Toby and I had a pleasant morning walking to school and sorting out rabbit ears (for some musical he is in – it is difficult to establish exactly what he is doing.   It sounds like he is a rabbit from Austria , carrying an Austrian flag – but I have no idea why) and a costume (mainly brown clothes – which we can manage).   I left him happily wearing the ears, which his teacher explained aren ’t needed today at all.   In fact they are going to make them in class.   But she was pleased to have a good pattern they may use for everyone.   Heheheheh.   I volunteered to help face painting the rabbit faces on the class for the musical night (Nov 12).   What was I thinking?

 

I have a release tonight so a late work night.   Hopefully it ’ll be a smooth event and we ’ll be out by 1830.   That ’s what I ’m hoping.   The boys seem to have planned …. McDonalds for dinner.   How funny.

 

So I have been busy since I got in at 9am this morning.   My first chance to take a breath now.   Phew.   Roll on 1830.   Or 1900 if we have to fluff around a little bit.

Mike, Toby and I had a lovely evening yesterday.   I thought Mike was out and about, but he turned up at home just after Toby and I got there.   So we had a nice dinner (fish fingers and salad – dubious really whether it was nice) and put Toby to bed quite early.   Mike rang his parents for a chat (spoke to his Mum earlier and his Dad later in the evening) and we eventually fell asleep.   We didn ’t sleep well though (maybe the wind – and Toby had a nightmare at about 3am so he came to our bed after that).  

 

I didn ’t ride in today as the crucial 5 minutes when I decide it was howling wind sending rain to lash the windows.   However, while I was waiting for the bus, it was dry enough.   Bit gusty still though.

 

I have to work late tomorrow night (a release – hope it goes well), so Mike and Toby can have quality bonding time.   Which, funnily enough, always seems to involve McDonalds.   What a funny pair.

 

Ok.   Time to get stuck in.   Have a marvellous day.

The month is flying past.   I can ’t keep up with the changing months at this rate.   We had a wonderful weekend but saw nothing of skiing.   We went up Saturday morning and saw a huge difference in the last two weeks.   Happy Valley is closed and the snow is brown and huge areas of bare rock now show through.   The worst part was the rain on us.   So, we decided on lounging in hot pools instead.   The rest of the weekend showed no improvement in the weather.   We made up for it with lots of sleep!

 

Taihape was a happening place.   It was Gumboot Throwing weekend (we missed that but Toby practised in the arena a lot) and a school reunion.   But the Abba Motor Camp was as peaceful (read: empty) as ever.   I calculated they would have been lucky to make $700 over the weekend.   And that is the single biggest weekend of the year in Taihape.   Nothing much happens at Abba motor camp.

 

We might get another weekend in at Turoa before it shuts – if we ’re lucky.

 

Looking forward to the short week!

 

And I have bought a gooseberry bush.   Found one at a garden place near Taihape.   I hope it survives.   I got lots of gardening in yesterday after we got home.   Dad got away ok to Sydney so we ’ll make trips to their place to keep an eye on it.

 

I walked Toby to school again this morning – mainly because I am working late tonight and Mike needs to leave early to collect Toby.   They can have a boy dinner together tonight.

 

Toby was told off by his teacher this morning when I dropped him off.   Apparently the last three days have been disruptive and Mrs Mahoney is giving Toby the hard word.   Toby told us last night that he had got in trouble with his teacher.   I expect it doesn ’t help that the most disruptive, rude boy in their class is right next to Toby on the table and Toby now calls him his best friend.   Oh dear.

 

I ’d better get stuck into work – otherwise I might get told off by my boss too!

 

Mike and I have a day off tomorrow – and if the weather co-operates we will see Toby in the gardens for a picnic with his side school.   We ’ll leave early for Taihape tomorrow.

Phew!   Just caught my breath for the day.   Toby asked if I could take him to school today so I arranged to do so.   I drove to the library after dropping him off and rode in from there.   My brake pads do work better in the wet than the pathetic amounts of rubber on my old brake pads.   Toby and I had a nice morning.   Dad will collect Toby at 1600 from After School Care.   Mike and I will ride to the car at 1730 and drive to home to drop off bikes and then to Ngaio for dinner.   Toby needs an early night (Mrs Mahoney cornered me sans Toby and told me he needed more sleep!) so we need to be home and have him in bed by 7/7.15 at the latest.

 

Today is quite gloomy out there and the rain looks like it has set in till Sunday now.   I wonder what that means for our trip away skiing this weekend.   Lots of hot pool visits I think.   Maybe we should make sure we bring the laptop for rainy afternoons in the cabin at the Taihape motor camp.

 

Ok.   Time to continue on to my next meeting.   Phew!

Unfortunately my new PC no longer has Karen ’s home email, so I doubt she ’ll get this today.   We had a good evening yesterday.   Dad had collected wee Toby and cooked dinner so I got to spend time reading to Toby when I got home.   It was very pleasant.   Toby went to bed well and I surveyed the garden as the wind tore through it.   I piled up dirt around my veges in a vain attempt to keep them rooted against the howling westerly.   Wind from that quarter is not common at all.

 

The weather was supposed to be bad today and as I fell asleep listening to the strong gusts I was sure I ’d be on the bus this morning.   But the day was still when I woke and the roads were bone dry.   So I zapped down the hill trying out my new brake pads (Mike fitted them yesterday at lunch time).   I can stop so much easier now although I am expecting to pull them on a little bit too much and come a cropper.   We shall see.

 

I have not prepared dinner tonight so I have no idea what to cook up …   Ooops.   Might have to nip out to the supermarket at lunchtime today.

 

It was quite a nice weekend in Wellington .   The weather wasn ’t too bad at all.   Toby started his swimming lessons for term 4 and he really enjoyed it.   He has a new instructor called Eva.   We bought a present for Jakob and went to his party in Karori.   Toby was a bit shy when we got there, but once the inflatable climbing wall/slide was inflated, he was away!   All the other parents left so I was helping out and reminding myself why I don ’t want to have a party this year for Toby.   Phew!

 

We visited the Sampson ’s as we were in their neck of the woods.   Then we wandered back home to meet Duncan and Emerson.   They were coming to sleep over for Saturday night.   It went very well. The boys had our big tent (inner only) pitched in the lounge and they used their sleeping bags and camped there all night.

 

Mike cooked up pancakes for breakfast and no one could get enough.   Yummo.

 

We went off to Sally and Andrew ’s for a BBQ lunch and had a very pleasant time there.   Mike then swapped beds with Hannah (finally she has her bed back and we have my old single bed back) with Wally ’s help while I did a spot of gardening (the vege patch needed weeding and I planted out a few more renga renga and weeded the top garden).   Mike ’s mother planted a lot of cuttings in the top garden but only two or three have held on to grim life up there.   The edging plants seem to have disappeared (one is left) but other things are coping.  

 

The weeds have officially taken over.   It has gone manic in major parts of the garden.   I need ground cover plants and I need them fast!   ;-)

Despite the wind and threat of rain at any time, Mike convinced me to ride in.   I ’m glad I did as the roads were dry and it was a good ride in.   I suspect Mike will be tired as I ’m sure he watched lots of TV last night.   He seemed to be saying that because I said no to more TV and rolled over and went to sleep, that meant he would be forced to watch lots of TV.   Huh?   We shall see what he says when he gets in.

 

Nothing much on.   Oh – I must ring After School Care and let them know Toby will be playing at the Tabor household after school.   Dad will pop round for dinner with us as Toby will have dinner there.   Adult conversation.   What a novelty.

 

The ride in was lovely this morning.   I saw the MRG in the parliament car park as I rode past.   One day I ’ll see you arriving!

 

I have prepared dinner for tonight and tomorrow night.   We have spaghetti Bolognese and tuna pasta bake lined up.   This is because I was just cooking up a storm last night when Mike and Toby came home and declared we were having guests for dinner – a BBQ.   So, that ’s what we did.   Aidan and the boys (Duncan and Emerson) arrived and we ate and ate.   Toby was very pleased to see them.   We need to arrange a sleepover.   Toby has a date to play at their house on Thursday after school.

 

Nothing else much to report.   Dad says he ’ll collect Toby at 4pm from After School Care today ands stay for dinner (we can decide between the two tonight).

 

Have a great day!

We had a lovely weekend.   Mum, Tyler , Toby, Mike and I left on Friday evening for the River Holiday Park in Taihape (also known as the Abba Motor Camp as this is on the Abattoir Road - we always used to drive past many years ago and say we should stay because of its silly name - and now we do stay here!).   We stayed here this time last year and loved it.   My mother however, thinks this place is modelled on a prison and she can't understand why anyone would any voluntarily stay here.

 

Anyhow, it was late by the time we got there on Friday (maybe 8.45pm of so), and we went straight to bed.   The next morning was a slow start and we drove through ominous drizzle to Whakapapa.   However, we needn't have worried as the mountain was covered in snow and blue skies.

 

Tyler was hilarious to watch clumping around in her ski boots.   She was definitely not enjoying the boots.   But I convinced her that once she had skis on and was on the snow, it'd all be fine.   She spent the weekend emitting squeals - they alternated between delight and sheer panic.

 

The children were also constantly hungry.   Mum must have been on first name basis with the cafe staff by the end of it.

 

So, Saturday around midday the kids had their first lesson.   Tyler got a private lesson as she was the only beginning child there and Toby would have - but someone had taken his skis.   So Mike had to hurtle up to the ski hire place and get another set of skis for him.   By the time Mike got back, Toby was bundled into a beginner ’s class and he was bored out of his tree with clumping up and down the green matting when all he wanted to do was ski.

 

Anyhow, after a break for more food we all went outside and Tyler absolutely had a ball skiing between my legs. As we set off for the first time, she gave a squeal of pleasure and said "This is fun!   We're going fast.   You know how to ski well Aunty Angela ". Toby and Mike skied everywhere with Toby in front holding Mike's poles and Mike skiing behind holding the pole straps (so, nothing from Mike to interfere with Toby's skiing but just giving Toby confidence).   So we did a few runs of races between Toby and Mike, and me and Tyler .   They always ended in a tie.

 

We drove back to Taihape for dinner and Mum and I got some food from the supermarket and we ate at the motor camp.   We slept better this night after the mountain air.   Even Mum got a few hours in!   Tyler woke a couple of times at the start of the night with bad dreams.   They all started with her yelling out "Toby! " so I have no idea what she was dreaming about.   Losing the racing I think.

 

Sunday morning we packed up and drove back to Whakapapa.   It was just as lovely Sunday as it was Saturday. We did more of the same.   Lots of races between us and we slid down a few hills and Tyler, Mike and Toby climbed some rocky hills that overlooked the beginners valley.   I skied down with Toby and because I had no poles he skied on his own and he did it perfectly.   He skis in complete control and with no excessive upper body movement.   He just looks where he wants to go and goes there.   Great!   He said today was even better than yesterday!   He also looked up at the rest of the mountain and wants to ski up there next time.

 

We left at about 2pm as both kids were trembling as they ate lunch - and they weren't cold.   So I think they had reached their energy reserves.   We had a slow drive back to Wellington with stops for roadside pitstops (not the adults!), cafe breaks and a McDonalds stop.   Toby's bottom tooth was quite wobbly and he was playing with it constantly.   At the Brown Sugar Cafe he looked at himself in the mirror and turned to us and stated "Sorry but I can't eat anything again " as he was concerned at this wobbly tooth.   He fiddled with it for ages in the car and after McDonalds it was even wobblier.   After Tyler and Mike had a toilet stop at a petrol station, I said to Toby to pull out the tooth as it was very wobbly.   So he tried - and it came out!   Toby cradled the tooth all the way home and wanted to stare at the gap in his teeth any time he thought his Dad didn't need the rear vision mirror for driving. We dropped off Mum and Tyler and went back home to collapse in bed.   Toby wrote to the Tooth Fairy and found some money from her when he woke up!

 

I think he's going to talk about his tooth for news at school today!

 

So, an action packed weekend.   We need to recover at work this week!   Mum and Tyler leave for Sydney early (too early!) tomorrow morning so they have today to get back their energy levels!

 

Toby will miss Tyler terribly.   He loves having her around.   As Mum, Mike and I sat finishing dinner on Saturday night, Toby was out running around with Tyler and I realised if she wasn ’t there, he'd be inside with us!   So, it has been marvellous seeing them interact.   Lucky we have plans to see them at Christmas.   We'll have to keep Toby busy this week so he doesn't have time to remember his great school holidays with Tyler (and Grandy and Gramps).

 

 

Time to get stuck in.  Have a great week!

 

Another beautiful day here in Wellington – I really enjoyed the ride in.  And I saw the Mighty Red Galant in the parliament car park so I ’m guessing Andrew is back up and at work.  I hope he isn ’t too sore then.

 

We went to Mum and Dad ’s place last night for dinner and Toby wanted to come home with us.   So I drove back and forth ferrying Mike and Toby back to our house in the MX-5.  Heheheheh.   This morning I also prepped the vege patch for my absence this weekend.  I composted and watered so hopefully there aren ’t too many casualties.   I think two broccoli plants are on their last roots and more peas have gone to pea heaven.   The blackbirds love it when I get out there – they were lurking this morning.

 

So we ’re off today for Ruapehu.  I can ’t wait – the weather is supposed to be good.  We shall see.   We ’ll stay in Taihape (mainly because Mike and I like the motor camp there – and it is cheap!) and hopefully no one will mind the drive each morning.  We ’ll come back late Sunday to try and avoid the SH1 traffic jam of people returning from school holidays.

 

A glorious morning here in Wellington .  Mike and I flew down the hill this morning as the roads were bone dry.  Mike cooked me up a feast of rice and meatballs in a tomato sauce last night (he promised and he delivered).  The kids stayed at Grandy and Gramps ’ house so we didn ’t see them.  However they went rock climbing at Hang Dog in Lower Hutt yesterday and Tyler is a natural climber.   So we have to encourage that!   I must take Toby from now on too.

 

We ’re off skiing this weekend.  We ’re staying just outside Taihape as it is cheap and cheerful and we could get accommodation.  $55 for the 5 of us for a night.   Bargain.  Last time we were there (almost exactly a year ago) the bathrooms were spotless.

 

Have a great day!

It has dawned a lovely day this morning.  Mike and I rode down the hill together as Toby and Tyler stayed the night at Grandy and Gramps ’ house.   I think Hang Dog is on for the kids and the weather is good so Mum will not be afraid to step into the car (unlike yesterday ’s gales that kept everyone with sense inside till about 1300).

 

I have left Tyler ’s jacket on the sofa and the DS Lites in the same place.

 

Mike and I have a seminar to attend this afternoon (1600 – 1730) on Microsoft information.

 

My vege patch is struggling in the exposed place it is in these gales.  One broccoli now looks dodgy, and another pea plants looks a bit haggard.  Mike seems to think we should be able to harvest something.  We shall see!

 

I hope everyone has a great day.

 

I think Andrew is getting his hernia sorted out today – good luck for that, Andrew!   I hope it all goes very well – I am sure it will.

 

Today is very windy.   That is an understatement.  It isn ’t often that I wonder about the structural integrity of our house but at 6am this morning I was contemplating what I ’d do if the roof vanished!   It is supposed to die down by the evening.   Ok!   Lucky for us!   Heheheheh.   I just heard one of my colleague pondering the strength of the windows in our building.  He is assuming their curved nature gives us an edge!  When Wellingtonians think about structural integrity of buildings, you know it is very windy!   Anyhow, needless to say, I did not ride today.   I suspect I would have died – or at least maimed myself.

 

Mum and Dad are looking after Toby and Tyler today and probably taking them to Hang Dog to try out the climbing.  Unless it is too windy and Mum won ’t get in the car!   That may yet happen.   They can always go tomorrow.

 

Wee Tyler was upset when she went to bed again last night.   She was ok but Toby was trying it on and I think it upset her.  She calmed down and we rang Karen and she was very happy to go straight to sleep after that.  Toby may have been disturbed by the wind (he is on the windy side of the house) as he called out a few times around 12.30 or thereabouts.

 

Ok.   Time to go and find some milk for my Weetbix.

Despite the weather we had a great weekend.  Friday evening Mum and Dad left the kids with us after we ate fish n chips and we watched a movie.   Tyler was a bit homesick going to sleep but I got her giggling and she went to sleep ok.  

 

Next morning we were up and off to get a present for Gracie.   We were running a bit late but as I ’m sure Mike noticed, there were a few people later than us.  Gracie and Ashwin were very happy to see Toby again.  Gracie made sure she danced with Toby when the nice music came on!   Tyler enjoyed herself as Gracie let her dress up in her clothes (ballerina and a mermaid I saw!) and she got bubble mixture to blow!

 

After that we went home and watched movies (the weather was awful) and the kids slept in the lounge (although Toby managed to convince us to wiggle into our bed as Tyler was already asleep and we liked the idea of cuddling him after not seeing him for ages).  Sunday was a bit better and we went swimming for ages in Upper Hutt where the kids loved the blacked out twisty slide (it was their choice as favourite) and they both went down by themselves by the end of it).   Tyler also loved the fast, steep yellow slide but I hated that one.  Your stomach flew into your mouth and then the water at the bottom was forced up your nose.    

 

After the swimming Tyler fell asleep in the car and even into Nandos where I ate lunch.  Then we saw Wall.E  the Pixar movie.  Mike waited in Queensgate for us and then we went home.  So quite a busy weekend.  The plan this week is:  drop the kids off at 8am, Mike rides in from Ngaio, I ride to Ngaio and collect them and we take them home for sleeping!  Should work out well.

 

Have a marvellous week!

Mike and I had a lovely dinner out at the Boulcott Street Bistro and Sally and Andrew popped in at the last minute to have dinner with us which was a pleasant surprise.  The buses were not so pleasant and we didn ’t get home until after ten!  Phew!

 

Today is lovely.   The kids enjoyed KidsCo yesterday by all accounts and today I think Mum and Dad have plans to take them to the zoo.  If they are going there in the afternoon, they can come and see me for lunch.  Then I can give them the Entertainment Book voucher (I think it ’ll pay for Tyler to get in if Mum buys a ticket – it is buy one, get one free) that I meant to leave at home but still have with me here at work.  

 

Then Mike and I will head home on our bikes and we ’ll have dinner at our house and Mum and Dad will head back to their place.  The weekend entertainment kicks in then.

Happy birthday Dad!   Woo hoo!  And what a glorious morning it is too.  

 

I rode to Ngaio last night and enjoyed dinner there.   The kids had a bath and then I rode home.  Mike was finishing the cupboard off and now we have some shelves in there once more.  We can tidy it up and put all Mike ’s tools away.  

 

Mike and I rode in this morning together.   His new brake pads have given him wings on the way down the hill.  But he has to buy cuff links now so I ’m off to do that.

 

Will meet in Ngaio tonight for some birthday celebrations.