It all started on Saturday when as Angela said, the Corolla refused to start, even after we shoved it out of the garage and ran it down the hill. You might remember that this is not too unusual that our car refuses to start! Someone in our family likes to be able to see as they're getting out of the car, and forgets about this after they're out. So the interior light and one of the map lights had been on for two days. Thank goodness for the Automobile Association.
But this meant that we had to go to plan B, which was the MX-5, and that meant that somebody had to stay at home and watch winter Olympics (say). I put my hand up and told Angela to go back down and relax. There was an action packed day planned, all out in the Hutt, so we wouldn't be back for hours.
First up was swimming, and because of our fun and games with the cars, we were late. But we got there right on time, in spite of the blustery conditions on the way that left Toby huddling on the seat with his hands over his eyes, and even if I did have to park on some yellow lines and come back and move the car again once Toby was settled.
We like Toby's new swimming class. He's just up to a new class this term. He gets a good 10 metre or so length to swim, instead of a weirdly shaped area that didn't really let him get more than 2-3 strokes in. He has to learn to breathe. And he's got a Dragon Lady teacher who doesn't take any rubbish from anyone. All good stuff.
Toby did pretty well. He got told off a couple of times - all about how he goofs off and doesn't concentrate when the teacher's explaining what to do. And he finds the breathing thing hard - it's the first time he's had to learn new swimming stuff for ages. But he did very well and he enjoys it too I think. I told him that his teacher this term is like a sensei, not a swimming teacher. And we'll practice the breathing thing on the sofa this week.
Next on our busy itinerary was present buying. Toby had two birthday parties in the weekend, and now was the time to stock up on loot for them.
Usually this means that one us parents goes and buys a gift and Toby wraps it and writes a card. But not this time. Toby knew what he wanted and where he wanted to go. No Warehouse trip for him. Off we went to Farmers, where the best Gogo's Crazy Bones are. And I didn't get much of a say in the present buying. Charlie got a soft-toy R2D2 and a Gogo's Crazy Bones collectors bag. Ryan got a set of little Transformers toys. Neither present was what I would have picked - but Toby was not to be dissuaded. He knew what they would want. And then he picked out the cards and the wrapping paper - again, nothing like what I would have chosen - and we were done.
By this time it was lunchtime, and if Toby and his Dad are out together, then that means McDonalds. Queensgate has two food courts - the nice one, with Nando's, Gloria Jeans and suchlike - and the pleb one. Guess where McDonalds was. I took the opportunity to have something not-McDonalds, and that was a mistake. The best I can say about my soggy noodles and chewy sweet-n-sour was that I didn't get sick. But Toby was very happy, and I even remembered to order his cheeseburger with no onions (but he still had to pick out the Gherkins).
Now we had just enough time to hit the Warehouse for sellotape and scissors, and wrap up Charlie's present in the car. Then off to the Lower Hutt laser strike we hurtled. We got there right on time, I dropped off Toby, and then headed back to Sally and Andrew's for coffee.
All too soon it was time to get Toby again, and back to laser strike I went. Toby had had a ball - right up til the end when he'd got into fisticuffs with another boy who was defending his base very enthusiastically. He came right pretty soon though, and I think we'll be going back to laser strike.
Finally it was time to head home - with the roof up this time, in spite of the heat - and to get the Corolla running again and Toby off for yet another appointment - a sleep-over with the Sampsons. Whew! What an action packed day. Toby has more on than we do!
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