hobsonville point park

We spend a lot of time at parks.  Thankfully there are many great here in New Zealand, many of which also in prime locations with fantastic views.  We have been very impressed with the quality of parks we have happened upon.  

A few months ago there was an article in the New Zealand Herald about the top playgrounds in Auckland.  We have decided to test these playgrounds out for ourselves.

Hobsonville Pt
Buckley Ave

pakiri

We took a camping trip with our friends Jordan and Andy.  We didn't take many photos, but thankfully Andy and Jordan did.  Along with being great photographers, Jordan and Andy are adventurers. They kayak, sail, rock climb....you name it they have probably done it.   

Max and Maya were thrilled to go camping.  Their most recent obsession is Go Diego Go!.  They spend hours going on adventures in our garden and exploring at Playcentre.  We also recently read a book about a zebra that goes to camp, which prompted the kids to constantly ask when they were going to camp.  

We stayed at a holiday park which made the camping trip much easier than I thought it might have been.  Instead of camping on the dirt we camped on grass so we didn't even get very dirty.  We were within walking distance of the beach.  There was also great playground for the kids, which they loved.    Even though there were very few people staying at the camp ground we happened to be at the same place as some good friends of ours from church (New Zealand really is a small world).

My one photo for the blog....Andy, Maya and Max blowing up the kayak.

Some of Jordan and Andy's amazing photos....

Trent takes his kayaking very seriously.

The water in the river leading out to the ocean was pretty shallow.  So Jordan and I walked while Max and Maya paddled.  

Other than sleeping (or not sleeping) in a tent the thing Max and Maya liked best was climbing up the sand dunes.

I love this photo of Max.  He looks so happy and full of joy, ready to explore the world.

We even managed to get a family photo.  Most of us are in our swimming clothes (togs).  Lonnie has a stain on his shirt.  The boys aren't looking at the camera, but we look pretty happy which is pretty impressive given that Andy said that getting photos of our kids was harder than photographing a wombat.

hi, i'm trent tane

I'm still behind on our blogging, but I wanted to share these photos I took of Trent the other day...

Trent is such a happy, wiggly and chubby baby.  He is so strong that he almost jumps out of my arms in an effort to be involved anything that his brother and sister are doing. He has gotten very good at sitting up which thankfully slowed his desire to crawl, but he still managed to get half way across the family room this morning.  

He still isn't sleeping through the night consistently which is hard on me (and in turn on Lonnie and the kids too).  Thankfully I do manage to get all three kids down for a nap at the same time most days, which helps me get through the day.  When I am overwhelmed and tired all I really need to do to get by is pick up this beautiful boy, let him grab my face and cover me with his slobbery kisses, and remember that the time will pass much too quickly.

motat tram

Still two weeks behind on my blogging....

We had some extra time while running an errand in the city the other day so we stopped by the Museum of Transportation and Technology and took a quick ride on the tram.  We didn't have time to go into the museum but the kids had fun riding on the tram.  It was free for under 5, as are most activities in New Zealand, and we take full advantage of this having three kids under 5 years old.  So for $2 all four of us were able to ride the tram.

That morning I decided to cut Max's hair.  It was getting long and starting to fall into his face.  He was having a hard time sitting still so I decided to buzz it with the clippers.  I didn't think it would make that big of a difference, but to be honest I was a little heart broken with the result.  He lost his little boy hair and now looks like a big boy.  Thankfully he doesn't seem to mind at all and it should grow out in a couple months.

btw...Trent was with us too, in the front carrier, as always.

getting ready for a kiwi christmas

This is our second Christmas in New Zealand.  In January we will have been here for two years. While Christmas still brings quite a bit of nostalgia this I am also feeling the love of being a Kiwi...so here are a couple of the joys of being in New Zealand this Christmas...

This is a weta.  They are very big insects that can be found here in New Zealand.  This one Max picked up our garden (yard) and almost brought into the house.  Being a good Kiwi child Max was excited to find this huge bug rather than being scared.

We moved into our current home last February so we missed the pretty red flowers on our feijoa tree, which will produce delicious fruit in a couple of months. These trees are related to pohutukawa trees, which are in glorious bloom all over New Zealand.   

 Other than the last week of rain we have enjoyed some very nice, mild weather.  Our landlord recently fenced our entire yard meaning that Max and Maya have created their own outdoor world, with a rain forest, jungle, mountain.  In preparation for a camping trip they made beds and stayed outside reading for hours.

We've set up our Christmas tree again this year.  It gets re-decorated every couple of days by the kids which is something I remember doing when I was little.

We were hoping to put together a Christmas card this year....I love getting Christmas cards, but I don't think I have ever managed to actually send one out.  Of all years, living in New Zealand with a new baby I thought this should be the year that it finally happens.  Have you ever tried to take family photos with a 3 year old?  Imagine having two of those wiggly 3 year olds, then add a baby (and a sleepless night), top it off with a freak wind storm at the beach.  Needless to say the photo shot ended with four out of the five of us crying.  I'll let you guess who non-crier was.  I'm still hoping to send out a Christmas card (or at least email out a newsletter), but it is very unlikely to happen before Christmas, so if I don't get to it please know that I wish you all a very happy Christmas.

auckland botanical gardens

We had a free Saturday a couple weeks ago and decided to head down to the Auckland Botanical Gardens as we had never been there.  We were also lucky enough to go during a sculpture exhibit that made it even more interesting. 

Max and Maya feeding the duck in the giant pod.

All of the grounds were beautiful but the most memorable were the Children's Gardens.  They had trails and tunnels for the kids to crawl through, a wobbly bridge, giant dinosaur eggs and animal scultputres.  We even saw a (real) beautiful kereru.  

We finally were able to get some photos of Trent awake while on one of our adventures.

Isn't he sweet?  He really is a happy, smilely baby....even if he doesn't like to sit still or sleep in his bed.

Max and Maya enjoyed pretending like they were returning to the womb.  :)

We have realized lately how much they really do like each other.  When one of them are hungry they don't say-"I'm hungry", they say- "Max and Maya are hungry or Max and Maya want a treat".  We are more likely to hear "Max and Maya want to go out to play" that we are to hear about anything singular that one of them wants.  While there is noting easy about having two three year olds and a five month old baby, I do love how much Max and Maya play together.  The get very involved in their imaginary play, exploring the back yard and pretending to be animal rescuers for hours.  I'm glad they have each other.

pregnancy journal

Baby...

Lonnie rememberd that I would be fertile that day.  After the twins were born I finally started having regular periods.  

Two weeks later I started wondering if maybe I was pregnant.  I was constipated.  

A couple days later I started feeling sick...I had a bad cold.  I didn't want to take any medication until I knew for sure I wasn't pregnant.  I went to the grocery store and bought tampons and pregnancy tests.  I took the test the next day while the kids were napping.  I couldn't believe it when I saw the pink line appear.  I waited until Lonnie came home and showed him the test.  He thought I was kidding.

A couple days later I called my friend Sharon Down who is a midwife.  

My cold turned into bronchitis.  I saw my GP and got a perscription for antibiotics.  I don;t know if I have ever been more exhausted.

As soon as the bronchitiis started clearning up I got a yeast infection.

I also started feeling nausiated.  

I have felt pretty sick with this pregnancy but nothing compared to the twins.  Throwing up every couple of days is much better than several times a day.  

At six weeks, six days I had my first ultrasound.  You measured right on track.  I heard your heart beat.  There is only one of you!   

I didn't have many cravings with my first pregnancy.  I just didn't want to eat.  This time I have had some strange cravings.  Miestore Soup, lemon-aid, oranges, I would really, really love some Whole Foods Mangos but I'm not sure they would make it through customs. 

You are due on Max and Maya's due date...which will be the oppisite time of year because we are now in the Southern Hemisphere.  

I had an other ultrasound at almost 12 weeks.  You are growing perfectly.   This time my cervix also looks like it is staying in place.

dec11

Lonnie and i went on a date last night.  It was fun to be out with out the kids.  I sat next to a woman who was 8 weeks pregnant almost the whole time.  Even being out with out the kids I still talked about kids the whole time.

I've gotten to where I am only throwing up once a week.  Today happens to be the day.  

I wish there were something I could eat that would settle my stomach.

Max has diarreah. It isn't helping my nausia.  

Dec 12

Lonnie stayed home with Max while I took Maya to churh.  She seemed excited to have time alone with mom, which doesn't happen very often.   We stopped by the Playcentre Christmas party for the last 15 mins on our way home.  Maya kept saying "just you and me mom".  She brought home a ballon for Max and was thrilled when he was waiting for her in the drive way.  

Dec 13

Max doesn't seem to be getting any better.  He had two poopy diapers before 8:30am.  When I went to make his bed I also noticed that he had thrown up sometime in the night.  I called the dr but they are waiting for the test results from Friday to come in.  He has been lethargic today and has had very little appitite.  I am worried he is losing wieght.  

wynyard quarter

We picked up Lonnie at work a couple weeks ago and decided to stop off at Wynyard Quarter again.  Max and Maya decided to take a dip in the fountain while Lonnie went to get fish and chips from the Fish Market.

They weren't fully nude, Maya had a hat on.

Afterwards we took a quick tour of The Fish Market.

rugby world cup

On the day before the end of the Rugby World Cup we decided to brave the crowds and head down town.  We even convinced Emma to come along with us, which was especially nice because we did a lot of walking and more importantly because we really enjoy her company.  We took the bus from Takapuna, which might have been the highlight of the trip for the kids. 

Standing outside "The Cloud"

There was an exhibition of kiwi ingenuity which included a display by Phil and Ted's.  We put Trent in the newest stroller so I could take a photo to show Ann.  Unfortunately neither I nor Emma could figure out how to unclip him.  Thankfully he was small enough to still slip out.  

I think this may be our first family photo of 5....although you can't really see Trent, at least you can see his hat. 

After we left The Cloud we walked along the Viaduct over to Wynyard Quarter and stopped along the way to explore.

The new park at Wynard Quarter is pretty awesome.  We all had a fun time playing even though I was worried we might lose Max and Maya in all the madness.

Nothing hotter than a baby carrying a baby.  :)