Stuff Lately x 23

I made these pictures for a primary song over a year ago, maybe even 2 years ago now. Can't believe all 4 pages are still floating around the girls room

When the kids ask 'what's for dinner?' at 5pm, and I think 'hmmm, no idea', this is what they get. I usually get dinner ready around 10am and warm it up at 5pm, but if I'm not onto it, everyone's more than happy to wolf this down and jump into the bath! Well actually Ella puts a spoonful in her mouth, sucks the 'sauce' and spits out the beans!!!

A quick visit in to see Dad just before he went into the tunnel to do a spray :(

After!

A holiday/birthday play date at the park for Mac. He is soooooo good with Dilly. 
Love seeing them together

My big one year old exploring Marlborough Park

A delish cake made by Aunty Nae. Could do with a big slice of that right now!

Our morning play at Faith's room. I'm sure the other kids dread it when we walk in the room cause Seth tips over their towers and Dallin trys to crawl away with whatever she can get her hands on

I worked my first regular Wednesday last week, which just so happened to be the annual Cross Country at Hilwell Park. Perfect timing!

Got to see my big baby come 9th, out of about 80 6 year old girls....her first words over the finish line ' Mum, I didn't stop!!!!' Pretty good effort for 1.2kms I thought, especially considering about 2/3rds of the girls stopped and started walking at the first hill about 100m from the start line

Can't take this boy anywhere....except over to Ranui school for an afternoon play! 
Wet pants again(but that's a leaf at his feet, not a number 2 thank goodness!)

A nice little present from our neighbours hanging over the fence last week

Can't get enough of these....sad we can't get anymore from Grandie now that he's homeless

Pics don't really do this justice, but the laundry was a real hotspot for us.....a major dumping point for 'not exactly sure where to put this so I'll leave it here for a while'

After....

Have to keep opening the door just to have a look at it again, you know what I mean aye Aunty Nae. Just when I think I've de-cluttered all I possibly can, I think of a new area. Next Friday is the top of the kids wardrobes...in preparation for storage systems in there. Then if you can't find me, I'll be sitting in their rooms admiring them all day long

Trying to get rid of something we don't use or love (sorry Grandma Julie), but Faith saw me in the act and cradled it for the rest of the afternoon like I'd break her heart if I binned it. So now I'm thinking I could keep it afterall, but paint it...maybe. Or get rid of it when the kids aren't looking

Arty treats Ella brought home from kindy

On Saturday afternoon Daddy Joe took Seth and Faith to the new Avengers movie (what was he thinking taking Seth, his idea not mine!), and I got left at home with Ella and Dallin....make up tutorials!!!!!

Half an hour in and she conked out

The sweet life of a 4 year old....

Annoying little crawler on hand to get all up in her nice afternoon nap

And cause the movie goers conned Dad into buying BK, we didn't have soup for dinner afterall, but headed out on a little date to.....

McDs of course!

Pics from our first week of Sacrament Books. Great for Ella and Faith, not so much for Seth

FHE - I can live with my family FOREVER!

We are so grateful to know that families can be together forever, and that's what our lesson was about yesterday. About being 'sealed' in the temple.

I was all prepared with a short lesson, the same as we usually do, and let me tell you, I thought it was tricky to teach a lesson to my 4, but teaching to a 7 year old, 6 year old, 5 year old, 2 x 4 year olds, a 3 year old, 2 year old and 1 year old was next level.

Not sure how much got though, but it was pretty much a circus from start to finish.

Our family all 'sealed' up together.

Sunny Sabbath Afternoons

With morning church, we're loving our Sundays more than usual.

I feel like since Dallin was born we've spent so much time at home (and loved it), but now she's 1  we're ready to get out and have some fun family time at beaches, parks, bush walks, and family dinners of course

Here's how our day goes.....

Wake up

Church

Home for lunch

Babies and Mum nap while big girls watch a church movie

Get out and do something, anything

Home for Dinner

Sleepy Time

After living in West Auckland for over 3 years we finally went out to Piha, which was extra cool cause Faith's in Piha Pod this year, and that's where Ella will start too.

It's so cool to discover new things with kids.....everything's exciting, even rocks and sand. Made even better by the fact their big, strong Dad was able to tip over some massive rocks and find crabs for them to play with.

Daddy Joe's not experienced like Grandie when it comes getting sandy kids cleaned up to get back into the car, but he did make a good effort. Too bad we didn't have towels to do a final dust off and newspaper cover the floor of the car!

Bastion Point

I'm like 'DON'T TOUCH THE WATER, IT'S YUCKY, DON'T GO NEAR IT!'

The girls are like 'Why is she lying in it then?'

Too much for this kid to resist. Despite Mum's efforts to keep him away from the massive 'paddling pool', he ended up falling in with his sisters making a huge scene 'Mum, Seth fell in', and all of the 100 asian tourists staring and smiling

We were all a bit perplexed with the people doing some kind of exercise/meditation.

I haven't been very good at taking pics of our sunday outings (and honestly, we've probably had 4 or 5 families over for Sunday dinners since the start of the year so there have been home days as well), but this one we did a few days ago was really, really good.

I got the kids all packed up in the car with no idea where the wind would take us....except that we were going 'exploring!!!!"

As it turns out, we've never been into the Waitakere Township, so that's where we ended up and it's only about 6km from home.

Incidentally we parked right outside an RSA and with Faith's obsession for all things ANZAC (for another post), we spent a good while looking in their entrance at all the memorabilia. 

Pretty cool to get up close to an abandoned train at the last West Auckland train station 

We've got to go out to Waitakere Primary again sometime. 2 great playgrounds right there. I can almost imagine taking a picnic lunch, a bike and scooter and staying for a few hours (not on a sunday or course!)

Then home for a saussie sizzle for dinner and Dallin got to open her birthday present from her nursery leader, even though she's not even in nursery yet!!!!!

Will probably get a bit harder to do these outings now that it's getting colder, or maybe we'll just have to put on the jackets and gumboots and continue on?!?!?!