Em is 9

Happy Birthday bub. I love you.

Merry Christmas

Merry merry Christmas to everyone that I love! Here's a couple things I found this month, that I really like.

The first are these Bible videos. They are done so beautifully. Here's a still picture from one of them. They are made by my church and are really neat to watch at this time of year. They plan to put more videos on as they are made, all based on the life of Jesus Christ.

The next is this Fan Chart. You can make them here if you have a church login. It takes all the info you've entered or connected in newfamilysearch and puts it into a fan like this in less than a minute. You can see exactly where your gaps are and who you need to find at a glance. Love it!

Ok, kids are home. Off I go.

Greasing

Ammon: Mum can I play on the computer?

Mum: No

Ammon: Mum can I play on the computer?

Mum: (ignores him)

Ammon: Mum can I play on the computer?

Mum: (still ignoring him)

Ammon: You're a nice Mum and you are beautiful.

Mum: Are you saying nice things so I'll let you play on the computer?

Ammon: Yes

It worked.

December 4th

It's December! Yay! I love December. I love the excitement of Christmas. I love the joy my kids show about the whole season.

Our 25 days of Christmas has started. 1st - Start eating your chocolate advent calendar. 2nd - Play Christmas bingo. 3rd - Go to Elisa's party. 4th - Do our Christmas cards. Well this one hasn't really happened because both girls went off to Granny's after church, so I'm going to move it to tomorrow. The 5th was supposed to be bake gingerbread men and read the story from the library but the previous person hasn't returned the book yet, so that one gets delayed. Kind of all works out really doesn't it? Coming up are things like teacher treats, paint the windows, sleep by the tree, buy a new ornament and go to the Temple lights.

This week we also have Leah's athletics, Em's inter-school athletics, Faith in God for Em, Dancing on Thursday and Friday and Emerson's Dance Show on Saturday, Relief Society Christmas Dinner, a morning tea at the school, a disco, a playdate for the kids and our Christmas shopping to complete. Just a little busy.

The girls have two weeks of school left then I have to start entertaining them. Oh fun. Anyone want them?

On a random note: I just ate a roasted beetroot. Yum!!!

Emerson has been super busy with jump jam (they came fourth) and her Community Dance show, she also has a choir performance next week. She often does solo's now in choir and she is chuffed when that opportunity comes up.

Leah is loving athletics. It's well run and they are taught the techniques of athletics, it's not just a go and do thing so I like that. She is in her element. She still wants to be a vet and is trying to convince Ammon he wants to be one too.

Ammon wants to be a cowboy that rides not a horse, but a motorbike. He has a lot of fights with Caleb (such boys!) and loves playdates and sleepovers more than anything.

Caleb is growing his vocab. His most said words are gone, mess, go away and breakfast. He can also say sorry, chocolate and fell down along with all the usual hello, bye, mum, dad, nanny, papap (papa) etc... But his favourite thing is to play with my iphone or Nate's ipad. He gets it, unlocks it, finds his game and starts playing. On to it isn't he? He likes "Talking News" - a cat and a dog that repeats what you say, or you can make them fall over or spin around. What's he going to be like when he's really techno-savvy??

Nate is hanging out for his Christmas holidays and really looking forward to camping. We are still deciding whether to go to the farm on boxing day. Actually I think we are leaning more towards staying home and just going to Cooks in January.

I am trying not to forget Emerson's birthday. Boy enough to think of a christmas present, let alone a birthday present too. Idea's welcome. She's going to be 9.

*** update ***

Emerson came 2nd in her 200m heat at the interschool sports, so she made it through to the final and came 3rd overall! Well done my Emmy girl.

Kindy Photos

The yearly photo. It did come in colour but thought I'd put it on here in black and white just for a change.

Nana's birthday

She's 96. Go Nana!

Yes I'm still alive

It's the beginning of the second week of the school holidays, and today we went to the zoo. We made it before the rain appeared which was good but the boys were pretty much done before we got to the rhino's (which luckily was nearing the end). We're now veging out waiting for Nan to come and pick up Ammon and Leah for a sleepover. Caleb is in bed and I'm wishing I was there too.

I have been called as the 1st counsellor in the Relief Society. Kinda glad that now I don't have to do the RS newsletter - it's like pulling blood from a rock. Everyone wants one, but noone wants to give you anything to put in it. I guess I still have to do the ward one. That's no easier.

I think I'm too tired to write any more, it's making my mind go blank. But I just wanted you to know I am still here. Still doing my thing and trying to stay sane amongst it all. :)

Fathers Day Pics

Attitude

Why is it that when you see something isn't working, you just bury your head in the sand and hope it'll change on it's own?
We've watched our lovely firstborn for some time now grow an attitude to rival anyone double her age and tonight we have FINALLY decided to knock it on the head. How? Beats me. If you have idea's we welcome them with open arms.
However, the first one is banning Sky Channel 40 from our home. It's her favourite tv shows such as Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, Shake it up, Zach & Cody etc... and some of it can be quite funny. But when you actually watch it for a while you can see how full they are of kids who defy their parents, go behind their backs, talk back to them, say whatever they want without consequence and all you hear in the background is the fake audience laughter. That is NOT the kind of person we want her to be.
She doesn't know this yet, I'm sure it'll go down a charm when we tell her. I even rang Sky to see if I could turn it off, but unless we upgrade to My Sky that is not an option, so we'll just have to tell her the new rule and see if she obeys.
So, if my kids come to your house we would prefer no channel 40 if possible please. We're also going to limit their TV to Saturday mornings till 10am only plus a church DVD on Sunday's. Nothing during the week. Our Ammon is addicted to TV, but that's because I turn it on for him and do not alot else with him. If he's entertained then he is fine. This is where I have to change me. Oh boy.
I threatened withholding her extra curricular activities but that's not realistic as she participates in teams with required numbers. Basketball they have no spare people, Dancing their routines are already set and jumpjam is a certain number too. So to punish her with those punishes the other kids in her teams and that's not fair. However she did get chosen for an afternoon basketball camp with the NZ Breakers team, so we can pull the plug on that one if need be. She's so keen to go too.

Our Apple is in the shop, we thought our bluetooth connection was faulty but the service people say it's working fine, so we now have to send in the keyboard and mouse for them to test with it. I still don't like Apple's. I'm almost hoping it's not fixable and I can get a refund and go back to a PC. Oh I wish. Probably won't happen though.

Nathan no longer works for himself, he is an employee of Vodafone again. He's happy. Same job, less stress and niggly problems. He likes that.
My work is plodding along. I spend too much money there though. Bought me some Ugg Australia slippers the other week - LOVE THEM!!

I also got my hair done on Saturday. Wasn't that happy so had them fix it up today and now I am. I am probably one of the few females who actually has grey highlights put IN her hair, but I've stopped fighting with my white-lock and am trying to blend it in now. It's a change (shrug).
Caleb is 14 months old now. He's starting to say Look, HooHoo (for an animal) and Gone Gone. Says Mum, Dada and Nan. Calls Papa Dada too. He pulls you where he wants to go, or points if you're holding him. Loves bikes, being outside, the pet shop, water and eating soap.
Ammon is still at odds whether he likes kindy or not - depends on the day. Rides his white bike really well now, loves playdates, his telescope (or looking scope as he calls it) teddy and sleeping like Little Bill on TV - who only wears pyjama pants to bed, no top. Ah... yeah... it's apparently not winter in our house at all!
Leah is still mega slow in the mornings, likes to swim and would happily play with her brothers rather than her friends. She likes school and does well enough at it.

Alright here's to our new lifestyle. Give me strength.

For Rose & Jean

Here's Ammon on his balance bike. Speedy!

Chicken Pox

Here's some pics of the kids welcoming Daddy home from his weekend in Adelaide. They were SO happy to see him. Plus some from chipmunks with the Bells/Prattley's.

We've had a chicken pox invasion of late. My poor Caleb has it bad. Especially on his head and groin and even has some in his mouth and on his eyeball! He's still fairly happy though. Ammon has it pretty mildly.


And here is one of Caleb. I had left him in his highchair having dinner while I went to start his bath. Leah and Ammon's noodles were cooling on the table. When I came back this is what I found. . . .

Australia

My weekend went TOO fast!

Friday I flew to Sydney for our company awards night. Normally this is a stand-around-eat-hardly-anything type affair, but this year we had a masquerade ball with 3 course sit down dinner and entertainment. I had a great night.

Saturday morning Regan and I flew to his place in Brisbane for me to spend two days with my nieces. I have 3 GORGEOUS nieces living over there. We had a beautiful BBQ lunch provided by Danielle (I love your cooking Dan!) with all the family, lots of fun play time, a visit to Ikea, lots of Aunty cuddles and a strong urge to live closer to them. I loved watching Regan and Dan with their girls, they are so fun and so.... present. What great parents you are. :)

Andre's new place is lovely and the outside space is going to be so great in Summer. I'm jealous of your pool. Enjoy having Mum and Dad to give you breaks this week - isn't it handy?

All too soon my time was up. I could easily have stayed another couple of days. I had the opportunity too but didn't think my family would survive till then .

The only downside of my weekend was my flights. I was originally supposed to fly Hamilton-Auckland-Sydney-Brisbane-Hamilton. Instead it went Car-Auckland-Sydney-Brisbane-Auckland-Bus. Got home 2 hours after I was supposed to. I think the lesson I learned here was just fly from Auckland. Both Hamilton flights had to be cancelled due to technical problems with the planes. What a kafuffle!

But I'm home and my kids are happy. My husband is VERY happy to not be a solo Dad anymore.

I went this morning to watch Emerson get her Basketball certificate during assembly for winning their division final, tried to visit Nana but she wasn't home, then took the boys swimming. It was Ammon's final swim for the term and he even did all his water safety in the cold pool today. He was great! Of course Caleb didn't want to wait to swim in the warm pool, so kept dunking himself in the cold pool too. Eventually got purple lips and we had to leave Ammon to warm him up. He was fast asleep half way home in the car. I'd love to have a sleep right now but Ammon is wide awake. Oh well. Early night tonight I guess.

Will put up photo's when I get some from Regan and Dad.

July 2011

Well it's a busy month ahead.

Nate is off to Adelaide tomorrow till Monday 4th to visit Renee and her new baby daughter Ava and to be there for her blessing. On Friday 8th I go to Sydney and Brisbane till the 10th. School Holidays start on the 15th, then on the 22nd Nate has to work in Wellington for the weekend and then I'm off on a girls weekend from the 29th-31st to go to Time Out For Women.

Mum and Dad are in Brisbane for two weeks and Nate's Mum is in Adelaide for a few weeks during all that too. There is going to be a fair amount of solo parenting coming up!

I think we might run away to Auckland this weekend and visit the Bells if my kids are feeling healthy enough, otherwise we'll take up the option of a day off school and do it.

We discovered Caleb's 9th tooth yesterday - a molar. No wonder he's having trouble sleeping. Ammon hasn't been sleeping well either. Leah wouldn't go to bed tonight till Daddy did. She is really upset that he is going away. It's fine for her to go away but not her Dad. It's like he is her constant, she knows where he is and it really throws her when she can't picture him at home. She was the same when he went to Queenstown. I'll try to distract her with a campout in the lounge one night and taking turns with Em & Am to sleep with me in our bed.

Ok - can hear Ammon's coughing. Time to go attack him with the Baby Balsam (junior vicks) so we can all get some sleep. ;P

help

Does anyone in my family have a photo of Emmy's cake from the birthday we had at Dolphinz Swim School? It was at a pool at the back of a house and we had it all to ourselves. The cake was a blue number 5 I think.

Birthday Cakes I've Made For My Kids

AGE 1

Leah

Emerson

Caleb

Ammon

AGE 2

Emerson

Ammon

Caleb

Jarom

Leah's was made by Granny - a number 2.

AGE 3

Emerson - at home

Emerson - at kindy

Leah - at home

Leah - at kindy

Ammon - at kindy

Ammon - at home

Caleb 

Jarom

AGE 4

Emerson

Leah

Ammon

Caleb (Cheesecake shop)

Jarom

AGE 5

Emerson

Leah - at her party

Leah - at home

Leah - for kindy

Leah - at home

Ammon - at kindy 

Ammon - at home (inside of cake)

Ammon - at home (outside of cake)

Caleb

AGE 6

Emerson

Leah

Ammon

Caleb

AGE 7

Emerson

Leah

Ammon

Caleb

AGE 8

Emerson

Leah - chocolate cake

Leah's Baptism - vanilla cupcakes

Ammon

Caleb

AGE 9

Emerson (mudcake from the Cheesecake shop)

Leah - vanilla cupcakes

Ammon - Pokemon

AGE 10

Emerson - brownie, whipped cream, fruit

Leah

Ammon

AGE 11

Emerson - butter cake

Leah

AGE 12

Emerson

AGE 13

Leah

AGE 14

Emerson

OTHERS

Donut cake for Nathan

The kids and I also made this lolly cake for Papa.

For my nieces

Ladybug for Ashlley

Nana

Chocolate for Cameron

Carrot for Delwyn

For Oscar Aitchison