Awesome Aquatic

This afternoon we were very lucky to be able to take the boys to Launceston Aquatic for a free three hour swim before the real opening day on Monday. It was great as it wasn't totally packed out and we could really enjoy it. We knew the boys were going to love it, but it was great seeing their reactions when we walked in. Harri just stood there with his mouth wide open and yelled 'oh my goodness!!!!!'. We were keen to go on the outdoor slide before the afternoon cooled down too much, but there was no way that the boys were being dragged away from the adventure playground with dumping bucket. They loved it!



The great thing about the new pools is that the boys are just so happy to play together, and it's shallow enough that you don't have to worry about them. Half the time we didn't even see them as they were off running around together.


There are lots of interactive water features which the boys loved.

When we first got there Kobe totally freaked out! Between the noise of the bell letting you know that the bucket is about to tip and all the high pitched screaming that came as the bucket is dumping its water, he was really scared. He kept clinging onto us really hard and didn't want to go in the water. He loves his bath, so we thought he would love the water as well.

It probably only took Kobe half an hour to settle down and start enjoying the water. By the end of the afternoon he wasn't phased at all by the ringing of the bell, the screams or the dumping of the water.

We were actually quite pleasantly surprised with how warm the water was in all of the pools, even the outdoor ones. It was great as it meant we could put Noah in as well.

He hasn't been swimming at school for a while, so it was good to be able to do a bit of physio therapy while we were in the hydrotherapy pool.

At the end of the hydrotherapy pool is a spa which was extra warm. The boys weren't allowed to get into the bigger spa as you have to be over 16 years to get in, but they loved getting in the one with us.

Aaron got into the main spa and said it was really warm, and that it was nice to look out and see the view.

The boys were finally okay to leave the kids play area for a while and we went and tested out the slide.

Even though it looked really short it was actually really good as it had lots of turns which made you go really fast.

Aaron had to do a bomb off the big diving board before we went back inside.

It was nice to have Noah so happy and settled today. We are thinking that we will be going quite regularly and are going to buy a 10 family pass, so hopefully he will be just as happy next time we go.

We had an awesome afternoon, and can't wait to take the boys back again. We are so glad we have such a great facility (finally!) in Launceston. Before we used to look forward to going to Hobart to the Aquatic Centre whenever we went to Hobart, and always thought that it was great. The boys think this one is even better and Jay gave it a '10 out of 10' and even said 'it's like we have our own theme park here now!'. I don't know whether it was as good as a theme park, but we loved it and I know what they will be asking to do every Saturday from now on!

Launceston Aquatic Gala Opening

Tonight Aaron and I went on a 'hot date' to the new Launceston Aquatic gala opening. For the last 20 months or so we have been waiting in anticipation as we have watched it being constructed. Every time we drive past it on the way to town the boys ask 'is it finished yet!?'. A couple of months ago we got a council newsletter in the mailbox which had an entry form on the back for free swim tickets for the opening weekend and also to win an invitation to the gala opening. I really wanted to win swim tickets to take the boys, so I filled out the entry form and also ticked I would like to win tickets to the gala opening. You had to put a reason why, so I put that we were interested in seeing the facilities for people with disabilities as our son was disabled. It obviously worked as I didn't think anymore of it, until a couple of weeks ago when I got a phone call to say I had won tickets to the gala opening! When the invite came in the mail I realised it was a pretty big deal as the dress code meant that we had to dress up a little. We weren't sure how it would be as we knew we wouldn't know anyone, but were excited to go and check it out. The outside of it is the old Windmill Hill entrance still, so it still looks exactly the same (except for the strobe lights outside, for the gala opening!). It seemed funny as we then walked into this amazing place that was totally different to the old pools.

As soon as we walked in we knew that the boys are going to LOVE it!!

They have a kids adventure playground which is very similar to the one at Wet n Wild on the Gold Coast, with the tipping bucket, water fountains, and slides.

There are three shallow pools indoors for the kids.


Also in the same area is a hydrotherapy pool with wheelchair access (they have wheelchairs that can be wheeled straight into the pool to use), which also has a spa at the end of the pool.

All night we were given free drinks (soft drinks for us of course!) and finger food.

The drinks were in special glasses which had the Launceston Aquatic logo on it, which we were able to take home. Near the hydrotherapy pool is another spa right near the huge windows which overlooks the city. It was really pretty seeing all the lights outside.

The place was full of politicians, business people, and 'big wig's' so Aaron was trying to pretend he was fitting in by looking smooth! Not sure if it really worked! ;)

We did see a few people we knew and we kept getting the question 'how did you get tickets!?'. I did get asked twice if I was a photographer! Aaron replied 'she wishes!'. During the night they showed old footage of the old Windmill Hill pool and then footage that was filmed by a time delay camera as it was constructed. It was interesting watching it all come together.

After a few drinks and nibblies we were asked to move into the competition pool area for the offical opening. It is a 50 metre pool which can be split into two 25 metre pools. After lots of speeches by the mayor and different politicians and an Aboriginal elder, the lights went out and they had facts about the construction of the centre projected on the walls as music started playing. Some people then jumped in the pool while the lights were out and swam around with under water torches. It looked great. The lights then came up and lots of dancers were on the edge of the pool and danced for about 15 minutes - first off out of the pool, and then they stripped off to their bathers and jumped in the pool and did lots of different choreography in the pool. The official cutting of the ribbon was done in the middle of the 50 metre pool at the end of the dancing.

After the cutting of the ribbon we got to go outside to see the outdoor pools and slide and also the changerooms. The slide is very small - not half as long as the old one, but I'm sure the boys will still love it.

It also has a function area upstairs, and a cafe which has indoor and alfresco dining.

It was a really fun night and exciting to see it all, especially on it's offical opening night. On the way out we were given Launceston Aquatic bag with another glass in it and pamphlets. Aaron is looking very excited about his bag!! We can't wait to take the boys there tomorrow afternoon. We know they will love it and know it will be somewhere we will be going regularly.

Photoshopped by Fiona

A little while ago I was excited to have made contact with an old friend that I grew up with - Fiona. I literally haven't seen her for about 18 years or more, so it has been great to catch up with her (via facebook), and she still looks exactly how I remember her.

I was so excited to find her blog as she is very talented and takes beautiful photos and edits them in photoshop. I really love the way she does them, so when she asked me if I would be able to email her a photo for her to edit I jumped at the chance! Check our her blog to see how she edited my photo - I love it and can't wait to get it printed out now. Thanks so much Fiona!! My long term goal is to learn how to use my camera properly and also how to use photoshop!! Hopefully one day I will be as clever as you.

Enjoying Autumn

We are having the best Autumn days in Tassie at the moment. I have no idea why Chrish wants to head 'home' to Sydney in a couple of weeks! The nights are cool, but we are having such beautiful sunny days. Today was one of those days, and the perfect day to meet the girls and kids at the park.

Lynne is such a great Mum and her boys are so cute.


Joel has the cutest chubby cheeks that you just want to pinch.

Annie was loving the slide. It's amazing how fast kids grow and change at this age.


Kobe loved just being out in the fresh air. He really is an outdoors boy and would love just being out all day if I let him.

Birthdays and Babies

This morning Kobe and I had a lovely morning tea with Bec for her birthday. She has officially hit middle age now she is 35, not like myself who is still very young! ;) We went to the Tasmanian Chocolate Studio which had lots of tempting treats.

Pip, Oliver, Matilda and Bec's friend Karen and her daughter, Molly also came. Oliver was very interested in the chocolates.

I ended up getting a hot chocolate which was made literally straight from real melted chocolate. I also got a chocolate chip scone with jam and cream. It was really yummy!

It has a great little play area for the kids, so we didn't have to worry too much about them as they just played together most of the time.

Next birthday Bec will have another little bub to keep her eye on. She is 18 weeks pregnant, and Karen is 24 weeks, so they were comparing their cute tummies.

Not long now till I officially hit middle age! It sounds so old when you say you are 35. Some days I feel like I'm still 20 and other days I feel like I'm 60! I guess four boys can do that to you! :)

Leaves

On Saturday I convinced Harri that it was time he started learning how to ride his 'big bike' better. He never wants to ride it even though it has training wheels, and much prefers to just ride his old trike that he has used since he was two! I told him that we could go to the park and have some fun as well (as he was sure that the bike riding wasn't going to be much fun at all!), and that convinced him to give it a go.

There were so many leaves on the ground in the park - the boys went crazy playing with them and they were great for taking photos of. There was a wedding in the park at the same time and there was a professional photographer there for it, who had the biggest lens on her camera I had ever seen. I saw her snapping away at the boys playing in the leaves and would've loved to have seen how they turned out.



On the way over to the monkeys we had to stop and play checkers. Jalen was getting very impatient with Harri who had no clue how to play. Jay sometimes finds it very hard having a little brother who is 5 years younger than him, but wants to be just like him. In the end he just didn't worry about the rules and let Harri do what he wanted - as he was going to anyway!

There were heaps of monkeys out and they were all sitting up on the top of the rocks together. I think they were trying to find the warmest spot in the sun, as it was a very cool afternoon.

We ran into the Rattray girls who were out taking photos for the Jetstar photo competition. Hopefully they will win and take me away on a big holiday! ;)

The leaves in the park look so beautiful at the moment.

The tree at the front of our house has finally lost all of its leaves which is good as I don't have to clean it up anymore, but it also reminds me that winter is just around the corner. It won't be long until all of these leaves have fallen as well.