Things I Know: About boys...

I am the very proud mother of four little boys, the oldest is 8 and the youngest is 3.

Before I had boys of my own I didn't really know much about them....I had 2 sisters very close in age to me and spent all my time with them.  My 2 brothers were much younger than me (the youngest one was 1 year old when I moved out of home) so I didn't spend that much time with them growing up.  I knew they liked to kick balls around a lot and their shoes really stank but that's about it.

And then I had 4 of my own.  BIG learning curve :)

Here are some Things I Know about having boys........

To a boy, a stick is never just a stick.  A stick is a sword, a light-saber, Harry Potter's wand, a cricket bat and golf club, a fishing rod, a whip and the horse and just about anything else you can think of.  A stick is the most inexpensive toy you can find!

To a boy, there is not a toilet big enough in the entire world to aim in without splashing anything else.  I suppose it is quite a splashy business (compared to girls) but does it have to end up on the walls, the floor, the basket of toilet rolls nearby, your pants and shoes and anything else within a 2 metre radius????

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To a boy, every yellow car is Bumblebee from the Transformers.  Even the smallest, most beat-up little yellow hatchback is still Bumblebee.  There is no point arguing, that's just the way it is.

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To a boy, POO is the funniest word out.  Closely followed by FART.  Any sentence with either POO or FART in it is bound to cause hysterical laughter.  A sentence with both POO and FART in it together will probably end up with someone pissing their pants.  The only thing funnier than saying FART is actually FARTING itself.

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To a boy, everything is a competition.  Boys don't play to 'have fun working with the team' ohhh nooo, they play to win and if they don't win, all hell breaks loose.   Everything is a competition in our house.....

'first to get dressed is the winner'
'first one up the stairs is the winner'
'first one to eat their hotdog is the winner',
'first one to the car is the winner',
'first one to the swings is the winner'
and so on and so on.

Sometimes I can use this competitive streak to my advantage 'first one to pick up the toys is the winner' hahahaha *insert evil laugh here* but more often than not, the competitive streak just means I end up with 3 out of 4 crying because they are the losers....*sigh*.  This is known as a 'no win' situation.

Boys start training very early to become men, particularly when it comes to domestic blindness.  They lose everything and can find nothing.  Socks, shoes, hats, jackets, lunch boxes, drink bottles, toys, school notes, TV remotes, cups, books, the list is endless.  Never allow boys to take toys in the car or to a playground, they will lose their toy within 15 minutes (or leave it at Maccas) and spend the  next 2 hours crying about it.

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To a boy, puddles must be jumped in.  The muddier the better.

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To a boy, it is important to RUN everywhere....down hills, on the footpath (the busier the road the better just to keep mum on her toes), in supermarkets, up escalators......however, this rule DOES NOT apply if Mum is in a hurry.  If Mum is in a hurry, you must drag your feet along as slowly as possible and then proceed to have some kind of spac attack before getting into the car.

To a boy, there is nothing more fascinating in this world than dinosaurs.  By the age of 3 they will be able to identify and name at least 12 dinosaurs by sight.  They might not be able to say 'spaghetti' properly but 'Ankylosaurus' is a breeze.  As a mother of boys, it is extremely important that you make sure you can identify them properly if you want to avoid the withering looks from 4 small boys when you mix up a Brontosaurus and Diplodocus.

To a boy, there is nothing worse than hearing their mother sing.  However, if you do a funny dance with it, that's okay.  Just don't do it in public.

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and finally, to a boy, their mother is the most important woman in the world and they secretly love the kisses and hugs she smothers them with....even if they pretend to squirm :)

Mr Invisible lives here.....

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I've had an unwelcome visitor at my house for the last few years.....I'm not sure when he moved in exactly but it was around the same time my children started to talk, coincidentally enough.

This visitor seems to take an exorbitant pleasure in pissing me off and generally doing things that are guaranteed to annoy me.  I've decided to call him Mr Invisible because so far he has managed to evade me every time he's been up to no good.  He's like the wind....you can't see him, but you see what he does.

Here are just a few of the things Mr Invisible has done lately -

Me (after treading on extremely sharp and pointy bit of Lego):  'Who has left all that Lego on the floor?'

Kids x 4:  'Wasn't me'

grrrrr, Mr Invisible!

Me (on an almost daily basis): 'Right, who did a big poo in the toilet and didn't flush?'

Kids x 4: 'Wasn't me'

ugggh, Mr Invisible you are gross!

Me (while cleaning up the boy's bedrooms): 'Who took a packet of biscuits up to their room and left a pile of half eaten biscuits AND the packet under their bed?'

Kids x 4: 'Wasn't me'

Mr Invisible you are a fat pig.

Me (upon walking into a nightmarish scene in the bathroom): 'OH MY GOD!  Who put a whole roll of toilet paper into the bath, squooshed it up into the consistency of paper mache and then threw it all over the walls and ceiling!!!!!!'

Kids x 4: 'Wasn't me'

Mr Invisible you have foiled me again!

I'm not sure what to do about Mr Invisible....perhaps I can set some kind of trap to catch him and get him out of my house.  It would be so much better if my place was Mr Invisible free.....although I suspect the kids would miss him.

Does Mr Invisible live at your place too?

September 11, through the eyes of an 8 year old

My 8 year old son was not even a twinkle in my eye when September 11 happened.  At that time, I lived in Perth, WA and because of the time difference was still up watching TV when the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center.  I watched the second plane fly into the other tower, and the collapse of both buildings, live on television.

Even though I lived on the other side of the world, I felt the world changed that day.  I was fearful, and I hadn't felt fearful before.  I hated what happened on September 11.  But I hated what happened afterwards too.  I did not agree with the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, or Australia's involvement with them, and as time has gone on, I agree with them even less.

My son wants to be an airforce pilot.  He's been a plane freak since before he could talk and likes to watch videos of planes and airports and fighter jets on the computer.  One day, after seeing a clip on You Tube, he came to me and said 'mum, did you know there was these tall buildings in America and some planes crashed into them and they exploded.'

I was a little taken aback.  I had forgotten there is whole generation born after September 11 who hasn't been touched by the fear and uncertainty of that day.  They don't remember the shock and suspicion and paranoia and craziness of that time.  They don't understand the reason for taking your shoes off at an airport security checkpoint or why we have advertisements on TV asking us to call a special number if we think our neighbour is buying too much fertiliser.   They are innocent and I would like it to stay that way.....but I don't hold out much hope.

We talk about war quite alot in our house.  I am an amateur WWI historian so its a subject that comes up frequently and there are probably more books about war in this house than any other type.  My 8 year old is familiar with Gallipoli, France, Germany and the fighting on the Western Front.  He knows about Hitler, the Nazis and the Holocaust.  But we have never really touched on the wars that are going on now.  To him, war is something that happened a long time ago when my great uncle fought and died in France and pilots flew in B52 bombers....

This week, on our ride home from school, he looked at me and said in an accusing tone 'mum, is there a war going on in a place called Afkazban right now?'  (I suspect he was a little confused between Afghanistan and his favourite Harry Potter movie, the Prisoner of Azkaban)

'Yes, there is.  Its in Afghanistan, which is kind of underneath Russia and above India'  (I think I need to brush up on my geography...)

'What is there a war for?'

*Big sigh*.  How do you explain the war in Afghanistan to an 8 year old?

The conversation went something like this.

'Well, remember when you came and asked me about the planes that crashed into those buildings in America.  Some bad people were flying those planes and they killed a lot of people.  They were terrorists.  Do you know what a terrorist is?'

'No.'

'Terrorists are people who believe in something and if you don't believe the same thing, they don't like you and they try to scare you.'   (I believe this is not the official version of what a terrorist is, but it will have to do....)

'Didn't they like America?'

'No.'

'Why didn't they like them?  Did they think they were rich and horrible?'  (meet my son, the budding communist)

'Something like that'.   (In my head I'm hearing a cartoon-like Arabic voice shouting 'capitalist pigs!')

'So then what happened?'

'Well, the terrorist group that flew those planes was hiding out in the desert in a country called Afghanistan.  They weren't really from Afghanistan but they were hiding out there.  America said to Afghanistan 'how come you are letting these baddies hide in your country' and so they decided to invade Afghanistan.  They thought the war would be over very quick because America is a big strong country and Afghanistan is nothing but desert but its been going on for a very long time now and it hasn't got any better and they aren't winning the war.'

And in a slightly terse voice.....'and even Australian soldiers have had to go there and some have been killed.'

'Why is Australia in the war?'

'I don't know, but I don't think we should have got involved' (my own personal belief that John Howard is George Bush's ass-licker is probably not an appropriate answer here).

'Well, maybe we are helping them out because they helped us out in World War 1.' he says.

Slight pause from me.....this sounds like an incredibly rational argument from an 8 year old.  And flies straight in the face of my 'anti-Iraq/Afghanistan involvement' policy.  Hmmmm.  Is that a good enough reason to go to war?  I've written about the spurious start of World War I before, whereby a handful of treaties and alliances led to a horrifying disaster that lasted for 4 years and wiped out a generation of young men.

Is it really as simple as 'well, our countries are buddies, so if you go to war, we'll go too.'  What if the country going to war in the first place doesn't have a legitimate enough reason?  Is retaliation against a whole country for the act of one terrorist group a good enough reason? What if they give you a reason - Iraq is amassing weapons of mass destruction - and then that reason turns out to be completely false.

I don't know the answers to these questions.  I don't know if anyone knows the answers to these questions.  But it seems like a simple enough scenario to my son.

My son wants to be airforce pilot.  Will we still be at war in Afghanistan when my son is old enough to fly a plane?  This war is now the longest conflict the United States has ever been involved in, having recently overtaken the Vietnam War.

2,996 people lost their lives in the September 11 attacks.  Its a horrible number, but it pales in comparison to the 6,225 U.S. soldiers that have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan so far and the death of over 30,000 Afghani civilians.

I thought my son was protected from the events of September 11 but now I'm not so sure.  And as a mother, I'm not even sure there will ever be a reason good enough for my son to go to war.

Things My Boys Have Broken....

Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in a cool warehouse apartment in the inner city filled with antiques and nick nacks she had collected over the previous 15 years.....then she met the Rock God, fell in love, moved out into suburbia and had 4 small monsters boys in 5 years.

Her life, and her house, have never been the same since!

This is a pictorial selection of just some of the things her kids have got their grubby little hands on and destroyed....

1. A Pearl Necklace

This necklace represents all the jewellery my boys have snapped, twisted, pulled apart, dressed up in, used as a lasoo and attempted to strangle their brothers with.

2. An Early Edition German to English Dictionary

This dictionary represents all the books in my possession that have had their covers torn off, pages ripped out, spines broken or have been drawn in.  It had a lovely embossed leather spine.  Note, I used the past tense, HAD.

3. The Downstairs Toilet Door Handle 

This door handle represents all the door handles in my house that are wobbly and about to fall off due to being swung on, tied to things, used as battering ram with a kid on either side, and generally mistreated.  I will get around to fixing it one day....or I might just face reality and leave it how it is because I will only end up fixing it again in two months time.

4. A 42" Inch Plasma TV

This TV represents all the electrical equipment we have owned that has died at the hands of the boys.  DVD's and video players have had toast, toy cars, teaspoons and coins of various denominations inserted inside them.  Portable DVD players have had cordial and milk poured over the top of them.  TV's have had the video and game plugs snapped off inside them.

This particular TV blew up about 3 weeks ago when No. 3 shoved a screw driver into the power board. Fortunately the safety switch saved him from being electrocuted, however we weren't able to resuscitate the TV.  A new one has arrived today - I give it 6 months to live!

5. Antique Bust from a French Monastery

This statue represents all the things the kids have destroyed that I haven't noticed at the time and by the time I did, it's been too late.  Yes, it looks as though my handsome young priest has been attacked by a zombie with a really bad cold, but actually its globs of acrylic paint which (because it sits right underneath a central heating duct) has hardened to a consistency that could hold the International Space Station together.  I have scraped, I have scratched, I have pulled.....its not coming off.  *sigh*

6. My Grandmother's Vintage Lacquered Keepsake Box from Burma, circa 1930's.

My grandmother passed away when I was 8 years old.  Other than her jewellery, which was passed down to me, this is the only keepsake I have of her.  Its a beautiful red lacquered box with a hand painted dragon on the top and a hinged lid with a lock and key (this photo doesn't do it justice).

Inside my grandmother had kept love letters, Valentines cards and photos of the young man she was in love with who was stationed with the Marines in Burma in the early 1930's (this is not the man she later married).  She kept this box her whole life and I have always wondered who this mystery man was and what happened to him.

This box is one of my most precious belongings and when my first born son at 18 months old figured out how to open the lid one day and snapped it off, I actually cried.

7. An Early Victorian 'Mother of Pearl' Antique Hall Chair

This chair is one of a pair of antique hall chairs that I scrimped and saved to buy when I was about 20 years old.  It dates to the early 1840's at the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign when it was popular to decorate furniture with mother of pearl shell.  It still had the original woven rattan seat until one of the boys stood on it and put his foot through it.  I can only assume that all of the owners over the past 170 years have had children that knew how to behave girls.

8. An Artist's Hand Model

This hand represents all the small little things in my house that are just not quite right anymore, have been glued together, sticky taped back up or turned around to hide the cracks....it was originally a gift from my mother but apparently, if shoved up the arm of your school jumper, also makes an excellent substitute for Luke Skywalker's robot hand from 'Return of the Jedi'.

9. A Blank Wall

This may look like an ordinary bathroom wall but once upon a time, a stainless steel towel rail used to live here.  Unfortunately, directly underneath this wall is the end of the bath......

One evening while cooking dinner I heard an enormous crashing and splashing from upstairs.  Thinking the bath was about to crash through the ceiling I raced up the stairs two-at-a-time to find two naughty boys in the bath still hanging on to the towel rail and two massive holes in my wall.

The holes have been patched.  The towel rail is in storage.

10.  My Spirit and Will to Live!

Well almost....despite all of these misadventures, I'm still carrying on and I've learnt a lot of valuable lessons -

• if you have children, anything you love DEARLY should be boxed and stored at the top of your wardrobe for the next 20 years.

• if you have children, anything - no matter how seemingly indestructible - can be broken

• if you have children, don't bother buying nice furniture until they are at least 10 years old or have moved out of home

I have also come to realise that all the nice houses and apartments you see in Vogue Living and Elle Decor are owned by childless couples!

Let's sympathise together....have your kids trashed anything precious?

Not So Wonderful Weekends....

I really look forward to the weekends.  I work during the week so the weekend is my time to relax and spend some real quality time with the kids.  I love planning things for us to do and having at least one family day out on the weekend.  And the kids really look forward to it too.

The only person who doesn't look forward to it is the Rock God.  For some reason, once it hits the weekend, the Rock God falls into a pit of despair.  He mopes around the house.  He shouts at the kids.  He gets niggly about things.  We end up arguing over the kids / the housework / life, the universe and everything.  If there is a visit to IKEA planned, I just know its going to end up with both of us sulking for the next 6 hours messy.

Sometimes it gets so bad I end up just taking the kids out for a day on my own because it seems like the path of least resistance.

But why does this happen?  Why are the weekends such a high for me and such a downer for him?  Is this normal or is it just us? These are questions I do not have answers for.

I am tempted to put it down to 'Restless Lion Disorder'.....during the week the Rock God works hard with lots of early morning starts and then when he gets home its the normal weekly routine of baths, dinner, homework, dishes, putting the kids to bed and finally collapsing on the lounge in front of the TV knowing you have to do the same thing all over again tomorrow.

But the weekends throw all that into disarray.  There are no early starts, there is no planned routine and there are two whole days to fill with things to do.  Without his routine, the Rock God gets bored.  He wanders around the house looking for something to do and then starts noticing the housework that hasn't been done and gets shitty about it.  He sits down infront of the TV and the kids are running around playing and yelling (as kids do) and he gets shitty about it.  We go for a drive, the kids are arguing in the car and he gets shitty about it.  You get my drift.

Then I thought well maybe its 'Cute Cubs Overload Disorder'.....during the week the Rock God leaves for work long before the kids get up.  Generally we all get home from work/school at around the same time.  I will make the kids a snack, talk about their day and spend some time with them before running them around to Scouts or sport or starting dinner.  Lately, I've been letting at least one of them hinder help me in the kitchen while I cook dinner for special one-on-one time.

But when the Rock God gets home after a long day at work, he lies on the couch and falls asleep for a couple of hours until its time for the boys to have their bath while I make dinner.  A couple of nights a week we play UNO with the boys after dinner and then its bedtime.   Quality 'Rock God' time spent with the boys = maybe 2 hours a day.

But on the weekend, the kids are there from the minute he gets up.  There is no escape.  There is no solitude and there is definitely no quiet.  The kids want their fun weekend to start and they want it to start now!  The questions/demands/and dobbing start early..... 'what are we doing today?'  'what's for breakfast?'  'where is my Nerf gun?' 'XYZ hit me'.  The cacaphony of 'Mum, mum, mum' starts and does not stop for two days.  But on the weekends its 'Dad, dad, dad' too.

Finally, I considered maybe it was 'Lonely Lion Cub Disorder'.  The Rock God had a very different upbringing from mine.  I grew up in the country and our weekends were full of fun things to do.  Dad would take us out to the bush to cut firewood or pick wildflowers, or take us for long drives, or spend the day at the beach.  We went on lots of holidays.  We were always doing something even if it was just my brothers and sisters riding bikes around the farm.

But the Rock God didn't grow up that way.  The Rock God's family didn't go on holidays.  The Rock God's family did not do activities on weekends.  The Rock God spent zero quality time with his father during the week or on weekends.  The Rock God spent most of his time inside infront of the TV or having to entertain himself.  By the time the Rock God was a teenager he spent most of his time in his room learning to play the guitar.

In many ways, the Rock God doesn't know how to be an involved parent because he didn't have an involved parent himself.  Its sad really.  But it makes me even more determined to make sure our kids don't grow up the same way.

In the end I'm not sure whether its 'Restless Lion Disorder', 'Cute Cubs Overload Disorder' or 'Lonely Lion Cub Disorder' that makes the Rock God go into a meltdown on the weekends.  I'm not sure what causes it and I don't know how to change it, so I guess I will just to have to lump it live with it.

Secretly, I'm beginning to wonder if the biggest culprit isn't just 'Grumpy Bastard Disorder'!

How about you?  Are your weekends blissful or bedlam?  Do you argue or niggle with your significant other more on the weekends than during the week?  What do you put it down to?

5 Free Days Out with the Kids in Melbourne!

With 4 little boys under the age of 8 I am always looking for ways to entertain them on the weekends.  I love to get the boys out of house and let them run around and get rid of some energy.  But taking a family of 6 out for the day can be an expensive exercise.

So here are 5 days out in the Melbourne area that my family have enjoyed that have cost hardly anything (other than fuel, tram fares and parking/or the odd $10 here and there).  All the places are within an hour of Melbourne city centre and are a fun day for adults and kids of all ages.  Pack a picnic lunch or BBQ (I have listed where BBQ's are available) and you can have a full day out without spending a fortune.

1. Bacchus Marsh Adventure Playground and Strawberry Picking

Bacchus Marsh is a very pretty historic town about 55km north west of Melbourne.  You can reach Bacchus Marsh by taking the Western Freeway (the Western Freeway comes off the Western Ring Road). Its about a 50 minute drive from the centre of Melbourne.

If you drive into Bacchus Marsh along the Avenue of Honour (take the first exit - Bacchus Marsh Road - off the freeway) there are lots of strawberry fields, cherry and fruit orchards.  The strawberries at Bacchus Marsh are huge and delicious and my kids loved picking their own.  Last year it cost around $9 to fill a large plastic tub and boy did we enjoy those strawberries.  Strawberry season is from November to April but other fruits are in season all year round.  If you want to find out more about fruit picking, call Naturipe Fruits on 0419 340 363.

The Adventure Playground at Bacchus Marsh is very cool.  Its a large timber fort with slides and swings and buildings and stairs and all kinds of things to keep the kids interested.  The playground is fenced apart from the opening archway, so its reasonably easy to keep an eye on the kids.  There are toilets and picnic tables close nearby and lots of shady trees on hot days.

The Adventure Playground is located in Maddingley Park.  To find the Adventure Playground, drive down Bacchus Marsh Road which ends up becoming Main Street once you get into town.  At the intersection of Main Street and Gisborne Road turn left into Grant Street which then becomes Maddingley Boulevard (confusing, I know!).  Drive all the way down the end and turn left into Station Street (this is where the Bacchus Marsh railway station terminus is).  Drive past the park and turn left into Bond Street and down the end of  Bond Street you will see the Adventure Playground (parking is free).

2. Brighton Beach and St Kilda Pier 

If you love taking happy snaps of the kids there is no better place in Melbourne than in front of the colourful bathing houses on Brighton Beach.  We have taken some great photos of our kids there, even on a cold grey windy day!  The kids love the little houses and will have heaps of fun running in between them and picking out their favourites.  

The best way to get to Brighton Beach from the city (about a 20 minute drive depending on traffic) is to drive south down the Nepean Highway, then turn right into Dendy Street.  Take Dendy Street all the way to the end and turn right onto the Esplanade.  Just up the road on the left hand side is the car park for Brighton Surf Life Saving Club.  The beach huts start here and there toilets next to the Life Saving Club.

You probably knew there were penguins at Phillip Island but did you know there is a colony of penguins at St Kilda Pier?  Its a really nice walk out to the Rotunda on the pier - you can get some really pretty skyline shots of Melbourne from here.  Behind the Rotunda is a rock wall that juts out into the ocean to protect the marina.  A wooden stairway follows the rock wall and in amongst the rocks is a little penguin colony.  You have to look very carefully to see them hiding in the rocks and you aren't allowed to use flash photography.  We were there at dusk and saw quite a few.  Even without the penguins the kids had heaps of fun on the beach, the pier and the rocks.

You can get to St Kilda by driving north up the Esplanade from Brighton Beach which becomes St Kilda Street, then veer left into Ormond Esplanade which eventually becomes Marine Parade.  We parked in the car park near Luna Park and walked up the beach to the Pier.  There is a small playground just across the road from the car park and toilets at the Pier complex.  According to ParksVIC there are BBQ facilities near the Pier but I am not sure exactly where they are.

3. RAAF Museum and Historic Homestead at Point Cook

Visiting the RAAF Museum is completely free for the family and it's a fantastic experience for mum, dad and the kids - definitely one of Melbourne's best kept secrets!  There are lots of airforce exhibits and planes on display in a very modern museum setting.  The best day to go is on a Sunday.  At 1pm they have an aerial flying display which is fantastic. The pilot will perform several aerial stunts in one of the museum's vintage planes while talking to the crowd and later on the kids can meet and ask the pilot questions.

There is plenty of parking, toilets are located inside the museum and there are a couple of picnic tables outside.  

The RAAF Museum is about 25 minutes from the centre of Melbourne.  Take the Princes Freeway and exit at the Point Cook Road exit, basically drive all the way to the end (its seems as though the road will never end) until you come to the RAAF base.  When you enter the base you will be required to stop at the guard house and sign for a visitor badge which you must wear while at the museum.

On the other side of the Point Cook airfield is the historic Point Cook homestead.  The homestead is not open to the public but you are able to walk around the grounds.  There is a big set of blue stone stables you can explore - several of the first Melbourne Cup winners where stabled here - and lots of old farm equipment to climb on.  There are lots of chooks, ducks and geese to chase after too.  Just past the homestead is the beach with some nice views of Melbourne in the distance.  There is a cafe at the Homestead if you want to sneak a coffee and cake while the kids are running around.

The homestead is situated at the end of Point Cook Homestead Road which is just up on the right as you leave the RAAF Museum.

4. Federation Square & Birrarung Marr

Federation Square is Melbourne's meeting place and there is always something happening at Fed Square on any given weekend - exhibitions, performances, buskers, free concerts.   You can visit the Federation Square website to view a list of upcoming events.  I love going there on Saturday mornings when the secondhand book market is open inside.  Although most of the books are for adults there are 1 or 2 children's book sellers.

My kids love the higgledy piggledy-ness of Fed Square - there are walls to sit on, stairs to climb down, weird things to look at, public art pieces - its a real feast for the senses.  [My kids love going there at night time too when city is all lit up and there are lights everywhere].

After we have spent some time at Fed Square we will take the stairs down the to the River Walk and walk east to the Birrarung Marr playground which is nearby.  This is a really fun playground for the kids and gets packed with little tackers and their parents.

You can walk further east along the river and there is plenty of parkland for a picnic, or walk across the Princes Bridge next to Fed Square and have lunch in the pretty Alexandra Gardens by the rowing sheds.There are toilets inside Federation Square (near BMW Edge) and there are BBQ's in the park at Birrarung Marr but Im not sure where they are exactly.

I have recently discovered a very handy car park right next to Federation Square which isnt too expensive on weekends.  If you are driving up Flinders Street towards the MCG, turn right at the lights immediately after Fed Square (cnr of Russell St & Flinders Street).  The car park is just up on the left and was about $12 for the day.

Alternatively, because we live in outer Melbourne, we don't get the chance to ride on trams very often so sometimes if we plan on spending a day in the city we will drive to Moonee Ponds and catch the No. 59 into the city.  It stops right at the end of Elizabeth Street just across from the Flinders Street Railway Station which is just across from Fed Square.

5. A Day Out at Mt Macedon

I live quite close to Mt Macedon and it is one of my favourite spots in Melbourne and I would have to say one of the prettiest!  Spending a day in Mt Macedon is a great chance to be in the outdoors and just enjoy everything nature has to offer.

To get to Mt Macedon, take the Calder Highway and take the C322 exit to Mt Macedon which is the next exit after Gisborne.  Its about 60 kms from Melbourne City Centre and will take about an hour to get there.

We generally start our visit by visiting the waterfall at Stanley Park.  The waterfall generally runs year round but is best to see when its been raining.  There is a lookout platform at the top but the best view is from the gully below.  There are steps on the right hand side of the platform leading down into the gully.  Its an easy climb down and back up if you have little ones.  Warning,  if you have boys you might have to restrain them from wanting to climb back up the rocks to the top!

To visit the waterfall, drive down Mt Macedon Road and turn left into Salisbury Road which is on the left after the golf course.  Drive down Salisbury Road and park in the second car park over the stream.  There are BBQ's at Stanley Park.  You may have to check the Fire Warnings for the day if it is in summer though.

After we visit the waterfall, we like to visit the Memorial Cross on top of Mount Macedon.  Simply drive up Mount Macedon road towards the summit and you will see the signs at the turn off to the Memorial Cross.  It can be very cold here in winter (you will definitely need winter jackets) but the mist and fog on the mountain top in winter time is awesome to see!  They do get snow on Mount Macedon but I haven't been lucky enough to see it yet.

The Memorial Cross stands 21 metres high on the summit of Mount Macedon and has amazing views of the region.  It was built in the 1930s to honour those who were killed in WW1.  By the way, if you ever get a chance to attend an Anzac Day dawn service here, you will never forget it.  The cross rising out of the mist with the Last Post breaking the silence is an incredible experience.

There is a tearooms located in the Memorial Cross car park which makes very nice hot chocolate!

One of my favourite places in Mt Macedon is the gardens at Tieve Tara.  These are located half way up the mountain on the left hand side of Mt Macedon Road, just past the shops.  The gardens are open from September to the end of November and again from mid March to the end of May.

Tieve Tara has lakes, bridges, streams, and a fantastic Peter Pan style cubby house at the bottom of the garden with toys and things for the kids to play with.  Its a perfect spot for a picnic lunch.  Entry for children is free with adults charged at $7 each.

Well that's my first 5 Free Days Out this week, I'll have another 5 for you next week!