Brownie badges

  Over the school holidays Jaimee has been steadily working away on some brownies badges.  We didn't actually plan on doing all the badges she has done, but as we looked through her book this week to find out what still needed to be done on her family badge, we realised that she had just about earnt her adventure badge just because we have had such an amazing holiday!  Lucky I take so many photos and have evidence of it all :) 

So this week we finished off the family fun badge, with Jaimee planning and preparing a meal for us tonight.  She wanted to make chicken pies, as seen in her "4 ingredients for kids" cookbook - I was delighted, a nice easy one to support her in! She had to cut the chicken up ("oh THATS what cubing means.....ew, it feel so gross and slimy...is that fat? What about that?"), cook the chicken, open a can of chicken soup and mix in the frozen Veg. She had to do the salad,she cut the pastry and filled the pies...and boy was she beaming at the finished product. And it was yummy, we all finished our plates! Well done Jaimee. 

Jaimee also had to do a craft project, and I could have used knitting with granma, but today she saw me doing some very basic sewing and wanted to try.  I told her I was making doll blankets for aunty Cheryl's baby, and she thought that was great.  (Sorry cheryl, I was actually making guinea pig pads but couldn't tell her that as she doesn't know they are joining the family yet!) I giggled though as she happily sewed saying "wow mum, I don't think you have ever done sewing before for anyone. She will love them!".  Hmmm I doubt it, my skill set is rather limited and I'm glad these were for animals, but Jaimee did a lovely job all the same :) 

...and here Jaimee is checking off her list on Saturday for the picnic she planned for her family. We went to Cornwall park for lunch with granma, playing T-ball and munching on the cupcakes Jaimee whipped up that morning.  We won't mention the utter failure of the team sport, with Luke screaming in anger every time it wasn't his turn....the rest of the picnic was lovely! 

 And tomorrow the kids are off the visit the SPCA with Grampa Muz, checking off one of her animal care badge requirements, onto her next badge already! Well done darling, I love watching you achieve your goals and enjoying the adventures that brownies encourage should in :) 

Birds and the bees

We had taped "look who's talking" to watch as a family, but as anyone who has seen this old classic knows, ther is quite a scene where the whole "making a baby" scenario is played out in full.  Hmmm.  I suddenly realised that if we watch this movie, that will be Kate's first introduction to sex ed... And that was not my grand mummy plan at all! 

So out came our special book called "before I was born", which we had read to Jaimee last year but not Kate at that stage.  It's a beautiful book, telling the story of Gods plan and design for us as women and men and as married life partners and how that all works together. It's matter of fact but written appropriately and beautifully.  

I recall Jaimee getting to the end and asking "so...do you and daddy do that?!". No giggles, just wondering questions.  I love that we introduced this to her, not tv or peers. 

So when I picked it up tonight, Jaimee was all smug. "I know this book. I know about this".  There were a few giggles this time when describing the boys special parts.  Kate's big comments at the end of this story? Of all the questions she could have asked....she was most curious about umbilical cords and did it hurt when it was cut and how did it attach?  We were able to talk about placenta and periods briefly after that line of thought.  

And that's that.  it's done. My girls have the basics explained simply at their level, in a safe comfortable way, around discussion with their mummy.  

....And I guess that means we can watch "look who's talking" one day after all! Hehe 

Camping!

After a year of talking about it, we finally got away on our first ever camping adventure with the the kids.  We hadn't been able to buy a tent (far out those things cost a lot!) but our amazing friends happily lent us their 3 bedroom and a lounge tent - just the kind we were thinking of buying so that was awesome! And our other amazing friends invited us to their family favourite campsite in Mahia, it's a little gem and very affordable so off we went, loaded with pots and burners, batteries galore and brand new airbeds.  Excited? Yes!! 

The first thing we learnt is that putting a big tent up on a sandy site in a wind requires a few extra hands, and much gruntier tent pegs then the ones we had! Thankfully our friends have done this before and had lots to lend us.  Marty put the tent up like a pro, you wouldn't think he had only seen it done once and wasn't a camper.  The kids disappeared as soon as we arrived, off with the other, bigger kids  who immediately became mini babysitters and best friends to our lot.  Brilliant! It's only a small camp ground with about 10 sites, so we knew everyone within an hour and felt completly safe.  There are full kitchen facilities (we had our own fridge but I refused to cook inside- hehe!) and a large dining hall hangout which soon had kids playing card games (my kids learnt "Pitt" and now want it).  Our site was right next to the kids sandpit, which kept everyone happy, and a 10 metre walk to our friends site, so we all hung out together. It was pretty much your dream setup!! 

Here we are having pancakes for brekkie with some of the 16 that made up our group. We were warmly included in the Dempsey family clan! 

So what did we get up to while camping? Easiest to put it in order me thinks!

Day 1: arrive at lunchtime.  Kids disappear with the other kids to explore. We get burnt putting the tent up.  Then off to the beach for some sand and water time. Jellyfish in the water so water time is a bit nervously done!  Nachos for tea cooked outside. Kids play spotlight once it's dark, adults play card games in the hall.  Brill.  Everyone falls asleep fast! 

Day 2: Marty goes off on the boat with the boys.  Us girls head to the beach with the kids.  Windy!!! After lunch, the boys decide to go to the hot pools, the girls head out for iced coffees and a play at the wee cafe set up in the old school.  More beach time- get completly sand blasted in the wind and give up.  BBQ tea cooked outside, early night for the kids (8:30pm is early when camping!) and an intense evening of playing "Forbidden island" with the Dempseys - so much fun!!!.  

Day 3:  our kids super Godparents offer to have the kids for the day so Marty and I can go out on the boat fishing - something I have always wanted to do.  They had a blast at the beach and i LOVED the fishing.  Crab pots, longline, net and rod - we got to do it all...although they weren't biting much.  I did catch a shark though! 

When we got back to shore, the kids met up with us and Jeremy took them for a little boat ride and even let them drive the boat, which they all loved doing.  What a great experience.  They liked touching the (dead)Sharks and gurnard too - not often you can do that! 

That night we all went out for dinner at the pub - table for 16 please!!! Then it was more spotlight fun for the kids while us adults sat around and chatted. I was offered the metre long kingfish to take home - yes please!!! I learnt how to fillet it myself, and fried half of it up for brekkie the next day, it was soo yummy. 

Day 4: home day, much to everyone's sadness. We all had such a good time and didn't want it to end. We visited the market, had an ice cream, did one last beach trip (it was a stunning day) and the kids got to play in the clear water with little fish swimming around them! After a lunch of leftovers it was time to load the car, pack up the tent and head home.  

 We will definitely be doing this again...it was so much fun!!! We are now officially campers! 

From the mouth of babes

Lukes kept us giggling this week...

Hes in a phase of saying "mmm hmmm" in agreement every time you ask him something. It's pretty cute. Mmm hmmm! 

In the public toilets last week: "mum, why are you sitting down? Where is your penis? ....but why don't you have one??"   Bet the next door ladies got a giggle lol 

(And then Kate was just as bad the same week loudly in the ladies: "mum, what age do you get that hair....". Sheesh.) 

And for the grand finale:

(Big sigh). "I just WISH I could be a girl."

He's so cute. In other news today he can read - "I am luke. I am 3". And has proudly read his wee bit of paper to us all today! 

My funny wee man enjoying his favourite food in Mahia 

And as for my eldest? Well, a picture says it all....Oh to be able to Rollerskate naked.....

Adventures in auckland

Here's a few of the adventures we have been on during our fabulous 2 week holiday in Auckland for our family not on facebook to see! It's been a wonderful time, with a new adventure every day. 

We went to see the baby Gannets in their colony at Murawai beach with poppa and Oma. There were so many! 

That same day, we went for a bush walk through the west auckland I grew up in. 

Another adventure was had on New Year's Day, when we followed kiwi tradition and headed to the beach - Waikeke Beach for us which meant rock pools full of anemone and fish to explore and kayak rides with poppa! 

Midway through our holiday now, we relaxed at the farm on the 2nd jan with board games after a busy week.

It was back to the beach on the 3rd, this time up to Hatfields Beach in Orewa to depend the day with mummy's friend Kathryn and her family. 

On Sunday we headed to church and then had lunch with poppa, oma and aunty steph before heading out for a Sunday drive - along the beautiful mission bay, stopping at a few fun parks along the way. The kids all loved the flying fox! 

After an evening of dinner, games and movies at poppa and Omas we were tired...

But the next day a new adventure awaited! We explored auckland City at its finest, taking the kids on the train from Britomart, riding the ferry over to Devonport for lunch and wandering around the viaduct checking out the board. 

 Another fun night of dinner and games, with uncle josh joining the fun too.

And finally we came to our last day of auckland fun. We had booked in with a tree adventure rope course this morning, and soon us girls were clipping our harnesses to the wires like pros as we climbed obstacle courses high in the trees! Jaimee and I did 4 courses, Kate was tall enough to do the first 3. They flew through it, loving the challenge and mastering the equipment. Awesome fun! 

Luke had fun burying his hulk and Spider-Man in the woodchip as the boys watched - and the instructors loved him, helping him set up the superheroes at the end of our zip lines so we could bowl them down at the end of our courses! 

What a great adventure we have had here, and farming was a real bonus with fresh eggs to collect every day and the pig to feed. Only one dead rooster and one dead chicken - the new naughty guinea fowl pecked them to death!!! That's farm life though and we have loved it, many memories made.

It's off to the hot pools tonight to finish the sunshine filled holiday off with some sliding and soaking before the big clean and long journey home tomorrow!