My Turn!!!

Finally it was my turn to have a trip 'away'!! I was very excited - even though it was only for a night to Melbourne. Before Christmas last year Tiger Airways had very cheap tickets to Melbourne - something crazy like $22 a seat. I decided to book 4 tickets over so Aaron and I could take Jay and Harri to the footy at the MCG one weekend. I was of course hoping that Hawthorn was going to have a year like they did last year, but it wasn't to be. We were still excited to go over together.

I wouldn't say that the boys miss out on anything as we try to spend a lot of time with all of them, but I do think they deal with a lot with things that go on with Noah, so we wanted to have a special weekend just with the two of them. Aaron was looking forward to actually going away with the 3 of us rather than for work or church trips but he did say the day before 'I'm a bit over all these trips' - I guess that is what happens when you have 5 trips to the mainland in a very short space of time! Some people aren't quite so lucky! ;)

We booked Mum into babysit as soon as we booked the tickets, and I think she has been stressing about it ever since. We were talking the night before we left about how it often seems more stressful when you are thinking about it, rather than when you are actually doing it. Once she was here she knew it was going to be okay having Kobe and Noah on her own for the night. It's only the second night I have left Noah on his own and when I'm getting ready for it, I do wonder whether it's all worth it as there is so much to get organised just for a night away. I made up all of his meds for the next day and a half (and even a bit more, just in case we missed the plane or happened to die while we were away!). I also had to type out his med, feed and neb schedule so Mum knew what his routine was.

Harri was sooooo excited about going to Melbourne. He has 'only' been on a plane twice (pretty good for someone who isn't even 5 yet I think!) and has never been to Melbourne before. For days he was counting down the days and got up very early yesterday morning and said 'I'm so sited (excited) to go to Melbourne!!!'.

I think the boys were just as excited about the plane trip as they were about anything else to do with the weekend away. They had their snacks and drinks and loved watching videos on Aaron's new ipod touch. Harri was cracking me up as when we were taking off he kept saying really loudly 'goodbye Tasmania, hello Melbourne!'.

We caught the skybus into the city from the airport and Harri was so excited to see the city. He kept saying 'we're not in Australia anymore - we're in Melbourne!!'. I explained that Melbourne was still in Australia, but he didn't quite get it. He thinks that Tasmania is called 'Australia' and the mainland is a whole other place all together.

All week Jalen had been telling Harri about trams - Jay thinks he is an expert on Melbourne since he went with Aaron earlier in the year. Harri kept saying 'what's a tram again?!' and Jay would say 'it's like a bus and train mixed in together'. Harri loved going on them.

First of all we went to check out our hotel so we could dump all our gear. We booked a really nice hotel right in the city which was about half way between the MCG and the centre of the city.

The boys were so excited about all being able to all sleep in the room together, and were expecially excited that it had Austar - not that we spent anytime in the room except for bedtime!

After checking out the hotel room (and eating the complimentary chocolates - I'm so glad Aaron is still dairy free!! :), we walked into the city to have a look around and do some shopping.



The boys loved the cool alley way in the middle of the mall with all the grafitti. This is supposed to be them looking 'tough'.

After a bit of shopping we walked to the MCG. I loved being in Melbourne and seeing so many people in their footy gear. It was such a great atmosphere. As we walked to the MCG everyone would make comments - either 'Go Hawks!' or 'Come on the Tigers!'. Two guys started walking with us and said they were from Hobart. One of them barraked for the Kangaroos and said he had a spare ticket to todays game between the Roos and the Saints in the members area as one of his friends couldn't come. He offered it to Aaron, but he told him he wouldn't be able to go as we were heading home and the guy was so funny as he said 'oh that's a pity - I wouldn't offer it to any mongrel, but you seem like a decent bloke'. He then said to the boys 'your parents must love you to bring you to Melbourne to watch the footy'. I told him that we do - some days ;)

Jay kept telling Harri that it was 'awesome' inside the G and that it doesn't look very good outside, but inside it's great.

As we were heading inside we spotted the guy and girl that video for HawksKids TV. The guy who does the interviews said to Jalen that he thinks he remembers interviewing him before and Jay told he had and that he has been on the show a couple of times already. He then looked at us and said 'oh I remember Mum and Dad too!' (guess that is what you get for stalking the Hawks so much!). They interviewed Harri and Jay and asked them who they thought had been the best player this year and why.

Jalen said Chance Bateman because he gets the ball a lot and runs hard and Harri said Luke Hodge. They were then asked who was the best young player and Jalen said Cyril Rioli and Harri said Chance Bateman which cracked the guy and us up! The guy interviewing then said to him 'why don't you say Liam Shiels, because he started off playing in Launceston'. So the guy then says to Harri again 'who is the best young player' and Harri again says 'Chance Bateman!'. Everyone cracked up and Harri had no idea what we were laughing about. The guy then reminds him again to say 'Liam Shiels' and asks him the question again to which Harri looks at Jay and said 'who do I say again!!?'. It was hilarious. Jay prompted him to say 'Liam Shiels' and then he says it and the guy asks him 'why is he the best?' and Harri looks at Jay again and says 'I don't know what to say!!!'. The guy was just about wetting himself laughing.

He told us that he loved what Harri just did and they will use it for their Christmas video where they put all the funny bits on one video and will show it at their Christmas function. He said everyone will get a great laugh out of it.

Aaron knows where to book great seats as they are padded and in the team area where all the players that aren't playing sit. We got to sit close to all the Richmond and Hawthorn players who weren't playing. The boys were excited to go and meet them. Tom Murphy, Simon Taylor and Gary Moss were happy to have their photo taken with the boys. Aaron wanted to ask Jarryd Roughead too, but I was feeling sorry for him as everyone was bugging him for photos and autographs, so we left him alone.

Harri was really excited about being at the G for the first time.


I think I was just as excited as he was. I hadn't been to the MCG for about 15 years so it had changed a lot.

Even though it looked really empty there were still almost 40,000 people there. It is such a different atmosphere to games at Aurora as the crowd is so massive and sounds so loud.



The boys were really into it - yelling out lots and getting excited.


Harri would copy the goal umpires whenever Hawthorn got a goal.

The boys loved watching Buddy.

It was a great game with Hawthorn winning easily.


At the end of the game each of the hawks players got a footy and signed them and then gave them out to people in the crowd. They then all waited for Hodgy to come over so he could walk off in front of them as it was his 150th game.

It was a really fun night and great to experience the atmosphere at the 'G'. Everyone in the crowd around us would talk and make comments to each other. Even if they barracked for Richmond everyone was still really nice and it was lots of fun as people would see which team you barracked for and would say 'go Hawks' or 'come on Tiges'.

On the way back to our hotel we stopped off for a look at the outside of the museum and Parliament.

The parliament building was so beautiful. The boys loved running up and down the steps and playing hide and seek.



We finally got to bed at about 11.30 pm ready for a big day today. That is a whole other blog post! :)