Coming up for air now that it's almost stopped raining

1. Survived school holidays! Aspire to do even better than that someday
2. Nadia well and eating hugely
3. Alex well and eating hugely
4. Mummy well and eating hugely (doesn't sound so great on me)
5. Daddy well, eating hugely, and I'm sure my yummy dinner had nothing to do with last night's toilet embracing episode. At least there was no repeat performance tonight, because I would have taken that personally
6. Toys back to toy library, including all 258 pieces of building set
7. Made chocolate coconut muesli porridge ice with kids (recipe idea courtesy of Alex and successfully modified)
   
8. Fun trip to Kelly Tarleton's with friends
9. Got out some bigger clothes for Nadia - when sitting, her winter trousers were at knee level and I couldn't bear all that chilly baby skin. Spring, come back! All is forgiven!
   
10. Nadia doing some real toileting - mummy doing some real hosing down of one of those new bigger trousers
11. Dishwasher fixed! Properly hot water means clean dishes, clean soap dispenser and fresh smelling inside...but new circuit board fails on the Child Lock function. Sadly, we need it. Poor Andy the dishwasher guy can probably drive here while texting, and I wish we'd left this dishwasher at our Avondale house.
12. Brisk walk down to beach this afternoon. And back.
13. Mashed potatoes for dinner and even a few new baby potatoes dug from our very own garden under the fascinated eyes of our very own children
    

All systems GO!

1. Well-earned lie-in for all
2. Daddy and Alex off to climbing gym to leave Mummy and Nadia for quiet morning
3. Nadia quietly demands trampoline, sandpit, slide, and walk
4. Nadia skips lunch and has 3 hour nap
5. Yummy dinner at Chez Curran - compliments to the chefs

Sunday

1. I enjoy exciting grocery shopping sans kids - am marked in Pak N Save lot by an itinerant car salesman who apparently has people panting to buy my aging (and scraped, I really did park and drive better before children) Nissan Sunny. OK, but would a car salesman cruising a parking lot lie to me?
   
2. Great specials on Ricies and Cornflakes
3. Very nice party and catchup with Claire and family - your kids taller than I remember, ours, well, more in existence!
4. Discover it is still wise to be gentle with Nadia's tum
5. Alex is really nice and lovely to Nadia when she is sick - though very interested in the outputs and outputting process!
6. Lovely warm fire...
   

She didn't eat much...

1. Nadia didn't add much on the food bill today
2. We kept up with the laundry
3. We kept the bad messes on machine-washable items
4. We had lots of cosy cuddles - Daddy too!
5. Great having Alex home from his sleepover, and he was lovely to his sister
6. She wanted dinner and (so far) has retained it
   

School holiday Monday

1. Finally stopped dithering and left Alex at his 2-hour gymnastics session - he looked so small compared to the other kids and I wasn't sure he'd cope. He did! At pickup, saw several more kids closer to his size and he was still doing fine, yay!
2. Inside entertainment on a rainy day - kids did playdough and I even sorted through a few things
3. Naptime OK even with daylight savings time - I guess I adapt better than the rest of the cows
   
4. Remembered chiro appointment before missing it and clear weather meant a popular stop at Lil Rangitoto park to fill in that awkward pre-dinner gap
5. Nadia peeing in potty! Sometimes asking, once telling me after doing it all by herself, so who cares that she dipped her onesie... Lots of false positives but at least she's keen
6. Great imaginative energetic after-dinner play with the kids (their imaginations and energy, not mine)
   

Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours...

...so I refrained from doing unto them at 6:30am what they did to us at 11:30pm, 12:40am and 1:20am. Imagine what damage they could inflict if they were actually trying, instead of just drunk, clueless and feeling GOOD! (Sorry about the plagiarism, Mr Adams, but I doubt they were naked.)

1. Fulfilled Alex's fervent wish to go swimming (Nadia fervently said "Yeah!" so I think that counts too). Didn't forget anything crucial
   
2. Regained some energy bouncing on the trampoline with Alex
3. Regained more when P-Jay took the kids grocery shopping - long involved negotiation with Alex comparing the merits of the treat he could get from the shop with a treat already at home
4. Indian takeaways - happy family, no cooking
5. Family project - Alex paints, Mummy buys frame, Daddy puts painting in frame, Alex and Nadia almost get to touch the frame, glass, painting, screws, pliers and hammer but Daddy manages to hang it safely. Beyooodifull!
   

School holidays rolling in

1. Alex to preschool (on time, without any shouting, in correct shoes)
2. Nadia to PORSE
   
3. = Childfree morning!
4. Bought gigantic mirror to make downstairs look bright and big instead of cavernous and gloomy. Now all P-Jay has to do is hang it up...
   
5. Nadia to Dr for more serious drugs in the pursuit of better sleep - she did a wonderful "aaaah" on request
   
6. Picked up Alex and goodbye goody bags from preschool - everybody gets to have sticky fingers! Is the rainbow lollipop better than the Chupa chup? I'll leave that question to the philosophers.
   

Today failed to live up to its disaster potential

1. Got Alex to preschool (note absence of any qualifiers like "on time" or "without any shouting" or "wearing correct size shoes")
2. Bought more fruit (due to eating lots of fruit) and scored big time on the kid clothes half-price at the Hospice shop
3. Opened up Plunket playgroup before anyone found out I was late (see aforementioned bargain bonanza)
4. Got both Nadia and myself a nap (number one blue light special crucial accomplishment for today)
5. No walk today, but also no desperate dashes to shelter under thick trees or strangers' carports
   
6. Lovely little playdate for Alex (inside)
7. Dinner yummy - everybody ate! Looking good for maintaining my solemn vow that "I will not cook on Fridays" as fridge remnants should see us through.
   
8. Signed Alex up for gymnastics (his new favourite hobby) for holidays and term 4