Little Water Bug

Sisi has started swimming lessons this term and she absolutely loves them. She's the first one out of our kids to have proper lessons. With the older three at school, she felt left out. We thought swimming lessons may be a way for her to learn vital skills as well as having something special to look forward to each week. She now has a few activities each week to keep her busy. She has started pre kinder for just over and hour on Mondays (which she also loves), her swimming and then shopping are on Tuesdays, she has a playday with her cousin Archie on Thursday mornings.. and Friday mornings she has speech therapy at St. Giles (post to come) She is a busy girl!
In between there is lots of time to hang out with her mum ;)

                       So this is what she looks like each Tuesday morning after the big kids go to school

As soon as she gets into the pool, its all smiles - from start to finish. She loves the water so much and often gets into trouble for not sitting still. I just watch from the the sideline and laugh quietly to myself. What 3 year old can sit still at the best of times, let alone in a swimming pool?! Her swimming instructor is really good and very patient with her. I love the way Sisi is completely oblivious and just enjoys herself.

Each week the instructor pours water over the kids heads and then gets them do it to themselves. I laughed last week when I watched Sisi pour it on her instructors head instead of her own.

The half hour lesson flies by and I enjoy watching her learn and enjoy her lessons each week

Once I have her showered and dressed, she loves to cover herself with the ink stamps they have in the reception area. (Yes, I meant 'cover') Back of her hands....front of her hands.....

...and her legs...of course.

As much as I enjoy watching her in the pool, listening to her sing Beyonce's 'Halo' on the way in the car, is pretty

darn cute too.

 

House fit for a Pig!

I stumbled out of bed early this morning partly delirious from a late night with the Rogers, into the kitchen to be greeted by Benny who says "Mum, are you going to clean the house today??"

I tried not to choke and gasp in response to such a ludicrous question. I snapped back something like "what do you think I do all day Benny....sit around watching movies?!" Then I opened my eyes properly and remembered how I'd left the house the night before..

There was mess everywhere....a lot of it from the morning before. There was no bench space to make school lunches, no clean bowls to make breakfast, barely any floor space to move around and you can't see it, but one of the kids had knocked textas all over the kitchen floor. Then..while struggling to find room to eat her weetbix at the table, Lani added insult to injury with a whole litre of spilt milk all over the floor. Needless to say, most of the textas ended up in the rubbish bin.
You know when there's mess everywhere and you don't know where to start?! I began with the project of moving and shuffling mess back and forward to get through the breakfast and lunch making. I then got the kids and hubby off to school and work before returning back home with Sisi and getting out the camera ;)

Luckily for me, Sisi was happy to watch most of 'Barbie, a fairy secret' while I got stuck into the kitchen area.
Eventually (meaning it took me nearly all day in the end) the house went from this:

                                                                          to this:

                                                                             and this:

       
                      It probably wouldn't have taken quite so long if I had have kept Barbie on replay ;)

               The house was ready just in time for all the little monkeys to come home and watch Scooby Doo

                                  Here's what the girls room looked like this morning. It went from this:

                                                            To this: (I think it got worse:)

                                                Oh well, two out of three rooms aint so bad, right?

My girls

                                                               I'm glad I have two girls.

I'm a mum who would have been quite happy to have five boys. But I my girls are my precious little treasures. I remember finding out I was having a girl when I was pregnant with Lani and wondering what to do. I had no idea how to raise a girl - and I'm still learning :)

            I'm a bit more of a tom boy at heart so my girls help me to dig deep and find my inner princess.

 I am so grateful for the both of them and today I fell in love with them all over again as I spent the morning getting them all dolled up for church. I take 5-10mins to get myself ready. I pull my hair back in a pony tail or finger comb it and leave it down, throw on some clean clothes, put a bit of eye liner on and some lip gloss. Often I do it all while the family are getting into the car. Getting the girls ready however, takes a bit longer. There are dresses to co ordinate (they usually like to wear the same thing) hair to do, a bit of lip gloss to put on if they catch me with mine.. and more often than not, nails to polish.
This morning they wanted their hair crimped. Thank goodness for afternoon church  - I never brushed my kids hair last year when we started at 9am ;)

Lani was also extra excited this morning as she could finally take out the studs she has had in her ears for the last 6 weeks. She had her ears pierced and needed to leave the original studs in up until today. She chose some little flowers to wear to church.

I don't know if others agree but I think my girls look completely different from eachother. Lani is fair like me with straight hair while Sisi is dark like Job with curly hair. I took these photos today as I think its gorgeous how they try their best to look the same.
                                                              I think they are beautiful xx

Swimming carnival 2012

I can't believe its been a whole year since the last swimming carnival.

I can't believe its been a whole 4 months since I've blogged! There are a couple of reasons why I haven't, but lets put it down to being incredibly slack :)

So yesterday was the school swimming carnival for grades 3-6. Job and I were very proud of JJ as he swam the length of the pool this year (25m)
                                      
                                                He came a very close third for his freestyle

                                                                    The scores and ribbons table

                                                                           JJ and Callum

Charlotte also did well with her freestyle - especially as this is her very first year in swimming sports. She also snatched up third place.... (that's her with the white cap)

                                                               ......and a kiss from mum

I found some funny looking spectators - wonder who they came with??

Time for backstroke. JJ came third again behind his good mates Lewis and Callum

                              

                                   Charlotte took a nice big gulp of water before starting her backstroke...

                                ...and came third :) Must be something special about the number three

                       While JJ and Charlotte competed in the novelty relays at the end of the afternoon...

                                             
                                                  ....this little chickadee found ways to amuse herself.

              
Once the boys were changed, I snapped a few shots of them together. Unfortunately we couldn't find Sam or  Jordan (a couple of the other boys that belong in the bunch)

JJ is really lucky to have good friends. He loves Lewis and Callum and the best thing is that they all live a stones throw away from eachother. JJ never wants to move from this house :) They get along really well.

                                                                             Can you tell?

Wedding Photography..

...is sooooooo not my speciality!!!

It was so lovely to be involved in Sam and P.J's wedding. It was tonnes of fun spending the day with the family and experiencing the dynamics as they got themselves ready, went to the temple, rushed to the reception, strolled down the beach for photos and then finally said goodbye to eachother. Job really enjoyed it too, especially the reception. He gets emotional whenever he talks about it :)

But....


Count me out for any future wedding photography. Although I really did have fun, I'm just nowhere near qualified to take these sort of photos. Now dont feel like you have to comment and tell me otherwise (Lisa) I know how my photos look, and I know what proper professional pictures look like. I am so relieved that this wasn't a job I was doing for some strangers or I would have felt immense pressure. The Honey family knew my insecurities but wanted me to take photos for them anyway. It really was a special weekend and I can completely understand why photographers enjoy shooting weddings. It really is an amazing experience, and one I will leave to them from now on ;) So if anyone ever asks me again to take photos - you know what the answer will be. I have been practicing my 'no' in front of the mirror - I am prepared!!

-Except for you Anita, you know I will take photos for you when you get married. You better not get anyone else! ;)

So, here's some of my favourite shots. I am trying my best to stop looking at all the mistakes. I never realised how may times I cut peoples feet out of photos - and sometimes, their arms!
-And don't even get me started on the ISO. Hahaha

Thank you Honey Family for the experience :)

Trick or treat!

Last Sunday, we had some cute little (and not so little) trick-or-treaters come knocking on our door. I woke up Job, haha just kidding, I think he was already awake this time. The kids ran to the door and then ran back inside saying "Mum, don't go out there, Sam is really scary!"

A little bit aprehensive of what we were going to see (and with Sisi tucked snuggly into Jobs neck) we came to the door. Not at all scary....just some very cute little witches.

                    Hang on, what's that ugly thing in the background??!! This photo cracks me up!

                                                 Now I know where Archie gets his hair from

                                                                    Double Trouble

                                                      Does this man look scary to you.... ??!

The only thing that frightened me, was when Kym took her mask off. 

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!

                                                  One of the cutest witches going around

                                                         Joe's turn with the ugly mask

            Kym stealing Archies lollies. (If you wanted some lollies too Kymbo, you only had to ask)

                                                Cute Hanisi showing me her lolly bag

We got a kick of having them drop by. Afterward we wished we had have been better prepared so we could have joined them. We'll have to wait until next time :)