Christmas

We got what every parent wants for Christmas - a sleep in. Charlotte has been getting up at 6.30am lately and on both Christmas and boxing days she didn't wake until almost 8am. It was great.

We started off Christmas morning by opening a few presents at home and then it was off to mum and dads for breakfast. Everyone had thought Charlotte would be up early so they were just finishing their breakfast as we arrived.

Opening Presents

Lauri, Jim and Kate were at mum and dads as well as Sam. We did present opening there and then it was back home to finish cooking the roast pork for lunch and to open the rest of our presents. We gave Charlotte an early lunch and put her down for a half hour nap before we went to Michael and Sharon's for lunch.

Dancing To Baby Tad

Charlotte was great with only a half hours sleep and was very social. She did have her dummy in mouth most of the afternoon, but we decided it was better than having her grizzle.

Christmas Lunch (with Sam)

Andrew left lunch just after two so that he could travel to Wanganui for work and we left at about three thirty. Charlotte had another power nap of about 45minutes and then it was off to Rob and Ann's for Christmas dinner. Again Charlotte did extremely well and managed to stay up until 8pm (her normal bedtime is 6.30). At Rob and Ann's was us their three kids and John their grandson. Charlotte really liked John and John really liked the fake toast that came with the tea set Ann and Rob bought her for Christmas.



Boxing day was spent relaxing and cleaning up after Christmas day. Charlotte was so shattered that she went for her day sleep two hours early and slept for three hours. She was then a ball of energy for the afternoon. An interesting thing happened while Andrew was away - she realised he wasn't there and spent most of yesterday and this morning saying "Dadda" and looking for him every now and then. She has been quite attached to him since he got home as well.



You would have thought that after getting so many presents Charlotte would now have a new favourite - but no the motorbike is still her favourite toy. On Sunday she learnt to go down the little hill at mum and dads and then today she found the hill between us and the neighbours - here is a video of her going down it.

Summer Continues

Well we have had a bit of rain, but the sun is back. We have been giving Charlotte a few of her Christmas presents early as we figure she knows no different (and they have proved useful). She got her Pooh Bear couch a few weeks ago when she was sick. She spent most of the day just flopped on it as she had no energy.
Today we set up her new paddling pool as the one we have is proving to be a bit too small when it comes to practicing what she has learnt at swimming lessons.

Andrew is having another busy month. He was back in court earlier this week following the depositions hearing for case of the little three year old that died, and then on Thursday night he was off to Gisborne to cover the earthquake. He got home at midnight last night having had no sleep the night before.
Late Christmas day he is off to Wanganui to film the motorbike race on boxing day and he is also booked to cover the New Year festivities in the Central Plateau. January look like it is going to be a busy month also with a few jobs already booked in.

Because it is Christmas time here are two little videos of her swimming today.

Summer Time

It looks like summer is here - yay! We have had some great weather lately and Charlotte has been enjoying some water play outside. It was so warm the other day she decided to hop into her paddling pool fully clothed. She was too impatient to wait for us to undress her.

I had Brownie camp last weekend and Charlotte came along for the Friday afternoon and some of Sunday morning. She had a ball and thought she was one of the big girls.

Here are some photos of Charlotte having outside play time.