Peanut Butter and chocolate cookies

It's so nice to have the kids feeling better. I've missed not being able to bake with them, for fear of spreading germs.

So to be able to make cookies with them today was very exciting!

We made delicious peanut butter and chocolate cookies. They are devine and well worth making. You can tell by his face Hunter really enjoyed them!!

Pretzels

I love pretzels. The big soft doughy warm kind. Especially Aunt Annie's which we unfortunately don't have over here.

While wasting time on Pinterest I stumbled across a recipe for these delicious morsels, which sounded great as it used a bread maker.

The recipe is available here http://www.frugalupstate.com/recipes/recipe-homemade-soft-pretzels-breadmachine/

The kids and I gave it ago for afternoon tea today. While our shaping technique requires a but of practise they did taste good. Put it this way, there all gone now!!

Fathers Day 2012

As you can see I'm having a bit of a catch up!

We had a great family day!  It doesn't happen often when the five of us get to spend time doing something special. We need to make the time to do it more often.

The girls helped me make, and then daddy eat, a huge cooked breakfast.  It tasted great...but didn't feel that great afterwards.  I guess I'm used to smoothies...but it was a nice change.

Then we went for a drive around the coast.  It was cold and windy but we all enjoyed the fresh air.  The kids got absolutely soaked...perhaps why we are all sick at the moment??  But worth it as they had so much fun.

As well as the usual Hunting and Fishing voucher the girls each made Daddy a special card.  I was so proud of Holly - she even wanted to write her own.  Not bad for a 4 year old.

I'm looking forward to Mothers Day and my cooked breakfast!!

Holly and Phoebe with their breakfast.

Daddy and his kiddies at the beach

An appropriate read for fathers day...this wasn't even staged.

Holly with her fish hand print card.  "Daddy I Love You, Holly":

The kids enjoying the fresh out doors.

Hunters Pirate Party - Part 2

We had a great party.  The kids enjoyed it...I was so impressed with all of their costumes.  And as hosts, it was a really relaxing event.

We hired a pirate who brought along his own pirate ship.  He stayed for an hour and entertained the kids with pirate games, canon firing, treasure hunts and lots of arrring.  He was awesome.  I would recommend him to all.  http://bbparties.biz/black_boots.html

A selection of photos from the day....in no particular order

Holly and Phoebe playing tug of war

Firing the cannons.  He used party poppers - pretty cool.

The treasure hunt maps.  I had to come up with about five different locations round the property.

The party food. Look at all those cute costumes.  The great thing about a pirate party is there is a lot of paperware and napkins avaiable at the discount stores.

Holly holding the Captains sword and wearing his hat.  Looks pretty pleased about that!

Little Miss Phoebe aboard the Pirate Ship.

Phoebe walking the plank.

The Birthday Boy

The Pirate Ship, Captain Blackboots and all his crew.  The inflatable swords were the prize in the treasure hunt.  I found these from a discount store on Trade Me.

The Black Rose

Daddy and the Birthday Boy

A couple of weeks later we had Holly's Tinker Bell party.  My aim is to get the posts for her party done in the next couple of days...see how I go ;)

Hunters Pirate Party - Part 1

On 3 August my little man turned 1.  How quickly that first year has gone!

Hunter on the morning of his birthday. 

There is a local pirate, Captain Blackboots, who has his own Pirate Ship who is always in the Clevedon Christmas Parades.  I have always wanted to have him....what luck finally a son!  Of course the pirate and his ship were booked in straight away and the planning began.

First of all came the outfits!

I love the Bobux Jolly Roger shoes I found for Hunter.  http://www.bobux.co.nz

The top I had made for Hunter is just as awesome. It looks cool and is really good quality.  We have had so much use out of it.  I purchased this off a great shop on Etsy.  Awesome service too.  http://www.etsy.com/people/PricelessKids

The girls cute Jolly Roger skirts were handmade in NZ and purchased off TradeMe.  http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=444977

Hunters Birthday Suit

The Girls Birthday Outfits

 I love organising loot bags for parties.  I love to give adults something as well.  I think it makes it a little bit special to show them that they too are appreciated!

I got a great selection of the kids party favours from Charlie Horse Parties including cute Pirate Rubber Duckies for the babies. http://www.charliehorseparties.co.nz/category_4/Pirate.htm

The Kiddies Bags

For the adults favors, I made pirate magnets.  I purchased some pirate and jolly roger images off Etsy from Mauda Designs http://www.etsy.com/people/MaudaDesigns. I also made some of my own designs using Pirate wording.  I then had the images turned into flatback buttons. I had the buttons made by Buttons and Badges off Etsy who I have used before.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/buttonsandbadges  . I also purchased some adhesive magnets from Etsy http://www.etsy.com/people/teddybear2247 and adhered these to the back of the buttons.  I then put them all in a home made loot bag with a little rhyme on the front and on the back important events that occurred on 3 August...Hunters birth date.

The adult loot bags

 

The food was somewhat rushed.  I wish I had taken more time with this but the week had already gotten away on me.  As well as the normal party food I also made Pirate cookies, skull and cross bone chocolates and Jolly Roger crackles.

I got another amazing cake from http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Creative-Cakes-by-Suzanne/106111336167067.  This was so cute...and great tasting!

With some of the left over buttons from the adults favours I made wine charms by adding some pirate themed ribbon from Spotlight.

I also made a birthday sign for Hunter which we hung outside greeting all the guests.  This came from www.vistaprint.co.nz.

This post has taken so long to do!  I should have done it sooner.  Tomorrow I will post a selection of images from the party. 

Another Bout of Illness

It's been one of those weeks. Thank goodness it's nearly over.

Holly with all her pressies from the Hospital and Ambulance Drivers.  Pretty excited about the whole experience.

Last Sunday Holly was taken to hospital with croup. We were discharged the following morning and sent home to recover.

The whole five of us caught the virus and battled on through. On Friday we received a letter from the hospital saying that Holly had been exposed to the measles virus!  It listed all the symptoms...all of which we had. We were told to stay at home, away from anyone other than immediate family, until Monday or until we had a doctor confirm that we didn't have measles.

We ended up at the doctors who put all the kids on antibiotics and told us it was unlikely to be measles but to come back if a rash developed over the weekend. 

The whole experience was so frustrating.  We had managed to get front row tickets to the final Wiggles concert in Auckland for Phoebe for her birthday.  She's a huge Wiggles fan!  So there was no way we could go and risk infecting thousands of kids with measles!

Anyway, Monday rolled around today and we are rash and measles free.  It is a relief but so disappointing for poor Phoebe.  Luckily she has no concept of time yet so I will have to make her actual birthday party in October, extra special!

The kids have been so awesome while they have been sick.  The poor things have all been miserable but have been so well behaved considering they have been stuck in side for well over a week.

Today we managed to get some painting done.  It is so nice to see them on the improve and smiling again!  Finger crossed by the end of the week we will be healthy again.

Phoebe painting a picture of her and Jordan...apparently!

Holly decorating a plaster picture frame she got for her birthday