Pesky Pirates

I've never been one of those people who wins things, but after a recent visit from friends from Dunedin I decided that I was going to take maters into my hands and enter as many competitions as I could find. With the help of a lovely website that lists the links to all the NZ online book competitions I've been busy entering contests. Last week I got the pleasant surprise in my mailbox when the NZ author Witi Ihimaera's latest book arrived. Today Ben was overjoyed when the game, Pesky Pirates arrived. I think I'll keep on entering contests, who knows what will turn up on our doorstep next?

Happy Halloween

I'm suffering seasonal effective disorder again, the problem with being a Northern Hemisphere girl living at the bottom of the globe. On our way home from a delightful picnic this afternoon we saw some kids out trick-or-treating and I said to Dan, "They're suppose to wait till after it's dark." He laughed. Right, wrong season Erin!

To make my Halloween obsessed mother happy I did help organize a Halloween party at our local playgroup. So my children, dressed as a fire fighter and Superman, did get to experience a small part of the American holiday. Ben did ask what trick or treating was when we saw the kids out on the street. He liked the idea of candy, but since he's never actually been trick or treating I'm not sure he fully understood the concept.

So, for all of those on the other side of the equator, we spent Halloween at a picnic enjoying a lovely Spring afternoon.

Josh mowing the lawn

Today we borrowed a well loved toy lawn mower from the toy library and Josh got right to work mowing the grass when we got home. After all that hard work I convinced him he should take a nap, but compromised and put the lawn mower in bed with him.

Ben & Josh, Fire Fighters

There's been a big interested in fire engines, or "woo woos" as Josh calls them, for quite some time in our house. Josh has a substantial collection of toy fire engines and fire engine books. To add to the mix my mother has sent over an authentic fire fighter costume for Josh to wear for Halloween, which I will confess that we're not planning on celebrating here in New Zealand. Here are some photos of both the boys trying out the new outfit.

30 days of yoga

I decided, on the last day of August, that I wanted to make a goal of doing yoga every single day for the entire month of September. I was realistic and made the goal respectable- a mere 15 minutes every day would be sufficient. 30 days later and I've only got 2 excuses, one of them was a wine induced headache that wouldn't go away and the other was a child throwing up (a short 3 minutes into my yoga practice that day- needless to say I didn't make it back to the yoga mat). I will admit that there were a few days where Dan and I did some relaxation yoga before going to bed, which was probably more breathing and relaxing then stretching or working out, but I pulled out the yoga mat and dedicated at least 15 minutes to the cause. The biggest gift of the exercise has been how enthusiastic the boys have been about participating. Ben started his day off today asking if we could do some yoga. Josh yells "'oooga"' and sticks his arms in the air. He likes to do downward dog with a toy in his hand and often rests his head on the floor because his arms aren't long enough. Ben loves making up the names of new poses, through the month we've done the Monster Truck Pose, the Triceratops pose, the Transformer pose, to name a few.

Making cards

Family Photo

This is a family photo that was recently taken at a fundraiser for Mini Muscles. Dan and Ben were on their way to the ski resort and somehow we all got talked into taking a family photo. I keep smiling at this photo, because it's so not us, but oh well, guess we have to have an awkward family studio photo in the archives, right?