Trick-or-Treat!

Isabelle was too cool for school and opted out of the DESS year 4 disco. However, she still wanted to dress up and join the neighbourhood kids in trick-or-treating around the compound. Sister witches. Which witch is which? Even dogs dress up in Green Village. Matilda and Lewis scored big tonight. Happy happy. Joy joy. Or is that just the candy talking?

Halloween Disco @ DESS

Matilda attends the ghoulish disco at school. But first, a photosession at home. Look scary, Matilda. But Mummy, I'm a nice witch. Oh, OK. With BFF Zombie Mimi.

Toothless Grin

Matilda finally lost her first tooth. The best part is she pulled it out herself!

Perhaps another budding dentist in the family???

Show jumping @ QEF

We spent the afternoon together at Qatar Equestrian Federation

local show jumping competition.
Wow, they really fly!

Cookie Time

Matilda and Isabelle went looking for something to do...

and came up with baking & decorating cookies at 6.30am this morning.

The end result was a lot of mess and many good-looking cookies!

Final week in Perth...

Saturday morning pottery with Grandma.

Non-stop playing with great new friends from the cul de sac in Leeming.

Mmm... banana smoothie and pancakes at Naked Fig Cafe.

Letting Kong Kong win at chess.

Trying on Mormor's fur for size.

Bountiful Balingup with the Gardners

Brendan & BFF Bill with boys.
Two cheeky monkeys... soon to be three.

AQWA with Grandpa

"Boys, oh boys... I think he's come back for his noon feeding." (Jaws, 1975)
Grandpa got dizzy with the girls dragging him around the huge tank seven times!!

Super cool touchpool.

Happy Birthday Kong Kong!

Another birthday, another carrot cake.

Cottesloe Beach

Isabelle wearing her Kiwi souvenir straight out of the suitcase.
Working up an appetite for hot chocolates and cookies from Beaches Cafe.

While we're away, the kids play...

The grandmothers took their granddaughters out to Cohunu Wildlife Park. Matilda, animal lover, was in heaven from what we hear.Lucky Isabelle was old enough to hold & cuddle a koala called Banjo. Feeding the kangaroos.

Oh cute, a little joey!

Queenstown, NZ sans kids!!

Brendan and I enjoyed eight days of skiing and no kids! Highly recommended.NZ is so beautiful, don't you think?
Brendan loves putting snow chains on.

Blustery weather. Cool photos though.

Haunting.

We took our skis off and had a little picnic. Breathtakingly beautiful scenery.

My new beanie.

OK, now we're all recharged and looking forward to seeing the kiddies again...

ROTTO!!

On our way to Rottnest Island on the ferry. Matilda and Isabelle catch up on their daily journal on the way (horrible having a teacher mum, hey?)
We're spending a week there in total, which should be uber-relaxing.
Off to rent some bikes and stock up on fish tackle and bait. What a beautiful day!

But, before all that, our first stop is the Rottnest Bakery so obligatory meat pies, choc milk and cream buns.

Isabelle goes for the lamington instead... OMG, have you ever seen such a big one??

Isabelle and Brendan explore Geordie Bay where we have rented a villa.

Houses at Geordie Bay.

Jetty at sunset, so pretty.

Brendan's teaching his girls some life skills... fishing.

Strange looking things those quokkas, the local marsupial residents. Hence, why the island was named "Rat Nest" by the Dutch.

Matilda catches the first fish of the week. Daddy says if you hold it nice and close to the camera, it looks bigger.

On our daily cycling tour, we stop to see if can see any wildlife in the ocean. Here we are at Porpoise Bay.

Look! Dolphins surfing in the waves!

How cool is that??

Baywatch?

Swimming at the Basin. What has Daddy spotted??

Matilda enjoying the winter sunshine while Isabelle's out fishing with Daddy.

You might have to enlarge this picture by clicking on it, but we spotted some whales! What luck!

Having a little rest before tackling some more hills on our bikes.

Another catch for Isabelle!

We received visitors over the weekend with Brendan's parents, sister and niece sleeping over. Pick the Qatari kid who is not used to this coooold weather! Matilda and cousin Eleanor on the beach.
Grandma & Grandpa enjoy (?) endless (and I mean endless) Go Fish games... it's the White competitive streak.

Swordfish for dinner thanks to Isabelle.

After winning the White Family UNO Championship, Matilda gets to choose anything from the local shop. Mr Quokka, meet Mrs Quokka.