Beach Day!

Primary schools stopped teaching at lunchtime today due to ongoing pay negotiations for teachers. The weather was lovely so we all went to the beach.

The children made wind breaks, a tank, and dug a trench all the way across the beach. Our little man was absolutely delighted to be buried in the sand up to his neck, not once but twice! 

Ice cream has also become synonymous with a visit to the beach, so we had that too before picking papa from work.

Very thankful.

Onigiri Afternoon.

Our littlest was inspired by a "Waffles & Mochi" cookbook and asked to make onigiri for lunch. We had fun!

Our big boy was out with his friends to celebrate a birthday. 

A peaceful and restful Saturday. It's easy to take for granted when it's there, but I like stopping every now and then to remind myself that peace in the family is so precious and also possible, contrary to what is often portrayed in the media. I'm very grateful.

Football on Friday.

Football practice is on Friday nights for both boys and it was a privilege for me to take them this evening while Papa stayed home with the girls.

Happy eyes, freezing toes and fingers, little chats along the way. Our little man did better this week. Three hours at the pitch and it's dark by the time we leave. Camping chairs and dinner pitchside are lifesavers but we definitely need a blanket next week as the nights get colder!

You Can Tell.

You can tell the little man had a good day at school when he sings. He sang to himself all afternoon. The songs were not always intelligible but we definitely heard Shotgun by George Ezra, and the chorus of Nee Naw which went, "I'm happy I'm me!"

He's had ups and downs with school but it was a good day and we will take that victory. He was most dismayed to see me at his classroom after school and insisted on walking separately ahead and meeting me at the gate. Independent child. 

Also, you can tell the husband's had an exhausting day when he stops talking. He's already usually not the talking sort so this is a whole new level. It's been an extremely busy time at school for him and he's progressively gotten quieter and quieter over the last week. Looking forward to the end of exam period so we can get him back soon.

The Little Lady and I visited the museum and saw its latest addition. 

One Step At A Time.

The mental load of raising four young ones, each with their own strong personalities, weighs heavier some days more than others. Keeping track of each of their needs, current challenges and interests takes up more brain space than I can muster some days.

Our big girl is keen to develop her musical interest on the keyboard. Our big boy has, since turning ten and with much pride, taken on the responsibility of helping with dinner prep once a week. Our little man is working to get over a specific anxiety related to school and is settling into a new sport. Our little lady is getting used to swimming lessons and learning to make new friends on our daily adventures.

Rock climbing yesterday. Our littlest is not one to open up to others easily, but she connected well with a new face there. Before long, they were insisting on climbing beside each other.

This afternoon, our big girl spotted me at the school gate and dashed toward me, shouting the most joyful "mummy!". She threw all of her 8 year old self into my arms and wrapped herself around my leg, much to the amusement of whoever else happened to be there. I count myself so blessed to have been the reason for my not-so-little one's joy. It was a happy reunion that truly made my day. 

Come what may, we'll take it one step at a time.

Little Steps.

Our little man was reading to his little sister this evening. An incredibly encouraging sight to see, and it's great to see him making improvements in his reading and attitude towards reading.

It's been awhile since I baked these. The children are looking forward to Cranberry cream cheese buns for breakfast tomorrow.

Progress.

Our mother's day hedgehog visitor was released yesterday evening. We put it in a box with a blanket and some food and water, with an opening cut into the side for it to wander off when it was ready. It stayed inside for awhile and departed quietly. 

This week, I've asked the little man to meet at the school gate after school. I'd been meeting him outside class for the past few weeks. Our big girl offered to meet him at his classroom and they'd walk out together. This afternoon, she appeared alone and it turns out that her little brother had shooed her off, saying he wanted to walk to the gate by himself. He was adamant he was big enough to walk by himself to the gate and he will do just that tomorrow. It's a joy to witness his growing independence and we will slowly work on getting him to walk to class on his own too. 

This evening, we made some lime curd from the homegrown limes. Looking forward to having this with toast in the morning!

Hedgehog Visitor.

The husband found a hedgehog caught in our garden netting this evening and called to me to cut it free.

We decided to keep it for it night and the children were delighted. 

It was energetic enough to attempt several escapes from its box. Two successful attempts that had the husband and I hunting around for it in the garage.

We tired of the hide and seek games and finally popped it into the bathroom shower stall.

It should be fine here for the night and we'll plan for a release tomorrow evening.

Birthday @ Zone Bowling

Our big boy and his friends gathered to celebrate his 10th birthday today. We were all delayed by terrible traffic, but the staff at Zone Bowling went the extra mile to make sure the children still had a great time. We are very grateful.

They played an intense two games of laser tag (the husband will probably feel the effects tomorrow) and had some arcade time, exactly what our big boy had hoped for.

And with that, birthday season is finally over. I can rest easy for a bit now. 

Ten!

Happy 10th birthday, son!

Our big boy was up at 5am this morning. He managed to wait 15 minutes before waking his sister and opening presents together. 

We stole him out of school at lunch (making sure not to be seen by the little man) and took him to Taco Bell for burritos, on his suggestion. My first taste of Taco Bell in NZ.

We went out to ramen for dinner and came home to cut (jelly hearts) cake.

Our first born. I've been puzzling over this one for awhile, trying to figure him out. He's grown in patience and self control for our youngest ones over the past year. He's the one who is honest to a fault, and the one who strives to do the right thing even when it's hard. He's our truth-seeker, who will say things as he sees them, even though it might not sound pretty. He's also the one who scrutinises the teeny tiny details of my parenting... Looking for loopholes sometimes but mostly in the name of clarity, which is hard for me because I paint in broad strokes and also tend to forget what I've said. 

He keeps us on our toes, makes us laugh and cry, and we're blessed to have him in our family.

A Mum's Life.

State of Emergency declared in Auckland this afternoon due to torrential rain and flooding. I picked the children up an hour early from school to avoid the peak period traffic and flooding risk. They weren't entirely happy to have been taken out of school early. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Safety first, but there's no winning some times. 

The rain continues tomorrow. 🤞🏻

Eight.

Our little man, at dinner: Do you know what's the best part of the birthday?

We tried a few guesses but no one got it right.

Him: The love.

This little man surprises us with these little snippets of wisdom at the best times.

Our oldest two were up at 5.30am in their excitement, hours before the rest of us were. Presents were opened that early, too. 

We attended mass and spent the day at home. Crème brulee and macarons for cake.

Our peacemaker, the one who looks out for everyone else at home and is quick to make little sacrifices for all of us. We are so very blessed to have her in our lives.

Party Time.

We threw an 8th birthday celebration for our big girl this afternoon. Everyone chipped in. The littlies took it upon themselves to help with decorations.

The bigs did their usual Saturday chores to ready the home for guests. Many hands made for lighter work. I truly appreciate the children being older and more able to help out. 

It was a sand art party with her favourite Sal's Pizza and she requested an ice cream cake. I learned to make an ice cream cake. We surprised her with a piñata and she was delighted.

It was an intimate party and most of her friends ended up staying beyond the party time to play for longer. I'm grateful that things went fairly smoothly, and for the husband's resourcefulness in getting Sal's pizza in spite of a hiccup.

The celebrations continue tomorrow with her actual birthday.

crème brulee chilling overnight for "cake" tomorrow.

Kings and Queens for a Day.

Coronation Day celebrations in school and our children dressed up for it:

In spite of my best efforts to keep the cluster off the floor, this happens:

Minecraft battle in full swing at 7.30 in the morning. Such is life at this stage and age of parenthood. Maybe just a little endearing.

First Swimming Lesson.

Our littlest lady had her first swimming lesson this morning. She was shy, but she participated, with me in the pool with her. Having been through 6 weeks of tears with our little man.. This was a lovely start by comparison.

The little man noticed his classmates in a line after school, headed for the after school program. He asked why they were there, and where they were going. After realising that his friends were there because their parents work and pick them up later, he asked, "Can you go to work so that I can go to after school program?" 

I'll take it as a sign that he's enjoying school, and his friends, immensely.

not the best photo, but this girl was chuffed with her new goggles today.

Yesss!

Our little man, at night prayer: I hope I can go to school tomorrow.

That 100% made my day. 

Our older children told us that they'd gone to check on him at lunch and found the little man engrossed in a game of tag with his classmates. 

He's looking forward to swapping out his summer uniform for his winter one tomorrow.

Our little man is growing up fast!