First school day of the year.

Well Harriette has started at Intermediate and has had a good day. She started off properly by getting lost but managed to find the classroom before 8.50am. Her teacher, who is very 'efficient' and whom Harriette has lived in fear of through the summer holidays, turned out to be not half as fearsome in the flesh and she has come home very happy (Harriette that is!). The photo is not terribly flattering and I was trying to work out why she looked so big round the hips. This evening I found that she had her big thick blue shorts on underneath!! Apparently that is the thing to do. She has also been told to SHORTEN her skirt! Which makes me think of Lynne in South Africa recalling how they used to have to kneel down to have their hems measured from the floor then they'd walk away and roll them up at the waist to make their skirts into mini's again.

Alice has the wonderful Mr Mac this year whom all the kids adore. She came home with some wonderful homework, for Eric and I.... errr I meant, to do before Friday. How many things beginning with the letter p can you fit into a matchbox? I remember doing a similar thing in the Brownies. Anyway we are up to 42 and have lots more ideas. It's great fun. Does perfume sprayed into the box count? and a pathetic joke, typed in size 3 font? Alice's class did not get to swim today as most of the kids forgot their togs. Amazingly Alice was not so disorganised!!!!! I am not sure she had her writing stuff, and I know she did not hand in the cheque for school fees (or 'donations' as they call it here) and stationery (or is it stationary, I can never remember).

Eric was in the depths of depression yesterday when he pulled out some old property exam papers. I think this is almost the only subject he has studied for and he felt he could not answer any of the questions! They get no choice, you have 2 questions and have to give 2 answers. Not much scope for movement there. He convinced himself that he was going to fail all 3 exams next month. I never know what to say in these circumstances and really feel for him. Sitting the papers is so expensive as well so he really feels under pressure (nothing to do with my plans to retire next Christmas you understand!!!).

I am back to work today after our weeks leave and a bank holiday Monday. Yesterday was Auckland Day and as Waikato does not have a Waikato Day - we take the day off when Auckland does - which goes against the grain for the locals as there is a healthy dislike of all things north of the Bombays (a range of hills dividing the Waikato from all things ie Auckland, to the north). I must say that although I have been looking forward to returning to the routine of work and school I have today had my first headache (of which I get many) in about 3 weeks. I spent the day clearing my email inbox and generally doing office work. I tried to get down to the veg plot this evening but as I stepped outside the door the rain came down. By the time it stopped (about 20 secs later) I was already engrossed in something else.

The piccie below is of my man and his dog... well nearly.

I was just watering the tomatoes when I heard a lamb bleating. Now I know we have 2 or 3 paddocks full of lambs and sheep around us but this one was about 3 foot from my backside! What was even stranger was that it stood still as I walked towards it. Tanner sheep have a 'personal space' radius of about 30 metres! so I knew it wasn't one of ours. I called Eric to throw down a lead. We managed to get the lead round her neck and Eric led her off across our front paddock to put her in Claire and Ians woolshed paddock where she lived. Apparently (according to Claire) they are sheep sitting for friends who are on the move and these 2 sheep are pets, and could Alice and Harriette please go and pet them regularly and they like bread!!! I haven't quite got my head round sheep eating bread. I wonder if they taste any differently after a wheat based instead of grass based diet!?!?



At supper this evening Carol was explaining to the girls about a rodeo that she had been to and how brave (mad!?) the riders were. Alice said she could do this to which Carol replied 'I don't think so Alice you need real guts for this' (Alice has a reputation for being an absolute whimp). Alice looked proudly at Eric and said 'but you always say I've got guts' to which we all collapsed in hysterics and Harriette said 'I think he refers to the size of yours Alice'!!!!!!!!' Eric does tease her somewhat about her increasing rotundness. Luckily Alice, either because of her good nature, or naiveity, just laughed!

Well I thinks it's bedtime. Eric has just risen from his studies in a bleary daze and headed in that direction.

Love to all.

Michelle
xo