Eden Kissing Charlie

Sorry Lily, if I have to decide between a kitten and a pony, I'd rather choose a pony! Keep trying to convince Daddy on the kitten darling!

Bit more sewing...

Eden wanted a bat-wing top (like Mummy's) and another princess skirt (I suppose princesses can't wear the same 5/6 outfits - how many do we have again?!?!?) On to bibs now before Cooper gets too big to wear the cool designer fabrics I bought!

10 Months

Cooper's only two months away from a big party day! He's trying hard to walk, in fact his top half does "walk", only problem is that his bottom half stays still! He also thinks he can jump, it's so cute to watch! So's his dancing! He's just cute all round!

Great place to sit and watch the big kids...grow legs grow!

Bit more Highland

Had a bit of a sewing week, (ok, two nights) baby bibs, kids slings and last night (yes, I know it was Friday - but we did have dinner out) I made two Highland dancing dress-ups - one for Lily and one for kindy and like any good overachiever, once it got late and I was overtired, I appliqued a t-shirt to match... And Nicki (if you're reading this then you're NOT having a baby...patiently waiting...) anyway, the kindy one is quite a bit bigger than this one! About 5cm longer and an adjustable waist!
Lily's first Highland "competition" is coming up in a few weeks too - can still make it to Wellington though!

Splash Planet

We met Eden, Cooper, Nannie and Grand-da at Splash Planet. Mike and I were swimming with the kids so didn't take any "wet" photos, will get them off Dad's camera.

Here's some "dry" ones...

Cooper can hear something coming...

Waiting for the train to go

Pretty girls on the train

Cooper's super excited look!
Then skip some more and here's Tiny Town - Eden bouncing around

Peek-a-boo!

Cooper had a great time exploring, especially anything with wheels!

Such a great afternoon - a whole day would be better. They're open til the end of Easter, so just maybe another visit might be possible

Splash Planet #2

Dad's photos from Splash Planet (the "wet" ones).

The bestest big brother - not looking at all worried that baby brother is behind the wheel!

Baby bro asking big bro what he's just run over!

I'd love to be cruising round the river at Splash Planet right now (they are open all Easter, it'll have to warm up lots though!) just not having photos taken until I buy some new togs! My current ones have done 4 pregnancies so I think I deserve to go shopping!

Bike Jams

Lily's been so keen to come to a Bike Jam, so we took her and her tiny bike this time too. Lachie thought it was cool this year too because he is in the 7-8 year age group so he didn't have to have an adult with him! Practicing before the event (or showing off to Zara who came for a day out!)

Lachie in the skills area

Ready to start...

They're off!

Lachie about the cross the finish line after his 5kms (wanting to go round again!)

Receiving his 4th (ever) medal - including 3 bike jams

Lily at the end of her 3km ride (and Mike after his 3km run!)

Unfortunately she had a wee crash right at the end (like so many other kids did, must have been all the people at the finish line) but got over it quick and loved her second medal (her first being from ballet last year)

Apparently Eden's coming next year!!! And we're thinking about doing the Palmy and/or the Rotorua ones (because one a year's just not enough!)

Then off to Splash Planet for the afternoon to meet Eden and Cooper...

Triathlon-ing

Been a loooooong journey getting to this triathlon but wont go into that...needless to say Lachie was great today and had an awesome time. Shame the season's over now and he has to wait a whole year...there's enough to keep him busy though with the Bike Jam coming up, rugby weigh-in next week, swimming lessons to begin again then cross country later in the year...tried to take running photos but being probably the youngest there he was hard to spot with all the bigger kids around. The end of the bike leg...

Running to the swim leg (chose his own attire, not sure his Dad was too pleased...)

The final sprint...heading to the balloons and medals at the end of the field

YAY!

Bit of a fan club formed...with Livvy and Zara

Cooper found it all a bit much

Kayla completed her first triathlon

Mike FINALLY won and convinced Lachie to put his trackpants on before I took a photo of him cartwheeling (for his 21st!).Funny (no, hilarious!) thing was, straight after, he took off his trackpants and cartwheeled in his speedos...but that shot can wait another almost 14 years!!!

Start of Art

Cooper's been drawing on paper whenever he finds a pen or pencil during his roaming, so I knew he'd love painting! Not all the paint found the paper (I can asure you, he hasn't seen Braveheart!) and as much as he loves water, a bucket of cold water only used for cleaning wasn't that impressive...still, I'm sure he'll be wanting to have a go every Playcentre day! (Providing he figures out to sleep before and after Playcentre, not during it)The finished artwork (including the concrete!)

At the Barre

My project for the week (Mike and his welder helped a wee bit!)...now Lily can practice her highland dancing and both girls can practice ballet at home...and Cooper finds it a handy height too!

Couple of very happy girls! And an even happier father when the barre and proposed dancing stage with fold out couches move into the proposed new girls bedroom in the proposed second story!

Big Day Out

We had an awesome day out at Elliot's property doing the most amazing "old school" activities! This huge rope swing was cool (but I didn't get a go because of all the kids lined up). Lachie, Lily and Eden (yes, and Mike!) had heaps of turns. Can you see Eden's blue hat at the end of the rope right in the centre of the picture? Seriously it was a HUGE swing!Bit hard to see Lachie here...

And had to video at least one kid...here's one of Lily's turn (and no that's NOT me sounding srprised at the end of the video! And the kid got a shock when I told him I was videoing!)

Then over to the waterslide...Mike HAD to go first to wait in the river at the bottom for Lachie

The adventure stuff was followed by good old fashioned games - like sack races, egg and spoon races, egg throwing competitions (as you can imagine with my HATE of raw eggs, I wasn't too close for those games!) tug-of-war, balloon popping, etc., etc...

Lily, far left (and as usual, managed to convince Grace to "help" her jump!)

Lachie, third from right

Strategic discussions...

And Cathie came too (after turning up here with a bunch of lilies XXX) - here she is thinking she can get away with being an "under 15 girl" against the "over 35 women" (the oldies actually won the girls comp and I was keeping Cooper asleep so couldn't help the "under 35's, but still could in another year or so!)

Such a cool day...looking forward to next year (Cathie's keen to have another go at the clay bird shooting and wants to take Mike on in the sumo suits!). Thanks heaps to Miriam and Tama, Kirsty and Dave, and all the cool people that were there!