SCHOOL

GUESS WHAT?

Our eldest 'kid' is almost 41.   

I took her to a Plunket Playgroup when she was 6 months old.

AND ....  since then ...   FORTY YEARS LATER, we are finally FINISHED WITH Preschools and SCHOOLS!

8 kids, plus one part time kid (Keera)... we have been to:  

28  Preschools,  Playcenters,  Kingergartens,  Primary Schools,  Intermediate Schools AND Colleges.

ABOVE:  I think I've covered all of them!  

Griffin has finished school except for one exam.  So that's IT.  We are done with having to tailor our lives around school! 

FOREVER

You have NO IDEA how liberating that feels.  It's like a huge chain has been unlocked from around our legs.  

No more having to work around SCHOOL TERMS and school holidays.  

No more school lunches, school books, school fees, exam fees, trip fees, uniforms, school bags, lunch boxes, drink bottles, pens, pencils, calculators, school raffles, fundraising,  OMG the list goes on and on.

DONE with it all.

It's hard to believe it really.  FORTY YEARS.  Who has their first baby and thinks... I'm going to be dealing with schools for the next 40 years?

I sure in hell didn't.

I think I did a post on Schools today cos it's my birthday, and I still can't believe I'm into my 60's and have finally finished having kids at school!

Stew did well with gifts for me today.  It helped that I went shopping WITH him of course! *smiles*

So, he got me the shelf and number 5 for our letterbox, which I showed you on Saturday.  He also got me this:

ABOVE:  A clock for my sewing room.  It's 'fake' antiquated, not really old at all.  But, I like it.
I like old rusty things.  

My plans for today?  Might go into Hamilton to find some summer tops.  I'm woefully low on clothes for summer.

I will grab something nice for dinner while I'm there.  Maybe even a cake.

So... off to start me day.

ONWARD...

1.35 pm:  I had a nice time shopping in Hamilton this morning... all was going well until I got a phone call from the moving company  we were going to get to move us.

AND ahhhh..... no!  There quote was over three times MORE than it cost us to move here from Auckland : ($13,500)!   Seriously, we could buy a nice car for that price.

So I raced home and got on the phone to a few other moving company's.  Smaller and local ones, so hopefully we can get a less expensive quote in a few days.  I'm now freaking out in case we can't get something else tee'd up in time.  

It's put a bit of a damper on my birthday, that's for sure.

But, I will try to be positive, and hope we can get a new, much cheaper quote from some other moving company.

Right, I've been wheeling and dealing all afternoon.

I have a friend's carport to store all our garden pots (with plants in).

I have hired another storage Unit out at Tamahere for all smaller stuff, eg Christmas Deco's, bedding, table and chairs, small bedside drawers etc.  

So, there will be even LESS for a larger moving company to move (and pay for).

Hopefully this is going to keep the costs down?

Kinda tired now!  Might just take a break.

20.  MINUTES.  LATER.... I didn't get a break.

I got a phone call from a lady at Allied Pickfords.  She was ever so nice ... and is coming out to do a quote on Wednesday.  She was truly SHOCKED at the quote from Crown Relocations!

Outraged even... cos she could hear in my voice (OK... I cried), how upset I was.  And I am.  I cannot believe how much Crown expected us to pay to move 30 kms down the road!!!

Yes, we have a lot of 'stuff'... but still.  Daylight robbery.

I'm starting to feel better... it will all work out for sure.

Off to buy my birthday cake now. 

5.47 pm:  And I finally got me birthday cake.  And some salad, and rissoles & wedges etc to cook for me dinner.   I can calm down now.

 ABOVE: We had the most delicious Banana Salted Caramel cake, with chocolate mousse and grapes.  And there's some left over for tomorrow's breakfast  lunch.  *smiles*

ABOVE: Brylee bought me the most gorgeous wireless mouse!   I requested a blue one, but didn't even know if you could get blue ones.
Clearly you can get blue ones.  I love it.

ABOVE:  Me with the two youngest kids.  So happy Griffin came over to celebrate my birthday with us.

I'm a very happy Mum tonight.  And on that cheerful note, I'm off to enjoy some down time before bed.