The weekend that was just great

Hi,

So, I rode home on Friday and found Toby all ready for his weekend. He took some money and walked down to the Wadestown shops to buy his Burger Wisconsin burger and came back to eat it.  We watched Rocky II for our Friday night movie  Toby declared it better than the first movie.

Mike was already off and driving up to Taupo for his colleagues who were doing the Oxfam 100km walk challenge.  He was the support crew for them.  It was tough even being the support person let alone the actual walkers.  Crazy people.  But amazing endurance.  Both teams we had an interest in did well, and the third team stuck at it and made it in 32 hours.  Wow!  Just wow!

Meanwhile, Saturday morning Aidan came to collect me and Toby and we went to archery in Trentham.  The rain hosed down as we approached the range but mysteriously it dried up completely for the thirty minutes Aidan shot her arrows.  The boys stayed in the car and I watched quite a few ends.  Aidan was really good.  No arrows flew off anywhere they shouldn't.  The pair of paradise ducks far behind the target (called a butt) were perfectly safe.

Watching Aidan was great fun.  Seeing the effort she had to put into every shot was amazing.  I have no idea how hard it is to draw her bow, but it must be tough.

Aidan showing me how it's done

From there we went to Upper Hutt to find a cafe.  I had been to one before but had no idea where it was apart from it being in the high street.  But as we walked around a corner, it happened to be right there.  We all ate lunch and I got super full.

Good iced coffee in Upper Hutt

Being super full wasn't conducive to going swimming.  But we did so.  H2OXtreme.  I like that place.  Aidan and I got changed and met the boys outside the changing rooms.  It's funny seeing Aidan without glasses.  But she's not as blind as Mike without his, because she could recognise me across the crowded pool when she needed to.

The boys were immediately into the game of "drown the other boy" so Aidan and I left them to it and went on the water slides.  Aidan plucked up courage on the easier slide before trying the blacked out one.  As I went down behind her I heard a lot of screaming.  But as we came out of the bottom of the pool together she tried to tell me that screaming wasn't from her.  Aha.  Sure, sure.  I knew better.  And when the lifeguard said we could go down the slide together, I knew for sure it was her screaming.  We did that quite a few times before Aidan tried the super fast, steep yellow slide.  But after water was forced up our noses due to our poor technique, we went back to the blacked out slide.
The boys also eventually went on the slides.  But they got bored faster than us and I lost them and went on the slides for a bit by myself.  Aidan was enjoying the spa pool.

Time to leave and we all got changed and Aidan dropped us off home.  I went grocery shopping and then cooked tea for them,  They played games and watched the first Rocky movie.  I bought rat bait from the supermarket and laid that in the roof space.  Mainly because the rats have been moving furniture up there over the last few days, waking me up!  Didn't hear them last night!  Yes!!

Next morning Aidan came over for breakfast and we chatted away before heading into Cuba St for the Love Parade.  Aidan met up with some friends and Celia and Serge turned up so I chatted to them.

Aidan and Celia await the start of the parade

Toby noisily whistles the parade people

Watching the parade before we joined on to the end

Celia and her children were right there too

Toby's hair looks so blonde in this photo!

Celia and Serge in the parade

My shadow and Aidan's shadow.  She looks like she's carrying a feather in her teeth!

From there we went to Yum Cha at the Grand Century.  Aidan managed to move the car closer - which was incredible because the traffic was diabolical.  We ate there and then she dropped us off at home.  And as we opened the front door, Mike got home from Taupo.  Yay!

Had dinner and watched television while ironing and slept the sleep of the dead.  What a great weekend.  Such fun.

Have a great short week.  My parents arrive soon.  Can't wait for that!

Love,
Angela