Carols by Candlelight
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
 Last week we partook in what used to be an Allison family tradition - Carols by Candlelight. We'd planned to go to a couple of different Carols earlier in the month but the previously mentioned rain had meant they were cancelled. These Carols were at Stage 88 (Commonwealth Park) and weren't totally immune to rain as the photo of Max Walter and his Mum Al Jones show. Anyway did I tell you these Carols are the 2nd longest running in Australia? It was a lovely Christmasy evening, we did some singing and left before A&Z turned into total pumpkins (there was partial pumpkinisation). The girls enjoyed it and late in the show did a bit of dancing although I suspect this had more to do with the chocolate crackles they had just consumed than the music.
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O Xmas Tree, O Xmas Tree...
Sunday, 19 December 2010
A&Z are much closer to getting Christmas this year - there is confused talk of Santa, present wrapping and even the occasional, excited, early gift ("say thank you girls"). The one bit they are pretty sure of though is the Christmas tree as we, like Chevy Chase's Griswald family, trekked down to Belco Markets last weekend and strapped a tree to the roof of the car. The whole family decorated the tree with only a few breakages - even Molly helped as the bottom photo shows. Since then the girls have also helped decorate Grandma & Grandpas tree and there has been much Christmas tree spotting wherever we go. Tis the season!
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Rain
Sunday, 19 December 2010
So what's special about this photo? Well this is Scrivener Dam - the dam wall that holds back Lake Burley Griffin. Over the last few months, like a lot of SE Australia, Canberra has had a lot of rain which culminated a week ago with the flooding of Queanbeyan - the flood waters flowing into LakeBG. The consequence was this - a dam wall which normally, literally, has a controlled trickle of water being released but on this night was a mini Niagara Falls. We, like it seems half of Canberra, came down to check out this very uncommon sight.
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Phrases
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
There are a few phrases getting a workout round our house these days. I'll give you a sample (in random and unrelated order): Zoe: "I do it MYSELF!!!!!!" Abby: "Bit hard..... Daddy do it?" (last part said in rising, cute tone designed to play Daddy beautifully) Abby: "I show you something, I show you something" (said imploringly while tugging at your hand) Mummy/Daddy: "What do you want Zoe?" (often hard to hear above the sound of tantrum) Mummy/Daddy: "Abby I can't understand you with your dummy in.." (said with exasperation) Abby/ Zoe: "What you saying/doing?" (usually said when it is bloody obvious what we are doing....) Abby/Zoe: "I'm a thirsty hippo!" (Lovely adaption from when either of them are eating a lot and I say they are "Hungry Hippos")
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Bus Wash
Monday, 13 December 2010
How good is this? The other highlight of last Monday (it was a big day!) was the Mothers Group FREE trip on the Action Bus to the Action "Bus Wash". Yep Action Buses (give them another plug), our local bus company, came out to the local park in one of their finest (and dirtiest) buses, picked the mothers and kids up, drove them to the Bus Depot, gave em a bit of a tour and took the Bus through the "Bus Wash". All for free! As you'd expect the kids were pumped with plenty of very wide eyes and presumably the Mums were impressed by the Bus Drivers Tour Guide's description of the difference between the Renault and Volvo Buses. 
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Big Walk
Thursday, 9 December 2010
On Monday the girls (and somewhat bravely Belinda) decided they would walk, with their prams, over to Jammo (aka Jamison Shopping Centre). Its hard to imagine the level of excitement and pleasure this trip produced for A&Z but perhaps it is best summarised by Abby running along calling out "I'm laughing Mummy!!!" (while laughing!). Stones, flowers and blades of grass were examined, prams were stacked with shopping and the walk home was just as enjoyable. Did I mention it took 3 hours? 
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Friends
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
 For a lot of Zoe & Abby's lives we've been told by other parents that we'll get benefits from twins in terms of having a playmate soon...... Well it seems soon has arrived! Over the last month both Belinda and I have noticed lots of games emerging - pushing dolls in prams together, doing jigsaws together, playing shops (did I mention this was together?), taking turns to tuck each other into bed or wash hands or wear their "jewelry". Not saying there is not still periods of intense entertainment required from Belinda and I, and certainly it regularly requires some refereeing, but overall its very nice.
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Discipline II
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Zoe and Abby spent about 30mins this arvo following up from last weeks discipline-play. They were playing a game that involved both of them advising me Abby had been naughty and drawn on the floor, Abby would then go into the laundry and close the door while Zoe went into the kitchen and (in front of me) pretended to scrub the floor. Zoe would then scuttle back to the laundry, ask if Abby was "ready" and they'd start the game again but with roles reversed. *sigh*
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Discipline
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
So tonight Abby was a wee-bit 'tired and emotional' by dinner time. As a part of this she wasn't that keen on sitting at the table during dinner making regular non-parent-approved departures from the table. I escalated her through our various ham-fisted versions of time out keeping relatively cool until I realised one of her sojourns from the table had included drawing with textas* on the floor. At that point I got a little more animated, still within legal & ethical limits, but time out then started being in the laundry - previous uses of time outs in the laundry had been something Abby really didn't like and had caused the desired effect. This time she didn't get too upset but it did seem to help her to get back on the prescribed McCrae family evening routine. So that all sounds good (well it wasn't much fun for either of us but you know it seemed to work and we survived) until I noticed the game both Abby & Zoe played for the rest of the evening. I'm not sure what to make of it but the game involved taking it in turns telling their dolls (Zoe's 'Lady' and Abby's 'Dolly') they had been naughty, locking Lady/Dolly in the laundry and then advising me with a head-shake that "Lady/Dolly had drawn on the floor". I guess it means they get it but it didn't seem like a punishment they feared! The night finished with Lady & Dolly left in the laundry with a blanket over them. Abby & Zoe are gonna be tough Mums if that keeps up! * Note when BA got home she told me Zoe did the drawing on the floor yesterday! Dough!
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Pajama Day at the Y
Friday, 29 October 2010
Wednesday was 'Pajama Day' at the Y (as you do) so we were instructed to, this bit is tricky, have the girls go to the Y dressed in their Pajamas! Our first dress up day! The girls, as can be seen, got to wear their pajamas and the dressing gowns Belinda had made them. We also put hankies in their pockets, and I think had just done this before the photo hence the hands in pockets. A&Z thought it was terrific, looked very cute and it took about 10mins off getting ready time which was very handy! 
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Jonno
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Our friend Jonno (and host of this very user friendly website ==> see details below ;) ) stayed at our place for the weekend so he could come to the party. Jonno is a dab hand with little people and while Abby was a little wary Zoe took to Jonno like a duck to water. Nose nuzzling, asking where Jonno was and general laughter were all part of the Jonno-Zoe friendship. Since he's left we've been advised the shower is "jonnos shower", that the girls picked up Jonno at the airport on the weekend and when Belinda went to Sydney for work during the week she went on a plane "like Jonno".
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Dave's 40th
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
 Yep Dave Searle is 40! It was good friend Dave's 40th on the weekend and he had a bit of a party to celebrate. A&Z were dispatched to Grandma & Grandpas for the night and Belinda and I very quickly switched to life PK (pre-kids). Really enjoyable night with a black & white theme (hence the cake) and catching up with many friends. In fact it was amazing how easy we did slip into PK life - the main difference appeared to be that hangovers are much much worse now......
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The things we say...
Monday, 25 October 2010
We are starting to notice the girls saying things that we parents say - "C'mon", "Maybe" are things that little girls have repeated back at us in just the same tone as Belinda or I says them. I realised I mostly call the girls one of three affectionate names - "Cheeky Monkey", "Little Girl" or "Big Girl" - after overhearing the following convo in front of Play School: Abby: "You Cheeky Monkey?" Zoe: "No" A: "You Big Girl?" Z: "No, I Little Girl" A: "I Cheeky Monkey" (said conclusively)
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Spring
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Spring has arrived (although you wouldnt know it this weekend) so we've been getting outside a little more. The trampoline, slide, swing and weeds are all back in vogue, the latter with a vengeance. Last weekend though A&Z had a great deal of fun doing some gardening, in particular planting lettuces, "Zoes pumpkins" (official title), leeks, beans and silverbeet. Plenty of enthusiasm and I'm sure very helpful to Belinda.
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Family
Monday, 11 October 2010
Of course the main point of time away was catching up with McCraes. A&Z really loved spending time with Cousins Isabelle, Ruby & Molly. Many "kids dinners" (5.30pm) were had at Auntie Nikki & Uncle Leighs place and with the cousins and toys to play with it was great - so good that I got to watch not one but two Grand Finals in p&q!!! (OK I gave up on the 2nd GF at half time). We also went to the Melbourne Zoo and were very lucky to see the Baby Elephant. 
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