More Fun in the Sun

Stella and Celeste both love water play, our blue shells have had the sand washed out of them and they are now our summer paddling pools. Also a pic of Celeste looking very pleased with herself, she had been coveting Stella's drink bottle for days so I bought her one of her own which she absolutely loves. The only problem is that when she has had enough to drink she starts squirting water on the floor, not a problem on carpet really, however it makes the tiles slippery and she has gone for a skate a few times when I haven't been able to get to her quick enough.

Spring has Finally Arrived

I have never been so glad to see the back of winter before. The sun has been shining, the girls have been well and we've all been enjoying getting out in the garden. We found our hat collection, Stella had a great time trying them on, Celeste will need more encouragement to keep hers on. I always found with Stella that 'no hat = no going outside' worked, however Celeste is definitely her own little person so we'll see if that approach works with her too. She can follow simple instructions like find a book, where is the ball etc. She is getting good at animal noises, in particular those for cow and elephant (complete with arm movement for the trunk). Both girls are growing up so fast, Celeste's hair is just long enough for pigtails and Stella seems to be growing at an exponential rate, the pic of her with her hoodie on shows how long her legs are now.

Poppa's Flying Visit

Poppa and Grandma Cindy made a brief two night visit from the States for Gran's 90th birthday party. Stella had a great time with them and enjoyed the family celebrations (and fossicking through Poppa's suitcase for presents). Unfortunately Celeste was a bit under the weather so not at her best, there is one pic of her modelling some of her new clothes. The rest are of Stella enjoying being centre of attention (even more than usual!)

Rain in Rotorua

We decided that Rotorua would be a good winter holiday destination this year, both Mark and I recall good times there on holiday as kids. While we expected a certain amount of inclement weather, we weren't counting on four and a half out of our five days involving a lot of rain! Fortunately we got to Rainbow Springs on the one morning that it wasn't raining, the rest of the time we stuck with indoor activities... the Museum, Agrodome and the Caterpillar (as in tractors) Museum. Instead of spending the afternoons at the local playgrounds, we made the most of the spa in our apartment and the local branch of the Warehouse. In spite of the weather, and Celeste's appalling sleeping patterns, we enjoyed the break away from home and work.
















Pic #1 Stella and Mark feeding the trout at Rainbow Springs
Pic #2 Stella clinging to Mark at the start of the Sheep Show at the Agrodome, she wasn't too sure what to expect but did enjoy it. You can see Celeste toddling down the aisle in the shadows if you look closely
Pic #3 Stella and Mark saying hello to the lambs in the nursery at the Agrodome
Pic #4 Stella spent a lot of time playing on the 'Traxcavator" set up for kids at the Caterpillar Museum
Pic #5 Stella working in earnest at the toy corner of the Caterpillar Museum shop
Pic #6 Close up of Celeste in our apartment