:: things we're loving ::

Life around here has stepped up a pace in the last couple of weeks with an imminent move, meaning much sorting, selling and packing and making the most of the summery days when they appear! I'm also wavering on the idea of blogging, but with some time to spare tonight I thought I'd share some things we're loving from the last week. 
We had two little girls with high temperatures here earlier in the week. I realise in these rare moments of sickness that I take for granted their happy, funny, mischievous dispositions when they're 100%, so to have a day or two when they're not well definitely changes the atmosphere. Thankfully it seems to have been shortlived, although an earlier intuitive decision to check a temperature showed another fever-level, so I'm hoping all is ok by morning.

Hair has been growing and the girls have been enjoying their 'pretty's, as I've had some fun making pigtails, ponytails and teeny tiny buns...

Combined with makeshift dresses and bubble-catching and a little reading too...

We've made a few visits to our new home that we'll be living in until early November when we'll be off to New Zealand to start a whole new adventure. But until then we're going to enjoy being in a beautiful chalet...

There's still a bit of work to be done before we can move in, like putting in the new kitchen and finishing the balcony, but we're excited to live there! And we'll be able to say coucou! to Grandpapa and Grandmaman who live right next door!

The girls were pretty excited to see their very own little playground in the backyard...

And I enjoyed the geraniums which are in full bloom at the moment and are the seasonal flower of choice for many chalets, homes and towns around here...

Meanwhile, back at home amidst piles of 'things' we're hoping to find new homes for, the girls enjoy moments with their almost-constant companions, their 'Billy's, a.k.a. bunny rabbits. 

And some other little friends who were allowed to join them at the breakfast table the other day...

During a rainy day here, of which we've had several this week, we got out the playdough and some bits and pieces to have some fun while waiting for the dinner to cook. We have a friend staying with us at the moment for her holidays in between her classes for her Early Childhood degree programme. The girls were instantly drawn to her and I'm enjoying having her lovely company throughout my days. We're going to miss Sally when she leaves, but we still have a whole week left with her so we'll make the most of that!

Elmo has replaced Pooh in popularity over the past couple of weeks. Elmo's Potty Time DVD was the instigator and since then Elmo has jumped right up near the top of the list of most used words around here, along with lots of cuddles with the TickleMe Elmo and more recently watching some of his songs, like this one which did the trick with toothbrushing this morning!

This was Elise's disappointed face when she wasn't allowed to watch Elmo (she's actually pleading Elmo! Elmo! Elmo! in an attempt to convince me to allow her!)...

We've also been enjoying visits from a new young neighbour who is making the most of the short time that we're still in this appartment to come and play with the girls. The other day she came bearing freshly baked and decorated cupcakes, which were an instant hit! 

We've enjoyed some quiet moments reading in the sun-lit reading tent. It's so inviting I wouldn't mind having a little siesta there some days!

And this morning Eti found a butterfly and brought it inside to show me. The poor little guy got a little camera shy and wouldn't open his wings, but isn't the pattern incredible?

These are some things we've been loving this week, as well as many that we can't capture in photos, like the increasing vocabularies which make us laugh often these days. There are certain events that stick in little memories and come out often in their words, like cow, milk and kaka from our recent visit to a nearby cow-farm where we saw the cows being milked, bought some milk and then saw one do some poos...all very clearly imprinted into one little mind in particular, who now understands that the milk she drinks in the morning comes from a cow! Little minds that are continously learning and understanding more amaze us and make us smile :o)


We hope you're all enjoying your weekend moments out there!

Linking up with Meghan's 'Things I'm Loving'