Back at last....

WOW has it really been that long since I last blogged?????? Well life has been busy, busy, busy, but right now we are all on school holidays and enjoying a slower pace of life.

So much has happened since I last blogged. It would be fair to say that it has taken me a while to get my head around studying again, but I am now well and truly in the swing of it, which hopefully means that I will be able to keep up with my blog from now on. I have handed in my midwifery application and am now just keeping my fingers crossed, probably won't hear until sometime in November and the waiting is HORRIBLE!! There have been quite a few applicants this year so who knows if I will get in, but I guess that I will know soon enough. I have also had mid-term exams which were very full on, but I worked hard and so far have gotten all A's, it's good to know that my mummy brain is still in good working order!!

I can't even think about what we have been up to since I last blogged, we have had lot's of lovely weather so have spent heaps of time outdoors.

There has been pony riding.....

Stomach bugs that required sleeping outside in the healing sunshine.....(not sure why this photo is upside down)

Romantic walks along the beach....

....as romantic as walks along the beach with 3 kids can be........

Then most importantly of all, when I thought that life couldn't get any busy, along came our new addition to the family and yep life got a WHOLE LOT BUSIER!!!!! May I introduce to you our beautiful and extremely naughty chocolate Lab LENNY..........

He has torn so many holes in the kids clothes now that I have stopped even shouting about it.....

Seriously though how cute is this dog, we all love him to pieces, crazy, mad thing that he is.................

Not sure if anybody even reads this blog anymore, but hello if you do and thanks for stopping by. Have a great day, peace and love X

THANK YOU........

First of all a HUGE thank you to each and every one of you lovely ladies that left a comment on my last post. Your words of encouragement and support really mean such a lot to me!!!!

Well my first week it over and boy was it BUSY!!!! It didn't help that I had booked myself on a 16 hour first aid course over the weekend as well. So yes it's certainly been busy, but it has also been a lot of fun. I am really loving being a student again and am actually enjoying using my brain (it's been a while), which so far seems to be working ok.....

This week I have learnt a lot, made some new friends, got some exercise (and a very sore bottom) riding my bike to college and my little family are all coping really well with the changes. So it's all good so far, all I have to do now is figure out how I am going to fit in all of the home study that is required. I am sure that it will all work itself out over the next few weeks.

Last week I also came down with a stinking cold which was a pain, but I fought it hard so it only lasted a few days. On the day that I was feeling most poorly I received this gorgeous bookmark in the mail from Abi, which totally brightened up my day. THANKS ABI!!! She is so clever, I have mentioned before that out daughters are now pen pals and Abi has taken a drawing that Talia sent to Maia and embroidered it onto some fabric and made me this gorgeous keepsake. I LOVE it and so does Talia!

Right then I am off to read some chemistry notes before my class this afternoon, but thought I would leave you with this adorable photo of my gorgeous girls. Lola had her face painted at pre-school and Talia though we definitely needed a photo.......

Hope everyone has a great week and thanks again for the lovely comments. X

My journey begins....

Well it's official from today I am a REAL student, I even have a student card to prove it!!! I have my first lecture this afternoon and it is fair to say that I have one or two butterflies flapping around in my stomach. Oh well I have got my new pens and pencils ready, my recycled paper notebook is packed and my bike (yes bike...) is dusted down and ready for the off. I think I'm actually be more nervous about cycling to college than the actual lecture itself. I think that I have only ridden my bike 3 times in the last 3 years, got to be done though as parking is apparently a nightmare. I am really going to have to peddle like the wind to get there as well, which means that I am going to turn up to my lecture bright red, wheezing and panting due to my extreme UNFITNESS.............

It feels unreal actually, but today is my very first step towards my dream of becoming a midwife! Wish me luck................

At the beach

This week we have been blessed with more lovely sunshine. It has still been pretty cold though, but that hasn't stopped us from getting out. Monday we spent the afternoon at the beach, it was absolutely freezing, but the kids didn't seem to care. We packed yet another picnic lunch and headed off for our days adventure........

This photo was taken by Kalem, he was actually supposed to be getting Talia in as well, but never mind...
I LOVE the look on Talia's face in this photo, they were having so much fun together on that slide. They fight a lot, so it is always such a joy to see them enjoying each others company.

Lola loved tottering along the wet sand. She kept stopping for a bite of her apple which was pretty sandy, but she didn't care. Half way along the beach a dog came up to her and pinched her apple, then pinched another apple from the pram. The dog was really sweet , but I am always a bit wary of dogs and kids. Oh well the kids though the apple pinching dog was hysterical and Lola loved him. They REALLY want a dog of their own, perhaps one day!

My finished Featherweight Cardigan, I did have a picture of me wearing it, but I didn't like it and couldn't take another one as the camera batteries had run out. Anyway I think one photo of me a post (or year) is quite enough........ I made the sleeves so that they ended just below the elbow, looks good with a merino top underneath and will make a lovely light cardy for the spring. There are one or two mistakes, but you can't really notice them so in all I am thrilled with it.....

Am busy crocheting flowers for the Christchurch Arts festival, but more about that next time....... X

Winter fun....

After a LOT of rain recently the sun finally decided to come out, so we got to venture outside a few days last week.

We wrapped up warm and went for a lovely winter picnic.....

We spent a lovely afternoon at the Christchurch Botanical gardens. The kids had a great time in the play area. Kalem and Talia spent most of their time running around after Lola, who was loving all the attention from her big brother and sister.

Here is Lola about to be shoved head first down a slide!!! Talia was waiting (along with myself) at the bottom to catch her, she thought it was great fun.....

While we were at the gardens we were told that there was a very cool flower exhibition on. We followed some balloon flowers and some grass arrows to the hothouse were there was a display for the kids. It was brilliant, there were lot's of different types of plants made out of various items and the kids had to guess, with the help of some clues, what the real plant name was. Here are a few of our favourites......

I think that this one is called mother-in-laws tongue.

My favourite, the button plant, look at all those lovely GREEN buttons, how I stopped myself from leaning over and nabbing a few I don't know!!!!

I can't remember the exact name of this plant, but I am guessing butterfly tree..... So pretty!!!

Talia was completely mesmerised by this plant (errrr dancing ladies????), the barbie dolls danced around in their flower pots, a definite favourite for the girls....

We are having a fairly quiet weekend, resting up for lot's of fun activities next week. We went to the farmers market yesterday morning and I managed to score some gorgeous vintage fabric that is just asking to be made into a bag. Maybe a project for next week, if the kids give me any free time that is, little slave drivers for fun that they are!!!!

Happy weekend to ya all..... X

Schools holidays and stuff.....

Wow this week is going so quickly and considering that I wasn't really looking forward to these holidays due to an all time high of fighting between siblings, I am really having fun!! Kalem has been out and about busy with his friends, climbing hills, going to the movies, having sleep overs and other boy like stuff.

Talia and I have been getting crafty , we made these sleepy princess pictures from the Usborne Activities book 'Princess things to make and do'. The basic idea is really cool and we spent hours cutting bits out of magazines and sticking them in place. I also realised something while doing this activity......... I realised if I do my own picture (or whatever) as well as Talia, it stops me interfering with her creativity. We just both got on with our own 'works of art' and I only helped her if she asked, her picture is the one with the butterfly duvet,check out the little dog sitting on the bed!!! She did so well and was really proud of the fact that she did it (almost) all herself.

Talia also received her very first letter from her new pen pal Maia yesterday.The look on her face when she saw the beautifully decorated envelope and realised it was for her was a picture!! Abi (Maia's mum) and I both agree that this pen pal thing is brilliant as both girls spent ages drawing pictures, writing letters and cutting things out to send to their new friend. Such a FAB idea thanks Abi...... Talia seemed to think it was a good idea to put some of the stickers sent by Maia on her face and wanted me to take a photo!

In other news my Featherweight Cardigan is FINALLY finished. I didn't quite get it done in time for Gabes June is for finishing, but I am still pleased with myself for actually finishing it all... Here it is blocking, a bit new to blocking so no idea if I am doing it right, I am trying to stop it from rolling by holding it together with pegs and there are a few crystals on there too. I guess we will find out if I have done the right thing when it has finished drying.

Finally...for (very much missed) Nanny and Grandad, your 3 little monkeys just before bed!

Hope all you Kiwi mama's are enjoying the school hols too.... X

My Creative Space

Thought that I would join in the fun after spotting this on the lovely Abi's blog Little Grubs. This was my workspace over the weekend, otherwise known as the coffee table...... I spent a couple of hours while Lola slept and the kids were at the museum with Julian, making felt brooches. I then gave them away without taking a photo, but I quite liked the design so I will probably be making a few more. You can also see the bottom half of a new felt sculpture that I have been working on, not quite finished yet though.

If you want to check out more creative spaces check out this link....