Spreading the Joy ~22

Daily December #22 Giving a smile

Today was Santa photo day! We went to Glenfield Mall and did a spot of shopping as well. Last year when we did this Will was only 4 days old and I had not long got out of hospital- Will was Santa's youngest that year. The photo is fairly good... at least everyone is looking!
♥

Daily December #21 Giving Light

Our Christmas tree is huge and makes a big impact on the room so when we had already waited so long to put it up already we decided to wait until after Will's BBQ in case we needed to fit everyone in the lounge. So finally today (Sunday) we put the tree up. This year I had a serious cull of decorations including putting some of the more agricultural kid made ones away and limiting the colours on our tree. It still looks quite full though and the uniformity of the colours makes it look really nice! We have four strings of lights on the tree and we also put 3 other strings around the room. So now our Christmas decorating is complete and we just need to wait for the big guy in red to show up!

♥

Brandy Snaps, Breakfast, Basket Case and Birthdays

Friday was Will's first birthday and it started like most birthdays do in the Stockley house.

Will soon got in the swing of opening his presents.

And greeted all of his new things with interest and enthusiasm.

He got a lot of books ( no surprises there)- and stopped to look at each one... he is really into 'reading' now- it's lovely!

He got a special present from Harry to remind him of the day we watched Angel hunting the birds outside our window.

On Saturday Will was extremely helpful as we sorted out stuff and tidied up ready for the party/BBQ.

We baked cupcakes instead of a birthday cake... he had Thomas ones and these super sweet 'baby cakes' about the width of an old 50 cent piece.

Being already well practised at opening presents he was into the swing when his friends started arriving... he got some Duplo from Shannon and Lisa and it has been well played with by ALL the boys in the house already!

He had some snuggles with Granny and Pop!

And he also went out and did the BBQ thing with the other menfolk- Aneil brought him back inside at one point- it was cool to see that Will is really comfortable with the people we consider 'family'.

The cupcakes went down a treat!

It's a shining example of my poor mothering that Kieran got to the age of 11 without knowing what a Brandy Snap is and so on Friday night we had them for pudding. On Sunday morning we used the left over cream from the Brandy Snaps and the left over french bread from BBQ to have french toast with cream and maple syrup for breakfast....

... we ate outside. Life doesn't get much better than this!

♥

Daily December #20 Giving a Party!

Today was Will's birthday BBQ and we spent the better part of the day preparing. Unfortunately the weather looked a little too suspect to be outside so we all gathered in the lounge. Will had mostly grown-up friends at his party other than K & M; Granny & Pop Rae, Kieley, Aneil, and Shannon and Lisa. He stayed up very late and was on fine form for all his guests. He got an ABC book and some clothes from Kieley, a towel and a Spot book from Granny and Pop, and some Duplo from Shan and Lisa. He enjoyed all his presents but I think his favourite part was probably eating a baby cupcake!

♥

Daily December #19 Giving Credit

The morning of the 19th started with Will's birthday (photos in another post) and we did the usual family traditions- presents on the couch, happy birthday letters and such. Will quickly became an expert present un-wrapper and was interested in looking at every present he got.


It was the last day of school today (19th) and it ended as per usual with the final Assembly. For the last 4 years running Kieran has received the achievement award for the Year 6's in his class.
There were a few farewells to be had. I said goodbye to the year 8's from my G.a.T class last year who are moving onto high school. Kiearn said goodbye to some good friends who are leaving for intermediate schools.
Both the kids farewelled their teachers for the year as next year they both have new ones in 2009.

Kieran and Mrs Mallabar.

Merenia and Mrs James.

♥

Daily December #18: Giving space

It's starting to look a little more like Christmas around here... we finally pulled out the decorations and have put a little Christmas around the place we still don't have the tree up but we have decided now to leave it till Sunday. That way if it rains on Saturday and we all have to be inside the lounge won't seem as crowded. To a certain extent we have had to baby proof the decorating- hopefully that will only have to happen this year but I guess with a inquisitive 2 year old around next year then we may have to do it then as well.

♥

There's a question....

Eggnog or Hot Chocolate?

Eggnog I just googled for recipes the other day because I have had any in ages!!

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

The elves wrap them of course what sort of question is that???

Colored lights on tree/house or white?

Nothing on the house. Coloured and white on the tree... although I am streamlining our Christmas deco's and looking to update a little at the boxing day sales.

Do you hang mistletoe?

Nope but I do remember my Mum used to trace my foot less one toe and hang it up when I was a kid... mistletoe not being commonly found in Dunedin.

When do you put up your decorations?

Usually on the first weekend in December but due to 'circumstances' the house got a little decorated last week and the tree went up yesterday.
What is your favorite holiday dish?

Ham, ham, ham and oh some more ham... off the bone of course.

Favorite Holiday memory as a child?

Nothing specific but I do remember fondly big Christmases with lots of cousins at my Nana's house.

Do you believe in Santa?

Hello???? What do you mean do - is there any other option??

Can you ice skate?

Yep, I quite like it!

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Nope

How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?

It's kind of eclectic at the moment kindy made, hand made- old stuff new stuff but- no blue stuff.

Snow! Love it or Dread it?

Love it for sure!!

Do you remember your favorite gift?

Not really but my first 10 speed when I was around 10 was a big hit! I spent the better part of the weeks after Christmas riding and listening to the walkman I had gotten for my birthday a few months earlier.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

Fruit salad... we make a really full on one with every fruit I can get my hands on and about a litre of fruit juice added in.

What tops your tree?

We were angel people but the last couple of years we have gone with a big red star.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

A toss up between decorating the house and tree and cooked breakfast we have on Christmas morning.

Which do you prefer giving or Receiving gifts?

100% Giving!!!!

What is your favorite Christmas Song?

Not normally into carols but I do like the Starbucks Carol CD in particular Let it Snow! I HATE with a passion Snoopy's Christmas.

Candy canes on the tree?
Nah... not into candy canes at all and in Auckland's Humidity they kind of melt and make the tree all sticky (Not good when your tree is the reuseable kind).

What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

Relaxing and appreciating my friends and family.

♥

Advent Stockley Style ~22

Spreading the Joy ~21

A bit of Christmas fun...

Wanna try? Go here.

Advent Stockley Style ~21

Spreading the Joy ~20

Advent Stockley Style ~20

See Will Grow, Grow Will Grow!

Spreading the Joy ~19

Will at 12 Months

Now that Will is One.... (sob, sob, sob, my baby is one already!!)

He weighs... 9.1kg
He measures...71cm
He has 6 teeth.



Will can....

• Sit-up
  
• Do fast Commando Crawling and not as fast proper crawling
  
• Stand-up while holding on

• Cruise around the furniture
• and get himself back down again.
• Clap

• Wave
• Stack boxes

• shake Maracas
• give 'five'
  
• do "gentle patting"

• Laugh
• Play Peek-a-boo
• Open the cupboards in the lounge and make a big mess!
• Switch off the computer
• throw a ball

• shake his head no "What do ya mean no??"
• Post shapes with some help.
  
• Say bird, cat and a bunch of others we haven't quite figured out yet
• Understand a whole lot more than he says
• Ignore the stuff he doesn't want to know.

Will loves...

• breastmilk
  
• his brother

• his daddy
  
• his mummy
• Birds, planes, helicopters

• Cats
• Water play
• Bubbles
• Parachute
  
• his sister
• reading stories

• music and dancing especially Maracas
  
• getting around the house to check things out
  
• The screensaver on the computer
• Making noise
• playing outside

• being tickled, jiggled, turned upside down, and thrown in the air
  
• watching out the window
• Balls
  
• playing Ninja baby
• Stacking and knocking down boxes
  
• baths and showers
• Having swings

• clambering over his family when they lay on the floor

• Wafer Ice cream cones
• Action songs especially horsey ones and gymbaroo exercises.
• Gliders, No really he does!

• Sleeping through the Night and sleeping in on Saturday- Yeah Right!!
  

Will tolerates.... (read: kind of dislikes actually)

• Driving in the car
• Having to go where the big kids go
• Cuddles
  

Will gets called...

• Will
• Willy
• Willy-Boy
  
• Wills-y
  
• Willsta
• Wilbur
• Willamena
• Willamia Jebidiah
  
• W
• Dub
• Dubby
• Dubya
• Bubbaluba
• McFly
• Ninja Baby
  

Will eats...

• breastmilk- Yum

• Custard
• Crackers

• Milk Arrowroot biscuits
  
• Ice Cream Cones

• Chocolate
• and things he finds on the floor
  
• Not a hell of a lot else....
• Put sometimes he will permit the following to pass his lips in small doses;Cheese, nacho mince, jar food, pasta, rice, grapes, fruit toast, banana, and chips
  

Will has lots of cool friends especially...

• Miss Rae
• Granny Rae
• Room 20 at Torbay school.
• Harrison and Kathryn
• Lilly and Miss Mannington
• Elliot
  
• Ms Corsan
• Mrs Crawford
• Trae and the bigger Carringtons

Will....

• Still wakes 2-5 times a night
• Has day sleeps at around 9am and 1pm
  
• Goes down for the night around7-7:30pm
• Wakes between 6:30 and 7:30am sometimes as late as 8am :-)
• Still settles a bit for the Buzzy Bee Song
  
• Cry's when mummy leaves the room
• Still has undetermined eye colour
• Has a sleeping bald patch
• Is nearly always cranky when he wakes up.
  
• Makes it his lifes mission to get to the toilet paper and the catfood

• Looks most handsome in orange and khaki green
• like to babble on about stuff
  
• Sometimes claps in his sleep
• Looks super cute most of the time
  
• Still has a dummy to go to sleep sometimes
  
• Has just finished having the chicken pox

And most likely a bunch of other stuff that my family will remind me about when they read this...