Halloween NZ Style and November is here!

New Zealand does do Halloween, not to the same extent as the US, but we were able to go trick-or-treating.  We joined some friends and walked around.  The differences are: every 4th (or so) house gives out candy, the weather is warm, and it doesn't get dark early.  The kids didn't seem to notice the difference and to be honest, we have been incredibly spoiled by going to the north end of Capitol Hill in Seattle with our good friends.  

I TRIED to make Archie a costume again but it was short lived.  There were some design flaws so he swapped it out to Picachu.  Sylvie was snoopy again (3rd time!).

Archie had a very specific lego character that he wanted to be.  At least it was scary!

Campbell ran a 12k in the Auckland marathon.  He did great and I think I may join him next year!

 The kids were very into making decorations for halloween as well as Thanksgiving.  They love making scary monsters.  We taped quite a few in the windows so that trick or treaters could see them.

Archie has a best buddy.  He is such a sweet boy and they have a great time at playdates.

Our good friends here (whom Campbell has known for like 20 years), have an International Dinner and Drinking Club.  They have a dinner every 3 months and it is themed.  They kindly asked us to join and we happily did. This dinner they themed American/Canadian Thanksgiving.  There are 2 American couples, 1 Canadian couples, and 2 kiwi couples.  So we had fried turkey and other thanksgiving themed meals and family traditions.  It was a really fun night!

 And I made a pumpkin pie.  I am back to baking and cooking.  It has been really nice to actually have time to do this.  Sylvie has been helping me a lot and really enjoys it.

The dinner spread!

 Rob, the Canadian if you couldn't tell, frying the turkey.  It was delicious.

 And in other news, we have readers in our house!  The kids have turned a corner in their reading and now are reading chapter books and even on their own, unprompted!  Archie has really surprised us how much he loves it and I am always on the look out for different books he might enjoy,

And Sylvie was award a citizenship award at school.  This is a very special award that the school gives only 1 time a term (4 times in a year) and 1 per class picked by the teacher.  Sylvie received this for her class in term 4.  The school really places importance on their values of being kind and respectful.  They head master does a very nice speech and lets the kids know that achievement comes second to being a kind and good student.  We are so very proud of Sylvie for this award.

And the kids are learning the Maori language in school.  And this is Sylvie singing the Hokey Pokey in Maori.  There are some beautiful songs that the kids sing as well as their national anthem.  

Another playdate with Archie's buddy!

And then we had a lovely visit from the Dalley's.  I don't have many photos but they joined us for a day on a way home from a trip up north.  

Sylvie, Greta, and Paul enjoying the swing

Enjoying some sun in the garden.

And then I enjoyed my first birthday in NZ.  We had a really nice day together.  We had lunch, visited friends, and then ended the day with dinner, cake, and rose at CC and Alans'. It was a really nice day.  I am very thankful for our life her in New Zealand.  We have a good quality of life and slower pace.  Although Campbell travels a lot, we have a happy home.  And as I keep telling him, happy wife=happy life.  I think he agrees! :)

School Holiday Break and warmer weather

 There are 4 terms of school here.  And between each term is 2 weeks of break or "holiday".  And then between school years there are 6 weeks of holiday.  So after our start in term 3, we had a break in the beginning of October.  The grandparents came up for a week and the other week we hung out together.  One day, we went to a trampoline park and the kids were in heaven.  we met up with a couple of their friends and topped it off with ice blocks.  Best day ever, Archie said.

I can't remember what this is but it is a yummy treat here.  Put fires in some break with ketchup.  It is actually really good and this is before I devoured it.  We have been enjoying fish and chips on the occasion that I don't want to cook at the end of the week!

We have graduated to big puzzles!  I loved doing puzzles as a kid during summer and winter breaks.  The kids enjoyed it and we will be doing more of these in the future.

Just a breakfast and doing some FaceTime with family.

And the kids are learning cricket.  We have just enough space to do it in the back yard (or garden as it is called here).  The kids really like it.  I am not sure that we will be joining a team but it will be a good sport to play as a family and with friends.

I have been making friends here and getting coffee.  On this occasion, my American accent helped me get a special design in my cup of flat white.  While my friend and I laughed that she got a hash tag.  

A walk down to the beach.  Weather is perking up and we are enjoying it.  A must is hats and sunscreen here.  The sun is more intense than the northern hemisphere.  The kids aren't even allowed to play outdoors at school unless they are wearing a hat.  I appreciate it but the hat hair for me is a downer.

Sylvie doing some jumping at the local mall.  She loved it and it was worth stopping and doing something fun and totally not on our to-do list. :)

A rare photo of the two of us while at Alan and CCs place for a swim.

A look up to to top of One Tree Hill

We went for a walk to One Tree Hill, yes a real place not just a TV show from the states.  It is a famous hill in Auckland (an extinct volcano which is pretty much every hill in auckland).  There is a famous Maori story about the hill and there used to be one tree at the top.  The tree was cut down by a settler long ago and there has been an effort to replace the tree.  The kids had actually learned the story in school and Sylvie told us all about it.  So we did a nice walk with sheep, cows, and view of the city.  There an obelisk at the top which we can see from our house as well as from most vantage points in the city.

The paddocks had spring lambs and LOTS of sheep just hanging around.

There were beautiful trees along the way as we winded up the hill.

The obelisk at the top.  It is quite large.

The view towards our house and Rangitoto island.  The city is alway a vibrant green with the blue sea surrounding it.

The park is beautiful that surrounds it and I imagine we will be visiting it quite a few times in the future.

So the One Tree of the hill was cut down and it was a sacred place to the Maori.  In an effort to replace the tree, there are currently 6 trees at the top (protected by fencing).  The healthiest and strongest will be the one to stay.

We took a ferry to Waiheke Island to visit some friends at the bach (pronounced batch and means a cabin).  It was a fun outing and a great way to see the city from the water.

The drive to the island reminded us of the islands around Seattle.  It has the same feel and we even saw some dolphins off the side of the boat.  There are Orca pods in the water as well.  

The photo doesn't give the beauty of this place.  It was so so beautiful.  There were some many things that just look like beautiful paintings.

School and warm weather = bare feet.  The kids get to take their shoes off in and out of the classroom.  A kiwi norm but new to us.

And the kids started swim lessons.  The LOVE it and Archie's swim cap was a little too small.  He had a nice face lift.  

And Archie's class read some Grimm Fairytale Story about 3 boys in a wood and some witch that took their clothes (?).  They had to run home naked.  He drew the boys with butts! :)