We had a Fantastic Week

We squished so much into this week! The children have all been in bed early almost each night because they are just so tired. On one day both Lili and Auron didn't wake up until after 9am.

Monday: We had school time in the morning then later that afternoon we met up with our home school group at a nature park? I'm not really sure what it was. Well actually it was a huge community garden and nursery but they had other stuff going on too. The kids loved it and got covered in dirt and looked rather negated by the time we left. That's what being a kid is all about right??! Straight after the park we headed into the city to visit my cousin who is was in hospital. Unfortunately we couldn't stay long as Ammon we getting grumpy. By the time we arrived home it was past dinner, luckily I had put something in the slow cooker that morning so it was a quick fix to feed our starving bellies.

Tuesday: School work, housework, catch up on everything. I was having a pretty low day after writing my 3rd "memory" letter this year for someone sick with cancer. That disease gets everyone, and affects everyone, there just seems to be no escaping it. We went out for dinner that night to try and cheer ourselves up. It was a really lovely time. The kids really enjoyed the restaurant and food which is always a plus.

Wednesday: Off to the library for story time with our cousins. This weeks theme was crocodiles, which was right up Lili's ally. She is all about dinosaurs etc right now. It was such a beautiful day we took our lunch down to the park for a few hours.

Thursday: While we were at the library the day before we signed up for the 1000 books before school event. The kids are excited to stamp their chart for each book they read. I think we will get to 1000 pretty fast, They are already up to 30, Lili is a few ahead of Auron because she will sit forever and ever being read to. Auron prefers chapter books so he will take a little longer I think. Since we can read 10+ books a day I think we will have it out of the way before Christmas.
Auron and Lili both went to Lego class at the library and loved it.

Friday: This was the day the kids had been excited about all week! We were off to the science museum. We met our cousins at the train and were on our way. We thought that going during the week would be a good idea but we were SO wrong. The whole place was swarming with school kids. Big kids who were pushy and rude and didn't care about the little kids waiting patiently in line before them. In the end we skipped the first floor and went upstairs to the little kids area which was much more quiet (the school kids weren't allowed in there) Unfortunately we didn't really get to see the cool Alice in Wonderland exhibit or the Space one that my kids were excited about. The kids had a blast anyway and are already asking to go back.

Saturday: Clean clean clean that's what I did all Saturday morning. I always like to have the house back in order from the week before lunch on Saturday. After lunch the kids and I went to get some sand to refill their sandpit. I can't believe its that time of year again! Summer is coming and we CAN"T wait!!!!!! before long we will be able to put the pool back up.

Sunday: Ammon threw up this morning twice. He seems fine now but has already had 2 naps. Looks like whatever it was may have passed.

Hope you all had a lovely week too!

Haircuts, Doctors, and Ice Skating

We all had a fantastic week! It feels like we have finally finding our routine again which is amazing. I hate the feeling you get when everything is all out of whack and nothing is predictable. I prefer my life to be boring and well planned. The last 3 months couldn't have been further from that.
It 3am one morning I had the terrible realisation that Ammon was late for his 6 month immunisations. so I quickly booked those in the next day. He has been a bit delayed in his last two sets because he has been sick over winter but now we are all caught up until he is 1. He was a champ and didn't even cry. I think I am lucky that my kids take them so well.
The following day Ammon had his 8 month check up at the health nurse. He is still fat. a full 1.5kg over the 98th percentile, and 98th percentile for height and head circumference. All in one week he decided he was going to crawl and start pulling himself up on everything. I doubt it will be long before he is off walking. He is such a placid baby. The only time you hear him complain is if he is tired or hungry, the rest of the time he is busy busy busy. He loves to be invilved in whatever the other kids are doing. If they are on the couch, he needs to be on the couch, if they are colouring, he needs to have a pencil too. It is pretty cute how much he loves to be with them. Lili doesn't think it is cute at all and really hates all the "love" he gives her.
On Thursday we went to the park for a picnic. We caught the train to the park and Auron isisted on bringing a big box that had arrived that morning with school supplies. I told him it might be a bit difficult to carry the whole way but it was up to him. We got 100m down the road before he wanted to me to carry it. Haha tough luck kid, I made him carry it the whole way. HE told me later that next time he is going to leave it at home.
One day last week I took the kids out to go ice skating. They loved it. Thankfully it was a lot cheaper than the place in Palmy. The workers at the rink we so lovely, they actually got out on the ice and helped the kids holding their hands and teaching them how to skate. By the end of our time there all 3 of the kids were pretty confident little skaters.
We ended up paying off our car this week too. The bank has changed its policies for home loans and our trip to NZ in June really really stuffed up our finance. Simply because they took the month of June as their final snap shot for our income. Which wasn't a realistic portrayal since Aarahi had 3 weeks off without pay. So in order to save all the hassle of proving to them that we were out of the country and it was for a legitimate reason we just paid the car off and the final approval went straight through.
That's it for the week. We have some exciting things planned for the coming week that I am sure the kids will enjoy.

Ammon got his hair cut this week. This a photo both Auron and Ammons first hair cuts. Auron is on the Left and is 11 months old, Ammon in the right is 7 months old

Ammon loving Lili. See how much she enjoys it!

Waiting for the doctor

Auron and Izayah

Speaking of hair. Lili had hers straightened one day last week because I was sick of having to fight her to brush it. Those curls are hard to maintain! But this didn't even last a day

Mushy Brain Syndrome...it's a real thing

I couldn't even remember what we did last week, I think my brain has well and truly turned to mush. I have been searching for over 3 months for a big bag full of Auron's old clothes. I searched everywhere I could possibly think of, pulled out every other bag full of clothes but nothing. I was convinced someone had stolen it (logical explanation). Then I though maybe Aarahi put them in the clothing bin thinking they were for donating. But low and behold I go out to the garage to get something totally unrelated and there sitting right in front of me is the huge bag of size 1-2 clothes. I have no idea how I missed it it was literally right there. Anyway now I have a ridiculous amount of clothes because I had given up finding them and tired of squishing my sumo baby into too small clothes and went and bought him new stuff. I concede to mushy brain syndrome.

Aarahi took Auron to his Lego activity which they both really enjoyed. He took both Auron and Ammon while Lili and I did the groceries. Lili was way more into doing groceries and scoring herself a squishy yoghurt as a treat than playing lego. Speaking of groceries I have been totally slack at getting them done online and have been paying way too much by shopping in store. I have no will power and have bought things I really don't actually need...for example an electric blanket, 20 books, and a mattress protector (this is really really really nice though!) This week I did it online and got to $80 and was struggling to make it up to $100, I seriously wondered what I was actually buying before.

On Saturday we took the kids for a picnic at the park, Lili has been thanking me mulitple times a day since then. She is super cute, if she really enjpoys something she will thank you over and over again for weeks on end. She is still thanking me for taking her ti see the Minions movie months ago. It's usually at random times too, like she will yell it out from the toilet.

Auron also got to go out on a special trip to the movies with his cousin Sotarah which he LOVED. They went to see Inside Out and had some McDonalds and won a super cute Minion. The Minion is now Lili's though because she is the big Minion fan, Auron doesn't really care either way.

Yes I live with Super Heroes

Ammon was in fits of laughter as he threw bark on himself...

...Then ate it

Life just got too hard, and I needed a rest

Auron loves playing the game where you write a letter on the board and everyone else has to guess it. His letter knowledge is fantastic, his handwriting takes a fair bit of eye squinting most of the time haha

This crazy kid helping make banana blueberry "Puk-Cakes" for Daddy

Love this cutie!

The Great Migration

Last week my cousin moved over here to Melbourne. It is going to be so fantastic having her here. She has two boys similar ages to our kids. So it has been a busy and chaotic 2 weeks while she has been staying with us trying to find a house and sort through all the paper work for bank accounts/medicare/government payments etc. Not to mention the craziness of a small house with 5 little kids. I am sure you can imagine. Thankfully for all of us she found a house and moved in yesterday. I am totally jealous of her house it is beautiful!!!!!!!!! oh well only a few more months before my beautiful house will be ready.
We did a trip to the swimming pools, library, and indoor playground. I took all the kids to the playground by myself on the bus....I am not sure that I was thinking to clearly that day but it all went off without a problem and they were very well behaved. I think we must have stayed there for over 4 hours.
I have been forcing myself to drive here in Melbourne. It is VERY VERY different to driving in Palmy or most of NZ really. I have had to take Aarahi to work several times this week and an early morning trip to the airport. Lets just say I do not like driving at night and even more so I do not like getting lost in the country at night having to drive at 100ks oh and then missing the freeway exit....oh and add it pouring rain and gail force winds. Yep it was fun fun fun!
The city council runs free classes for kids after school which Auron is going to start going to next week. He is particularly excited about the Lego class which teaches kids about engineering using Lego. He loves going to the library to use the big Lego set they have. The librarian asked him if he would like to sign up for the class even though he is supposed to be 5. He is close enough anyway.
I have almost bought all of Aurons curriculum for next year except a couple of things that I need to ship from the US. I keep putting it off due to the ridiculous shipping cost. Hopefully I can find some way to do it cheaper but more than likely i'll just have to suck it up and hand over the money. I think this place is just incredibly expensive because I have never had to pay so much for shipping. Usually its around $30...not $80 haha its almost more in shipping than the product actually costs! So if anyone has any great ideas for me I'ld love to hear them.

We made it home

  After a LONG 5 weeks in New Zealand the kids and I are finally back in Melbourne. Can I just say I am SO happy to be home! Happy to be in my own house, doing my normal things, cooking dinner for my Mr Wonderful and getting my normal back.

On our last week in NZ the house cam down with a bug. It started on  Monday with my little brother coming home sick from school with gastro, the next day my little sister then during dinner the next night my other brother threw up all over the dining room floor. It was at this time I forbid anyone who was remotely sick from coming within 5m of my kids! I also got some Detol spray and sanitised the entire house. Mum got sick Friday, me on Saturday and Lili and Ammon started on Sunday night. Lili was still having issues right up to 20 mins before we boarded the plane Monday night.

Now for the flight home...yes we looked quite a sight I am sure. People thinking who is that crazy lady taking 3 little kids on the plane by herself. The experience wasn't bad at all really, but not something I want to have to repeat again. I don't think I will know myself when I fly without the kids.....ill have a sleep, watch movies, eat hot food nice and slow, with two hands even. Oh and when I use the bathroom there will only be me in there not 3 other little people! Yes that sounds like heaven.

We took a few days to recover a little by just staying in our pj's and watching movies all day.  The kids always struggle with the time difference when we return. They are usually fine going places but coming back is when it hits them. Auron is still recovering and slept until 1130am today. On Thursday we got back into school work and started reading our new book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which the kids are really enjoying.

Yesterday we went for a drive out to where our house is being built. It was exciting to see all the progress on the estate. 4 months ago there were no houses built now there are close to 80 or so finished or almost finished. They have also done all the landscaping so its really all coming together.

Please excuse the huge photo dump,

Daddy happy to have his very tired baby girl back

Ammon loves his crazy cousins. 

Train ride, we took up almost the entire train

Crashed out with Uncle Kev

Uncle Teina and his little buddy

Hanging under the couch during the clean out and Grand-nana's

Trying out the ice slide

Lili even went down by herself

Family Photo

Lili-meis special treat to see Minions 

Ice Chocolate Date with Mummy

Swimming with her "Peppa Pig swimming costume hat"

Another horrible day in Levin when we went to put some decorations on Grand Nana's Grave

Out for dinner with some of my Favourite cousins

Saying goodbye to Grand Graeme. This was probably the hardest good bye of all. I had a little melt down in the bathroom when he rang to say he was coming to say good bye.  

Half way to Hamilton

Ready for Aunty Arpeges wedding

She's a married lady now

Early morning in Tauranga

Ammon's first icecream at Pokeno

Farewell to a Wonderful Nana

I know it's been a while but life has been insanely busy the past 3 weeks. During the last week in May Nana was admitted into the hospital and we were told she only a few weeks left. I made plans to fly home first week in June with the kids. On Saturday I spoke to my Nana and she said she couldn't hold on much longer and could we come as soon as possible. So with that I rebooked our tickets along with Aarahi to fly the next morning.
We arrived back into Palmerston North around 6pm and I went right up to the hospital. Nana was laying there just looking at the door. As soon as we rounded the corner he face lit and and her eyes swelled with tears as she told me she had been waiting for me all day just watching the door. I was able to spend a few hours that night with her as we talked about all sorts of things. The next day they moved her into the hospice just down the road.
The following few days we spent coming and going visiting her. One night Aarahi spent a few hours singing for her. By the next morning she was no longer responding. She passed away peacefully at 11pm on the 4th of June. Which also happened to be my birthday, sonot a day I am likely to forget.
I felt so blessed to be able to spend those final few days with her. I was especailly thankful to be able to make it over while she was still able to talk and knew I was there. We were able to say good bye to each other with surprisingly few tears. We both knew the time had come, and were ready.
Nana and I have always had such a close relationship, and my heart aches to be able to call her and to send each other packages I know she is in a better place. I was concerned that I wasn't as upset as I expected I would be. Aarahi was quick to remind me that I had probably done a lot of my grieving through the past year since getting her cancer diagnosis. I had already done my ugly crying mkonths before.
I am so thankful for Teina, Georgia and Zirsha who were able to share my kids around so that I didn't need to worry about them and was able to focus on what I needed to do. I am especially thankful for my wonderful husband who knew just what I needed and just did it.
Aarahi went home last Sunday, the kids and I are here until July while we wait for Aunty Arpege's wedding! It will have been a long 5 weeks by the time we make it home again.

Hopefully I can catch up on everything else over the next week. We started cleaning out Nana's house and trust me there are some pretty awesome stories to go with that one, not to mention the photos we uncovered!

Nana and her calf for school

On the Esplanade train...yep that's me with the blonde hair

My graduation in 2010