The boys yesterday after we had been for a morning walk. Lachie's latest unfortunate phrase is "I don't want to".

On Wednesday Jamie & Lachie went with the Greys for a practice ride out at Manawahe. Jamie did an 8km trail ride and reckons its the hardest thing he's ever done! They arrived home at 8.30pm and to my surprise Lachie was still a box of birds.

Lachie opens a present - his new Hot Wheels Transporter is in front of him. I think Jamie was more excited about that!

Fletchie says hello. He has started sucking two fingers on his right hand....he slept from 9pm til 5.30am last night.

Our plum trees are pretty much ready to go (if only the plums were a big bigger). Here's Lachie sampling the fruit.

Happy Christmas and all that...

Its been a busy week, as you can imagine. Its Saturday morning and Jamie has taken Lachie to the Awakaponga Motorcross to watch his cousins ride. Jamie went back to work on Thursday which was a little strange. Fortunately he has two short weeks to get him back into the swing of it. For New Year's Eve he finishes work at 8pm (he will be working over in Opotiki)! Nice & early.

Christmas Day was a bit of a quiet one really. We went to John & Moana's for breakfast, then popped around to Paul & Mel's. I brought the boys home for bed and Jamie went back and had Christmas lunch at their place. In the afternoon the Wintersons and Poppa & Grandma came down - Mum and Dad had driven from Havelock on Christmas morning.

I'll leave it there for now and just post some pictures. Don't they tell a thousand words or something?

White Christmas?

here are pix from a big hailstorm at our place tonight.

Today I visited some of my coffee group friends at Manawahe, so Jamie decided to take me up there and then drive on to Lake Rotoma to see Steve & Ann. I had a great time, and then he picked me up, and we went back to Rotoma and spent the afternoon there.

Here are some lovely photos of my boys. Fletcher is smiling more and talking a wee bit. Lachie is as cheerful as ever.

I went to the last cell group of the year last Thursday night. It was good fun and nice to get out. Its great that both Fletcher and Lachie are in bed by 7.30pm!

Our weekend was pretty uneventful. Jamie helped some friends move on Saturday morning, Sunday was church. Nana popped in on Sunday afternoon. Auntie Freda was in the draw to win the Meikles car so Nana drove her over. After she visited we went out to the berry farm for a bit of afternoon tea (sushi and frozen yoghurt, oh so delicious) and stopped in at the Wintersons on the way home.

Zac came over yesterday morning as Martin had something on at James Street School (as he is on the Board of Trustees). He was very good - I think Lachie wanted to have a bit of a rowdy time but Zac was more interested in reading.

Me and Lachie went to our last Mainly Music of the year this morning. I haven't been for a couple of weeks so I'm glad we went to the last one. It was great to sing Christmas Carols and songs talking about Christmas being about Jesus (as opposed to Santa). If only I had taken Fletcher, he could have been the baby Jesus they put in the manger!! However there was another wee baby boy who did the job instead....

Lachie also went to his last playgroup of the year yesterday and Santa visited. Unfortunately Lachie found Santa scary and didn't want a bar of him! I think quite a few kids felt that way.

We went to the osteopath with Fletcher yesterday. It went fine I guess. Just need to keep Fletcher looking to the left instead of the right. (Did I need to pay an osteopath to tell me that?)

I went out this afternoon and did some more Christmas shopping. It has been so much fun shopping this year! And the great thing is I have bought a few things for Lachie's birthday as well. I have learned a valuable lesson: when you see something that you think will make a great Christmas present, but its only September, buy it anyway! It won't be there when you go back for it. Another thing I have learned is that 'play-doh sets' sell out in a flash. I bumped into Sarah in Whitcoulls (she has tonsilitis!) and we went to The Warehouse together so she could point out the appropriate toy to buy for Ben.

Here are some pix of Lachie as a wee babe & Fletcher. They are both suffering from male pattern baldness.

A fantastic summery day here. I wore shorts all day long! Had the girls around for coffee group today which was lots of fun. Lachie & Riley had a great time playing in the back yard, and then chasing each other around the house.

We won a Wiggles DVD today too! Treasures is running a competition so we have been busy texting in all the codes from our packets of nappies.

Plunket visited today but Fletcher was asleep and I did not want to wake him up.

Also we started wrapping Christmas pressies! We are so looking forward to Christmas this year. OK, will leave it there for now.

An Unauthorised Excursion

Zac and Sarah called around on Friday afternoon. Zac and Lachie were playing outside on their trikes while me and Sarah were inside. And then we noticed the eerie silence....never mind our securely fenced section, Zac had managed to open the gate and he and Lachie and ridden off down the road on their trikes!!!! Sarah went in one direction and me in the other (don't worry, Fletcher was out with Jamie) when they duly appeared from the direction of the dairy with a lady who had found them. What a 'mare! Anyway thank God they turned up safe and sound and quickly, we'll just be keeping an eye out despite the gate.

Saturday Lachie got a lovely new haircut courtesy of Auntie Sarah and in the afternoon we had Riley's 2nd birthday party which was great fun. Sunday I sang with Moana & co, I think it went well....

Today was grocery day. I took Lachie with me today while Fletcher was at home with Jamie, sleeping. He was great company around the supermarket. At one stage he saw some random lady and started saying "Hello Mavis". At least that's what I think he was saying- and he is pretty clear these days! I can only presume he was referring to Mavis from the Thomas the Tank Engine stories. He has had a great afternoon playing in the back yard in the lovely sunshine.

Fletcher isn't enjoying sleeping in the day terribly much. Tomorrow Plunket is coming to visit. He received some looovely gifts in the mail today from Stephanie and Bev.

All the childies are in bed so we shall go and enjoy the evening.

Christmas Comes Early to 224 James St

Me and Jamie got an early Christmas present today - a new Dyson vacuum cleaner (the DC08 model)!! Meikles had a rather outstanding deal on it. The pipe on our old vacuum had split so it wasn't functioning all that well. Jamie has vacuumed the whole house and oh my gosh, I think he filled up at least 3 bags (of our old vacuum) full of dust.

We also bought a new stereo, which I have decreed is not to come out until Christmas Day. It is very cool. Our existing stereo has not played CDs for well over a year and we have just now gotten around to replacing it!

This afternoon I went in to town while the boys were asleep - I was out for two whole hours! It was great. I would never have the left the house for that long when Lachie was the age that Fletcher is at! Got a few Christmas presents. There were big sales at Meikles and Farmers today so the stores were chocka. I wonder, where does one Christmas shop in Sulawesi?

Paul & Mel got a new driveway laid last Friday night, which they still can't drive on. So Mel has been leaving her car on our front lawn. She has been popping in every morning and evening to leave the key (in case the alarm goes off). It has been nice catching up with her at the end of each day! Anyway, today they had a meeting confirming that the HQ of Environment Bay of Plenty (the Regional Council, where she works) is moving to Tauranga. I think about 50 staff will remain here and maybe about 140 going over to Tauranga. She finds out in March whether her job will stay here or go. I gather if they don't want to move they get redundancy. So that is SOOOO bad for Whakatane! I think The Bean especially will be gutted! (FYI The Bean is the coffee place where all the staff at EBOP go for their morning coffee)

Last night I went down to the church to music practice. This Sunday is an "Arts" Sunday so Moana asked me to sing a song with her and a few others. So we rehearsed that.

My boys are good - Lachie is such a chatterbox, his talking is coming along so quickly! Also its been great to see him playing outside. Fletcher, well, he doesn't do too much but he is great. We are taking him to the osteopath next Wednesday on Twink's recommendation - after I pointed out that his right ear appears to be a bit.....munched. He seems to be favouring turning his head to the right. I shall report on how that goes.

It was my last appointment with Twink my midwife today. Fletcher is going great and weighed in at 10lb 13oz. Nearly out of those newborn nappies! Monday & Tuesday he was very unsettled and feeding often and not sleeping. Maybe a growth spurt? But today I got tough! and he is back on track.

Lachie had playgroup and Millsy's house today. She reported that he was very chirpy today.

Yesterday (Tuesday) Jamie & Lachie went over to Lake Rotoma to see Nana & Grandad Kerr. Jamie popped in to Rotorua and did a bit of Christmas shopping. I had my coffee group so me and Fletcher stayed here.

As I wasn't feeling that great over the weekend going to church was about the only thing we did.
Auntie Jan visited on Monday (bearing some lovely gifts). Also on Sunday, Karen Fahey gave Fletcher a lovely blanket that I believe she hand knitted herself. I must take a photo and post it.

I can't remember when I last posted so I won't risk repeating myself. Let me see what I can find in my photo archives...

Here is Lachie who decided to make his bed on the floor sometime after midnight the other night. We have taken the side off his cot so he now has a "toddler bed". For the most part he has adjusted well.

ps. Have you seen my "site meter" and Christmas countdown ticker at the bottom of the page?

Saturday

I haven't been up to much today (or indeed, the last 3 days). If I didn't have a cold, I would feel on top of the world. I went to bed at 8pm last night and Fletcher only woke twice - 11pm and 3.30am. I should be right by tomorrow. Jamie has got me taking his vitamins and I bought an awful spirulina drink yesterday which supposedly contains 180% of the vitamin C one requires per day. I also dashed out to Julians Berry Farm and got a boysenberry frozen yoghurt to go, yummmmmm.

This morning Jamie and Lachie went to the Christmas Parade while I got a bit of rest.

On Thursday K-Mart opened out at the new Hub shopping centre so we joined the throngs to have a look. Well, it was never going to be as good as the one at St Lukes or Bayfair, was it? But it was disappointingly small. The range is really limited - NO TOY SECTION! Masses of clothes and TWO fitting rooms. Puhleeze. Still, that didn't stop me from spending money there.

Twink came on Wednesday and weighed Fletcher. 10 lb 2 oz. He has nearly gained a kilogram. And he is one month old on Monday!