I'm going to skite...

Well well well, will you look at that super cute skirt! It has cute ricrac, tui birds (which I love, but they do make a heck of a noise first thing in the morning) and pohutakawa flowers (aka the Kiwi Christmas tree). For anyone that knows me, you'll be aware that I hate sewing. Hate it! Sewing machines fall apart when I look at them, and when you are part way through a project and the machine dies on you, what do you do? Oh yes, that's right... fall to pieces, beg help and eventually finish the darn project by hand. This time I was determined that wouldn't happen so when the machine kicked the bucket I went so far as to read the instructions. As you can see I got it finished and then went on to make two more skirts because Megane loved this one so much that she wanted a new skirt too (and after that I figured I was on a roll so I might as well finish up and never sew again). Tomorrow I am wearing this skirt to work. Wednesday and Thursday I'll showcase my other new skirts - so check back for more cuteness updates :)

Sebassy

That boy has been eating non-stop since he got home from cricket. But the interesting news is that he just fed our two ducks, Pup and Willow, and he told me that they have "ink" (I think he means oil) on their tails and they rub it on their beaks and then wipe it on their body so they don't get wet when they go in water. Who knew? Not me.
Lucy is now pushing High 10s at me to show me how to make 100. It looks like she wants to push me over, but I trust her that she is just skip-counting :)

And in Breaking News.....

My darling Lucy is having a tea party right now. She was going to invite 4 "kids" because that is how many place settings she thought she had but in the end it turned out to be a party for 8. She found lots of things for them to eat... dates, cookies, cheese, bread and butter sandwiches... there was going to be carrots but i put them in the pot - uh oh, crying. I'm back. She was flat on her back next to the BBQ. Her new bear (who had to be washed and put on the line) came off the line and she was trying to repeg him and she fell backwards off the picnic table, but all is well now. Umm, no it isn't. She is back inside telling me the kids have to eat on their own because she got hurt. But that isn't stopping her from drinking their "jinks of moolk". So anyway, how cute is she?

"mum, we should put a stool by the clothes line otherwise i might fall over again and crack my head open..."

I think I'd better go out and help her feed those kids

xx

Dear Year 7 Stalkers

Dear Oscar, Connor and Co.
I've noticed you've been checking out our family blog. Not bad for 12 yr olds... but also not the most subtle stalking I've ever encountered. Luckily I've not put any naked baby photos of Megane on the blog huh... Anyway, while I am soooo flattered that you'd be interested enough to read our family blog can I just say GET YOUR SPYING LITTLE EYES OFF MY BLOG OR ELSE !
Love,
Megane's Mum
xxx

Late Monday night.....

Meg went to sleep at 9.45pm. The other two were only 20 minutes before that. Dom is at ice hockey. The house is a bit of a mess. I could not care less. (LIES! I care! I care! but I am not going to do anything about it tonight)
My Yr10 students were hellish as usual but we made it thru the hour without any of them climbing out the window or me trying to put a hex on them.
My observation didn't happen. The Principal had to go to a meeting of some sort. No problemo. Anytime is fine with me.... I should have been devestated because I had put in all kinds of time and effort for a whiz-bang lesson but you know what, I do that every period so she really can come to any lesson! The class she would have watched was also yanking my chain. The boys *insisted* on pronouncing everything as Kiwi as possible. Grrrrrrr.
My Yr 8 class was awesome however. Dom wrote me a fancy computer programme so my students can practice French on the school computers (that are not connected to the internet because it is against their religion). I took my Yr 8 students to use it for the first time and you could just lights going on all over the place. They totally connected with it, loved the fact they were on computers and the speed you can do stuff on a computer is at least 3 times the speed of writing so they got thru so many examples that they really could see the patterns. Yahoo! Merci Dominic :)
However, today was so long and so busy that I came home and then had to do all kinds of errands and jobs and then i passed out. Literally. Luckily Dom was there to look after me. The kids didn't like it one bit.
Tomorrow should be much more relaxing. Yoga at 9.30am and then a nap, then I head out to school for a staff meeting (yes, they always schedule them on days that I am not working, sigh) with all the langauge teachers around NZ that work for our school (we have 14 satellite schools). And no, before you ask, I can't call in sick because I am doing some training at the meeting. After school Meg has ballet, Sebastien has cricket and then at 7pm we have the Festival Choir at the Town Hall (Meg is in it). I think we will be having Subway for dinner!

late Sunday night....

I should be asleep.
In fact I REALLY should be asleep because I've got a full day of teaching tomorrow (starting off with my Yr 10 kids which are my drishti point for sure... can't take my eyes off those darlings for a *second*!!!) and I have my annual observation critique. For which I have not had 2 seconds to plan anything special. I should have spent weeks praying and fasting over this but alas and alak I've got a life! They get what they get and if the principal doesn't like it then she can sack me. Side note: am taking cookies to that class tomorrow, this could cause a riot because there is only one each... but then again so could the fact I am going to try to get them to sing. At least I don't have wooden skewers in the lesson plan this time....
So, anyway I should be asleep but Dom is beside me reliving his childhood through youtube videos of people Quebec. Uh huh, there are all kinds of home movies on there if you are so inclined... The kids have finally gone to sleep. FINALLY. We eventually got them to drop off by putting on Gen Conf, he he he.
So yer, the only thing stopping me is the whole brushing, flossing, washing thing that has to be done. I'm just too tired to get up.
Okay here I go. No no, don't anyone offer to make the school lunches tomorrow or anything. I'm sure I can do that before I have to be at the gym at 6.30am...
Just sayin' SAM....

Message to Dom

Okay so I decided that mega beach-front mansion in Campbells Bay was probably a bit over the top as my main Christmas present this year. How about this adorable ute instead?

xx

Suzy

I remembered!

It was Joseph Campbell (??) and he actually said "you have to be willing to get rid of the life you have to have the life that is waiting for you" but I think I like the Suzy-ized version better (of course). Anyway, now that is settled I can go to bed. School starts up again tomorrow. This spring break whizzed by... And now there are only a few weeks until final exams and *the Christmas holidays* when we got to Australia! Woohoo! Can't wait!
Any votes on whether or not I make it to the gym at 6am tomorrow?

I like it, I like it.....

Oh crud, I had it all memorized and everything. Joseph somebody said
"You have to be willing to let go of the life you want to have the life that is waiting for you"
(or something like that) and I really liked it. I still like it, but now I don't know who said it. Oh well, that doesn't take away from the thought-provoking-ness of it.

Because people keep asking....

Here is the crack in the gym... it goes the full 100 feet from one side to the other and then up the wall (see below). As you can imagine we are not allowed in this side of the building at all (kitchen, gym, chapel) so we are at Cashmere Ward for the foreseeable future. It's anyone's guess where the Stake will watch Gen Conf next week. Avonside Chapel is also a mess, but I know no details so don't ask.

Chipmunks Playland

"I'm not having fun anymore here Mum"
As always Lucy loves the "hossies"
Megane Lucy and a sweet little 12 yr old girl from Maria's ward riding the "hossies" :) you can never be too old for this

I thought I had a better shot of this... Maria and Megane turned Seb and Will around until they were just about sick. They loved every minute of it.

Campbells Bay Beach

Dear Dom, if you want to get me something for Christmas, this is it... xxxx Suzy
Check out that body position - he is soooo committed to throwing that stone!
My little swimmers :) Please note there were no Aucklanders in the water!
Maria trying to scone the kids on the head with an almighty great rock...
Megane and Sebastien swimming. On October 1st. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

We went to the Hamilton Temple today

Let me start with the end.... We went to this dairy in Pokeno to get an icecream and you can't see it in the picture but there were literally dozens of members who had stopped for an icecream at 11am on the way back to Auckland. Halarious.
Del and Maria
Do I have to own up to the fact this is me???

Curry Night!

Oh baby yer! Maria, Shannon and I made Rogan Josh (lamb) and Aloo Gobi for dinner... with a bit of salsa (not sure how that made in into the curry night) and naan... and it was so good!
The girlies had a princess table, but Lucy couldn't crack a smile because "Ash tried to take my toof out and it hurts cos it wouldn't come out" (not to mention she has been wiggling it for about a week now)
TA DA!
(this is pre "my tooth came out!"... she needed snugglers from Shanny)
The 3 Amegios, the gold cow, Will and Seb
What a touching picture.... Del Boy and Lizzie having a conversation about how adorable Liz is
I could turn match-maker after seeing this lovely photo... pity there is 12 years between them and they will both kill me when they read this, sigh. Isn't Ashleigh gorgeous....