Recycle please

I love how I ask Lukas if he wants to put the recycling into the bin, he is always happy to do it and today I found out why.  Yup normally I wouldn't follow him out cause he gets the job done.  But today I him yelling YUS, YAY, GOT IT.  So out i went with the camera to see what he was doing and found out, he throws the recyling into the bin and most of the time he gets it in, I only caught on video him getting one in and a few bouncing off.  Once i turned off the camera he got more into the bin by throwing it.  

No wonder why he is happy to do the recycling.

Click on the links to watch the videos, blogger was having a mental and wouldnt let me load the videos here.

Recycling part one
Recycling part 2

Rugbytots for Lukas

For term 3 Lukas has been going to rugbytots and learning skills for rugby, he has been enjoying this but for what you pay I dont really see the point in him being in this we would prefer him to be in an actual team play.  This was his last day today before heading off to his summer sport of softball.

Here is a few videos of his last day :)

So term 3 is over, man this year is going fast as

First week of school for Dakota

Well Dakota finally got to start school on Monday and she loves it.  She was very excited to get to school, we all walked her up, Damian, Lukas and Myself and stayed for a little while, as she wrote her name on the board to say she was in class.

Before we left the house

All ready

And off to school we go

Made it to school, Dakota is getting showen by her teacher where to hang her bag.

Such a cutie.  She has had an awesome week at school bringing home a reading book every day and doing well reading them.  Doing well with her workbooks and they had been practising a show for assembly for the Friday morning which we were invited to so I went with Lukas.

Her group was doing the pois and she did very well.

Was very cute watching her go up on stage she has waited for 5 other groups to go before her group being number 6 out of 7.  She got up on stage and searched the hall, saw me and started waving like crazy at us, so of course waved back she was so happy.

So all in all, Dakotas first week at school has been AWESOME.

Not missing it

Its funny how you dont miss certain things when you find the time for your kids.

Since doing uni and work im coming home and not jumping right on the computer like I ALWAYS did.  Those that actually know me, know I always had the tv on crap and always on the computer and if I was out i would come home the first thing I would do is turn on the computer, whether I was at it or not it was on, it would even come to the kitchen with me while cooking and dishing up dinner, I would dish dinner up and sit at the computer while eating and the kids in front of the TV but since the kids have decided the big table is where we eat the tv and computer aren't anywhere to be seen on.  Once the kids are in bed, I make myself a hot drink and sit down to chill out for a bit with tv and computer, until its time to get up and make lunches and head to bed lol

This all proves the fact me yelling at two  young kids to get into bed and go to sleep just wasnt working they were too hyped up and had no interaction with me really, of course I would do things with them for about 30mins MAX and then back on the computer.

Today was another good day coming home from uni, talking with the kids and of course did puzzles again, the kids decided to help me sort the puzzles out on which ones are TOO easy for them both and they dont want anymore so we will sell those ones.

While doing this I heard Lukas spell out his name for the FIRST time...Was awesome, I had to video it

Dakota decided to do a big floor puzzle while Lukas had his bath, and she loves this puzzle and did really well, also decided to spell out the words on the pieces and tell me what that word said, of course she knew cause of the picture.  Only had to correct a few times, so proud of her asking when she got stuck.

Then Lukas wanted to do his big floor puzzle he got for his birthday last November, we haven't actually pulled it out and done it before so we did.  Of course Lukas needed help so I helped him find the pieces and he put them into the place it needed to be.

But he did complete the puzzle, clever boy

Tonight I decided to pull out the puzzle clock and set it up next to the actual clock putting the times on the puzzle one that I wanted the kids to know like I put the puzzle one at 6 o'clock and said thats Lukas bath time.  They watched the clock at 6 o'clock Lukas went off to the bathroom, so I put the clock on 6:15 and told Dakota that was her bathtime.  At 6:15 she went and told Lukas it was her turn and they swapped over.  Clock went on 6:30 and that was bedtime, at 6:30 they went off to bed (Lukas was a little longer while he completed his puzzle) They went off to bed to read once I read to them it was lights out and lie down

Dakota chose a book to read called My Day at the back of the book was heaps of clocks with saying "is this 5 o'clock" Dakota would say nope and say the correct time on the clock.  I was so proud of her, learning time always.

After doing this im seeing a different in the kids, Lukas isnt getting out of bed running the hallway he is going to sleep almost right away, Dakota on the other hand will take longer to go to sleep, she keeps playing in her room but not running up and down the hallway, playing in the bathroo or hiding in or under Lukas's bed.

Awesome Day

Today has been another one of those nice hot summer days and i have to say Im loving it

We made a water pillow which kept leaking so made another to stop it leaking.  Kids loved it even Samantha who i look after.

Got some PVC and duct taped the edges had to be careful here so there were NO lumps so no leaks happened

Once that was done added blue food colouring, glitter and water

Add some foam fish to the mix and tape the end closed I also taped it to the deck

Then its ready to play on

The kids turned it into a pirate boat

Samantha just tried drinking the water

I brought some sand today for the shell pit.  The kids loved this.

The kids asked to do some painting so out came the paints and when you cant be bothered with paper and the windows need a clean put two and two together and they get to paint and I get clean windows

Then it was time to do body painting and cleaning lol

Inside for a shower and to warm up.  Then I pulled out all the education gear and the kids had fun with this, Dakota learning to spell, Lukas matching colours.

And a proud moment today was Dakota learning about mixing colours all started while painting on the windows and mixing the primany colours.  She would mix two and work out what colour it made, so I helped her.  Then 3 hours later i asked her again while videoing and I got great answers, so pleased with her

So you can see why Im proud.

Such a great day today, bring on more summer

Summer is here

Yup summer is finally arriving in New Zealand and of course christmas is on its way too 13 more days so I'm told.

We started this day off by doing the magic crystal trees the kids loved these they didnt take long to start showing crystals.  

Dakota asked if she could have a blue tree so we put a bit of colour into the bottom of her lid and when Lukas got home and saw Dakota has blue he asked for a red one.  They look great, I wasnt too sure it was going to work but it has.

Dakota had speech today the last one for the year and as a proud parent I am beaming from ear to ear as my daughter says words that can be understood.

Dakota doing her M words.

She is doing an awesome job even her speech lady is so proud of her

Since it was a nice hot day I set up the pool and slide for the kids to have some summer fun, had to take the shade off the pool cause Lukas kept hitting his head lol.  He finally has learnt to duck.

Since it was such a nice day I decided we could have a semi BBQ type dinner without using the BBQ lol

Chicken nibbles

Vege stack

Salad with lettuce from the garden

Beetroot

Was so good the kids just kept helping themselves was a nice dinner with no yelling or mucking around.

Then ice-blocks afterwards, Lukas hates smoothies and will scream if you put it in front of him so I thought I would try it as ice blocks, funny enough he loved it.  I also love the lollitups from tupperware cause they hold all the melted juices inside instead of all down the arms

Overall been an AWESOME day

Preschool Christmas

Last Friday the kids had their preschool concert it was great fun to watch them preform.

I got videos of each song

Welcome everyone

Jingle bells

Im A pohutukawa tree

In a bakers shop

Kids setting up

Well yesterday we decided to move the daycare rooms to the master bedroom, and our master bedroom as the playroom cause well i have stopped working with the family daycare apart from one little boy which i will keep looking after cause he fits into our family better than the older ones.

So the kids helped us move everything around, Damian and I got back to the new master bedroom to find the kids putting our bed together, yup i had to take a video cause it was too cute NOT too

So the kids in the act

And a video to see them actually sorting it out and working together to finished the bed

Today I got a swing set brought to me that i brought on a facebook buy and sell page, he pulled it apart and dropped it off and i was going to wait till Damian got home to put it up, then thought hell i can do this..

So I did, I found the spanner and alen key, Lukas helped me get it sorted and held the bolts for me. No photos of us putting it together as it was only me and Lukas home.

But here is the swing set lying down ready to be put up

 After 10mins I had it up, admittedly i only had the sides to put up, but still I put it together so yup I ROCK.  And of course I was the best mum ever cause Lukas wanted to play on it right now.

So had a few things to put together