August 2013

This is one big blogpost to cover August!  It was nice to be back in the pool after having a couple of winter months in NZ :-)  ;-)

The kids were really happy to be reunited with their scooters again.

Yeah ... Samuel really needed a haircut!

I have tried a few different recipes off Pinterest this month.   This vege dish was rather yummy and I'd make it again.

 Sunset up at the infinity pool.

Kids wearing their new NZ tee-shirts :-)  The ferns and NZ glow in the dark (this resulted in playing for ages under blankets in their rooms!  I asked them why on earth didn't they just pull the curtains!? Would have been a bit easier hehee)

Met up with some friends at Baskin Robins for ice cream as a wee treat one day :-)

I made icing for cupcakes which clashed badly with my cake mixer!

Maddison had a couple of school friends over as a little late celebration for her birthday.  They had some time in the pool.

And then gobbled up the cupcakes.

(Lyndon gave Samuel a hair cut!!!  He looks like he's escaped!!)

Meanwhile back in the jungle ... Samuel likes getting into this box.  He thinks I can't see him!  haha  He had been in there a while and was calling out and when I realised he was calling for me it was because he couldn't get the lid off hehee.  The box had moved under the arm of the couch so he couldn't push it up.  He wanted to get his toy snake back in the box with him!!  Funny little fella.

Aaron was bored one day, so I suggested he help sort out the plastic cupboard!  :-)

Aaron and Maddison started back at school on the 13th.  Maddison was SO excited to be in Grade 1 and wearing a white tee-shirt like Aaron :-)  He's in Grade 3.

That afternoon I noticed that Aaron had left his rabbit some "homework" to study while he was at school!  A book about rocks!  :-)

I cleaned up my bench.  (I refuse to publish the before photo ... but you couldn't see the bench!!)  This bench becomes a dumping ground for lots of things, it's very annoying.  So I cleaned it up (took me most of the day because I put EVERYTHING away properly, not just stuck it some place else!).  I am trying real hard to keep it clean.  Last thing I do at night now is clear the bench!  :-)

This was just the school papers that were part of the clutter.

Amongst it I found this gem from Maddison.  She obviously feels calm when wearing a Dr Seuss hat!  :-)

The bench when I had finished :-)

I built a train track for Samuel.  There was a lot of de-railing happening!

We checked out the new indoor playground at our condo.

Watched another sunset from the pool :-)

Samuel came with me to the post office one day and we had to stop and have a big chat to the fish :-)

Being goofy in the playground!

He found an empty snail shell in the garden and was poking a dead palm leaf into the shell!

Another recipe from Pinterest ... Beef & Broccoli in the slow cooker.  (Mine didn't look like the fancy pic but it tasted good.  I would make it again for sure.)

I suddenly noticed how many freckles Aaron has now :-)

More time up at the pool :-)

Had to take a photo of this restaurant sign!  Just for Grandma :-)

Made a cake to share with some friends and Samuel got his grubby little fingers into it!  Grrrr

Shared the cake anyway ... we just avoided the messy bit!

I had myself a birthday ... sort of a big one!  My Mum made me a birthday card!  ;-)  (Dad is on the left and Mum on the right.)

A friend gave me a lovely cake ... we had it after dinner that night with the kids.

I got totally spoilt with flowers!

Made myself a birthday cake ... another idea from Pinterest haha

Aaron had a birthday too.  He turned 8.  He was very happy with his Lego stash!  :-)

Happy to go to school :-)

Another boy in his class has a birthday the same day, so we celebrated after their school swim lesson with cupcakes, popcorn and juice :-)

He had a couple of friends over after school and he finally finally got the No. 8 racing car cake he's been asking for the last 3-4 years!!  :-)

So that's August done and dusted.  Can't believe it's September already.  Be back another day with an update on Lyndon and Aaron's trip to Cambodia.  They had a wonderful time :-)

Thanks for visiting.

Our 2nd week of holidays - 23rd to 29th June 2013

Just some brief notes with this pile of photos!!!  :-)

Sunday 23rd.  I tried to get some photos of the kids with Grandma, but it wasn't that successful!  I like this one though - Aaron had put a plastic fly on Grandma's shoulder and of course it was SOOO funny!

Samuel has been playing in old suitcases!

In their pj's before bed :-)

Aaron singing Monkeys on the Bed to Grandma at the breakfast table.

Down at my sisters place - Samuel playing with their tractors and trucks :-)

My sister taught him how to shoot me with her boys nerf guns!

On the 25th we went to Bluff to watch some big ships leave the harbour.  It was a freezing cold day and the wind at the top of the lookout on Bluff Hill was so strong I thought my photos would all be blurry!!  Aaron and Maddison are looking out onto Tiwai Point.

Bluff Harbour

2 pilot boats turning this big container ship around to head in the right direction.

Leading it out the channel.

Another boat leaving - this one was an oil/chemical tanker which left from Tiwai Point.

Little fishing boat coming back in on the left.

Taking the obligatory photo under the sign post :-)

After the photo session at the sign we did a quick walk around the coast.  This photo is looking back to "Lands End"!

Little hidden waterfalls among the ferns.

Throwing sticks into the sea.

Another big ship heading for the harbour.

Another day Grandma set up a table and we did some rock painting.

Samuel was in charge of the hair dryer to dry the paint!!

The kids have spent hours outside riding bikes.

Grandma and Aaron biked to the local playground one day.

They have been inside reading books

And comics in front of the fire.

Or in the sun at the little table in the lounge :-)

Aaron got his hair cut at the barber that Grandad goes to.

Kids fell in love with my Aunty's dog!  I get pestered on a daily basis "please can we get a dog, PLEASE"!!

The morning following, the first thing Samuel said on waking was "Go to Doggies House, Go to Doggies House, Go to Doggies House ..." It was like a stuck record!

Friday 28th - Grandma took Aaron and Maddison for a bike ride along the Estuary Walkway.

Was very impressed actually that neither of them rode of the edge of this boardwalk!!  haha

Having a little snack along the way :-)

Saturday 29th my sister and her boys came in and they went mini golfing with Aaron (I stayed home with Maddison and Samuel due to behavioural issues!!)

After that they picked up Maddison and went to a playground that had a flying fox.  Kids thought it was fantastic.

We had fish'n'chips for tea that night :-)

And the kids all hopped in the hot tub afterwards.  Samuel had his new $3 goggles (or bubbles as he calls them) on.  Upside down by the look of it!  haha

So that was another week.
Thanks for visiting.

p.s.  just a bit of random info ... this is my 950th post!