Wild Jungle

From Swedish wikipedia:

Ordet trotsålder syftar på perioder i ett barns utveckling när det testar gränser. Syftet är att lära känna omgivningens sociala normer, att hitta balansen och lära sig se skillnaden mellan sina egna och andras behov, att experimentera fram vad viljan kan göra, att lära sig hur man uttrycker sig och hur man beter sig.
Metoden för detta är empirisk och kräver många och långa strider. Detta kan vara tålamodsprövande för de personer som lever och umgås med barnet.
Om en vuxen skulle bete sig så skulle man tala om social inkompetens eller kanske envishet, tjurighet, negativism, egocentrism, bristande självkännedom, dumhet, skrikighet, våldsamhet eller just trots.


Travelling with small children - we learn every day what works and what does not. We have become experts in handling almost every situation and mood, making the best out of it. But - I will not lie - even though it works it can be darn tough. Today was exhausting. But it turned out to be a pretty OK daytrip after all. The destination was Argyle Waterfalls, close to Roxborough (where we ended up by mistake last time...) We had quite a few stops on the otherwise 45 minute drive there (snack time, car sick, too hot, too cold (AC - thank God), diaper change, feeding....) though I have developed incredible nursing skills from impossible positions - even car seated (both of us!).



Finally there, we paid a small entrance fee including a local guide to take you the 20 min hike through the rainforest to the waterfall.

Guide Esther, B and E on his shoulders (to prevent her from walking backwards)



F on my stomach sleeping and E imitating Ester's walking stick

Esther showed us different trees, flowers and vegetation on the walk, and spot out birds and other animals. We have invented the name "IKEA-plants" - plants we use as decorative plants at home are everywhere here (but in other sizes). And now we have seen how orchids grow, on the trunk of trees, explaining why you use bark in the pots at home.


Silk cotton tree
Bird nests


We reached the waterfalls and B and E had a refreshing swim.(I chose not to wake the sleeping child)

We saw some amazing bamboo - and learned that they grow 6 inches a day (!)

Very tiny humans, very huge bamboo!

Trekking parent style -very hot but still standing

We planned to take another road back home than the one we came on, but discovering that E's shoes were missing those plans were abolished. Considering we hade quite a few stops driving to the falls, we suspected they were left behind. A quest for the red shoes began - was it this green curve or the next or the next??? - and finally - success:

In the evening having put the kids to bed - we chose to try our first take-away:




Lovely. And on Wednesday we have a babysitter for the first time.