Competition: Did you hear a roar... A stomp? The dinosaurs are coming to town.

DINOSAURS HAVE TAKEN OVER MELBOURNE!

Do you have a little budding palaeontologist on your hands. An adventurer who loves dinosaurs and all things prehistoric? If yes, then this competition is for you!

We have a family pass to give away for the Exclusive VIP Opening Night of Dinosaur Adventures on  Friday 20 June, 6:30. Dinosaur Adventures is an exhibition that is captivating young and old alike. And it's coming to Melbourne. 

Explore a prehistoric world full of life-size moving dinosaurs and be amazed and thrilled as the greatest creatures ever to walk the earth, return and come alive right before your eyes.

Marvel at the story of their 200 million year domination of life on earth. Watch them move. Hear the roar. From the ripple of their skin to the glint in their eye, you will think that the dinosaurs really are back

Apart from this amazing animatronics show, you will be able to become a Paleontologist for the day. Children will be provided their ‘experts digger outfit’ and chip away at their very own fossil. Plus there will be many more dinosaur activities to take part in including dinosaur sand art, dinosaur library, fossil displays, dinosaur inflatable activity land, dinosaur sand pit, photographic souvenirs inside a life sized dinosaur egg and so much more.

Pegged as a must-see these School Holidays, Dinosaur Adventures is set to bring back all the wonder and excitement of the prehistoric world of dinosaurs.

These life-size creatures will be taking over Caulfield Racecourse this June and July.

Get ready to be thrilled as you see the Triassic period come to life! 

And get excited as we have a family pass (2 adults, 2 children) to give away for the  Exclusive VIP Opening Night of Dinosaur Adventures on  Friday 20 June, 6:30pm

Just email your name to: poppiesforme@gmail.com to be in the running. The competition closes Sunday 15th June. Quick, enter now for your chance to win a great adventure! 

For more information, check out www.dinosauradventures.com.au

'Tis the season to be jolly and to start an advent calender

Unless you are living in some sort of dark cave, I am pretty sure you would all be well aware that the festive season is well and truly upon us. 

Ho ho ho.

Lots of people are talking about the special little things they do in their house to celebrate the festive season. I am loving watching all the shenanigans of the christmas elves on Facebook and Instagram. 

We don't have an elf but we do have Santa in a truck. He's an advent truck. 

He is a real treat and something Noah looks forward to each year. Although this year he arrived a few days late... 

Whoops.

We introduced this little guy into our house a few years ago. I was working almost full time hours and feeling particularly guilty about the working mum status. I was really worried that Noah, aged 2 would miss out on the Christmas build up (childcare doesn't celebrate the festive spirit). So with all that maternal guilt and a few spare hours, I created what I think is a beautiful way to celebrate the festive season.

Each day has a special message and a special Christmas task to be completed. Some tasks are easy. Others I wish I had never thought of (really who wants to make a gingerbread house every year?) And a few tasks, which remind us exactly what Christmas is about... 

I thought it would be nice to share with you our advent tasks for 2013... The gingerbread got the boot. 

1. Decorate Christmas tree and make a Christmas pudding 

2. Visit the city and say hello to Santa 

3. Buy a special Christmas ornament

4. Write Santa a special letter 

5. Make Christmas cookies for your neighbours and deliver 

6. Take Barkley for an evening walk

7. Sing a Christmas song to Jude

8. Read a Christmas story

9. Write a special Christmas story and share with mum, dad and Jude 

10. Paint Santa

11. Be kind and say thank you to all 

12. Call Nanna and Pop and sing a Christmas jingle

13. Borrow some Christmas books from the library and read together

14. Make daddy breakfast in bed

15. Attend church service 

16. Santa's magical kingdom, yeah! 

17. Clean up your room and toys

18. Make your kinder friends a special Christmas gift and card

19. Draw a picture of our family enjoying Christmas 

20. Kmart wishing tree

21. Help mummy write and post Christmas cards

22. Go and see the Christmas light display in the city 

23. Help mummy wrap Christmas presents for your family and friends 

24. Go to a Christmas concert and sing your little heart out

25. CHRISTMAS DAY: enjoy 

Ill admit it here that sometimes we have to do a quick swap of the tasks if the days events call for it. But what I like about our little tasks is that it reminds us that Christmas is more than just ripping open some presents on the 25th of December.

Christmas is about sharing, being kind, giving and looking after those who are less advantaged than us. 

All very important things for a little boy with the world at his feet to learn.

So, tell me what do you and your family do to celebrate Christmas? 

Love Jo xxx

The dark side of parenting: sleep deprivation

Most people that know me know that I love my sleep. love. my. sleep. I also don't like to be woken mid-sleep and well when you have a toddler and a 7 month old baby, its fair to say they don't give a hoot about YOUR sleep preferences. 

They have their own little sleep mission and just quietly its utter rubbish.

I think it's fair to say that the whole sleep thing has all got a bit out of hand in our house. And as a consequence, we are ALL suffering from a little sleep deprivation. I know sleep deprivation is inevitable with 2 babes in the house but sleep is necessary and this whole sleep on the pillow that your head first lands on protocol that we have created in our house is the absolute pits.

Most nights, I actually have no idea who is where or what bed one has landed in. 

Its like musical beds and it is not fun. 

For example, we have had: Noah in our bed. Jude in our bed. Brad in Noah's bed. Jude in Noah's bed. Brad on the floor. Noah in Jude's cot (!), Noah under his bed ("Jo, have you seen Noah?"), Jo in Noah's bed. Jo on couch. Brad on couch. Noah at our feet. Both kids in our bed.... Parents on the floor in kids room.

Can you hear the music playing... on and on but last night, I screamed:

"Stop!"

My poor family and neighbours heard the almighty roar of serious sleep deprivation. I declared right then and there that tomorrow I declare war on sleep. 

Yup. War. 

We all need it and I will fight for it. Damn it.

So, today. I started operation sleep in your own bed. I know it's going to be tough. I am no fool. I have fought this battle before, back in 2009. I know I would rather pull out my toenails but this needs to be done. We all need sleep! And I will make sleep a priority. 

So here's my pledge. For the month of November, these babies of mine will be sleeping in their own bed. And my husband will be by myside in our bed. Our beautiful bed. Maybe not 100% of the time, lets make it 80% of sleep time. 

Don't want to set myself up for an earlier failure. I can do this. We can do this.

Wish me luck. 

Anyone else got the same thing happening in their house? Want to join me in this fight for better sleep?

Love Jo xxx

What's your Ying... And where the hell is your yang?

Time has just flown by. It's been a good couple of weeks since I last logged into my blog. 

And.... lots, lots has been happening. 

We welcomed the arrival of two new baby boys; Jack and Lucas. We celebrated a first birthday (Happy birthday Finn), and dressed to impress at Seths superhero party and Eddies train party (yeah to being 4).  Speaking of 4, we celebrated our Noah turning 4. Happy happy birthday to our (not so little) big man. He dressed as a brave knight and celebrated his extra year with his little buddies in the park. The rain stayed away, I declared war in the kitchen, the cake was moist, the piñata was a hit (!) and Noah declared it the "best party ever". 

Happy. 

We hosted grandpa in our bungalow for a week, we dodged the busy laneways and crazy trams as Noah discovered the joys of riding a big boy bike and we went to scienceworks and played on the dots. 

Jude grew some hair, which is looking very blonde (err, genetics?) and he has developed quite a strong core. He is all sorts of sitting. And the boys are playing (yes, playing!) as brothers, which makes me so incredibly happy.

I started mummy boot camp and well, found my core too. It just happened to be whilst crouched over the toilet bowl. Running and me have never been friends. But it was all for a good cause. Our beautiful friends Lissy and Luke tied the knot and I had the privilege of being a part of the bridal party. Hence, the running. It was a beautiful day, the boys wore bowties and I actually caught myself saying "amazing" for the 200th time because it was just all so, amazing... 

Stop it. 

And then amongst all this "busyness" I had some real moments of self reflection. Life has a way of doing this to me, of saying, "Hey, Jo! You seriously don't look busy enough, how about you start pondering everything in your life? Like, what's important to you and to your family? What makes a good friend and are you one? What's good in your life and what needs some help? Whats your Ying? And where the hell is your Yang? And what needs to happen to make all that (over there on the other side of your head) happen. Snap to it." 

Busy place is my head. Fair to say I am not even close to answering a single one of those questions posed by life. Ill get around to it one day, I hope.

And that my friends has been a couple of weeks in my house. Crazy, busy, happy random bits of chaos.

How's your week been? What are you looking forward to this week?

Love Jo xxx

4 year old parties gone wild.

I am so sorry, I have totally gone MIA the last week. But, rest assured I am still here. I am just in the midst of throwing the biggest partay of my life for my sweet, beloved boy. 

Yes, Noah's turning 4! 

And my god, as if being a parent wasn't stressful enough, nowadays you also have to throw the party of the year. 

Magicians, animal farms, face painting, cupcake decorating, cakes that put my wedding cake to shame and food to tantalise every child, adult and sibling! 

Is it not enough that I had to push this now 4 year old out of my you know what? And that I have yards and yards of stretch marks from this event? Can we not just celebrate that he is relatively scar-free and well, alive? 

Nope. 

We must throw him a party. A party he won't forget {but probably will}. Hey 18 year old Noah, remember your 4th birthday party? You know the Knights and Princess party. One for the boys and one for the girls, you informed us. 

Nope? Thought so. 

Oh well, the party planning must go on. Of course, there will be a princess at your party and maybe a knight. My beautiful cousin will be coming as a more wondeful version of her self. A princess. When she asked what I would like her to do as guest Princess, I replied in text, " I don't know.... Just make the kids pee their pants with excitements and make us look like amazeball parents."

Yes. It has come to this. But really, if Jeff had never dressed up as a magician at his daughters party earlier in the year then this wouldn't be happening... Thanks Jeff. The bar has been set much too high.

And I don't like it.

But for now, I must get back to the party preparations. Too much to do and well, I kinda suck as baking so its going to be a long weekend. Everyone get out of the kitchen space... NOW.

Love Jo xxx

Oh, but before I go what's your thoughts on feeding parents at kids party's? 

Knight Noah's costume attire

Party bag... With lollies because that's what party bags are for... Lollies.

Prize bucket. 

The dragon Piñata. So much effort but I kind of love him a lot. 

Cake preps. Wish me luck.