Netball final

well Lou's team St Peter's force, got into the finals again this year. They hadn't been beaten all season (how great is that!) they played the middle school's best team (they had beat them and they were the only team that had). Lou had lost her game a bit over the last few weeks with being really ill and mind games from one of the other shooter (girl can be so b*tchy). She wasn't playing as well as we all know she could. The coach therefore put the best ones in the game. BUT as she did so well in practise in the mid court, the coach asked her to play WD. She hasn't played that position in 2 years, that was when they rotated all the positions when they were little. So she played out of position in a final too and the WA she marked was a rep player. She played the first 2 quarters and played brilliantly. The score was quite close then too. But you do a hell of a lot more running around in that position then you do as a GS. They unfortunately got beaten in the end. The other team was the better team and there was a few in our team that didn't play as well as they could do. But I think like last year it came down to nerves in the end.
Some of the girls came up to Lou and said we missed you in the circle and as said she played really good as WD. SO she ended the season on a good note and knows next year as well as a shooters position to try for another mid court position too, so she has a better chance of a game.
Their team won the trophy for the greatest number of goals scored in their league too.
Tumeke Force! (awesome)

Cross country.

Well it was the school's cross country. The catholic schools cross country was on Tuesday, but Friday was just St. Peter's, in was held in Lake Te Koutou, which is like a park with a big lake in and only down the road from us, nice place.
Lou as well as running in it, also had to do her house leader duties (hence why she was in red the colour of her house - I know tell me about it, at least she can wear her England kit). She was soooo lookin forward to it.
So here are some piccies, unfortunately I wasn't able to go (was in work!!) but Stevie was there. She came 4th in the age 11 girls Ka pai Lou.

Fourteen, 14, one four!!

Whatever way you say it, it still sounds OMG!!
My number one son, my baby, my first born is fourteen. Thirteen sounds bad but fourteen to me sounds like the really start to an actual teenager. If you get me.
So after a morning of tears (he was missing folks back in the UK) and he wants an ipod touch and has heard that there is a new one coming out so wants to wait. I kept telling him that it meant he had nothing to open on his birthday, but no he wanted to wait. So he didn't have anything to open (beside his cards and a music download card we bought him) so I think he did felt it and it was more like a grown up birthday.
But we went out for dinner and he wanted to go to Gengy's, which is a Mongolian restaurant. You pick what you want in the terms of meat (not in our case), veggies, oil, sauce and then they cook it on a hot plate in front of you. You can eat as much as you want (2 times for me and Stevie) and afterwards (soup before too!) pancakes, again cooked in front of you, with ice cream and lots of choices of sauces.
We all liked it, even Lou in the end. But the main thing was Key loved it.
Happy Birthday Son.

Scrap Sunday

Feel really pleased with myself, as the kids went out and about today and the weather was crook.
I did some scrapbooking.
I have felt that it was becoming an issue with scrapbooking and I had really lost it. Couldn't see the point, wasn't any good etc etc. In saying all this, the last couple of weeks I have had to look back on certain layouts for different reason, e.g. the trainees were talking about jiu jitsu and I told them about Key and Lou being black belts. I got the scrapbook out and took it in to show them. But I read it myself, it gave me the info I had forgot (how old they were) but it gave my feelings on it and reading it brought it right back to me. So I felt the importance of it.
So today I bite the bullet and did 3 Los. Yes don't faint.
I will upload the piccies when it's day light and put them on here.
But I feel good about it and that's the point too.

Winter sports

are drawing to a close.

Here is Key playing basketball for the school, of course he is number nine (famous number for Everton players)





and here he is scoring a basket



They have finished top of their league, so they have play off's this week.
He went in goal at footy today for the first time (he used to play goal for Cambridge but hasn't for the school) and the coach was well impressed and said he will finish off the season and 5-a-side in goal. He has a big lump/bruise on his foot off one of the other team - he's up against BIG lads!!

Lou's netball team has gotten into the finals AGAIN this year Ka Pai to St Peter's Force. Fingers crossed for them and lots of practise for Lou this week!!!

(I have joined another course!!!! No a scrappin one this time. It starts this week and looking forward to it, need to make sure I pull finger on it)

Spring is here.....

spring is here,
it's the best time of the year
(I have Little Bill singing that in my head)

or another line from a David Byrne song
"when seasons lose their grip"

which is certainly happening here in NZ, there are lots of blossom on the trees in the garden (still more to come) and the daffs are well out too.


This isn't a blossom really, they are leaves (I know they look like flowers), I have fell in love with these (they grow into a 'tree') since getting here. They make great 'cut flowers'. So we have one in our garden now. I just love it.



This is peach blossom, makes me laugh - I always think of M&S body lotion when I was younger and here is the real thing in MY garden. Don't know if we will get fruit we can eat this year.



Shows you how tame these girls are getting.



New sense of the word "spring chicken" it's Rose looking for worms in the leaves. Cute aye!

Busy busy!!

Well I have been on a course (day 2 of 3) and really enjoy the course, unlike the other one I have done this year. The tutor is a really laid back kind of dude, but very encouraging and as it is what we already do, just a case of getting the right evidence.
I was coming back home from Hamilton and saw the van with the girls ex farm logo on. I had a lump in my throat. But came back to see this sight, which is Astrid in the winter sun sunbathing with her wings up (she couldn't do either in her cage). How FAB.



Then Key had a go of holding the girls I don't know who is the biggest coward him or Martha!!!