Running Races

The price of putting kids into after school classes/sports is enough to send parents broke I reckon, or at least a non-working Mum to work. So with that in mind, the girls haven't done many things. In fact both the classes (swimming and gym) that Faith has done were given as presents from Aunty Nae and Uncle Stanie. Thank you!!!
Other than that, I've been waiting/saving for dancing when they're about 5.

That was until I heard about the Glendene Athletics club. It's held on wednesday afternoons from October - March, and they let 2-5 year olds enroll for the season for only $20. Bargain!!!!

So last Wednesday it was registration night and we were there full of anticipation. I was hoping, expecting that the girls would like it and boy was I right or what.

After a shaky start and tears on the first race for Ella, things improved for each of the 3 races.

Ella smoked her peers with a grin so big it nearly split her lil' cheeks. Faith was pumping her legs so fast it almost looked like they'd fly off her body.

Definitely a hit, we can't wait for 'races' next week!

2nd every time in the 4 year old Girl races

Super chuffed Daddy Joe was a top notch cheerer

Ella loving her life

Seffy not so much :(



We just went to Athletics night Number 2 and it's still a hit with the girls. Ella cried for race one again.  I really hope that doesn't happen every week cause the competitiveness in me knows that for each win she gets points and I want her to get maximum points!!!!!

Faith had faster competition this week so she got third in her first 2 races and then 4th in the last one. We've had to have a little discussion about getting a quick start off the mark and not slowing down at the end cause that's what made the difference in the last race. She realised other kids were in front of her so towards the end she totally slowed down and called out to me 'Mum I'm not winning!!!!!' Was funny and not at the same time.

They're really looking forward to have more supporters come and watch them one night.

We went to Mt Albert (oops, Mt Eden!)

Faith keeps saying we went to Mt Albert the other night. Then she has to correct herself....'Oops Mum, I mean Mt Eden, the big Volcano).



This weekend a year ago we moved into 3 Robertson Road, Ranui. A big milestone in our lives. If we're anything like Grandma and Grandie we'll drive our kids past this place in 30 years when we've longsince moved somewhere else and say 'that's the first home we owned'. The Mel and Joe Heke equivalent of Brookfield Street.

And what a wonderful year it's been here. We love Swanson Ward, we love our neighbours, we love Summerland and Stars Kindy. It's been good all round (except the part about not living close to our family anymore...that's a big downside!)

So on Saturday night to celebrate our one year anniversary, we went out for a family dinner to Mt Eden. Faith's been learning about 'bocanoes' at Kindy so she just about jumped out of her skin when I told her we were going to go to the top of one and have pizza and chippies for dinner. From her reaction I could tell she thought we were going to be seeing lava and rocks flying everywhere as we sat with our pizza boxes and watched it. Ella caught on to Faith's excitement and for once in their lives they actually got dressed into warm clothes quickly and even put their own shoes on. Quite a change from the usual 'hurry up' nagging that I have to do to get anyone in this family out the door!

Here's some pics of our evening.

Mini choccy pavs for celebration dessert

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Good ol' neck killer position.....at this age they never seem to complain, but that's gotta hurt!

Pretty sweet playground at the bottom of the mountain

A wall Daddy Joe did a couple of months ago at the bottom of Mt Eden

Who does this remind you of? If there's any doubt I'm Kelvin's daughter......

Here's to one brilliant year at Robertson Road, and many more to come!!!!!!!

Ella and Faith Potter

In loving memory of Aunty Nae's OG glasses.

Granted they're a little worse for wear cause they're about 15+ years old probably and they've been worn and played with around here lately (not sure why I've got them).

Gosh times have changed. Aunty Nae I'll give them to you and you can add a pic with you wearing them....just for old times sake :)

The Yard

When Daddy Joe does work with Glen we always hear about the boys at 'the yard'. Most of the boys are from Hamilton so they come up on a Monday and stay at the yard during the week.

Faith's been there for a visit to Grandad Sonny last year, but the rest of us had never been...until last Friday night on our way to Hamilton. To save time, I took the kids to meet Daddy Joe there and we kept heading South together.

Was cool to see this place called the yard. It was kind of what I expected. I couldn't take hardout photos of it like I would have liked cause Glen and about 4 other boys had just got themselves a big feed of KFC so they were all sitting around filling their puku's. Would have looked at little strange if I walked in and hardout went snap happy on the joint. It's pretty much a truck, tools, beds, bathroom, kitchen, TVs, weights and stuff like that.

Here's a couple of shots of the kiddies in the 'Shotcrete Auckland' Yard.

Moobies

Half of our family loves to watch movies, almost more than anything else. That half is Faith and Daddy Joe.

The other half isn't so into it. I fall asleep within 15  minutes of any movie being turned on, despite good intentions to try and stay awake. Ella's attention span for movies has been about 5 minutes if we're lucky. Lately she's been stretching it out to 10, 15, 20 minutes or even more. Hallelujah. I never thought I'd say I want my kids to sit in front of the TV and watch movies, but in reality sometimes that's exactly what I want them to do.

When Faith was born Daddy Joe and I made a deal that I would buy books for our kids and he'd buy movies for them. I'm happy with that cause I think they're both cool for kids to be hooked on (probably the books more so than the movies mind you!)

Here's just a few of the movies that get a thrashing round here....

I think one of the highlights of Faith's week is going down the Civic to get new movies to rent. Sometimes her and her father are gone for nearly an hour when they do that 'job'

This was her longest movie watching stint...Tarzan
Faith even begged her to go outside and play on the bikes with her and Ella kept going 'No, I'm watching my moobie'

Watching 'Charlie' at 11:20 on a saturday morning....Living the dream!!!!

Labour Weekend in Hamilton

Last weekend the girls stayed with their cuzzies and Aunties and Uncles in Hamilton. Daddy Joe, Seffy and I went down with them on Friday night and spent Saturday there. On Saturday night we left them in the capable and loving hands of Aunty Tan and Aunty Sarah.

We kind of anticipated tears as we drove away.....Faith ended up being fine, playing in Aunty Sarah's car taking photos of herself. Ella cried, as we expected, but not for the reason we expected. She wasn't sad her parents were leaving, rather upset that her cousin Te Korowai was sitting in her carseat. Ella!!!!! It wasn't even her seat.

 Oh well, at least they were happy to be staying for a sleepover!

Daddy Joe and I had a nice break. It felt like we were childless cause Seffy is so cruisy and well-behaved:)

By the time the girls came back on Monday afternoon we were missing them like crazy. Faith had won Anaru's heart and Ella had a ball at Aunty Johnny's!

Thank you to our wonderful family for loving our girls and having them for the weekend.

On Friday night we got to Aunty Bex and Uncle Niki's place and they weren't there so we went to visit Aunty Clarissa and Te Korowai. By the time we got back to Aunty Bex's house it was late and after a bit of talking in the lounge, Ella was exhausted so went into the room and put herself to sleep.

Sick of the adults talking so she thought 'what the heck, I'm off to bed!'

All the babies at the table ready to feast on Lamayne's birthday dinner

Ella with Aunty Tan, Noah and Reegan saying goodbye

Faith playing with the camera in Aunty Sarah's car as we left

Uncle Joe doing Jujitsu with the boys in the lounge

A yummy family dinner at Wendy's  on Labour Day

Poo Picking

Tonight we went Poo picking at the Christy's farm. It was our FHE activity for this week, and the girls LOVED it.

Daddy Joe and I have been talking about how the garden could do with the nutrients of horse manure and so we decided to go and collect some for ourselves.

We all got our gumboots on and put the shovel and buckets in the truck and headed over to their place.

Ella was a little timid around the horses (Lacey and Cocoa) at first, but she ended up loosening up and running around in their paddock (with only a few panic stricken screams!)

Faith was like a pig in mud as soon as we got there and she ended up looking like one too. She fell over in the mud quite a few times and I thought that would have made her cry but because the other kids were getting down and dirty in the paddocks she thought it was hilarious.

There were major tears when we had to leave to come back to our boring  house in suburbia.

Here's hoping the garden thrives with all the horsey poos!

Before the poo picking started, Daddy Joe took the girls for a walk to meet Lacey and Cocoa close up

Faith got to ride down from the house to the horsey paddock with Nate, Ella and Lilly

Faith holding Ethan's wooden gun

Excuse the sick coming out of  my lil' Seffy's mouth. He was enjoying nice snuggles  while the Dad's shovelled up poo

Was a fun evening out together and next time we go Brother Christy said we can put the girls on the horses for a ride around. Yee Hah!

There you go Aunty Nae, that's where we were when you called wondering why on earth we weren't answering the phone on a Tuesday evening.