"I'm clever dis bike . . . "

Not to be out done by his big brother and his cycling abilities, Rhys has taken well to the hand-me-down running bike on which Joseph earned his stripes!

Sleepy Boy

Amazing what the lull of a vacuum cleaner can do to a very tired wee boy.

We've been busy...

It's been a little while since we updated this but here a few photos to show what we've been up to. We spent most of last term doing the same old working thing, trying to be the best parents we can and having lots of family and friends staying. if I was really dedicated to this bloggging thing I'm sure I'd find half an hour every week to add to it, maybe I should try a bit harder this term!



We got rid of the not at all childproof water feature in the back garden and replaced it with a sandpit.


We're still deciding what we will do with the patch of dirt that is left, maybe a gravel pit, maybe a play house, maybe just grass...or perhaps a mud pit!


Littlest cousin Tripp has been down from Auckland a couple of times, the boys love him, we're not sure if it's mutual love yet as it's a bit overwhelming for the poor wee man coming down here and being put among his 4 big cousins.

My dear old friend Nikki came to stay, it was absolutely lovely and the boys adored her, Rhys said for weeks afterwards that 'Nikki gone home'.

We've also had my sister and her family here for a weekend along with our gorgeous friend Emma all the way from the Sunshine Coast (I just tried to add more photos but it's not cooperating). And a random visit from an old friend Jason with his beautiful daughter Bella.

It's been fantastic to have the space for so mnay to come down and visit, it's so easy with a big house and we love showing off this great city too. I think it might be time for us to take a trip North though so hopefully we'll get up to Wellington before Christmas.

Inside fun and...when stunts go wrong

Happiness is...

Playing with homemade playdough when it's still warm.

Here's the recipe:

1 C salt

1/4 C oil

1 1/2 tblspoons cream of tartar

2 C flour

1C cornflour

food colouring

2 1/2 C freshly boiled water

Put everything except flour in a large bowl or pot, add flour one cup at a time stirring vigorously.

This worked perfectly first time for me, it was so easy. Keep stirring if there are lumps and they will disappear. The cornflour (a secret trick from my Mother-in-law!) makes it really silky.

I made ours a few weeks ago and it is still good as new kept in a plastic bag in an ice-cream container. Hours of fun!

Conversation with a three year old

Here's the scene: It's lunchtime, spaghetti is on the menu, Rhys has his cheese on his, Joseph (being Joseph) has his on a plate next to his.

I need to do poose Mummy.
Good boy darling, off you go, call me when you're finished.
Mummy!
Yes?
Is Rhys eating my cheese?!
No darling he is eating a mandarin.
Why?!
Because he's finished his lunch.
Mummy?!
Yes?
Is he eating my cheese?!
No, he is eating his mandarin.
Why?!

Mummy?!
Yes.
I'm sifished.
Good boy.

Morning time...milo and then time to get on with business in the office

Helpful boy!

This is what I'll get up to while my big brother is helping Mummy (toilet door in background)

Inside Pics of the new house

Original cupboards!


Looking down stairs towards door to kitchen etc

Joseph's room

Rhys' room...with one determined 20month old!

Entrance from front door, this is on a slight angle, the door looks straight up the stairs.

Boys' play room

Dining, looking out to carport and garage

Both views of small (warm) lounge complete with cat on kitchen bench

Our boisterous boys

This was taken the evening we got back from our Punakaiki trip. Needless to say Rhys had bit of energy to use up.

Moving

Most of those who look up this blog will have had the email about our move. It's been nearly 4 weeks since we moved and we still can't quite believe we own such a house. We love it! As most people know moving is a mission. It's an even bigger mission with two small boys added in. Thankfully for us we only had to have two open homes - the second only because it had been advertised but in fact we had already accepted an offer after the first. I don't know how people manage their mental health having a house on the market for weeks or even months at a time. Then of course once the offer is all signed the waiting begins. Again we were lucky and had a short settlement date. I think from the time we decided to put an offer on this house to the time we moved in was only 5 weeks. So here's a few pictures of our new place...





Even as I sit here in the cold I love our house. It's big and there is a space for everything. These big, old houses are cold. We have a pellet fire in the small lounge but it's our only heating at the moment. We are contemplating adding a heatpump to the upstairs but haven't decided if we will do that this winter our tough it out and do it next. We will see.





The cat, Tolly, has been more at home here than she was in the other house. We think it's probably because there are more places to hide from small boys! She has certainly been finding all sorts of places to fit into...

We have already painted the dining and kitchen rooms and will eventually do the small lounge the same colours. The whole living space was apricot-ceiling and walls. Not to our taste at all and it had to go! Thankfully we had two weeks school holidays a week after we moved in to get that done and some other bits and pieces. Nick calls this place 'rumpty' which we describe as a bit old and very strong and also in need of some cosmetic work. The carpet is different in each room and very stained but it's not an essential thing to replace just now. I have been getting rid of some pretty old grimw around the place. The original wooden bench in the kitchen and some of the drawers and also the handrail on the stairs was in need of some elbow grease - it's a good way to keep warm doing all those chores!

Patrick

I think our very much loved and valued friend deserves a post all to himself. Nick met Patrick, Coops, or if you're Joseph 'Toops', at the last school he taught at in London. It's a unique school with some difficult clientele and in those places I think the colleagues tend to bond a bit more than in easier places of work. When Nick was there it happened that a lot of the staff were young, child free and had time to spend with each other outside of school hours. Nick and Patrick had a year working together in Year 2. I think Nick was at the school a total of just over three years, or it may have been 4.
He made a lot of friends there and I was lucky enough to get to know them all a bit too before coming home.

Patrick was the first person Nick called when he had his bike accident and the person who kept me informed of what was going on with him while I sorted out coming back from the States.

Patrick values the same things we do and he and Nick share a great sense of humour. He understands our work and the joys and frustrations of being teachers.
Before we left London Patrick was kind enough (you too Sam and Liam!!) to let us stay at his home for three weeks when we had moved out of our flat. Nick had asked Patrick to be Godfather to our then unknown baby and now he and Joseph share a rather special bond. Joseph had kind of remembered him from the last time he was here when Rhys was born and he does talk on the phone to him albeit briefly, so he was excited that he was coming to stay for Christmas.



So, the last time he was here I was pregnant and then had Rhys so we couldn't stray far from home. This time however we managed to get to Akaroa and then over to the West Coast to Punakaiki for a couple of nights too. It was wonderful. Thanks Coops!

Christmas

Joseph woke at the fairly reasonable hour of just after 6 on Christmas morning. It took him until just after 7am to realise Christmas was here and ask about presents. We had a lovely morning, having breakfast, opening presents and then playing with new toys. We got the boys a model airport and a plane and some emergency vehicles to go with it.


We headed up to Nick's Mum and Dad's place for lunch and stayed until about the boys bedtime, or just passed it. We had a lovely day with all the Gunns at home and all 5 Grandsons there too. I must admit, it was nice to have two toddlers and not a baby in my arms all day! Rhys went to bed as soon as we arrived and stayed there until well after lunch was over.
Every Christmas/Summer since we've been back form the UK I've been either pregnant or feeding a baby. It was great not to be that person this year. I also had promised Patrick that I wouldn't be either of those things when he stayed this time and it meant we could get away and do some tripping around...

Quick trip to Akaroa

We decided that 30 hours on a plane was not a long enough journey for our dear friend Patrick, so we pushed him into a car and drove for another hour and a half to Akaroa. It was just as long as getting the tube from Heathrow anyway, but better scenery!

We had a couple of nights there staying in a bach near the town centre. It's a more of a village than a town and everything was in walking distance. The best part of the trip was the boat ride, there are supposed to be more than a few Hector's Dolphins around these waters and we were lucky enough to catch a wee glimpse of a couple. They are tiny, growing up to a metre long. We also saw some bird action, a wee blue penguin and some seals. Rhys was in true Rhys mode and wouldn't be held, he wanted rather to keep trying to climb anything and duck his head under and over the railings. He thankfully went to sleep about half way through the tour so I managed to get to see some of the wildlife too.