Birthday Season in Full Swing!

NB: No one has been punched in the face in these pictures, my camera has developed a black smudge on the lens and depending on the direction of the lens or the position of the subject it can look dubious!

Yes its the beginning of birthday season in our house.  Birthdays are a really big deal and we celebrate well.  Traditions have been created within our family and continue year after and year. (as traditions do - duh)  This year Kaitlyn turned 7 and while 7 isn't  generally considered by many as a "wow-you-are-7" number (not like 1, 5 or 10), we felt we needed to make it an "oh-my-goodness-you-are-7-that-is-so-cool".

Our birthdays always starts off the night before when decorations go up, then with present opening first thing in the morning and then progress on to birthday breakfast of choice.

                                         

Because turning 7 is something to be celebrated, this wee little lady got treated to getting her ear-pierced. She had asked me a couple of weeks prior if she could get "holes in her ears" and I thought that would be a pretty special birthday present.

One very excited girl (and one nervous Mama)

Ear-rings in and a celebratory morning tea was in order!

(I was so glad that was over)

Definitely can't have birthdays without cupcakes!!

                                                  

Its been a long standing tradition that the kids can choose their birthday cakes or choose to have me make a surprise one for them.

Kaitlyn's request was a giant chocolate cake!  And really you couldn't get anymore chocolate than this one.  Maybe even bordered on too much chocolate - if that is even possible!

(Did I just say that?)

I found this photo on my camera, I am assuming one of the kids took it.

I actually think it looks quite cool in all its blurry-ness!

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Kaitlyn

Happy Birthday to you!

                                         

Three days later......

The changing of the decor'!

Sophie wanted a Minnie Mouse party for her special birthday!

She was turning 5!

Birthday wishes from big brothers always appear on the windows all ready for the morning festivities!

When you are five you get to have TWO birthdays!  One for a few friends where party games are played and a special table is set!!  No Big Brothers allowed at this table!

They did get fed though!

You also get to decorate/create you own ice cream cake!

This brings out the control freak in me - I want to help!!!

Her creation!!!

Minnie Mouse would be proud!  You know I am not the most creative person around and I am more than willing to admit that I did not come up with any of these ideas myself. Pinterest is a wonderful thing for those of us who are creatively challenged.  Even for those of us on a budget you can still glean ideas and make them your own.

I will say though that the table cloth was my idea, 

one of my rare (very very rare) creative clever moments!!

The table is set, already to enjoy!

Another Pinterest gleaned idea!

When working with ice cream cakes, you have to work fast as they melt really fast and burning candles on top of them doesn't help either!

Party number TWO!! Is a party with family, extended family, good friends and important people in 

Sophie's life!

More Cupcakes!

Sadly I can't take credit for these beauties!

Thanks Aunty Tash!

Presents!!

Presenting opening for little kids always has the potential to be a little embarrassing.

In my observation of many many children opening presents - they ALL just want to open them as fast as they can and most will say at least one inappropriate thing. I don't think they are being rude - its just EXCITING and they are LITTLE!!

I have learnt not expect any child to gush over a present I give them when they open it.

 Life is too short to get offended over it!

Sophie definitely had a Minnie Mouse theme going with her presents this year.

We love Minnie Mouse around here!

This year Sophie's choice of cake was....a unicorn or a volcano!

Random choices and poles apart!

I choose a volcano purely for selfish reasons....1. a volcano is far easier to make and takes less time and 

2. A unicorn really???  Did you not see my last attempt at an animal!!

Sophie was very very blessed with her two special days!  They are so many people that are important and that we appreciate their input into her, ours and other kids lives! 

Celebrating is an important part of our family life. I don't think as a society we do it enough or very well.

That is why we make an effort to create a big deal of even seemingly small things (or seemingly unimportant birthdays like 7) because its those small things that make up the majority of our lives.

"Birthdays give us the opportunities to stop and appreciate all the beautiful things and people that we have been Blessed with." -Author Unknown

Happy Birthdays Girls!!!

 See below the reason why I did not attempt an unicorn!  Jesse's 1st birthday cake was suppose to be a duck but turned out looking like a .....seagull with a broken beak and issues with its feathers perhaps?

Winter Weekend Get Away

I am choosing not to feel sorry for myself at the present time but to deeply sigh into the peace that surrounds me as my children all sleep and my husband is out at a birthday dinner for his brothers 18th.  Ha that last sentence may imply that my husband is quite noisy - well sometimes perhaps.  Even the TV is off. What a treat!!  All I can hear is the fire crackling, the hum of the computer and me tap tap tapping away on these keys. *sigh*

So how are you?  I mean How are you? Really? I hope that life is treating you kindly and all is well in your neck of the woods or corner of the world.  I have had a sad baby today which as many of you will know, it makes everything you do throughout the day just that much harder.  He is currently growing teeth and has flaming red cheeks. Poor wee boy. Sad boy = snuggly boy so I was blessed with extra snuggles today.

I have so many photos and stories to tell you, I wish I had more time to share them  but I will start with our weekend away.  We were treated to a three nights away down at my Mums house to help celebrate my nephews 5th birthday.  I say treated, it was a treat as due to our current economic status we hadn't been down there for nearly a year.  It was great to get away and see family.

 

Jack Hallgarth

 Handsome nephew!

Aged 5

Loves Transformers, Lightening McQueen and Frank (soda water drink with lime)

 

The kids were SUPER SUPER excited and had even packed there bags three days before we were due to leave. They do not get that from me - I packed the morning we left!

Its times like these that I have no problems getting them into the car, they were waiting for me!

 

Its a tradition in our family to play 'Car Bingo' a game that I constructed after I saw something similar in the toyshop (but way over priced)

 

You each have a laminated sheet with pictures of 16 things you may see along the way. 

On this one we have:-

A pig, plane, seagull, motorbike, rubbish, tractor, café, Suzuki Swift, weather vane, yellow mail box, log truck, school sign, 30km sign, a 'GPU' number plate, a personalised number plate and a boat.

Rules are as follows:-

First person to see item gets a blue dot sticker to put on the corresponding picture.

Someone else has to see it too.

If you find a windsock or a hitch hiker you get a free blue dot.

If someone has found something no one else can use that same thing for a sticker.

Game is paused in a 50km zone or through town.

First to sticker all pictures is the winner.

No fighting or punching or kicking or name calling if someone beats you to something

(that rule is not just for the kids - it get REALLY competitive up the front too)

 

 

It concerns me that Jamie has won this most of the times we have played it - and he is supposed to be watching where he is driving!

 

We are on our way!

 

After a stop to look at a scenic waterfall and a geocache jaunt (which we couldn't find) we stopped off by Lake Taupo for a wee picnic.  God blessed us with a stunning day for it too.

  Lots of locals were eyeing up our lunch.  The kids were most impressed that these Seagulls could catch food in mid-air! 

  Out doing what boys love to do!

(no he is not throwing stones at the duck but skimming them)

 

 Isn't this the weirdest looking duck ever! I am sure its head is misplaced. It looks as if it needs to come forward on its body more either that or it big breasted!!

The Dolly Parton of Ducks perhaps.

 

 This wee pool of water is why this particular place in Taupo is called Hot Water beach.  Off to the left of the photo is a wee spring that is bubbling up from the bottom of a bank. The water is quite hot. Too hot for the kids to leave their fingers in it for too long. People have been know to bathe here, soap and all!

 

 This is a perfect place to stop and have lunch and stretch legs for an hour or so before heading off for another two hour part of the journey.  I should bring a bag of stale bread next time I think, might save half our lunch!

 

 

An early morning walk along Te Awanga beach. This is where I grew up and I would never tire of this view.  Te Awanga is a sleepy wee village. Not at all sandy like most beaches but has some good surf. It makes for an interesting stroll along the beach to see what the tides have washed up.  This particular day the sea was as flat as glass but it can get horrendously huge waves. 

 

Sleepy seaside village.

 Oooo I see some sand - that's a rarity.

  These picture make me smile.  They look so innocent and good paddling away there but unbeknown to you it turned into a full on winter swim after Sophie fell over fully clothed!  After that they were all in.  One day I'll learn to take a towel or two with me.

 

 Cute 'Baby's foot'!

 

 Since Sophie got the wettest we had to strip her off and wrap her up in some one's sweatshirt so she got to ride home in style (in the pushchair). Jesse got treated to a view!

 

All of the cousins and second cousins that attended at Jacks Party.

A party all on its own really.

 

Time with family is always special, especially when a milestone is being celebrated such as a fifth birthday! Celebrating is good. Celebrating is important.

 

Kaitlyn came roaring inside yesterday and announced that her flowers finally had flowers on them. We went out and investigated and had a discussion about Spring Bulbs (in this case Irises) and how they start to flower at the very end of Winter or beginning of Spring. She concluded that we MUST have a Spring Day Party to celebrate!

 

That is a good idea I think, a very good idea.

  I think we just might do that!