Ella-Rose is really getting the giggles now. She likes us playing peek-a-boo with her and thinks it is really funny. Check out her giggles- it's infectious.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Things I'm loving this week!
Listening to Josh play the piano.
Watching baby Ella almost crawling.
Seeing Joseph's cheeky smile.
Brushing Anna-Maria's beautiful hair and helping her try on different headbands.
Sneaking a quick date with Tane while my parents look after the kids.
Laughing at Joshua's jokes.
Watching Tane playing with the baby and tidying up while wearing the baby in the baby sling.
Reading stories with Joseph and Anna-Maria
Watching Anna-Maria dancing, taking her to watch 'the big girls dancing' and listening to her explain how to do the moves correctly.
Watching baby Ella almost crawling.
Seeing Joseph's cheeky smile.
Brushing Anna-Maria's beautiful hair and helping her try on different headbands.
Sneaking a quick date with Tane while my parents look after the kids.
Laughing at Joshua's jokes.
Watching Tane playing with the baby and tidying up while wearing the baby in the baby sling.
Reading stories with Joseph and Anna-Maria
Watching Anna-Maria dancing, taking her to watch 'the big girls dancing' and listening to her explain how to do the moves correctly.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
It's always fun when Grandpa comes!
The kids were happy this week, Grandpa came to visit for 4 days. He came and watched them at rugby practice and came to pick them up from school. Yesterday Grandpa picked up Anna-Maria from Kindy and took her to the bakery. She chose the largest item she could see - a big chocolate lamington... and she ate the lot.
On thursday evening Grandpa did a chemistry experiment with Joshua making crystals. The two boys have had fun playing with Grandpa's ipod, listening to the music and all the little gizmos on it like the stopwatch and the pedometer. We used it to test the boys their times tables and their basic facts... they had lots of fun and seemed to learn twice as fast... we should have done that ages ago. Joseph told me he wants to get an ipod. I told him they are for big people and seeing as mum and dad don't have one it is unlikely he will.
Ella-Rose was funny. She was all smiles when we went to pick up Grandpa... that was until we got home and he held her. That was it. She just packed up and started crying... with that look at me... 'pick me up mum!' After that she was a little more weary of him, but then started to smile when he talked to her. By the end of the 2nd day she was much happier and all smiles when Grandpa was holding her.
It was a shame he was only able to be here for 4 days, but we are planning on visiting them in the not too distant future. Miss you already Grandpa xxx
On thursday evening Grandpa did a chemistry experiment with Joshua making crystals. The two boys have had fun playing with Grandpa's ipod, listening to the music and all the little gizmos on it like the stopwatch and the pedometer. We used it to test the boys their times tables and their basic facts... they had lots of fun and seemed to learn twice as fast... we should have done that ages ago. Joseph told me he wants to get an ipod. I told him they are for big people and seeing as mum and dad don't have one it is unlikely he will.
Ella-Rose was funny. She was all smiles when we went to pick up Grandpa... that was until we got home and he held her. That was it. She just packed up and started crying... with that look at me... 'pick me up mum!' After that she was a little more weary of him, but then started to smile when he talked to her. By the end of the 2nd day she was much happier and all smiles when Grandpa was holding her.
It was a shame he was only able to be here for 4 days, but we are planning on visiting them in the not too distant future. Miss you already Grandpa xxx
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| Day 1: Who are you??? |
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| Day 2: Best friends |
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sunday stroll
We have not yet been successful at getting a complete family photo as baby is usually asleep when we try an attempt. She was asleep again while we went on our walk, hence her absence from the pic.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The things kids say!
Anna-Maria on carparks - "park-ups"
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Joseph on a lost soccer boot we found in the park - "Some people have too many soccer boots so they leave them at the park. They are nutters!"
_____
Joseph: "Look at the Bulls!"
Mum: "They are cows not bulls. The girl ones are cows..."
Joseph: "... and the boy ones are bulls and they have to fall in love with the cows."
______
Joseph to Dad: "I will even love you when you're old and lose your marbles."
______
Recently we borrowed a DVD from a friend which had all the songs from Les Miserables. We all have loved watching it and we all have got certain songs ingrained in our heads. This morning I was singing "One more day to revolution, we will cut the fat ones down" and Anna-Maria gave an unsolicited response - "Daddy is the fattest one." :) Kids can be so straight up sometimes.
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At church Joseph pointed to a senior missionary couple and asked "why are some elders called the elderly?"
I just cracked up laughing! :)
____
Joseph on a lost soccer boot we found in the park - "Some people have too many soccer boots so they leave them at the park. They are nutters!"
_____
Joseph: "Look at the Bulls!"
Mum: "They are cows not bulls. The girl ones are cows..."
Joseph: "... and the boy ones are bulls and they have to fall in love with the cows."
______
Joseph to Dad: "I will even love you when you're old and lose your marbles."
______
Recently we borrowed a DVD from a friend which had all the songs from Les Miserables. We all have loved watching it and we all have got certain songs ingrained in our heads. This morning I was singing "One more day to revolution, we will cut the fat ones down" and Anna-Maria gave an unsolicited response - "Daddy is the fattest one." :) Kids can be so straight up sometimes.
_______
At church Joseph pointed to a senior missionary couple and asked "why are some elders called the elderly?"
I just cracked up laughing! :)
Grandma's visit
It was really nice to have grandma come and visit us this week. She was only here for 2 whole days, but we made the most of it. We went to the park so the children could show grandma their tricks on their bikes.
The kids were pretty sad to see her go. She went on the ferry on Friday morning after taking the kids to school. When I picked Josh up from school he was upset still and missing her already.
The kids were pretty sad to see her go. She went on the ferry on Friday morning after taking the kids to school. When I picked Josh up from school he was upset still and missing her already.
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| I'm still a few kilos heavier than the 3 kids combined. Maybe when Ella-Rose is old enough to sit on here we will balance. |
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Happy Birthday Anna-Maria
Anna-Maria had her 4th birthday. Mum came to visit... which I think was the best thing about it for the kids. They kept talking about 'the party', but all we did was have pizza and chips and watch Shrek, but they really loved it. They were all excited about Grandma coming to visit and kept competing to sit on Grandmas knee. Anna-Maria wanted a house cake, so this is what we managed... with lots of helpers involved.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
What a day!
Well we got to church just in time... and got all the kids sitting still. Then just as the opening hymn is starting I got a whiff of an unpleasant smell. No not the baby's nappy... it was worse than that.
So I ask Tane to check my shoes... clean, his shoes... clean, Anna-Maria's... not clean. Right - off they come. I am supposed to be conducting the music but am promptly disposing of shoes in a plastic bag in the car.
Back in my seat... I get another whiff. Check the boys shoes and off comes Joseph's - and into the car. So that's two children now in socks. Thankfully that was the end of that episode...
I glance around to make sure the rest of the primary presidency are here but I don't see anyone else... and we have no teachers either, they've just been released. I get this kind of sinking feeling at the realisation I could be 'it'.
However - thankfully the president and a teacher are here... but that doesn't mean we are without problems. I end up taking the 2 CTR classes and the Sunbeam class which is an interesting combination, but I think we managed to learn something about the 1st principles and ordinances of the gospel. One little boy was completely full of energy and kept chalking on the board, playing the piano, kicking over chairs and jumping off stacks of chairs... Thankfully he settled down when I asked Tane to come and sit with him.
By the time we got to music time I think the children had no recollection of what the word reverence meant despite reminders, sticker bribes, revent songs, fun songs and being told off. Children were standing on and jumping off chairs so in the end they were all put away and made to sit on the floor, which may have been worse as then they were lying down.
By this time as the president was finishing off sharing time, I was sitting on the floor with a glazed over look on my face. "This is completely crazy"... and I'm thinking in my mind "what can we do to improve our primary?"
I come out of primary and tell one of the mums it was the 'worst sharing time ever...' but I am still managing to smile as I write this which is why we'll do it all again next week. Because we love the kids, and the Lord. But next week we've put in a request for an army of helpers. :)
So I ask Tane to check my shoes... clean, his shoes... clean, Anna-Maria's... not clean. Right - off they come. I am supposed to be conducting the music but am promptly disposing of shoes in a plastic bag in the car.
Back in my seat... I get another whiff. Check the boys shoes and off comes Joseph's - and into the car. So that's two children now in socks. Thankfully that was the end of that episode...
I glance around to make sure the rest of the primary presidency are here but I don't see anyone else... and we have no teachers either, they've just been released. I get this kind of sinking feeling at the realisation I could be 'it'.
However - thankfully the president and a teacher are here... but that doesn't mean we are without problems. I end up taking the 2 CTR classes and the Sunbeam class which is an interesting combination, but I think we managed to learn something about the 1st principles and ordinances of the gospel. One little boy was completely full of energy and kept chalking on the board, playing the piano, kicking over chairs and jumping off stacks of chairs... Thankfully he settled down when I asked Tane to come and sit with him.
By the time we got to music time I think the children had no recollection of what the word reverence meant despite reminders, sticker bribes, revent songs, fun songs and being told off. Children were standing on and jumping off chairs so in the end they were all put away and made to sit on the floor, which may have been worse as then they were lying down.
By this time as the president was finishing off sharing time, I was sitting on the floor with a glazed over look on my face. "This is completely crazy"... and I'm thinking in my mind "what can we do to improve our primary?"
I come out of primary and tell one of the mums it was the 'worst sharing time ever...' but I am still managing to smile as I write this which is why we'll do it all again next week. Because we love the kids, and the Lord. But next week we've put in a request for an army of helpers. :)
Friday, June 3, 2011
2 Kea Scouts
We enrolled Josh in Kea scouts at the beginning of the year as we thought it would appeal to his nature... bushcraft, learning new skills, camps etc. Joseph also wanted to join, but was too young. But this week he was finally old enough and is now officially a Kea Scout. He is very excited and is especially looking forward to being able to march in the ANZAC parade (like Josh did) next year in honour of those who served in the war - including some of his ancestors.
Dandelion Clocks
Yesterday was fun. The sun was out even though it's winter so we spent the afternoon out on the deck. Anna-Maria played on the trampoline while I pegged out the washing. Ella-Rose was trying to crawl on the deck and I was keeping an eagle eye that she didn't back herself off the edge - she didn't luckily. Anna-Maria and I then proceeded to do the long overdue chore of weeding the vegie patch. We still had our corn and tomato plants in although they were severely dried and withered. The vegie patch was also full of weeds.
After a while of weed pulling, we sat on the deck for a break. I spotted a dandelion clock and a few more, so Anna-Maria collected them all and we spent a few moments 'telling the time' while blowing the seeds away.
But blowing dandelion clocks is like eating too much desert or going to bed too late. It seems like a good idea at the time, but you know you're going to have to pay for it later. Come next summer there will be twice as many dandelion weeds to pull out (but twice as many dandelion clocks to blow). What fun!
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After a while of weed pulling, we sat on the deck for a break. I spotted a dandelion clock and a few more, so Anna-Maria collected them all and we spent a few moments 'telling the time' while blowing the seeds away.
But blowing dandelion clocks is like eating too much desert or going to bed too late. It seems like a good idea at the time, but you know you're going to have to pay for it later. Come next summer there will be twice as many dandelion weeds to pull out (but twice as many dandelion clocks to blow). What fun!
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