Me & My Girl: That Time We Went to Hawaii

Is this what you think of when you think of Hawaii? Poolside at sunset with palms gently waving in the breeze? In that case, Hawaii did not disappoint us.
After all those months of fundraising - hosting tea parties, pop-up cafes and garage sales - me and my girl were finally off on our Hawaiian adventure with her Cheerleading team, to compete at the inaugural Global Dance and Cheer Games.

Here we are at the airport on the night we flew out, excited as can be...

[ CONTINUE READING.......]

We Did It! (We're off to Hawaii Tomorrow!)

It's hard to believe, but WE DID IT! Me and Miss fab raised the money necessary (around NZ$2,500) and we're GOING TO HAWAII tomorrow night!
Phew.
It seemed like an unattainable goal, in the beginning, but the two of us worked together to pull it off.
We used every skill and bright idea in our arsenal of tricks to raise money, without once asking for handouts from anyone.
And we did it!
We reached our goal to get our little cheerleader to Hawaii to compete in the Global Dance and Cheer Games with her team.
Only one more sleep.
Bags need to to be packed tonight; tickets and Passports stowed safely.
There's a Showcase at 3pm today for all the Auckland teams going to show off their routines to admiring family and friends. We can't wait.
But first, here's a recap of how we did it...

[ CONTINUE READING.......]

How to Host a Pop-Up Cafe in Your Garden

This week we held a pop-up cafe in our garden - me, Miss Fab, a bunch of her lovely pals and Grandma. It was a raving success - and bloddy hard work - as well as super fun.
This was part of our fundraising efforts to get our young cheerleader to Hawaii for her competition in June,

Hubby and I are firm believers in getting the kids to work for what they want. We want them to put in an effort themselves rather than just expecting the Bank of Dad to hand over endless wads of cash for the exciting things they want to do. It's important, we reckon, to teach our kids how to work for their goals. I mean, that's real life, isn't it? They'll be out there for real one day with the trainer wheels off, doing life on their own. The more experience they've had working for what they want, putting in sweat and elbow grease toward their dreams, the more confidence they'll have facing their future.

Miss Fab and I are both going to Hawaii and Daddy has agreed to pay half if we come up with the other half. We'd need to raise $2,500 towards the cost of this (very expensive) trip, so she and I put our thinking caps on and began to use what we're good at to raise the money. We are good at hosting. And decorating. And not bad at baking and making coffee. So we ran a garage sale, hosted a High Tea and did a bunch of jobs for people (including daddy). But by far the best (funnest) thing we've done was the Pop-Up Garden Cafe we ran this Tuesday gone, during the school holidays. It was amazing.

Here's how we did it (and how you could do it too).

[ CONTINUE READING.......]

Paper Garlands and Getting to Hawaii

Did you know that I am no long the Glue Gun Queen? I have a SEWING MACHINE and I use it all the time. Most recently I used it to create a bunch of paper garlands to sell at our garage sale on the weekend.

Miss Fab and I are fundraising to get her (and me) to Hawaii in June for an international Cheerleading competition. How cool is that?
Me and Fab in Hawaii. Competing with the best cheerleading teams from around the world.
But first we have to get there.

[ CONTINUE READING.......]

Girls Weekend in Wellington

I'm an Auckland girl through and through, but I have to take my hat off to Wellington - the Windy City really did show us a good time this weekend.

Six of us "girls" (three mums, three cheerleading daughters) packed our bags and took off in a rainstorm, with a bit of trepidation (i.e. "if the weather's this bad in Auckland, how will we ever land in Wellington???") heading for the National cheerleading competition in our nation's capital.

Imagine our surprise when we touched down and - no wind. No rain. Eek, is that the sun??? Imagine!

[ CONTINUE READING.......]

Bedroom DIY // A Room to Grow With

 For Christmas this year just gone, my girl asked for a bedroom makeover.

"Mum," she said, "I would really love to do up my room. My bedroom was cool when I was six, but I'm ten now and I really need a room I can grow with..."

In my mind it was only recently I'd done up her room in her then-favourite colours of green, pink and aqua, painting a magnet wall that was a mural of rolling hills... but actually it was over four years ago. And there is a huge difference between a little girl of six and a big girl of ten.

[ CONTINUE READING.......]

Garden Fairy Party *Just Because*

I really thought my fairy party days were behind me. After all my daughter is ten, and most ten-year-old girls have left fairies and wing-wearing far behind. But driving along in the car last week, my tall gorgeous tween said to me, "Mum remember how we sometimes do those garden parties in the school holidays? It would be so cool to have a fairy party with my friends these holidays. Like when we were little, for a laugh. It would be so CUTE!"

And then came the brainwave. She said, "We could invite some little girls! Like J! Oh my gosh, that would be so cute! Me and my friends could be the big fairies..." And off she went imagining and envisioning a nostalgic fairy party, starring her.

I couldn't not do it; I've always wanted to do a fairy party in our garden, after all (her birthday is in Winter, so her little girl fairy birthday was indoors). So we sent out a text to some friends with daughters, big and little. "Come to our garden fairy party - wear your wings!" And hoped like heck for good weather.

[ CONTINUE READING.......]

Lipstick, Lycra & Leaping: Cheerleading is a Whole New World

Miss fab has always had boundless energy and has never simply walked anywhere - she skips, twirls or cartwheels to her destination. She can turn somersaults, do backwards walkovers and perform the splits in rapid succession, as well as lift her leg right up by her ear.

As others have witnessed her acrobatics, I've often been asked whether this flexible athletic kid does gymnastics... to which I've had to say sadly, no. Gymnastics required too much waiting around; Miss fab gave up on it when she was four.

Then she heard about Cheerleading from some girls she met while camping and wanted to try it. Cheerleading sounded like just the thing for a girl who can't sit still, so I said, hey sure why not... until I began to hear stories about the make-up, skimpy outfits and pageantry. Not to mention the hair bows.
Oh dear. Could I in all good conscience let my kid take part in something which might only bring out more of the diva within (Couldn't she just keep playing netball?)?

Bottom line, I was too worried about what some of my friends might think. Once I realised this, I took a deep breath, signed her up ...and have been nervously awaiting our first Big Event ever since.

On Sunday the day finally dawned. Our very first National Champs, Rock'n'Cheer competition. Thankfully I have moral support in my friend Justine (mum of classmate & teammate, Yaz), who has been equally nervous for all the same reasons.

Justine arrived bright and early to glam up our girls - makeup, glitz and glamour is as much a part of the team's presentation as it is in Rhythmic Gymnastics, or iceskating. (This is what I consoled myself with; it's not a beauty pageant, it's a legitimate team sport, just with lipstick).

The hair bows take a bit of getting used to, but I have to say I don't mind our team uniform at all. I'd been in a state of nervous anxiety ever since signing up, about what crazy get-up our pre-teens might have to wear, but when they were revealed I was rather relieved - our uniform is plenty modest with not a bare midriff in sight.

The comp was held at the North Shore Events Centre and it was massive. I had no clue it was so big, with so many teams. Apparently there were over 1000 young cheerleaders competing!

[Warming up]

There was not a pom-pom to be seen. Cheerleading is not what you'd think based on American teen movies and Glee.
It's all about team-work, choreography, acrobatics, coordination, stunting and performing with a great big smile on your face.

There were loads of categories for every age and stage. Our team ("Galaxy Shooting Stars") is at the beginner level for under-11s, but there were (at least) two groups below us, based on age. To be honest I'm still a little unclear on how it all works.

[Our team in action; the above two photos were taken by another mum, Luana]

Our girls did really good, remembering their moves and looking like they were having fun. It tickled me to see Miss fab rock out onto the floor with the hugest grin on her face; she really comes alive on stage. There is not a moment's nervousness, she absolutely revels in the limelight. As two of the oldest - and tallest - girls in the group, Miss fab and Yaz get to be "back bases", which is far less glamorous than being the "flyers" but is essential nonetheless. Teamwork, see? Everybody plays their part for the good of the team.

As I said, the team did good. In fact, our girls placed third in their division and came away with bronze medals. Woop woop!

So what did have I learned about this brave new world of cheerleading?

Firstly I learned that it's not as scary and pageant-y as I thought. I was worried for nothing, really. Sure there's lots of makeup and the strange obsession with hair bows, but it really is a very exciting sport to watch and to be part of. The girls had a great time competing, being part of something huge and - lets be honest - getting glammed up.

All in all, I think we can live with having a cheerleader in the family. Cheerleading might not be quintessentially Kiwi, it might involve more hairspray and glitter than you see on the netball court, but it's what my girl wants to do. And it's what she's GOOD at. 

It might not be for everybody, but I'm OK with it being for us.

Well done, girls, and Roll on the next Pageant Competition!

xx

..............

P.S. Huge thanks to Daddy who dragged the boys along and came to support our girl. It's a big change from being on the football sidelines and we sure appreciate you braving this world of lycra and lipstick. You rock, Daddy!

Three Cheers for My Girl

I finally figured it out the other day: Life, parenting the whole shebang.

For years I’ve been frantically trying to get my ducks all in a row, hoping to arrive at the place where I know what I’m doing and everyone/everything is on track.

Duh. It’s taken me this long to realise that will never happen.

This side of heaven, we never “arrive”. There is no plateau where all is right and we can finally relax.

There’s just this neverending journey. A marathon run, where we are always learning and figuring stuff out. There’s always something you’re dealing with so you just have to relax into it, stop fighting it and savour the little moments, the small victories.

Which is a very deep way to say, "Yay, we finally made it to Cheerleading!"

No more broken arms or crutches to stop us, and this girl who has been waiting all term to be unleashed has finally made it to training.

She’s been practising, dreaming and cartwheeling everywhere. She’s been finding other girls who love to whirl and tumble, meeting up at lunchtime, constructing routines.

Which is all very well, but there’s nothing quite like the real thing.

Where you have a Coach, a team and a competition goal.

Miss Fab and her pal Yaz have been let loose in the Galaxy Shooting Stars, so Watch Out World.

Actually it’s not just Cheerleading I wanted to say “Yay Miss Fab” for.

I want this post to be a three cheers for my Girl in lots of ways.

Parenting is hard, but being a kid is hard too.

I have been admiring my girl and the way she perseveres.

She is gritty and gutsy; she has a work ethic that is all her own.

My girl is the middle child and the only daughter; sometimes she really feels it. Many are the times when she wishes she had a sister, as she drips wounded tears over her rough insensitive brothers.

She is quick to compare and keeps a mental tally of time spent (by me) with them vs time spent with her.

She is deeply affectionate, tactile and huggy.

My daughter has boundless energy… until she doesn’t. (She whirls and tumbles through life, collecting casts and crutches, until she collapses in a heap.)

My girl has a huge heart. HUGE.

I’ve never seen the like. Her kindness and fierceness are awe inspiring. Bullies and meanies better watch it around her.

At school she has a flock of little admirers, younger girls who adore her; I've seen them swoop down on her, calling her name and hugging her. (Probably because she is so kind, so loving and so much FUN.)

And that big heart I mentioned? It bleeds for those who are hurting.

So when the lady from World Vision came to school and spoke about the kids in Malawi who are starving, my daughter came home and begged me to sign her up for the 40 Hour Famine next week.

“Mum, I just have to do something to help them,” she said.

So next weekend, my girl will go without food for twenty hours (half the usual 40 since she’s only nine) in an effort to raise money for kids who have nothing.

Will you sponsor her?

It’s all online. You can sponsor her from anywhere in the world, and every little bit helps.

I want to encourage her that her big-heartedness can make a difference – will you help me?

Go here to sponsor her

Go here to sign up and join her in doing the Famine

Thanks my friends!

Of Garden Parties, Girls and Great Expectations

This is not exactly the post I imagined when we planned our Garden Tea Party, Miss Fab and I. In our minds this would be an echo of the day we had two summers ago. Mosquito nets hanging from trees, sunlight filtering through leaves, girls lounging on cushions nibbling cupcakes, sipping grapejuice.

It would be pretty, it would be pinnable, it would be the perfect way to spend a summer's day.

Just one problem: nobody told the weatherman.

The day that had been promised was sunny and warm.

The morning that dawned was grey, windy, unappealing.

Not what we had in mind at all.

But heigh ho, right? Roll with it, revise the plans, enjoy the day anyway.

Since we are now veteran party planners, you'd be forgiven for thinking a certain creative nine-year-old would be an expert at flexibility, and going with Plan B.

But no.

A grey windy day when "sunny and summery" was envisioned would not cut it AT ALL.

There was wailing. There were tears.

"Cancel it! Tell them not to come!" sobbed a dramatically perfectionistic young Miss.

Daddy had a great idea for Plan B. Under the grapevine. We could still string up mosquito nets and scatter cushions. It could still be lovely, it could still be fun.
But the young hostess was not buying it. Time was running out til the guests were due and action must be taken so I tried my best to ignore her misery and plowed ahead with the preperations. I stoically pegged up mozzie nets and bunting, spread camp mats and scattered cushions, all the time thinking: I need to help her learn this Lesson. Things in life don't always go to plan and flexibility is a skill she will need.

My daughter is very creative. She has always had brilliant ideas and bold plans aplenty, but sometimes reality can be just so very disappointing. All the way back to our very first Indian theme dinner which ended in tears because her "Sari girl costume" was not beautiful enough (she was four) the difference between what she imagines and what can be achieved has been causing us grief. Hmmmmm. We really need to help her deal with disappointment better. Manage her expectations better. 

She needs to learn that sometimes Plan B can turn out brilliant too. Life will be full of these moments, and if she doesn't learn to roll with it and bounce back, well... she'll end up always disappointed, never satisfied. Not a good way to be.

As you can see, Plan B did turn out to be brilliant. By the time the first guest arrived, the tears evaporated and the young hostess remembered the most important thing about parties: Having fun with your friends.

It doesn't matter if it's cloudy or if the decor is thrown together, or if sunlight-through-leaves might have been prettier in the photographs - what really matters is enjoying yourself with your pals (balancing cushions on your head while you eat, drink and spill stuff)...

So this might not have been the pinworthy post I'd envisioned when we called up Miss fab's friends and invited them over for an impromptu garden tea party... but it turned out to be better. Valuable life lessons learned. Perfectionism pushed aside. Disappointment discarded. Plan B embraced.

In the end the weather didn't matter; though the rain held off. There was plenty of giggling and silliness and great fun was had by all. Which is what really matters after all.

Our Easy Impromptu Garden Tea Party Menu

• easy vanilla cupcakes (my go-to cupcake recipe here)
• in-season strawberries, plums, cherries (and marshmallows)
• chips and dip
• club sandwiches (made by my friend Linda, who came to keep me company; I made her Nespresso)
• to drink: water coloured with a few drops of pink colouring or orange juice mixed with soda water
• fancy sliced apples (cut across-ways and then remove core with mini cookie cutter; dip in lemon juice to prevent browning. Too cute and easy and gobbled up in minutes)

Serve it all up on your prettiest china; serve juice in goblets, sit on cushions, laugh loudly and long. 

More Garden Tea Party Posts

• The Original (Perfect) Impromptu Garden Party that we were hoping to replicate
• The very first Garden Tea Party (and the green eyed monster)
• The Indian Theme Dinner that should have warned me
• My Party Page

Mother-Daughter Day

It's been far too long since Miss Fab and I went on a genuine honest-to-goodness Mother-Daughter Day.
Here's what happened in the long months since we last went on such an adventure together, just the girls: She Grew Up.

OK, so not all the way grown up, but at nine years old she is grown up enough so that it really felt like we were just hanging out. I didn't feel like a babysitter or a kitten-herder. There were no tantrums in the Mall or battles over clothing choices.

Guess what had also happened in the inbetween? I got to know her better.
I know what she likes, I know what drives her crazy.
If she hums and hahhhs over something, leave it in the shop (or I'll find myself taking it back later).
If it has lace, is too fitting, too fussy or itchy... leave it in the shop (or I'll find myself taking it back later).

Shopping with my daughter has been transformed  from a rather fraught event (to be avoided at all costs) to a rather pleasant, enjoyable pastime by a decent passing of time (*ahem* can't remember how long).

Suffice it to say that shopping with Miss fab was fun.

We knew what we were looking for, we tried on everything and we stuck to our budget.

And afterwards we were enjoying each other's company so much I decided to splash out and take her to Citizen Park in Kingsland, which I had been eyeing up every time I drove past for months.

It did not disappoint.

Me and Fab are the only girls in our tribe; we are in the minority surrounded by an over-abundance of football-playing, wrestling-match holding males, so we have to give each other moral support. We have to delight together in things like the decor, the ambience, the presentation of the fries in little tin buckets, the serviettes in recycled tin cans...

These are the things me and Miss Fab remarked upon to each other as we waited for our food. It's so nice to have a girly day with someone who gets as excited as you about the texture of the walls and the rather special light fittings...

It was a very successful and most enjoyable Mother-Daughter Day.

Which only makes me more determined to not leave such a long gap between shopping/lunch expeditions.

Miss Fab is great company...

... and no longer a nightmare shopper. PHEW!

(And much to my delight not one thing has had to be returned to the shop)

♥

How do you spend special times with your kids one on one? Any suggestions for other Mother-Daughter days? Ideas, anyone?

Grateful for My Girlie

This is my girl. We call her Miss Fab (because she is fabulous).

Yesterday was her ninth birthday and today I am dedicating my Grateful post to her.

Isn't she flippin gorgeous?

Last night Mr G and I watched her baby video together, where she merged blinking and alert into the world. Somehow we knew she would be special. Clever. A chatterbox.

She is all those things and more.

When she was born I was incredibly grateful. A longed-for daughter and a natural birth (after a caesarian first time round). Having her made me feel like SuperWoman.

Her personality emerged very early on: Feisty, irregular, vocal, fun-loving, energetic.
She was super-quick to get moving, determined to keep up with her boisterous big brother (who loved her to bits from the start and welcomed her home from the hospital by licking her like a lollipop).

Miss Fab started crawling at 5 months, walking by 10 months.
She was the first one to break a bone and ride in an ambulance (our girl keeps us on our toes.)
By age one she had a list of twenty words she could say and she hasn't stopped talking since.

One of the things I love and appreciate most about my girl is her generous heart. Miss Fab is always the first to offer assistance and lend a hand.

She is my right-hand-girl when it comes to party-prep and must have loaded and unloaded the dishwasher at least four times for me between Thursday and Friday.

She's so enthusiastic and excited about every detail, which makes preparing a party for her super-rewarding. The hugs and kisses I get are endless. She is a girl who knows how to be grateful.

[here she is opening presents with her buddies at her party on Saturday]

Here are just some of the things I am grateful for about my sweet girl...

Your sweet smile and hearty full-body laugh. You know how to enjoy yourself and make others want to join in too.

Your loving and affectionate nature. I love it how when I tuck you in at night, you won't let me leave until you have smothered me with kisses. I love that you always want to spend time with me. I love that you treasure the things I do for you, and write me notes and show so openly how you feel.

Your big-hearted kindness. I am always impressed at how you keep helping those scallywag brothers of yours. They are truly blessed to have a sister like you. They might not realise it now but they will one day, I promise you. You are a blessing to them and us.

Your feistyness and strong sense of justice. I love the way you stand up to bullies and speak up for little people. You are a champion. Not many people (including grownups) have the guts to do what you do. I love that you know what is right and good and speak up when things aren't fair.


Your energy. If I could have just a smidge of that?!?! You are a whirlwind, an irresistable force of nature.

Your creativity. It love how you take pride in making your room beautiful. Sure, it can be a bit annoying when you rearrange the furniture once a week, but I understand it. I love your doodles, your "notes to self" and endless journals. I love your stories and the way you keep fiddling with your blog design. I love that *creativity* is something we share.

And finally:  I am so very grateful that out of all the little girls in the world, I got YOU.
I love you so so much, gorgeous girl.

Happy Ninth Birthday 

love from Mummy xxx

BIRTHDAY POSTS

Loving Her at Eight

She's Growing Up (age 7)

Happy Fabulous Birthday (age 6)

Five years Today (age 5)

Turning Five (getting used to the idea of turning 5)

THE PARTIES

Fairy Party (age 4)

A Royal Ball (age 5)

Fancy Nancy Party (age 6)

Tangled Party (age 7)

Baking Party (age 8)

ALL THE STORIES ABOUT MISS FAB

[Click Here]

P.S. If you want to make Miss Fab's day, hop across to her blog and *follow* 

then leave her a comment. She will FLIP!

(Ice Skating Party post coming tomorrow)

Join in with The Grateful Project
Use #thegratefulproject hashtag on Instagram and your "Gratefuls" will show up here automagically...

If perchance you happen to write a grateful post on your blog, you can link it up below. Use the #thegratefulproject hashtag to join us on instagram (and twitter)... or you can share your gratefuls in the comments section. There's even a button so you can let others know you're joining in...

<div class="The Grateful Project" style="width: 230px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://www.greatfun4kidsblog.com/search/label/The%20Grateful%20Project" > <img src="http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy162/donnasimone/thegratefulprojectbutton_zpsf9af8ea6.jpg" alt="Greatfun4kids" width="230"/> </a> </div>

Gratefully Yours,