Today was Grace's last day of Preschool and I think we're just as sad about her finishing as she is. Preschool has been the only constant in our lives since we moved here, and Grace doesn't understand why she can't go to both Preschool and 'big' school. 

We chose to keep Grace at Preschool after she turned five, which isn't the way things usually work here. Most children have their Number 5 Day at Preschool, then the following day they start school. We, however, didn't see any point in starting her at her new school in Mosgiel and driving her all the way in each day from Taieri Mouth when we were moving into town within the month. So Grace got to have her Number 5 Day on her birthday plus another farewell today, which made her last day very special for her.

I have no idea what I'll do without Preschool each day. Thank goodness we only have to wait six months until Charlie starts one afternoon a week.

We woke this morning to find ourselves snowed in. So with Bern stuck at home for an unexpected long weekend, we decided to ignore the packing cartons and go exploring. 

 

We ventured down the driveway and along our road, where we watched someone towing two kids behind a ute along the main road.

Grace desperately wanted to have a go, but had to be content with making snow angels instead. Much less adventurous, just as chilly and infinitely safer.   

While the snow-covered slide didn't deter some bottom-numbing slides in the playground, it wasn't long before Charlie decided he didn't really like being cold and wet. Or having snowballs thrown at him by his big sister.

Today our Charlie boy turned two! A momentous occasion which his exhausted parents almost forgot amidst the chaos of moving....but thankfully at 5am this morning, we remembered just in time. An almost-oversight that his big sister will no doubt remind him of for the rest of his life. At  least we were organised enough to have presents, even if there was a frantic scramble to find them amongst the packing cartons.

And then, as we were having breakfast, it started to snow, perhaps the most exciting birthday present of all.

And just kept on snowing, creating great excitement in the Morrison household. Of course, when it snows, you have to build a really big snowman with an egg carton hat as soon as possible.

And throw lots of snowballs at the cameraman (aka Daddy).  

 

 

And what was I doing while all this was happening? Why, frantically searching through yet more cartons for my cookbook, patty pans, sprinkles, candles and matches of course. Because snow or no snow, no birthday is complete without cake. 

In a trial for the upcoming Rugby World Cup, Bern took Grace to see the All Blacks game against Fiji last night. It was her first ever rugby game, and the only one she'll ever watch at the legendary Carisbrook stadium now that the new Forsyth Barr Stadium has been built. 

I spent hours today searching through cartons for their jerseys which  'had' to be worn. Grace didn't balk at wearing black like she generally does, but then she did have an entire layer of pink on underneath.

From all accounts the evening went well, despite numerous trips to the toilet at crucial times throughout the game. Their next game? England vs Georgia at the World Cup.

Just like Daddy.

As if the pirate party yesterday wasn't enough excitement for one weekend, we also squeezed in a whirlwind visit to Bannockburn last night to see Faye before she leaves for her overseas trip next week. Where we managed to get hardly any sleep courtesy of two  over-excited, sugar-filled pirates who shall not be named, pick three kilos of figs from Faye's garden before the birds gorged themselves.....

and bought a much-needed second car at nearby Alexandra.

By the time we got back to Taieri Mouth at tea time, our exhausted, cranky children refused to get out of the new car.

Resulting in the reluctant removal of aforementioned children. Which in turn resulted in one monumental paddy.

Today was Grace's friend Rosie's much anticipated 5th birthday party, made all the more exciting by the fact that it was pirate-themed which, in our current world of Princess Aurora and Angelina Ballerina, was wonderfully refreshing. So Grace and I baked Rosie some pirate biscuits, which I somehow managed to ice in between Charlie's Playgroup, daily trips into town for Preschool, Grace's school visits, Grace's first trip to the dentist.....

Which a terribly ferocious pirate hand-delivered.

 

 

Ok, so maybe not quite so ferocious, but I have been instructed to tell you that she is actually a very strong pirate (not to mention extremely cute). 

Somewhere between leaving home and arriving at the party Grace managed to lose her prized eye patch. Resulting in the car being searched frantically before  it was discovered that First Mate Charlie had taken a shine to the pirate way of life and hidden the eye patch in his car seat.  

Initially fifteen blood-thirsty pirates proved to be a little intimidating.

But eventually Charlie joined in, even agreeing to having his face painted with some very un-pirate-like blue and yellow stripes (which, funnily enough, just so happen to be the Otago rugby colours...)