Our Book of Life

You know good days are coming when the Summer activities resume. Spring is on it's way with the frosts in the morning followed by beautiful sunny days, and it doesnt get dark till much later.  The boys started playing outside together, Hikawera was hiding in the long grass  The sound of the motorbike can be heard with squeals of delight as their favorite uncle takes everyone that wants to (and everyone does) for a ride around the property. And our van recieved the royal treatment of a full valet service. Thanks boys! Spring at long last is finally here.

I was in the mood to bake! It has been a while since I have tried a new recipe. This one turned out really yummy. I enjoyed piping the mixture too. Made me realise how I have missed decorating. My little mate Renata was right by my side helping.    Here is the recipe. 250g Butter, chopped 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind 1/3 cup (55g) icing sugar 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour 1/2 cup (75g) cornflour 1/2 cup (85g) mixed peel chopped finely 1. Preheat oven to 180/160oC fanforced. Grease Oven trays 2. Beat butter, rind and sifted icing sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until just changed in colour. Stir in sifted flours in two batches. 3. Place mixture into large piping bag fitted with fluted tube, pipe mixture into rosettes about 2 cm apart on trays. sprinkle with mixed peel. 4. Bake about 15 minutes. Stand 10 minutes on tray, transfer to wire rack to cool. (makes about 40 rosettes)    YUM!

FINALLY!! I had almost given up but the beautiful sunny weather we have been having  must have enticed our hens to start laying. My Niece Truth, came in and asked me if the hens had started laying because there was an egg in their coup. I could hardly believe it! What a great surprise.  I was so happy that I told Truth she could have the first egg. (after snapping a picture of it of course!)

When Arama is away on business I take our 2 big boys to meet our friend Brad and his family - whom we car pool with - and meet him at the top of their road about 6-7 minutes away. I am proud of my boys getting up so early. It has been a nice drive for the 3 of us this past week. I couldn't help but snap this photo...

Do you remember running cross country at school? Yes, I remember running the perimeter and surrounding suburbs of our school with our runners on. Our main hurdle being cars or other pedestrians. Kaukapakapa school had their annual cross country day on Friday. The kids have been practicing for the last few weeks. We have had minor complaints of aching legs - great for growing bodies. The day was beautiful. The sun was out and the polar blast had gone back to where it came from. We had settled our lambs in that morning and was looking forward to the day out. We arrived at the school. Nauvoo was the first to race. I was quite amused to see that their cross country course. Not only around the school but out in the neighbouring paddock, around the town hall and back on to the school grounds.  I wondered at first why we were asked to send a change of clothes and a towel. Nauvoo said the towel was for wiping the sweat off her face when she finished, but as you read on you will see...

Arama T has applied for a sports clinic next year at High school so we need to help him prepare for that. so, yesterday when we got home we went for a run Arama, Kawea and I . Boy, they bounded through the long grass and all over the farm creating new tracks as they went. Kawea looked like a springbok jumping over the almost waist high grass. It was great fun. Thanks boys lets do it again today!

Nauvoo has been really improving in her netball skills these past few weeks. She has been playing well on the court saturdays too. This week she was player of the day again, 2 weeks in a row. I am so proud of her. She is really starting to get into the game. Thinking of what she is to do and how to do it. Getting aggressive too finally. Her team was all too polite for most of the season, now, they actually go after the ball.. Yay!!!! It is so awesome to watch! Well done Nauvoo! She is so beautiful!!

Yesterday while working in the sunshine we noticed the flowers/blossoms on one of the pear trees. How exciting. We should get fruit on this tree this year, I am soo excited.

We have been talking about it and the day has finally arrived. We now have 3 new members of our family. (names are yet to be confirmed, Ideas are welcome though)  Please meet our week old lambs. 2 boys and 1 girl. (story of our lives hehe) They are gorgeous. I was surprised as I have never that I can remember held a lamb before. They were so light. They have to be bottle fed 4 times a day which is still at the novelty stage, to which I am grateful. The boys eat twice as much as the girl does, but have been to ld that they will eat until they pop!! hehe. The  kids LOVE them. I am pleased that Rakaipaka has no fear of them, he's quite intrigued actually and loves the fact that he can feed a 'baby' a bottle. Everyone has had their time handling the little ones, Arama T sits with them for such a long time, cuddling and shepherding them. So sweet to see.

Yesterday I was cleaning up as you do first thing and when I looked up I saw this...... I found this quite amusing watching Renata sing and talk to himself, then my attention was brought to this: Rakaipaka on his bed talking then kissing himself in the mirror!!! Now if this wasn't funny enough, lets put it into perspective. (and I warn you there was no propting or "set up" for this or any of the photos, strictly all caught in the act) Perhaps we can all learn from these. perhaps we should stop, take a look in the mirror and love ourselves a little more!!! Don't you just love seeing parts of my world!!!!

Teach a child while they are young so they can become confident, successful and productive adults. I have tried to do this, especially when it comes to work and responsibilities. We have one of our couches onthe other side of our kitchen bench, and I am constantly telling and pulling Rakaipaka off it. He loves the water or just to do whatever we are doing there, It is like a viewing deck for the kitchen - except he can touch.... Rakai was so determined to wash up with me this night, I just had to stop and enjoy the moment. He had a serious look on his face when he would scrub with the brush, rinse and scrub again where he saw some more dirt to wash off.  For a boy who loves the mud that pot came out sparkling clean!!!!

I am ever grateful when my big boys help the younger ones get ready for church. This past Sunday, Arama  T was the hair master. Rakaipaka was his first customer...  Check it out, tell me what you think> Did he go to church like this???? Time for his first hair cut don't you think? Check out the facials!!! Seriously!

I have been watching Nauvoo's netball team this past season, many times silently frustrated at the incompetency and even a bit annoyed at the attitude the coach and helpers for her team have. I came to the conculsion they must not have played Netball before. Now I am no talented vetran or anything but have played long enough to know the basics. It was frustrating to see that the kids were loosing out because they were not being taught the basic skills and encouraged the way I would expect. So, for most the season I have contemplated approaching them if they needed help. I did not want to step on any toes as such(knowing when I start something I go full steam) but so wanted the team to at least noticably progress rather than get a thrashing every week and the adults shrugging their shoulders, "oh-well"...UUUHHH!!!!! I started taking Nauvoo to another teams practice of a friend from neighbouring town. She was learning some great skills. With some encouragement from my fri...

Nauvoo and Hikawera had student led conferences last week. It was great to see their progress in class. I love how each child has a set of goals they knowingly must work towards. When they achieve this goal they work on another goal. Hikawera is a bit of a dark horse... full of surprises. He does really well in class and he is achieving great results. He has been at school since June 7th and one of his goals is to know 50 sight words by the end of this term. He already knows 21 words (tested him on monday of this week). It is such a rewarding feeling watching him write and spell correctly these words. I was sooo impressed. (needless to say with the amount of praises I gave him because I was so impressed will keep him wanting to succeed I am sure!) Nauvoo's teacher loves to describe her as a "little sponge". She soaks everything in and retains it. Nauvoo also has goals to which one of them with her spelling was to move up to the next set, which this week she excitedly ca...

Yesterday we had hail showers all day, even through last night the familiar sound of hail on our roof was heard. Nauvoo came home all excited telling me she saw snow flakes coming down at her school. She was ademant that it was snow, Her teacher said so!! Sure enough, when we watched the news that night, and by the way it is FREEZZZZZING!!!!, this is what we saw: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10745187 I remember years ago I said to my children that it will Never snow in Auckland...Well I have been reminded, Never say Never. I thought the rain and cold had passed and spring was on it's way.... I was a little off the mark don't you think!!! Hope the weather is a little kinder in your part of the world.....

Renata has always been my 'scaredy cat', the one that doesn't like to get dirty, and all that goes with it. He has been impressing me lately. He must be realizing he is a big brother or something. As you have read he has been stepping outside his comfort zone and trying new things. Like the 2 wheel bike. Well today he surprised me again. We were at the park playing, he decided to go down the slide..... on his feet.....standing up.....AND HE DID IT!! I was very impressed. So were the High school kids that were hanging out too. Check him out... I like this one. May make a surfer out of him yet! Rakaipaka followed suite with his "on my tummy" feat!!

As if my day of walking my children back from the bus was not full of warm fuzzy's already, here is what else happened that day. When I greeted Hikawera getting off the bus the same day this is what met me. Hang on it looks much better in this photo (If you can't see what I am talking about he has a really big EGG in the middle of his forehead.) ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! No phone call, No letter in his bag...... Nothing... but my 5 year old telling me he ran into a pole after lunchtime - but still ran in the cross country practice that afternoon.... UNBELIEVEABLE! I don't cotton wool my children but I do draw the line somewhere.  We arrived home after 4 from walking up from the bus stop so  I left a very stern and unimpressed message on the school message service. Needless to say I had a very colorful discussion with the office when I went to see them the next morning. I know my son is a little prone to injuries but common sense would tell you to call to let parent kn...

What do you do when you realize your keys are in the other car with your better half 3/4 hour away from home with 5 minutes to get the kids to the school bus??? Yes, well. Lucky for me, Jacque had not left for work yet so the kids were able to catch a ride with her. (thank you so much)That meant walking to the bus stop to pick them up that afternoon. No problem. 2:30pm rolled around. Renata, Rakaipaka and I headed up the driveway to meet the bus. It would take us about 1/2 hour with little legs to get there. Anyway, we started up the driveway only to notice the chickens wanted to come for a walk too. Seriously I know now why chickens are such a big part of human consumption, they are so seriously stupid animals. their brains must be sooo tiny!!(sorry animal rights). I tried to encourage them to return home but after 10 minutes of 'nice' coaxing I picked up 2 rocks from the drive threw it in their direction and they promptly ran home.... Honestly!!!! The walk to the bus ...