Day 44  |  The first day back to school!  It was the big first day for both boys at their new school today.  A huge change for them both in so many way, but exciting - and nerve wracking - at the same time!

Hayden has moved into Year 7 this year, and Austin is in Year 3.  And I may be biased, but I think they did look pretty good heading off this morning!

And, finally, on another note, that once again brings us to the end of another Photo-A-Day project!  I might just see you back in 11 months time!

Day 43  |  And now the holidays are over!  It's funny how it's just all of a sudden that school 'starts tomorrow'!  We have lunches made, bags packed, uniforms ironed (a new one for me too!), and new shoes ready to go.

Tonight it was one very nervous boy (as we expected), and one who (as usual) didn't go to sleep til very late.  So it will be a little struggle getting up early and getting ready for school in the morning I think! 

A new school will be both nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time, so I truly hope that their first day tomorrow is a great one!

The final 'official holiday' photo... two boys finally asleep and ready for a big adventure ahead X

Day 42  |  School isn't back until Wednesday, but today Hayden has his first 'Medbury Experience' with Cricket Trials.  He had one and a half hours of mostly bowling and batting in close to 30 degrees, and we're back again tomorrow.  The countdown to school has really begun! 

Snuck a quick photo after the trials - at Christchurch Boy's High School : )

Day 41  |  Today started off incredibly hot - hitting 28 degrees by 9am!  So after a hot morning doing jobs around home, we decided to take the boys to the beach this afternoon.  We'd promised them a day to the beach during the holidays so today seemed like the perfect day.

However, in the City it was much cooler, and by the time we got to the beach, it was 20 degrees and blowing a very strong cole easterly gale, with a rough sea.  There were a few brave ones in the water, but our boys aren't used to the sea and are not cold water fans at the best of times!  Even Steve, who loves the beach and sea, wasn't too keen for a dip!

On the drive over, the boys had spotted the new QEII Stadium and wanted to go there, so we made the decision that the beach would have to wait for another day, and the swimming pool and hydro slide it was!  At least it was nice and refreshing and the boys had heaps of fun - even going down the double ring together while Mum and Dad sat and watched from the pool!  (A very strange feeling!)

Of course, I did have to take a photo of the boys at the beach, just to show we did actually make it - even if it wasn't quite to the water - or sand, lol!

Day 40  |  Saturday night is movie night!  PJs on and all lined up ready to watch : )

Day 39  |  This year the boys will both start at a new school.  Today was the day to get their new uniforms, and they've been looking forward to it all holidays!  So here we are with new uniforms, bags, and shoes - all ready for a big change next week!

They look pretty good all dressed up (a complete change from their previous uniform), but I'll keep you waiting til the first day of school for that photo : )

Day 38  |  Today the weather had calmed down, and the boys both ended up catching up with friends throughout the day - Austin went to his friend's house, and Hayden had his friend over here for the afternoon.  So two very happy and tired boys tonight! 

After dinner, we all jumped in the spa - always a great way to finish the day and relax before bedtimes! 

Day 37  |  It has been very hot and very, very windy today!  In fact, not really an outdoor day for any length of time  - at our house anyway!  So the boys have divided their time with more inside than outside today (I don't blame them!)  I did grab this photo of them this afternoon though in between burning off some energy on the trampoline : )

Day 36  |  This week, I've really had to get back to work, so the boys had a day at home playing today entertaining themselves. 

Backyard cricket has featured a lot these holidays, like most summers really.   But the great thing now is that the boys can make a game of it between themselves.  They decide on which team they're each playing for (which requires multiple outfit changes!), and work out rules that make a 'real' game with overs and runs, and winners and losers. 

Some days it doesn't work too well and they're very short games, but other days like today, they get on really well and have a lot of fun!  And it was a super hot, gorgeous day for it too!

Day 35  |  It was a haircut each for the boys this morning, then a quick stop at the park before ticking a few more jobs off the list!

Day 34  |  My 3 boys today!

Day 33  |  It was a day at home today doing gardening and housework today.  So that meant a 'chill' day for the boys and some time out relaxing not doing too much!

Day 32  |  This morning we made a visit to the Brickman Wonders of the World Lego display at the Wigram Airforce Museum.  The Lego designs were absolutely amazing - and huge!  The Sinking Titanic was my favourite, but loved the Mona Lisa as well : )

The boys had a great time!  Hayden spent half his time with my phone taking photos of all the different exhibits, and Austin loved creating his own designs at the different stations where there was tons of lego to build and then 'add to' the exhibitions!  We ended up staying for nearly 2 hours, so if you're in Christchurch and haven't been yet, it's well worth heading along this weekend.

Day 31  |  Today we headed out for the morning and took our first trip up the Christchurch Gondola!  It's always been something I thought would be a fun outing for the boys, so today was the day! 

They boys definitely enjoyed the Gondola, and looking out from the top.  It was the perfect day for it too!  Gorgeous and sunny, but not too hot, and not a breathe of wind! 

After the Gondola, we went for a quick drive through the tunnel to Lyttleton - again a first for the boys!  And then after a quick wander down the main street of Lyttleton, we headed home again. 

Day 30  |  A few years ago the boys played a few seasons of Summer Soccer.  Then they both eventually moved onto Cricket as their summer sport.  However, this past summer, Austin decided to play soccer again.  Unfortunately, he's not overly enjoying it, so I think a move back to cricket next summer is imminent! 

Today was the first day back at soccer though after the holidays.  Austin doesn't play with the big goals, but we snuck in a couple of photos this afternoon before his game! 

Day 29  |  It was another cool morning here, so we popped down to Rolleston to do a few messages.  The boys bought a small Star Wars Lego kit each while we were out, so lego filled in the rest of our morning once home! 

Day 28  |  Late this afternoon Austin got invited to a friend's house for a sleepover for the very first time.  He was getting picked up after dinner. 

Guess who couldn't wait to go! 

Day 27  |  Over the Christmas Holidays it became very apparent that Austin had completely outgrown his bike!  So today we got Hayden's old bike down out of the attic and surprised Austin! 

He was incredibly happy with his 'new' big bike and promptly took off for a ride down the street with Hayden trying to show him how to use the gears at the same time!  Definitely no worries that it was too big for him.

Growing up way too fast!

Day 26  |  Today I found Spiderman on the trampoline!!  He was looking pretty pleased with himself too!

Day 25  |  Today was the day to sort out the boys' rooms!  It's one of those jobs that has been on the list to do for a long time now.  It turned out to be a huge clean out (as was expected!), as it's been a while since we last did it! 

Now we have a hallway full of 'stuff' - and a garage sale to plan!!

Day 23  |  It was a pretty relaxed day for the boys today, starting with pjs and iPads this morning! 

Day 22  |  Time to travel home today.  It was busy on the roads, so definitely seemed like a long way today!  One stop for Austin who was car sick, and then a stop at Geraldine for lunch, where I grabbed a photo of the boys.  Tomorrow will definitely be a day for lawns and gardening!!

Day 21  |  The last day of our holiday in Clyde today, and the boys chose to play Mini Golf in Cromwell this afternoon. 

But the other thing we had to do this morning was to take a photo of the boys on the old seat down the back of the section for this year.  It has become a bit of a tradition to take a photo of the boys sitting here each year.

Here is this year's instalment!

And here are the links for a few of other year's...

2013 https://kyliedouglass.blogspot.com/2012/12/summer-holidays-day-1847.html
2014 https://kyliedouglass.blogspot.com/2014/01/summer-holidays-day-1850.html
2015 https://kyliedouglass.blogspot.com/2015/01/summer-holidays-day-1845.html
2016 https://kyliedouglass.blogspot.com/2016/01/summer-holidays-day-2845.html
2017 https://kyliedouglass.blogspot.com/2017/01/summer-holidays-day-2345.html
2018 https://kyliedouglass.blogspot.com/2018/01/summer-holidays-day-2247.html

Day 19  |  It's been a busy day today!  Started with a 5km walk, then after lunch Steve, Hayden and I did our favourite bike ride on the Anniversary Track from Clyde to Alexandra, so a 15km 'easy' mountain bike ride beside the river. 

We finished at the Alexandra Pool, which was a great way to finish, considering it's been another day in the high 20s.  Austin met up with his best friend, along with another family from West Melton, so all the boys had a great time!  I think it will be the highlight of Austin's holidays!

Day 18  |  Alfie and I started the day with a great walk up to the Clyde Town Lookout this morning.  It's the first time we've taken the track up.  Alfie wasn't so sure, but it was a great hike up! 

Then it was home, and while Steve and Hayden went for a game of golf, Austin and I went for a bike ride to the park!  A quick photo before we left! 

Day 17  |  We played 'tourists' today!  We headed back through to Cromwell and the Gorge, and went to the Goldfields Mining Centre to try our luck at a little Gold Panning! 

We started off walking around the old China Town set up.  The boys loved the old little stone buildings and looking to see what was inside them.  Then we had a guide talk us through the History of Gold Mining in NZ before showing us two of the old pieces of Gold Mining equipment that was still working. 

And then finally the boys got to try Gold Panning.  No gold today, but had fun trying! 

Day 16  |  We have been having the most gorgeous weather these holidays.  Every day has been hot!  And today was definitely the same!

We drove through to close to Arrowtown this morning and then biked the Arrow River Bridges Ride from the carpark through to the AJ Hacket Bungy Centre across the  Kawarau Bridge (no Bungy jumping today though!)

We had a quick lunch there, then Steve, Hayden and I biked back to the car (Austin got a ride home from Granma and Dea, and was asleep by the time he left the carpark!) 

It is a great track to ride!  Definitely a little harder on the way back, mostly uphill and into a head strong wind, with temperatures ranging from 32 - 36 degrees!  But everyone enjoyed it, even though our legs were all a bit tired at the end.  Our favourite part was biking over the  80-metre Edgar Suspension Bridge!  Didn't even know it was there before biking the trail.  Although on the drive home, we discovered you can just see the top of the bridge from the road.

A photo of the boys today before we hit the trail : )

Day 15  |  HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019!  Steve, Hayden and I saw in the New Year as Hayden is now determined to reach midnight each year!  So we just had plans for a quiet day today! 

We decided to go to the Cromwell swimming pool this afternoon for a change, and on the way went for a wander around the historical district of Old Cromwell.  It's been a long time since we went down there, and the first time for Austin.  He was really interested in the old buildings and equipment and loved looking inside at everything!

A few photos today!