Wordful Wednesday

Maddie and Jules are settling nicely into the 'Ram" and have celebrated Christmas by getting a dodgy tattoo!

** The one thing that has totally surprised me about moving to Paraparaumu from Wellington is the number of people with (generally) badly done tattoo's! Everyone from Grannies to teenagers seem to have them. After seeing a middle aged conservative woman the other day with Helter Skelter on her arm makes me very grateful that I never got myself inked as a teenager!!

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Camping

Camping - are we mad!

As it turns out - pretty much!! We decided to take a test run using the local campground. We do mean local - about 100 meters as the crow flies from our house. We checked the weather forcast, loaded up the car and off we went.

Camp set up was fine and everyone was happy. We played in the playground while Wayne cooked dinner. Just at the end of cooking it started to rain. Not a light sprinkling of rain but a massive downpour but that's all the fun of camping isn't it! We had a few leaks in the tent but nothing major. We put the babies to bed and Trelise was playing happily in the tent.

And it rained and it rained! Trelise comes running out of the tent buck naked crying that she has peed in the tent! Lucky for us it was an easy clean up by the entrance.

And so the rain continued. Wayne and I went to bed to find the airbed had a leak. We pumped it up but by the middle of the night it was flat. Not that it really mattered as by the time it had totally gone flat Trelise was being an octopus and Madeleine had decided the only way she was going to sleep was on my chest. It was a long night!

But it was fun and we will be doing it again!!

Sorry no photo's - note to self never let Wayne take all the pictures of an outing - they are all out of focus!!!!

Merry Christmas!

The weather was fabulous this year - no wind or rain and lots of sunshine. We had a relaxing day with lots of presents and food and just hung out. We had Wayne's parents and my Dad and Stepmother drop by to share in our Christmas joy. I glazed a ham for the first time and it turned out great (if i say so myself!).

My Christmas fairies

Why play with your own age appropriate gifts when your baby sisters ones are around. Poor Maddie and Jules didn't get a look in!

Poor Madeleine was pretty unwell all day and the poor wee button spent most of the day relaxing in her bean bag. She is now back to normal.

We set up the slip in slide in the lawn and everyone willing had a go!

Wordful Wednesday

Bliss!

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Jules has turned!

You know the moment when your sweet baby turns into a toddler capable of harm. I was hoping for a few more months but yesterday while meeting up with some other twin mum's in the neighbour she turned. Attacked a little boy on purpose twice and went in for the kill a third time in a slow and deliberate way! Earlier that day the word 'no' was heard while I was removing a shredded roll of toilet paper from her clutches! I'm sure Mads (or Mad dog) is not far behind!

They are lucky that they are still cute!


I'm off to the hairdressers this afternoon to go back to my 'natural' blonde!

Farmers Market

We now have a farmers market every Saturday morning down the road from our house so it's become our Saturday morning jaunt to get the kids ready and off we go to buy our weekly fruit and veggies. It's wonderful - not only is everything fresh it's so much cheaper than in Wellington!

Here is our first haul! And as if we didn't stand out enough Trelise dressed as a fairy got alot of comments!!

Probably a bit late with everyone's Christmas functions winding down by now but I wanted to share the easiest Christmas dish I've ever done. I put icing on top of mallowpuff biscuits and stuck a couple of jaffa's and spearmint leaves in it. They flew off the table and only took me a few minutes to make.

Oh Christmas Tree

We have done something a little different this year for our Christmas tree. I couldn't face trying to keep Jules from scaling the tree and Maddie from eating all the decorations and Trelise from opening all the presents so we decorated the tree in our internal courtyard.

Kath I'm well aware that you will find the way I've managed to only use one colour distasteful and that I've been able to not make the courtyard into a 'grotto' is a Christmas crime!

All it needs now is the presents underneath it!

Ikea light shade for Katie

Wordful Wednesday

Sometimes pictures are not reality!

Here Trelise is about to go on stage for her end of year ballet performance. Within a short period of this picture being taken the smiles dissolved into crying!

You can visit more Wordful Wednesay posts at Seven Clown Circus!

My day just keeps getting better and better!! NOT!!!!!

You would think that putting Mac down this would be the end of my bad luck but no it just keeps getting better!

I washed all our bedding this morning - duvet and covers and hung them out on the line. I washed the dishes as our dishwasher broke the other day. Anyone who knows me knows how much I hate doing dishes. And I've had to do tons today!!!

Then the rain started just as I was about to walk Trelise to kindy. No problem I think I'll just take the car instead of having a child moan and cry all the way down the street because she is getting wet. So we drove. When I went to start the car to leave kindy the key wouldn't go in! Sadly I don't have the skills to start the car without the keys!! So me and the babies walked home.

It's now absolutely pouring with rain and I have to pick up Miss T and bring her back in this. She is going to scream all the way I tell you!

Of course all our bedding is still on the line and you guessed it - it's our only set! It's about now I'm wishing that I remembered where I packed the sleeping bags!

Thankfully the 4 square 50 meters from us sells wine!

Mac 1994 - 2008

Last night Mac was pretty clearly at the end. I'll spare everyone the details but this morning I rang the vet. I am very thankful to the staff at the vets who were so kind and helpful in trying to make this as easy as possible.

Even though I know that it was for the best I'm really sad that we no longer have Macca in our lives.

Rest in peace Mac - we love you xxx

Making Friends

I went to a twin club meeting today and met lots of lovely women. As you would expect when meeting a number of people for the first time my children were all badly behaved. Oh Trelise! I knew she was tired and I did hope she would pull it together! She did after a spot of time out. Mad dog and the rat bag were also pretty wild and but at least they looked cute!

I found a friend for Trelise and hopefully that will work out and she will feel more settled.

Then at kindy I've been invited to a get together on Friday afternoon to meet some of the neighbourhood women. Yay!!

Mac update

Mac is still with us. He seems quite happy although he must be in some discomfort at times. He's eating and drinking. He's sleeping or hiding a fair bit but it's hard to know if this is because he's in a new house or hiding from the kids. He can't groom himself and he is drooling alot so his fur is not looking so good. I gave him a bath on Wednesday and he was a very thankful cat afterwards. It didn't last for long however and today he's pretty manky again.

I'm really struggling with when to make the decision to put him down. I know he's not going to get better and I don't want him to be in pain. It's such a balancing act to decide when his quality of life is not good enough and while I don't want him to suffer I don't want him to lose days. I guess if I didn't care it would be easier. In some way I wish that I had done it on Monday you know like a bandaid being taken off but I just couldn't with the kids there.

Anyway I know this is part of owing pets and while I'm incrediably sad about it at the moment we have had 14 years of taking care and loving Mac and that does make it all worthwhile.

Back for good this time

I haven't been slack and not posting! Our PC died and it's taken us a few days to realise that it's unfixable and we needed to go and buy a new one.

I've got so much to blog about from the last few weeks!

We are settling into Paraparaumu well. For me it's a little unfortunate that everything is or has wound down for Christmas so we can't get out there and meet lots of new people until things start up again. I do however have a small twin mum catch up to go to on Monday.

It's quite exciting discovering new things around town. Even though we have been on hoilday heaps I've never lived anywhere apart from Wellington. I'm learning patience when it comes to the old people. Slowly learning patience I must admit when someone is doing 20 in a 70 area or when they walk as a pack and me and the double stroller and whining three year old just can't get past!

Trelise seems really happy and is trying to make new friends at kindy. She is stuffed after the session which is only a couple of hours. Surprisingly as she is used to full days at creche. It's hard making friends and she broke my heart yesterday as she was telling Wayne a story about an ant who was starting a new creche and didn't have any friends but was trying really hard to make new friends. I'm hoping that on Monday one of the twin mothers will have a 4 year old girl for Trelise to meet or at least know someone who does! Apart from that is loving being up here.

Maddie and Jules have taken trouble to a new level. On one hand I'm glad to see the teamwork but on the other hand the trouble they get into! I was always thankful that Trelise wasn't a climber as a toddler - I have not been so blessed this time! And the fighting over possessions - it's a dog eat dog world here!

Paraparaumu Here We Are!

Finally we have made it to our new house! The whole move went well and only 1 thing broke in the transistion. We are in the middle of unpacking but the house looks so much better with all the old ladies stuff gone. The net curtains we ripped down within half an hour! The pot plants left behind took a little longer to remove outside as there were so many of them! When we are settled in I'll post some pictures.

But I will say that the house is fab! Wayne just fixed the spa this morning - yippee!

We do have some sad news. While Mac was in the cattery he started dribbling and it was obvious that something was wrong with his mouth. I rushed him to the vet and it looked like he had a bite on his tongue that had become infected. When the course of antibiotics cleared up the infection but the dribbling was still happening - the second vet visit came with a diagnosis of a mouth cancer that's eating away at his tongue. He's at home now with us but it's more than likely that we will be putting him down later on this week.

Wordful Wednesday

For Arizona

I'm not very wordful today but you can visit more Wordful Wednesay posts at Seven Clown Circus!

And the winner is.......

As expected no one!

No one was even close in guessing what Trelise's drawing was. The answer - a pair (not just one!) of round curtains. I'm not sure what round curtains really look like!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday dear Jooooooooo

Happy Birthday to me!

A week to go!

I'm sitting here typing this post on a wonderful Wellington day feeling a little regretful about leaving!

It started when I dropped Trelise off at creche this morning to find a notice on the day advising that Trelise's days are available for someone else. I love our little creche and will be sad to be leaving next week. I debating what sort of cake we will make as a last parting shot - I might ask Trelise to chose one this afternoon and see what she comes up with.

After dropping Miss T off Maddie and Jules had their 15 months immunisations - which pretty much went as expected! Lots of screaming and then of course the next one was up next. They are currently asleep making me wonder how our evening will go tonight.

They are getting pretty good at tag teaming me and heading off in different directions leaving me to chase the one in the most mortal peril.

I hoped to spend the last couple of weeks in this house relaxing (as much as I can) and just enjoying our new updated surroundings. Well it hasn't turned out that way - a totally unkid proofed kitchen is not proving to be relaxing to me! I seem to be spending alot of time picking up the same items over and over again. Sane people would probably move everything to where they cannot reach but sadly that would only leave me with 1 draw!

I'm terrified at two weeks at Wayne's parents (I'm sure they are as well!)

Wordful Wednesday

The peas have been a bit neglected on this blog lately!

GET OUT OF MY WAY OR I WILL RUN YOU DOWN!

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Any guesses?

I was excited to see this picture that Trelise had drawn the other day at creche.

Why? Because instead of just scribbling she has drawn circles!

Now any guesses to what it is? I'm going to offer a really, really big prize to anyone that gets it right!!!

Smelly Bottom Bum Bum

Miss Trelise is firmly into a bottom phase. Not much is said at the moment without some reference to her nether regions and breasts are always a popular topic. I am thankful so far that I'm neglectful as a mother and haven't taught her the correct terminology as I'm thinking that would have just added flames to the fire and pretty much stop me from leaving the house.


This morning Wayne said goodbye to this sweet face to be told "Bye Smelly Bottom Bum Bum" He laughed (as you do) so I'm sure that the nickname has a good chance of sticking around for a while!

Wordful Wednesday

Mummy it's like herding cats!

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And we are rented!

Paraparaumu here we come!

The people we thought were going to sign up decided to think about it over night. Sadly for them anyway we had a late couple ring and come through tonight and fall in love with our place.

Yay!!

At Last Ready to Rent!

Finally we are finished getting our house ready to rent. It went up on Trademe last night and within 2 hours we had someone wanting to move in - hopefully we will be meeting them tonight and finalising everything.


Here's our new kitchen - white and shiny and will be all mine for only another couple of weeks! It's pretty much all new however we did reuse a couple of the old cabinets and just replaced the doors. The walls used to be yellow and now are a neutral quarter sisal.

Here is our lounge - it's been painted (used to be blue) and decluttered and the carpet has been cleaned. The tv is now off the wall so it looks huge but we didn't want to give people the impression that they could put their tv's up. They probably will anyway!

Another view in the lounge so you can see the open plan kitchen living area.

This is the view from our lounge - if you enlarge it you can see the lion's enclosure of the zoo. It's a little hard to point out as they weren't out and about when I took this picture - but there is a patch of grass with a high fence around it in the middle of the picture above the houses below us.

Here is our updated bathroom - it's been painted white and we have added heaps of storage and a new bathroom cabinet. Incidentally the babies love it. I made the mistake of leaving them in the bathroom while I was filling the bath - in the 30 seconds I was away many items including Wayne's electric razor made it into the bath!

Our room - nothing changed in here

Another view of our room

Miss Trelise's pad. It's been de-pinked and very much decluttered (we now have a garage full of toys!). It has new carpet and the walls used to have two big pink stripes which I've painted out. She used to also have pink sheer curtains which we have taken down.

Other view of Trelise's room

Madeleine and Juliette's lair. Not much has changed in here apart from removing the change table in the corner. We used to have a few more decorations up on the wall.

Now for some outside shots

Our back garden - probably our main reason for moving. It's quite large but just not easily accessible from the main house.

and a couple of other pictures showing our access. Important in Wellington as some people really live up mountain tracks!


and finally (just really for completeness really) our garage!

Looking back at the pictures it really doesn't show how much work we have done! It's been a hard month and we will be so glad when it's all rented and we can set about with the next stage of packing and getting ourselves together to move.

Happy Halloween

Trelise looks a little down - she's not just frustrated with Maddie and Jules who just won't stand still and look at the camera!

This is Maddies scary face


We have a lovely neighborhood here and every year we do a Halloween street get together. Neighbors that wish to have trick or treaters put signs on there letterbox and on mass the children in the street go around the houses and at the end we have a picnic in the park at the end of our street.

I'm glad I have such shy girls that never leave my side! This is Jules making a break for it!

Following on from the Tunnel of Terror and the Garage of Doom this year Wayne made Mayhem Mountain. Its the structure behind the girls in the picture below. He's very proud of scaring the pants off one boy who rushed in thinking that no one was in it to have Wayne jump out at him! Mayhem Mountain came complete with scary music, dry ice and decorations.