Abigail and Donna come to visit

While Kikiwa was in Ireland we had a girls weekend with Donna and Abigail! it was so much fun. Atarangi and I had been to the toy library on the thursday before they arrived to make sure we had some fun toys, a beeping moving microwave SO COOL! a baking set, the slide and a crazy bouncy bug that threw a few riders over the weekend :) I didn't snap many pics, couldn't find the chargers for either camera (surprise!) but got a few on the phone. again - not the best, Kikiwa says its the photographer but seriously... I blame the phone camera.  ON friday after we picked the girls up from the airport we went straight to baby focus, then home for a snack and nap and I made my first ever grown up batch of play dough! we had no food colouring so it was boring white but turned out pretty good. The Nelson sunshine hid away most of the stay but came out sunday. On Saturday, once we had transferred the car seats back to the car because the new truck wouldn't start, we went to the baby bonanza in Hope, the girls ate a sausage each! and then we whizzed off to the markets for some more food before it was home for the nap again. sunday was a day for the park, lunch at the beach cafe and ice creams back at the park again before a quick nap in the car for the wee girls then off to the airport again. it was a busy busy weekend but so much fun and so cool seeing Abigail and Atarangi interact! especially when Atarangi was off on her adventures and trying to get Abigail to come with her (showing her how to climb the wall haha) and happily sitting back watching Abigail work the microwave. here's hoping we can do it all again soon.

Foraging

Atarangi was a bit under the weather so we missed Baby Focus again.. you can see a large dribble of snot coming down.. but we were both getting a bit of cabin fever so we bundled up and headed into the garden for a bit of foraging.

 

Yum Feijoas! Yum Jalapenos and OMG a lemon from our tree, tiny but still.. possibly the first ever in the 6 years I have had it.

really bad phone pics

I have been having another bad run at losing things, luckily this time I have been finding them again. Although to be honest I would've liked a new phone! for some reason the photos on my phone are always terrible. It has nothing to do with the photographer. honest.

 

the other day we had a blanket hut day, in the morning we had one inside and in the afternoon we had one outside. Atarangi initially thought it was a hammock and dived on it! luckily she just thought it was funny that she hit the ground. I was a little worried she would try it again from over the back of the seat but managed to convince her it was not a good idea. Blanket hut fun was soon over though as nappy free time meant a rather large present appeared in the hut. uh oh.

 

Atarangi in her trolley from Nana and PopPop, she much prefers getting pushed around in it to pushing it! and wearing the bathrobe I forgot she had!

just briefly

hmmmmm so so so soooo behind on the blog. updates will come but for now I am skipping ahead to now. hooray! Easing into work, building up to my 20 hour week, we have yet to leave the house before 8.30. Admittedly that was a challenge even when it was just me going to work. . . Anyway we have been having a bit of a heat wave so have been making the most of the pool down the road at the intermediate - thanks Nana and PopPop for Kikiwa's birthday present.

 

 

berrylands

all ready to go berry picking

real fruit ice cream

more please?

eating avocado like an apple

luckily Atarangi likes the cone

my chief strawberry quality controller
 

I love berry picking. Atarangi loves strawberries when they're picked fresh. I love ice cream. Atarangi loves to eat the cone. (Kikiwa likes to eat the cone too...) what a team we make. . .

the final countdown

a present for me?

oooh what is it

some togs! can we go swimming?!?!

on Monday I start back at work, I have kind of been ignoring that fact, happy just chilling at home with Atarangi and Kikiwa while he has been off work. It's been mostly nice and relaxed and there hasn't been any sense of urgency. pretty cool. Yesterday the weather was below average so we all went to the pools, Atarangi received some new swimmers in the mail from her Great Nan for her birthday so we tried them out. I almost fell over at the price to go swimming though, they tried to charge us $17.60 for 2 adults and Atarangi WTF> seriously? managed to get a discount down to $14.00 but its definitely off putting... Today we had a sleep in after waking up at 530 and 630, Atarangi finally woke up happy, in bed with me, at 830. poor Kikiwa had to go back to work today. this afternoon we will go berry picking and do a few chores, the weather is mint and super hot. One day I will get around to backposting the crazy christmas and new year period. and Atarangi's birthday. . . Also Hooray and welcome to Carter James Osberg! Atarangi's new cousin born in Mexico  :)

progress

Atarangi kindly had a two hour nap this morning, brilliant timing for me and Kikiwa to lay the new grass where the hideous stones used to be. hooray! we will eventually lay some pavers along between the garden and the grass and under the clothes line.

rolling it out

almost done!

finishing touches

the inspector - bean in mouth of course

hmmmmm
 

a tickle under the chiny chin chin

unfortunately the old grass is dry and crusty in comparison
 but the garden looks green!

nothing like a bit of water play