Crikey has it been that long? Oops. Been Facebook-ing too much obviously. Anyways, you all probably know that we found a mole on Chris' head/neck that turned out to be melanoma. He had it removed as well a sentinel node biopsy and yesterday the results came back and the nodes were clear! Celebrations all round. He still has 3-monthly checkups for the next 2 years and then less often over another 3 years, but the chances are pretty slim that the cancer will return. So it's been a fairly scary time for us all. Here are the gorrrrrrgggeous compression stockings Chris had to wear after his op and the bandaged wound (which is shaped like a sqaure question mark). Tyler continues to grow in every sense of the word. Only 5 months till he goes to school - eek! He still loves Ben 10, Spiderman and Transformers but equally enjoys Postman Pat and Sean the Sheep. His favourite bed-time stories are Goodnight Moon, Where is the Green Sheep? and Runaway Bunny. His best friends at pre-school are Ethan, Luke and Ella.

Touch season has finished and I was stoked to be a part of the Preston Rustlers which won the B section of the Business House competition. Here I am looking like I know what I'm doing :)

Playing together

Working on Chris' philosophy that the family that plays together, stays together he bought a bike trailer for Tyler so we can all go cycling together. Tyler loves it and pedals the whole way. He even got up and asked to go for a bike-ride yesterday morning.

I have torn by calf muscle again so it's off to the physio for me tomorrow *sigh*

Storm

We had a big thunderstorm hit yesterday about tea-time. It was Tyler's first decent look at lightning and he was quite excited trying to spot each flash. The neighbours's sheep went a bit dotty with the thunder and didn't know which way to run. Then the rain hit and it was torrential. Haven't seen anything like it! Followed by a tremendous downpour of hail. This was the view out of the kitchen window about 2 minutes after the hail started. The rain has flooded part of the lawn and the hail covered the rest. The whole storm lasted ages.

Chris has started back at work today after a couple of weeks off. I start back on Thursday, so I got up early this morning just to get my body clock back into work mode.

Here's Tyler mucking around with my headscarf. He looks like a little washer-woman :)

Tyler and I and the Howards visited Betty & Dennis at Mum's today, as they fly back to Auckland tomorrow. Betty is looking 200% better than when we last saw her :) Here's a famil shot.

A gratuitous photo of our wee Dude :)

Sending healing vibes to Aunty Betty who has landed in hospital here in Invervegas with viral pneumonia. Helen and I visited her today and I am pleased to report that despite her discomfort she has not lost her sense of humour.

Big 'Hi' to Julie and the Dines family :)

We are off to Christchurch via Queenstown tomorrow, first visiting Chris' uncle and Aunty and then staying with Rosina. Then down to Oamaru to visit Leona followed by a stop at Dunedin for Rachel's housewarming/birthday party. EBB invasion!

Tyler went to a friend's 5th birthday party today, and is so tuckered out he has gone to sleep on the couch.

Christmas

Wow Christmas came round fast! Christmas Day started very early for me as I was singing at a carol service at 11pm so didn't get home till about 12:20am. Then has to check that Santa had put presents in Tyler's pillowcase ;). The wee dude woke up at 4:33am (!!) but I got him back to sleep and then actually had to wake him so that he could open his presents before Chris went to work. He was ecstatic with his Ultimate Omnitrix and Battling Transformers, plus loads of other bits and pieces.

We went to Mum and Richard's just before 10am to open presents with the Howards and Betty & Dennis and we were all blessed with lovely gifts. Then Helen and I went to Elizabeth's for our yearly ritual of christmas cake and sherry. Back to Mum's for a wonderful Christmas dinner with ham, turkey, new potatoes etc followed by plum pudding with custard and cream, and shortbread and mince pies. Mum gave us all individualised Christmas crackers which Tyler loved. Chris was able to leave work early enough to have some dinner and open his presents with us.

Here's Tyler in his new shirt from Nan:

Tyler and cousin Stephen:

Busy busy busy

Goodness it's almost a month since I last posted! Into the Christmas run-up now, so it's all go. Tyler is really getting into Christmas this year. Every morning as soon as he wakes up it's "Count how many sleeps till Christmas" and I have to do it with my fingers. Today we opened the first door on G-A Betty's advent card (thank you Betty!) and Tyler got the first gift from our advent hanging. In each pocket I have tucked a piece of paper with a picture representing some part of the house, or object in the house. A gift will be hidden at that spot. Today he found a doctor's kit in his gumboot :)

Last night A Capella had its Christmas concert. We did John Rutter's 'Mass of the Children' and as well as the organ we had percussion, a flute and a lovely children's choir with us. I was the soprano soloist and I think I did ok. I also did a duet 'Love Came Down at Christmas' with another soprano. This a link to an article and photo in the Southland Times the other day. http://www.stuff.co.nz/southlandtimes/4775068a16895.html

Tyler is settling really well in the pre-school room at daycare. He is very conscious that he is now a big boy and corrects me if I say we are going to Surrey Park by saying "No! I go to Pre-School!" He loves singing the National Anthem in both English and Maori. When he first started singing it, the line 'from the shafts of strife and war/kia tau to atawhai' came out as 'taa ti ta ti ta ti ta ti ta ti taa.

He has had a bit of a growth spurt and it is awkward getting trousers to fit him as if the waist is the right size the length is too short. He is still chanelling Spiderman on a daily basis, and is Ben 10 mad. Any game/DVD/book which involves swordplay also gets his vote.