A Black stick in the making?

Tobyn is the one with the yellow stick.

A few weeks back I said Tobyn was going for the local under 11’s boys hockey team. Well I am proud of him because he gave it a go. He didn’t make it to the sqaud but he made it through the 1st cut. The comments are that he is small, and not particularly fast. He has good ball/stick skills and will make a great player with a bit of time. This year he has shown a lot more drive than ever and if he could try out again next year I think he would have made it. BUT, he can’t go for u11’s again. He wants to do well and he has told us that he will work really hard to achieve his goals.

In other proud Mummy comments…he came 3rd in the speech competition. Now there is a story to this…he wasn’t originally in the top 4 and he was really dissapointed!!! His teacher announced the top 4 and apparently said there maybe some changes, but he didn’t hear any of that. He was however teased in the playground by one of the 4 that were in and I picked him up in tears. So I went back to the school after dropping him at keyboard to find out what was going on. I was told that he doesn’t listen and misses a lot and it is a problem…I wasn’t going in to get that feedback, grrr…anyway I was told he would be recognised in the assembly the next day. So I sit in the assembly, they give out awards and he doesn’t get one…can you imagine how I was feeling then? NOT HAPPY! So I had to go to the office anyway and mentioned to the particular person and said “Oh you need to talk to his teacher” to which I am thinking “Oh heck, have I caused a problem going and talking to them yesterday” the teacher saw my face and said “For the better!” WHEW. Tobyn ran up to me in the playground and said “This is the best day of my life, I have got into the finals!” And he proved he deserved to be there. They had 1 external/impartial judge and 1 teacher from the junior school. He was pleased with 3rd, but really wanted to be in the top 2 to get to the clusters. I am thrilled for him with what he did achieve!

Last week he turned 11, ARGH where does every year go? We had a small celebration by taking him and 1 friend to the All Blacks vs France game in Wellington. It was so much fun. We parked in P’ram and got the train right to the stadium. We were not covered but the wind was blowing in the right direction so we didn’t get wet. The kids loved it, we painted their faces, got greasies for dinner, and the 2 older boys got little French rugby balls thrown at them. They thought that was really funny, the balls had Oui, Oui, Oui on, a great souvenier and didn’t cost us anything, LOL.

OK dinner is ready and I best go be back later with more…maybe LOL

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Young Love

So those that read my blog regularly know how much I adore my boys! So be prepared over the next few days for a couple of mushy Mummy/Wife posts.

There is quite a large age difference between my boys and yet they get on SO well. I love it, because it could so easily have different. This is how we found them one Saturday morning, snuggled together watching a disney movie. They got up without disturbing us and did this. So sweet.

So the title of this post is meant to lead into a little about Isaac…

Isaac is so affectionate and it may become a problem for him later in life, but right now it is ADORABLE. He loves on us so much, he is verbally affectionate and physically affectionate. He can’t go to bed without kisses and cuddles and sometimes those kisses are a little on the sloppy side, much to Tobyn’s disgust, he usually cops those ones, LOL. Isaac has already had his first heartbreak…he has a wee friend Ivy, she is a few months older than him but she is tiny like he is and they both have amazing vocabs so just get on so well. One Friday family night at Church they were playing nicely, next minute they were sitting holding hands, giving each other little kisses on sholders and saying Í love you’ so sweet. So Isaac tells Ivy at playgroup a few days later that he is going to marry her. Ivy says “Well I am not going to marry you, you don’t know who I am going to marry, I am going to marry Lachie!”  Well you should have seen Isaacs face, poor darling he was devastated. Later that afternoon I looked around at him in the back seat of the car and he looked so sad. I asked what the matter was and he said “my heart is broken, Ivy won’t marry me.” Oh I could have cried myself, poor honey. But where did learn about broken hearts? That incident was about 4 weeks ago and all is now right with the world, they are snuggle bunnies again and like to play Mummy, Daddy and babies. Christina and I took them out on a supervised ‘date’ LOL. The 4 of us had luch at a nice cafe and the kids thought it was a blast.  BUT, Ivy has competition, Isaac is making sure he has all bases covered…I found him holding Naomi’s hand and telling her he liked her and Naomi turned to her Mum and said Ï love Isaac” SO SWEET. I think we might have our hands full in teenage years with this one.

Isaac has been at kindy for a few months now and he likes it. Most mornings he still doesn’t want me to go and looks very sad when I leave, but every time I pick him up he is happy. He says he doesn’t have any friends yet the teachers say he is a happy, sweet boy who gets on with everyone and is making some really good friendships. I think he just knows how to play the right cards with Mummy.

He wants to be just like his big brother and can’t wait to get out on the hockey field, or run the block with T. And I can see him having a lot of fun, and unlike T he looks like a natural sportsman. Boy can he hit that ball.

T has been practising for his speech at school. After T has practised his Isaac says “can I do it now?”

And look at this tenderness with our dear friends grand daughter…

Wee Lucy was born 8 weeks early, weighing 3 1/2 lb. Her Mum went through a very similar experience to me, high blood pressure, close to toximia and baby needing to be delivered to save both mother and baby. I used to baby sit Lucy’s Mum, so makes me feel pretty old that she now has a baby of her own and that my dear friends Robyn and Alan are grand parents (and loving it)

Hmm, got a bit side tracked there, this was meant to be about Isaac.

What else about my wee snuggle bum? He is loving imaginary play right now. His favourite thing is being the Mummy…yes he is the mummy and I have to be the baby or the brother. He also loves pretending to be animals and dinosaurs…yay, another dinosaur lover (note the sarcasm?) And he still has lots of imaginary friends. You may remember me talking about Tiger and George, well Tiger is still around and sometimes gets blamed for naughty things. And now he has porcupine (after our visit to Orana Park) sheepy (after seeing one in a paddock on the way back from school drop off) elephanty and tigery (tigers brother). I do love his imagination and I can’t wait until he starts writing stories!

So I think for now that will do for my wee, charming, sensitive, affectionate, imaginative baby. I love you sweetheart!

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A little update and some layouts

Well it seems a monthly update might be in order…

May was a month I would like to have skipped…no nothing bad happened, unless turning a bigger number than last year counts as something bad? I would be quite happy just to stay what I was before May 27th! I had a lovely day, the boys gave me wonderful presents! I told Steve that all I wanted this year was some candles for the candelabra  they gave me for Christmas. I got 5 beautiful, delicious smelling red candles. Which look amazing against the duck egg blue wall! Tobyn was adamant that he was going to buy me a simmer mat. I had pointed them out  a few times while we were in Christchurch, but they were very expensive in the few places we saw there. Well here at Stevens they were a reasonable price so that is what he got me. It is perfect for the slow cooking on the gas hob! And Steve got me a gorgeous amethyst coloured sweater from Colorado. The fact that it is from Colorado is so exciting to me! I am a full figured lady, I am just 1 size too big for most ‘trendy’ clothes shops, so the fact that I fitted the sweaters at Colorado was a fantastic feeling! The fact that it is a lovely warm top just adds to the thrill of it. I was taken out for lunch by my sister…she insisted on paying, which was very nice. And the boys took me out for dinner to the ‘nice’ pizza restaurant in town, in other words not Dominoes or Pizza Hut. I got some lovely parcels from other friends and family. So all in all I was spoilt and it was lovely.

Other happenings in the Gregory house in May? Tobyn had the school cross country, he came 5th=. I think he is happy with that, though he was hoping to get in the top 3, but the lack of time for training this year impacted his placing I think. He is now preparing for the speech comps. 2 years ago he won his year, last year he didn’t put in much effort and came close to top 3 but not close enough. This year he wants to be in the top 2 so he can go to the cluster competition. His speech is sounding really good, now he just needs to practice, practice, practice! And on top of that he is going to try out for the manawatu under 11 hockey team. In fact Steve and T are out practicing right now. I don’t think he will get in, but it will be a great experience for him. I know I sound like I am putting hm down, but he is not all that physical I think he will excel in the árts’ i.e public speaking, music, dance and drama and maybe sketching/drawing/painting. I will be proud of him just for giving anything physical a go, because it just doesn’t come naturally. T is also very happy at school. Finally he has some great friends and is smiling a lot more than he has for a long time.

Isaac…cute as ever and as determined as ever. I now have in my possession some very cute paintings of his imaginary friends! Tiger is a tiger, but he is a blue snow tiger to be precise. And porcupine is yellow. Tiger is blamed for lots of things, especially when Isaac gets in to trouble. But sometimes Tiger is very useful, like today, we had this conversation…

Steve: Isaac you will be having a sleep after lunch

Isaac: No I am not tired, Tiger doesn’t want a sleep either.

Me: Well if tiger’s Mum says he needs a sleep then he will have one.

I: Tiger isn’t tired. (He proceeds to finish his lunch and Tobyn makes him a hot chocolate just like he has before bed at night)

After the hot chocolate

I: Tiger wants to go to sleep now!

Yay for Tiger. That was at 12.15, it is now 2pm and he is still sleeping, he really was tired!!!

Other than those things the month has been ordinary, I have had SU workshops that have gone well and I have done some DT work. As well as my scrapping I have taken up my cross stitch again. I have a teddy bear/train one I started when T was a baby, need to finish this one for Isaac or else it will end up being for grandchildren. I also have a dragon one for T so I hope to have these finished before summer gets here.

So here is some DTwork, lots of paper pleating going on this month. Tanya at Stampin’Scrap Paperie is now only selling paper, card etc so I wanted to keep the layouts to just papers as much as possible, but me being the embellish-er I am it was HARD!!! Enjoy…

There was quite a lot of feminine colours in my package so I had to find girl photos. The 1st one is Steve’s niece. I have now got photos from a few friends of their wee girls to use in the future.

This one I put strips of ribbon behind the photo, glimmermisted some cream flowers and scalloped strips of card. Not as much paper in this one!

I really like this one, quite simple but I am happy with how it turned out. It IS me, ick, don’t like the photo, but I must get over that. I am about 14/15, definitely 5th form, just not sure whether 1st half or 2nd half of the year. I love the box pleat I made! Here is a close up

And last but not least…a layout of Steve’s graduation with his post grad diploma, 2003. That is Tobyn with Steve looking ever so cute just before he turned 5.

I am having trouble getting the colours right in my layout photos at the moment. I have to figure out what is the best time of day and the best place to take the photos in winter!

I hope you are all keeping warm, ços baby it is cold outside!!! We have the fire going way earlier than last year!!!

Oh and my last exciting news…we are hoping to catch up with our American friends in the holidays. Kaila text me today and we are planning for 4th of July celebration…gotta keep the American traditions going, LOL.

TTFN, probably until next month, LOL.

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