One Year Older and Wiser Too

Forest is Four! It Boggles my mind how fast he has grown up! Where did my teeny-tiny 6lb 12oz baby go? And who is this big boy with attitude and a hilarious personality? It has been a fun four years to watch Forest grow and learn, he is one really special boy who has taught me so much and has helped me grow up too.

We celebrated Forest's birthday a couple days early so his grandparents, who were visiting, could join in the celebration. We also spread the party-ing over a couple days so we could pack in all the activities we wanted to do. Yay for fun Birthdays!

The first day of Forest's birthday celebration was spent at the zoo (i will post pictures of that day later) and the second day Forest woke up to a house decorated just for him.

We followed the McBride tradition and sang Happy Birthday to Forest when he woke up and as he ran through his decorated door.Before leaving to go biking up in Manly, Forest got to open one present! When we got home from biking we sang Happy Birthday one more time and Forest blew out his candles (sorry no picture of him with his cupcakes or blowing out the candles, I took a video which I am having a hard time downloading to blogger)

p.s. he really did have 4 candles on the cupcakes the one was just getting lit at the time the photo was taken.After cupcakes, and to Forest's great delight, he (finally) got to open the rest of his presents. Forest is the best at opening presents, He gets so excited about each and every gift.

He is also so sweet and will thank who ever gave him the gift over and over.In this picture Forest is yelling "AWESOME!"Forest showing off his gigantic muscles and his awesome new gift! Happy Birthday Forest we love you so so so so so so much!

Splishin' and a splashin'

While staying at the Meriton (our temporary housing for the first month) there was a swimming pool that we played in almost everyday. Thanks to the life jacket/ arm floaties Westly learned how to "swim".

See his little legs moving? again he is kicking with his legs aww such a cutie! We all loved the pool and I have to admit I miss not having it around.

The COOLEST Park!

Alright get ready to be amazed! Seriously. The boys and I found the Coolest park while living in the CBD.

So to start off I am going to show pictures of our favorite area at the park, the water area. The water area is where the boys and I like to play the most. Running throughout the water area are streams with moving walls that children can move to direct water into different passageways. Forest is demonstrating this in the picture bellow. Also dams can be lifted to release water

Westly demonstrating how he uses the dams

See how much fun the kids are having?!
there are pushing things

spinning thingslever things (try not to get lost with my technical terms here) in the picture bellow: when a child turns the huge wheel the water flows down into the funnel and then spins down and out... pretty awesome!

there are other play items in the water park as well that are not pictured just so you know. Another fun area in the water area (although neither of my kids think it is too fun) is the splash pad

Adjacent to the water area is a sand pit with awesome diggers

and slidesAmazed with this park yet? No? Well on the other side of the sand area is the biggest slide on planet earth (that is an adult at the top of the slide)You have to climb up a rock wall to go down the slide. There is also this huge climbing structure

a smaller climbing area for the less brave

a zipline and much much more! Its pretty much the best park (atleast here in Sydney) .

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On a totally unrelated topic look at the cockatoo! The boys and I saw him while on a walk.

Lego Men and Sharks

To do a little catch up, here are pictures from our first trip to the Sydney aquarium. I am tired tonight so there wont be a story just a little caption about some of the pictures. Enjoy!

To start off with, here is a picture a huge Lego man. For some reason throughout the aquarium there are heaps of Lego statues. I am not sure why they are at the aquarium but they are all really cool and totally impressive!

Forest and his best mate
Westly doesn't know what to think about the spider crab having longer legs than him.
I am not sure where Forest learned this pose.
One of the underwater tunnels this a dugong or it is often called the "sea cow"

an eagle ray-it is HUGE!!!

Westly is so cute! I just want to squeeze him!

Forest eating a snack while watching the sharks

This is Westly looking through the floor at the shark underneath (sorry it is blurry)Such pretty fish!last but not least: our photogenic friend.

Thanksgiving 2011

Even though Thanksgiving is not celebrated here in Australia we didn't want to miss out on the festivities and food. So today we will be filling our tummies with turkey and pies with some new friends and yesterday the boys and I did some Thanksgiving crafts to get into the holiday spirit!

This is Forest's hand-print-Mayflower And Westly's Mayflower.We also made these beauties

(I know you are all jealous of Forest and his effortless smile, don't you all wish you had such a photogenic kid) Westly and his footprint turkey

(Unlike his brother Westly LOVES the camera and starts smiling as soon as I get it out.)

The weather has felt the holiday spirit and has been raining/ pouring non stop for the past 4+ days! Wonderful! (I am not being sarcastic by the way, it really is wonderful!)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!