Uncomfortably Comfortable

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Mt Victoria

A few weekends back we went to Mt Victoria in Devonport so that Les and Aneil could test fly their slope gliders. The weather was fairly poor but we still had a cool time. Kieran was impressed to see the Team New Zealand Yacht heading out for a practice.

The big kids both got told to 'get lost' and go explore. So they did. :-)

Will enjoyed the opportunity to cruise round on the grass and check out the scenery.

Les semi-enjoyed the opportunity to fly. (Can you tell that it was 'quite' windy.)

And then there was lots of roly polys down the hill.

And afterwards we went to Devonport for a look around the shops.

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Showing Love

Will is still not quite up on the play when it comes to showing how much he loves people. He happily gives us kisses goodnight or good-bye. And he'll grab a cuddle if he gets hurt. But when it comes to showing Kieran (and Merenia) that they are his favourite people he still has a bit to learn....

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Lessons Learned

Lesson one is more of a reminder than a lesson; Just because it's what an item is 'usually' used for doesn't mean that's what is 'has' to be used for.

You or I might use the sidewalk chalk to draw on the drive way or make hopscotch boards or 4 square games.

But Will uses it for practising putting things in.

And putting the lid on. Duh!

Lesson two is a hard one to learn and I have to keep learning it over and over again; A small mess to clean up is a reasonable trade off for getting a job done.

I had been meaning for ages to get the roses weeded and plant some seedlings around the base of them but really thought it was better to do it when Will wasn't around. But when he was playing with the chalk I just started pulling a few little weeds out and one thing lead to another.

And eventually it was all done. The trade off to getting the job done was cleaning up afterwards...

Because while I was working someone got all muddy from helping.

And all wet from watering.

And stripped down to just nappies.

It was a good trade off though because I chucked him in the bath and sat beside him and read a magazine!- Sweet.
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Texture

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"Boying"

Will has a habit of doing things that I call 'Boying' In actual fact he is just being a normal toddler and learning about the world around him but he sure does seem to do stuff that would generally be viewed as more interesting to the male of the species...

Checking stuff out.

Seeing how things work.

Putting stuff together.

Sticking that into there.

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Bubbles

Cool huh?

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Kieran's Recipe

Kieran entered a competition recently where you had to make up a recipe for a delicious Baked Potato.....

His recipe:
Add a teaspoon of olive oil and a few shakes of garlic salt to a bag. Place A Potatoes inside and ensure skin is covered remove and place in oven.
When cooked remove and cut open. Add a teaspoon sized chunk of Garlic Butter, pepper with fresh chives, add a small dollop of Sweet Chilly Sauce. Sprinkle on grated cheese and top with crispy bacon (rind removed).

Everyone agreed it was delicious...

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Will's Way: To pop bubbles.

You eat your cup cake with a fork.

So of course you pop bubbles with your mouth!
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In the bath

I have been trying to look at the world from a different angle lately. Looking for ways to change up my photos for the 365 and just because. Will being a wee short dude makes it easy for me to take photos from above....

And I really like the way they look!
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Um, yeah, ok....

It's beyond me sometimes the stuff that goes on around here. You can be off doing stuff and walk back in the room to find the boys lying on the floor with a bunch of pillows. See....

And you just have to wonder what it is that was going through their mind when they decide to do stuff like this? What drugs are they on? And can I have some? Because all I thought to do was open the bedroom curtains, make the bed and put the washing on and this looks heaps better.
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36 at 36

1. I am happier than I have ever been.
2. I am more open to changing myself.
3. But less patient with changes around me (the switch to Thunderbird has been a real challenge).
4. I care less about what people think.
5. I care more about what I think.
6. I am more observant.
7. I am more involved.
8. I am more spontaneous.
9. I may be the most tired I have ever been in my life.
10. I find things more incredible and more marvelous than ever before.
11. I also find the sad things sadder.
12. I am more assertive when it comes to meeting the needs of myself and my family.
13. I am less prepared to compromise.
14. I am more in love than ever before. With not one, but 5 incredible people.
    
15. I am heavier than I have ever been.
    
16. I am the least fit I have ever been.
17. I am really comfortable with my space.
18. I read less than ever before but hope to turn that around.
19. I know more about myself than ever before but am still finding this tricky.
20. I have learnt that I work in phases and bursts.
    
21. I often get consumed with one idea or one task to the detriment of all others (this doesn't work well with small children).
22. I have never been so amazed by a kid like I am by Will. Or so driven nuts either.
23. My tastes and styles are changing dramatically- not something I would have expected so much now.
24. I waste too much time.
25. I LOVE creating.
26. I can do seemingly impossible things.
27. I can better make hard decisions.
28. I still don't feel like a grown-up.
29. I think I am less selfish.
30. I am actively working towards having less.
31. I am becoming a more discerning consumer.
32. I LOVE Cinnamon Dolce Frappucinos.
    
33. I think colour rocks.
    
34. I talk to myself, especially in the car.
35. I read my stars every morning.
    
36. I play at least one sudoku every day.

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Round-Up~ September

On our bookshelf this month....

Creating Keepsakes, Healthy Food Guide, Next and a few new scrapbooking books and magazines. Psychology Today: Freedom to Learn blog.

Loving on the box....

ER, Pushing Daisies, NCIS, Outrageous Fortune, Rugby- what I could stay awake for. We have started watching Wipeout on a Sunday Night this is a sad fact I think I would rather not admit. Grey's Anatomy series 2 & 3 on DVD.

For you...For me?

Mini Sports albums for the Rugby Team Manager and Coaches and all my Netball girls. A photobook for Les for fathers day and a few other bits and a book for Finn. We had a few good scores on Trade Me as well, including getting all the Weet-Bix Power Plays cards that we need. Drinks and yummy treats for the kids teachers for the last week of term. And we started collecting for the November babies.

Germs and bugs and botherations....

Will had a cracker Nappy Rash! Poor baby. I had a heap of headaches, a stuffed up nose and some other weird stuff going on... first I wondered if I was pregnant, then diabetic.... then I just made sure I got some decent nights sleep and a few extra glasses of water- duh! Will got a fever half way through the month and then a cold that came with complimentary hacking cough and nuclear strength snot. The headache continued and got worse and the Dr thinks it a muscle/skeleton/back thing so I am off to the Osteo in October.

Today was good today was fun, tomorrow is another one...

We had some really productive 'get things done around the house' type days.

Yum, yum, yum....

Kieran's Baked Potato Recipe, Judiths Muesli Recipe from the Destitute Gourmet. HFG Fried Rice. BLT's.

'It was on sale'....

Some cool books and DVD's thanks to trade me! And some Scrapbook supplies.

Bugger!

Kieley and I stopped being friends.

Hooray!

Kieran's team got the Rugby Club Sportsmanship award. And Kieran got Ideal Play for his team.

Merenia competed in her first ever St Johns Competition and got 3rd overall!

My Clematis flowering for the first time- it looks so sweet!

Etc...

Merenia came 5th last in Cross Country.

Merenia had her last day of Rippa, they lost 2 and drew 1.

Kids got their school maths reports which were both pretty great.

We did our week in the life for 2009.

School Holidays and the kids have gone to Christchurch. (Yipee!)

You know who's good idea this was? Katie The Scrapbook Lady. Go check out her list of tasks to do at the end of each month as well.

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Yellow.

I've got a thing for yellow.

Before it was orange and I still really like orange but right now I've got a real 'thing' for Yellow.

I don't know why. It might be spring. I think my aura might be yellow at the moment or maybe there's a yellow spirit hanging out around me.

It means that I see yellow. Like the flowers on the weeds by the bags of stones in the garden. Like the Kowhai tree in Clark Rd. Like daffodils or yellow capsicum at the fruit and vege shop. The yolk of the egg for my french toast today. There's awesome yellow all around me.

I have a serious yellow bent going down in my scrapbooking as well!

Seriously think about yellow; yellow roses and tulips, sunflowers, sunlight, chicks, ducklings, daisies, fuzzy bumble bees, dandelions, fresh bananas, lemons, yellow-eyed penguins, Canarys, pineapple, yellow ribbon, fresh corn-on-the-cob with a great big nob of creamy yellow butter, and yellow balloons. Delicious.

Hooray for Yellow! Yellow you are awesome!!

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