Once we arrived, we were greeted by James and drove back to their house in Oyster Bay, where the kids and Stuart were happy to see me, and I shared the same feeling.
The view from James’ deck.
Millie and Zoe immediately bonded over cooking.
Jack is by far the goofiest of the boys.
Dinner on the beach.
Ev and Aunty Joyce.
Millie didn’t look at the camera and Zoe ran out of the picture.
After presents were opened, many went out on the river.
Even Stuart got on the paddle board.
Then Stuart and I took a trip inthe boat.
The boathouse.
Dinner is served.
The turkey, or is it turkeys?
Boat ride to breakfast Boxing Day.
Boogie boarding.
A harmless jellyfish? Who knew?
The view from James’ deck.
Millie and Zoe immediately bonded over cooking.
Jack is by far the goofiest of the boys.
Just after noon we left for the shops and Lou did her last minute Christmas shopping. We knew we would have to push through the day in order to avoid jet lag. We got to Lou’s mum’s house around 4. The kids were there. Stuart and Matt had gone to the pub and James followed them once we had arrived at Ev’s. We stayed for a bit and caught up with Aunty Joyce, Ev’s cousin, as well as Ev.
We walked to dinner at 6 just a little jaunt from Ev’s in Crunella. Zoe got sick which cut the evening short. I was tired so didn’t mind at all. We got back to the house and hit the sack, knowing that the following morning we would all be awaken early by the Santa watchers.
Dinner on the beach.
Ev and Aunty Joyce.
We were awake just before 7 am. The boys were awake and went to wake Millie. The presents were opened and the kids started playing with their new things. Millie got an iPad from Santa and Jack got ski lessons. Around noon we went out on the boat. We Skyped Grammie and Pop and the kids spoke with them for a bit.
Millie didn’t look at the camera and Zoe ran out of the picture.
After presents were opened, many went out on the river.
Even Stuart got on the paddle board.
Then Stuart and I took a trip inthe boat.
We had seafood in the boat house around 1:30 pm, and Matt brought his new girlfriend over. Talk about baptism by fire. She was lovely and seemed perfectly suited for him. We are very hopeful.
The boathouse.
We had Christmas dinner around 4 pm. Stuart cooked it all. It was delicious. After eating, the kids played on the beach. I helped clean up as did many of the others who didn’t really help cook. The rest of the day was full of a whole lot of nothing.
Dinner is served.
The turkey, or is it turkeys?
Boat ride to breakfast Boxing Day.
Boxing Day morning we got up and went to St George’s Motor Boat Club for breakfast. Once we returned to the house, we lounged around the house for the majority of the day. Matt had gone to get Josh from his mom’s house. When they returned, we went to the boat house and the kids went to the neighbor’s pool. The kids played with the neighbors most of the day, then all the boys went out on the boat while the adults were in the hot tub.
Boogie boarding.
A harmless jellyfish? Who knew?
The doctor finally came to see Zoe, as she really hasn’t been well since I arrived. It was determined that she just had a bad virus and it would have to work its way out of her system. It seems she started feeling better immediately.
Stuart and his brothers went to the local pub for a beer and when they returned Lou and I went to see A Star is Born. What a phenomenal film that was. Bradley Cooper had better win some kind of award for that movie. And Lady Gaga was outstanding. The downside was we didn’t get back until after midnight, but it was worth it. It evoked a lot of emotions.
Thursday morning we got up and packed our stuff for a night at Matt’s and two nights in the city. We left for Matt’s around 10:30 am. We ended up beating him there. When we got settled I headed to the mall to get Louise her 40th birthday. I may have purchased a few things for myself as well.
When I was finished shopping I bought some sushi at the food court. It’s one of my favorite things about coming to Australia. I took it home to Stuart and Jack. What a lovely treat for all of us.
Josh, Jack and I decided to play Monopoly. I totally forgot how much I like that game. I beat them both, of course. Jack was a bit of a poor sport the first game, and Josh was a bit of a sore sport the second game. While we were playing the game, Matt’s friend Brad came over for a visit. He was the guy we stayed with when we went to Hamilton Island two years ago for Matt’s 40th birthday celebration.
For dinner we had burgers which were delightful. They had pancetta in them. After dinner the kids got in the spa and we just had good conversation. The kids got kicked out of the spa by us, as they couldn’t get along. They were off for showers and then shortly after that they were off to bed, which allowed us to have some more conversations about nothing terribly important. It was so nice to just sit and have a chat without kids whining at each other.
Friday morning we were up and had breakfast. We left the house just before 10 am to go into the city. We arrived in the city and headed out for a walk around the Harbour.
We had to drive over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to get to our hotel.
The view walking around the Harbour is breathtaking.
After our walk, we decided we would take a private taxi out to Watson’s Bay where we were meeting Louise, James, and co for Louise’s birthday lunch.
These kids have no idea how spoiled they are.
The view on the boat was spectacular.
This was our taxi driver who took the selfie.
Before lunch, we walked up to take a look at the view around Watson’s Bay.
After we ate lunch, we headed back to the hotel to check in. We got a private taxi back to the Harbour as well. Poor kids!
The boat back wasn’t quiet as nice as the boat out, but we would live.
We saw this tiny thing on the way back. It seems it’s owned by a Russian and it was worth over a million dollars.
The Sydney Opera House.
This was the view from our hotel room. Sadly, the hotel in front of ours blocked our view just a touch.
We decided to take the kids to the hotel pool. It was a bit disappointing, but it gave us something to do for a bit.
Friday evening we got the kids McDonalds for dinner and hired a babysitter for the evening. We went to a place called Palmer and Co. It was a 1920s-themed cocktail bar in a vaulted brick basement with dapper staff and live music. It was a perfect place for Lou’s birthday celebration.
We called it a night just before 1 am. It was a night to remember for sure.
Saturday morning we got up and had breakfast at a local cafe. We all kind of went our own way after we ate. Stuart, Matt, the kids and I went shopping, while Lou and James made preparations for Lou’s big party that night. We all met up for a bite to eat and then broke off again.
Millie tried duck pancakes and loved them. Score!
Back at the hotel I had a bit of a nap while the kids watched their iPads. Then it was time to get ready for the party. I had bought a dress in Santa Monica and Millie also had a new sparkly frock. Jack was to wear a buttoned shirt, but claimed it didn’t fit. So he wore one of Josh’s polo shirts. Stuart brought his suit and when he and the kids were ready he took them down to meet James and Matt. I followed shortly.
We clean up ok I think.
Jack doesn’t own any long trousers.
The brothers.
The birthday girl.
The theme for the night was A Night in Manhattan. Louise is a huge Broadway fan and had blown up playbills around the room. There was a live band and the food was spectacular. Since Lou does event planning for a living, we knew it would be an unforgettable evening. It did not disappoint. She looked amazing, the food was unreal and we danced into the wee hours of the morning.
The Opera House is the lit up object just to the right of my head.
