Looks Dodgy

but we're off!

Fixed

Today my lovely niece M17 got fixed. Lots of love and hugs for a speedy recuperation. Actually, dragging that convalescing thing out sounds like a good plan too.

I'm also quite relieved that L10 seems to love me again. We've had a rough few days. Or a rough few weeks even. But today, he made me a lovely card. It was part of his homework, I admit, but it was part that he chose to do this week, which makes it nice anyway. It's a very L10 card.

It made me cry. But I am a bit of a woos like that.

Mouthless Girl Appears

P7 decided instead of reading time in bed she was going to write. She shooed me away and told me she'd organize her own stuff. When I went back in, she showed me she'd created a newspaper. 

(It's all right - the book is one that was so bad I tried to put it in the recycling a few days ago, but she insisted she would use it and rescued it. I think that's okay in the name of art. Or newspapers.)

Why Is It

that just when you think they are completely odious, most probably because you are the worst mummy in the entire world, they turn it around and start being lovely for a little bit! Yay! (So you let them stay up late playing, making them tired for tomorrow so they'll probably be grouchy again - doh.) Looking forward to our two kayak family holiday with less trepidation now.

Blogs Are Really Good

for remembering the good bits, the happy children. FTR, my children were not this happy all of this weekend.

Oops - Okay, Only 47 More, Then I'll Stop I Promise :)

Official Swansong photos by Steve Dykes. The man is genius!


 Did ya spot me? The tattoos are a bit of a giveaway.

My Girl

Modelling her new pjs. 

 Only the photographer forgot to take the bottom part of the pjs.

Hmmmm. It wasn't me.

Okay, One More. . .

 Missing my lovelies. . . the crazy make up wasn't so crazy at night. I think.

What the hell, two more!

Back Again

Last week.

And this week. Out the pool and back into the kitchen. Hmm.

Week Off

I'm having a week of late nights, so I've decided to take a week off blogging.

This week I'm sure lots of beautiful things will happen anyway.

Robot Love

What Am I To Do With This Boy???!

*called out from room at reading time before sleep*

L10: "Muuuum, what was I like when I was seven?"

Me: "You were lovely. You were a bit more positive than you are today."

L10: *laughs* "That's because I was a bit more of an idiot."

Cutsey Stuff

Excuse the blurry-night-time-with-no-flash photos - it's a cutsey one. I went to check on P7 and this is what I found - many toys, no girl:

She was snuggled like the proverbial bug in a rug at the Pippi Longstocking-end of the bed:

 And on an unrelated note, that I won't even attempt to segue into, I bought new sunnies.

Wild sunnies too!

Gotta document that. Yes it was the highlight of my day. Except for the sugar skull cardy. But I'll save him for another day.

Famous

Three Of The Four Of Us

decided to embrace the outdoors on a sunny Waitangi Day and get out on the harbour

to climb a volcano

and investigate some rodent traps (okay that was only one of the three).

The fourth one of us decided it'd be a good day to hang out and read. We are fortunate to have many rellies who understand that need. Thank you!

Shallots

I grew shallots. Today I ripped 'em up because they were looking manky. I have no idea if that was the right thing to do yet or not? They look kind of ready for either cooking or drying I guess.

Evening Rehearsals

Lots to learn. P7 took these pictures of rehearsal videos that I need to watch so I'm not quite so lost and bewildered in the pool.

Sometimes it even looks like we know what we are doing:

And other times, not so much.

I swear it will be better with stage lights, loud music and special effects.

The Tooth Fairy And Other Lies

Today P7 lost a tooth. As bedtime rolled around, and she was tired out after a big weekend and a few late nights, she became very attached to her ex-tooth. She wanted a picture to show the grandparents:

 Then she wrote a letter to the tooth fairy and wanted a picture with that too:

Then she wanted me to kiss her tooth goodbye, and then it was suddenly all too much for a sleepy girl and she burst into tears at the very thought of saying goodbye to her tooth.

At which point I let her into a secret.

No, not that secret. It was bedtime. No way was I risking that secret.

I took her into the front room and quietly explained how the tooth fairy just needs her tooth. . . for plans. To build a tooth castle. But after she has got all the dimensions, she returns it to the mummy, and that is why I have a small container filled with all the teeth she has ever lost. At first it didn't work because despite witnessing the bloodied teeth, she thought they were the copies, and the tooth fairy still had the real ones, but as soon as I explained that the tooth fairy kept the copies, and these were the real deal, she was okay.

Goodnight sweet girl. Mwuh.

Muuuuuum. . .

. . . will my letter end up in the tooth fairy rubbish bins. . . .waaaaaaah???!

Sigh. Lies always make it harder eh?

Ten!

My big little one reached double figures! He's so grown up now. 

It wasn't really a party, but we did have a chocolate fountain. . . that the children decided was best imbibed through a straw. 

 Ah, L10, you are a funny one. Such hard work, but so loving at the same time. I found this picture from only a week ago - I wonder how much longer you'll be doing this:

You do love a cuddle, and I love you my not-so-little-one. Happy birthday L10 :)

The obligatory retrospective then:

ten

 nine

 eight

seven

 six

 five

 four

three

two

one

zero