Hanging out

It's been fairly rainy and grey for the last few days, so we've just been hanging out at home. This picture shows one of the few times we actually ventured out of the house (to replenish our bread and milk).

Merry Christmas

Christmas started at 6 am on the dot yesterday, as Callum and Declan crept into our room to see if they were allowed to go downstairs yet. They made out like bandits from Santa Claus (favourite present for Declan; Nerf gun), and then we had a quiet morning playing Settlers of Catan before more presents arrived (with accompanying relatives - Grandma, Grandpa, Granny, Martin, Kevin, Bob).

As always, they were completely uninterested in the feast of food that had been put together by everyone, content to eat a piece of bread each (although Declan did like the Appletise), and hand out presents while everyone was eating. Callum's faavourite present was the remote control car from us, but the coolest present was definitely the Chumby from Martin and Kevin.

For dinner, we had a second shift, with Angela, Robert and Tom stopping off on the way home to the mountains. The boys all had a bath together, which is not something Callum and Declan get to do very often these days, so they were quite grateful.

Adventure day

Today we went on an adventure to the central coast. The centrepiece was a visit to Treetops Adventure Park. This is a set of treetop ropes and other challenges, graded by difficulty. The boys only had one choice - a course with a continuous belay system (so we didn't have to rely on them to remember to hook and unhook themselves with each new challenge). But they really enjoyed it, and did their course over and over again.

And it was safe enough that we could leave them there to do it while Evan, Bob and I worked our way through the adult courses, ending with the Black course, which was pretty tough!

After recovering, we stopped off at Terrigal Beach for some playing in the surf - it wasn't great surf, but Callum and Declan loved standing around at knee height and daring the waves to knock them over (which they did a lot of the time).

And to cap the whole thing off, we went to the Spanish shop for dinner tonight, where we managed to entice Declan to eat Kingfish Ceviche (a Peruvian way of preparing fish) and Zucchini flowers.

Grandparents

Last night Callum and Declan went to Grandma and Grandpa's for a sleepover. They caught the train down (Callum in charge of the suitcase), made gingerbread houses, decorated the Christmas Tree, and had a tour of the Shire Christmas lighting. Uncle Bob also dared Callum how far he could ride on the exercise bike - 15 kilometres.

I still think the highlight was the opportunity to play with the doorbell and fool Grandma and Grandpa which door they would turn up at next.

Treasure Hunt

This morning, for Evan's birthday, Callum created a Treasure Hunt, almost completely by himself.

It had 8 clues (including a Road Block and a Detour - copied from the Amazing Race), and two pit stops (where presents were located). We had had to do it a week and a half ago (when Evan was out at Tae Kwon Do), so Callum couldn't quite remember the sequence. At one point, he convinced himself he'd got it wrong, and told Evan the next clue, but it turned out that the whole thing was perfectly set up and ran like clockwork.

It was interesting compared with last year, when I had to help him figure out how to sequence things together - he had the whole thing in his head.

He kept the clues in a secret box, all ready for this morning, when he distributed them around the house before Evan woke up.

Shopping

This morning I dragged the boys out with me to get coffee and milk. Declan was very reluctant, and managed to convince me to let him and Callum go and get the milk by themselves. So they crossed Victoria and Thomas St by themselves, and walked up to the corner of Thomas and Union St and bought the milk all by themselves.

When I saw them coming back, Declan was a bit worried he might have dropped the $5 change out of his pocket, but was relieved that it was still there when he got into the house.

Eczema

After this post, in which I claimed some premature victory over Callum's eczema, Callum has asked me to write a new post pointing out that his eczema is now the worst it has been for a while. Hopefully that will tempt the fates in the opposite direction.

Peter Pan

A few years ago, Dad gave me his copy of Peter Pan (edition published in 1933), which had had a long detour via my Aunt Anne, and her children (judging by the various names on the inside cover). Various family members had carefully coloured in all the black and white line drawings some time in that history.

I tried reading it to the boys, because I was thrilled to have a book with such family history, but they had absolutely no interest. The other evening, after dinner, Declan noticed it on our bookshelf, and asked me what it was. I showed him, and started reading it to him.

He loooooved it, and it became very hard to stop at one chapter at bedtime, because he would insist on more. When we finished it, Callum, who had only half listened, so missed some of the good bits, decided to read it himself, and finished it in two sittings.

It must be a very long time since I last read it, and it was interesting to see how well written it was - totally engaging for two small boys, in spite of some very old fashioned parts.

Belts

The boys had their Tae Kwon Do grading this afternoon. Both were successful. Declan is now a Blue belt and Callum is now a Red belt.

(I had mine on the weekend and am now a black tip - still managing to stay one step ahead of Cal for the moment.)

Christmas Party

Today we had Christmas with the proxy cousins up in the mountains. A good time was had by all, with a lot of waterfighting (given it was 32 degrees). In a continuation of previous years, the adults ate heaps, but Callum and Declan ate a bread roll each.

Sleepover

Callum and Declan had a sleepover last night at the Cants' place. They appear to have had a wonderful time as always. Jane took them to a carol service, which was the first time they'd been in a church for an actual service. Fortunately it was aimed at children, and they enjoyed it. Jane said there was a bit of proselytising, but it appears to have gone over their heads.

Illness continues

Cal seemed to improve for a few days last week but is now worse than ever.

There's still no symptoms or evidence beyond what he recounts, but he reckons he now feels worse than ever. The doctor did say to give it a week to ten days so we'll persevere with the current course for a while longer.

Award

Declan got an award for academic excellence at last nights 'A-night'. He was so happy about it.

Goggle fight

This afternoon, while Evan was at Tae Kwon Do, I took the boys to the pool. Once we got there (having walked the whole distance) Callum and Declan could not agree whose goggles were whose. They both wanted the black pair. I had no idea, and managed to get Callum to agree (with much grumbling) to take the unwanted blue pair.

I felt slightly better as a parent when we got home and discovered that Evan didn't know either - I suspect we will find ourselves buying another black pair to keep the peace at this rate.

Christmas Tree

Callum and Declan have been almost unable to contain their excitement at the thought of putting the Christmas tree up, so today we finally gave in to their urgings and decorated the tree.

We had previously been up to Greenwood to see if we could get one or two new ornaments for the year. Declan impressed the shop assistant by urging us all to check out everything in the shop before deciding what he would choose - I think she expected him to want to buy everything he saw.

Cousin visit

Yesterday we had a visit from my cousin Martin, who braved pizza night at the Lang Predavec household (accompanied by my parents, so he wasn't entirely on his own). We had built him up in the boys' mind as a robot expert (which he is) which meant that Declan was a bit too shy to show Martin his fighting robot.

Evan had created a special treasure hunt for the day's Advent calendar, so adults and children alike were amused by Callum and Declan trying to figure out what a "copper and zinc amphibian" might be.

Awards

Callum received a Gold Premier's Reading Challenge Award and his certificate for his High Distinction in ICAS English today.