Just a few random photos:

Tyler playing the 'kitchen drums'

Ben 10 drawing

Tyler, Chris, Pedro, Felix

I was supposed to be singing in the annual competitions this weekend. Developed a head cold around Wednesday, sang three songs (not terribly well but got a first and 2 seconds) on Friday night and then woke up Saturday with no voice! Was gutted that all that preparation was for nothing. :(  Still sulking about it.

Tyler said to me this morning "I don't want it to be the holidays, I want to go to school!" Long may it last.

The more things change.....

So, tomorrow was supposed to be the first day of my new job. Only...I'm staying at PRLaw! A long and strange saga, and the end result is that I will have a much-expanded job (IT and HR) with a good increase in salary, plus a number of perks. Back in management again. How ironic. I won't bore anyone with the saga, just believe me when I say I NEVER want to go through a day like last Thursday! My leaving dinner turned into a 'Welcome Back' dinner :)

Tyler is still enamoured of school. His drawing and language have taken a leap in complexity. We had his first school Mass today, he seemed to cope with the rituals ok. I asked what happened when he went up the front and he said "The man patted me on the head twice". :)

Two Friday's ago at work we held a 'PRLaw's Got Talent' show. Suzanne Prentice was one of the judges. We had team entries and individuals. Some of the team numbers were absolute classics and included one of our Associates, a 6'5" broad-shouldered mans' man dressed in drag as part of a Rocky Horrow Show item. I did a funny operatic piece and won the individual section.

Apart from that not too much else to report except the spring has truly arrived - yay!!!!

Every day we learn something new

Conversation with Tyler after school last Friday (remembering it is a Catholic school):

Me: So what did you do at school today?
T:    Amy.
Me: Oh, is Amy a friend?
T:    No, you know Mum - in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amy.

He refused to believe me when I said the word was Amen so I guess I'll have to leave the correction to his teacher.

He made Chris a cool card and bookmark for Fathers' Day. His school had a PTA Fathers' Day fundraiser where each child had to take a small thing e.g. handwritten poem, small trinket, baking, drawing to school and then each child paid $1 to choose a gift for their Dad from the all the things brought in. T came home with a pair of mini-pliers for Chris. Very apt!

Tyler has now had two weeks at school and his teacher says he is settling in really well. On Thursday he was the class 'Leader' (the equivalent of earlier generations 'Monitor' as Mum reminded me) and he got to wear the rainbow sash and be generally helpful. He was so excited about it that by 7:30am that morning he was asking me when we could leave for school. Tomorrow will be his first time being picked up by the OSCAR bus, and luckily two older friends take the same bus so will look after him.

In other news, I am leaving Preston Russell Law, where I've worked for a total of 18 years and am taking up a new position as Professional Services Administrator at McIntyre Dick, a local accounting firm. Scary and exciting.

So, first day at school! He was absolutely fine, even though his teacher was sick today and his class temporarily merged with another. It was a case of "Yeah, bye Mum". He was a happy wee chappy when I picked him up (I took the day off so I could be there for his very first school pickup) and was very excited that they got to meet 'Old McDonald' who was actually Ronald McDonald doing the road safety message thing. He got himself two books from the library to read and has a Certificate for 'A Great First Day at School'. So now we see how long the enthusiasm lasts :)

And here are his new PJ's from Aunty Leona.....

Here are some photos from today's party at Chipmunks. The theme was Transformers and the cake had a Transformers edible icing. Tyler thought it was great. He also had the party of one of the little girls invited to his party to go to straight after his, so he had a full-on afternoon.

Last day at pre-school!

This was the end of an era. Tyler has been attending Surrey Park Early Learning Centre, averaging 3 days a week, since he was 5 months old. The centre has been brilliant - the teachers are great, and Tyler has blossomed. He left as the tallest kid at the centre by quite a margin according to the height chart by the door! We took lolly-cake to share with the kids at afternoon tea, chocolates for the teachers and flowers for the Centre's director, Averil. I joked that I should have given her some Panadol too, for the headache of having to work our strange roster with the Education Ministry's requirements :)

Tyler receiving his birthday hat

Leaving Certificate

Tyler and some of his teachers

Chris reading T a story at pre-school

The birthday cake

So the moment has nearly arrived - my baby is a baby no longer, only 7 more sleeps till he turns 5!! He had his first school visit on Thursday afternoon. He is going to Sacred Heart School (and yes I know we are not Catholic but it is a lovely wee school and Anton went there for a year when he was 10 and did very well). Tyler was a bit overwhelmed at the start as his class (Room 2) started the afternoon with a physical education session, joining with the other junior class.

Back in the classroom the teacher told a story which he enjoyed and then he got to practice writing his numbers. By the end of the classtime he was starting to interact with some of the other children. He has two morning visits next week, which include having lunch and Chris will take him to these.

Friday 14th will be his last day at Surrey Park Early Learning Centre and that will be quite a sad day. He has been attending there since he was 5 months old and I can't speak highly enough of the care he received there and the happy environment. Saturday 15th we are having a family birthday tea (so if you are reading this G-A Betty, G-U Dennis and Julie, you are invited!) On the Sunday he has his kid's party at Chipmunks. It has a Transformers theme and I have sourced an edible icing with his two favourite characters on it which a local bakery is going to put onto a chocolate cake for me.

In other family news, Chris' rugby season has finished and just as well. He managed to dislocate two fingers at various times and the old body just doesn't get to the tryline as fast so he has been playing flanker and lock more than in the backs this year. My netball is going well - my team has just reached the semi-finals so we have at least one more game.

I am starting to prepare music for Competitions and also I am part of a smaller group from within the choir I sing with - A Capella - which has been named A Capella Concertino (my suggestion, I thought the meaning was quite apt) which is going to do more challenging works. At work we are having an inter-team competition which instead of being the usual sports or quizzes is a 'Preston Russell Law's Got Talent' show. The judge is Suzanne Prentice. Our work team (Admin) is going to sing a song based on G&S's song 'I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee'. Each verse is written about a partner of the firm so hopefully we'll get a few laughs. My own individual item is 'A Word on my Ear' about a diva who is actually tone deaf but has managed to fool everyone because her accompanists cover for her! Should be a lot of fun.

Right that's about it for now, I shall really try to keep this much more up to date. In the meantime, here is a link to an album on my Facebook profile which contains a bunch of pictures of the blokes in my life :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26917&id=586381822&l=a5c2679f38

Photos

OK here are a few photos to keep you going till I can write a decent post...

Tyler at Kidzone on a chicken called Demetrius!

The boys baking up a storm
The hat Tyler made Chris for his birthday

And the birthday card.

OK clearly all my internet energies are focused on Facebook these days given that I haven't posted here since March, but for those still interested, here are a couple of photos. The first two are of Pedro, a little Maltese X that we got from the SPCA today. The third one is Tyler showing off one of his Lego creations. Happy Birthday for tomorrow Rosina! :)

Crikey has it been that long? Oops. Been Facebook-ing too much obviously. Anyways, you all probably know that we found a mole on Chris' head/neck that turned out to be melanoma. He had it removed as well a sentinel node biopsy and yesterday the results came back and the nodes were clear! Celebrations all round. He still has 3-monthly checkups for the next 2 years and then less often over another 3 years, but the chances are pretty slim that the cancer will return. So it's been a fairly scary time for us all. Here are the gorrrrrrgggeous compression stockings Chris had to wear after his op and the bandaged wound (which is shaped like a sqaure question mark). Tyler continues to grow in every sense of the word. Only 5 months till he goes to school - eek! He still loves Ben 10, Spiderman and Transformers but equally enjoys Postman Pat and Sean the Sheep. His favourite bed-time stories are Goodnight Moon, Where is the Green Sheep? and Runaway Bunny. His best friends at pre-school are Ethan, Luke and Ella.

Touch season has finished and I was stoked to be a part of the Preston Rustlers which won the B section of the Business House competition. Here I am looking like I know what I'm doing :)

Playing together

Working on Chris' philosophy that the family that plays together, stays together he bought a bike trailer for Tyler so we can all go cycling together. Tyler loves it and pedals the whole way. He even got up and asked to go for a bike-ride yesterday morning.

I have torn by calf muscle again so it's off to the physio for me tomorrow *sigh*

Storm

We had a big thunderstorm hit yesterday about tea-time. It was Tyler's first decent look at lightning and he was quite excited trying to spot each flash. The neighbours's sheep went a bit dotty with the thunder and didn't know which way to run. Then the rain hit and it was torrential. Haven't seen anything like it! Followed by a tremendous downpour of hail. This was the view out of the kitchen window about 2 minutes after the hail started. The rain has flooded part of the lawn and the hail covered the rest. The whole storm lasted ages.

Chris has started back at work today after a couple of weeks off. I start back on Thursday, so I got up early this morning just to get my body clock back into work mode.

Here's Tyler mucking around with my headscarf. He looks like a little washer-woman :)

Tyler and I and the Howards visited Betty & Dennis at Mum's today, as they fly back to Auckland tomorrow. Betty is looking 200% better than when we last saw her :) Here's a famil shot.

A gratuitous photo of our wee Dude :)

Sending healing vibes to Aunty Betty who has landed in hospital here in Invervegas with viral pneumonia. Helen and I visited her today and I am pleased to report that despite her discomfort she has not lost her sense of humour.

Big 'Hi' to Julie and the Dines family :)

We are off to Christchurch via Queenstown tomorrow, first visiting Chris' uncle and Aunty and then staying with Rosina. Then down to Oamaru to visit Leona followed by a stop at Dunedin for Rachel's housewarming/birthday party. EBB invasion!

Tyler went to a friend's 5th birthday party today, and is so tuckered out he has gone to sleep on the couch.

Christmas

Wow Christmas came round fast! Christmas Day started very early for me as I was singing at a carol service at 11pm so didn't get home till about 12:20am. Then has to check that Santa had put presents in Tyler's pillowcase ;). The wee dude woke up at 4:33am (!!) but I got him back to sleep and then actually had to wake him so that he could open his presents before Chris went to work. He was ecstatic with his Ultimate Omnitrix and Battling Transformers, plus loads of other bits and pieces.

We went to Mum and Richard's just before 10am to open presents with the Howards and Betty & Dennis and we were all blessed with lovely gifts. Then Helen and I went to Elizabeth's for our yearly ritual of christmas cake and sherry. Back to Mum's for a wonderful Christmas dinner with ham, turkey, new potatoes etc followed by plum pudding with custard and cream, and shortbread and mince pies. Mum gave us all individualised Christmas crackers which Tyler loved. Chris was able to leave work early enough to have some dinner and open his presents with us.

Here's Tyler in his new shirt from Nan:

Tyler and cousin Stephen:

Busy busy busy

Goodness it's almost a month since I last posted! Into the Christmas run-up now, so it's all go. Tyler is really getting into Christmas this year. Every morning as soon as he wakes up it's "Count how many sleeps till Christmas" and I have to do it with my fingers. Today we opened the first door on G-A Betty's advent card (thank you Betty!) and Tyler got the first gift from our advent hanging. In each pocket I have tucked a piece of paper with a picture representing some part of the house, or object in the house. A gift will be hidden at that spot. Today he found a doctor's kit in his gumboot :)

Last night A Capella had its Christmas concert. We did John Rutter's 'Mass of the Children' and as well as the organ we had percussion, a flute and a lovely children's choir with us. I was the soprano soloist and I think I did ok. I also did a duet 'Love Came Down at Christmas' with another soprano. This a link to an article and photo in the Southland Times the other day. http://www.stuff.co.nz/southlandtimes/4775068a16895.html

Tyler is settling really well in the pre-school room at daycare. He is very conscious that he is now a big boy and corrects me if I say we are going to Surrey Park by saying "No! I go to Pre-School!" He loves singing the National Anthem in both English and Maori. When he first started singing it, the line 'from the shafts of strife and war/kia tau to atawhai' came out as 'taa ti ta ti ta ti ta ti ta ti taa.

He has had a bit of a growth spurt and it is awkward getting trousers to fit him as if the waist is the right size the length is too short. He is still chanelling Spiderman on a daily basis, and is Ben 10 mad. Any game/DVD/book which involves swordplay also gets his vote.

Springs things

The flowers are blooming, the cattle are lowing - oh sorry, that's Christmas -the lambs are gambolling and baby chicks are falling out of their nests.

Touch has started, Anton has left school *deep breaths, Christine, deep breaths*, and Tyler is bouncing on his trampoline.

Superhero

Hmm, what shall I be today?

How about..... a tiger!

Or maybe....Spiderman!

Or better yet....Ben 10!!!

Spring has sprung

And what heralds spring better than the baa-ing of little lambs as they gambol in the paddocks? Here is Ethan, one of two pet lambs for us this year. The other (Tracy) wouldn't stay still long enough to be photographed. And just in case there was any doubt, they were named by Tyler :)

Tyler is transitioning to the next class at daycare, the Pre-School room. He is very conscious of the fact that he is growing up and the yesterday he told me he wasn't going to wave goodbye to me because "I'll be OK Mum".

He is finally starting to go to bed by himself and then going to sleep. He recognises when he is tired instead of insisting that he is the Energizer Bunny.

RIP Milly

Chris' wee dog Milly died on Friday :( A few days before that she had some kind of fit, but seemed OK afterwards. Then on Thursday her hindquarters went limp and she couldn't walk. She went off her food and was not responding to us. We bathed her and popped her on the sofa on a towel. Offered her a saucer of icecream which she loves, and she just looked away. She spent the night on the front porch snuggled into a blanket. When I got up I opened the door and patted her and she looked up at me and then half got up. I thought she was better than the night before, so went off to have my shower. When I looked out the door again she had gone from the blanket and I saw she had gone down the steps and was lying by my car. I rushed over but she was gone :( Chris has buried her on the farmlet that she loved and will make a wee metal plaque for her grave.

This is one of my favourite photos of her, with Tyler about a year ago -

Milly in her usual pose, looking up adoringly at Chris

Cuteness!

Rosina is staying for a few days and has brought her new puppy, Sherry with her. How cute is she!

Tyler is mostly over his chicken pox and is back at daycare. He had a great time today with Chris' workmate's little boy on their respective four-wheelers out at Sandy Point.

More pics of Mr Spotty. He's coping pretty well, although having to be inside with this rainy weather isn't helping.

Join the dots

Daycare called me late Friday afternoon to say that Tyler was running a bit of a temperature, complaining of a sore ear and generally being a bit clingy. I took him home and got some Panadol into him which bought the temp down quite successfully. He was fine to go to the airport that night to greet Granna and Richard off the plane from England (welcome back!) but was still a bit tired and clingy.

Next morning he came to snuggle in bed with us and as Chris was giving T's back a rub he felt something. We discovered a couple of small spots. By lunchtime they were appearing practically as we watched. Calamine seems to be keeping the itching at bay, and he is coping quite well although apt to burst into tears at minor things. This photo doesn't show the spots very well but he has a good covering and he has some quite big ones under his right eye and round his mouth.

Last night we went to Andrew Meikle's 21st party and today we popped into Rices Expo where Chris and I treated ourselves to an MP3 player each with bluetooth headphones. Can't wait to download my CD's as I don't have a CD player in my car. We also drove out to Riverton Rocks and went crab hunting. Although overcast, it was quite pleasantly mild with no wind.

Here's another of Tyler's birthday presents, a Transformer toy. Now that he is 4 he has a tendancy to say things like "4-boys brush their teeth by themselves" and "I am 4 so I can do (xyz)"

But the funniest thing of late was when we were all jumping on the trampoline together. Chris started tickling Tyler who wriggled free, leapt to his feet and started pointing furiously at his head and shouted " Stop tickling me -my brain is going to fall out!"

The other day I was practicing some songs and he was playing with his toys near me. Every minute or so it was "Mum, look at this" or "Mum can you help me get that toy/book/thing" After having my warblings interrupted for about the 20th time I said through clenched teeth "What IS it Tyler?!" and he smiled at me and said "That's lovely singing Mama". Aaaaw *sniff*

Yesterday he and Chris went to the Riverton Rocks and got quite close to a small seal which Tyler was quite excited about.

Happy 4th Birthday Tyler!

Tyler had a lovely day for his birthday on Friday. We waited for Chris to come home from nightshift and then T opened his presents and we had breakfast together. The Star Wars light-sabre went down a treat so we now have the constant sound of zzzzhhooom zzzzhhooom as Tyler swishes the sabre through the air, fighting Darth Vader. He then went to daycare where he got to wear the special birthday hat and all the kids sang happy birthday to him.

Yesterday we had his party at Chipmunks. Party guests were Luke and Angelina from daycare, Ella, Stephen and Rebecca. The kids had a great time running around squealing and laughing and climbing all over the slides and obstacle courses (didn’t they Stephen??! *lol*) and then ate lots of unhealthy food. Charlie Chipmunk bought in Tyler’s birthday cake and we all sang Happy Birthday. The kids carried on running around and the adults sat down for a nice quiet coffee 

Here are a couple of party photos:

Birthday Boy

Tyler and Angelina

I spy with my little eye......

Tyler has discovered how much fun can be had with a camera. His technique needs some work (endless photos of his feet and random bits of ceiling) but he makes up for it with enthusiasm. This photo is one he took himself while investigating the workings of the lens.

Sadness again in the Campbell-McLeod household. I got pregnant again in June and had an early scan which showed a little bean with a heartbeat. Very excited after what happened last time at the first scan. Plans were made for a CVS in Christchurch in August, but on 28 July (ironically the day our other wee bean would have been due) I started bleeding. It settled down for a while but then amped up again, this time with cramping and contractions. A scan revealed that wee bean had died several weeks earlier. My body valiantly tried to miscarry naturally but didn't quite manage it so I ended up in hospital yesterday for another D&C. Heartbreaking, but we will get through it.

Some people frown on kids going to daycare but by crikey they sure know how to teach kids manners! (Well Tyler's daycare does anyway). Now it's 'Excuse me Mama, but can I.....?' and 'Sanks for getting me my ....' He's also going through a kissing phase and I'm never going to get tired of that :) Chris traded up Tyler's quadbike and he now has a racey green one. I always feel a combination of fear and 'oh he's so cute'-ness when he's riding around. He certainly takes after his father in the thrill-seeking department. On the other hand, as we were driving to work/daycare the other day, I put on a CD of one of my favourite sopranos and he said "Ooh I like that music Mama!' That's my boy, I'll make a tenor out of him one day.

It's fast approaching Chris' 40th birthday, but as usual he is completely vague about a) what presents he would like and b) what form of celebration he wants. I think he has some kind of gene that prevents him planning more than 2-3 days in advance.

Anton has been in a bit of bother at school which has resulted in him experiencing a very boring term break. Lets hope it's the end of it. He starts a Star course this term which will give him some insight into the building trade which is what he wants to get into.

It's been a bit of a week of it really. Culminating in Anton being suspended from school. Actions have consequences but it seems some teenage boys are missing the synapses that prompt them to think twice. *sigh* Don't you just want to drag them 10 years into the future and make them look back at today so they can see the flow-on effect of their actions? And I'll probably get to do it all over with Tyler in 10 years time - aaaarggh!

Tyler is just gorgeous at the moment, full of kisses and cuddles but asserting his independance. He now likes to do some of his own tooth-brushing instead of being a passive receiver. The tongue must be brushed by someone though! He enjoys helping with dish-washing (yay) and is particularly keen to assist with cooking and baking. He likes to 'stirn' the baking ingredients and like all small children likes even better to sample the mixture :)

No snow here as yet although it keeps threatening. I hope it stays away - I hate driving in snow.

Tyler after licking the chocolate cake beaters.

Not much to report here, we are all just trying to keep warm. -7C frosts the last two days. Chris took Tyler to the motorbike track yesterday and he fearlessly headed up the biggest hill on his quad bike. He nearly made it but because it was so wet and muddy ended up sliding back down again.




Last Saturday we had Alania, Baz and Ella round for a mid-winter Christmas dinner. Ham and roast veges followed by pav, jelly, fruitsalad and icecream. Mmmmm :)

Tyler's had a bit of a growth spurt so we bought some new clothes for him today. We also bought him some motorbike gloves as it's very hard for a small boy to ride his quad bike with his hands in his pockets!

He is really clear now saying his name and address and knows what number to call in an emergency. He is also quick to tell us off if we cough and don't do it into our 'armbow'. *lol*

Anton has turned 16 and is having a party at his Mum's place today/tonight. Chris gave him a digital camera and I got him a radio alarm-clock so he doesn't have to endure me banging on his door to wake him up. As I said to him - I don't mind what time you choose to get up as long as you are ready to go by 8am.

Netball has been going well, we won our last two games quite convincingly. I have also been doing quite a bit of singing and fluting, include two fund-raiser concerts. One of them was quite a challenge as it was in drama theatre and most of the light comes straight on, so when I went to play my flute piece I found the shape of the music stand showing through my music and also lines of the music on the page underneath (definitely not good when it's in a completely different key!). Also every time I glanced up at the audience I would get blinded by the light. Never mind, we got through with only a couple of minor flubs.

Chris is having a boys night out tonight - rugby, pool and talking boy-bollocks, so T-man and I will have a cosy night in together.