Mud and Madness

Sunday saw us, a bunch of mates & motorbikes all having time together. There were a whole bunch of boys about, Cheyenne was truely out numbered. Theres not a whole lot I can say about the day other then I was so tired that night from all the laughter and running up & down those hills to get photos, check on kids, pull bikes out of the mud & pull bikes off kids!! When you go to bed that tired and happy, you know you have had a great day. Also means the kids have a ton of memories made.

I still laugh my head off at this photo of Cody though.

 There were a few stacks for the day but I think his won the prize. I have had a few comments along the lines of  'how could you take a photo'! My answer is simply, how could I not, there was nothing else I could do til he landed, I may as well capture it. Even he laughed at the photo when I showed him. You know the whole stack will get talked up a lot bigger then it actually was each time it is retold so may as well have the proof ;)

Another Feed

You'd think all we think about is our guts!!! But a dive for paua's is an oppurtunity we never pass up on if its there. Saturday was a cracker day by crikey, actually it was even better then that as about an hour earlier as I was heading home on my run I saw the whales breaching out in the sea. I was just quitely very stoked at that. So on a natural high we headed off to enjoy more of the ocean and sunshine mix that we love. It's the end of July and Cai was back in barefeet, yes it was that warm!

Cai yelling orders as the 3 catch bags are hauled back in, he was very concerned he was missing out on something yummy down there. I relented and carried him down to be amongst it all.

Carrying a load home :)

Cai having a taste of kina

 He wasn't that keen on them, but come time for the paua's, he couldn't get enough and finished off the lot. We all payed for it the next day because the smell in his nappies was something very foul and indescribeable!!

Mornings in Riverton

Every Thursday Cai and I have to spend 3hrs in Riverton while Cody goes to music lessons. This was our first morning here. What a gorgeous day. We walked right around the Riverton rocks, played on the beach, brought some chocolate and just to be healthy an apple each. If every Thursday is this bright and clear it will be great. I know it won't be though ;)

I have never really taken the time to walk around Riverton, its always just been the town we pass through on the way to the bigger town or Grandma's town as the kids call it. Riverton is full of history and is really quite quaint and scenic. Next time we hope to bring Gypsy along for big beach walks while we wait for Cody, but if the weather is not in our favor we may just sit in a cafe with a cup of coffee :) Whatever it will be, it will be a change of scenery.

walk about

We headed outside mid morning to unload a load of fire wood this morning. A plane flew over and Cai ran out on the lawn to watch it calling out to me, "neioooww"

(excuse my spelling, he says it how it sounds)

It dawned on me it had gone rather quiet after a while, so I went to investigate, nothing to see, he wasn't out visiting 'neigh' or the tractor. Then I heard a tiny voice way over yonder......

He wasn't just through this fence but the next one as well, out in the big paddock with the sheep, he was pointing at the sky "bang, bang, bang"!!!!! Now if I hadn't of heard him out shooting his ducks goodness knows where or when I would of found this roaming gnome. I called the pair of them back home and snapped a couple of shots as he repeated his escape route!!

Maybe I need to do what my mother tried with me and my wanderings, put barbwire right round the bottom!!

                                     

more washing for Mum by the looks :)

loves for his partner in crime, where he goes, she goes and where she goes, he goes

While I continued to unload the truck I could hear a whole heap of giggling, so once again went to investigate, this time the pair of them were on the trampoline. Cai was jumping up and down (as you do on a tramp) and Gypsy was running round and round him. Will have to try and video that one day, its adorable watching them.

:-)

A New Day

I got out this morning to grab a photo of the sunrise, it was gorgeous, the kids were already on the school bus and the gnome, namely Cai was eating his toast, so I grabbed the oppurtunity.

Since then I have done the typical household chores but as I spent a good hour cleaning the kitchen/dining room floor with a bucket of vinegar I really got to thinking, firstly thinking of friends and how for me being so far away from family I really don't like to loose contact with friends, the people that I hold special. How some friendships just come easy, how they are so accommodating, you feel welcome, you don't have to ask, you can rock up and have a coffe and know you are not an inconvenince and others can feel like you are pushing crap up hill with a pitchfork. How you feel like you are doing all the work to try and keep that friendship and if you didn't you'd have no contact at all. I struggle with this.

Then there are the other friends that you can go a whole year without being in touch with but it feels like it was only yesterday you last caught up. You just take off where you left, then walk away with more treasured memories.

 Therefore I must make more of an effort myself.

What got me thinking about it all was a wonderful conversation via internet with an awesome friend in Wales this morning.

Then I was under the table scrubbing and got to reflecting how big a mess my kids can make, I know they drop food and the older pair know they have to clean it up if they do. Doesn't mean I don't notice it when they give me those quiet looks to see if I had seen them drop it, therefore hoping they'll get away with it!! But the amount of paint and glue, just from the holidays, crikeys me!!!

On the otherside of the coin, 

 I

 love that my kids love a good creative session and they enjoy a bit of art. So that kind of mess is always welcome under my table,

as for the food, it is a comfort to know that they are fed and healthy.

Now I need to head off for a shower as while doing the floor the gnome found it entertaining to drop drips of vinegar on my head so I smell like something of a seafood platter!!

Have a good day y'all x

More Paua's

The whole chore thing kicked in big time this morning,

I am trying to write a book and in the process have learnt something about myself.

That I am someone that is very spur of the moment, loves adventure, loves somewhere new, loves to explore. Cody is also like this and is a good timer, so this is where the chore thing kicked in this morning..... after listening to him nag on,

"can we do this, can we do that"

over and over, I put my foot down and said not doing anything until you have done what was asked of you yesterday to do. So we had to wait til all his lego was tidied away ready for the school term again before we ventured out and enjoyed a blissful sunny day with friends.

We had an awesome time back down Cosy Nook, we caught up with friends over from Perth and then had cousins come hang out. Fellow Nth Islanders, yay for me.

The sea was calm and clear and ideal for another dive for more pauas. Shane telling Zane he'd knock 6mths off his Southlander citizenship if he got in too. Poor guy just about froze but he never came back with an empty catch bag. 

Cody helping Shane size them and counting how many we had. Team work kicks in at home again, with Cheyenne washing them, Cody cutting them and Shane minces them, then I get to cook them. End result we all sit down and enjoy them :)

Chores

I am trying to teach my kids, all of them not just the older two that we are a family, not just in the sense of Mum & Dad looking after you etc...

that we are a team, a unit and that we work together to make a whole.

Which of course means chores, they each struggle with one of their chores more then the other, showing the weaknesses and strengths in their characters.

Chores do include Cai, he has to bring in a piece of wood when the other two bring their arm loads, he unloads the cutlery with whoever has to unload the dishwasher. He knows to take his plate to the bench when his meal is finished or to put his rubbish in the bin. (Even if he has been known to retrieve food again later on when he thinks he's hungry!!)

This paticular day was no exception and I know they wanted to be watching cartoons, but we had dog tucker to do. Not a job for the squemish, one thing my kids do know is the reality of life. 

Cody got a lesson in skining the sheep after Shane killed it, he had to do one leg while Shane did the other three. Then together they had to drag the carcass to the dead sheep hole.

I figure thats got to be way better then brain numbing cartoons.

We all like food on our table and to be able to help provide it has got to make them proud. 

Gypsy waiting patiently, hoping she is going to get a bit....

not just yet girl.

A weekend of Pauas

Saturday saw us heading  out to get pauas in the low tide, it was drizzly/misty weather but not cold. We had run out of pauas and were in need of a good feed. This spot is a little bit difficult for Cai to enjoy as it is all big rocks, no sandy beach to roam. His siblings kept him entertained though. Cody had built some contraption for fishing, his theory was great but not ideal in water with a ton of rocks, but he was happy catching crabs for bait and giving it a go.

Cai playing peek-a-boo with an old paua shell and only Cai would let his sister pour stones on his head and think it was funny. This lasted a long time believe me.

Cheyenne must of been craving paua real bad as she was into it raw with her father as soon as he was out of the water. Cai wasn't so keen on it raw but loved it later on all cooked up. He'll get there though ;)

Time to think

Today was one of those days, it started off good, turned sour and ended on a high again.

I had two photo bookings for the morning, one cancelled last bit so after I had done the first one we had time to go for a wander through the bush track. The last couple of times I have stopped pushing Cai in the pram but letting him run and walk at his pace. He scrambles over trees roots, walks into the most awkward places, climbs little banks so he can jump off, then when you think this is going to take all day he takes off at a run.

We stopped and enjoyed the sunny spots alongside the river, watching the ducks and the water run past.

After this is where it turned sour :(

My eldest son decided he would test my parenting!! He decided to explore his independance I guess, needless to say when we got home I sent him to the bathroom. I then went and hung washing on the line and gave myself 15mins to calm down and think my side of it all through, instead of barraging him with my madness at him!!

While I was hanging the washing on the line Cai got some carrots and fed the horse, which saw me run back inside for my camera again. He had an armful, well about 5 carrots, an armful for a gnome anyway! He put them all down for 'neigh', then decided he wanted one too, then so did Gypsy, so the 3 of them shared carrots. It was rather cute I thought.

Then the high, it was much later on in the day I got online to check my emails etc

I had a wonderful letter from a very dear sister inlaw waiting for me. She is an amazing person and has an incredible story to her life that I find is so inspiring and always brings me right back down to earth and puts everything back into perspective for me. Whenever I ring her to see how she is doing, I find she is the one that encourages me, I miss her like crazy and am so thankful for the relationship we have as it has been a long haul to get where we are but it is amazing. So thank you so much for the fabulous and very timely letter xx

Its the last weekend of the holidays so enjoy it

I for one love the freedom of the holidays

Loving it

We didn't even need to light the fire today, it is just gorgeous, for the middle of winter a day where you can get round in a t shirt is so good for the spirits. As soon as breakfast was over the 3 C's were outside until lunch time. I hung out three loads of washing even, its going to be so nice to have that dried in the sun smell about them.

After lunch we took off for the beach at Monkey Island. We climbed the top of Monkey Island, searched for crabs, got water in our boots and flew kites with friends.

about where Cai's head is in this photo, just behind it like, is where our property is, it is a huge bay and we are probably not even half way around it.

Now while the older 2 C's are outside still, the grommy C is sleeping along with the dog, both worn out. Love days like this and am so thankful we have it at our doorstep. Also thankful it was during the holidays. It was very timely to be honest, as this time every other year for the last 5 we have already left NZ and its been a depressing thought at times that, that part of our yearly migration is over. A day like this makes staying worthwhile ;)

Mid Holidays

"Come on Puppy"

We have hit the middle of the two week school holidays, the first week ended up being way more adventful then I had planned! After the first weekend away, Cody ended up staying there another few days til Wednesday. I was thrilled for this to happen, boy time for him and one less kid for me (sorry Lou). Lou was at work anyways so it was real boy time as Mark had all three boys. Cody had an absolute blast though, he went possum hunting, which Mark told me, he had Cody pulling possums out of spots by the tail and banging them on the head ( Mark obviously was a bad shot!) Cody also got to drive the digger, which so happen saw him dumping Mark out of the digger bucket into the river!! Cody also fell into the river himself, after the branch in the tree that he was on broke! Is it a male thing because I hear more of what happened through over hearing his stories to others then what he let on to me, haha!

So while Cody was over the way, Cheyenne had a friend here Monday/Tuesday, they painted rocks, played mermaids and dress ups, rode her horse, ate lots of sweets and had a photo shoot on the beach as little angels/fairies. They even braved putting their feet in the waves, far too cold for me! Was sure they were both going to come down with a cold after that!

Wednesday we meet back up with Cody and all went to Kid Zone, a program run in the school holidays with so much fun activities. Because Chey was going to be going back again on the Thursday with her friend I told her she had to do everything the boys wanted to do today & do the girly stuff with Jay. They rode some funky bikes, raced go carts, made slime and bouncey balls. Played lego, did science experiments and had theatre make up done. The boys all got gash's with nails through them on their hands, Chey had to go one step further and asked the guy to do it on her face. Therefore totally forgetting about it and was unaware of all the stares she was getting at the movies after that. Was quite funny.

Like I said Thursday Cheyenne got to go back to Kid Zone, she got to sew a bag, make a cushion, have her hair styled (complete with bizarre colors), make up put on, made clay flowers and another bouncey ball! Cody's thrill for that day was a visit to the pet shop and to look at some baby turtles.

Friday, the day these pic's were taken was a home day, a catch up day, a relax day!! The three of them hung out again as the three of them for the first time in a week. Was fun to watch and hear all the laughter as they raced each other and chased Cai and Gypsy chased them.

Have nothing at all planned for this last week so lets see where it takes us.

Time at Poloville

Like I said in Saturdays post that plans changed after a call from Polo (Shanes best mate). We packed up and left after lunch and headed to their place, about an hour and half from ours, with the plan to go for a pig hunt early Sunday morning. Well this is the frost that greeted them, poor kids, we had them so rugged up, knowing that if they got too cold they would whine the ears of their fathers and that in turn would make grumpy Dad's! We packed a truck load of food, because apart from being cold, hunger would be their next topic of moaning.

We had no water running at the house, so no showers or dishes could get done, so Lou and I decided to head into town and shout ourselves to the movies, kidfree, well I had Cai of course but he handled it ok.

The end result of the pig hunt, the dogs lost the pig they got onto and they all came home barehanded but fill of big adventures to tell. They had had a snow ball fight up in the snow they found. There were 8 pairs of wet socks hanging in front of the fire, we had two pairs on each kids feet!! All very happy to retire to bed last night needless to say, love a day like that.

Family time

The first Saturday we woke to another fresh and crisp day, we all went for a walk along the top of the farm, Chey rode Gordy so I guess she got out of walking. We stood at the end taking in the view and solving the issues of the world!! More like trying to decide on what really needed done for the day in order of importance. (Which of course all changed after a phone call of hubby's best mate but thats another story in itself) 

 The tractor came out of the shed to go pick up some old posts I had been wanting and to remove a dead mutton! Cai waiting impatiently for the tractor, made his day to go for a ride on the old girl.

 Cheyenne watching the goings on after her ride and brushing her fat little 'neigh' down