Last Day Of The Year

We decided yesterday to have some sort of occasion that L&P could join in to mark the end of the year - watching the sun go down from Mt Eden in sleeping bags was the plan. I hate the whole wait till midnight thing, so the 8.43pm sunset sounded like just my kind of New Year celebration. It was getting dark in these, honest, the camera is just being tricksy.

 Sleeping bag bags on heads or 'sackhead' was apparently quite hilarious. Overtired small children are remarkably like drunks - much hilarity, but you are never quite sure when it's all going to turn to tears.

 We were only ODing on pebbles though.

 Watching the lights come on was the most rewarding part,

 although there is a star you can just see here that we wished upon.

Happy New Year!

Let's Hope My Sewing

is better than my modelling. But anyway, I sewed myself a spotty top. I cut it out about a month ago, but finally found time to finish sewing it up.

 It looked a bit sacky when I first tried it on (I live in fear of making things too small, so I always go the wrong way and they end up too big) so I added a tie at the back. I think it works.

Sewing Indoctrination

P6 and I have been having great fun with her Christmas present making paper fashions.

Sometimes it's a little bit hard letting her take charge of the colour decisions, but I'm trying to be the good mummy about it :) 

Cuzzie Time

One hid in the spare room reading all evening again (sigh) but the other has got a few people skills in there somewhere and enjoyed reading to her three year old cousin. Looks like it was a very serious story.

I Decided I Couldn't Be Bothered Blogging Today

but then I remembered about my exciting undies day. Thundies to be precise. Geeky Husband bought me my very first pair of Thunderpants for Christmas, and I tried them out today. I'm a convert, no matter how granny they look. Thrillingly comfy.

I thought I'd spare you the pic though.

2012's Most Thoughtful Present

I know I put a sneak preview in yesterday, but I was too tired for words then. This is the present that my dad has worked on for months to give to L9, and it really deserves a picture in the dark so you can appreciate its awesomeness. Yes, even Geeky Husband came upstairs this morning and decreed it officially amazing. It's a machine that doesn't actually do anything, apart from all the things that boys really want machines to do: it hums impressively when you turn it on (thanks to some up-cycled toothbrushes), dials jump, everything lights up, including the etched perspex radar screen, flashing lights appear and make laser noises when you push the Big Red Button. L9 is completely enthralled. So am I if the truth be known. Bunce, you are fabulous. Thank you for all your hard work. L9 is so lucky to have you as a grandfather.

On a less wholesome note - shoe shopping. Becasue sometimes it's also all about the red shoes.

 Geeky husband agrees. 

And yes, the two of us - reluctantly in our 40s - did lie on our bed and throw our feet in the air to capture that cherry glory.

Christmas 2012

Christmas Eve

Companionship. Ahhhh. 

P6 is looking after the jolly man and his team.

 The snack she put out looked so good. . . 

 that cousin S3 just couldn't resist.

Holidays Are Here!

 Visitors!

Lights!

 Christmas wit!

Hurrah. 

Changes

 There's new, if somewhat wrinkled, guest beds springing up all over the house.

 And that can only mean one thing. . . our Christmas visitors are almost here - squeeeeee!

You can also tell that we are about to have a houseful by these tell tale signs:

*a new dishwasher, because the old one broke today, just in time for the population of the house doubling.

*Geeky Husband hand-engineering a tool to remove the broken toilet seat and replace it.

It's been that kind of a day. Last year it was the stove and drier needing replacing the week before Christmas. But today is done and good things are coming. . .

Reason To Have Children #347

L9's new hobby - ironing.

This was a good bit of my day. Some other bits where much, much harder. But this interest? I approve. Any time I feel slightly guilty that all his friends are busy skulking in their dark and old sockish-reeking rooms playing Minecraft? I just imagine how much his future wife is going to love me for this.

School's Out!

Whoop! 

Oh to have such wild abandon.

This Is Why I Love The Library

L9 is having an Artemis Fowl fest at the mo. I love it when he gets into a series and it takes the book pressure off for a while.

Bit O' Goddessing

I made homemade Nutella today. L9 would mainline Nutella if he had half the chance, so it was a challenge to see if I could make a version he'd approve of. I found the recipe here.

My hazelnuts had skin on, unlike those in the recipe pics, so I faffed with them for ages to get most of it off, just in case that would be a fatal flaw.

My food processor wasn't grunty enough to turn them into butter, or perhaps NZ hazelnuts are just less oily? Whichever way, it wasn't going to happen, but it still smelt pretty good.

The good stuff. Nutella is full of evil. But again, it all looked good.

Sadly, my end result fails spectacularly on the visual delight front. I needed a grandmotherly glass jar and a quirky homemade sign. Instead, I had some disposable plastic junk to decant it into. Just so I don't finish on that sad note, and a picture that looks quite unmentionable

I'll add that I'm planning to turn one half into Nutella ice-cream. MMMmmmm. 

Crafting

P6 teaches Geeky Husband to make pipe-cleaner candy canes.

One Of The Joys Of Christmas Time

is all the extra chocolate that seems to make its way into the house. But sometimes being told to choose just one becomes a mission. You have to know the odds, and what will be left in case you get to make another choice.

 But the truth is the choosing part

 is almost as delicious as the chocolate itself.

You Weren't Allowed To Take Video. . .

so it's a little bit surreptitious ;)



So proud of my little dolly who only took up ballet this term.

Courage

Thank goodness for waterproof eyeliner is all I can say. She was scared. Scared about the moment I had to leave her with parent help, (I stayed - I know) scared about going on stage, scared about falling over. But do you know what? Despite a lost costume (not our fault - they organize them, and hers turned up 5 minutes before curtain time) and all her worries, do you know what - she did it! 

 

And that? That took courage. Much more courage than for the kids who couldn't see what could possibly go wrong. I'm so proud of you P6. So proud I cried too. (So we know where you get it, I take full responsibility!) You faced your tigers. And you won.

One show down, two to go. Fingers crossed. 

Two Machines And An Overlocker Day

Has a lovely sewing day with my Invisible Friend. We were too busy with the blah blah blah to take proper blog pics while we were working but:

 Just so I can say Not So Invisible really.

Thank you for coming to play my lovely!

Your Psycho Girlfriend

More goodies here.

School Trip

I got roped in as parent help on a school trip today. It was quite a relaxed end of year thing with a walk through the local bush

 some beach exploration (AKA torturing of crabs)

 and then some time to play with a whole bunch of sports equipment. P6's friends decided to have a go at cricket. These are terrible long range pics, but I include them to reassure my family that P6 is upholding our cherished tradition of utter non-compliance and disinterest in all things sport related. She's the one in the red leggings

Hmmm. . . cricket eh?

 Think I might do a funny dance. That seems like much more fun. 

 But tiring though. Maybe I'll just sit down while this goes on.

 Nah, lying down might be more the go. A girl doesn't want to over exert herself.

Genes. Can't beat 'em.