15th April 2014 and the weekend

Its a rainy day.
The wind has been blowing.
The kids are all over tired with all the social activities we are doing.

We've had the lead up to DD's 8th birthday with lots of field trips and activities and visits to friends.
Now...

We've had a full on weekend after a full on week.
Finished up Circus School and watched the bigger kids do a unicycle workshop...DD was so excited to have one of the best unicyclists in our little town teaching the kids. DS finally got to do something which not everyone can do ... the spinning plates. The teacher was encouraging and has loaded DS the spinning plate over the holidays to work with. We had a little afternoon tea to break up with.

Straight afterwards some friends of Dave and myself were up for the weekend so off to the Pizza Barn. Wonderful night.

Next morning out to the beach.
We really must get DD and DS into surf school as there was a little issue with a family a little out of their depth. Mother panicked running to us for help. DD and Dave grabbed the boards and rushed to help...me yelling no to DD. All worked out fine but I can see DD has a huge dose of caring in her and will bound into situation again.
Once that was over we had friends over to play all afternoon and evening. Kids showed off their playground and property. DS had a wonderful time in the 'Cat Tunnels' which are little tunnels under the bush just down from our drive. They seem to spend all day there some times with our cat Griffin.

Next day we were off to the waterfalls for a swim. VERY cold! But DD managed to get to the top pool with Dave with an aim of going under the waterfall...not quite yet but nearly there.
Our friends set up an easter egg hunt for the kids and we all spent a long time looking.
Another long playdate after the swimming and a lovely curry to finish the day.

We had been lucky with the weather all weekend...then it started to turn.
Our next activity was to take the nephews to the caves.
The rain and the wind started.
We managed to get to the caves. Took everyone into the main cave and showed them the glow worms.
Once out we had to shoo the horses aside so we could all sit down for lunch. Kids played in the rocks all afternoon. Aunty slipped and dinged her knee. We all headed back for a long cuppa at our place.
Our kids are loving their cousins staying and are very sad that this month is speeding to a close and we'll have to say goodbye soon.

So today...is a slow day
I've got crazy dance sorted for the circle time activity but so far Shadow Lands the movie has been played through twice (Scenic movie of the south island) DS is fixated on it and all its beautiful birds and helicopter rides over the water falls and beautiful music.
We've also been catching water. DD is working on keeping a weather log (not so good at doing it every day as we've been SOOOO busy but its good so far). But DD has caught a bottle and a glass full of 'water from the sky' and then drinking it.
Oh the marble runs and the balance beams and the lego and the caterpillars' on the bench AGAIN! The fruit collection and eating straight from the garden.
The endless washing...I'm glad for a bit of rain to quiet things down.

And...we've almost finished the Famous Five...what to do after that I have no idea.
Well its 8:15 time to start the day with some dance?

Feb-March 2014

It's been a bit of an issue getting photos onto the computer. We've done heaps!

Harvest time....kids spend a lot of time outdoors.

Watching yeast grow...for once it did...they were fascinated.

Ds rolling out his 'c'

Cats and 'c'

We have a juicer named OSCAR...dd is putting her own carrots through...both kids have decided that eating them is far better.

We went on a river boat in warkworth...then kids for Kirrin castle (famous five books) and wanted to share with friends.

Field trip

The older kids explore

Dd and friend discuss how good the concrete is...not good

Class wander 

They spent a lot of time here with lots of different ideas of what it could of been

Duck feeding

Class getting in on it

Pirates...started off with the lesson from OM but once ds stared to make ears out of old t shirts...they became pirates...this game lasted a week.

I want glasses like Daddy...so we made some.

Playing with watercolour and oil...was interesting but not quite right.

Ds splattered most of my kitchen

I don't have any photos as both Dave and I where on the go keeping up with the kids...we went on the haemophilia summer campin Mangawhai. Lots of fun!

Flying fox was a GREAT hit...even little ds went down...camp owner took him down first slowly then he went on his own...he was a bit freeked out I think but went back a few times.

Rounders with heaps of other kids and dads.

Sandpit play

Scooters and bikes...eek a few crashes but that's what helmit s and jeans are for.

Cupcake decoration

Confidence course

And! The cream for dd a surf lesson! She's been wanting to do this for ages!! She was ecstatic. 3 hours with Dave having a go in the middle when she got tired.

Great sport.

Beach field trip with class and cousins from London 

Grandparents look on

Dd catches a shrimp.

Ds has been saving for ages to buy an iPad. He's had enough money for a while but when he was in hospital we let them have unlimited screen time on my iPad ...to the point after 4 days of bed rest he couldn't stand it and didn't want a computer but a parrashute and a skateboard...he kept saving then finally he decided after a few months to buy an iPad.

Making a water clock.

This was the second one we made...first one was drill a hole in a plate and time it sinking.

This project stayed about for a few weeks and even the guy who came to cut the logs up for us got in on it. Lots of discovery here and modification...lots of other kids after school tinkered too.

Spider

Dd is pretty keen to draw...experimenting with water colours too. 

Lots of asking google lately which is how they found the spider as Andrew Crow didn't cut this time for information.

Dd found a spider and they both really want to know what it's name was

Pumpkin face

DS has been a bit anti as of late so it's good that OM can be fun. He's not been keen on the story's but today after a good circle time with lots of mummy love he's into everything.

B is for butterfly

Starting little ds off on Oak Meadow for me has been a bit of a stress...he's not all that keen as dd has done it all before him.

But I'm just doing little bits and so far so good.

Last week was A.

This week B

I've discovered he can do about 2 days of 'school' then needs a break...that's ok.

The added bonus is that dd does a bit more Art and free form creativity which is really good.

Jolly Phonics Links

I have been using Jolly Phonics for DD.
http://jollylearning.co.uk

She loves it and it works so well
DS has a bit of an anti thing about learning at the moment but loves the flash cards and knows all the sounds and actions...so maybe he'll join with his sister ?

http://www.primarilylearning.ca/jollyphonics_teacherresources.htm
I have used this link for dictation. DD really enjoys it as a little light challenge


http://www.tippec.ie/wp-content/uploads/Dictation-sentences.pdf

Starting the year off well

We are so lucky to live in such a wonderful town with such wonderful supportive people. When dd was about 2 we joined playcentre and even though we don't often go anymore the friends we made there still catch up.

I have lots of wonderful photos of our children playing with their little mates but I will not put them up here without their permission.

Once a year the playcentre from dd's years catch up at Waipu Caves. We camp out and enjoy each others company. Most of the parents were very out doors adventure types BC (before children), myself and Dave love the caves and have spent many years going through them.

Some wonderful friends have an adventure company with all the gears...so caving with the kids became a possibility. Little DS even came on his first adventure with his little mates.

He was very excited and when the boat ride out of the cave was on the menu his little eyes just about popped.  He was so excited about putting on the life jacket he could hardly do up the zip.

DD had an experience you don't really want to happen to your kids but does...getting hurt. She fell about 2m off a bridge down into a dried up stream. Luckily help was on hand quickly to gab ice and we had a nurse available too. Dd's arm seemed to get the biggest bang. Dd did not want to leave camp and as no bruising came up we decided to just watch her. 

Dd went on to experience a much bigger longer cave (which was my first cave experience as a teen working with civil defence). She did really well for the first half hour then started to get cold...we moved fast together and came to the part where we had to swim out...she no fear about that. We were working with a team of 15... Big group! Dd's close friends also came.

Then Dd moved onto rock climbing. She loved that.

The camp moves to the water hole for a cool down clean up every day. In our climb down to the water Dd hurt her arm again but still she wanted to try the rope swing and swim.

Ds had a lovely time with his best buddy. Even though they are only 4 they played for hours in the bush beside our camp. Watching frogs and playing house...never really thought of boys playing house but they did and loved 'their' cave.

We had treasure hunts, marshmallows over camp fires, bubbles, frisbee (which wow ds has his own style that works really well), walks and even a movie lol.

But in the end we had to leave...and I took dd to white cross for a check up and X-ray...we have to go for another one in a few days. So living with a sock bandage.

Kids had a whale of a time...over tired and camp food...all good