Food Show

Gary & I went to the Food Show yesterday, I love going to the preview day, there are less people there so we get to try everything without getting pushed & shoved & the Exhibitors have more time to talk to individual people.

As usual we spent too much money but we got some yummy cheeses, dips, chilli sauce for africa including one with the rather disturbing name "Bhutt Burner", definately not one I will be trying.

Friends for dinner tomorrow so we will be able to sample the wares, Gary is going to spit roast but I am not sure how that will work because it is orientation for Seussical from about 1-4 and he wants to go to the swap meet at Waikaraka Park plus Samyson wants to go to the college for a look around, also from 1-4, not sure how that is all going to work.

We had Siobhans teacher parent interview last night, she is doing really well at school and they are confident she will be ready for intermediate next year (I wasn't). We have some stuff to work on at home so I will make sure I do some with her each night.

Samysons interview next week, that will be interesting because a bit of the old attitude had started to slip in last time so hopefully he has knocked that on the head.

Prawn curry for tea tonight, I have been looking forward to this for ages, I don't care what everyone else wants, if they don't like it they can have a sandwich as far as I am concerned.

What I learnt this weekend

1) When you decide to let your 10 & 13 year old have some responsibility & let them go to McDonalds and the supermarket by themselves - do not then sit down & watch a documentary on the Crime channel about a woman who sent her kids to the beach and they never returned & no bodies have been found. This is NOT comforting.

2) When you decide to have something to eat to take your mind of 1 above, do not sit in front of the next thrilling programme on the Crime channel - crime scene clean up - first job off the blocks a "trash" house. Just in case you could not clearly SEE the disgusting putrid mess, they describe it all for you as well - good for the diet that one.

From now on - it is the Food Channel for me.

In other news, Allstars went really well, Samyson sung well & Siobhans poem about socks was included so she got to do her first ever complete solo on stage, I was so proud of her, especially since the day before the auditions she was in tears because she couldn't do the poem and use the socks she had for props right (I have no idea what the issue was but it stressed her out). Both shows she managed to pull it altogether props and all.

Samyson got his school report, I am not that pleased, too many c's for my liking particularly in the effort, he is at expected level for most of his subjects but if he puts in more effort, he can do better. Being in the accelerant class the level expected is higher than other year 8's but he knew that. He of course does not think it is that bad, because C is satisfactory. That's not good enough in my book so I forsee some battles.

Siobhan had a math test yesterday & said she found it really hard so off to practice times tables each night before bed.

Finally, my spectacular parenting: Put the kids to bed last night at 8 & said they could read for half an hour or in Samysons case, watch a DVD. At 9.30 he came out & asked if I had forgotten them as Siobhan was still reading & his movie had finished - oops. Talk about out of sight out of mind.

I have a teenager

Last Thursday Samyson turned 13 - how the hell did that happen. I now have an official teenager!! I am sure I am waaay to young.

First week of the school holidays (although it was week 2 for us since they had an extra week when we were in Paihia). Monday & Tuesday both kids were at Camp Maynard with Carolann, a friend who runs a kids holiday camp there. They get dropped off 9am on Monday & picked up again 6pm on Tuesday. Samyson and Carolanns daughter Taryn are team leaders since they are year 8's. If they keep it up, in a year or so they will be able to actually take some of the activities.

Siobhan had a ball, apparantly lost the plot a bit on day 2 as she does when she is sleep deprived. Wednesday to Friday they were at work with me so they got to watch DVD's and stuff envelopes.

Today Samyson is at home & Siobhan next door at Laura's hanging out with Khan. Apparantly he was a bit bored last week at home so was happy to have some company.

Khan came over yesterday & hung out for a while then Taryn & Jayden came down while Mike went to pick Carolann up from scrapbook camp (she runs this a couple of days after the kids camp). There were 5 kids running around outside playing some sort of game that involved shooting each other & yelling - a lot. Probably drove the neighbours nuts but at least they were outside in the fresh air. When Mike & Carolann got home we went to their place for a drink & ended up staying for dinner of leftover roast lamb, veges & cheesecake from camp, fantastic, I didn't have to cook.

The rest of the week the kids are at NYTC All Stars Holiday programme so they have been practicing their audition pieces, Siobhan in particular has put a lot of time & effort into hers. Hopefully it will make the final cut into the show.

Having spent the last 3 or 4 hours trying to fix the friggin computer at work & download my upgrades, I have had enough & am going to knock off early.

Good night.

back to the rea; world

We are back from Paihia - what a week. We have been parasailing 1200ft in the air - what a feeling especially considering the 4 of us hate heights. A dolphin cruise where they guarantee if you do not see dolphins you get a voucher to redo the trip - we didn't see any so we can go back again.

Last night we went on Darryls Dinner Cruise - fantastic fun & a good feed.

I love our family holidays, it provides an opportunity for us to all spend some time together & have a great time, I don't think I have laughed so much in ages, we struck a balance of doing stuff & just chilling.

We did a couple of big walks, Wairere Boulders & then the next day a 10k trip arund the Hururu Falls, that was a doozy, Gary's knee was killing him & my left calf & right hip are suffering but we all felt great after it.

Back to work on Monday, plus it is school holidays so it is full on for a couple of weeks.