TAKING THE GRANDCHILDREN ON A HOLIDAY

Besides going to Brissie for Max's Birthday our other reason for going was to bring the grandchildren back to Rockhampton with us for a week's holiday.  We had loaded most of Christmas presents in the car to bring down and leave in Brissie this trip so that we would have room in the car to bring the Grandchildren back with us next week. 

I still had a little more Christmas shopping to do, so today Sarah and I went out to complete this mission as I wanted it all finished before leaving Brissie.  I didn't want to have to worry about it or do it whilst the kids were home with us...

We have a pretty chilled out morning at home the following morning after the party as  both the kids were a little emotional after the huge day previously.

 Steve and I headed off around lunch time to finish the bit of Christmas shopping that we still had to do.  Whilst I hate the crowds at this time of the year,  I do love all the decorations and the real buzz of activity at Christmas time...

Getting into the festive spirit with shirt and earrings...

 It didn't take us too long to get through our list, and it meant that we could go home with peace of mind and not have to worry about trying to complete our Christmas shopping with the children around...

 There were lots of little Christmas pop up stalls down the large corridors in the shopping centres,... I guess it is the Aussie way of doing the European Christmas markets...  Too hot to hold them out doors,  so into the centre of the air conditioned shopping centres they set up..  Loved seeing a lot of these decorations though that reminded us of Christmas inn Europe....

 I do love this time of the year... It is such a special family time, and a magical season. 

Dan and Chloe were keen to catch up with us again before we left to drive home,  we hadn't seen as much of them this weekend as we had stayed at Sarah and Colin's so that we could be around for Max's birthday.  We decided to all head together to Wynnum for a family tea of fish and chips beside the sea.

It meant we could take the kids scooters and there would also be a playground close by for the children to play on whilst the adults caught up.

 The kids had a great time playing.  It is really a lovely play area with a beach or ocean theme.  I think the problem was going to be getting them off the equipment to come and have dinner.  Whilst they were playing, Steve and Sarah walked across the road to the fish and chip shop to order our dinner...

 Interestingly enough, whilst they were playing,  someone recognized me and called out to me,  it turned out to be Brian,  a friend of our good friends Ian and Kathy who had been living with them for quite a while and whom we had met when ever we had visited them.  He was down here doing the sane thing as we were with his fiance Laurel and her grandchildren.  I got a chance to meet his fiance and she seems really lovely.  They were getting married down at Wynnum in the next couple of days...

It wasn't long after this that Dan and Chloe arrived and then Steve and Sarah arrived back with our dinner.....

Chloe bought down an assortment of cheese, crackers and dips for us to enjoy...

 The children were tired and fell asleep in the car heading home...
Steve and I packed the car for our big drive back first thing in the morning,,,,

We wanted an early start as we had a long way to drive with the children and we knew that we wiuld need several stops along the way...

They woke up the following morning very keen on hoping in the car and starting their holiday with us,  

Ready for a road trip

It was a long day and we did make several stops to give them a break.  Our first stop was at Curra the northern side of Gympie where we stopped for fuel and for an ice cream.

We then stopped in Childers at McDonalds to feed the children and we also got to catch up with friends Lyn and Milton Hobbs who came to visit us whilst we were there. 

Our final stop on our way home was at Mirriam Vale where we gave the kids a good play on the playground there whilst Steve walked down the road to the service station to buy some crab sandwiches.   We ate them whilst the kids played.  Max wasn't too keen to hop back into the car, he wanted to keep playing (what 4 year old wants to stop playing).

They were really well behaved on the trip today, so much so that I congratulated them on their excellent behaviour, and it was then that Willow mentioned that they needed to be good because Skittles was in the car watching them.  (Skittles is a whole new story waiting to be told)