QFT

It has been unseasonally warm for winter.  Thank goodness.  Last winter in Wellington, after leaving a Hawaiian summer, was a KILLER!  So it's been nice to have these non-freezing days with sunshine where we can be outside and enjoy some good ol' Quality Family Time.  I know that Tui's job won't always allow him to be home during the day, and soon enough the boys will start going to school full time, and life won't always be as easy breezey as it is these days, so I really am trying to cherish the days like this we have. And here are the photos to prove it. :) Such simple joys, such big smiles.

We've been so pleased with all the different playgrounds here in Hamilton.  They're awesome.  If you live in Hamilton and don't take your kids to the playgrounds, shame on you.

Flying fox.















Lots of playgrounds have this thing. It's like an octopus, Malachi calls it a caterpilla.









Slide.











Swings.





Malachi wanted to ride in the "handy-cat" swing.


Rats wheel.





Climbing.













Family.

Baby no more

(I thought I posted this 2 weeks ago, turns out I didn't.)

This week it happened.  That dreaded day.  When my baby is a baby no more.  Ok, he's already not a baby today, but now its official.  So bare with me as I reminise and blab about my little sausage.

It's amazing to me how different Vili has been from his brother from day 1.  Personalities are definately built in.  Vili is adventurous and daring and rough.  This kid climbs on everything and anything, knows how to push a chair to where he wants to climb up - Malachi still doesn't know how to do this! He has had more falls and bangs in 1 year then Malachi has had in 3.  And if you tell Vili "Be soft" he thinks you mean "scratch me more, pinch me harder, and then run away".  He's a little clown - does anything he can to make you laugh, and once he's figured out you think something is funny, he does it over, and over, and over, and over, again, (like spinning in a circle until he's dizzy and bumping on to his but on the ground), always checking to make sure you're still laughing.  He's an early bird like his brother, if he sleeps past 7 I worry that he's dead.  But unlike his brother, Vili is such a Mumma's boy.  He's growing out of it, slowly, but in general, if I'm around, I'm who he wants to be with.  He'll stand next to me and heave himself upwards, almost jumping, and making an  "uh uh uh" sound.  If I'm far away he'll look at me, tilt his head to the side making double chins and motion with his fingers for me to come.  He is terrified of cats, hates going to my sisters house because of her cats.  When we're there he SCREAMS if I put him down on the ground.  However, if he sees a dog, he gets super excited - he just loooooooves dogs!!  Vili is a book worm like no other.  Usually when a kid is too quiet you know they're up to something, pulling out wipes, drawing on the wall etc.  Not him, if he's quiet I know 100% of the time that he's snuck into Malachi's room and he's on the ground surrounded by books.  Doesn't really like me reading them to him, he mostly just wants to read them to himself.  He's obsessed with putting clothes on his head and around his neck and walking around the house, which causes crashes. Any chance he gets he pulls his socks off so I've started putting little woolen tights on him instead, yes, girls tights, don't worry, I bought blue ones, and they work like a charm. Vili can say - muma, dada, ma (malachi), baya (brother, which is super cute coz that's what malachi used to say to my stomach when I was pregnant with Vili), nana (num nums, food, drink), osi (finished), yes, na (no), dis (this), dat (that), doh (dog), he makes this awesome duck noise, he fake burps.  He does the sign for more, finished, thank you, please,apple, banana, cracker, sandwhich, drink (they're all food related, what a surprise, little hungas.).  He does peek a boo whenever I'm trying to growl him.  He loves helping to clean up and put things away, just like his brother (hurray!!!!).  If you're lying on the ground he runs to body slam you.  He gives the biggest, sloppiest kisses ever.  He talks and squeals all day long, there is never a quiet moment in our house unless Vili's asleep, and even then he snores. He thinks that everything is a phone, remotes, calculators, toys, rulers, and he walks around the house yabbering on it.  And if he sees the real phone and I don't give it to him, boy oh boy get ready for tantrums.  And man does this kid know how to throw tantrums!! He drops to the floor, throws himself down and cries, looking up to make sure I'm watching, and if I'm not, he'll stand up and throw himself down again.  He loves to dance.  He has a set routine; he'll jig up and down a few times, then spin in a circle, and then sway side to side.  And then repeat.  It's so cute.  He has such a strong personality, so full of energy and life.  He makes me smile every minute he's awake.  I feel like with Vili I've had to give more of myself, be more available, more patient, and I'm glad.  Anyone who knows Malachi knows he's pretty easy breezey, and Vili is alot higher maintainance.  But oh how I love that boy.  Man oh man do I love that little boy of mine.  He has me wrapped around his finger and I'm OK with it.

Ok whoa, that's long.  But even though all these things seem so insignificant right now, but they are what makes up Vili the 1 year old.  And I don't ever want to forget it.

Vili's birthday party - part 2

Vili's party was a barnyard/animal theme.  I really rattled my brain thinking of themed food and decorations, without being over the top and ridiculous.  So our barnyard food consisted of corn, porcorn balls, oatmeal cookies, chocolate and strawberry milk, carrots and hummas, sheep meringues that were a disaster and only my big brother who was starving ate, and apples, all in someway keeping with the farmy theme. I also made some cow flag banners 







The kids had so much fun in their little costumes. We had a cat, a mouse, a dog, a cow, a tiger, a bear, a frog, and an animal fairy.









First we played a few games.

Pin the tail on the donkey.  It was so funny how sneaky the kids were. "Oh I don't need that blindfold aunty sarah.....but I can't see....wait, let me just take it off to see where to put the tail.....I need to do it again coz I didn't win...." They were funny.





Then they ate donuts on a string.  I've only ever seen this done, never actualy participated, but it seemed like a good idea.  Well. After 10 seconds Nathan ran away crying because he couldn't do it, Malachi ripped his donut off and downed it, and the other kids just struggled in vain.  Funny to watch though.











Pass the parcel.  I thought I was all PC and had the exact right ammount of layers for one per child and so they'd all get a chocolate.  Well. Some kids didn't come, some didn't want to play, so some got more then others, making for some sad kiddies.  The older girls who knew what the game was about took a really loooooooooooooooooooong time to pass the parcel on.





Last the pinata.  I'm quite proud of my homemade "chicky pinana" (as Malachi would say), made under the careful direction of Leeyen, who made Malachi's pinata at his first birthday.  It was strong enough that it lasted through all the kids having a go at it, and some of those girls REALLY had a go at it.  They moved so fast my camera couldn't pick them up.  It was funny seeing Vili go at it - cow verses chicken....













And then in comes Uncle Matt and smashes the poor chick into shreds.  Lollies go flying, kids start cheering, it was awesome.











The cake was a replica of Vili the little piggy.  Poor porky underwent major ear reattachment surgery twice during the course of the day.  But he put on a brave face in the end.  Vili either thought everyone's singing was horrible or he was ready for a nap, because he bawled his eyes out when they sang Happy Birthday to him (reminded me of my late friend Amanda's daughter Ansley, she bawled during happy birthday on multiple occasions when she turned 1).







Then Vili opened his presents, of which I didn't get any photos of because I was busy hugging Dani and Joseph and their munchkins who came down to visit from Auckland.  He got some books, these cute dinosaur decals for his room, some instruments, this dump truck lunchbox that his brother is so jealous of, some clothes.  It was a fun afternoon, although like most 1st birthdays, the birthday boy didn't know what was happening.  And I was so busy running the show (coz I'm a control freak) that I didn't get to take as many pictures as I wanted to (I know what you're thinking, hello, you took a million pictures! But just imagine how many I could have taken if it wasn't so busy....), but hopefully Vili will look back on the pictures and feel that he was loved and special and totally worth all Mummy's grey hairs.  Coz you're worth it little man. Oxo