Ada seems to be very interested in describing her actions in detail at the moment. Funnily enough, I’m having a hard time describing what I mean exactly, or what its significance is… it’s bound to be something related to self-awareness and language.

Examples:

• As she shut her lunchbox at Playcentre the other day, she carefully put her arm over the lid to stop the top compartments from opening. As she did so, she was narrating and explaining to me to me how and why she was doing it, e.g. “See, Mum, I put my arm like this so they don’t come open, then I turn the lunchbox over and then I open the other side!”
• She pointed out to me at tea that she had put her cup a long way from her plate. “I’ve put it over here so I don’t knock it with my elbow… see?”

Linus’s first ever “favourite” movie was Happy Feet (check out his dancing!!), a cartoon about emperor penguins. When I saw a couple of months ago that Happy Feet Two was coming to the movies, I decided that it was time to finally take Linus to his first movie. The school holidays seemed a sensible time to do it, and on Monday I realised that this meant it was now or never!

So yesterday Linus, Ada and I enjoyed a trip to the movies. We enjoyed ridiculously comfortable seating, smuggled-in lollies (shhhh!), and an almost-empty cinema.

Linus got to spend some of his own pocket money on claw crane “game”, about which he now grumpily says “It’s just a machine for taking your money!”. He’s quoting me when he says it, but he says it with such feeling that I think he gets the gist.

After the movie, Linus and Ada spent about half an hour – penniless! – in the video arcade. They enjoyed imaginary shoot-’em-ups and car races, and would probably have kept going all afternoon if their mum hadn’t been bored and hungry!

Much as I hate a LOT about going to the movies (prices, food prices, failure to display any food prices, empty cinemas that seem to defy sensible supply-&-demand principles, lack of added value and innovation – the list is long and ranty!), I think it will be a nice tradition to have a movie trip each school holidays.

Today after breakfast, Ada opened up an “ice-cream shop”. This is a frequently repeated game in our house, and involves tipping a dining chair on its side, standing behind it (it’s a shop, you see) and calling “Does anyone want an ice-cream?”

Of course I did (chocolate caramel, since you ask). Ada reached down under the “counter” to get my ice-cream, and when she came back up she said “Phew, I found it in the left drawer.”
Then she looked a bit thoughtful, and pointed her arm out to her side.

Ada: Is that the left?
Mummy: Yes.
A: If that’s the left, then (arm flung to other side) that’s the right!
M: Yep.
A: (arm pointing forward) And that’s north?
M: No, that’s the front.
A: (arm behind her) And that’s the back!
M: Yep.
A: (arm above her) And that’s up! (proud smile)
M: (nods)
A: (arm pointing to the floor) And that’s down! (triumphant beam)
M: (nods and smiles)

It’s always cool getting a free lesson on what their level of understanding of a concept is I think we’ll leave compass directions for a while yet though.

We’ve been camping a couple of times before (Pounawea and Purakanui Bay) but the biggest problem had been the amount of space available in our car. With two adults, three kids and the gear that goes with it we were pretty packed, to the point where it was almost impractical (our car has a small boot). We’ve since alleviated that problem by getting my Dad’s trailer back on the road for a year so when the urge strikes we can hitch up the trailer and off we go.

These Christmas holidays we were planning on camping somewhere but in the end Linus, Ada and I went off for a night to the Trotters Gorge DOC campsite. Linus had been pretty excited about camping since New Year’s Eve when he helped me put up the tent at the Whare Flat Folk Festival.

Highlights:

• Great weather – we hardly needed our sleeping bags
• A bush walk that lasted almost two hours (we meant to do the 20 minute walk but Linus and Ada were so keen)
• Small caves full of weta - there would have easily been a hundred on the ceiling of the caves
• Pancakes with Bacon, Banana and Maple Syrup in the morning
• Paddling in the stream and rescuing bugs (mostly hoverflies and night beetles)
• Heaps of kererū (Linus reckons he counted 12, I reckon he’s pretty close)
• Heaps of great photos taken by Linus and Ada around the campsite (and heaps more not so great ones)

So now that we’ve had a bit of practice putting the tent up we reckon we can get it up in about 10 minutes. Pretty slick!

(See our Flickr photos)

Today Ada turned four, but it’s felt like her birthday for a couple of weeks.

Fluffy

Nana and Aunty C bought animal-loving Ada a pet for her birthday: a budgie that she has named “Fluffy”. Because of the timing of getting the young bird, Ada actually received him a couple of weeks ago.

It was a rough first week for Fluffy: he limped, stayed on the bottom of the cage, and seemed very depressed. Happily time, a vet visit, and some TLC brought him around and he now seems to be a normal, happy budgie.

Party

Yesterday Ada had a birthday party with her friends. The plan was to have a trip with family and Ada’s five best friends to the Salt Water Pool. A broken arm dropped the number of friends to four, and the weather shifted our venue to the indoor Moana Pool, but the party turned out to be great fun. After an exhausting hour in the water, the kids put on towels and sat pool-side for “Happy Birthday”, cupcakes, juice boxes, and present opening.

Other Celebrations

• A round of “Happy Birthday” at Playcentre on Thursday (shared with three other children who were also due to have birthdays over the summer break).
• Shopping with Nana and Aunty C yesterday morning to get some toys and other extras for Fluffy.
• Dinner, cake and candles with my family yesterday evening.
• Presents and love from Bob’s family, Mummy and Daddy on her actual birthday (which was combined with Christmas celebrations, since we won’t all be together on Christmas Day).

Presents

Of course I’ve probably missed some, so I’ll update the list as they spring to mind!

• IG and AG: soft toy cat (probably named “Aurora”, but names are often subject to change)
• EM and OM: gorgeous hand-made dress; chocolate gold coins;
• CB: tiny dinosaurs in a plastic egg; fabric paint-pens
• Granny and Pop-pop: princess sleeping bag in its own carry-bag
• Aunty A and Uncle M: mini back-pack with cologne, nail-polish, bubble bath, and lip gloss; Paddle Pop DVD
• Nana and Aunty C: Budgie and a billion accessories
• Linus: Schleich model dragon
• Mummy and Daddy: kitten nighty; socks