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.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
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.
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