One week down ~

and one to go . . . already!! This first week of the holidays has just flown by.

I have spent it child minding in the morning and then going into work for a couple of hours in the afternoons.

All boys and I have had haircuts. We've been to the Library. Been shopping for boxers and socks LOL. Oh, and I bought my first Christmas presents too!

Today - we'll do something different ~ Dallas and Ricki are off to Australia with the soccer team. Picking up some extra boys and leaving home around 8am. Fly out from Christchurch this afternoon for some fun in the sun. Only playing a couple of games on one day, and spending the rest of the time at theme parks, the zoo, shopping, the beach etc etc. (They are going to the Gold Coast).

Liam, Josh and I are following them down to Christchurch and are going to have a long weekend there. We will probably be spending most of our time finding teenage type stuff to do ~ go karts, Hydroslides at QEII, vertical bungee, laser strike etc etc. Hope to throw a little bit of shopping in :-)

Wish us all safe travelling . . .

Schools out ~

Only one more term left before the end of the year!

ONLY 92 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

Time is rushing by. Just as the past few weeks have.

The world hasn't stopped revolving because we don't have a government. I thought this week would be a lot worse than it was. Life just goes on!

Our most exciting news of the past couple of weeks . . . we have a section!!
Here it is ~
















The driveway . . . yes, it's another back section :-)
















This is looking south east. Doesn't look much, does it. But it's ours! We hope to be built and living there in six months.
Still waiting for the title to come through, then hopefully building can start Dec/Jan.

We have a house plan, now just have to get the sizing right. Working with Endeavour Homes. I'm sure they will be quite sick of us by the time this little adventure is over LOL


Had both Liam & Ricki to the doctor today. Ricki for his allergies. Ian wouldn't give him the allergy injection until all other avenues had failed, so we have come home with Prednisone, eye drops and nose drops. Fingers crossed that they will do the trick.

Liams growth was checked last year, and Ian wanted to see him again this time this year. He has shot up 9cm and put on 9kg in weight! Still well under the normal percentile for his age, but he always has been, so I'm not worried at all. His voice is a little bit croaky/squeaky these days too. Sounds really funny when he laughs. Love to hear that sound!

Have nothing much planned for the school break. Dallas and Ricki are off to Australia next Friday for soccer. They are away from 30th September till the 8th October.

Liam, Josh and I decided that we would spend next weekend in Christchurch, so hope to head away on Friday, too.

Karls final semester this year ends on 8th October. Then he has four exams over the next three weeks and that's his first year of Uni finished. He's still talking about having a gap year next year. That may change if he thinks he has to spend a year working in a supermarket full time though. He has to get his CV updated and out to the places where he thinks he might like to work. It's going to be an interesting few months.

I can't believe I'm saying this ~

But we are sitting here, absolutely glued to the election results tonight! Only switching over to the rugby in the ad breaks. That is unheard of!

Oh well, I'll check in tomorrow and update :)

A sure sign that summer is on its way!

Winter sport is finished! Thank goodness for that. We only had Ricki playing a sport this year, but that was enough. He had a pretty good season playing soccer for Redwood Colts. At the prizegiving yesterday he won the trophy for Most Improved Player. He was a bit surprised to get it.

Dallas and I spent some time yesterday afternoon after the soccer looking at a couple of show homes. We are trying to get a house plan sorted, and trying to chose between two building companies. I thought it was going to be easy! Hah! I think we are trying to cram too much into the house. Need to sit back and look at it more simply.

I have had enough of seeing the devastation in New Orleans. It's just too much. The horrors of illness, death, rapes, murders. It makes me so sad. It makes me so angry. Do you realise that the area affected is the size of the whole of New Zealand? Can you imagine what that would be like? We would have nowhere to run; nowhere to hide.

My biggest question is why did it take so long to get help in there? FIVE whole days?!?

And now the petrol prices keep rising. Interestingly enough, George Bush was telling all Americans not to buy gas, unless you really need to. Good thing he told them that. I'm sure many routinely buy gas when they don't need too! What a dipstick!

Time sure flys by ~

Especially when you are busy LOL

Thanks to Susy for the reminder that I haven't been here and updated for a while.

Lots to update on - will try and do it in order~

Yes, we did get moved into the rental house. That was on 12th August. Spent that Friday with a friend doing a final cleaning Howick Road. Couldn't have done it without her, that's for sure.

Then spent Saturday and Sunday pottering around here, getting things in place, making sure TV, Sky, computers were going - which just wasn't happening! Telecom stuffed up the change over! Was meant to be done on Thursday, but ended up with no phone until the following Monday - and then they tried to charge us for it!!! Not in MY lifetime would I be paying for their stuffup!!!! Much frustration for all involved - and plenty of mumbles and grumbles from the boys in the cheap seats!

Vinnie seemed to take to the move OK, but he still wasn't eating much, and was drinking lots. Rumblings of a problem there, so got him into the vet. Turns out he had kidney disease and after that he went downhill really quickly. We ended up having him put down last Monday. We were all so sad - much crying was done. We are still missing him snuggling up to us and the boys especially as he would get under the covers in bed with them - moving from bed to bed throughout the night.

RIP VINNIE


We are now in the process of buying a section. Documents are at the lawyers as we speak (or as I type as the case may be!) A new subdivision has opened off Redwood Street, and we are buying a section there. Not the first choice of where we want to be, but the other area isn't coming up for about two years.

Checking out house plans, too. There is so much to decide. How big, how many bedrooms, how many living areas, what kind of kitchen, where can I save some money so I can buy new furniture . . .??? The list goes on.

Doesn't help that I've been working almost full time for the past five weeks, and that is set to continue for at least another 6 weeks. We are learning to make the most of our lunchtimes and Sundays.

Karl has been home for two weeks, went back to Uni last weekend . Has end of year exams in about five weeks, I think. He is considering coming home and working for 2006 to get some money behind him before going back. Let's just say he's not been handling his finances very well -- much to his mothers (and fathers) consternation!!! More frustration!!!

Liam had a sleep over at a friends birthday last night and is asleep on the couch - think I'd better go wake him or he'll won't go to bed tonight!

Think that just about gets us up to date.

GO THE ALL BLACKS!!