All getting a bit frenzied in the next week or so. On Monday Tracey, Phillip, Josh and Megan arrive. They are in NZ for two weeks. Think they are spending most of the first week with the girls and me and then will spend some time with J the following week. All very excited about seeing them and thoroughly looking forward to next weekend when we get to spend the weekend in Wellington with them. The girls don't break up for Easter until after the English Le Riche's have headed back North, but they'll have a few days out of school so they can make the most of their cousins being here.
So this weekend is going to be cleaning (a lot!), mowing the lawn, ironing and doing a rather important essay! In the last 2 weeks I have had to do 3 interviews asking people about their careers. Now I have to summarise those three careers and my own and draw out similarities, differences etc etc. 5000 words, not due in till April 3rd but have a whole bunch of Pommies (!)(more of that later) staying here from Monday, so think that is the real deadline!
The following weekend is Welly and the one after that is the School Fair. I didn't think I had volunteered for anything, but, strangely, my name keeps on being bandied about at PTA meetings and appearing in the minutes! Apparently I am in charge of the Quick Fire Raffle. (Bit like Whisky Galore, Dad, but without the Whisky!)
I am only retaining my sanity at the moment by setting my sights on Easter, when I have 10 days off, most of them with the girls. Can't wait! I think from there on it seems to be Winter, and am rather hoping that things will get a little quieter - please!!
So, yes, things are somewhat frazzled here! Apart from all the extra stuff, I seem to spend half of my life running - school to work, work to school, school to gymnastics etc etc - rarely do I get the chance to go from say work to pub, or home to coffee bar! Think I might actually quite enjoy that, but know, I am one of the multitude of mothers who ought to have an (unlit) illuminated yellow "taxi" sign on my roof. I now am beginning to understand how my parents felt when I was 13 and had an activity every night of the week, when Dunc was playing sport every night of the week and when Soph was swimming at 6.30am 5 mornings a week AND doing activities every night! I think I am resolved that my children are going to learn about public transport very early!!
And I don't think this phenomenon is the preserve of the single mother (God I have a label!), think it is just motherhood / parenthood in general!
Anyway, last weekend was quieter than usual. Louisa celebrated her 10th birthday. That's to say she was 10 in January but only had her party last Saturday! This is partly due to the fact that I am a bit disorganised, but mostly due to the fact that in January Auckland is deserted. Her birthday party is usually kicked into February, but this year it was March 18th! She and 7 friends went Laser tagging. Which, if you've not been, is playing war games in the dark. You score points by zapping your opponents targets (shoulders, back and gun) with a laser. Not a particularly girly birthday party but they all had a fab time which was followed by pizzas and birthday cake on the beach.
Becca has now made plans for her 8th (Sleepover), 9th (Paint the Earth - plate painting) and 10th (laser Tag) birthdays - so now I just have to plan the cakes!
Cake making prowess is not anything like the standard of my mothers, but I continue to try! This year, Lou had decided she wanted to have a candy / gingerbread type house. She lost the picture, which meant a fair amount of improvisation on my part. Having made the icing and carried out the architectural and building part of the work, it became apparent that this was not going to be as elegant and streamlined as I had hoped (although the thatched roof made of flakes was impressive). Deciding that discretion might be the better part of valour, it seemed wiser to allow the girls to undertake the exterior decorating than to complete it myself and suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune! (ie - have the piss taken out of me mercilessly!!) Anyway, in true kid style, it looked fabulous. Smartie flowers in the garden and on the front and back of the house, jelly beans on the side, biscuit door, coconut ice windows and a liquorice footpath! Would love to have posted a picture here, but as yet still do not have digi camera. Working on it!
What else? Oh yes - finally, the girls and I are putting in for Citizenship next week, hopefully. Apparently, it takes about 6 - 8 months to process, so we should be fully fledged kiwi's by the end of the year.... and I will be able to refer to anyone losing at rugby wearing a white shirt as a Pom!
No idea what is going on with John. Not really talking at the moment, apart from on the bare necessities of arrangements for John's weekends with the girls. Hopefully will be hearing from his solicitor before long, just so that things can start moving. I'm hopeful that eventually we will be able to have a reasonable relationship again - but have always been a bit on the optimistic side!
Netball notices home - so that'll all be back on the calendar next term. Flute is actually coming on quite well. Lou is in the school band. They are learning Wild Thing for the next Chelsea Singers extravaganza (see June, Faster than a Speeding Bullet!) - I think her entire part involves 2 notes played about 40 times - I have heard the practice! Apparently both my little darlings are going to try for solos this time, so maybe Lou will be singing the Lambeth Walk and Becs can do Just You Wait 'Enry 'Iggins?? Perhaps not?! Of course, I will get additional entertainment value from the fact that Mark will, for the first time, have the pleasure of attending one of these musical (!) soirees!! That said, he did survive the school carol evening (note that I didn't say Carol Concert - that would conjure up a picture of orderly, angelic children singing Away in a Manger and Little Donkey. Chelsea opts for a more informal celebration of Christmas involving Snoopy's Christmas, Grandma got Run Over by a Reindeer and an awful lot of Conga's!). Don't you just wish you could come?!
Also have Parent / Teacher interviews next week. This could be interesting as John and I have to attend together - which will be interesting bearing in mind the lack of talking! Actually, can you imagine me not talking to anyone?!! I mean me / not talking??!
Girls have school sleepover tomorrow night - the whole school!!! Don't know whose idea that was, but I sure am glad that I'm not going to be anywhere near Chelsea tomorrow night! Am also glad that the girls are with John on Saturday night - suspect that very little sleep will be had on Friday and tempers will be frayed at best!!
Mark continues to be lovely. Poor love has just recovered to football injured wrist, and was about to return to goal keeping duties on Sunday, only to put his back out earlier this week - may have to trade him in for a younger model!! Girls still beating him at UNO and I got beaten again at Scrabble! Oh, and my Dad has ruled that 'Awares' is a made-up word and so technically I am still awaiting my first victory! (Blogging spellcheck doesn't have it either!!)
Haven't seen Matt and Sarah for a good long evening for ages - but am catching up with them next week, I hope. Matt mailed me yesterday and asked how I was - I replied "Fat, Poor and Tired" - I found in my mailbox this morning a message saying "Not fat, just not skinny - not poor, just not as rich as some people - and tired only because you are living life to the full" - Good way to look at it all I thought.
Gotta go - need to sleep. Essay to write, house to clean, ironing to iron - children to ferry about! etc.
Catch you soon.
Loadsa xx
