Mamma mia...

Last weekend Lily and I went to Melbourne* with her friend M and her mum S.

Lily and M have a love-hate relationship. They've been friends since they first started childcare at 15 months and have been pretty much inseparable since. Except when you have to separate them for their own safety. Or your sanity. In the beginning it was just your standard hair pulling/face biting (seriously)/pushing each other type confrontations. Now they fight about who is the best swimmer, dancer or singer. ALL. THE. TIME. I probably would have discouraged such a competitive friendship long ago, but I really like her mum (and her son gets on really well with Paddy so we won't be parting ways anytime soon). That and the fact that I guess they're kind of like sisters - they fight hard but love harder. And having each other has given them a confidence at school that has been incredible. They are the two that the other kids gravitate to - because they are sure of themselves because they have each other. As long as the other one is there they are fine. And its not like they're totally codependent - they've each made other friends in the three weeks they've been at school. Anyhoo.

We went to Melbourne to see Mamma Mia. The girls love it so we thought we'd do a girls weekend. While waiting for the show we walked around the city a bit and I found my favourite fountain. It reminds me of a similar one in Bathurst...


The girls loved it! They kept re-enacting it - at breakfast, in the hotel foyer, on the tram and down at St Kilda beach.


We went to see the markets and had some lunch down by the beach. It was really nice. Except for the dead jelly fish.



Then it was time to take two very tired, very grumpy children back home. It will be a nice memory for them hopefully. For me it will be a reminder to always take a leash when I'm taking the child to large cities.


* It was a flying visit - and the first time I'd been to Melbourne in 18 months. It made me realise how much I want to go back without any 'hangers on' so that I can catch up with the lovely folk I know down there and see the places I want to see.