to cold areas FOR THE COLD??? New job, new love ... whatever, I get that. I just don't get the enjoying the cold bit and moving to be closer to it.

So, in an effort to see what others see,  I looked around a little on my stroll alone back from the bus stop and took the "vision" that is winter in.

Well, still not enjoying the cold ... but who doesn't love a good puddle and a moody sky!?
I believe you've gotta find your joy where you can!!

I would love some comments on what you enjoy about winter or even better (if you are like me) what you are looking forward to doing once it gets a bit warmer. I know it's a long way off but we have just passed the shortest day of the year, so it can really only be up from here!

Find your joy,

Lee