Busy, busy, busy

How is it that in the month leading up to Christmas, time starts going faster and there are suddenly a million things to do and no time to do them? It's about this time of year that I start remembering all my New Year's resolutions from last Christmas/New Year when I resolved to make gifts throughout the year and be organised and have everything done by the end of November. Ha! Fat chance, lol!
I do have some Christmas gifts organised - the littlest person in the house is mostly sorted (barring finishing the crochet dolls blanket I'm making her, which I'm stitching together right now) and I have a few things for the next smallest person in the house, but the boys are proving to be a challenge. Fin just had his birthday and we went halves with him in an iPod Touch, and he also got some iTunes vouchers for his birthday and a book, so I'm a bit stumped with him. Ollie I have nothing for yet. Gaaaaaah! Panic is beginning to set in!

In the meantime here are a few pics of what I've been up to recently:

Not terribly exciting, but I finally got around to overlocking the edge of my new tablecloth - I really should hem it, but it's ok as is for the meantime.

  And I just had to share the stunning view from our living room - these were taken at sunset one day last week. I love how the mountains in the distance (they're the Kaikouras in the South Island) correspond with the cityscape of Island Bay.

We now have a teenager in the house!

Fin's birthday was on Friday (the 3rd) and he turned 13!! Yikes - I'm a bit horrified that my baby is now thirteen years old. It just seems like yesterday that I was 13 and starting high school, never mind having a child who is 13 and will be heading off to high school next year!

He had a great time with his friends, going bowling and then stopping in at McDonalds for dinner (their choice - blerk!) then home to do teenagery boy things, like hang out on the tramp and chase each other around the backyard.

Here are a few birthday pics (not very exciting and he's still in his school uniform as we hadn't been home since the end of his school day).



The less-than-impressive 'cake'



Can't keep his hands off his new 'toy'!

I've been hearing some horror stories about teenagers lately so am feeling a bit freaked out about this new phase we're entering into. Hopefully he'll ease us into it (although I don't fancy my chances if recent events and behaviour are anything to go by!).