Only two days to go!

Oh my word I can't wait! And to think that next year three terms will be eleven weeks long - not sure how any of us will cope.

Ross and Colin are enjoying the Fifa World Cup; however, watching it live is not really user friendly for us. They did get up one morning at 2am to watch the All Whites play. Go the All Whites! Ross also got up this morning at 6am to watch Spain play Portugal. They are both very happy with their Bafana Bafana shirts that Aunty Jen sent! Hopefully I can get a better photo tomorrow or over the weekend!

Our Maths Dept (about seven teachers and 28 kids) are going to China next year so we are all busily fundraising. I have been baking a large chocolate cake on a Tuesday and a Thursday to sell at staff morning tea time. Ross has taken over now as he is raising money for the Barbershop National competition in September. The slices are $1 each and this is today's leftovers - which will be enjoyed by everyone here!

We are also selling chocolates - lots of variety here at $1.50 each and they are selling like hot cakes!

I am hoping that Colin will be able to go with us, but currently it is only open to Yr 11 & 12 students and he is in Yr 10 - but I'm sure that there will be cancellations closer to the time.

My Dad is not very well at all. I had to take him to the renal specialist last week who said he felt that Dad's kidney and heart are only working at 30%. The next day I had to take him to the doctor because his foot is so sore. When he took his socks off I could not believe what a dreadful sight it was! Swollen with a big wound under the heel and with a fungal infection all over it. My Mom has to soak his foot every day and put a special silver plaster on it. We go back next week to see if it has improved at all.

And I spent last Saturday in bed. Now for me to spend all day in bed I must really have been ill. Getting better now, though

This term has been very busy - Colin has sport almost every day; I have to take him to some of them and we have had meetings at least twice a week. Roll on next week when I don't have to rush or make school lunches!

The shortest day

The Winter Solstice is on June 21 at 18:46 (6:46pm); this is when the Sun is at its most Northerly point in the sky. At the middle of the day on June 21, it reaches its lowest altitude, from the Northern horizon, for the year.
Brian Carter, Senior Astronomer at the Carter Observatory says, “This means that the longest night is June 21/22 and the shortest day is June 21”.

Yay! I know it will still get colder but at least the days will get longer

I also have to check all my form class reports :-( Some people cannot put a sentence together properly and these will go out to the parents! Then I have to write some form teacher comments ... by Wednesday!

Last Wednesday we were so busy! From school, I took Colin to Naenae pool (about 35 minutes away, but more in peak traffic) for his first waterpolo match. I bought take-away roast for Ross and I and came straight back home. We ate and then I took him to the choir concert. In the meantime, Adrian went across to the pool and met Colin at the take-away roast where they ate and then went back to the pool for Colin's second game. We all got home around 9pm.

Soccer yesterday was transferred to way on the other side of Wellington out at Upper Hutt - now that's about a 40 minute drive away and we had to be there at 8.45am! Afterwards I went scrapping but I was so tired I didn't get much done.

We did get most of the fittings for the bathroom replacement today on sale so that was good. And another builder came round today to give us a quote. Hopefully it won't be as astronomical as some of the others have been.

Now, some photos but the light is a bit bad so I'll have to put them up another day

Bad English

Argh! I just squirm when I read scrapbook l/os where the English is poor. Why don't people type it in Word first and hopefully get some of their mistakes fixed? And even worse when it's a l/o that's published (online or in print). My small complaint for today

Queen"s Birthday

Last weekend was Queen's birthday so we had the Monday off. Three friends and I went about an hour up the road to Waikanae to spend the weekend scrapping. I was not organised so took almost everything I owned as did the other three - you should have seen the lounge/dining area! We didn't do much on Friday night and on Saturday morning we set off for a couple of shops and lunch out. So four of us setting out ready to ooh and aah over most things, we arrive at the first shop (not very big). No one greeted us even though there was a card class going on. After about 15 minutes, one of them got up and said hullo and that was about it. We decided that our spending there would reflect our welcome - I spent $2. Then we headed half-an-hour up the road to Levin where the welcome there was soooo different! The owner welcomed us as we came in the door and wanted to know where we were from etc. We then went shopping and she was doing great deals for us. I only spent $26 but Helen spent nearly $150 and the other two also spent a bit.


Then we went to a cafe specialising in crepes and had a wonderful lunch. After stocking up on some kindling and firelighters, we headed back. By now, it was getting cloudy and cold so we settled in to scrap ... which we did.

These photos are of the boys the first time we went to the US (remember them, Mels?) in their Star Wars pyjamas

Island "girl" - Ross looking beautiful!

Last year's junior bowls championship

Ross waiting for a cake to come out the oven (I didn't realise quite how skew it is! I'll have to call that a design feature)

Tracy then spent Sunday evening sorting all my paper and cardstock into co-ordinating bundles - what a wonderful job she did! I am very colour-challenged so struggle with this. I did another few, but need to put a couple of photos and some journalling in but I'm pleased with what I've done.

What else? The downstairs bathroom has a great leak in it (actually very small but it's been leaking for ages) ans so the floor and the wall needs replacing. There is water getting into the plug for the tumble drier which means it blows every time it's switched on - I'm waiting for the electrician right now. But the exterior painting is finished and looks wonderful. That's it - no more house painting - we'll move before that happens again.

Three weeks to go until holidays and I really need them. The boys were going to stay up last night to watch the opening of the FIFA world cup but didn't. However, they did record it and watched this morning. Both are very keen and particularly Colin to watch the games, but I think they'll be recording most of them.

That's it for now - hope the photos are bigger

Senz

Senz classes opened today and to be honest, I'm a bit disappointed with them. Lots of card classes and a few scrapbook classes and none of them appeal because they have lots of "stuff" on them. I also don't like l/os where there is no journalling and maybe one word like "Dream". And I don't like birds! Doesn't leave me much, I think. I booked two card classes and a Slice class ..... I don't even have a Slice!

Maybe because I'm so tired. We've just finished a round of senior reports and had senior parents' nights the last two nights and we have to do junior reports too. Not to mention the heaps of marking at the moment.

We went to National Park for the weekend to a 21st. This was the Mountain coming home - it restores my soul - I just wish I could bottle it and bring it home!

I'm going away this weekend with three girlfriends to scrap - and I have nothing planned! I am packing every last scrapping item I have. Maybe I'll just spend the weekend sleeping!