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11. October 2013 05:20
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Coastal walk

11. October 2013 05:20 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One day Kim and I managed to go for a romantic (and long) walk from Coogee to Bondi and back along the coast.

It was a beautiful day and this area have some of the worlds best beaches and coastal views.

11. October 2013 05:18
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Bath time

11. October 2013 05:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

We have started giving Aiden and Lucas a bath together when we are not too rushed. They are playing very nicely together in the bathtub.

11. October 2013 05:16
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Lucas Walking

11. October 2013 05:16 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Lucas is starting to be able to walk by himself and stand for long periods of time without holding onto furniture. The longest we have seen him walk so far was around 2 metres.

11. October 2013 05:10
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Lucas cleaning the toilet

11. October 2013 05:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

A couple of times now we have caught Lucas in the process of cleaning the toilet using the toilet brush. We really have to watch him, because he is quick and within a few seconds he will be in there up to his mischief if we don't watch out.

11. October 2013 05:02
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Aiden in hospital again

11. October 2013 05:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden recently ended up in hospital again...this time really bad.

He had another seizure similar to the last time, but this time a lot worse and he didn't wake up from it.

At the hospital they couldn't get him to respond either and he started having neurological damage symptoms.

They decided to put him to sleep on a breathing aparatus and go through the whole process of CT scans, Xrays, spinal fluid examinations etc.

Kim and I were really scared and I stayed with him for 4 days in the hospital until he eventually recovered enough to go home.

The doctors were unable to find out why he seizure was so violent so now we are really worried that he may get another one.

11. October 2013 05:00
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Fathers Day

11. October 2013 05:00 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Recently it was fathers day...the kids surprised me in the morning giving me a new coffee mug.

11. October 2013 04:28
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Little Dynamo

11. October 2013 04:28 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Sometimes we take the kids to Little dynamo to play. It is this 4 level play centre for the kids.

11. October 2013 04:23
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Sammi's 4th Birthday

11. October 2013 04:23 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last weekend Aiden and I went to Sammi's 4th B'day.

It was held up at Mona Vale and involved a small bush walk for the kids.

Some of the way Aiden and Sammi were holding hands.

Afterwards we had cake and played with clay.

And after the party Aiden and I went for another little walk and spotted a hug red belly black snake.

11. October 2013 04:21
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Potty Training

11. October 2013 04:21 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

We are in the process of potty training Aiden...so far ain't working.

He is reasonably happy to sit on the toilet in front of the TV...but so far he is holding it in.

10. September 2013 02:49
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TEDx at work

10. September 2013 02:49 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Some time ago we had a TEDx session at work...it was great to be part of an international phenomena.

I hope they will run more sessions in the future and that they will be able to get some really interesting speakers in the room.

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19. September 2017 15:09
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Aiden starting Year 1

19. September 2017 15:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden is now in Year 1 at school. This photo is from his first day back at school.

19. September 2017 15:09
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Aidens missing teeth

19. September 2017 15:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden lost his front teeth.

19. March 2017 16:03
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Zimbabwe - being chased by Leopards

19. March 2017 16:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I just completed this photo of the boys about to be eaten by a leopard in the dark jungle.

At the airport in Victoria Falls they had these awesome stuffed animals that I though could be fun for some composite work.

Trying to get the boys to act scared rather than just being silly was a different matter.

Here are some more photos of the animals.

8. March 2017 14:03
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South Africa and Zimbabwe - Travelling with the boys

8. March 2017 14:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Traveling with the two boys can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, but this time it actually went very will. They behaved well on the flights watching movies, playing, drawing and looking out the windows.

They were even lucky enough to be invited into the cockpit while at the terminal and were allowed to press the big red button on the flight stick (transfers the flight control).

During the trip the boys were sleeping in the same bed (and sometimes in the same room as us), and they were usually so tired after a days of activities that they would sleep rather than muck around.

The accommodation was a combination hotels, lodges, cottages and apartment. (useful to have two toilets sometimes).

They also loved seeing large beetles and grasshoppers - but refused to touch them.

Some of their highlights were the unusual playgrounds they got to play in and the large lollipops at the airport.

And some of my highlights were the local toys such as the cars/tractors made from wires and the homemade slingshots.

3. March 2017 22:03
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South Africa - West Coast National Park

3. March 2017 22:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The West Coast National Park north of Cape Town is something special. During the spring all the South Africans go there to see the spring flowers, but it is equally beautiful other times of the year with its remote beaches and azure blue water inside the lagoon.

It was a beautiful spot to have Kim do a bit of modelling.

The boys absolutely loved playing in the water.

Even though it is a long drive (on easy roads) there were some interesting creatures along the way.

Such as Eland

And lots of Ostrich.

And lots of scenit spots in the small villages along the Atlantic coast.

2. March 2017 13:03
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South Africa - Cape Town

2. March 2017 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Cape town is a nice place and fairly small by Sydney standards. Although very modern it still has an African feel to it.

It is possible to walk through the city and get a pretty good overview of most things in a single day.

In the centre of the city is the Company Gardens which is where the Dutch East India Company used to grow supplies for their ships. This is now a big park full surrounded by old buildings, souvenir stalls and full of squirrels.

On the squares there are people entertaining with dance, music and entertainers everywhere.

At the waterfront it is full a bustling environment of museums and restaurants.

2. March 2017 13:03
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South Africa - Hout Bay

2. March 2017 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Hout Bay is just south of Cape Town - Besides from being a nice little fishing village it is also famous for its boat tours out to Seal Island. This is an island with a large colony of predominantly male seals.

From the harbour it is a short 45 minute round trip out to see the seals.

Back at the harbour there was one of the locals who had managed to train one of the wild seals to come and get food from him. It would jump out of the water and grab the food from his hand or from his mouth.

It was also tame enough for the boys to touch.

2. March 2017 08:03
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South Africa - Wine lands

2. March 2017 08:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

We spent a day driving out through the wine lands around Cape Town, namely Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

As everywhere else it is a beautiful area surrounded by mountain ranges.

Kim had been recommended a nice restaurant in Franschhoek, but when we got there it was fully booked (or invitation only - not sure), so we ended up at an equally nice french restaurant down the road.

The vineyards there are massive compared to Australia - they are proper estates on massive lands.

One of the estates had this nice McLaran parked outside.

We didn't do much tasting though - the way they do it (you order a sit down wine tasting or a wine package for a fee) didn't really fit with me driving and traveling with kids.

The Boys were as usual more interested in playing.

1. March 2017 20:03
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South Africa - Cheetah Outreach

1. March 2017 20:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One morning we went to the Cheetah Outreach centre outside Cape Town.

Here they train dogs to keep wild cats away from cattle and sheep so that these don't get eaten. The idea is that if the farmers keep dogs to keep their animals safe then they don't have to set traps to kill the wild cats. Interesting idea, but I would think that it would take a lot of dogs, and the farmers would probably still shoot or trap the wild cats anyhow.

The centre also keeps some cheetahs that visitors are allowed to pat (for a fee).

1. March 2017 20:03
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South Africa - Cape Peninsula

1. March 2017 20:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The Cape Peninsula is a beautiful area with nice views and little isolated beaches where ever you look. We spent a whole day exploring along the coast...breathtaking.

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13. September 2014 17:09
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Open Studio Day - Taylia Lopez

13. September 2014 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Model: Taylia Jordan
HMUA: Donna Kalasho
Lighting and Sets: Studio 1A Sydney
Photo: Rene Pallesen

Hard to believe that this is the same girl/model who during the last shoot was in this extravagant hair and makeup. I almost didn't recognise her.

13. September 2014 14:09
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Open day photo shoot - Michaela

13. September 2014 14:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

First of many from the photoshoot I did two weeks ago.

Model: Michaela Baranov
HMUA: Roxanne Cahill
Lighting and Sets: Studio 1A Sydney
Photo: Rene Pallesen

21. July 2014 14:07
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Golf after 5 years

21. July 2014 14:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Kim and I found a couple of hours to play 9 holes of golf on a short (mostly) par 3 course after not playing for 5 years.

It was nice getting out again after that long time even though it was very windy and freezing.

20. July 2014 14:07
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Cabramatta

20. July 2014 14:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last weekend we went to Cabramatta to have my car services and also make a bit of a day trip out of it.

Kim had a haircut while the boys has ice cream.

She also went past the show shop where they sell boots in her size.

Aiden got a new Lightning Mcqueen pyjamas that he was very excited about.

Lots of street food about to make you hungry.

So Lunch we had...

All very tiring.

19. July 2014 14:07
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Aiden recovering

19. July 2014 14:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One of the last days when the kids were still a bit sick we though we'd get them out of the house and go to Darling Harbour.

Aiden wanted to go on the tea-cups even though he was still suffering a bit.

18. July 2014 13:07
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Hospital again

18. July 2014 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

A few weeks ago I was in Melbourne for work.

On the way back Kim called and said that Aiden had a really high fever (41+ degrees) and that she was going to get him to the hospital because she was afraid that he'd collapse like he did last time.

I jumped on an earlier flight and went straight to the hospital and spent the night with him. He was really miserable and it took 5 days (fortunately not in the hospital) before we got the fever under control.

After that Lucas got sick and then Kim as well....what a week!!

17. July 2014 13:07
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Various play photos

17. July 2014 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Here is some photos that I have taken from various places including work.

They don't really belong anywhere but it is a pity to not share them.

One day walking from the train station I walked past this pair of sandals under a tree. I don't know the story behind them or the reason why one was taped up.

Did the owner climb the tree and then vanish? Did he (I assume it was a male) walk away bare feet? Where did he come from (Bata is a big brand in Africa and India)?

This next one was taken on the train. I was bored and notices this girl with a small swallow tattoo.

One day I was at Warriewood for a work meeting a dropped past Narrabeen beach (where I used to live). It was a beautiful day to have a play with the panorama function on the iphone.

Here is another panorama. This time from Town hall in Sydney.

We had our annual conference there and couldn't resist getting some photos of the beautiful architecture with my phone.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Melbourne for work. On the way we flew over the Snowy Mountains and I could see the snow there.

Here is another one from work that I took ages ago. When we all moved to the Campus from the city we were invited to hand our own avatar on this wall (mine is hanging somewhere in the top left hand corner).

Here is a photo from the campus itself. It is a cool place to work. Just a pity it is so far from the city.

16. July 2014 13:07
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Aiden Painting

16. July 2014 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

It is not often that I see Aiden engaged in painting at daycare (he used to be reluctant to get dirty, but now he loves it).

Here he is working on one of his masterpieces.

16. July 2014 13:07
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Lucas Reading

16. July 2014 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Lucas loves reading books...he can sit and look at books for hours if he is allowed.

One day at daycare all the other kids were playing loudly in another room and I found him in a separate room sitting quietly sitting in a small cardboard box reading by himself.

16. July 2014 13:07
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Anything Thomas

16. July 2014 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The kids are really excited whenever they get something with Thomas (the tank engine) on it.

Latest is Aiden's new Bath rope. He was so excited that he asked me to take a photo.

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11. November 2022 17:12
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Germany

11. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

While visiting my dad we made a daytrip to Burg in Germany. It is a short ferry ride.

10. November 2022 17:12
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Denmark - Ailu

10. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The boys joined a naming ceremony of my dads boat. It is named 'AILU' after AIden and LUcas.

9. November 2022 17:12
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Denmark - Cemetry

9. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

We went past the Cemetry to where my Brother and Mum (Aiden and Lucas' Uncle and Grandmother) is burried.

While there we also say all the other ancestors on my Mum's side of the family back to Aiden and Lucas' Great-Great-Great-Great Grandmother and Grandfather.

8. November 2022 17:12
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Denmark - Tivoli

8. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One day in Denmark we went to Tivoli to see the christmas show.

Lucas got a ride pass so that he could jump on whatever ride he wanted, and Aiden was happy cheering.

We also saw the 'real' santa (Julemanden) and went past the Lego store.

7. November 2022 17:12
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Denmark - Snow

7. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

While in Denmark it was snowing for a couple of days. The boys love playing with it.

7. November 2022 17:12
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Denmark - Little Mermaid and Queen

7. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the first day after arriving we went past the little mermaid from HC Andersens story and also past the residence of the queen, Prince Frederik and Princess Mary.

7. November 2022 17:12
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Denmark - Dads 80th birthday

7. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This year it was my dad's 80th Birthday. I took the boys back to Denmark to celebrate with him. Aiden has been once before when he was 1yo, and it was Lucas' first time.

This lady used to be my dads babysitter when he was just born (she is 92yo)

30. October 2022 16:12
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Soccer 2022

30. October 2022 16:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Both Aiden and Lucas were playing soccer again this winter.

Especially Lucas is starting to get pretty good when he gets 'hungry' to take the ball.

30. July 2022 17:12
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Skiing Thredbo 2022

30. July 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This year we took the boys skiing for the first time. They had been practicing their roller blades at home to get used to the motion, so it was a bit easier to get them started on the snow. It was the first time for the boys to see real snow.

We went with another family and stayed at Thredbo.

It also happened to be on my fiftieth.

13. July 2022 15:07
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Karate in Brisbane

13. July 2022 15:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In mid July the instructors of the Sydney dojo planned to visit the Brisbane dojo. They encouraged me to come along as I will be up for the next big grading soon and it would be a great introduction to some of the best instructors and karateka's in the country.

I also found the official lineage of our style listed on one of the boards.

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23. January 2014 12:28
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Hunter Valley Trip with family

23. January 2014 12:28 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last weekend we made an overnight trip to the Hunter Valley a couple of hours drive north of Sydney.

The main reason was to see the lights in the Hunter Valley Garden (see separate post), but also to go and taste some wine and generally have a good time.

Pretty soon after we arrived the girls were distracted by the chocolate and cheese places.

We did however go to a couple of places for wine tasting.

We also had some really nice food up there. I was especially impressed by a really nice gnocchi salad I had....it was yummi.

Outside it was really hot...like 39 degrees in the shade. There were a couple of horses relaxing under a couple of trees.

We decided an alternative approach of checking into our hotel and jump in the pool to cool off.

In the evening we went to the light show and on the following day we just did a number of wineries before heading back to Sydney.

17. January 2014 12:11
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Ten Pin Bowling

17. January 2014 12:11 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the weekend we did some ten pin bowling with the family.

Kim had managed to secure some cheap tickets so it was great to play against the family.

We had one lane for the kids (with rails) and one lane for the adults.

I had a bad start and was behind much of the game, but my luck eventually caught up and I started playing a good game.

Afterwards we had a bit of a play in the games arcade

Aiden was absolutely terrified of the big scary bear (I can see why).

The kids also tried to figure out what this machine was for:

I love some of the old 50's style decor.

17. January 2014 12:08
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Water Play

17. January 2014 12:08 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

It is summer and Lucas and Aiden is enjoying a bit of water play in the back yard on warm days.

15. January 2014 02:32
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Baptism

15. January 2014 02:32 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This Sunday we had Aiden and Lucas baptised in the local church in Maroubra. Lucky that both Aiden and Lucas behaved throughout the 2 hour long service.

15. January 2014 02:29
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Malua Bay - Rocks

15. January 2014 02:29 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The rocks at Malua Bay were quite spectacular and dramatic. A couple of times I ventured down to try my luck with some photos around sunset (grey every day)...I really suck at this style and constantly got my tripod soaked.

These were the two best results.

9. January 2014 11:38
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Malua Bay - The Beach

9. January 2014 11:38 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Having the beach so close was great. I went for a run every morning before breakfast.

We also had a lot of fun playing at the beach with the kids.

And everyone was just really enjoying the time there.

9. January 2014 11:33
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Malua Bay - Indian dinner

9. January 2014 11:33 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On news years day we had a very nice dinner at an Indian restaurant (I was soooo full afterwards).

The restaurant also had lice indian music as entertainment.

9. January 2014 11:29
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Malua Bay - Amusement Park

9. January 2014 11:29 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On New Years eve there was a fair on and we let the kids have a couple of rides.

They also had a visit to one of the fire engines.

I actually did a ride as well, which is the most awesome one I have seen in years...but because of the scare factor it is censored from this site.

9. January 2014 11:24
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Malua Bay - Fishing

9. January 2014 11:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Chong brought his little tinny along and him and Kims dad went fishing every second day.

I went along one morning out in the open water.

I caught a small flathead (and a puffer fish) which was too small to keep.

9. January 2014 11:17
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Malua Bay - Playground

9. January 2014 11:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

At the beach not far from the house there was a playground. It was great to let the kids play together.

Aiden was obviously keen on going on the swing.

But also the other kids had a go.

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18. March 2014 12:03
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Aiden pedalling his bike

18. March 2014 12:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other day Aiden figured out how to pedal his big bike (with support wheels).

He was very proud and keen to get out riding.

18. March 2014 12:03
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Playing at the park

18. March 2014 12:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other day we went to the park to play with the kids.

I brought the camera along to take a few shots of Lucas on the swing.

He was so tired that he almost fell asleep on the swing.

I also managed to get a couple of great photos of Aiden.

20. February 2014 12:13
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Super hero

20. February 2014 12:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other day Aiden came back from daycare with face paint around his eyes proudly saying that he was a super hero.

19. February 2014 06:37
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Serenpidity canyon

19. February 2014 06:37 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last year I received a gift voucher through work and decided to use it for a canyoning trip in the blue mountains before it expired.

one of the companies were doing intermediate canyons and it happens that the canyon they were doing this Sunday was the serendipity canyon at mount Wilson. We (two guides and 6 other clients) parked at mount Wilson fire station and headed down the trail 30 minutes downhill.

After a quick briefing about the canyon and a change to wetsuits we absailed into the canyon itself.

There were lots of yabbies...really big ones everywhere.

It was a fun canyon with a couple of a absails and lots of jumps into water pools and swim-throughs. It was raining a lot the day before so there was a lot of water in the canyon and the water was relatively warm.

Once we were out of the canyon we had some lunch and headed back to the car a 45 minute uphill walk later. We returned back to Katoomba at around 3pm in thick fog. After a quick turnaround I headed back towards sydney as a snail pace until I was below the clouds where visibility improved. I made it back just in time for having dinner with the family.

A lot of the canyons in the mountains are still closed due to the bushfire a couple of months ago.

10. February 2014 12:13
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Baking bread - Sourdough

10. February 2014 12:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

For the past 9 days is has been a small project of mine to try and bake an authentic sourdough bread.

By sourdough I mean by using the old techniques of not adding yeast and let the bread ferment using the natural yeast from the air.

As such it is not a lot of work, but there is a lot of waiting time and there are a lot of places that things can go wrong.

I finally managed to bake an actual bread last night and brought it for the family to taste.

They liked it and asked if I could bake them some more. Fortunately I still had some ferment left over for an additional two breads...photo above is one of them.

Although it was interesting to do, I think it will take a while before I attempt it again...the whole process is just too long.

6. February 2014 04:26
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Emmas Babtism

6. February 2014 04:26 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Emma was baptised this weekend at the local church. Fastest ever...the priest was speed reading!

6. February 2014 04:24
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Chinese New Year 2014

6. February 2014 04:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other day it was Chinese new year. It is now the year of the horse.

Again it was celebrated with vegan food and money was put on Aidens rocking horse for good luck.

6. February 2014 04:19
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Aiden pedalling his tricycle

6. February 2014 04:19 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden has finally learned how to ride his little tricycle (the one his grandma gave him just before she passed away) by using the pedals.

He is very proud...hopefully he is able to soon using his new skills on the bike he got for christmas.

Even Lucas was proud and gave Aiden the victory jump.

6. February 2014 04:02
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Baking bread - Walnut and Fig bread

6. February 2014 04:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

At the moment I am going through a phase where I Loooveee baking bread.

There is something really satisfying about working with something that is so diverse and alive. And there is nothing like eating a freshly baked bread with a nice crust.

So far I have found a couple of recipes I really like...one of them is this walnut and fig bread.

On the weekend I made it for the family dinner and they wanted the recipe.

- 400g white flour into a bowl
- Add 100g of wholemeal flour
- Add 10g of sea salt flakes
- Add 5g of dry yeast into the bowl
- Add 335ml of water
- Mix it all together using your hand
- Kneed it by stretching it out on a table and then roll it up...do this 3-6 times
- flatten the bread to a thickness of about 15mm and then place walnuts and chopped figs on top. Roll up the bread with the walnuts and figs inside.
- Stretch the bread another couple of time and roll it up until the walnuts and figs are mixed into the bread.
- Put the bread in a bowl and cover it with glad wrap (or better yet, just leave it on the table and cover it with the bowl) for one hour...knock back the bread every 20 minutes (3 times in total).
- Leave the bread for another one hour (without knocking it back). After 30 minutes (30 minutes prior to baking) start preheating the oven with a baking/pizza stone at 250 degrees. Also put a small metal tray in the oven (for the ice cubes)
- Add a bit of semolina (or flour) to the baking stone and to the top of the bread to avoid it sticking.
- Place the bread on the baking stone and make a couple of cuts to the top of the dough.
- Add 3-4 ice cubes to the metal tray
- Close the oven and turn down the temperature to 200 degrees immediately.
- Bake for 30 minutes and remove from the oven.

23. January 2014 12:39
by Rene Pallesen
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Hunter Valley Gardens light show.

23. January 2014 12:39 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Every year hunter valley garden put up a light show where they decorate part of the garden in christmas lights.

They leave this open until end of January, so this year we headed up there to have a look....enjoy.

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