Father time has his roller skates on!

Very slack am I!! I have been putting pictures up on Facebook but neglecting here. We haven't been writing in the memory books either very well so our kids will decide that in 2009, we forgot about them!!

Jemma is a big 4 year old now. Full of life - hilarious but oh so cheeky. We crack up at the things she says but despair of her strong will and her delight in winding us up by deliberately doing naughty things (like tipping her popcorn up on the couch and then jumping in it..... ). Today, she told us at the tea table that she could see someone at the front door and I asked if she had xray vision. "No mum, I have eyes in the back of my head just like you" No flies on this girl!
She is a still a girly girl although she makes us comb her curls out each day. She wants straight hair but she has the most gorgeous curls... I hope she learns to love them.

Riley is also doing well. His favourite word at the moment is 'actually...' and he and Jemma play particularly well. I know this won't always be the way but we do feel very blessed at how well they get along most of the time. Riley will erupt and take a whack at her but she does wind him up something wicked!

Riley has started karate and seems to really like it so that is good as he is often ambivalent about any of these things. His schedule is full with drama and karate and possibly t-ball plus swimming lessons starting up.. and of course a bit of therapy thrown in. Jemma wants to do gymnastics as well as her ballet and play soccer, swimming starts for her again and we want them to do music again next year.. how do people cope with more than 2 kids? and how do kids just get to be kids these days?

Riley's birthday and another drama

Well, it wouldn't be normal unless we had a "dramah" to be remembered by would it? We seem to specialise in that but as Peter and I say, at least they are minor ones and nothing too traumatic in the big picture of life.

The drama around Riley's birthday this year. His party nearly didn't happen as he ended up in the Emergency Dept being prepped for surgery last night with an incacerated iguinal hernia! But, the good news is that the surgeon was able to push it back in and although he needs an operation, it will be next week and he got to have his party. I have to say I was so proud of how brave he was and what a good boy he was. He is just such a special young boy and a really nice person to boot.

The buggar was that we didn't get back from hospital until 10:30pm and we still had the cake to decorate- the request this year was a Clone Wars starship. Peter decorated an Episodes one- xwing fighter instead and we were up to 1am doing it.. Photo below to admire. We seem to have a tradition now of a special cake and the old Womans weekly books don't do it now. They just put in a request and we madly scour the internet to find another 'mad' parent who has done it before.

So party went on- the whole class was invited and most were there. They had a ball at the gymnastic centre running around and it was a good venue for them to expend some energy and have some fun- easy entertainment for the parents. Have to laugh at how many claim they don't eat fruit and vegetables!

Disco and holidays

Another month has gone by- a busy month but aren't they all?

The kids went to their first disco last term for Riley's school and had a ball. Riley literally danced from the beginning to the end. It was so cool to watch. Jemma got befriended by the bigger girls and she revelled in that.

Then we have had the holidays as well. Nana came to stay for a few days and the kids enjoyed that. Then we went off to Wellington for 5 days. We did lots, even if it rained lots. Riley loved Te Papa and the cable car. We also went to the zoo and on a train up the Kapiti coast for lunch by the sea. Jemma's favourite activity at Te Papa (apart from poking her tongue out) was the moa poo game. She loves to talk about poos!... still.....
Both are looking forward to upcoming birthdays. Poor Jemma has to wait a bit longer but Riley's party is next week- funnily enough a Clone Wars party! Jemma changes her theme and cake idea every day.

Haircuts and ballet

Jemma has had her first haircut- not because she has long hair but my hairdresser suggested that it may help it thicken up and grow so she was very excited to go and get that done!

She also had her first ballet concert today which was a learning curve for her mother who didn't realise that she should have carried make up and body glitter in her bag for her 3 year old.... silly me! Jemma loved being in the concert- she was a bird and then an elephant (she is the one on the right in the group photo). She had to do the concert twice so it was a long day for her.

Jemma is really enjoying learning to write and spell words. She loves wrapping all sorts of cr..p up for us to unwrap and repeating lots back to us like "Mum, you need to be patient", "Dad are you frustrated?" Old before her time that girl. She also loves toilet humour like wiggling her bottom at us going "poo poo bum bum" then making huge raspberry sounds.. funny the entertainment she still gets out of that.

Riley also one to throw out comments at the moment but he learns his in the playground "you are just a stupid lady mum"... that one earned some time in his room! He is still obsessing over Star Wars and drawing lots of pictures etc but he also likes reading his Bible and singing hymns... so his vocation is somewhere out in the atmosphere :-)

Jeepers, another 6 weeks gone by

Well, we had the holidays and our photos consist of Riley at the hospital. That was a hard week because he reacted to a drug giving him night terrors so we were very very tired. However, he was an amazing patient in the hospital. I was so proud of him... funny how they save the cantakerous behaviour until they get home :-)

Hmm... what has been happening? Jemma has stayed at ballet and is in a production in a few weeks. She is also loving her childcare and we have given kindy away- too hard for Mum to juggle with working. Jemma is a total extrovert and as we are driving home, she is trying to organise playdates so I don't have to feel guilty about leaving her at childcare. She even asked to go last Sunday to be with her friends.

The other picture is of us taking a family walk up Flagstaff. Both kids did very well with the climb. Riley was motivated by the fact we were walking on volcanic rock. Volcanoes was an interest over the holidays. Though Lego still hangs around and he is quite adept at using the computer now to go to the Lego site.

Riley had a programme review for this therapy and we have decided to sit back and reap the rewards of the last 3 years by cutting back on therapy. He is doing so well. We realise that issues will arise over the years at different stages but he is just such a clever wee kid, we thought we would relax awhile. Speaking of clever since this is where I can show off- he reads at a 9 year level (and understands at 7.5-8years) so he goes and joins a higher class for reading.... so proud of him.

Back already!

Yay! Mum got to go to the Wiggles for her birthday and a photo of Sam too!! (her favourite Wiggle)

We loved watching Riley enjoy the Wiggles. He sang along, yelled out loudly and even went and gave roses to the Wiggly dancers for Dorothy. Jemma got in the aisles and danced a bit so all in all, a good age to take them to these things.

Nearly Easter

Wow! 6 weeks since my last post. Where has time gone? Only 1 week to go and it is Easter time and school holidays.The list of clean outs to do over Easter is mind boggling. All those jobs I haven't been able to get onto it and of course, planning for next term. So 'holiday' isnt' the term me thinks.

Only 2 days to go and the Wiggles concert. I think I am more excited than the kids.

A busy term. Riley is loving drama lessons though adamantly refuses to play any sport so our Saturdays are going to get a bit easier. Jemma did ballet this term but is bored with it and wants to go back to gymnastics. She is actually quite good at it (not just being a precious mother) so we shall try to encourage her again later.

Riley is still doing really well at school. His reading is at 9 year old level and comprehension at 7.5years (if I can't show off on their blog, where can I show off? :-) ) so he is going up 2 classes to do his reading 2x a week so we are really proud of him.

Jemma has got the knack of most of her letters now and she loves to write her letters. She also loves adding and subtracting with our fingers so she will take off soon too I think.
Riley has an operation in the second week - tonsils, adenoids and grommets which was a shock as I didn't realise he was sick. Must be a tough kid. So his holidays won't be great.

Notice the jar of easter eggs beside the kids? I won all 353 of them yesterday!!! Riley remembered the singing bunnies courtesy of Nana so we have been driven crazy with them in the last few days!!

And Riley.. what about him?

Dad met his goal at our Omarama holiday- he got Riley riding his bike without training wheels so all were pleased with themselves. Jemma got the hang of her running bike as well so won't be long before we are all out mountainbiking together.... oh yeah Mum.. wait until your hip works again!

Riley went back to school and has settled really well. What Mum was excited about is that he LOVES after school care on Tues and Thurs. I was so worried he would hate it but that is what he talks about- not his school day so that helped alleviate Mum's guilt about chasing the dollar!
Riley is really into lego at the moment and spends hours building it, looking at it on the internet and exploring Legoland in California (he thinks we are going soon... ha ha ha). He has a great imagination for building things and entertains himself for hours.

Riley thought he might like dance but tried a couple of classes and hated it so is doing swimming lessons and doing really well. He isn't doing music this year because the class clashed with Mum's staff meetings so we were all a bit disappointed in that news.

It has been so long....

Over 2 months since my last post and even worse, I haven't taken any photos since our Omarama holiday!! Life has gotten very busy here as Mum heads back to work part time and although she is loving working, she is really missing her spare time, cos there ain't any!

These photos are all of Jemma in her various costumes (and Riley's) at Christmas time. Jemma is hilarious. Yesterday she wore her future school uniform to daycare. So the costume wearing continues! She is missing Mum a bit now that she is in daycare for 2 full days so a few tantrums on those nights- she is so tired by the end of the day but she loves going because she loves having people to play with all day.

Her language and reasoning continues to impress us- she loves working out whose mum or dad someone is and whether they have a J, E, M or A in their names like hers. Life is all about relationships for her. She has started ballet and loving that. It clashed with gymnastics but she chose ballet and seems happy. She is still in her 'bum bum, poo, poo, wee wee' phase as well (roll eyes) but is very helpful and likes to help make the beds, fold the washing and tidy the toys so pretty good really!! Will keep training her

Gearing up for Christmas

Finally the Christmas productions are over. I think Riley is really tired. He was a great shepherd, did a fantastic job on the keyboard and was a show stealer in 'the grasshopper and the ant'. Mum and Dad eavesdropped on the lady near us going on about how good 'the little boy' was. That was Riley and we were so proud!!

Riley got a great first school report so he is off to a good start. He is not convinced about changing rooms next year but he is going from one great teacher to another so we are pleased. He has finished school so we are going to have 1 on 1 time tomorrow to celebrate.

Jemma finished her gymnastics on a high- she got a certificate for her 'fantastic high kicks on the beam' and she only takes the leotard off at nights (so Mum has to try and wash and dry it overnight....) She is hilarious at the moment as she is very much into poo poo and bum stage and she eggs Riley on to do mischief! We have to watch her like a hawk and try not to laugh.

We can't wait for Christmas. We have 3 trees up (I kid you not) and have been watching Christmas dvds and playing music. Riley is fascinated with nativity scenes and singing Silent Night and Away in a Manger so we are all excited. Riley begged for a present under the tree so we relented and put one each for them under the tree at night and didn't tell them. It was a test. By 6:05am the next morning, they had failed! So no more presents under the tree.

And if you didn't get an email advertising our elf dancing... check us out at

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/I1dXfap067utaCmr6cN1

Riley picking up Xmas message from school

Had to share this - even though not quite spontaneous. Tonight Peter and I found Riley genuflecting to the Xmas tree (mum - recognise the Santa lights?) singing Silent night so I made him do it all again for the video. So cute and nice to see the way he has embraced the reason for Christmas. He is a shepherd in next weeks school play so maybe he has been practicing genuflecting for that!
I think he likes the song as in the car yesterday while it was playing, he asked me "Mum, what's a virgin?"... "Mary is a virgin" "are all mothers virgins?", "ah...no... Mary was a special mother".... out of the mouths of babes!

Life is more fun with the babysitters

Riley and Jemma had much more fun with Nat and Kris at the beach than boring old mum and dad. Riley got to be a mermaid (he was insistent that he wasn't a merman!) and they built sandcastles which Mum never does with them..(But mum HATES sand with a passion) Riley got his feet wet but that was the extent of that- Jemma not so keen on that either.

The kids are getting tired as we wind up to Christmas- though they are excited as well. Riley has started making presents to leave for Santa- we had to point out it was still over 4 weeks. Riley is a shepherd in the Christmas play so he has varied parts- a shepherd in one, playing the keyboard in the next and being an ant in the last one!

Jemma is developing her language and in particular her skills of cheekiness which although cute, need a little reining in.... She developed a song to match "Dora's lost city" song. This song talks about what is lost and how she is going to the lost city to find it and give it back. Well.... Jemma started singing that she was going to the lost city because Riley had lost his penis and she was going to find it and bring it back.... this from our new 3 year old. Riley got a bit anxious by all this and wanted to reassure us that his penis wasn't lost but we had to teach him that we don't expose ourselves at the dinner table. Oh, to be part of our family :-)

Armistice Day

Jemma loves to sing the national anthem so very appropriate after an election and on Armistice Day.

More in the life of the kids

Time is ticking on and getting closer to Christmas. It will be a busy time with the kids. Riley has a school concert Dec 11, music concert Dec 14, drama play Dec 15 and Jemma has a Christmas party Dec 12 and an undated Christmas kindy concert....

Dad took the kids to the model trains and Riley went on it all by himself for the first time! We were pretty proud. He even bought his own ticket. And then today at the school fair, he allowed himself to get face painted- he is a crocodile. He has been struggling to get to sleep at nights as he gets a bit anxious so he has been putting his worries in a worry box. What we have learned is that he is a great speller- tonight he spelled all by himself "train crash on the computer game". Sorry- just using the opportunity to show off! The good thing is that once he wrote his worry down, he went straight to sleep and the worry fairy comes to collect it.

Jemma has settled a bit again and she is showing a real interest in wanting to dance so will have to add that to the list of 'extra-curricular' activities. She has gotten quite strong at gymnastics and yesterday, she showed her old promise at swimming lessons.. amazing what a lollipop bribe can do! She had lost confidence being in the water without Dad even though she is tall enough but yesterday- was back to her old tricks which was great. She is still wearing a costume every day though!

Poor Neglected #2 child

Wow, over a month since Jemma's birthday and no posting!! Bad, bad mummy! Just been really busy and should be working now...oops! Jemma had a good birthday and the top photo is her with some of her 'stash' so she was certainly spoiled. She had a "3" cake at childcare and a trampoline cake at home - all to celebrate her day.. twice, plus a trampoline for a present. She is doing okay in life!

How can I summarise Jemma for the past month? Hmm... challenging, charming, even more challenging, costume dresser. She wears a costume every day whether it is ballerina, bumblebee, swimming togs, fairy princess... etc... every day and on school days, she likes to wear her uniform to school to pick up Riley. I have started asking Mums at school not to say how cute she it- I figure if we can ignore it, she might stop.

Jemma is very charming with a 1001 facial expressions that crack us up on a regular basis. She is very sharp with her conversational skills and is now writing her own name. She can also poo on the toilet so that was very exciting for us and has even had 1 dry night. On the other side, she hates listening and won't accept 'no' for an answer especially when she wants piggytails and piggyback rides. It has become a bit of a war and the victor has still not been decided......

Riley is still doing well at school. Academically he is doing very well and is likely to move through at the beginning of next year. He still struggles at break times but has improved lots- he just lacks confidence but once he joins in, he is off laughing which is great.

He started drama classes this term as we thought
he might enjoy the imagination and creative play. He is so dramatic and creative at home. He goes through so much paper, sellotape and staples. He loves to create things out of paper. Today was a picture of a F111 then he stapled on the fireballs out the back! He can entertain himself for hours playing. And yes, he is enjoying the drama classes. He doesn't like the music class so much because it has gotten a little harder with 2 hands playing and Riley doesn't like to try if he thinks he will fai.

We went to the restaurant for a friends birthday and they were semi well behaved as you can see......

Both kids have gotten good at playing.
Mum and Dad are working on the courtyard at the weekends and the kids are even letting us get on with it. Riley helped me stain the retaining walls today so that is good.