Our little Crooner

Aunty Margaret & Uncle Apples and Aunty Sarah gave Josh a belated Christmas present - an electronic guitar (eeek, deafening!!). Josh and Daddy had some 'crooning' moments whilst Uncle Apples did a few renditions of the Beatles "all you need is love". Mummy hopes and prays that there is a volume control switch on this new 'toy' !!

Wow ... how special is this

After an amazing day, we got home and cleared the mail box and look what was there for Josh - a card from his new school teacher for this year, Mrs Bell. Joshua read it out loud ... and simply beamed! What a special touch !

The BIG Splash

Today we spent the day down on Wellington's waterfront soaking up the beautiful day, looking at all the sculptures along Queens Wharf. After the ACDC concert the previous night, town was packed and pumping with energy - so we decided to add some of our own.

We had a ride on the paddle boats (Huddy swam alongside the boat for the entire half-hour we were in the water), ran and did flips inside the water-Zorb, listened to music and buskers along the way, devoured our favourite ice-cream (vanilla bean!) ... and then Daddy & Josh jumped off the wharf into Wellington Harbour - and oh, what a splash Daddy made - many shrieks of laughter! Josh didn't quite manage to jump off the top, but did so from half-way down the ladder.

And in the evening we packed up our portable barbeque and headed to the beach with friends. Home afterwards to nude-dance on the trampoline whilst being squirted with the hose (no, NOT the adults!!) and, suffice to say, all of us were rather tired by the end of it it all. Oh that lovely feeling of sun-kissed skin and a sun-tan and physical exhaustion at the end of a gorgeous day.

I dare you to walk the plank Daddy !

Okay we have got this far ... now time for team talk about strategy

Shikes Daddy, tis a long way down, are you sure WE want to do this?

We did it Daddy, we did it !! Phew both boys safely in the water!

Daddy is so proud of this splash - a mother of all bombs !

Daddy teaching Josh to skip stones across the water

Mummy & Josh on the beach

Mummy & Josh - and Huddy - on the paddle boats

Mummy & Daddy at our evening barbeque

'Nude' jumping on the trampoline whilst being squirted with the cold hose !

Why we love Wellington

Another beautiful day so after swimming lessons we headed off to the beach, initially with Carol and her 2 boys for some rather challenging rock climbing ! Huddy couldn't believe his luck - 3 boys to throw sticks, bring it on !

And then in the afternoon we headed to Scorching Bay with Clare and her 3 children, Luca, Anes and Elise. It was so lovely down there that we ended up staying down at the beach and had pizza for dinner as the sun went down. We built sandcastles and dams, had water fights, skipped stones across the water - don't you just love summer and aren't we blessed living so close to the beach !

Luca & Joshua splashing and having water fights

C'mon Luca, let's dig a trench and then build some high walls for this dam

2 boys ... 2 girls ... watching the sun set on the hills ... and just 'hanging'

Dear Tooth Fairy

Oh dear .... Josh lost his 6th tooth tonight but we can't find it - maybe he swallowed it ! So we had to desperately write a letter to the tooth fairy in the hope that she still leaves him a little 'something' even though she has no tooth to collect - start praying !!

A Sneak Preview ... and Grandma comes to the rescue

Josh starts at Scots College next Wednesday - a BIG decision but one we are now very excited about. Will tell you more next week after we start ... but today we picked up the school uniform (gulp, we need to win Lotto !) and Mummy also met with Mrs Bell, his teacher for this year. Mummy felt quite emotional and overwhelmed to see Josh standing there in the college uniform - wow, it makes him look so grown up !

Mrs Bell is just lovely, so welcoming, kind and caring but incredibly professional and focused and has been part of the Scots environment for some 8+ years - Joshua's class size is only 12 little boys and Josh is sitting right beside Mrs Bell. I am starting to feel very positive (and relieved) about the decision we have made and now can't wait for it all to start !

Here we have Grandma taking up the sleeves of his blazer - she may be 86 years old but is still as good at her dressmaking as she ever was ! Just wait until next week and we show you photos of the full ensemble !!

More Sunshine

A day of water ... it started with Joshua's swimming lesson - he is in a holiday program this week so has a half-hour lesson every day. We are making great progress and now that we have the new goggles that have been 'fitted' and a new swim cap, there is no room for any 'technicalities' that we can use to slow us down !

And then in the afternoon off to the southern beaches - it was heart-warming to over-hear some of Joshua's chatter to Huddy ... truly, a boy and his dog and the secrets they share.

You can't beat Wellington on a good day

Wellington has been such a tease this summer .... sadly it has been incredibly slow to start and also doused us in January with winter storms and grey wet days. However, it has now decided to treat us to a mini heat wave with some amazing days and weeks ... long may it continue (although I do feel so sorry for the kiddies going back to school just as the 'true' summer heat arrives!).

The song ... "You can't beat Wellington on a good day" .... rings true to many Wellingtonians who have a love affair with this city of ours and you can be guaranteed to see just about everyone outside and at the beach enjoying these glorious days - we certainly don't take them for granted so make sure that we enjoy them when we can !

Perfect weather for beach days .... Shosh joined us yesterday for a picnic lunch down at the beach and we spent a few hours just sitting chatting, climbing rocks, and discovering lots of caves along the way and making up some pirate stories !

In the afternoon we met up with Ryan down at Queens Wharf and went on the paddle boats, built block towers at Te Papa and ate ice-creams.

Christmas School Holidays

Welcome to our world of school holidays ... in addition to our wonderful road trip north, we have packed in SO much and every day is a new adventure where we try to do 'something' - don't you just love the magic of doing simple things with kids - they definitely bring a spirit with them that is irreplaceable - and energy to burn !! Here are a few snaps of some of the things we have been up to these holidays, in no particular order.

'Roughing it' at an overnight camp in the Wairarapa - and cooking on our new portable BBQ

Dancing through the fountain without a care in the world - and what's more, with no dry clothes to put on afterwards!

Fish & Chip picnic with Luca, Anes & Elise

Ice-blocks on the trampoline with Luca & Anes

This is Wellington's zorb - jump into the sphere and 'run on water' ....

Just chillin' and watching the 'big' boys skateboarding ...

Calling into see Uncle Sam at one of his many cafes & having the best hot chocolate in town ...

Up the climbing frame like a monkey ...

Dropping in a red cross parcel on Paul G's doorstep when he was in the contagious stages of pneumonia - get well soon Paul !

Endless hours, endless days just playing on the beach with Huddy - these 2 are becoming such good 'friends'

Playing chasing and running ... and running ... and running ...

Catch me if you can - I think we have visited just about every playground in Wellington !

Picnic time with Josh's best friend, Tomo ...

Playing fetch the stick with Hudson down at the beach ... a game Huddy never tires of ...

Splat onto the mat at Junglerama ...

Helping Daddy fix Grandma's pergola ... not sure if the screwdriver is from Josh's kit or Daddy's

Trying his hand at hockey

Horse-riding with Daddy ... giddy-up !!

Getting started on the flying fox

I can beat you Tomo ...

Playdates with Fionn and Kieran

'Playing' mechanic and 'fixing' his car

The ultimate ... having Tomo over for a playdate and having some time for a computer game

So many bush walks on all the various tracks around Wellington and having the bush 'fairies' leave clues and a treasure hunt throughout the walk

Having a bonfire and picnic dinner down on the beach with Uncle Johnny & Maritess

Art Class - making a castle !

Art Class - designing and drawing a pirate map to find the treasure !

Oh my word ... this was the inflatable in the 5metre deep diving pool that Josh was determined to master - to even start, you had to swing across on a Tarzan rope. He managed to get across and had a huge amount of fun tackling climbing up the poles - I was so proud of you Josh to even give it a try as you were the youngest by far !

A birthday dinner for Enzo - Happy 15th birthday dearest Enzo ... we will always be friends ...