Goodbye 2014, Christmas Card Roundup

How our 2014 ended....

Maybe next year Seth will look at the camera....and then a year or 2 after that Dallin will!

(Daddy Joe 33 or should we just say 34!, Mummy Mel 31.5, Seth 2.5, Ella 4.5, Faith 5.5)

2013 pic 

(Daddy Joe 32, Mummy Mel 30.5, Seth 1.5, Ella 3.5, Faith 4.5)

How my 2015 year began.....

Daddy Joe's taken all of our babies up north for a few days so I get some rest and relaxation time, some time to reflect and set goals, clean and organise, exercise.... Off to a quiet, stress free start. Lucky me!

I'm loving it and missing my family in equal measure

I was glad that last night I had peace and quiet to think through some goals for myself as the new year begins. I've done them in 4 categories.....spiritual, physical, financial and 'other stuff'. I tried to be realistic so I really can achieve success rather than going over the top and bombing out after 3 weeks (I'm a still a 3 week wonder, and I think Faith got that trait from me too!)

So this year for the first time I've decided to have a word. A word that I want to live by, be inspired by, become better by. It was really hard to narrow it down to just one word. There was a short list of about 5 that I wondered about and in the end this won.....

This seemed like a good choice, and then when I read the actual dictionary definition it was like the word was invented for me right at this very moment. Each part of that definition is what I need to remember and make a part of me.

Here's to 2015.....a fresh start is always such an awesome feeling!

And here's a little goals sheet I made for Faith when she gets home

Are you for real?!?!?!? Poor Dallin

Because the kid's usual daycare day is Friday and that's a stat holiday this week and next, I was onto it enough to swap it a month or so back so I could still have my 'sanity day' for these 2 weeks of Christmas and New Years. Today was the Monday before Christmas, the one I've planned to do last minute shopping, present wrapping, the usual bits and pieces that are always easier to do without 3 pre-schoolers, and hopefully have a moment to put my feet up. All that was shot to pieces when I got a phone call from daycare at about 12:45pm....something about Dallin's toe...sore....something on it.....crying when they try and get it off.....might need to see a doctor.

So off I went to pick her up and see what the dealio was. This is what I found......

The pictures don't really show just how crazy and serious it was. Down to the hospital we went. They reckoned it we hadn't noticed it for a while longer we could have been taking a sock off with a little toe dropping out all by itself!!!

Everyone was coming in to look at the baby with the sore toe and giving ideas of how to get it off.....hair removal cream (in case it was a hair wrapped tightly around). No one was having any luck despite 4 of us holding her down a few times to get tweezers, needles, other scary sharp implements at it. My poor baby!!!!

She was such a lil' trooper. Everyone couldn't get over how smily she was, especially with such a sore toe

Despite her smiles she eventually got fed up with all the poking and squeezing of the little digit

So after a couple of hours and many attempts, some cold cream and a sharp thingy ma bob and they managed to get it out...a little bit of purple cotton from a sock.

What the heck. Who'd have thought wearing a sock could end up in surgery....and thank goodness it came out on that last go cause that was the next step.

Thankfully you'll never remember this my baby, but that's why I love writing our stories down and having a few pics to document the crazy things that happen sometimes.

Sweet Dreams my girl. Hope your toe looks and feels better in the morning!

12 Days of Christmas - Part 2

Day 5 - Washi Tape Christmas Tree

Day 6 - Straw Christmas Tree (fail so we gave up)

Day 7 - Christmas Carolling at Waitakere Hospital, Lei's and a family in Ranui

At all the places we sang at we started off singing 'Picture a Christmas' as a family and then the YSAs sang Away in a Manger and Silent Night. A cool experience for us as a family

Day 8 - Gingerbread Houses (or should I say 'Nice Biscuit Houses!)

Seth's one

Ella's one

Guess who?!?!?!?

Poor Dilly was over the day by the time we started working on our houses. Not surprising after the sad, sore little time she's had today :(

Daddy Joe's birthday tomorrow.... Yay, Seth's so excited to sing 'Happy Birthday Mine Daddy' at the top of his lungs. And Faith's excited to choose him a good dinner ('Not one you make Mum, one we go and buy!')

12 Days of Christmas - Part 1

This year we're not doing any advent calenders with chocolates or treats. I figure we'll all get enough 'peshel' stuff this season, and since I've got 4 pre-schoolers at home day after day, we need activities that last longer than a lolly.  

Instead, we're doing 12 days of christmas activities. So far we've done 4......

Day 1 - Decorate Envelopes for our christmas letter which we hope to send out on Saturday

Day 2 - Make Christmas Stars for the tree

Day 3 - Colour in Nativity Scene (these are still a work in progress so I don't have a finished pic yet)

I really think Seth might be left-handed!

Day 4 - Christmas Eye Spy and Pohutukawa Flower Cards

The girls loved this activity....and so do I cause it kept them busy for a while and I can re-use it again year after year...win win!

Faith made this card at school and asked if we could do some more at home so we've just made 7 that will be given out with our Christmas Eve nativity characters and treats.

No winter wonderland cards around here....so happy her teacher taught her how to make these cards that really represent a Kiwi Christmas!