This Perth Life

Toddler Take Over

Toddlers are taking over Scitech for an entire week this coming February, so pop the dates on your calendar now!

From Monday 16th to Friday 20th there will be a host of entertaining science activities for children between the ages of 0 and 5, designed to inspire and educate.

Enjoy the air-conditioned centre and engage your toddler in active play with bubble blowing, play-dough, patting the baby animals and joining in a puppet show. Help the little ones make connections to science with almost 100 interactive displays, including Discoverland and the new feature exhibition Going Places – The Technology of Transport.

Don’t miss out on this special program for one week only. Supported by staff from Ngala, Playgroup WA and Kidsafe, you can help your child develop a love for learning and help them explore their curiosity as they learn about the world around them.

It's on my calendar!

Purple Spring

Spring to me in the UK was daffodils, leaves budding on trees and extra rain.

Here it's slightly different.

Since many of the trees here don't lose their leaves and therefore there are only a few that look all twiggy in Winter I don't get the sense that everything is coming into bud from nothingness.

Spring to me,now that we live in Australia, is purple and red;

Red for all the bottlebrush that comes into bud particularly during October. I have to say that Wanneroo Road this year was positively awash with colour this year. It's starting to fade a little but the bottlebrush and bougainvillea are still there.

And purple for the Jacaranda trees that have just decided this weekend to start to come into flower it seems. I've just driven along Scenic Drive on the banks of Lake Joondalup and there are some lovely Jacaranda's just budding. Give them a couple of weeks and they'll be stunning.

So my Spring is bright with colour still, red and purple will do me fine.

Road to Nowhere

 

Husband needed a lift this morning into work so after dropping eldest child at school we proceeded to the start of the Freeway in Joondalup on Hodges Drive. Not that it will be the start of the freeway for much longer as the extension is nearly open.

We were discussing this in the car waiting for the lights to change with the windows down only a little bit, when a guy who was moving cones in the next lane to us told us that the extension opens this Sunday. How could he have heard us? Maybe he can lip read? Maybe he just tells everyone this information as a matter of course? Who knows?

Anyway, the extension of the Mitchell Freeway from Hodges Drive to Burns Beach Road opens on Sunday. Not that you'll know that you're only going a couple of clicks north if you get on the freeway at Hodges Drive from the signs that they've put up. If you approach the freeway from Marmion Ave the signs to the north say you're going to Yanchep. Nope, you're going to Burns Beach Road, And if you approach the freeway from Joondalup Drive, the signs to the north say you're going to Mindarie. Nope, once again, you're going to Burns Beach Road.

I'd say this is false advertising. It looks like you can get to both Mindarie and Yanchep very easily, just off the Freeway but no no no. Although it will be a little easier (again from Sunday, obviously THE day to open new roads) as the extension to Marmion Avenue is complete to Yanchep. BUT you can't get there on the Freeway. You can't even get to Butler or Jindalee on the Freeway yet but you may be able to in, say, 2012.

Incy Wincy? I Don't Think So!

Oh my goodness! Husband came home last night form work saying had I seen the spider eating a bird on 9MSN? No says I quite nonchenantly (whilst insides were screwing up at the thought of a spider being BIG enough to eat a bird), I'll take a look later after tea. So later after tea I hop onto the pc and Oh my goodness! Take a look here! Oh my goodness!!! Did you SEE the size of it's LEGS??!!!!

Time Again

Oh yes, once more the clocks change this weekend coming and the debate continues as to whether WA should have daylight savings... getting children into bed at an appropriate time seems to still be the top moan and coming a close second would be the fact that people who want to walk at ungodly times of the morning have to go an hour later if they don't want to walk in darkness.

Every year for the past two and a half years it's been the same moans and groans but what about the fact that you can stay on the beach an hour later in Summer (and during the school holidays too, when, let's face it, bedtime can be a little more flexible), we can go to the park after tea along with husband which is unheard of for the rest of the year.

There are upsides to daylight savings, please let's start to embrace them and use the light, not moan about it.

Cbeebies Excitement!

Cbeebies cover
Originally uploaded by hahaharley.

Cbeebies are arriving on Foxtel on 1st November which is causing great excitement all over the place apparently, it's been the talk of the playground at my son's school for their younger siblings in particular.

In our house, we're hoping that "In the Night Garden" will actually be on at the time it was designed for, ie just before bed. And I've been wondering whether eldest son will remember any of the programmes from when he was much younger.

Youngest son hasn't a clue about what's going on but as long as there's the odd Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder, he'll be very happy.

Whinging Aussies

Last Friday I went out with the other mums from the playgroup that youngest son attends. It's a once a term thing and tends to be a good night out.

Our playgroup is made up of virtually 50% English and 50% Australian but on Friday night I was the only English person there.

Oh my goodness! How the Aussies can whinge! Particularly the ones from the East Coast who are now living in Perth.

It was quite funny actually as they quite freely recognised the fact that they are much more whingy than the English yet we seem to have got the "Whinging Poms" tagline stamped into our passports as we arrive.

What were they whinging about? Shopping, clothes, food, you name it. Whatever subject came up turned into a whinge. I was quite happy to get up after the meal and go home in the car all by myself, in complete silence!

Dates for your Diary

Christmas Tree In Forrest Place
Originally uploaded by thisperthlife.

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat.

Well no, not really but it is creeping up on us, after all there are Christmas items to buy in the shops now so...here are some Christmassy dates for the old calendar;

Turning on of the Christmas Lights 14th November at Forrest Place at 7pm
The City will celebrate the start of the City of Perth Christmas Festival with this family concert in Forrest Place. The Lord Mayor and Santa will turn on the Christmas lights illuminating the City and Northbridge.

Christmas Concerts on 7th, 12th and 19th December at Forrest Place, 6.30 to 8pm
Christmas classics and swinging musical medleys are guaranteed to set toes tapping and put a spring in the step of late-night Christmas shoppers.

RAC Channel 7 Christmas Pageant on Sunday morning 7th December through the CBD
The Christmas Pageant is having a big makeover this year . The event is moving to a Sunday morning, with the pageant route also changing, to create a big family carnival on Langley Park.

The pageant will start off with a big Aussie sausage sizzle breakfast, along with carnival rides and family entertainment, on Langley Park. The parade will travel along Riverside Drive, Plain Street, Adelaide Terrace and Victoria Avenue.

Christmas Nativity on 22nd and 23rd December at Forrest Place at 7.30pm
The traditional story of Christmas is brought to life in Forrest Place. A free family event not to be missed with hundreds of performers, live animals and Christmas carols.