Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Okay so 3rd time's a charm!
Things haven't been to busy here at number 42, but we're finding stuff to keep us busy. Nan and I finally finished my Kalbarri bag today. We put some nice wooden toggles on the top to fasten it and I'm really pleased with the outcome.
Also, most of you regular readers will know about a little wooden pencil holder standing on the desk on the landing which was created by Harry and painted by Nan in ye olde Post Office colour red. Well, when Harry made the outline of the first one, he made a couple more and never finished putting them together. Enter Josh Josh the Soon-to-be Wood Carver to save the day! In a few afternoons Josh had one completed (albeit minus the compartment dividers) ready for painting. Enter Betty the Wannabe Whatever-she-fancies-at-the-time armed with paints and brushes. That took me quite a considerable length of time in comparison to Josh's 2 afternoons, but I finally got it finished on Monday afternoon (see picture) I do have a reasonable excuse seeing as we took a 4-day excursion to Christchurch and Diamond Harbour.
That started Thursday morning when we (minus Sam due to his job in Methven) packed up the car and set off for Christchurch at around 11. Josh had other plans in Christchurch, his friend Christina was having a birthday party and so stayed there for that and to see Ashleigh, so we dropped him off on the way to Lorraine's house (Trevor's wife/partner I think?). We arrive mid afternoon and sat down in Lorraine's immaculate house! In the evening we went to the Speight's Ale House with some of Lorraine's friends, one of which was coming with us to Diamond Harbour the next day, for dinner (mine a Chicken Caesar Salad, YUM!) and then on to the Westpac Stadium to watch Starlight Express. It was phenomenal! 90% of the cast had never skated before rehearsals and were all singing whilst skating, which was amazing!
Noon on Friday we packed up the car again and set off for the harbour, tailing Lorraine in her car with Michelle and her two children Sophie, 7 and Logan, 2. We arrived half 1-ish after stopping at a ridiculously expensive café called She Chocolat. Kids hot chocolates were $4.50 while adults ones where $8! So 3 kids ones were ordered for the number 42 crew! The house in Diamond Harbour was lovely. There were near enough floor to ceiling windows along the front of the house looking out onto the Harbour and out to sea on the right. After we'd unpacked the cars and put all the food away, rooms were delegated. I was supposed to be staying in a sleep out at the back of the garden, but Lorraine couldn't find the key so I was sleeping on the couch instead! Being the "young adult" instantaneously made me residential babysitter for the weekend, so I took the kids to the "paddock" out the back to run around and try and tire them out for the evening! For dinner, Nan and I cooked pasta Bolognese, which went down a storm, especially with the kids so I was very pleased about that.
Saturday dawned extremely foggy and stayed just so for the rest of the day, making our trip down to the beach impossible. We could barely see 10 metres out of the windows. So the live in babysitter had to entertain the kids all day, which was exhausting! Sophie is very bright and asks lots of questions, some of which warranted poetically licensed answers (I think one was about eating a goat!) and Logan was full of beans the whole time, and he didn't nap in the afternoon, surprising Michelle quite a lot. Their dad Jay (James) arrived in the evening before dinner - Lasagne cooked by Lorraine and Michelle - and so looking after the kids got delegated to him and I was glad for the break!
Sunday morning was again spent entertaining the kids whilst the adults played Upwords (like scrabble but harder) and then after lunch we started to pack up again. I took Sophie and Logan to the paddock again so that they were out of the way. At around 1:40 we were all set to go. Michelle and her family went back in Jay's car and I went in Lorraine's car as far as Josh's pick-up point in Christchurch. We arrived ahead of schedule but only had to wait 5 minutes 'til Josh arrived and then we were on our way!
That night I felt a bit nervous because in the last few days before going away, Sam had told us that there was a party with the Mt Hutt Ski people and it was fancy dress with a theme of things beginning with "S". Nan and I suggested a range of things from smurfs "there'll be loads of smurfs" to scarecrows "mumble…" so in the end Nan, Josh and I went to the Geraldine Players wardrobe department which is open to hire to the public on Wednesdays and Saturdays to check out what they had. At the back of the room I noticed some kilts, so I suggested he go as a Scotsman. However, Sam was at work so we couldn't ask him to see what he thought. Anyway, we decided to go on that theme regardless and continued the search and found a waistcoat, tam-o-shanter and sporran! In the hats and masks room however, I spotted a Stormtrooper helmet/mask and Nan had seen a pair of white overalls so we picked those up too. To hire all of that for 2 weeks was only $20 so we were really quite impressed.
When Sam got back that evening, we told him of our finds and he went to try on the Scotsman outfit, which he loved! He looked really good in it, and he had a white shirt to go with it too so he looked all set for the party. So Monday morning we texted him to see how it went he said that the outfit went down a storm! He also told us that some people had dressed as suitcases, and someone even went as a bottle of suncream!
Tuesdays was Harry's birthday, and the Mountain was closed so Sam had the day off, and Nan thought it would be nice to go to Timaru and watch the new Harry Potter movie, The Half-Blood Prince. Josh, Sam and I definitely enjoyed it, and Nan in a very mum-like fashion fell asleep about an hour in and proceeded to wake up and doze off for the rest of the film, some hour and a half! Then in the evening, Nan made a birthday treat for Harry… Lemon Meringue Pie, his favourite dessert, which we all got to enjoy! Nan made it from scratch and it was delicious.
Yesterday and today at lunch I've been up at the High School having dance lessons in preparation for the Formal in just over a week's time and I'm due to go in tomorrow, Monday and Wednesday too. So far we've learned 2 circle dances, where we change partners, and a waltz. One guy in Jaime's year, Scott is really good at a Waltz, so I've bagsied him for that dance! I'm finding all the dances pretty easy, having quite a substantial advantage, but I bet you would put everyone else to shame Mum and Dad!
Tuesday all day and Wednesday morning Josh and I are going to Christchurch to visit Ashleigh and his friend Christina, who wants to meet me, so it'll be nice to do something just us 2 again, and I'm really looking forward to seeing both the girls, but slightly nervous about meeting Christina!
Tomorrow morning I'm going to the crèche again, but this time Hillary can't go so it's just going to be me on my own, and Doreen has asked me if I want to do it at the craft weekend on the 7th and 8th of august so that'll be some extra money for then too, so Josh and I might get in a few more trips yet!
Well, I think that's everything updated so far, sorry for lack of pictures, too foggy for Diamond Harbour and I'll try and get some dance lesson photos tomorrow.
Stay tuned and love to everyone xx
- comments