Sports Day 2012

On Friday the kids had Sports Day at school. Normally we have it in 4th term, but this year they changed it to 1st term. All the of my children are in the green team named Coombes.

They started the day doing their team chants and a health hustle. They then went around to all the different events with their teachers.  They had lots of fun and did really well through out the whole day. Of course they were all in different events, in different places all at the same time so Haylie and I spent a lot of time going between the events to watch the kids do different things.

Vortex Throw

Frisbee (Discus)

Long Jump

Accuracy Kick

Hurdles

They even let Haylie have a turn on the Hurdles

Obstacle Course

It was freezing cold on Friday and we even had a bit of rain, but it wasn't enough to dampen the kids enthusiasm.

By the end of the day though the kids were very tired and worn out!

Where have you been?

It's been so long I almost forgot how to blog! But I'm back and hopefully I can catch up a little bit.

The month of December was crazy. The kids finished school which meant class parties, Christmas cards, bringing lots of things home and getting reports. They all did a fantastic job this year.

 Lachlan really like his teacher and enjoyed doing lots of maths and science. They studied rocks and minerals at the beginning of the year, so now Lachlan has an ever growing rock collection and will tell anyone who will listen lots of interesting facts about them. He also got very interested in space so he got a telescope for his birthday and enjoys looking at the moon and planets. He is one of the fastest readers I know! He loves to read and I'm constantly looking for something new for him to read. When he went to the States with Buzz in the middle of the year he got a series called, "Tennis shoes among the Nephites." He has also been reading a series called 'The 39 Clues." Those books are a bit thinner and so it only takes him a day or two to get through each one. He already had the first three and got the rest (11 books in total) for Christmas. He is already up to number 10! I love that he loves to read! I will often find him in his room laying on his bed or sitting in his bean bag for hours reading!

Amie also did a great job at school this year. This year reading finally 'clicked' for her and she has been blazing through the reading levels and gaining confidence in her reading ability. Amie has always loved to do art and craft and that desire to create has gotten stronger this year. Both of her teachers have commented on how neat all of her work is. She is an amazing drawer, much better than I'll ever be. She won a prize around Easter time at school for the Easter egg that she coloured it. It was pretty amazing the details that she put into it. Amie is also very much a social butterfly and loves to have friends around. She has one friend at school in particular that she is very close to and I'm glad she has that friendship!

Caitlyn went from Kindy to School in the middle of the year and enjoys it a lot. She had a fantastic teacher and had enjoyed learning to read and doing homework like Lachlan and Amie! Caitlyn is my helper and is always cleaning up when no-one else will. Caitlyn also really loves to sing. She can often be heard singing in the other room and often asks me to turn the radio up in the car so she can sing along. She has missed having her cousin Zoe around for the last six months. They love playing together and having sleepovers. It will be great to see them together again!

Haylie has grown up so much in the past year. She went from being a toddler to being such a grown up little girl. Since all the other kids are at school all day she has been my little buddy. She loves to go to the shops, visit Grandma and help me around the house. She is such a cute little character. She says the funniest things and has such a funny attitude. She loves to have time with just me but she looks forward to playing with the other kids after school each day! It is going to be really weird for me because Haylie starts Kindy in February. She starts with just one morning a week until May and then she will go four mornings a week. It is going to be really weird to have all this time to myself each day. Haylie is really looking forward to going to Kindy. She got a new bag for Christmas and she also got a choose a new lunch box and drink bottle like the big kids. She asks me every day if it is a school day today. She is going to be really upset when the kids go back to school on a Monday, but she doesn't start until the Thursday!

We are looking forward to a fantastic new year with lots of adventures, changes and new things to experience!

Lachlan's New Room

A couple of weeks ago we decided that it was time for Lachlan to get his own room. Now we only live in a three bedroom house so this meant that all three girls were going to have to sleep in the same room together. . . . . all the time . . . . three girls . . . . in one room . . . . . . a very small room . . . . . sleeping together . . . . or more likely not sleeping!

We worked out a system though were we stagger their bedtimes in the the hopes that the youngest would be asleep before the next one would go to bed. So far it's working ok!

Anyway back to Lachlan's room. We took his high bed into the girls room so he was left with Haylie's old bed, which he was very happy with. It took me a whole day, with some help after school from Lachlan, to sort out new places for all of his stuff.

I don't know what happened to the bottom of this photo?!

Teddy and Grandma dog in prime position on the bed.

He is loving having his own room and his own space. The girls aren't allowed to go in there unless he says that they can and it's up to him to keep it clean.

He now gets to go to bed at 8pm and read until 8:30pm, which, again, he loves!

I sure do love this kid!!

Sports Day

Today was sports day at the kids school. Last year they didn't get to do sports day because it rained, so they moved the day and it rained again, so they moved it and it rained again and then school finished for the year. Because of this the kids were extra excited for sports day this year. The weather was forecast for showers, but not until later in the day. As it turned out the day was great and it didn't rain until about 2:30pm when they were all finished! It was Caitlyn's first time participating in sports day and she was very excited. The kids were all in the same team named Coombes (Green).

To start the day the kids all got in their teams and did their team chants. They were very creative and got everyone excited. They then went with their teachers around to all the different events.  Because I had three kids there I moved around the whole day trying to get pictures of all of them doing all different things. Unfortunately I didn't get to see them do all the events. It was lots of fun though and Haylie was a great little cheerleader!

Here they are doing the Long Jump! I love all of their faces. Such concentration!

Here is Caitlyn doing some kicking

To kick the ball you have to stick out your tongue! It just works!

Amie did a great job in here race. She looks like she is having a great time. It's funny because in all of the pictures the girl in the right of the photo is looking towards the other girls and not where she is going!

Next Caitlyn's class head to the obstacle course. It was so funny watch the little five year olds trying to remember and then do all the tasks along the obstacle course. Their attention span isn't very long so while they were waiting for their turn they would get very distracted!

Lachlan having a turn a kicking the ball!

Amie doing the hurdles!

Caitlyn doing the sprint. . . . . . . slowly!

Lachlan sprinting. He tried really hard, but I don't think we are great runners in our family!

But he had fun!

It was a great day and I'm so proud of my kids for putting in 100% and giving everything a go.

I had to leave before it finished but the kids told me after school that their team didn't win but the got the award for the most sportsmanship behaviour!

Quad Biking

When we asked Lachlan what he wanted to do for his birthday he didn't hesitate in saying, "Go Quad Biking!" He loves going quad biking and he has only ridden his new quad bike once.

Everyone else in the family had things happen so they couldn't make it but we still went with Mum and Dad. We left bright and early on Monday morning for the two hour drive to Port Victoria. It was a beautiful sunny day, with clear skies and just a slight breeze. This time we decided to set up our spot on the beach. This way the girls could run around and play in the sand and in the afternoon they could play in the water.

It was a fantastic day. Lachlan had a great time riding his quad bike. His thumb was very sore by the end of the day.

Buzz having some fun!

Caitlyn modelling (waiting for Poppy)

Lachlan on his new quad bike

Buzz playing in the seaweed

Lachlan ready to go again

Buzz showing off for the camera!

Lachlan heading off with Poppy down the beach

Caitlyn building a sand castle

Haylie making a sand angel (like a snow angel) It was very funny though because she couldn't get her legs and arms going at the same time.

Grandma taking Haylie for a ride. By this point my hand was sore and so was my butt from riding so much, but Haylie still wanted to go for more rides so Grandma took her!

Amie was there too but she was never around when I had the camera out so I didn't really get any pictures of her. She was there though and had a great day. She spent a lot of time in the water.

It was a great day. We left in the dark and didn't get home until after dark. We can't wait to go again!

Happy 9th Birthday Lachlan!

I know that everyone says it, but I really can't believe how fast the last nine years have gone! I love all my children, but Lachlan will forever hold a place in my heart because he is my firstborn.

Happy Birthday Buddy! I hope that you have a fantastic day!

On the way to the hospital. I had to be induced because he was 10 days late.

First Cheeky Smiles!

Outside playing the in the fall leaves (12 months old)

Eating leftover birthday cake from his 2nd birthday.

Taking pictures of Daddy taking pictures (3 years old)

With his friend and cousin Samuel (4 years old)

At his 5th Birthday party at Thornden Park

Making cards for Grandma Montague (6 years old)

Riding at the BMX track (7 years old)

Having fun on his quad bike (8 years old)

Lachlan's Baptism last year

My handsome boy! I love you!