Starting the Year on the right note

Happy New Year! 

We had a very quiet New Years Eve. We stayed at home and enjoyed a big seafood dinner that Nick cooked on the BBQ but that was as exciting as it got in our house and we were all in bed by 8.30pm! 

There was, however, magic later that night, when one of our neighbours rang bells at midnight, as he does every year. It usually wakes us up and makes us smile. This time we had Elly in our bed after a nightmare.... She heard the bells and was completely in awe of it! Wide eyed and excited, she looked out the window and whispered, 'Santa! I think I just saw Santa fly across the moon!'. It was beautiful! She truly believed Santa happened to be flying past at that very moment.  And it was all she would talk about the following day (I think it will be something she remembers forever).

To add to the excitement, I had come up with a grand idea of going to Luna Park on New Years Day... in the hope it wouldn't be as busy as it usually is (presuming most people would be at home, recovering from their NYE celebrations). Honestly, this is the best idea I have ever had! It was the best day to go! We had an amazing day at this gorgeously restored 1930's  amusement park and saw so many beautiful things;

The Ferris Wheel;

The Carousel;

Sideshow Alley;

I love the old Fairground games! 

 So many great colourful characters and murals to see too!

Even the rubbish bins were in character;

I had wanted to get a photo of the girls in front of this mural, when a ride attendant ran over to us and insisted we have a family photo;

I'm so glad he did! (All the staff were so helpful. I was so impressed by their hospitality throughout the day, helping with our pram and giving us more time on each ride because it wasn't busy!)

This is where we spent most of our time;

Did you know you can buy a pass for Coney Island for just $10 each? That means unlimited rides on some of the more iconic Luna Park attractions. I'm talking vintage, old-time FUN! (Really age-appropriate rides that won't scare the living daylights out of your children... All I want for my children is to have plain, old-fashioned fun and not give them any more nightmares!). Coney Island has all the things I remember loving as a kid;

Like this huge spinning disc, called The Joy Wheel!

I remember being crammed onto it with about 30 others and as it spins around, people slide off in all directions, hitting the cushioned bumpers surrounding the ride. Because we arrived at opening time, our girls were the only ones on it. They LOVED it!

There were so many other fun rides that were hard to capture with photos. Rolling bridges to run across, moving floorboards that make you dance to and fro, a spinning tunnel to walk through and a Mirror Maze;

Ollie slept through most of the fun;

I did get to go on a few rides before he wanted to be snuggled. Then I was a happy spectator.

{Yes, I wore my pearls to Luna Park. I don't get out much... obviously! Nick bought these for me when he went to Darwin when I was 36 weeks pregnant. What a stressful time! I was so scared of going into pre-term labour, with Ollie lying sideways and being at risk of cord prolapse. Yikes. Those pearls have a story).

I loved seeing the girls enjoying every second of it. 

Oh, and Nick too! The HUGE slides were a hit with all of us;

We zoomed down so fast!

 As you can see from my photos, there was hardly anyone in Coney Island when we were there... We felt so lucky, enjoying all the rides with no queues! We played there for a couple of hours and then decided to find some lunch. But not before a few more fun pit-stops along the way, like these silly mirrors;

And as always, we cannot go to a show without trying our luck with the Laughing Clowns;

We enjoyed Fish 'n Chips for lunch but it was a really hot day...

Snow Cones were in order! Even if the ice melted within about 5 minutes!

And that was the start to our 2013. It was such a fun way to begin the new year...

 I think a trip to Luna Park on New Years Day might become a new tradition for our family.

What do you do on New Years Day?... besides recover? And break your New Years Resolution, as I did, lasting a mere five hours before I ate chocolate again!