When your heart beats proudly.....

Don't you just love it when your children finds something that they are passionate about and then just love everything there is to do with that thing.  Take for example my daughter McKenzie.  She is passionate about hockey.  She really loves maybe that should be is stimulated by hard training.  she is not afraid to make the hard tackles on the really big girls, she listens hard and really thinks strategically about the game.

I know some people might think that I am pushing her, yes I introduced her to hockey but no it is all her.  She is the one that has the dreams, she is the one who  asks the good questions of the coach and she is the one is can visualise the game (has a hockey brain according to coaches she has had).

This year McKenzie really wanted to go the the National hockey tournament for Under 13 girls called Colliers Cup.  So  we helped her by moving where she played hockey, both club and province and she achieved it.  I have to say that her Dad and I were stunned and proud that she made it to the top 16 Under 13 girls of Auckland.  90 something girls trialled.

Well to cut a long story short, last week the tournament was held in our home turf.  Her team finished 4th.  McKenzie played like a deamon and I can't be prouder.  She came away with stiff and tired legs, and seemed exhillarated by the whole experience.  ( I should add here that it is hard work being a parent on the sideline supporting your child and their team.)

So as a tribute to her efforts and abilities here is a small tribute to her skill and determination.  Also she could not have done it without the fabulous coach Scott and team manager Bonny.

 (McKenzie is in the blue kit controlling the door.)

 

 (McKenzie is in the Red (alternate) stip)

 

(McKenzie again in the red stip controlling the ball)

Monday Menu 15 October

Well my blog took a rest last week.  Too much was happening in life and something had to give and so my blog was it.

Here is my menu for this week.

Monday  corned beef (cold meat) baked potato and green vege.

Tuesday  sweet and sour vege on noodles

Wednesday  beef barley soup

Thursday  chicken pot pie soup

Friday  Grilled chicken and spinach salad with white balsalmic vinaigrette

Saturday  Chicken curry pasta

Sunday  leftovers.

I am linking this post to I'm an Organising Junkie

September in Numbers

Boy oh Boy what a busy month.  I am so glad that winter sport in our house is over and we have our weekends back. 

So here are my numbers for September

10 is how old Hayden became this month.  It is somewhat of a miracle considering when he was three he suffered a traumatic medical event from which he was resuscitated.  1 cake was made to share with his friends.

1 tweenage girl in my house was saving her lunch food for a 'science' experiment in her bedroom.  It was accidentally found.  Hmmmm.

3 is the number of fejoa trees we cut down in our small yard.  They were just producing so much poor fruit which then just rotted on the grass it was a problem.  Now we have a rather bare view but time will fix that as the tree line in the background is camillias.

1 experiment with an egg and vinegar was set up for my 8 year old son.  Very successful.  The photo shows the bubbles of the shell disolving as we watched.

Then there is the hockey.  The last 3 saturday games for the season took place.  I am glad my children have fun playing hockey.  3 games out of town for McKenzie and her Auckland Under 13 representative team.  Exhausting but I love how she always come out of the practise sessions (8 in all during September).  Here is Andre making a takle.

Of course the driving for the hockey meant that one out of town game I drove 5 hours return trip to Whangarei with a 2 hour stop to watch the game and back home again.


Spring is officially here and the 6 fruit trees in my yard are all flowering, my lawn is starting to grown and I am wishing that summer would hurry up and arrive.

Then the magic number of 100 arrived.  Yes 100 days until Christmas arrived and sent me into a moment of list making.

This is all for this month.

I am linking this post to Notes on Paper.

Wordless Wednesday 3 October

Last week we were very lucky because Hayden and his siblings got invited to the Kids in Cars charity event which included the Kidney Kids charity which supports children with kidney disease (Hayden has renal tubular acidosis).  The days was fabulous and one of the few that actually invited sibling to attend as well.

Here are Andre and Hayden minicing the big boys by driving little boys cars. 

 

 

 

 

I am linking this post up to My Little Drummer Boys

Monday Menu 1 October

The holidays are here.  No more rushing around and routine to strictly adhere to.  Here is my menu for the week.

Monday   chicken grilled, baked potato and salad

Tuesday  Easy Fried Rice.

Wednesday  Feta Stuffed Chicken Burgers

Thursday   Warm pesto and haloumi pasta salad

Friday  roast vegetable frittata with salad

Saturday  chicken schnitzel with salad

Sunday  Dinner out with the Auckland Girls U13 hockey team.

I am linking this to I'm an Organised Junkie

Fridays Fabulous Finds #23

What a week.  At last the school holidays are here and I am ready for a break for the busy routine of the school term.

Here are my links for this week.

1.  Creating fun survival kits as gifts is something new for me and I made a couple today.  Here are a some links you might like to give you an idea or two.
         Try  Survival kit as gift Ideas
         this forum quest has quite a few  links to look at.
         Then from here a fantastic list to look through


2.  Now if you have pre schoolers in your house and like retelling stories.  Then perhaps The Three Little Pigs might just be on your list now.

3.  An article about cell phones an children.  This one has become of interest to me as my daughter is going away for the first time on an 8 day camp and they have to take their own phone to commicate with home should the need arise.

4.  How about using rubber bands to decorate a present.  Might just be a little fun.

5.  How about this little beauty as a home made gift.

Just a Little Creative Fun

With all the time that I spend taking my children off to one activity or another there is inevitably two children waiting for one to finish.  Sometimes we are waiting in the car and other times, just like this one, we have a little fun. 

Camera in hand and after a dig around in my handbag, one airplane later and a few blurry photos later ....

The credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi.

Wordless Wednesday 26 Septmeber

Last weekend was the last of the winter sport in our house.  So my boys had a treat (ahem) while there sister was busy fund raising for her Auckland Under 13 Girls hockey team.

It sure looks like they were enjoying their sausage in bread covered in the works.

I am linking this to My Little Drummer Boys.

When does being Disabled Officially mean Disabled?

 

Today I had the uneviable task of providing evidence to the necessary government department that my son is still disabled.  Yes you read that right....still disabled.  I have to say when I first read the letter asking me to do this I was somewhat perplexed.  In fact I sat there asking myself if this was something that parents of children would lie about? 

So then what does New Zealand determine a disabled? Hmmm according to the State Services Commision it is

 
" Statistics NZ defines disability as "any self-perceived limitation in activity resulting from a long-term condition or health problem; lasting longer or expected to last longer than six months or more and not completely eliminated by an assistive device".² Statistics NZ also draws on the World Health Organisation's functional definition of disability of "...any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner of within the range considered normal for a human being".^3'"

I am postitive that someone with high medcial needs, significant cognative and behavioural needs is disabled.  In fact any one of these issues my son has would make him disabled on its own. Anyway I went down to the local government depart that required this of me and asked why yet again do I need to prove to them that my son is as he is.  Rules she said.  I think really it is an unnecessary and insensitive process that is treating my family like we are untrustworthy people.  Not pleasant at all.

Grrrrrrr

Ok now I feel a little better

(PS my son is not in a wheelchair, nor have any other notable diablitly to look at)

Monday Menu 24 September

The last week of the school term is here and I am really hanging out for the two week break that this school holiday will gives before the final 9 weeks of the school year.

So here is my menu.

Monday   Easy Fried Rice

Tuesday  Red Curry chicken Skewers with grilled bok choy

Wednesday  Chicken caesar salad

Thursday  Chicken Korma on rice

Friday  Falafel in Pitta

Saturday  chickpea and vegetable patties with salsa

Sunday  Leftovers

I am linking this to I'm an Organising Junkie