Extreme Edge

After Bill worked another LONG Saturday (side note: I am not used to him being gone for a full 6 days like I used to be. I also don’t have the community here like I did in Rochester so overall 6 full days is HARD and I am in desperate need for some family togetherness to fill up again before the week starts). On Sunday, we took the kids to Extreme Edge a climbing gym near us. It was a peak life experience for the girls as they were both able to show off their natural climbing abilities. Most of their life I have had to be watch out for them while they are climbing – both girls are pretty above average when it comes to scaling things and managing themselves up high, but I still look out for them. Not here! It was glorious – each climbing wall had self belaying systems so you just hooked your kid up to the system and they would climb up and fall slowly back down over and over. For kids like ours this is quite possibly the best play area ever! My only complaint is that we couldn’t really relax because we were always moving kids to different walls and looking up constantly – to the point that my neck hurt bad by the end!

Claire was the first to volunteer to get strapped in. She is always up for trying anything. I love this about her – she jumps in 100% and is always excited.

you can see me trying to convince ellie to go for it and she was not having it.

Then Charlie went for the harness.

Ellie busted out her “cautious, I’m going to observe for a bit” look. She would much prefer to sit back and watch and see first.

Claire starting off! She was super excited.

Ellie watched for a bit and then I suggested she get in the harness and if she tried it she could play a monkey preschool game after. Bribing is probably not the best thing, but honestly it always convinces her and then she usually starts loving what she is doing she sticks with it.

that is basically what happened. Once we hooked her up she WOULD.NOT.STOP.GOING.UP!

She instantly got on this guitar wall and where most people got stuck – she freestyled/honey badgered her way up the hard section.

once she reached the ladder it was a breeze for her, but getting to the ladder is something charlie didn’t do.

Charlie had no problem starting the climbing, but once he got to a challenging part he would jump back and belay back. Bill being as intense as charlie coached charlie through the hard parts and once he had the confidence he was MUCH better and would go all the way to the top. I’m glad Bill was here for that – I would never have been able to encourage charlie to keep trying as I would have gotten more frustrated myself.

As soon as ellie would reach the bottom she would say “again” and start back up again.

Claire belaying down. I was so mad I forgot the camera! I had to deal with our old iphone cameras.

Ellie coming down after successfully finishing the outer space wall.

Charlie going up the sky scraper wall.

Claire going up!

Ellie did this guitar wall SO many times.

Both girls on different walls.

Proud of Charlie to make it to the top of the outer space wall!

Love this picture! All 3 kids on different walls – Claire, Ellie, Charlie.

Claire and Eleanore on the sky scraper.

Ellie and Charlie

We had such a great time and the kids loved it.  I am sure we will be back many times before we leave!

Autumn Days

Autumn is in full effect here and we are bordering on entering Winter – still SO weird for me and hard to wrap my mind around the fact that Memorial Day is approaching in the States. Autumn has brought with it some beautiful days, but also a lot more rain that we had been having (This autumn has been more mild than normal and for that I am thankful!). It is starting to remind me of the days we had when we first arrived and those were not easy days. It is dark by 6 pm, which makes it feel like winter and the rainy days are harder since we are used to being outside constantly. The house is cold and today (may 17th) I broke down and brought out the small electric heater. I am trying to hold out and not get out the oil heater, but it is only a matter of time. My laundry is back to being VERY hard since things don’t dry quickly like in summer (it is damp and cold). I am already pining for my dryer back in the US. With all that being said, the weather can still be so enjoyable. The cool breeze and warm sun can make for great park days, but when that sun drops or the clouds cover have your jacket near by! We all caught nasty colds and I have been coughing up a lung. I have to force the girls to put on leggings or a shirt over their sundresses. barefoot they remain and I LOVE IT.

This is a random assortment of photos that we have taken over the last few weeks.

Claire was playing with Charlie’s nerf gun. Charlie was thrilled to get one after attending a 2 day Army Bootcamp over the school holidays.

Claire definitely didn’t have it figured out.

I have been a braiding machine. I do “ELSA braids” (from Frozen if you are the one person on the planet who has not watched it) every morning and instead of a thank you I get told to make them “LONGER”. I remind both Ellie & Claire daily that their hair is not long enough for a full Elsa braid.

I can only do a side braid because their fine hair just falls out.

Claire’s. I like when they let me pull it into a pony tail, but since Elsa or Anna doesn’t wear their hair like this it doesn’t happen very often.

typical morning scene.

classic. eye rubbing, angry looks, goofin.

When we were at the Clevedon market one weekend, Bill stopped in the Woolshed a NZ store in town and found these small jade earrings that he purchased for the girls for SOMEDAY in the future when they get their ears pierced. They are asking now for pierced ears (which I find CRAZY but I guess they see my ears daily) so who knows how long we will hold out.

Bill then said he saw some in there for me and would like to get them. I love both of them. 1 pair of Jade earrings. 1 pair of “Pohutukawa tree” earrings in silver. I love them both!

We celebrated our dear Finn’s birthday at Nick and Prue’s house. It was a pirate party!

Guys hanging out. Gotta love Tommy who tagged along. He was a bit worried about how lame a 3 year old’s birthday party could be, but we assured him Nick and Prue were awesome and that there would probably be good beers there. He ended up having a great time.

lovely Prue.

lots of fun on the trampoline.

claire

Prue, their friend Matt and Niels.

Katherine and her daughter.

Prue did an awesome job on that pirate ship cake! Charlie almost took over for Finn – we had to seriously step in!

these guys are like family to us here. love them!

the awesome jump castle!

do you think Charlie was fired up??!?!

3 year old Finn!

collapsing the castle.

the girls hanging out with Uncle tom and looking at his pictures!

Ellie would do this puzzle from the library over and over. it was actually a bit tricky and she was always so proud of completing it.

Uncle Tom & Charlie playing memory over and over. LOTS of patience required!

with the increase in rain we have more of these nasty HUGE slug visitors in the morning.

this guy just froze when I snapped the picture as if he was thinking if he didn’t move he wouldn’t get caught.

my mother’s day cards. Loved them all. We are REALLY into drawing sharks so each kid and Bill did their own drawings.

on the US mother’s day, Bill came home with flowers. They were beautiful!

more cards from school.

E&C.