Let me count the ways …

… to pull out a loose baby tooth.

1. Tie string around tooth and attach other end to door handle. Slam door.
2. Tie string around tooth and attach other end to heavy brick. Throw brick off balcony.
3. Pliers.
4. The flannel grab.
5. Wiggle it. Just a little bit. (Or a lot).

OR …

… you can get your little brother to kick it out, Superhero-styles.

Ethan’s top 2 middle teeth have been loose for a few months. Over the weekend, one of them got really REALLY loose. He asked us to pull it out a few times. We tried, but we didn’t want to pull too hard, and one root was still attached. Poppa offered to get his pliers, Uncle Greg offered to get a piece of string. Not surprisingly, their offers were refused.

He has been pretty happy to just wiggle it a lot, and wait for it to come out by itself. Which I have to say, has been more pleasant than the drama of his first wiggly tooth.

Last night, the boys were play-fighting in the living room.
(By the way, this is a fairly normal occurrence in our house during the dreaded hours of 5-7pm).

All of a sudden, we hear Ethan say, “Tyler kicked my teeth out.”

He is standing there, holding 2 teeth in this hand.

Tyler says, “I thought he wanted them out.”

Ethan says, “He didn’t ask me first, he just kicked me in the mouth. I am so proud of Tyler!”

Ummm?

I did tell Tyler that kicking somebody in the mouth isn’t really a good idea, even if they have wiggly teeth. But Ethan’s obvious pleasure at Tyler’s “achievement” made my warning sound completely ridiculous!

Just quietly, I’m glad they are out. I remembered (at 10pm!) to put 2 coins under his pillow, and now we’ll have a short reprieve from loose teeth.

4 down … lots more to go.

And he’s not even 6 yet.

Reunited

As I mentioned in my last post, we spent Anzac weekend up in Whangarei. Rob’s parents live there, along with 2 of his siblings and their spouses & kids. We obviously went to spend time with family, but there was another reason for our trip this time.

A reunion.

Rob went to a Youth Group when he lived in Whangarei as a teenager. He has kept in touch with some of his Youth Group friends, but many of them he hadn’t seen for 15 years.
Rob’s former Youth Leader (Max) organised a Youth Group reunion. It included an afternoon tea catch-up, to which all the ex-members’ spouses and children were invited. All up, there were probably about 25 kids between the ages of 2-12. And it rained. Fortunately, we were able to relocate from Max’s home to the local church hall, which meant the kids could run wild cause chaos kill each other play quietly while the adults chatted in the adjoining room. The kids actually got along really well. The older ones looked after the younger ones, and they had a fantastic (albeit very loud) time.

Later that evening, the adults all went out to a local restaurant for dinner, sans kids. We left our boys with Rob’s dad for the evening (we were staying at his place for the weekend). Poppa decided to go all-out and took the boys to the circus while we were at dinner. It was the same circus we’d seen at the Easter Show (Out of Africa), but the extended version included extra acts like a “real, live elephant!” and miniature horses. Poppa also splashed out on ringside seats, so they were EXTRA close to the action. We got home from dinner around 9pm, and the boys had just been tucked into bed. They were still reeling from their exciting evening, but eventually dropped off to sleep.

The reunion itself was heaps of fun, even for me (being the spouse of an ex-member and not an actual ex-member). I knew a few of the others already, but got to know some new people as well. Everybody was so friendly. Max had photos from their Youth Group days, and I had fun looking at all the photos of Rob when he was 15. I didn’t really know him then (although he did come down to Orewa occasionally, as his older brother Greg had already moved down here). The best part about looking at the photos? Laughing at the tragic 80’s haircuts and clothing!

The rest of our weekend was spent catching up with family and generally having fun! The weather wasn’t that nice, but the company was great.

Speaking of great company … I finally met my lovely online friend and fellow Design Team member Janine in real life! She lives in Whangarei. Not only that, but she and Carl are actually best friends with Rob’s little bro and his wife!
My boys dropped me off at Janine’s place on Saturday morning so we could chat in peace, and then came back to pick me up a couple of hours later.
Janine, it was so lovely meeting you! You’ve been a wonderful friend to me online (I love our email sessions, girl!) and our meeting just cements our friendship even further, with promises of more catch-ups in the future.

Holiday happenings

I am totally loving the school holidays.
Sure, it’s much harder to juggle my workload, and I end up working most evenings, but I am really enjoying spending quality time with Ethan. I miss him a lot now he’s at school everyday! The good thing about the school holidays is that Tyler can still go to Preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as they don’t follow the school calendar. It gives Ethan and I time to hang out and do stuff together on those days, and time for the boys to play together on the other days. Perfect!

So, what have Ethan and I been up to? This week we have … baked cookies, done lots of colouring in, watched a couple of DVDs, been to the gym, been to Subway, done some shopping/errands, played games, and been to the Mexican restaurant for a special lunch.

Ethan LOVES coming with me to the gym, which is great! They let kids come in with their mums between 11-12 during the school holidays. They have toys and colouring in stuff for the kids to do. Ethan usually just draws pictures and is no bother at all. He would be really sad if we didn’t go everyday, so I’m grateful for the extra motivation to work out!

Yesterday both boys went to Mum’s for the day, so I could get some work done. I had such a productive morning that I was able to go and meet Rob for lunch. Haven’t done that for ages!

Tomorrow we are heading up to Whangarei to stay with Rob’s family for the weekend. We usually go up at Easter but this year we stayed home, so a trip north is long overdue. The boys are excited about seeing their cousins again.

Next week I’m taking Ethan to see “Nim’s Island”. Ethan’s friend Jackson and his mum Kim are coming with us. Should be fun. After the holidays, I’ll take Tyler to see “Horton Hears a Who”. I’ve heard mixed reviews, but I’m pretty sure he will enjoy it!

Before we know it, the holidays will be over … and then Tyler starts Kindergarten! Woohoo!

Chicken Stroganoff

This recipe is a little gem! I love the taste of stroganoff-style sauces, but they are usually full of butter and sour cream. This version cuts out all the fat but it still tastes amazing!

On the Weight Watchers POINTS plan, this is only 5 points. You can also replace the chicken with lean beef (5 1/2 points).

600g chicken strips
1 clove crushed garlic
1 sliced onion
3 cups sliced mushrooms
375mL can light evaporated milk
2 teaspoons beef stock powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon paprika
1 finely diced courgette
1 tablespoon cornflour

Cook chicken and garlic in frying pan until brown. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add courgette, stock powder, tomato paste and paprika. Stir well. Blend cornflour into evaporated milk, and slowly add to pan, stirring until thick.
Serve with rice or pasta.
Serves 4.

Chocolate Crumb Slice

I saw this recipe a magazine, and it is now my new favourite.
This slice is really easy to make and tastes delicious! I think it’s perfect served warm with vanilla icecream. Yum!

250g butter, chopped
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 cups choc bits
375g can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter with electric mixer until creamy. Beat in flour and sugar until crumbly. Press 2 1/2 cups of mixture firmly onto base of a prepared (greased & lined) slice tin, reserving remaining mixture.
Bake at 180C for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Combine 1 cup choc bits, condensed milk and vanilla in a saucepan. Stir over low heat for 3-4 minutes until smooth. Spread over hot crust. Stir remaining choc bits into reserved crumb mixture, and sprinkle over chocolate filling.
Bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes until set.
Cool in pan, then cut into squares.

Made me smile

I wanted to share a few things that have made me smile lately.
My life is not a bed of roses, but when I can look past the crappy stuff and still find joy in the little things, I know I am on the right track.

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The rain. Okay, so I could have done without the thunder & lightning, but the rain itself was very welcome! We are on tank water, and it was getting low. We also have an underground bore which we can use if we ever run out of tank water, but it tastes “dirty”. It’s perfectly safe to drink, but I have been drinking rain water for 30 years and I can’t stomach any other kind (town supply included).

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Cute new winter PJs for my boys. I was at the Warehouse yesterday and saw they had 20% off boys’ PJs. So I bought these super cute ones for less than $10 each! Tyler’s have pirates on them and Ethan’s have racing cars on them.

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Vouchers. I got lots of vouchers for my birthday. I enjoyed spending $100 worth of vouchers at a couple of scrapbooking stores. I still have a $50 dinner voucher to spend (which also came with complimentary babysitting, how cool is that?) as well as 2 movie tickets.
Vouchers are fun. They make birthdays last for ages!

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Tyler is well and truly toilet trained. And as a result, he is a completely different child! We aren’t the only ones who have noticed – his preschool teachers have been raving about his increased confidence and independence in many different areas.
He starts afternoon Kindy next term (5 May) and he is soooo excited about being a “big Kindy boy”.
These changes are really good for his self-confidence. I am loving the new & improved Tyler, he’s so much happier now (not that he was unhappy before, but I think he’s just really proud of himself and he knows he is doing well).

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This afternoon I am (finally!) going to visit my friend Jo and her new baby boy! He has a name now :: Asher Joe. Rob and the boys have already met him, but I’ve had a cold since last Monday. I didn’t want to gift that along with the cute little size 000 t-shirts. So I waited until I was better. Now I am better. And I am excited to meet him!

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Answered prayer. I know Mum won’t mind me sharing this, because she would want people to know about the power of prayer.
A few weeks ago, Mum found a lump in her breast. She had an ultrasound done, and they said she would need to have a biopsy. Two days after my birthday, I took Mum for her biopsy. I was going through some other emotional stuff at the time, so it was a really tough week. We had to wait 5 days for the results, during which time there was a whole lot of praying going on. One friend prayed that the lump would turn into “a ball of nothing”. That is exactly what happened. It basically disintegrated, and 3 days after the biopsy, the lump was gone.
A couple of days later, the results came back. Negative. No tumour.

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And finally, I smiled when Teeni gave me this Chatty Award:

I am the first to admit that I’m a bit of a chatterbox, so I’m not at all offended by the connotation this award carries.
But like Teeni said on her blog, it’s actually a compliment to receive such an award. I know it means that Teeni would love to have a long chat with me over a cup of tea. I would love that too! But skip the tea. I hate tea. How about a nice hot chocolate instead? Or a chocolate frappe?
Teeni is such a good friend to me, supporting me “behind the blog” with her encouraging emails. She has always been there for me, during good times and hard times. If our emails are anything to go by, I can only imagine how long our talks would be in real life! There is the slight problem of us living in opposite hemispheres. Ahem.
But one day, we might get to meet.
And that would be all kinds of awesome.

Flocked & Fabulous!

You’ve seen the sneak peeks, so here are the complete layouts featuring the April kit from Scrapbook Essentials.
I loved this kit so much that I did 6 layouts, and a card!

AS YOU GROW

Journalling: “As you both grow, I am so amazed watching your little personalities develop. You are growing into delightful little people and I am very proud of both of you.”

MT VIC

Journalling: “Mt Victoria in Devonport is a fun place for kids, and I was excited to take you there because I remembered going when I was young. You had a great time, just as I hoped.”

VERY SPECIAL AUNTY

Journalling: “Tyler, you have a special bond with your Aunty Leah. She loves to spoil you and Ethan (and she’s allowed to). I love these photos of the two of you. They were taken on our Music Team social outing to Tiritiri Matangi Island. You were cold after your swim, and a bit scared of Greg the takahe! So sitting on Aunty Leah’s knee was the perfect warm and safe place.”

PARADISE

Photo of Hobbs Beach, Tiritiri Matangi Island.

MOMENTS LIKE THIS

Quote: “I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” – Isaac Newton.

ROLLERCOASTER

Journalling: “As soon as they saw the Dragon Rollercoaster at the Easter Show, Tyler and Ethan really, really, REALLY wanted to ride on it. I was unsure about putting them on by themselves, and thought Daddy should go too. But he said no. He thought they were ready to do it alone. As they waited in line, clutching their tokens, they held each other’s hands. It was the cutest thing! Then they got on, and Ethan helped Tyler to put the safety strap on. And all of a sudden, they were off! After the first “loop”, they were both smiling from ear to ear! There was a sharp turn that made the whole thing jerk a bit, and they both screamed at that point, but the smiles were still there. After the third or fourth circuit, Tyler’s excitement had turned into sheer terror. He was starting to cry, and he got worse after each lap. Fortunately, it was all over after five loops and both boys were happy to get off. Tyler stopped crying straight away and said he loved it, but didn’t like the “really fast bit”. What a sweetheart! I was so proud of both of them for doing it themselves and not quitting!”

Want a giggle?

Ethan and Rob are in the bathroom.
Rob is standing behind Ethan, putting gel in his hair. Ethan is standing in front of the bathroom vanity.

Ethan: “What’s this?”

Rob can’t see what is in Ethan’s hand, but knows he has been looking in the top drawer of the vanity. He presumes the article in question is the digital thermometer.

Rob: “It’s a thermometer. You use it to take your temperature, to see how hot or cold you are.”
Ethan: “Oh. How does it work?”
Rob: “You put it under your tongue until it beeps.”

Silence.

Rob wonders why he doesn’t hear Ethan take the plastic cap off the thermometer, but assumes he has just put the whole thing under his tongue with the cap on.

He looks.

Ethan has my Eulactol HEEL SCRAPER under his tongue.

You know, one of these:

Talk about having a bad taste in your mouth.

Peek-a-boo …

Time for some sneak peeks!

This months’ kit from Scrapbook Essentials is called “Flocked & Fabulous”. It is, as the name suggests, fabulous! I would have to say this is probably my favourite kit so far!

Party party party!

I had my party on Saturday night, and thought I’d share some photos.

We had a BBQ at Mum & Dad’s place, which backs onto the reserve. The kids (and some adults!) played cricket and soccer, or amused themselves on the playground just a few metres away. Later on, they went kinda nuts playing tag around Mum & Dad’s section. There were about 15 kids under the age of 10. Dose them up on fizzy drink and cake and … well, I think you get the picture!
Dan & Steph brought their brazier, so after dinner Dan started a fire (Survivor styles, eh Dan?) and we toasted marshmallows.

After that, it was time for Singstar (courtesy of Ben). We basically let the kids have free reign over the microphones until about 10.30, when the last of the families with kids went home (and we put ours to bed). The rest of us (well, those who could handle it!) played Singstar until 2.30am! Which was actually 1.30am. Thank you, Daylight Savings.

It was a totally awesome evening. Filled with fun & laughter, surrounded by family & friends. Rob put so much work into organising everything – thanks so much, honey! I love you! Thanks also to Mum & Dad for everything (including the very cool cake, Mum!). Oh, and for letting us come and trash your house.

But wait, there’s more.

I have to mention our good friends Phil & Jo (and their 2-year-old, Noah). They were planning to be at the party, but something more important came up :: Jo went into labour on Saturday morning, almost 3 weeks early! Noah’s little brother (still unnamed) was born at 2pm! Congratulations, guys! We can’t wait to meet him.