Our Book of Life

On Fridays as you know Rakai goes swimming. Since we have moved back to the farm, I changed Renata to go to school from Monday through to Thursday and have Friday off.   I had to take my crutches back to the doctors that Friday and there happened to be a Domino’s pizza in the same complex. With the $4.95 pizza’s I thought what a perfect lunch and avo tea for the kids. While we were waiting they had a great area where you could watch them making the pizza bases. An eye opener for them, They make on average 600 pizza’s on a good day – particularly on Tuesdays when it is $3.95/pizza pick up. Yum!

In the height of the Netball season the tickets came out for the second game of the New Zealand Silver Ferns vs the Australian Netball team. I thought it would be an awesome experience for Nauvoo and I to go together. (we missed going with the club to a provincial game earlier on in the season as it was on a Sunday). Through the netball club they offered a discount and early bird ticket sales, but I was not too happy with where the seating was (fussy me) so i waited for the general public to go on sale. I have never done anything like this before, and was quite a new experience. I was on the landline phone AND the mobile bang on 9am when the ticket place opened to get out tickets. 15 anxious minutes later I had secured our tickets. I decided to keep it a surprise as it was about 3 months away. September came around and I found that the school production (second night performance) was on the same night. I had to tell Nauvoo about it and she happily gave up performing the second night to

2 days after I hurt my knee and the big clean out of our farm, we got word that Looie’s parents had received their visa, and would arrive in a couple of days.   SO, we borrowed a trailer and moved home…. Tear.. Loading up the trailer for the Last time. If you look closely, you will see Hikawera and Rakaipaka walking up the hill to put the recycle buckets out.

The Saturday following our flood, we had arranged for our driveway to be resurfaced with Gravel and lime. The lime is to help bind the gravel together.   2 trucks later we had a pretty good surface to drive on.  The kids loved to see the truck and have a run around. Hik and Ren played Soccer. I was impressed with Renata. He played awesome against his brother. Snuck past a few times.   I couldn’t find Nauvoo for ages, then finally someone found her…. She’d been asleep for about 2 hours in the back of the Van. Bless   her little heart 

We were really excited when the Burelli Singers from Brisbane came to town. My niece is in one of the junior choirs in Brisbane, so it was nice to get to know the group. Kawea’s choir Auckland Boys Choir. They sang in the Auckland Town Hall in the middle of the city. Nauvoo and Arama came to support also. We had a bit of a shop down Queen Street then helped out with the dinner for the choir members. The ABC boys did really well. I really enjoyed the Burelli Choir, as it reminded me of when I went on tour to the USA, and brought back some wonderful emotions hearing their music being sung.   Tears welled up in my eyes several times hearing the parts, the emotions coming through the music. This was my passion growing up. Music was and still is my passion. Sooo fantastic. I was reminded of how I would love to have a choir like that run out here in Rodney District. One day…

Every Second year the primary school puts on a big production. This year they are putting on OLIVER, so in the classrooms the children are studying the stage and drama. This day Nauvoo’s class   had short Skits to perform, and I was lucky to be able to go and see her. They were great!! Well done Nauvoo.

When the rugby season is on, we are given several ‘opportunities’ to do the oranges and washing the jerseys. It was our turn for Kawea’s team.While he was at choir rehersals I took the jerseys to the Laundromat. Hikawera, Renata and Rakai decided they would help to fold the jerseys. Warm and dry!! Hikawera did a great job. If you know him, he is a perfectionist and loves order and processes. He was successful in showing Renata how to fold the jerseys the right way. Ren was a good student. Rakai just thought it would be great trying on as many as he could!!!

Warming Up Spectator ready for his game too. Nauvoo is a Fantastic Goal Keeper. She loves to play Centre. Well done my daughter

I used to love going dancing. I can remember ‘dolling’ myself up to go to the school and church dances or to the Hills Entertainment centre to the dance parties when I was growing up. Even down to the dates with my hubby many years ago, riding on the motorbike to ballroom dancing lessons on a Tuesday night.   So it is not surprising that when you hear the word DISC, my kids are itching their feet to go. This is the first KKK School Disco we have attended so was a bit of an eye opener. As we live out of town it only made sense to stay and be a parent help for the evening.(that way I can secretly see what my kids get up to!!!) WOW what energy. I am sure I was the same back in the day but WOW!!! Handsome Hikawera...                                            Pricess Jessica and Princess Pheobe  It was great. The first hour and a half was junior school dance. Hikawera and Nauvoo had an amazing time. Hik cool in his leather Jacket (you know it’s a s

A couple of months ago I went and had a look at a new GYM in Silverdale. It is about a 25-30 min drive away.. A huge NEW facility. I found it quite intimidating, which was strange because I used to LOVE aerobic classes and things like that. I think I have just been out in the country where I don’t even see our neighbours from our place. Lol. One great thing that DID come out of the trip was they offered FREE swimming lessons for Rakaipaka for a term… FREE?!?! Yes I know it is a marketing strategy to get people enrolled but ..FREE!!! ok so Ill stop saying the F word hehehehe… I have to tell you Rakai LOVES it SOOO MUCH!! And he is so good at swimming. At his age the classes are centred around teaching the children how to respond in the water and safety. How to get in and out of the pool themselves what to do if they fall in, some really good skills that I didn’t even really give too much thought into. Have always been more of the technique swimming side. Anyway, as I s