Mummy & Daddy ran away to Europe

too busy to blog

2010-09-29T01:50:00.000-07:00

We've been much too busy to blog the last couple of days so I'll just catch you up quickly on our activities. Yesterday the girls played on the wii while I worked in the office (finishing up the work I started at 4.30 am). We were out at the octopus park by 10.15 with a packed morning tea. At 12.00 we decided to go and run the errands in town which included buying ham and white bread for sandwiches just like Aimee had at the cafe the day before. After lunch it was more on the wii, then the girls played on their own while I tidied up and cooked. We had another game of catan while we had a big afternoon tea then grumps took the girls to dinner at a chinese restaurant while I visited the doctor to have a few suspect skin lesions excised. A late bedtime for the girls but they were very good.

This morning the girls were very busy, tidying up their rooms for the cleaner, taking down yesterday's washing, folding it and hanging up today's batch (part of a money earning enterprise) and then they had a special job, watering the seed trials in the 80 petri dishes for grumps - exactly 10 drops of nutrient solution in each! After that we didn't have time for any tv or wii, it was straight out for the day's activity, the memorial tower. Aimee climbed up to the top twice and half way up once, Jess got to the top twice and nana only once. Then it was McDonalds for lunch (I took sushi), a long play at mcd's playground and then to video ezy for three disney cartoon movies. Home to watch one, a play outside with the pup and some bubbles, a long bath and half of another movie before dinner. Friends came this evening to play catan so the girls were a little late to bed again but not much as they stayed up to meet our friends. Off to bed like lovely little lambs and now fast asleep.

Tomorrow the girls will do the washing again and then they will both have earned another $5.00 each for the $2.00 shop. We will visit there on the way to Judith's for lunch. We will make sushi for lunch and then decorate gingerbread men. I will take paper and the laminating machine so that we can weave and laminate table mats.

shoes and things

2010-09-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Jessie says: We bought some hairbrushes with mirrors on the back. And yesterday we got some toys and I got baby jungle in my pocket. For Mum & Dad - I LOVE YOU YOU ROCK!

Aimee says: Yesterday we bought new shoes with shoelaces and some pink tights
For Mum & Dad - I LOVE YOU YOU ROCK!

PS: Grumps posted pictures of the girls on his blog yesterday.

Successful Day

2010-09-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

After Jessica and I folded and hung out washing this morning, the girls watched tv while I worked and then we all had morning tea with grumps. Jessica helped with the washing to earn another dollar so that they both had $5.00 to spend at the $2 shop. After the $2 shop we bought leggings, hairbrushes and shoes! Then we had lunch at Oggies, did some grocery shopping and came home. I dozed while they played with their new toys then I made chocolate chip biscuits (no-one was interested in helping) and we played catan while we had afternoon tea. They played with Ergo and now they are playing tennis on the wii!

I cut Jessica's hair yesterday before they washed their hair in the bath...

Here we are again at Nana and Grumps

2010-09-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

Aimee and Jessica are back with Nana & Grumps for a week during the school holidays - and we have a new puppy!

Aimee says: I took this photo of Ergo sitting on the floor. I love you.

I took this photo of Ergo in the box, lying in the box. And I love you you ROCK!.

They're Home!!

2009-06-29T00:29:00.000-07:00

Just in case Mummy and Daddy had forgotten which was who the girls had signs...

2009-06-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Jessica we to the beacH but first we played on the witches hat and then we made picctures in the sand then went on the flying fox.
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Aimee says I can't wait until The 3 nights have gone oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aimee says "I'm glad there is only three more nights until you come home and we can get our presents and we can nearly get to see you because that's one of the things I'm happy about because i've been crying about it."

The Witches Hat & the Flying Fox

2009-06-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

2009-06-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

Aimee says "Today we are going to the beach and i can't wait to go on the witches hat because it goes up down around and i can't wait because don't worry about the thing blah blah blah yesterday we went to pick up Kenza and we really like Kenza she's really a fun girl and i like her and she came with us to the octopus park and the tower and today she is going to come with us to the park at the beach with the witches hat."

JessICa I HopE you like the castle and the picture of the beans

The beans and peas are growing

2009-06-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

Photo taken by Jessica Metwell

Rules

2009-06-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

today i sent the girls outside after lunch with their whistles for a while and Aimee came back in after 10 minutes to ask if she had to whistle or could she just play outside instead?

Grumps has the bot

2009-06-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

Aimee says "Today we went to the $2 shop and I got a dragon a pink dragon and some whistles and i had 8 and now i've got 7 because i shared one with Jess and I'm so glad because they are actually soccer whistles i know because they've got soccer balls on the side and I like the dragon because its all soft and there was a dog too but I didn't want that because it didn't look interesting do you understand that I know you do I was just having a little play with you. Are you doing anything interesting? And love aimee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooo xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

Jessica says "i gotted a pink dragon and some new marbles and also Aimee shared one of her whistles with me with a blue string to put around your neck and its a live one. We can only do loud whistles outside and if we are inside got to do it quietly. I love you from jessica xxxxxxxxoooooooooooo bye mummy and daddy."

Nana says "the outside-only-whistle rule was made before the whistles were bought and has been strictly adhered too - we attracted a LOT of smiles from mums and nanas as we walked and whistled down the street on the way to the cafe - and comments too! And for the first time the girls went happily outside after lunch to entertain themselves for half an hour - with the constant whistles I was able to track where they were with no trouble!"

Aimee's Message

2009-06-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Aimee says I lave YOU AND I kat wat intw you are bak:

Yesterday I hammered wood together and one time I hammered a nail right in and I was so pleased with myself and I painted wood and I'm going to do some more today I think I'm not sure.

Jessica's Message

2009-06-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

Jessica i L oVe YoU i WeNT iN grumps truck to get more wood?

Sunday

2009-06-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we worked. Grumps built a new step for the front door and Aimee and Jessica helped him to take the wood off the truck.

Aimee did some hammering and painting.

Nana prepared the room for Kenza, the student from France who will be arriving on Wednesday.

Aimee and Jessica helped Nana by taking their books and toys and quilts out of that room and into the bunk room where they are sleeping for the rest of their stay. Jessica helped Nana make the bunk beds.

2009-06-19T23:38:00.000-07:00

Jessica says "I love you"

At the Cafe

2009-06-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

On Saturday mornings we meet our friends Robert and Jennifer at the Yellow House Cafe. That is what we do on Saturday mornings. When Aimee and Jessie are with us they come too and we take their worksheets for them to do over a drink of juice and a piece of chocolate brownie. Jessie finished a whole maths workbook in about 40 min. So i gave her the back of one of Aimee's rejected worksheets which I had printed off from here and there this morning. This is the picture Jessie drew. It is totally unprompted, has not arisen from any sort of conversation we have had. She told me it is Aimee, outside (you can see she is walking on grass and there is a sun and a cloud in the sky) and Aimee is thinking of herself stroking their cat Rani (see the thought bubbles rising from her head and the largest one has the picture of Aimee stroking Rani). I said to Jessie "where are you" and she said "inside".

Rani died a few weeks ago and we have had a number of matter of fact references to Rani and her death from Jessica.

How many four year olds draw pictures of their sister's thoughts?

Nana please can you do fancy writing too?

2009-06-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Jessica says "I hope you are having a good time by yourselfs. I went to the restaurant last night and i had yummy pizza and so did grumps have a yummy pizza and a buzzy bee icecream"

Aimee says "as jess is talking about the restaurant and it was heaps of fun and it was like daddy's spaghetti bolgnaise but it wasn't i hate to say this it tasted a bit yukkier i like daddy's more, heaps more (nana:that would be the parmesan, but she ate a big plateful anyway) and i love you its nearly the end of the weeks we nearly get to see you and get our presents i can't wait and grumps made me some breakfast and it was bacon and eggs and mushrooms and it was delicious and can you please make that when we get home because i loved it"

Jessica iN Bed tHIs mORNiNG WE TiCKLeD GrUmPs FeeT... And we are going to the cafe

Aimee says'' I love you yesterday we went tO THE snow and WE (nana takes over typing here because this is encroaching onto their tv time) saw icicles and we felt them with our gloves and we made a snowman but not a good snowman because the snow wasn't really sticky we had to use lumps of snow that were already piled up.

Nana says: last night on the way to the restaurant Jessica said, apropo of nothing, in tones of mild surprise and with no distress at all "I forgot what my mummy and daddy look like!" We promised to find her some photos...

Snow Visit

2009-06-19T00:50:00.000-07:00

Today was another good day. We decided that if we were going to go to the snow that we had better do it today because Kenza the french student arrives on Tuesday so it was very lucky that the weather was bright and sunny... and cold. It was between zero and 4 deg all the way up to the mountain. The big discussion of the day wasn't the snow, the big discussion of the day was whether the mountain was a volcano or not and when that was affirmed, do you think it would blow up asked Aimee and we had running commentary about rumbles for the last half hour while we drove onto the mountain. We assured them that it would not erupt while we were on it but they were still worried right up until the time when they saw the snow. We didn't hear any more after that.

Jessica and Aimee and grumps made snow angels and we all made a snowman. We saw beautiful icicles on the long tussock, we stayed in the snow for about an hour, had a picnic lunch and the girls had a good sleep on the way home. It was a bit busy when we got home because the girls still had to watch their tv quota for the day and nana and grumps had to do some work then get the girls ready to go out to dinner - at an Italian restaurant. Jessica had pizza, Aimee had spag bol (as good as daddy's), Nana had gf carbonara and grumps had the best pizza ever - Robert and Jennifer also had excellent meals (carbonara and lasagne). And WE DIDN'T GO TO THE PUB even though it was Friday...

It was a very fun day - so much so that grumps forgot to do his rotary bulletin for the week - and can't be bothered to do it this evening either.

2009-06-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Aimee says thank you mummy
Jessica says (The girls spent about 30 min getting this far but at this point I took over and asked for dictation as we have a special need for speed this morning) "I hope you are having a good time by yourself and i hope you are having fun with each other. I love you both we are going to the snow today. "
Aimee says " I hope you are having a good time just you and daddy but we are going to the snow today i can't wait and we are going to buy some gloves and we are going to throw snowballs at each other. Grumps said we could go to the snow i hope you are having fun too are you going to do anything exciting today like we are going to the snow i cannot wait until we go to the snow if i already said that to you?"

Grumps Here

2009-06-18T02:59:00.001-07:00

I thought it about time the only male in the house had a few words. Being the healthy and fit adult in the household over the past week I haven't had time to indulge in the frivolities of blogging but as Janice is somewhat recovered I'll use what spare time I now have to appraise you of the real situation here.

All three girls have been very nice people to live with, almost all at the same time, together and at once. Janice has done amazingly well with a pretty fearful cold and Aimee and Jessica have been angels. This is how I remember parenthood - all happiness, smiles and sunny days..... Isn't that right girls?

We really are having a ball. At 4:50 pm yesterday I took A & J up to the gate to watch the sunset. The sky was clear and we walked around while the sun decided to go to bed so we could look at it. After this the sky turned pink while we played "I Spy" using colours instead of letters (but Jessica will soon be able to handle letters). We had pink, green, orange, turquoise, blue, yellow, red, gold, grey, silver (con trails of 4 aeroplanes) and finally black. Everything that was a colour before became black which made the game fun. Then the stars came out and we decided to go inside for dinner after making sure the Southern Cross was in the right place. We wore jumpers and coats and hats, but not inside at the table.

The bean seeds we sowed on the first Monday have not only germinated but have grown right out of the top of the jar by at least 3 cm now. We're taking bets about how high they will be when the parents finally return from their jaunt in the sun - not that we envy them of course; just imagine 37deg, 30 deg even. Centigrade too, none of this English/German, outdated thermoscale nonsense. They do things right on the continent when it comes to summer.... and winter, even driving, it's all right. Right?

Today, after lunch Jessica decided we could play a game of princes and princesses. Every time she said "prince" I had to bow and every time she said "princess" she did a curtsy. This after I'd got Jessica and Aimee to do something similar when I read them a story the other day. This went on for a little while and then I had to go away while she lay down in a very deep and long sleep in the castle. Then I had to rescue her and wake her with a kiss. This time Aimee joined in and we all ran to the bunk room to hide from the wicked witch. This was ok but I soon found out that the duties of a prince involved killing the wicked witch and I had to earn my keep so.... off I went.... only to receive a mortal blow, stagger back through the bunk room door and expire beneath the bunks whereupon (not really dead) I heard this conversation. Aimee - " Uh Oh, I think he's dead". Jessica - "Yes, do you think we have to kiss him?" Aimee - Yes, will you do it?" Jessica - "No, will you?" Aimee - "No". Jessica - "We're pausing the game now Grumps, You'll have to go out again and kill the witch properly this time!"

Cheers

Grumps

Thanks everybody for your messages!

2009-06-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

Jessie says "I hope you are having a good time and i love you and also i hope you are having a good time without marjo and simon. That;s it."

Aimee says "I love you i hope you don't miss marjo and simon so much like i missed you when we talked on the phone too and i don't want to talk on the phone because it can make me sad so i think we shouldn't talk on the phone because i am talking to someone that i can't actually see so it makes me sad cause i can't so can we please just type messages. And that's all i want to say and i'm going to get dressed."

Jessica i love you we played in the tent last night With our nEw bears
Aimee says I hope you are having A good time xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(Jessica was playing with the shift key while she did her post - making the odd capitals - even some of her spaces were capitalised. Aimee discovered bold and text colours....)

Conversation at the Dinner Table

2009-06-16T23:27:00.001-07:00

Aimee: "My Daddy is the best daddy"
Nana: "Yes he is, I think he's a wonderful Daddy to you girls"
Aimee: "He's the best man"
Nana: "well, I think Grumps is the best man and then your daddy"
Aimee: "Here's the order of things, first my daddy then grumps because Daddy can make spaghetti and pancakes and grumps can't"
Grumps: "but i can make creme brulee"
Aimee: "but i don't like it so my daddy is the best"
Aimee: "and the mummies, now let me think, that's harder"
Nana: "first mummy and then nana"
Aimee: " but you make the best fishcakes. oh, but mummy makes pikelets so she is first then you"
Nana: "i don't think i'll try to make pikelets."

Nana's getting better

2009-06-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

The girls always want to type their messages themselves but it takes them sooooooooo long. I say they have to tell me some of it first so I can type it. Aimee really does just stream it out in one continuous stream, no pauses - so that's why I type it without fullstops or commas - I have to ask her to stop so I can catch up. Jessica ALWAYS wants to say the same thing, and when they get their turn to type she wants to say the same thing AGAIN - "I hope you are having a good time where you are", so I suggest other things she might say and she says yes, say that...

Aimee says "Thank you for the postacards and the kisses and cuddles I wish the weeks were nearly over have you bought us three presents now because if you have i would love you to tell me but you can't. And I love you so much I wish the weeks were over again - sorry for saying that again but that's all i want to say. Today i went to macdonalds for lunch and i got a toy and a strawberry shortcake diary and jess got the Guess Who game and she got a strawberry shortcake bag."

Jessica says "I hope you are having a good time at the place where you are. We went to the octopus park today and macdonalds and i had chips and hamburgers. that's all."

It seems there will be no typing by the girls today, they are too distracted by their game... Aimee was a bit weepy yesterday after your phone call, and again that afternoon. She has said a couple of time she wants to go home. But she is happy otherwise, still bright and bubbly and she enjoyed the trip to the park and the trivial pursuit game that she got at McD. We've played it twice since lunch. Jessica sat down to dinner on Monday and said "that isn't what i want for dinner!" but she ate it all and when I told grumps that she had said before she started that it wasn't what she wanted she said she wanted it again the next day. So we are having it again today, grilled steak, potatoes, yams and cooked sugar snap peas.

Comparisons

2009-06-15T23:24:00.000-07:00

Jessica says I am the best cook ever and Aimee says I need to ask her Daddy how he cooks Spaghetti Bolognaise because his is way better than mine BUT my fishcakes are heaps better than mummy's and i should tell her how to make them. So here is the recipe

1 cup cooked rice
2 tins of garlic flavoured tuna with the oil drained from one of them
3 eggs
2 tbsp gf flour

mix together
put spoonfulls on the (george forman type) grill
close lid to squash them to about 1/2" thickness and cook 4-5 min

Seeds

2009-06-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Aimee and Jessica planted seeds in a jar with soil and tissue - they are growing well!

Shawls

2009-06-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

In the morning the girls come to our bed to have stories. When Nana sits up to read stories she wears a shawl to keep her shoulders warm. Aimee and Jessica and Emily have shawls too.

Grumps is coping with two bright girls and one sick nana

2009-06-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

Jessica says "I hope you are having a good time where you are so i really do miss you already and i like staying at nana and grumps place and even though i really love you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooooooooooo"

Aimee says " I understand why you can't get to the computer and i understand it will be quite hard because everything is water you parked your car in a safe place so the water doesn't get to it i'm sorry you might not get to the computer with a boat i know it might get a bit tricky to get to the to computer"

Jessica jennifer read a story last night we had icecream and peach jelly i love you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Aimee says is it fun to go on A boat? xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx oooooooo I am typing in bed and I like it

(Earlier,before we got the computer out, Aimee had asked how to type a questionmark - she had tried previously apparently, found the key and presssed it but didn't get a questionmark because she needed to press shift as well. So i explained how to do it and now she has used it. She also noticed that I only use one space between words and not the multiple ones she and jessica had preferred and started to do that on her last post without any encouragement on my part.

Sorry, no pictures. I'm fairly down with this cold and both girls have a little of it now but are still very bright and full on. Aimee coughed a little in the night but it settled easily with cough medicine. They have gone downstairs to get breakfast leaving me in bed and i hear them giving their breakfast orders to Grumps - only ONE wheetbix and LOTS of berries...

Thanks to Helen and Alison for reading this blog and commenting :-) its nice!)

More messages

2009-06-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

Aimee says "Are you still going to buy us two presents because sharing i don't think actually counts so will you buy us two more presents please? to get on with the message, i love you two have you been doing anything special you two? i've been doing my homework in bed today and i went on a tractor ride up and back and up and back and then up again it was really fun."

Jessica says "and i was helping grumps doing the rubbish and then i was on the truck doing the rubbish and then i was helping him do the bottles and then i went to the supermarket and then after the supermarket i went to Jennifers and Roberts place."

Aimee says I can't wait until you are back because we will get our presents mum an d dad jennifer and robert are coming to dinner

Jessica i hope you are having a good time where you are i wa nt you to ooooooooooooooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

2009-06-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

Jessica says " I hope you are having a good time at the place where you was going so that's why we were having breakfast in bed so after we did it we are going to send messages to you"

Aimee says "today we are going to the cafe with robert and jennifer and we went to the pub yesterday and i hope my cold is going tt get better soon too but i think it won't but i wish it would because i have a really bad cold and i hate it soon i just wish winter would be over and just for a question have you bought us one of our presents yet?"

Jessica I love you I already miss you I am having good time at nana and grumps we had porridge in bed.

AIMEE I opv you ari hfing A git time and I luove you too and ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
mum and dad.

(Jessica wanted to type lots and lots but ran out of things to say, Aimee decided not to edit her work this morning.)

Schoolwork

2009-06-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

At school time this morning I asked the girls to draw a picture showing what we have done or what we are going to do. The first picture is Aimee's showing her doing her schoolwork at the table. The second picture is Jessica's showing Nana inside in her pyjamas and the girls outside playing in the sun (that's wishful thinking because we haven't had any sun) but its alright because nana's bed is beside the door and she is just getting in her bed but she can see the girls outside so its alright.

Aimee has finished her math's sheets that her real school teacher gave her so she has a workbook to do some extra practise. But she is allowed to use coloured pencils to do her work in the book because its not a school book.

Thanks for your Comments Nicky!

2009-06-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

for Nicky

Aimee says "what should you do to make Tim guess his present - you could make a path for him to find or give him clues I'm not sure what you are going to do its because its your idea. I wish i could be there to see what you are going to do because it sounds like fun. Can you please tell me what you are going to do for Tim to find and guess his present?"

Jessica says "Maybe if Tim has to actually follow and get his present you could make a path with all paper so the could follow the paper and if he finds the present he could go on another piece of paper and if he finds another present he could find more paper and more paper and more paper until he finds the present."

for Mummy and Daddy

Aimee says "today i am having a pyjama day because my throat is sore. nana told me and its dry so that's why i am having a pyjama day. I'm a bit sad I've got a dry throat and at the end of my cough its sore and its annoying when you have that is't it nana?"

Jessica says "i had a pyjama day becuse my throat was sore and my tummy was sore so we are staying in our pyjamas all week and all day and that's why"

Nana says "I am staying in my pyjamas too until i have to go to a dentist appointment at 1.00 and Aimee said that I could look forward to coming home and putting on my pyjamas again because its good when someone is doing something hard to have something nice to think about but sometimes when it is very hard and it hurts you can't think about the something nice and it hurts and you say ow!

aimee metwell said I love you as much as a heart mum and dad xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo and I hope you are having A good time I miss you now mum and dad ooooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(Aimee typed all that without help and then went back with help and edited the five words that were spelt wrong - she used the back arrows and the mouse to place the cursor for editing.)

Jessica i love you i watched tv i chose it
Jessica Aimee i hope you are having a good time
(Jessica typed all that with help finding the letters - she knew where about 25% of them were on the keyboard without help though :-))

Still Life

2009-06-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

Nana says "After dinner this evening I noticed a lovely installation on the carpet and fetched the camera to record this 'Still life depicting Dead Ducks' made from the treasures we bought at the $2.00 shop today.

Jessica took the camera from me and took a series of photos including one of her sister and one of the (by now) rearranged still life. Aimee, of course, had to have her turn with the camera and took photos of Nana & Jessie, Grumps and the marbles in their basket."

We might make more messages later

2009-06-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Jessica typing her message - with help while Aimee works on a drawing in the background.

Aimee typing her message with less help - and she learnt to move the cursor back and forth, using the mouse and the arrows, to edit her mistakes.

Jessica i love you. its funny you have to pay to go to the toilet.

aimee says I am sorry you won't get to be looking at our messages on the computers . I love you.

to mum and dad
Jessica says "we had fun aimee was playing on the wii and the wizard turned back into the flying thingy and the girl was helping them find the friends and when diego got the drum they played it and the wizard turned back into the thingy and aimee finished the whole diego thing. and i played the race with aimee before she played by herself on the wii. and i tidied up half of one room and aimee tidied up half of the room and then she tidied up all of the other room and that's what i said."

Aimee says "i helped jess tidy up half a room and then i tidied up the whole other room without being asked. and today we are going to the $2 shop to get a toy and then we are going to the cafe but if its getting sunnier we will go to the octoupus park as well. i am so excited. i am glad the toilet didnt' cost so much its funny when we need to pay for the toilet there because we don't need to pay for the toilet at new zealand. its so funny isn't it mummy? And i hope you are having a good time at (where are they nana?_ rome) Rome and I can't believe that painting is bigger than our dining room wall Daddy!!"

Excellent Logic

2009-06-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

Jessica was in the bath on her own and Aimee and I were talking in the lounge (about how babies get out of their mummy's tummy - ask her sometime...). I shouted out to Jessie saying are you alright. She answered yes and Aimee said i didn't need to do that because Jessica was old enough to get up if she fell and the water only came up to here and if she fell and it was a big bump and it made her go to sleep I would hear it but if she fell and it was a little bump I wouldn't hear it but it wouldn't make her go to sleep so she would be alright.

Replies to messages

2009-06-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

to Melissila
Jessica says "yes i told nana and grumps the hot and cold game and we was playing it today and it went me, grumps and then aimee came and said what are you playing and so then it was me and grumps and then aimee and me and grumps and aimee and like that and we were playing it until lunchtime and it was so fun. now we are playing on the wii"

to Mummy and Daddy
Aimee metwell says I am sorry the liquorice has salt in it to try and make you better I send you heaps of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Jessica ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx mummy

Aimee says "i'm sorry you needed to pay for the toilets i feel sorry for you because they are just toilets why would you need to pay for the toilets?"

Aimee "we've planted beans and peas and acorns in soil and tissue and in a glass jar with water and we cheated on one of them. Grumps found one acorn that had already started growing and one of the beans has a root. I'm so excited until we can see tomorrow in case it has more root or it has grown a little stem."

What did we do this afternoon?

2009-06-08T00:05:00.000-07:00

made chocolate chip biscuits!

2009-06-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

This morning the girls drew pictures and wrote about their trip to the park yesterday. Aimee drew a beautiful picture of the large octopus which has swings on its legs. She drew herself on the swing. Aimee wrote her story and then asked nana to correct the words she was unsure of.

Jess thoroughly approved of Aimee's picture but drew three swings on hers. One of the swingers is Aimee, one is Jessie and one is Nana with straight hair before she got so old. Grumps is pushing all the swingers because they are all children but when they get young to be babies again they will have to go and find a mummy and a daddy. Jess copied nana's writing onto her picture.

Replies to messages

2009-06-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

To Nicky:
Jessie says "the octopus is a special way because we are only allowed to go to the octopus park sometimes and we were only going to stay there for a little while and when i wanted to go on the circle spin thing i fell over and hurt myself and then i was crying crying until i saw the seal on the wall and then i laughed and laughed."

Aimee says "the octopus park is called the octopus park because there is an octopus in it that is a toy to play on and it has swings and sideways sings on the octopus' legs".

To Melissila
Aimee says" i didn't mean that i was having a party at the two dollar shop, i wanted a party when mummy and daddy come home and give us the presents. 3 presents and we will get three presents!"

To Mummy and Daddy
aimee says "I hope you are having a good time i miss you when you get home and give us the three presents we are having a party and i cannot wait until we get the three presents. I am sorry that you didn't get much sleep and i bet you are full becuase you had three dinners and one dessert what did you have for dinner and what did you have for dessert too?"

Jessica says "mummy i really hope you have a good sleep at simon's place." (at this point jessica was about to comment on the shopping trip but she slipped and hurt her elbow and lost interest in blogging for now -more later

An explanation

2009-06-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Jessie explained her picture in the last post: there are four people, Aimee is the little sister, she is only TWO and Jessie is the big sister and she is SIX and Aimee is holding the big sister's hand and Jessie is holding nana's hand and nana is holding Grumps hand and grumps has lots of curly hair and they are playing ring a ring a rosies. And Jessie has long hair down to the ground but Aimee will be careful not to walk on it because she is careful.

Day two

2009-06-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

Jessie says "I really want you to see all the notices on the blog so you know who did it. So you know Aimee and Jessica will have be the goodest girls".

Aimee Metwell says "I hope you get my messages and Jess's messages too and i hope you've made new friends. I love you and I bet you're getting tired on the plane. so I wish you kiss, cuddle, kiss, cuddle, love heart kiss cuddle (etc)."

Jessie says "I know you are getting very tired because you had breakfast and dinner and dessert on the plane."

Aimee says" We played on the computers and had breakfast and we had a fantastic breakfast because i had mashed potato and it was yum you should have been here because mashed potato is really lovely it might have been one of your favourites. And i got two new hats in town and we got Jess a pair of sliiiippeeeers because we forgot her slippers from home and i got a new t-shirt which is just for meeee hip hip horay and its pink and has a princess on the bottom. And i fell over off the wall and i hurt myself and it was close to where all the wood was and I cried. And Jess fell over off the roundabout at the octopus park and i was really sorry for her but she's alright now and i am too. And we had chips at macdonalds."

On the way

2009-06-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

On the way to Nana and Grumps' place, Aimee wrote this story:

And here are the good byes...

The First Day

2009-06-05T20:08:00.001-07:00

Aimee says "I love you mummy and daddy and I hope you have a good time in Europe". Jessica says " I've been helping grumps and nana to stack the wood and I'm going to have a good time and I'll be happy at nana and grump's place." Aimee says " I helped grumps with the wood too and I hope you are helping someone too and I hope you make some new friends at Europe." kisses and cuddles and love hearts from Aimee and Jess - kiss, kiss, kiss, cuddle, cuddle, cuddle love, love, love from Aimee and Jessie - all the stuff in italics is typed by the girls!

Here are the pictures they drew today. They show the things they want to do while they are staying with Nana and Grumps.

Aimee wants to go to the $2 shop and shop and party

Aimee wants to go up the tower and through sycamore helicopters off the top

Jessica wants to go the cafe

Jessica wants to go to the octopus park.

Jessie says "I really hope you have a good time and make new friends and i really want you to be so good and come home on the last day that we are going to go"

Aimee "I hope you dont be afraid because you can make good friends and make you time happier wherever you are." (that was a song, for you, Aimee sung it and typed most of it.)