Gosh I am so slack at updating.
Anyway, last Monday was my birthday. I said I didn't want any presents & that is exactly what I got (except for a bottle of wine from Doris). Instead I had my hair cut & went shopping. I finally bought 3 new pairs of jeans as I have none that fit me and the whole losing weight to get into them thing ain't happening. I also bought a really lovely dress that actually cost me more than 3 pair of jeans, 1 top & the cost of shortening 2 pair of the jeans "gulp".
Gary & I went out for lunch, I met Doris for a wine while Meg was at singing & Gary & the kids cooked me dinner.
I got lots of Facebook messages. I had the day off work & some of the girls Samyson goes to school with popped in on the way home to give me a hug & say happy Birthday which was really sweet. Also on Tuesday it was Vicky one of the other NYTC Mums birthday, the kids had rehearsal so she had asked a few of us to go & have a drink so she made it a double celebration. When I went to pick Samyson up after rehearsal Cole who is one of his NYTC friends came & gave me a hug & said happy birthday so I was feeling quite happy.
Last Friday the "Committee" Mums (our kids do NYTC & Variety Voices together), had Thanksgiving Dinner at Doris & Martins, it was a first for most of us & it was a really lovely night with turkey, candied yams & pumpkin pie - Yummy!! They are such a lovely bunch of women & I really enjoy meeting up with them.
This week is Show Week - Camp Rock 2. Because I am the only one at work this week I could not take the time off to work back stage so I am helping Vicki in the Public cafe on Friday night, running the cafe on Saturday afternoon & as Samyson is lead on Saturday night I don't have to do anything else. I actually almost feel a bit guilty as I am usually backstage on props and or set and or anything else that needs doing. It also means that as Siobhan is in one of the younger groups & is not a lead I can go & pick her up when her group is dismissed between 5 & 8 depending on the night instead of her having to hang around til 10.30 when Samysons group is dismissed.
I went to pick Samyson up a bit early last night & snuck into the theatre to watch the rehearsal & I have to say it is looking really good, lots of energy & the kids look like they are having fun, I can,'t wait to see Samyson play Nate on Saturday night.
Work is mental busy but at least we are getting paid at the moment, we had a few weeks where we just didn't have the money so were not paid or paid a few days late, it looks like we might actually get caught up on that this week too. I think all up I am owed either 1 or 1 1/2 weeks wages so that will be nice, especially since I got my credit card bill yesterday - not pretty.
I really should aim to update once a week since the whole point of this blog is so I can read back & see what has been happening.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
So far today ...
- slept in
- feeling fat & having a bad hair day
- kids argued all morning
- traffic was crap
- shoes are uncomfortable
- husband got shitty because he rang & wanted me to look at something on Trade Me to see if he had won it I couldn't find it cos he called it something else
- vege pie for lunch was mediocre
- uncomfortable shoe broke
- husband still shitty cos he couldn't find where to pick u p said trade Me stuff
- smacked my elbow on car door getting into car after mediocre vege pie
- played Whirly Words on iphone to take mind off elbow pain - feel car sick
And it is not even 3 o'clock, at a guess the rest of the day will pan out like this:
- husband still in a shitty with me cos he is an idiot who cannot read a freakin map or program a Navman
- feet will hurt walking barefoot down long drive to car
- whatever I cook for dinner will elicit complaint from between 1 & 3 members of the family
- husband will either forget to take son to rehearsal or son won't remind him & I will have to take him & somehow it will be MY fault he is late
- traffic will be crap
Anyway, I have wine at home!!
In other news, Samyson at 14 started shaving about 3 weeks ago, he needed to but I have been putting off, finally we had to so something about it so Gary showed him what to do, I thought about getting photos but didn't really want to distract them whilst holding sharp razors. So far he has shave about 3 times & no cuts.
Siobhan at 11 got her first period. First she got PMS - what a hell week that was, of course we didn't realise until her period arrived that it was PMS. She actually handled it amazingly well, she was reasonably prepared & didn't freak out at all. She asked heaps of questions, mostly from a practical point of view rather then an exact explanation of why etc.
Nothing much else, Samyson performed in a Showcase for one of his friends, she had to do something for a school project, so Jess decided to put on a show. About 10 of them got together & sang a couple of solo songs, a few group numbers & it was a great hit.
School holidays, both kids did All Starts in the second week, it was fun show at the end of it.
Work busy but money really tight (I haven't gotten paid for 2 out of the last 4 weeks).
Since the point of me doing a blog was to keep a bit of a record of what happens in our busy but not exciting lives I really should try to update more regularly.
- feeling fat & having a bad hair day
- kids argued all morning
- traffic was crap
- shoes are uncomfortable
- husband got shitty because he rang & wanted me to look at something on Trade Me to see if he had won it I couldn't find it cos he called it something else
- vege pie for lunch was mediocre
- uncomfortable shoe broke
- husband still shitty cos he couldn't find where to pick u p said trade Me stuff
- smacked my elbow on car door getting into car after mediocre vege pie
- played Whirly Words on iphone to take mind off elbow pain - feel car sick
And it is not even 3 o'clock, at a guess the rest of the day will pan out like this:
- husband still in a shitty with me cos he is an idiot who cannot read a freakin map or program a Navman
- feet will hurt walking barefoot down long drive to car
- whatever I cook for dinner will elicit complaint from between 1 & 3 members of the family
- husband will either forget to take son to rehearsal or son won't remind him & I will have to take him & somehow it will be MY fault he is late
- traffic will be crap
Anyway, I have wine at home!!
In other news, Samyson at 14 started shaving about 3 weeks ago, he needed to but I have been putting off, finally we had to so something about it so Gary showed him what to do, I thought about getting photos but didn't really want to distract them whilst holding sharp razors. So far he has shave about 3 times & no cuts.
Siobhan at 11 got her first period. First she got PMS - what a hell week that was, of course we didn't realise until her period arrived that it was PMS. She actually handled it amazingly well, she was reasonably prepared & didn't freak out at all. She asked heaps of questions, mostly from a practical point of view rather then an exact explanation of why etc.
Nothing much else, Samyson performed in a Showcase for one of his friends, she had to do something for a school project, so Jess decided to put on a show. About 10 of them got together & sang a couple of solo songs, a few group numbers & it was a great hit.
School holidays, both kids did All Starts in the second week, it was fun show at the end of it.
Work busy but money really tight (I haven't gotten paid for 2 out of the last 4 weeks).
Since the point of me doing a blog was to keep a bit of a record of what happens in our busy but not exciting lives I really should try to update more regularly.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Busy Days
It seems at the moment there is no time to rest, one or other of the kids seem to have to be picked up and/or dropped off somewhere, shopping, housework, washing etc etc.
The week before last we had a pick up or drop off or something to attend every night. In all fairness it was the year 13 play for which Samyson was on the lighting team so a couple of the pick ups were just to get him after school as they had rehearsals and it was dark so I didn't want him walking home.
This weekend:
- Friday Gary drops Samyson at the mall where he will catch a bus to town with Alika, they will grab some dinner & then head to the Stage Challenge (luckily Alikas mum is bringing them home), Siobhan has a hair appointment at 4.15 which Gary will drop her at then pick her up when she is finished.
- Saturday I get to drop Siobhan at school at 7.30, she is going to a Chinese Cultural festival, I will go the the 8am yoga class (may as well make the most of being up so stupidly early), then I will go to the gym. Home, showered & changed Gary & I are going out for lunch (thanks to Montieths $ 50 voucher), shopping in the afternoon, pick Siobhan up from school then off to friends for dinner.
- Sunday I intend not to do a damn thing, I would like to try & read for a few hours and will probably end up doing insurance policy analysis for a couple of hours woo hoo.
I have been checking on the Landcheck website for Christchurch, every house I grew up in is in the red zone, they will all be demolished. I just read today that one of the hotels I spent many (way too many) evenings at listening to bands will be demolished. Because I grew up in the Eastern suburbs and spent most weekends in the city it is really weird to think pretty much none of it is going to be there. It is not just the places I lived but friends houses, my Godmothers house, the house I baby sat 4 kids in almost every Saturday night for 18 months or so when I was 15. I am supposed to be going down there in a couple of months for a week or so but to be honest I am not looking forward to it. I will go though because I know Mum is finding it hard, the 13 June quake seems to be the straw that broke the camels back. I wonder if Mum & Dad would like to spend a couple of days in Timaru or Hamner - can relive some childhood memories there instead.
Having one of those can't be arsed working days today, I think after spending several hours yesterday writing Financial Advisor disclosure documents my brain is just over it. Still heaps to do so I should stop procrastinating and get on with it.
The week before last we had a pick up or drop off or something to attend every night. In all fairness it was the year 13 play for which Samyson was on the lighting team so a couple of the pick ups were just to get him after school as they had rehearsals and it was dark so I didn't want him walking home.
This weekend:
- Friday Gary drops Samyson at the mall where he will catch a bus to town with Alika, they will grab some dinner & then head to the Stage Challenge (luckily Alikas mum is bringing them home), Siobhan has a hair appointment at 4.15 which Gary will drop her at then pick her up when she is finished.
- Saturday I get to drop Siobhan at school at 7.30, she is going to a Chinese Cultural festival, I will go the the 8am yoga class (may as well make the most of being up so stupidly early), then I will go to the gym. Home, showered & changed Gary & I are going out for lunch (thanks to Montieths $ 50 voucher), shopping in the afternoon, pick Siobhan up from school then off to friends for dinner.
- Sunday I intend not to do a damn thing, I would like to try & read for a few hours and will probably end up doing insurance policy analysis for a couple of hours woo hoo.
I have been checking on the Landcheck website for Christchurch, every house I grew up in is in the red zone, they will all be demolished. I just read today that one of the hotels I spent many (way too many) evenings at listening to bands will be demolished. Because I grew up in the Eastern suburbs and spent most weekends in the city it is really weird to think pretty much none of it is going to be there. It is not just the places I lived but friends houses, my Godmothers house, the house I baby sat 4 kids in almost every Saturday night for 18 months or so when I was 15. I am supposed to be going down there in a couple of months for a week or so but to be honest I am not looking forward to it. I will go though because I know Mum is finding it hard, the 13 June quake seems to be the straw that broke the camels back. I wonder if Mum & Dad would like to spend a couple of days in Timaru or Hamner - can relive some childhood memories there instead.
Having one of those can't be arsed working days today, I think after spending several hours yesterday writing Financial Advisor disclosure documents my brain is just over it. Still heaps to do so I should stop procrastinating and get on with it.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
My beautiful daughter
Today as I took Siobhan to netball she was in tears because she is being teased at school, apparantly her hair sticks up & she has pimples! She daid she is ugly & funny looking. It was really hard not to cry myself, she is the sweetest most caring wee thing and she is beautiful.
It looks like I have some self esteem issues to deal with, it breaks my heart to hear her think she is anything less than fantastic.
On the positive side, she had a great game at netball & got player of the day, that went some way to making her feel a bit happier.
It looks like I have some self esteem issues to deal with, it breaks my heart to hear her think she is anything less than fantastic.
On the positive side, she had a great game at netball & got player of the day, that went some way to making her feel a bit happier.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
About time to updat
I have not really been the most committed blogger (I read everyone elses then forget to write my own).
Anyway:
SIOBHAN
- Doing great at school, is making friends & the work I have seen her produce is definately improving.
- Got her her first bra a couple of weeks ago Yikes! She is only 11!!
- She is captain of her netball team, she was so excited and very very proud of herself, we are also very proud, she tries really hard, does not miss a practice or a game.
- She is becoming more & more independent, she loves to help in the kitchen & often kicks me out insisting she can do stuff herself.
SAMYSON
- Constantly getting excellent results at school.
- Auditioned & got accepted into Variety Voices which is the new youth choir associated with Variety Club. They are aligned with Cadbury's at the moment as a part of the "Sounds of Joy" campaign. Samyson & 6 others have been selected to be in the studio on Friday to record some of the sounds for the final cut of the song then the 13-18 year olds are performing at Sylvia Park Mall form 12-1, he has a lead part in the song.
OTHER:
- Gary went to Christchurch the weekend before last. He came home on the Monday & by all accounts was lucky he did get home, firstly there was the ash cloud from Chile which grounded all but Air NZ flights - usually we fly Jetstar but he manage to get cheaper Air NZ ones when he booked. Then, there were 2 more earthquakes on the Monday a few hours after he left. I had actually considered extending his stay by a few days but a large credit card bill changed my mind - thank goodness.
- Mum & Dad felt the earthquakes, Mums nerves are a bit shattered & I think she feels a bit guilty that they have really had no damage yet others are living in appalling conditions & having to shovel liquefaction from their homes for the umpteenth time. Dad is a taxi driver & it is pretty dire for them, not much work at all, then chuck in a bloody ash cloud and hardly any flights in or out (he is one of the airport drivers & they pay a fortune to be allowed to do this).
- I am supposed to be going to visit them for a week later in the year, unless the earthquake lessen significantly I don't know if I will be going, Siobhan is already telling me she doesn't want me to go.
Anyway:
SIOBHAN
- Doing great at school, is making friends & the work I have seen her produce is definately improving.
- Got her her first bra a couple of weeks ago Yikes! She is only 11!!
- She is captain of her netball team, she was so excited and very very proud of herself, we are also very proud, she tries really hard, does not miss a practice or a game.
- She is becoming more & more independent, she loves to help in the kitchen & often kicks me out insisting she can do stuff herself.
SAMYSON
- Constantly getting excellent results at school.
- Auditioned & got accepted into Variety Voices which is the new youth choir associated with Variety Club. They are aligned with Cadbury's at the moment as a part of the "Sounds of Joy" campaign. Samyson & 6 others have been selected to be in the studio on Friday to record some of the sounds for the final cut of the song then the 13-18 year olds are performing at Sylvia Park Mall form 12-1, he has a lead part in the song.
OTHER:
- Gary went to Christchurch the weekend before last. He came home on the Monday & by all accounts was lucky he did get home, firstly there was the ash cloud from Chile which grounded all but Air NZ flights - usually we fly Jetstar but he manage to get cheaper Air NZ ones when he booked. Then, there were 2 more earthquakes on the Monday a few hours after he left. I had actually considered extending his stay by a few days but a large credit card bill changed my mind - thank goodness.
- Mum & Dad felt the earthquakes, Mums nerves are a bit shattered & I think she feels a bit guilty that they have really had no damage yet others are living in appalling conditions & having to shovel liquefaction from their homes for the umpteenth time. Dad is a taxi driver & it is pretty dire for them, not much work at all, then chuck in a bloody ash cloud and hardly any flights in or out (he is one of the airport drivers & they pay a fortune to be allowed to do this).
- I am supposed to be going to visit them for a week later in the year, unless the earthquake lessen significantly I don't know if I will be going, Siobhan is already telling me she doesn't want me to go.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Nice weekend away
Last Saturday we had our annual work lunch (it was supposed to be dinner but we left the booking too late) at Tribeca in Parnell. We use it as an excuse to celebrate all our birthdays & Christmas in one hit rather than a whole lot of cheap meals during the year. It was as usual a fantastic meal & there were 8 of us we all had a ball & lots of laughs. If you ever want a special meal out I totally recommend this place, it is fine dining & not cheap but always fantastic food & service.
The food is divine and we had a great time, Sue very kindly picked the kids up from home & got them to Allstars then picked them up after the show and took them home, she stayed the night at our place so Gary & I could stay the night in a motel (got to love wotif.com). We were not really very hungry & decided to have dinner at the motel were staying at, it was not too bad but was much better when we didn't get charged for it :-).
On the Friday we went to the Allstars show which is the show the kids put on after a week long NYTC school holiday programme of musical theatre training. It is always a good laugh and some of the kids are so talented. This time Samyson got his solo song in (they all do an audition piece either a solo or in a group which they work on during the week & perform in the show), he also had several speaking parts & featured as lead in a few of the group numbers, he was wrapt and performed really well. Conversely Siobhan did not want to do an audition piece (it is not compulsory) and she got 2 singing lines and about 4 speaking lines - she was also wrapt - talk about chalk & cheese, those 2 are so different. In the group numbers Siobhan was much more confident than she usually was and her dancing had improved heaps.
Back to school this week & the tornado was the talk of the day on Tuesday, Samyson goes to Glenfield College which is one of the places it hit and Siobhans school bus goes past there so she got caught up in it all as well. Luckily no one was hurt but I was so pleased when they both got home as I was at work on the other side of town & could not get there. There was talk of the Harbour Bridge being shut but they didn't. Our friend Mike was waiting outside the school to pick his daughter up & when it hit, he reversed his truck as far back as he could because the pine cones were raining down onto his windscreen, he no sooner moved & a large tree came down right where he had been parked!!
Hoping for a quiet weekend this time, friends for dinner on Saturday, yoga on Sunday morning & I really need to do some housework, the place is a mess.
The food is divine and we had a great time, Sue very kindly picked the kids up from home & got them to Allstars then picked them up after the show and took them home, she stayed the night at our place so Gary & I could stay the night in a motel (got to love wotif.com). We were not really very hungry & decided to have dinner at the motel were staying at, it was not too bad but was much better when we didn't get charged for it :-).
On the Friday we went to the Allstars show which is the show the kids put on after a week long NYTC school holiday programme of musical theatre training. It is always a good laugh and some of the kids are so talented. This time Samyson got his solo song in (they all do an audition piece either a solo or in a group which they work on during the week & perform in the show), he also had several speaking parts & featured as lead in a few of the group numbers, he was wrapt and performed really well. Conversely Siobhan did not want to do an audition piece (it is not compulsory) and she got 2 singing lines and about 4 speaking lines - she was also wrapt - talk about chalk & cheese, those 2 are so different. In the group numbers Siobhan was much more confident than she usually was and her dancing had improved heaps.
Back to school this week & the tornado was the talk of the day on Tuesday, Samyson goes to Glenfield College which is one of the places it hit and Siobhans school bus goes past there so she got caught up in it all as well. Luckily no one was hurt but I was so pleased when they both got home as I was at work on the other side of town & could not get there. There was talk of the Harbour Bridge being shut but they didn't. Our friend Mike was waiting outside the school to pick his daughter up & when it hit, he reversed his truck as far back as he could because the pine cones were raining down onto his windscreen, he no sooner moved & a large tree came down right where he had been parked!!
Hoping for a quiet weekend this time, friends for dinner on Saturday, yoga on Sunday morning & I really need to do some housework, the place is a mess.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Siobhans first proper sleepover...
Lasted 3 nights! I had a call at work from Siobhan asking if she could go to the movies & have a sleepover that night. After a few calls back & forth it was agreed so her Dad handed over his last $ 20 and Jasmines Dad picked her up. The next day they were going to Parakai & since they were staying til closing her friends Dad suggested she stayed again so I popped in to drop off some money. Sunday morning she called while I was at yoga & when I phoned back she wanted to stay for a third night so eventually I agreed & it was all organised. Needless to say she was a tired wee thing on Monday but she had a ball.
For her first ever sleepover at a friends it was a pretty marathon effort.
School holidays have been good, having Easter in the middle is great because I got to have a few days off also, not that we ended up doing much. This week the kids are at Allstars, Samyson got his solo song in the final show plus the "seasons of love" from Rent that a group of them put together at the last minute. Siobhan didn't want to do a solo piece this time but is having a ball regardless (she prefers to be in the background sometimes). Off to the show tomorrow so am looking forward to it. They have a Saturday matinee & a Saturday night show as well
For her first ever sleepover at a friends it was a pretty marathon effort.
School holidays have been good, having Easter in the middle is great because I got to have a few days off also, not that we ended up doing much. This week the kids are at Allstars, Samyson got his solo song in the final show plus the "seasons of love" from Rent that a group of them put together at the last minute. Siobhan didn't want to do a solo piece this time but is having a ball regardless (she prefers to be in the background sometimes). Off to the show tomorrow so am looking forward to it. They have a Saturday matinee & a Saturday night show as well
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
hair today Gone tomorrow
Today at approximately 2.15pm Samyson went from this:
To this:
It was part of a fund raising through the school for the Sweet Louise Foundation which supports women with secondary breast cancer.
He is a bit gobsmacked I think at the moment, it will take some getting used to, he had more hair when he was born. He raised a couple of hundred dollars. Gary & I were there to see it & even Siobhan came along.
There were about 15 of them altogether including 4 teachers (2 went as far as a number 1) and 4 girls all of who had quite long hair.
He is a bit gobsmacked I think at the moment, it will take some getting used to, he had more hair when he was born. He raised a couple of hundred dollars. Gary & I were there to see it & even Siobhan came along.
There were about 15 of them altogether including 4 teachers (2 went as far as a number 1) and 4 girls all of who had quite long hair.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Something Trivial
Pinched from Lynda & Kate because I am bored.
A. Age: 40 mumble (not because I am embarassed but because I always forget
B. Bed size: king
C. Chore you hate: most of them
D. Dogs: I am a cat person, not that we have one since the last one disappeared.
E. Essential start to your day: watching the 7am news
F. Favorite colour: purple
G. Gold or silver: silver usually
H. Height: 5'2"
I. Instruments you play: none, apart from the recorder in standard 2 (which from memory I was not very good)
J. Job title: Company Director, Office manager, broker
K. Kids: 2, an amazingly talented son and an absolutely beautiful daughter
L. Live: Auckland - originally from Christchurch
M. Mum's name: Margaret
N. Nicknames: Tray (parents, husband & 2 best friends only) or Trace and the most important "Mum".
O. Overnight hospital stays: two for childbirth,
P. Pet peeve: Loads, I am trying to be more tolerant
Q. Quote from a movie: "You can't handle the truth" No idea why. Poor husband gets that one every time he asks me to buy him the Truth newspaper.
R. Righty or Lefty: Righty.
S. Siblings: 1 brother (also have 2 half brothers on my birth mothers side)
T. Time you wake up: at 7.00 am (to watch the news), or 6am to go for a walk with my son.
U. Underwear: of course
V. Vegetables you dislike: I can't think of a vegetable I don't like.
W. What makes you run late: Nothing - I am so on time all the time. Can't help it, always been that way. Funny though I have lots of nightmares about things holding me up and making me late. I'm sure I could pay a psychiatrist a lot of money to figure that one out. (pinching this one word for word from Lynda, I HATE being late).
X. X-rays you've had: Apart from dental (and that was a loooooong time ago).
Y. Yummy food you make: most things are pretty good.
Z. Zoo animal favorite: depends on my mood. I love the cheetahs & the tigers.
A. Age: 40 mumble (not because I am embarassed but because I always forget
B. Bed size: king
C. Chore you hate: most of them
D. Dogs: I am a cat person, not that we have one since the last one disappeared.
E. Essential start to your day: watching the 7am news
F. Favorite colour: purple
G. Gold or silver: silver usually
H. Height: 5'2"
I. Instruments you play: none, apart from the recorder in standard 2 (which from memory I was not very good)
J. Job title: Company Director, Office manager, broker
K. Kids: 2, an amazingly talented son and an absolutely beautiful daughter
L. Live: Auckland - originally from Christchurch
M. Mum's name: Margaret
N. Nicknames: Tray (parents, husband & 2 best friends only) or Trace and the most important "Mum".
O. Overnight hospital stays: two for childbirth,
P. Pet peeve: Loads, I am trying to be more tolerant
Q. Quote from a movie: "You can't handle the truth" No idea why. Poor husband gets that one every time he asks me to buy him the Truth newspaper.
R. Righty or Lefty: Righty.
S. Siblings: 1 brother (also have 2 half brothers on my birth mothers side)
T. Time you wake up: at 7.00 am (to watch the news), or 6am to go for a walk with my son.
U. Underwear: of course
V. Vegetables you dislike: I can't think of a vegetable I don't like.
W. What makes you run late: Nothing - I am so on time all the time. Can't help it, always been that way. Funny though I have lots of nightmares about things holding me up and making me late. I'm sure I could pay a psychiatrist a lot of money to figure that one out. (pinching this one word for word from Lynda, I HATE being late).
X. X-rays you've had: Apart from dental (and that was a loooooong time ago).
Y. Yummy food you make: most things are pretty good.
Z. Zoo animal favorite: depends on my mood. I love the cheetahs & the tigers.
Fished as a part
Saturday night Samyson went to Forbidden Broadwaywith the Riegels. I dropped him off at their house at 5 & they took him out to dinner before the show.
At 7.28 I have the following text conversation with my 13 year old son:
S; I just had a shot. Lol
Me: Of what?
S: Lemon cream stuff
Me: I assume non alcoholic?
I didn't get a reply & thought nothing more of it, was quite confident the people he was with were not plying him with tequila shots or bottles of wine.
Anyway about 10.30 they drop him home, Meg gets out of the car giggling (perfectly normal for her), then Samyson gets out, stumbles between the cars & over to me at the door way slurring his words & hugging me saying "I love yooooou Mum' and falling at my feet. Doris leaps out of the car & says "I have to explain ..."
At that exact time Samyson was on the ground beside me & I farted (classy I know) - act over.
Poor Doris is trying to explain & the kids are pissing themselves laughing.
Apparantly the place they went for dinner provide a complimentary drink of Limoncello and cream at the end of the meal. She said there was only a tiny bit of Limocello in so she figured it wouldn't do the kids any harm*. She had no idea Samyson would text me then put on the drunken act so I would think he was trollied.
It was a brilliant act, poor Doris couldn't get out of the car fast enough to explain he was not in fact pissed he was just acting, I assured her I guessed Samyson was just playing around & that I a) had no problem with them having a wee drink like that at the end of a meal (all part of growing up & learning to be responsible), and b) I did not think for 1 minute they were plying him with hard liquor.
Sometimes that childs acting skill are too good.
* I would have made the exact same call with the teens and assured poor Doris of this.
At 7.28 I have the following text conversation with my 13 year old son:
S; I just had a shot. Lol
Me: Of what?
S: Lemon cream stuff
Me: I assume non alcoholic?
I didn't get a reply & thought nothing more of it, was quite confident the people he was with were not plying him with tequila shots or bottles of wine.
Anyway about 10.30 they drop him home, Meg gets out of the car giggling (perfectly normal for her), then Samyson gets out, stumbles between the cars & over to me at the door way slurring his words & hugging me saying "I love yooooou Mum' and falling at my feet. Doris leaps out of the car & says "I have to explain ..."
At that exact time Samyson was on the ground beside me & I farted (classy I know) - act over.
Poor Doris is trying to explain & the kids are pissing themselves laughing.
Apparantly the place they went for dinner provide a complimentary drink of Limoncello and cream at the end of the meal. She said there was only a tiny bit of Limocello in so she figured it wouldn't do the kids any harm*. She had no idea Samyson would text me then put on the drunken act so I would think he was trollied.
It was a brilliant act, poor Doris couldn't get out of the car fast enough to explain he was not in fact pissed he was just acting, I assured her I guessed Samyson was just playing around & that I a) had no problem with them having a wee drink like that at the end of a meal (all part of growing up & learning to be responsible), and b) I did not think for 1 minute they were plying him with hard liquor.
Sometimes that childs acting skill are too good.
* I would have made the exact same call with the teens and assured poor Doris of this.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Something positive
The last few days the kids have both come up with some quite surprising comments.
Firstly Samyson on Wednesday, he had Theatresports which ran til 4.30 & he intended to walk home but it was raining so he sent Gary a text to come & get him. Apparantly on the way home he told his Dad that he is quite glad he is not doing NYTC this show because he gets to hang out a bit more with his friends & also we get to do family stuff too. This from the kid who on Sunday was whinging because he didn't want to go out with us to the Zoo & MOTAT.
Because Samyson was going to be late home on Wednesday Siobhan had to walk to Garys work after school instead of catching the bus. She informed me the next day that "since Dad enjoyed the company" she is going to do that every Wednesday. This from the girl who went to school on Friday in tears because I did not have change for the bus so told her to go to her Dads work and she was upset because she couldn't hang out with her friends on the bus.
I love the fact that they enjoy spending time as a family and I also know it will not be long before they will be spending more & more time with their friends.
I have been spending some quality time with Samyson lately as we have been getting up & going for a walk 2 or 3 mornings a week, it is only about 20 minutes but it is nice spending that time with him, some mornings not much is said & others there is lots of chat.
Anyway this weekend is busy, I have to sort out some books to donate to a group having a garage sale raising funds for Christchurch, Gary wants to go to the Pascifika Festival, I have Samysons school shorts to pick up from the repairer, goodness knows how many loads of washing to do, Samyson to be dropped at his friends in Parnell at 5 on Saturday & presumably picked up either form there or the theatre (he is going to Forbidden Broadway his friend Megs sister Kate is in it). Sunday I am hoping to get to yoga, probabaly finish the washing I did not get done on Saturday & hopefully get some time to read.
Firstly Samyson on Wednesday, he had Theatresports which ran til 4.30 & he intended to walk home but it was raining so he sent Gary a text to come & get him. Apparantly on the way home he told his Dad that he is quite glad he is not doing NYTC this show because he gets to hang out a bit more with his friends & also we get to do family stuff too. This from the kid who on Sunday was whinging because he didn't want to go out with us to the Zoo & MOTAT.
Because Samyson was going to be late home on Wednesday Siobhan had to walk to Garys work after school instead of catching the bus. She informed me the next day that "since Dad enjoyed the company" she is going to do that every Wednesday. This from the girl who went to school on Friday in tears because I did not have change for the bus so told her to go to her Dads work and she was upset because she couldn't hang out with her friends on the bus.
I love the fact that they enjoy spending time as a family and I also know it will not be long before they will be spending more & more time with their friends.
I have been spending some quality time with Samyson lately as we have been getting up & going for a walk 2 or 3 mornings a week, it is only about 20 minutes but it is nice spending that time with him, some mornings not much is said & others there is lots of chat.
Anyway this weekend is busy, I have to sort out some books to donate to a group having a garage sale raising funds for Christchurch, Gary wants to go to the Pascifika Festival, I have Samysons school shorts to pick up from the repairer, goodness knows how many loads of washing to do, Samyson to be dropped at his friends in Parnell at 5 on Saturday & presumably picked up either form there or the theatre (he is going to Forbidden Broadway his friend Megs sister Kate is in it). Sunday I am hoping to get to yoga, probabaly finish the washing I did not get done on Saturday & hopefully get some time to read.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Earthquake update
Mum & Dad arrived home on Saturday to see what sort of damage has been done .... 1 broken wine glass!!! That's it, a few things fell over but only the wine glass broke (and it is not one they ever use anyway). Talk about lucky.
I spoke to them last night Dad says it is really quiet and almost no work for him (he is a taxi driver), he has had to apply for the Government assistance because no work means no income, that is what worries me with them now but I can help out if need be, and if they let me.
Mum managed to get hold of Val my Godmother, her house was very badly damaged in the first quake & is much worse this time, she has no power or water & is staying with her cousin in Rangiora. She is not sure if her house can be saved, she lives in Avonside. Mum also got hold of Glenys because she couldn't get any reply from Bet who is an elderly friend. Bets son Dixon & his wife Glenys are staying with one of their daughters as it looks like their house will go, they had managed to find a place in a rest home for Bet and Mum will go & visit her this week as it is close to where they live.
I read the reports and watch the news but I still cannot really fathom what it must be like, even for the lucky ones like Mum & Dad who suffered almost no damage, let alone those who have no jobs, no homes & in too many cases have family or friends who died or were badly injured. It almost seems wrong to be carrying on as normal. I was dropping a guy in the central city on Friday night and it was just a typical sunny Friday, people rushing to catch buses & trains, waiting in traffic jams, at the bar with work colleagues having a few drinks after work, it suddenly hit me that Christchurch will not be doing that, it almost seemed wrong.
Siobhan has donated $ 10 from her bank account, she wanted to donate $ 100 but Mum & Dad said it was too much for a wee girl & that $ 10 is very generous for her.
Anyway, as things do have to carry on as normal here I best get back to work.
I spoke to them last night Dad says it is really quiet and almost no work for him (he is a taxi driver), he has had to apply for the Government assistance because no work means no income, that is what worries me with them now but I can help out if need be, and if they let me.
Mum managed to get hold of Val my Godmother, her house was very badly damaged in the first quake & is much worse this time, she has no power or water & is staying with her cousin in Rangiora. She is not sure if her house can be saved, she lives in Avonside. Mum also got hold of Glenys because she couldn't get any reply from Bet who is an elderly friend. Bets son Dixon & his wife Glenys are staying with one of their daughters as it looks like their house will go, they had managed to find a place in a rest home for Bet and Mum will go & visit her this week as it is close to where they live.
I read the reports and watch the news but I still cannot really fathom what it must be like, even for the lucky ones like Mum & Dad who suffered almost no damage, let alone those who have no jobs, no homes & in too many cases have family or friends who died or were badly injured. It almost seems wrong to be carrying on as normal. I was dropping a guy in the central city on Friday night and it was just a typical sunny Friday, people rushing to catch buses & trains, waiting in traffic jams, at the bar with work colleagues having a few drinks after work, it suddenly hit me that Christchurch will not be doing that, it almost seemed wrong.
Siobhan has donated $ 10 from her bank account, she wanted to donate $ 100 but Mum & Dad said it was too much for a wee girl & that $ 10 is very generous for her.
Anyway, as things do have to carry on as normal here I best get back to work.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Christchurch Earthquake
There is really nothing zI can say, yesterday at 12.51pm a devastating earthquake hit my home town. The inner city is all but destroyed, but the worst and most horrific thing is the loss of many many lives, there are, more then 24 hours later still hundreds missing.
Mum & Dad were in Hamner, which I found out after trying to call them for ages.
Garys family are fine, some property damage but it doesn't matter, they are fine.
We offered to have them come up here but at this stage they are staying put.
I feel so helpless and wish there was something practical to do. Watching the TV footage and reading the updates makes me feel ill. Samyson made me turn the TV off this morning because I was in tears watching the footage.
It is still so unreal.
Mum & Dad were in Hamner, which I found out after trying to call them for ages.
Garys family are fine, some property damage but it doesn't matter, they are fine.
We offered to have them come up here but at this stage they are staying put.
I feel so helpless and wish there was something practical to do. Watching the TV footage and reading the updates makes me feel ill. Samyson made me turn the TV off this morning because I was in tears watching the footage.
It is still so unreal.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Robinson Kids
How cool are my kids & my niece & nephew....
On the Friday before they went home I got home to find a card on my chair from the 4 kids thanking me for taking them places & doing stuff with them when I came home from work at night and for not being cranky even though it was sometimes difficult (their words). They gave me a bunch of flowers & had bough me a bag & some chocolates. They all did this off their own bat & with their own money.
I was so impressed what good kids :-)
I took them all to Rainbows End the next day & they had a ball although Siobhan didn't like a couple of the rides, she did get back on one of the scary ones so I was really proud of her.
I was sorry to see them go but it was nice to have my house back.
Gary was away this weekend so I took the kids to Lone Star on Thursday night for dinner, we had homemade smoked chicken pizza on Friday & roast chicken last night (Gary doesn't eat chicken so we don't have it very often).
I took the kids to Pokeno yesterday to get some meat, they of course had ice cream & we looked around the market & bought a few veges & other bits & pieces, all in all a nice way to spend a morning.
Best I get back to work now.
On the Friday before they went home I got home to find a card on my chair from the 4 kids thanking me for taking them places & doing stuff with them when I came home from work at night and for not being cranky even though it was sometimes difficult (their words). They gave me a bunch of flowers & had bough me a bag & some chocolates. They all did this off their own bat & with their own money.
I was so impressed what good kids :-)
I took them all to Rainbows End the next day & they had a ball although Siobhan didn't like a couple of the rides, she did get back on one of the scary ones so I was really proud of her.
I was sorry to see them go but it was nice to have my house back.
Gary was away this weekend so I took the kids to Lone Star on Thursday night for dinner, we had homemade smoked chicken pizza on Friday & roast chicken last night (Gary doesn't eat chicken so we don't have it very often).
I took the kids to Pokeno yesterday to get some meat, they of course had ice cream & we looked around the market & bought a few veges & other bits & pieces, all in all a nice way to spend a morning.
Best I get back to work now.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Off to Intermediate
Siobhans first day at intermediate yesterday.
She was a bit nervous in the morning but when we pulled into the street where the school was she saw some of her friends, 2 of whom are in her class this year so she felt better. Khan from next door met her at her classroom after school & showed her where to catch the bus & when to pull the bell to get off.
She looks so grown up.
She was a bit nervous in the morning but when we pulled into the street where the school was she saw some of her friends, 2 of whom are in her class this year so she felt better. Khan from next door met her at her classroom after school & showed her where to catch the bus & when to pull the bell to get off.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
My Baby is at college
My boy started college today, he is pretty excited. He told me he wasn't nervous but I noticed that when I dropped him off he kept spotting people he knew and sounding rather relieved.
He has started the year with a great attitude, he wants to work hard & get A passes in all his subject so he can hopefully get scholarships when it comes time to leave, he is also looking forward to taking advantage of the extra carricular stuff such as theatresports & the comedy school.
We started the morning off with him & I going for a 20 minute walk and having breakfast together.
Tomorrows instalment - Siobhan goes to intermediate.....
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Visiting Relatives
My brother in law Paul is visiting for a week. Gary & Paul are spending the time working on the stock car & I have to work so the kids pretty much have to amuse themselves.
Samyson seems to have taken on the child minder role but is feeling a bit challenged. According to Paul his kids are not fussy eaters & will eat anything - yeah right!!! Still, since they live in Christchurch we don't get to see them much so it is kind of nice.
I took them all to Browns Bay for a swim last night, Paul hates water so he never takes them & I am the only person we know of that is allowed to, needless to say they had a ball. Got them fish & chips for tea.
Tonight I will take them for a drive to see the sights, sky tower, one tree hill etc. Apparantly Mikayla wants to go to KMart, I guess I can take her to Albany tomorrow night although I suspect she may be disappointed to find out it is just like the KMart at home.
I have promised to take the 4 of them to Rainbows End on Saturday, last Saturday of the school holidays, can't see that being a whole lot of busy, still they cannot come up here & not go.
Kids back to school next week.
CHRIS H asked if I was looking forward to it. I am in as much as I have to work so it is hard to find stuff for them to do. They tend to come to work with me a lot so I get to hang out for a bit during the day & have lunch with them (and put them to work stuffing envelopes, taking the mail to the post box etc).
We went away for a week & half then I had the next 2 weeks off so I hung out with the kids, Samyson had CCMT summer school for 2 weeks so I had Siobhan home with me for a week by herself which she loved, we tried to relax and did one "treat" each day. The next week she was going to come to work with me but she discovered one of her friends was in the school holiday programme at the local school so she ended up there for 3 days.
Samyson starts College & Siobhan starts Intermediate so that is kind of exciting too - in a "it seems like only yesterday they were starting primary school" sort of a way.
Samyson seems to have taken on the child minder role but is feeling a bit challenged. According to Paul his kids are not fussy eaters & will eat anything - yeah right!!! Still, since they live in Christchurch we don't get to see them much so it is kind of nice.
I took them all to Browns Bay for a swim last night, Paul hates water so he never takes them & I am the only person we know of that is allowed to, needless to say they had a ball. Got them fish & chips for tea.
Tonight I will take them for a drive to see the sights, sky tower, one tree hill etc. Apparantly Mikayla wants to go to KMart, I guess I can take her to Albany tomorrow night although I suspect she may be disappointed to find out it is just like the KMart at home.
I have promised to take the 4 of them to Rainbows End on Saturday, last Saturday of the school holidays, can't see that being a whole lot of busy, still they cannot come up here & not go.
Kids back to school next week.
CHRIS H asked if I was looking forward to it. I am in as much as I have to work so it is hard to find stuff for them to do. They tend to come to work with me a lot so I get to hang out for a bit during the day & have lunch with them (and put them to work stuffing envelopes, taking the mail to the post box etc).
We went away for a week & half then I had the next 2 weeks off so I hung out with the kids, Samyson had CCMT summer school for 2 weeks so I had Siobhan home with me for a week by herself which she loved, we tried to relax and did one "treat" each day. The next week she was going to come to work with me but she discovered one of her friends was in the school holiday programme at the local school so she ended up there for 3 days.
Samyson starts College & Siobhan starts Intermediate so that is kind of exciting too - in a "it seems like only yesterday they were starting primary school" sort of a way.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Update time from a slack blogger
Well it has been a while.
NAPIER:
Had a good time away although it was a bit hairy for the first couple of days as there were strong winds which are NOT conducive to an enjoyable camping experience. Gary was just about ready to pack up & go home again. Having said that, he was in a crap mood for a large part of the time anyway.
Highlights:
- the audio self tour of the old prison, it is a fascinating place with a really interesting history
- Ocean beach. The beaches in Napier themselves are rubbish but about 5-10 mins out of Havelock North you go on this windy road & come around a bend at the top of the hill & voila a beautiful beach.
- Vineyards (of course), that was the one thing I insisted that I wanted to do while I was in the Hawkes Bay, spend a day visiting wineries. I loved Moana Park, talking to the winemaker, his knowledge & enthusiasm was awesome. The same with Church Road, the guy there was great. Mission Estate is a stunning place, I could have stayed there for hours (in actual fact we didn't taste any wine there as it was busy).
- Splash Planet, what a way to spend a day. I put my Big Girl Undies on & went on the hydroslides, something I have not done since I was a kid. I even went in the covered one (not a wise idea for someone who is claustraphobic. The kids had a ball & we got to act like big kids.
We have Gary's brother Paul & his 2 kids visiting for a week. The kids get to hang out & I will try to get some time off work or at least leave early so we can go & do some stuff as the Dads will be working on the stock car most of the time.
In other news I joined Weight Watchers on line & in 2 & 1/2 weeks I have lost a grand total of .... 800g, yes that is it. I suspect my portion sizes may still be an issue & I am also sure that although I am counting my wine, my glass is a little (lot) bigger than 150ml. This week I am going to have a couple of days with no alcohol to see if that will kick start things. I only joined for 3 months at this stage so it would be nice to see results. I thought I would struggle with accountability but I have a 13 year old who keeps me on track & won't let me cheat when I log my daily food. Both kids are good at reminding me to go online & fill in my tracker.
Finally, the last 2 weeks Samyson was at Summer School, he got a partial scholarship to CCMT Emerging Talent school. It is a week of intense workshops then a mock audition on the Saturday. The next week is preparing for a show which they performed twice at the Bruce Mason on Saturday. A really good show & Samyson got great feedback from all his tutors, they told him he had talent & he grew so much during the course. He got so much out of it and is already talking about doing it again next year.
NAPIER:
Had a good time away although it was a bit hairy for the first couple of days as there were strong winds which are NOT conducive to an enjoyable camping experience. Gary was just about ready to pack up & go home again. Having said that, he was in a crap mood for a large part of the time anyway.
Highlights:
- the audio self tour of the old prison, it is a fascinating place with a really interesting history
- Ocean beach. The beaches in Napier themselves are rubbish but about 5-10 mins out of Havelock North you go on this windy road & come around a bend at the top of the hill & voila a beautiful beach.
- Vineyards (of course), that was the one thing I insisted that I wanted to do while I was in the Hawkes Bay, spend a day visiting wineries. I loved Moana Park, talking to the winemaker, his knowledge & enthusiasm was awesome. The same with Church Road, the guy there was great. Mission Estate is a stunning place, I could have stayed there for hours (in actual fact we didn't taste any wine there as it was busy).
- Splash Planet, what a way to spend a day. I put my Big Girl Undies on & went on the hydroslides, something I have not done since I was a kid. I even went in the covered one (not a wise idea for someone who is claustraphobic. The kids had a ball & we got to act like big kids.
We have Gary's brother Paul & his 2 kids visiting for a week. The kids get to hang out & I will try to get some time off work or at least leave early so we can go & do some stuff as the Dads will be working on the stock car most of the time.
In other news I joined Weight Watchers on line & in 2 & 1/2 weeks I have lost a grand total of .... 800g, yes that is it. I suspect my portion sizes may still be an issue & I am also sure that although I am counting my wine, my glass is a little (lot) bigger than 150ml. This week I am going to have a couple of days with no alcohol to see if that will kick start things. I only joined for 3 months at this stage so it would be nice to see results. I thought I would struggle with accountability but I have a 13 year old who keeps me on track & won't let me cheat when I log my daily food. Both kids are good at reminding me to go online & fill in my tracker.
Finally, the last 2 weeks Samyson was at Summer School, he got a partial scholarship to CCMT Emerging Talent school. It is a week of intense workshops then a mock audition on the Saturday. The next week is preparing for a show which they performed twice at the Bruce Mason on Saturday. A really good show & Samyson got great feedback from all his tutors, they told him he had talent & he grew so much during the course. He got so much out of it and is already talking about doing it again next year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)