Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Busy baking day

I bought a cheap box of tomatoes and so made a pile of Jamie Olivers pasta sauce. Yummy just on pasta or great as a sauce for cannelloni. Then iced the yoyo's made yesterday and threw together a batch of Afgans. I still haven't attended to the blackboy peaches that have fallen off the tree. Maybe tonight.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

My sister had both hands operated on this week.

The goodies for the invalid. Blackboy peaches, pears and dahlias all from the garden. Some bok choy and lettuce seedlings.
It was a hair dying and drying day. Forgot to take a photo of the finished product.
Silly Mark needs to learn that if he takes self portraits on my camera then I will use them.
Mother - being the main helper for the invalid and doing a fantastic job.

Homework time

Well in our house we have homework time, normally before dinner. As Mieke is also staying she is participating fully and will be the brainiest 8 month old ever. (or so doting uncle aaron says)

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Keeping the boys occupied

Eli walked home from church today and arrived with an armload of twigs etc. He wanted to make a fire like Bear Griles does on "Man vs Wild".

He wanted to use a flint to start the fire. So first we built an oven. 

then we made the pikelet mix

then the fire needed to start.
Start the cooking!!! Very pleased with the result

Yum Yum

All the better for the eating.

A chook house for a chocolate cake.

the said cake
 I made a deal with my wonderful brother in law. I made a gorgeous dense chocolate cake (real chocolate, ground almonds - Kris Parkinson's recipe) and he was to help me make a chook house. In reality he made the chook house and I did labouring. The only bit I had to make and measure by myself (the door) I completely stuffed up. So much for girl power! But in four hinges and a bit of plywoods time, I will have a fantastic new house and my chooks wont know where to turn.
being clamped in with no escape!

this is where it got finished to.
Looking almost finished and gorgeous.
a lovely entrance for the chooky girls.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Mieke is with us again


Yes it has been horrendous and we did not expect to have to live through a second event like this. But the earthquake does have it's upsides. We have Jess, Stephen and Mieke living with us again. The boys are estatic and fantastic baby entertaining machines, Morris is thrilled and has managed to stop licking her every time he sees her and we are lucky to have this time with her.

The boys snuggling up together in one room. Eli having moved for Mieke.



The Eigth Birthday Party

 Yes Jakob has turned 8. Amazing. Sunday 20th February was a great day. Two days later the pool
we went to was severely damaged with fences falling on cars etc. 
Jakob was smooth and stylish

We took 6 kids out for the day. First 10 pin bowling. Spencer won with an amazing 107 points (that is more than I normally get!!) and Brooklyn who had never been bowling before came in a point behind. (But he did get two strikes). After 10 pin bowling we went to the Waltham swimming pool. A lovely outdoor pool in Christchurch and the added attraction that it has a free open hydroslide.
Eli's great moves
Jorja


Jakob

Eli

Liam and Jakob making the dash to start again

the duo - Brooklyn and Eli
Spencer the hoon

A gorgeous break in Rarotonga

Woo hoo, A holiday with no kids for 11 days. Bliss, relaxing and warm! BTW it was an early 20th wedding anniversary present to ourselves....