I mean it, they are a total disaster, well here they are. I thought Alice's one would be so much better as there were only 3 friends (+ Sarah with Harri), but no. It started off OK, I picked up the girls at about 2pm on Friday (teacher training day) and took them to the movies, sweets, frozen coke etc and then went to see New York Minute. Definitely a girlie movie for the 9 - 13 year olds. They loved it! Then home for tea. Eric had followed my instructions to the letter, and more, and the dining room looked lovely. They had a party tea, all still going well at this stage, except I forgot about the cake! Anyway they then sat down enthusiastically to watch Seabiscuit (c/o Carol). H and A had seen it before and loved it. And these were real country girls, Sams mom a horse trainer, Kathrine mad on horse riding and of course Alice had got those riding lessons for her birthday. Well then the trouble started. H and Sarah were dead keen to watch it but it must have been too old for Sam, Abbey and Kathrine, or they were just too hyped up to concentrate. Anyway the rows started as H and S wanted to watch but couldn't because the others were making such a din. A dilema here, I mean it is Alice's party. Anyway I suggested that they younger ones all go and play with the Bratz dolls in H's bedroom (student is in Alice's), which they agreed to do... for awhile. They got bored with that and another row when they invaded the living room, again interfering with S and H's viewing. I then went in and told them all to be quiet for the last 20 minutes of the film. A few minutes later I heard Alice crying and go in to find 4 of them in tears!!! It was nearly midnight and they were all tired and foul! I tried to lighten things up and eventually remembered the cake. Bought that in for candle blowing out and with film finished I thought they'd then settle down and sleep. By this stage it's 12.30am, H was asleep in her room, Sarah and Miwa were asleep in the living room and only the 4 10 yr olds were still up. So I went to bed, and slept. I woke up at 4.45am to find these 4 STILL up and playing!!!!! Well I went in and told them in no uncertain terms to go to sleep. Lights out and finally they did.
In the morning it was all rush to get Sarah and Harriette to the courts for 10am. I finally got back to find Alice in tears as they were all falling out, out of sheer tiredness I would guess. Well I couldn't wait to get the girls returned home I can tell you. Finally got them home at 12.30am. I wanted to explain and apologise to moms but they weren't in, except Robyn who totally understands. I dread to think what tales the other 2 conveyed to their parents! The girls all insisted that Abbey had an asthma attack, of which I saw no evidence. Oh it was all just too terrible. At the point when they were all in tears I could have joined them. Yet again we had tried so hard to give our girls a nice birthday and failed miserably.
In the afternoon, we finally had some time with Miwa and took her for a stroll around the paddocks. We took Inca, Ben and Rust with us so they could have a good run. They spend a lot of time locked up at the moment with lambing, I am paranoid about them going into Claire and Ians paddocks. The girls were quite happy playing on the silage bales in the back paddock so I asked them to watch the dogs and went to plant some cauliflower plants I had. I also thought that I could watch that bit of fence line from the veg plot where Inca and Ben are apt to get through to Claire and Ians. I had not been there more that 5 minutes when I heard Ian yell at tremendous volume from his house obsenities at Ben who was slinking down their side of the fence about 20' away from me. I could have died with frustration and embarrassment. I hauled him out as quickly as possible, which was not very quick as he was scared witless by now and would not come near me for fear of a beating (we do that regularly of course!!!). 5 minutes later I saw Ian come down and lamb a ewe that had obviously been having difficulty. That's why Ian saw Ben so quickly, he was walking straight towards the ewe he had been watching. (Sods Law)I, however knew that Ben knew that afew days ago there was a dead lamb in the same place and that's where he was headed, but I can see Ian seeing it totally differently. I dreamt that night that Ian tried to shoot Ben!!!
This same afternoon we lost a set of lambs. En route from the girls and dogs to the veg plot I spotted a ewe that had lambed. I stolled up to check on them and found they were both half dead, freezing cold. I got a towel and rubbed them hard to dry them off and layed them in the sun. Mom came and did lots of licking and one bleated but they looked far too small to have any chance of survival.
The two sows look fit to burst and despite being in pain with this (prolonged) episode of gout, Eric has spent the weekend converting the stable into a luxury porcine maternity unit. I told him a birthing pool was OTT!! He has this total fixation with hanging some gates which he has acquired from Richard and Robyns semiderilict piggery on their new farm. He keeps running different ideas by me but try as I might I cannot raise the same enthusiasm that he can. Carol I really do try not to go 'Mmmmm' in that way but he sees straight through me and gets upset at my lack of interest!!!
Sunday was a nice day. H, A and I took Miwa to the Mount for a walk then soak in the hot pools. The weather was perfect and I revelled in lying in hot water out doors watching the sunset and para gliders. And all this in the depths of our winter!!
I had a fit of panic Sunday evening. I had done just about no work on Friday and decided to take it as time owed. I then had a vague recollection that one Monday morning I had an early start. Thank God I checked my diary. It was today. I had a lecture to give to 17 year old High School students in Hamilton at 8.45am!!!! Now not only had I not prepared it but my printer was was playing up and I could not print out handouts. So just when I thought I could go to bed and finish my book I had to dig out my computer and prepare a powerpoint. I only needed to adapt some stuff I already had but even so..... On arrival this morning at the school I could not get in the classroom and then they could not find the data projector. It then was in a room that was locked and the teacher was a way, then we couldn't get it to work. FINALLY it got sorted and I think I gave a reasonable talk despite all of this. The teacher certainly was very appreciative.
I keep meaning to mention the floods and earthquakes in Whakatane (have I done so already?). A river floodbank was breached and many farms and houses were flooded. As if that wasn't enough they then had over 100 earthqukes over the next few days, some of which were felt over here in Matamata. And I think I've had a rough few days. Puts thing in perspective doesn't it!
Tomorrow I am off to Taumarunui to do a clinical assessment and have quite a busy week ahead. Hope you have all had good weekends. I'm definitely going to finish my book tonight!
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