The children have been on holiday since before Xmas and go back on Tuesday (Monday is another holiday - Waitangei Day). This week has been getting uniforms for both sorted out. I have been at work this last week but off for the 2 weeks before. As Eric is attending his course during his annual leave a holiday away this summer is a no goer. My A/L plan therefore was to take the girls out every other day and spend the alternate days gardening. Well a few days before my leave I stuffed my back. That was over 3 weeks ago now and it is still not right. I really ought to go and see a physio but I keep telling myself it will get better. Consequently the gardening did not happen and I had to wait for Eric to finish work at 1pm before we could go out as driving was a struggle. Our first trip was to the beach at Papamoa. It was still hot there at 6pm! A rainy day meant a promised trip to the movies to see the Narnia movie. I had heard mixed reports about it but I enjoyed it. An OK movie I thought but the girls loved it. On Friday our friends Beth and Graham called in on their way to Rotorua where they were camping with their son and Grahams Mom Gloria, newly arrived from South Africa. When we found out where they were camping it was about 500m from the boat ramp Eric was planning to use on a fishing trip on Lake Rotorua the following day. Our plan was that H and Eric were to leave early with the boat and fish and A and I would join them later for a picnic. So we stuck to the plan except that Mom and Daddy came too and we joined Beth and clan for a picnic lunch by the trout stream in the lovely, very small campsite. The 3 children took the kayaks on the stream and Eric had a go at fishing. There were loads of trout in the stream but you could see them all lying on the bottom and it no mood to go looking for flies. Wrong time of day really. They also didn't catch any fish on the lake either! I have to say nobody else did! One day he will have some success!
When Alice tried to disembark from her kayak she was having some difficulty so I went to help. Unfortunately she fell in and I did not let go! Alice then had hysterics, mainly because a) she got a fright and the water was cold, and b) because she is a woos. I called for Eric to help as my back was suffering seriously at this point. He did, but only after taking photo's!!
Back recovery put back 2 weeks! It was only afterwards that I realised I should have just let her. She is a good swimmer AND had a life jacket on!!!
(Just turned on to watch the Rugby 7's England vs Argentenia)
The following week saw Mom and Daddy's house move on the Monday. That went very well. The movers unpacked the furniture and put beds, tables etc together, which was a heck of a lot more than ours did when we moved in. I spent 2 days helping unpack boxes. Thank heavens they moved on Monday as we had an incredible storm on Tuesday, trees down all over the place. On Thursday I took the girls to Kelly Tarltons in Auckland (Such a stupid name for an Antartic/sealife Centre - the originators name obviously). I enjoyed it and LOVED the snow-cat trip through the penguin enclosure. Afterwards I took the girls to Mission Bay where we had lunch on the pavement outside a Turkish cafe on the waterfront. That evening Robyn and I swapped children, Alice going to stay with Katherine, and Sarah coming here. Sarah and Harriette spent 18hrs sleeping and lounging around watching DVD's!! On to be a teenager on school hols!
Yesterday we went up to Juliet and Kev's for the day. It seemed ages since we last went up there - probably because it was! On the way back H,A and I went to see Hayley Westenra in Hamilton. This was one of the girls Xmas presents. She certainly has a fabulous voice but I'm afraid she lacks personality and her dress sense.....well the less said the better. The saving grace of the evening was the most amazing violinist called Fiona Pears who performed 4 'tunes' as she called them, 3 of her own composition. She did the whole night without once looking at any music. I am not a great fan of the violin but this was fantastic. Luckily the girls absolutely LOVED HW. We are now trying to get the girls body clocks shifted a bit for the last week of the long summer holidays. Bed at 11pm and getting up anytime after 10am is a habit to be broken me thinks!
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