What are you doing for Australia Day?

Australia Day - yes I know it's a controversial date for our national day, and yes I know it sometimes flushes out some less than ideal nationalistic sentiments. But it is what it is - our official national day.

What are you and your family doing this year?

Us: next to nothing. We had friends for a BBQ dinner last night and no it wasn't lamb (boo). We had not-really-pavlova for dessert. We might head out later for some fireworks. Or not. I even did a really poor job of remembering to tune into the Hottest 100 today (:wall:). I'm not sure whether this is a sign of a larger lifestyle deficiency (ie poor planning) or a symptom of my general ambiguity around the day itself. Anyway...

This is the first time we've done absolutely nothing. We usually go back home to spend the day on the beach listening to the Hottest 100, but this year DH has the whole week off work and we're going away for a mini beach break from Wed-Fri. So our proper celebration will be then, we'll do everything we'd normally do except for the Hottest 100, we'll enjoy this beautiful country of our with our wonderful little family and good friends :)

We do a BBQ most years - sausages in bread with sauce (mustard and BBQ sauce optional). Boston bun, watermelon, lamingtons, chocolate ripple cake, whatever. Chips and lollies. Softies, beer, whatever.

Plenty of backyard cricket, totem tennis, chatting ...

Maybe some singstar and tabletop games, poker, later. Whatever.

Pretty much what we do for AFL Grand Final. Which is similar to what we do for cup day, but for cup day, there's more wine and less beer.

This year, we're doing it tomorrow instead of the actual day.

I felt really lonely today, actually. No invites, DP away camping, so just me and the cubs.
I thought about posting what I was feeling on fb but didn't really want that kind of attention.
Have concluded the only thing to do is organise our own do next long weekend and hope people come. I've never done that.

were planning to stay home this year, normally we celebrate it with both sides of the family. i was doing some weeding & DH playing computer. we got invited to go down the beach with a bunch of friends for a BBQ, swims, cricket, kayak. was good fun, was pretty warm though, so we only stayed 4ish hours. am exhausted now!

We didn't do anything either..

No invites to anything and since I had a whole bunch of friends over last weekend I wasn't hosting again.

I worked. Oh, and I had a pie! That counts as celebrating Australia day, right? :p

We went to a lobster festival. Then drive home from our holiday. Cooked a lovely calamari salad and listened to the hottest 100. Was the best day. And best weekend I've had in a while!

DH often works on holidays but today he was home so I was determined to make the most of it! First we went to the local model train exhibit before doing a big grocery shop, meat pie for lunch and then home to spend the rest of the day doing some work in the yard, bbq tea. A pretty good day!

The local community get together for a BBQ (farming area). It is pretty good, often the only time we get to catch up with some neighbours. Just around the corner so nice and convinient. No pretension, just good food and company.

We are on holiday at the beach so had a brilliant day. Up and straight to the beach where we swam and built the biggest sand castle ever, was taller than DD1, especially when she climbed and stood right on top of it. My dad literally bought a giant camping shovel that collapses and screws into place just for sand castle building, it is super effective. Then back to the pool for a swim. Then down the street for lunch. Then down to the rock pools where I managed to do not one but three cartwheels which everyone said they thought I couldn't. We found interesting things like crabs and shells and rocks, we played in the shallows and sand. Then we went for gelato and I had pink lemonade and lemon coconut tart flavours, they were glorious. Then back to the pool before dinner. Had sausages and salad. Then finished up our puzzle (kind of, two rogue pieces thanks to DD2 that are yet to be recovered lol) and now laying next to a sleeping DP after we managed to make the most of having our bed all to ourselves for the first night in forever. I'm laying all comfortable and spread out wondering if DD2 will stay in with DD1 all night or not.

Don't think any of us thought to mention it was Australia Day, it isn't something we grew up acknowledging. I do love the land, such a unique and diverse offering and I'm glad to have spent today out exploring it.

We didn't do anything. DH worked.

Had an invite to a friends for a BBQ but I'm not feeling social today so decided to just stay home.