Family History, Choosing the Right and a "cheap" Car Service

So Nanny Kaye has gone home, Aarahi is back at work and the kids and I are tying to find our normal again. We are hoping to keep things a bit quiet for a few weeks, lately it feels like we have been haemorrhaging money. Nothing unexpected and all planned for but it's still annoying. We had our car serviced last week. Aarahi had prepared me for the worst so I was pleasantly surprised with only a $600 bill. Apparently it drives a lot better but I can't tell the difference so that shows how much I know.

Yesterday we had a lesson on "Choosing the Right" for Family Home Evening. All day today Auron and Lili have been telling each other off for not "choosing the right" It was a horrible day yesterday so I am a little amused and surprised that they even remembered anything from our lesson. Just goes to show that even when they are hanging upside down on the couches and being unbearably irreverent, that they really are taking it all in.

I caught the Family History bug and started to look into my Family History yesterday. My Mum and I had done a bit when I was younger but nothing since. Turns out someone else had done a lot of it for me and I just a few puzzle pieces to put together which I could easily do from the knowledge I already had written down. What was the most fascinating discovery was that my Mum and I weren't the first members in our family. Way back in the 1800's and many great great grandparents ago some long lost grandma joined the church a long with several of her children. One of which crossed the plains with the pioneers. Who would have guessed?! I thought it was all a bit too good to be true but they more I looked into it the more legitimate it looked. The person who had done all the research had added photos and birth/death/marriage certificates and other really neat journal pages etc. One of the uncles looks just like my cousin Dylan, guess those genes are strong!

The kids have been begging me for more school work. I try to do at least an hour of focused time each day with them but apparently that isn't enough for them. Today we have done two hours and they are already asking to do more after lunch. Maybe I will just rotate the books in the book box so they have something new to read. That should keep them happy for awhile anyway!

Look how much my chunky monkey has grown!

Post-church shenanigans 

This is Auron's favourite part of school time. He tries to race Lili to finish. Lili is more interested in just tracing her hands though

Making graphs. This new activity was a hit, we will probably do it again today and see if we get a different result

Rachel Collard and her Brother Conelius. Does't he look just like Dylan?!

Nanny Kaye is Here!

On Saturday morning we went to pick Nanny Kaye up from the airport. The kids were so excited all week asking if it was the day for Nanny Kaye to come yet. I'm glad she arrived in teh morning so I didn't have to survive them asking all day if it was time for the airport yet. Aarahi also picked  up our hire car, it's a monster of a thing (I really want to buy one!)

After we came home and had breakfast we went out to look at where our house is being built and look at
the display home. There has been so much progress on the houses in our estate since we were there a few weeks ago. We are in the second land release so we haven't started building yet, they're still building the road and sidewalk.

Later on Saturday night we surprised Nanny Kaye with a night on the town. We went into the city for dinner and a show. We were lucky enough to get tickets to the Lion King. Aarahi really wanted to take his mum out somewhere a bit special and the show really fit the bill. It was AMAZING! if you ever get the chance to go, DO IT!!!!

The night however ended on a bit of a low as we parked our car in the only parking building that closed at 7pm! so we had to catch the train home at midnight. That was an experience in itself. Aarahi went back and got the car in the morning and all was well again.

Yesterday we went into the city to take the kids to an indoor play centre. It was a bit underwhelming, but I think they had fun. Nanny Kaye got in with them and went down the crazy slides. I assure you those play grounds are not made for adults!

Today was IKEA for breakfast and to pick up a few things for the new house...tea towels and salt n pepper shakers because it's the small things that really matter! We stopped at a new park on our way home which was amazing. It has so many fun activities for the kids. What I liked most about it was that it wasn't super kid proof like most of the parks you see around these days. There were plenty of opportunities for the kids to climb up high and be adventurous. There was also a wonderful water play area with pumping stations and squirting water fountains. It was a bit cold today (not that, that stopped the kids) but in summer I can imagine it being really spectacular. It's located right next to the children's hospital so if your kid happens to fall from the towering ropes course it's a hop skip and jump away for them to get fixed up.

Nappy Free!

Hurray for us, Lili is toilet trained! We started before Ammon was born but ended up putting her back in nappies because I was lazy. This week Lili told me she didn't want nappies anymore, so we tried again. She spent most of Thursday on the toilet, but mostly like because I told her she was only allowed to use the iPad in the bathroom. On Friday I took the iPad away and she went to the toilet when ever she needed, by Saturday she was able to leave the house without a nappy. Yey for us. We only had one accident when she couldn't get her button undone fast enough, which was really my fault for not putting her in appropriate clothes.

Ammon had he first real food today...a choc chip cookie. Terrible I know, I didn't let him eat the whole thing. It was quickly followed up by some left over pumpkin which he loved. I can't believe how fast he is growing up. He is literally going through clothes faster than I can buy them, some of his clothes are size 1 already. I weighed him this week and he was 8.5kg. No wonder my body is exhausted from having to sustain that chunky monkey!

Australia has just gotten Netflix this past week. Oh my goodness, we are loving it. It is so nice to be able to sit down and not have to watch the rubbish that is on TV these days. There are plenty of appropriate shows to watch. that are wholesome and uplifting. Best of all NO AD's

Yesterday Chris and Kim came over. Kim showed me all her wedding photos, I was so upset and gutted that we couldn't make the wedding. It was in January back in NZ, so there was no time to get a passport for Ammon. The photos were absolutely amazing. After lunch Kim and I went to a Thai cooking class. We were so inspired by the delicious curry we made that we all went out for dinner at a Thai place. It was okay but we were disappointed it wasn't as good as what we made. Next time we will go buy all the ingredients and make it ourselves.

The shirt says it all

Crazy Hair

This week a girl was murdered just days before her wedding, people are pulling out their wedding dresses and photos in honour of her .

Easter with the Matthews

The majority of this week is one I would rather forget. Sometimes you think you are winning at this parenting thing...other times not so much. Sick Mummy and Daddy plus sick kids plus teething baby do not make a good combination. Thankfully it looks like we are on the tail end of it now and the weekend has been much more pleasant. 

Last week we booked our family holiday for early next year. We decided to think a bit outside the box and booked a 10 night cruise around the Pacific. What is most appealing is not having to sit on a plane for hours and hours! Although we do still have to fly to Sydney first. We managed to take advantage of a sale they were having and got it for a reasonable price. 

On Good Friday the kids had a activity at church. I went down a bit earlier to help set up. I was in charge of the egg dying station. I was not at all convinced that it was going to go well. I thought for sure that we would end up with dye all over the floor and people. We only had one girl who thought it was a good idea to dye her whole hand multiple times. Our kids had lots of fun too. 

The days are getting colder and when I went to pull out some warmer clothes for the kids I noticed they have grown a LOT since last winter and none of their clothes fit. So yesterday we went winter clothes shopping and spent a few hundred dollars on new clothes and shoes. Although we spent a lot we saved lots too, everything I bought was at least 40% off some even up 70%.

After our shopping expedition we went to drop Lili off at Marcelle's so we could take Auron out for his specail birthday treat. First we went to the toy shop so he could spend some of his birthday money. He bought a Power Rangers gun and a colour changing Oh from the movie Home. Next we went to the movies and even bought stuff from the candy bar (very unlike us). We saw Home, it was really good. After the movie we had burgers for dinner. Auron then wanted to go home because he was missing Lili. 

Lili had a great time with Marcelle. They went to the indoor playground then over to see Pina, Jess, Renee and Emile. She got quite spoilt. When we arrived to pick her up she was fast asleep on the couch with some new Dora dolls. 

I straightened Lili's hair this week. It didn't last long before the the craziness began to show through

Auron also wanted his photo taken with Spidy

We made hot cross buns for Good Friday

The little stinker wouldn't smile for the camera 

All the anticipation was worth it! Auron loved loved loved this movie