Highs and Lows

Today was Kieran's birthday so typically he decided to sleep late while his father paced about waiting for him to wake up and open his presents. Despite C waking every 2 hours through the night - that sodding tooth has risen up, then sunk like Atlantis for the 6th time! - I leaped into action upon awakening and prepared the requested meal of pikelets. Ferocious snackings ensued (while I made Chris's lunch) and then we watched K open his presents. There was a large dumptruck "to go in the pool". For alas, the very expensive electronic one (xmas present), was plunged into the depths yesterday and we are unsure as to whether it will recover. There was also an Infantino tractor counting puzzle and some bath toys (a present from Cameron who is perhaps a little tired of having his xmas bath toys torn from his grip each bath session). Dad/Grandpa Rick had sent over a picture dictionary and we pored over that this morning, identifying each letter of the alphabet and exciting images. Lion was right up there!! He also tried on the fluffy jumper that his great-grandma Marjorie sent. Once home from our walk to the library K scarfed down a huge lunch and slept like an angel. Once awake he happily strutted about in his peapod nappy. We managed to scrounge enough pennies to buy some size large peapod nappies. The plan is for this to diminish our grocery bill by a not insubstantial amount.He also sat on the toilet today - but alas, zero result. Obviously offering "toilet treats" is working for him. Exciting news today was that we got approved for a mortgage. This was very exciting as we had lined up some properties to view on my birthday. Alas, the jubilation did not last. In fact, the jubilation lasted about 22 minutes. It appears that Chris may not have job security after June. Naturally we don't want to embark upon house ownership/mortgage payments when our sole source of income is uncertain. So the house owning dream has been deferred for another year. We'll see what's what then. Naturally this news put a bit of a downer on our day but we rustled up home made pizza for K, and made cinnamon biscuits - in the shape of trains and cars. All in all a good birthday for our wee man. And tomorrow is another day :)

11.01.2011

Happy Birthday my darling boy! You are 3 today and your impish grin, unparalelled talent for causing mayhem and your loving nature makes every day an adventure.

I love you

xxxoooooxxx

Cultcha smultcha

The Museum... what can I say about Auckland Museum? Well, for starters it is one of the grimmer buildings I have been through, which is really odd as it is quite pretty! I was heartily sick of PI culture by the time we finished touring the first of the 3 floors. Yes, I am a cultural philistine apparently!! Luckily we found a room that featured many, many, many musical instruments and this kept K's attention.... as did the faux treehouse next door. We headed up to the 2nd floor and the natural exhibits. Volcanoes, and sealife and birds. K was clearly flagging at this stage, while C was bright eyed and bushy tailed. We viewed the dinosaurs.... and left. It was a good day :) Chris found being home for so long exciting.... and was thrilled to return to work. He has spent the last 3 days munching cloves... looks like a root canal is in his imminent future. Sigh. I have trawled through what seems to be lists of every property currently available for sale in Pukekohe... and we have a shortlist of 5. This saturday we have K's 3rd birthday at Playcentre. The cake has changed from a Gruffalo cake to a rocketship - so that makes things easier haha, and the following day, my birthday, we drive out to Puke to view properties and catch up with Karen, who I worked with at Vodafone. That afternoon the boys and I will meet up with Rache and co at CraigAvon while Chris prepares a sumptious birthday dinner for yours truly. Speaking of birthdays - K's is tomorrow and I was delighted to see a parcel arrive as well as some birthday envelopes. I spent some time "creating" personalised birthday paper for the wee man, and have wrapped all of his presents. I can hardly wait for the morning!

Resolved

We have been mulling over our new year resolutions and have come up with 2 (not including beating the boys daily with the jugcord of course. KIDDING. No matter how angry the boys can make me I cannot imagine ever doing this). And our resolutions? Simple. Be more financially savvy, and to try and get a place of our own this year. Since we have zero savings a deposit will be a challenge. Since I am currently not working - scratch that, since I am currently not being paid to work (cos boy, sometimes those boys are hard going hehe) - the ability to save is somewhat limited. HOWEVER Chris does earn decent money, we have paid off the cordbank, car repairs and photos and so we should be able to scrape some shekels aside. So, fingers crossed that sometime this year we are able to get ourselves a mortgage :) A house of our own... tres exciting!!

Today I took the boys up to the rooms for the Plunket coffeegroup. Erin and Nakita were there and we had a good chat. I dashed home, practically melting in the heat, and Chris was waiting, pinny in hand, with a yummy risotto for lunch. He was then allowed to race off in the car for a boys afternoon while I attempted to get the boys down. K went down like a dream.... C, not so much. I was struggling with him after his 2nd awakening when a small shape tiptoed into the bedroom, scurried over to me and whispered "Found you mummy!" before giving me a big kiss. My heart melted.... Today I popped C in the inflatable boat and he cooed and giggled as he glided around the pool. No, the pool is very small - he glided all of 50 cm before bumping into a wall or K's eager helping hands ;) C's hair has suddenly grown in and he no longer has a fluffy tuft/mohawk but a proper head of hair. Brown hair, to match his brown eyes. The promised tooth however is still promising grrrrr.

I must also start to think about getting C christened. Better do it soon as his birthday is in May!!! Where does the time go! I am sure his Godfather to be is champing at the bit to don dark suit and a Mafia accent hahah. The baby sign language is going well. C recognises the signs for bath, snackin's, nappy and sleep. So does Chris :P

Tomorrow we are heading out to the Museum - I MUST remember my camera!

A plague descended

A pox on the warm weather which seems to have bred mozzies the size of blackbirds. We have been unable to spend much time outside at all despite the oppressively warm days. Once outside one can almost hear the glad cries from the assorted insects and a black cloud seems to blot out the sun... still, at least the pool is up. K closely supervised this process telling his father to hurry up and then, once construction was complete hopping into said pool and commenting "clever boy, daddy!" Glad he approves :) I dragged Cam in and stood him in the water. He instantly mimicked a one legged water bird and peered suspiciously down into the "depths" of the pool. Such trusting infants. K meanwhile floated about the pool in his inflatable boat, blasting the birds from the trees as he "played" his trumpet. Happy as a clam he was! We have been experimenting with ice cream recipes, sundry other food related activities - including cheesemaking - and Chris even made mayonnaise last night for our picnic in the garden. All 3 boys were feasted on but I got off lightly - phew!!! Today we headed off to Craigavon park and playground and K was as a merry as a grig :) Once home Chris steeled himself to pull all the nappies from the bin outside and place them in a rubbish bag. It was pretty horrific. Two and a half weeks worth of nappies with lots of warm weather does not a happy Christopher make! His comments throughout were rather.... sulphurous! And alas his afternoon was further "enlightened" by K deciding to be sunsmart with Chris's pillows (toasting in the sun), a picnic blanket, his face and half a bottle of sunblock. I heard Chris's howls as he laid eyes upon the scene....... and his fervent pleas to be allowed to return to work :P Tomorrow is the plunket coffeegroup and Chris is dashing off to a boys arvo after that. On friday it will be K and C's first trip to the museum.... I am looking forward to it :)

Auld Lang Syne

Aaah and so 2011 dawns. C celebrated it by refusing to go to sleep until 10pm... but then slept through until 5.55am - yeehaa baby!! K slept through too - excellent child :) I must give some thought to resolutions... perhaps to increase my activity levels/cavorting hahah.

No more bites have been discovered upon C's delicate flesh. This is great news as the mosquito's are the size of blowflies! Seriously, I was able to count the black and white stripes on the one that landed on my arm!! Good west auckland water haha. This week is going to be a good one - chilling out and having some solid family time. We are looking forward to friday/payday. Chris especially as he received a italian cheesemaking kit for christmas and is afire with cheesemaking zeal!! We plan to take K to the museum before Chris goes back to work. We are putting up the pool today - which will excite K tremendously haha and will also be baking biscuits for K to cut shapes for. I can't believe K's birthday is in 10 days - where does the time go!! Soon I will be baking a gruffalo cake and partying up at the playcentre :) Plans for tomorrow include calling playcentre contact, Southern Cross and collecting my key from Suzie.

Hooray for Christmas Day

On the 23rd Chris headed off to work and I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. I also took the boys off for a walk to the playground. Sadly Chris arrived home at 2 - a full hour later than expected so departure got pushed out an hour too. We headed off to Puhoi and Ruthsnew house. Ruth's was lovely. We had a fab roast dinner, viewed the property and the BEAUTIFUL house and headed on up. We arrived in Kerikeri at 11:30pm, no credit on our cells and with 10c left in our bank saccount - but we got there. We chilled out on the 24th, doing last minute shopping (payday!) and then it was Xmas Eve..... We staggered into bed at some awful hour as K seemed too excited to sleep. Oddly, for all of his excitement looking forward to xmas, he didn't seem that excited on the day and had to be urged to open his presents. And, typically, twas sunny before and after xmas day... but the 25th was cloudy and dull. All 3 boys helped stud the ham with cloves - and boy, did they make a mess! Our gifts of preserves went over well, and K really liked his little fire station and truck. K had a blast. C just chilled. Before we knew it we had done xmas, visited the beach house, had birthday celebrations and hopped in the car to drive back home. It was a MUCH better trip back as the boys were quieter C sleeping for an good chunk of the trip and K just chilling. Today I got bread done, washing and heaps of other chores underway while Chris did a sterling job of walking K, hanging out washing, running the dishwasher and making dinner. Sadly C was savaged by mosquito's his first night back... 11 on one arm, and bites on his ear, eyebrow, forehead and lip. My poor baby!!!