Rocketmen!

The boys obsession with space has hit a new high (low?). I was called into the toilet to marvel at my son's faecal output. After agreeing that it was an excellent effort I was gobsmacked to hear that their names were Phobos and Demos (Mars's 2 moons for those not in the know). The space dvd that Dad got for Cameron's birthday is watched on a daily, nay hourly, basis and 2 little boys shriek "Space! Space!" when asked if they want to watch a dvd. Worse, when I put Mr Moon on the tv we experienced the sniffy attitude of a space connoisseur "I don't want (tone of loathing) PINK and PURPLE space! I want BLACK space!"Farewell Mr Moon, Sunny and the gang - it was good while it lasted lol. The humongous pic I drew and placed on the garage door of the planets in our solar system with moons, with said moons drawn and named is there so Chris and I appear to at least have the illusion of knowledge....all too aware that this illusion will fade away with lightning speed as the boys age. My personal knowledge of space has increased exponentially over the last 8 months lol - in fact I can name most of the moons in our solar system. I am now terrified that I will have to come up with a way to dress the boys up as planets for halloween :)
In other news I am working like a maniac on my assignments and exam study starts soon as my exam is on the 18th. I have also been doing some minuting work, and also want to do fun stuff. Ha, fat chance! Zumba is going well. I have put on some 'winter condition' and wish to remove it. Winter is well on the way and Cameron's mink blanket has been replaced with Kieran's single duvet, and Kieran now has a queeen size duvet on his bed. Cameron is teething - Lo, the last of his baby teeth which is very exciting. He can name the sun, earth, mars re the space stuff and knows the other planets. Both boys sing along to the solar system song on youtube daily. Cameron loves to dance and leaps about in front of the wiggles when he gets a chance. He has walked to the library and back with me a time or 2, and to Kieran's kindy as well.... he's a great little walker. I have put his name down to attend Kindy in October. He is so ready to go now. The reluctance to leave after dropping Kieran off is phenominal! So we'll pluck down $40 for 2 morning sessions which I think he'll really really enjoy, especially as Kieran will be there for the rest of the year before going to Oratia Primary. Saving for Ozzie is nonexistant at this time due to a series of financial 'excitements' but looks like it's going to cost a minumum of $1500. Ouch. Today is a rainy day and I think we'll do some baking. It's gonna be ginger crunch, chocolate and coconut crunch and banana cake I think.

Happy 2nd Birthday Cameronbear

I can't believe you're 2!! My happy, loving little boy who loves milk and his blanky, who shrieks "cuddles!" and demands that we play space clips on youtube. My little boy who always has a vehicle in each hand, loves space stickers and dancing and adores his big brother.... I love you so very very much! Yesterday I slept in until 9am and got cracking on cake baking on the like while Chris crept back to bed for another couple of hours sleep. Once awake again we headed to Toyworld for Kieran to choose his present to Cameron, then bought party food stuff. Poor Cameron fell asleep in the car. Once home we baked the cake and then, with the aid of little meerkat like boys who would peer over counters and tabletops to sample the cake we recreated the solar system in cake. It was not as easy as you might suppose! Cake prepped we blew up balloons and popped them in the boys room once they were asleep. This morning I awoke before the boys and started baking cupcakes and sausage rolls. I heard the young beasties awake at 7, and become entranced by the balloons which were carried ceremoniously downstairs. Chris came down at 8 and Cameron opened his presents - Thomas bridges from Kieran and a floor keyboard from us. Then we ran about like maniacs getting ready for MOTAT. The boys had a blast and loved it. The sun was shining - after a worryingly grey start to the day and a good time was had by all. I can't believe my little monkey is 2!!!! We ate party food, galloped around MOTAT and headed home for naps and snuggles, keyboard dancing and trains. It was a great day.

The first day of autumn

Otherwise known as purple cake day dawned windy, sunny, rainy and blustery. The weather has cooled dramatically......not and it is still enjoyable to walk to kindy and back. Kieran turned up at kindy in blue as - oddly-  he owns no purple clothes lol. The weather has been lovely, warm sunny days, leaves just turning golden and orange and the weather perfect for trips to museums and MOTAT...as long as you pack a brolly for unexpected showers :) Both boys have been enjoying stopping off at the library playground for a play, then chasing me across the grass and demanding I spin them around and around :)

St Patrick's day aka a faecal festival

We headed out on St Patricks day for a morning of shopping at Lynn Mall. The boys wore green and we headed out on the train. We spent an hour choocing shoes as the boys each needed a pair. OMG! Most of that time was trying to fimnd a pair suitable for Cameron. Then I found that Kieran was one size away from going into regular boys shoes...which are $30 a pop. However his shoes were half price so I only paid $12 for them. Cameron's cost $14. I then bought McD's happy meals for the boys - big mistake as they were a) very expensive and b) hardly touched/spilled on the floor. I was feeling a bit fraught after the meal experience and extremely happy to head off to the train station. Once in Glen Eden we headed into the library for a rocking horse ride for the boys and then headed home for C's naptime. Once home the boys decided to void their bowels - copiously and often!! I was tempted to just strip them naked and turn them out in the back garden, washing them down with the hose occasionally :P After the excitement C slept off the excitement, K watched a space documentary and I worked on my assignments. Cameron loves his shoes however and runs to the cupboard under the stairs shouting "shoes, shoes!" when we get ready to go out.

Tis April Fool's Day

And this fool is working on 2 assignments.....Yesterday we had Kieran's last swimming lesson for the term, followed by a shopping expedition at Pak n Save. The boys had a blast helping. Afterwards we headed home for naps and then I worked on my assignment before dragging the boys out to the playground. Sadly we have decided to put Kieran's swimming lessons on hold for a term as he was starting to be silly and refusing to listen to the instructor. When we go back we will deliver him into the pool then wait outside until the lesson is nearly finished.

Easter shenanigns

Oh it was a chocolate bonanza here at Chez Seal! The boys went up to bed after lurid tales of the Easter Bunny and came down for the Great Egg Hunt. They had a blast!! We hid eggs everywhere downstairs and a bunny apiece under pirate hats on the table. The boys were so excited as they dashed about hunting out eggs. Alas that a raining morning meant no outside egg hunt. There was a serious chocolate high here at Chez Seal and Cameron learnt to open the fridge, point upwards and sweetly request "bunny! bunny!" Cameron is speaking more and more and has quite the vocabulary at the moment. He is using it at the moment to request chocolate and milk. Yes, Cameron is shaping up to be nearly as bad a milk fiend as his brother!

Calloo Callay, it's Mother's Day!

The day dawned early, Cameron finding 6am was the latest time he could bear before being reunited with his parents. His loving father refilled his bottle and crawled back to bed. I got a lie in, some lovely homemade cards from the boys and an Amazon voucher - followed by breakfast cooked for me by my lovely husband. After breakfast I made cupcakes with the boys eager assistance, then iced and decorated them... again assistance lol. Much munching ensued and we pulled out the train tracks. We do not have enough Thomas wooden train tracking according to Cameron, and K had managed to lose the battery operated train. Colouring books were pulled out and space depicted in pastels. Yes, both boys adore space with an unholy passion. In fact, Cameron;s birthday on Sunday will feature a cake of.....the entire friggin' SOLAR SYSTEM. Yup, the sun, all 8 planets, the flipping asteroid belt, the whole shebang. Wish me luck!

A hunting we will go

Yes today we used the zoo pass we got for Christmas and headed off to Auckland Zoo. We checked out the new Bird experience, spotting keas and kaka's and about a zillion more birds. We got out of there as fast as possible and went to check out the monkeys, and lemurs and meerkats. Just as we spotted the tiger and I raised my camera the poxy beast flung itself upwards into the tree - typical! At least the sea lions were good for much entertainment. Cameron was much taken by the zebra, ostriches, rhino's and springbok too. We had a great time, finishing up at the Australia experience where I watched a father instruct his daughter to stroke an emu. I instructed my son to keep his paws off the wild animals as "that's a pretty big beak. If it pecked you do you think it would hurt?" Narrowed eyes appraising glance at the emu and Kieran tucked his hands behind his back and galloped off to look at the wallabies. We tried to exit the zoo, but some fruitloop was waiting to go into our sopt. Oddly, when a vehicle is behind one's parking space one can't exit. One's husband, who gets stroppy in these situations, pulled the car back in smiled at the man and switched off the engine. After a minute he got the idea and reversed enough that we could get out.

This old man, he turned....

very old indeed! This year Chris's birthday fell on a Good Friday. As Chris had the day off work and it was a gorgeous sunny morning we packed a picnic and headed off to Coyles Park in Pt Chev. They have a little track that goes along a circular track, a zip line, a dragon, swings, slides etc etc etc Suffice it to say that the boys sprinted not walked towards the equipment. I had not been to the park before so was pleasantly surprised. The boys ran and leaped and climbed and swung and repeated it all about a hundred times over. When they began to flag we had a picnic at one of the benches. I was grateful neither boy could read yet as a most unfortunate word was etched into the bench table top. Then we gathered up the boys and headed back for round two. Around 11:30 we gathered up the little squeakers and staggered home for a refreshing nap. Chris settled in to enjoy his presents - Skyrim and the dvd set of Game of Thrones. Happy Birthday Chris!

Singing Siamese

It was an odd day today. Yesterday was stifling, and I cannot say I was really looking forward to Zumba, and lo I sweated mightily. I love Zumba but some days I feel like an electrocuted hare swimming through toffee. Once home I snuck into the bathroom to shower, as the boys room is next door to the bathroom. Bandit decided to provide some atmosphere and warbled a mighty song as I hastily showered, fleeing only as I stormed out of the shower. I then tiptoed into the boy'ss room to check that they're asleep and the friggin Siamese Soprano striked up right behind me as I peer into my baby's sleeping face. Then ensued a fun little game called Chase the Loudmouth Siamese from the Room. The boys didn't wake and the cat survived another night :P In other news the Siamese continues in his usual rude health. His penchant for creeping into the car while I am decanting the boys earned him a night in the car - and a reduced inclination to repeat the action lol.