HOPEFULLY ANOTHER GORGEOUS DAY AHEAD OF US

ABOVE: this is what we did late yesterday afternoon.... I have had this shade sail for years, never had the right place to use it... till now! I had to make it a bit smaller to fit here, but it's neat! Now we have shade when we have dinner at the BBQ table. LOVE IT!

Of course, since taking that photo I've changed my mind and made the shade sail go over the top of the beams! Gives more shade when needed most, in the middle of the day. Still looks good though.

Today: well hopefully it is going to be a blissful, do nothing, just enjoy the day ... type of day! I think Amanda and Andrew and the boys are coming today too... Joel has the Chicken Pox and I am going to have him this week as he can't go to Daycare. Brylee and Griffin have already had C.Pox, so that's OK.

Well ... I thought it was funny..... moving on...... ONWARD...

ABOVE: one very well covered wee man!!!

Having a nice visit with the family... cooking Roast Pork for dinner, can't wait!

You come to my house you can expect a job! I asked Andrew and Amanda to help me with the grouting, just as well too cos it was not that easy! It would have taken me much much longer to do on my own that's for sure.
Anyway...IT'S DONE!!!! FINALLY..... once it is dry I will post yet another photo of the darn mosaic table, then it can go outside and be admired!

End of Day: busy, but nice. Everyone fed, bathed and heading for bed..well the 3 little ones anyway! Me... well I might just stay up and watch the telly for a while! nite nite.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

My neighbour ... a lovely young woman.. has three gorgeous wee girls. Two go to school, the youngest is 18 months old or so. Yesterday while walking home with my kids I met up with her on her way to school to pick up her two girls. She did not have her 18 month old with her.. and I asked her where she was? The mum said "at home in her cot asleep" and I asked who was watching her? Her answer was to whip out of her bag a baby monitor and say... "she's ok, I will hear her if she wakes up"! (Baby monitors only work for about 100 metres)

Um... so I said "Do you mean she's home alone?"... and she said "Yep, but it's ok, I'm only going up to the school".

Now our school is about an 8 minute brisk walk away from our homes....and I think what she is doing is downright DANGEROUS. And illegal. And downright irresponsible.

QUESTION: should I express my concerns to her and maybe risk getting off side with our new neighbours? I would hate to do that, yet I am gobsmacked that anyone with half a brain would leave a baby alone in the house for over 20 minutes and go so far away from the house (about 1.5 kms).

Stew thinks I should leave well alone, it's none of our business, as obviously they think it's OK to do this. I'm torn. What can I do? Should I just leave it and hope nothing happens to that baby? Does it make me just as bad as her if I say nothing?

Now that's off me chest.... Today: some grocery shopping, some sunbathing, some housework, you know... just the usual weekend stuff. NICE.

ABOVE: We went to the Plant Barn... got some new fruit trees.. feijoas and Ugli Fruit (like a Tangerine)... and a new hose and reel.

ABOVE: Stew doing the gardening.... and removing old trees so we can plant the new ones. In this photo he's having a meaningful conversation with Teddy...

I have finally finished putting all the tiles on the mosaic table, now waiting for it to be totally dry before tackling the grouting. Nervous about doing the grouting! Hope I do it right.

Thanks for all your suggestions/comments about my neighbour... I think I will talk to her about how concerned I am ... and suggest if baby is asleep she rings me and I can pick up her bigger girls for her. Hope it goes well.

End of Day: been doing some more fart arsing around in the yard this afternoon/evening. Had a wonderful day really. nite nite.

MY NEXT DILEMMA IS:

CHRISTMAS IS COMING... where the hell do I put the tree in this house?

I'm casting me eyes around thinking, thinking..... There's NOWHERE to put our huge tree! NOWHERE it will not be in the way ...

Hmmmmm... me thinks we need a new .. smaller tree. Do I smell some SHOPPING needing to be done? LOL.... and I saw a Christmas Shop the other day in Sylvia Park! PERFECT. Might go check it out this weekend. With Stew of course. And the kids. But not the dog.

Today: well... I'm rambling cos well.... I have bugger all to do! I could do some weeding. Or some housework. Or finish that darn mosaic table top. Which I broke yesterday and have to replace some of the tiles on the top of. Or I could go for a walk. On my own. Which is not nice. On ya own. And Teddy is no company. Hell he can't walk far EVEN.

So... I will just read blogs instead of the above... so all you buggers hurry up and update.... I need something to read. Cos if ya don't I'm gunna HAVE TO DO THE BLOODY HOUSEWORK. Or something.

I'm sitting here reading/commenting on blogs, the washing is on... and Teddy is being a pain in the butt! He keeps going down the hallway and raiding the bedrooms! He chews the kids toys, he jumps on my bed and gets Stew's jama's and chews them... after messing up me bed while fossicking! So... I came up with the solution:

Nah na na na! Can't get down the hallway now! ( I had been closing the door, but it's so nice to have the breeze going through the house, so don't want it closed all the time).

LYNDA: good idea, why didn't I think of that?

I can easily put this chair in storeage till after christmas! Stew will be SO RELIEVED we don't have to go buy a new tree! I think the tree will look nice there in the family room.

OH and what was I thinking? ME weeding! Not gunna happen! Dat's MEN'S work... so put it on your weekend list Stew!

Fossicking = mucking around, rummaging around, messing things up, looking for something! NOTHING dirty!

PLEASE READ TOMORROW'S POST, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YA!

I have been lying in the sun... it is blistering HOT today, not a cloud in the sky. I've just picked up the kids.... soooo hot I was tempted to drive. Glad I didn't (read about it tomorrow).

End of Day: an awesome day! I got sunburnt (not badly), we had dinner in the park (not telling ya what cos it was EVIL) then we came home and had pudding (again, not telling ya, EVIL again)... and now? Chilling out watching some telly with me man. nite nite.

I'M GUNNA BE BORING TODAY

Hopefully no controversy today, no drama! No nothing!

I don't have any plans, nope, none at all!

Except hope Griffin has a nice day, he's off swimming today, and he can't swim, can't/won't put his face in the water... but LOVES the water! He's worse than Brylee in his fear of getting his face wet. Might talk to his teacher to let her know!

AND I must try and remember to get those two kids booked into swimming lessons!
Far out, I keep saying that! TODAY I WILL.... SOME bugger remind me!

But for now... I better get outta bed, make the kids breakfast, do the lunches bla bla bla.....

I used to 'clean' out my email 'inbox' every couple of days, but lately I have been a bit slack and they have piled up...
QUESTION: how do you go about deleting them without having to click on EVERY SINGLE ONE???? I have almost 1,000 emails to delete!

DAVE: THANKS for that. LYNDA: where is "select all" ???? Cos I can't find it!

Hmmm... now what have I been up to today? Welllll...I went to Spotlight (Big Material type shop) where I bought some net for the front door...

I really needed to block people's views from our front door windows up into the house... cos if the were looking they would be able to see me sunbathing on the patio TOPLESS.... Hmmmmm, ain't gunna happen now! What else? OH YES... I bought some sheer organza material....

Which is bloody gorgeous! I am going to make (or have made) an "overdress" to wear over the white dress! Problem solved! I hated the idea of wearing black to her wedding, I really did.

Now I have scored two dresses (the black and the white).. hee hee he!

Bloody hell I'm a dork! I couldn't get those darn emails to delete all in one go, so I spent a good hour or so deleting them all INDIVIDUALLY (all 963 of them).... and NOW I finally find the 'select all' box! Don't all go "WHAT A TWIT" now will ya?

ABOVE: All from MY GARDEN! We just had a lovely salad and chicken pieces for dinner.... yum yum.

End of Day: a very successful day with no hassles, nope, none at all. Tis good. nite nite.

DAMN IT..... DOUBLE DAMN IT.

I am so pissed off! Yep, and crabby as hell.
Why?

Cos after looking for bloody MONTHS for the perfect outfit to wear to my daughter's wedding, she does not like it... and says I can't wear it.

It's a white 3/4 length linen dress with a gorgeous blue shirt over the top.... but because the dress is WHITE seems I can't wear it. *sigh* I felt wonderful in that outfit, like... I even looked nice too.

So it's back to the drawing board for me.... just wasted several hundred dollars on that outfit. Might just have to wear me old black pants and a top from Farmers. FUCK IT. Think I'll just go as MOTHER OF THE BRIDE and wear whatever I want (but not white and blue obviously). I wonder if cream is allowed?

RIGHT, RANT OVER.

Today? The usual.... and maybe do some weeding!

The diet is not going good either, I have been overeating.... stressed out and pissed off about that too. I hate the shakes. I am not a happy camper. I am over it. Summer is looming and I am really feeling the heat.
NOT A GOOD START TO THE DAY.

ABOVE: The outfit I was going to wear...

The matching necklace ... that a dear friend gave to me a few years ago....

ABOVE: The swirly detail on the bottom of the dress, I WAS going to sew blue flowers (tiny ones) all along the swirls and up towards the top and on the bodice too... won't now. It will be a lovely summery outfit to wear to Stew's Christmas Work Do now.

I just went out and bought the EXACT SAME DRESS in black, so I will go in that. Not the bright summery look I so wanted, but oh well. If I get any more pissed off about it I will wear a black top too. I wore black to her first wedding, and so didn't want to this time. Feeling really sad actually.

Gunna go drown me sorrows in DIET COKE now....

I've had a really lovely afternoon... lay in the sun sipping me Diet Coke... picked up the kids and lay in the sun some more.... Watched a bit of TV with the kids. All is good! LOL

Need to go make dinner now.... which is gunna be easy cos I'm giving the kids cheerios and Stew left over Macaroni Cheese! BLISS.

Seems I have a VERY PISSED OFF Daughter. Seems no matter what I wear now it won't be right. Whoops put my foot in it again.

RACHEL: Yes I know about that 'rule'... but the dress I was planning on wearing would have been 'doctored' to not be ALL WHITE... and I had been given rather specific instructions NOT TO WEAR BLACK TOO.... whatever, I am over it ...

End of Day: I'm still pissed off and... feel the day is ruined for me now... no matter what I wear. nite nite.

SO MUCH FUN... VIDEOS!

Guess What? Now that I know how to do this... you can expect to see more!

So... does anyone have a request? I will put almost anything on here... as long as it's not too 'personal' ! Yeah I know I've shown me undies! But I ain't modelling them OK? LOL

I did these two yesterday:

I could go nuts doing this!

TODAY:

- kids to school

- housework

- eye exam and pick new glasses... I'm getting some sunglasses with my prescription len's incorporated for summer.... should be good! The down side of having 'lovely blue eyes' is that they are rather light sensitive.

After that I shall probably do a grocery shop and come home... so LATER......

A VERY sucessful morning! I didn't end up getting the sunglasses afterall.... decided it was too close to Christmas to be spending hundreds of dollars on non-essentials!

BUT... I finally found something to wear to our Daughter's wedding! *phew* ... was getting a bit worried that I would not find anything I liked or looked good.

AND I got Griffin's Birthday Presents too... so that's done and dusted.

Had lunch with Stew too.... which was really nice without the kids in tow.

NO requests I see.... hmmmm I must be boring you poor buggers!

End of Day: going to bed, crabby as hell. Tell ya about it tomorrow. nite nite.

A NEW WEEK.... A NEW POND

So here's the classic 'BEFORE' and 'AFTER' shots:



When I took the second photo the concrete was still wet... I'm hoping like hell once it's dry the little bits of Paua Shell I pushed into the edges stay on! I'm also going to put rocks around the edge and inside it.... then set up the water feature bit. Hopefully I can get it done in a day or two.

I think Stew was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to do! It sure didn't take long.... and doing it this way means we have the EXACT right shape for the area. Love it!

What else today? Hmmmmm... kids to school, man to work, wife to watch taped TV programmes and lie in the sun. All is good it would appear! Sheesh I'm lucky.

Might even get in some exercise too.... treadmill / exercycle / stair climbing too! NICE.... hope I do it!

So... I've been a good little wifey, done the dishes, vacuming, washed the floors, washing.... watched 1 taped programme on TV and then....

I finished doing the pond.... and taped it going:

I've never tried doing a movie with my digital camera before and put it on the blog, hope it worked! Not too sure about the noise it makes, might have to stop the thump~ thump~! ....

Since I did that wee video I've moved the water feature thingee around so it's facing out and I've slowed it down a bit too... and put a piece of carpet under the hammer thing so it's not loud.

Kids are home ... I have started walking up to the school with Teddy and waiting for the kids outside the back gate (not allowed dogs in the school) and it's lovely! Teddy loves it too.

Not much else to report, has been a typical afternoon... going to feed the kids spagetti on toast cos Stew isn't home for dinner tonight. Might have the same myself. Easy.

End of Day: had some fun tonight moving a few things around in the kitchen... finally! Hadn't moved anything since we actually moved in! nite nite.

OUCHY, GOTTA NASTY HEADACHE

Stew got up at 6am to watch bloody rugby... yes... he's mad.

I got to sleep in.... and I've woken up with a wicked headache.... and NO, it's not a hangover. I had NO alcohol last night, not a drop.

I will eventually get outta bed and take a pill or two me thinks... OUCH me head hurts.

I THINK the day is nice out there, can't tell with the curtains still closed! Don't think we will go ticky touring today afterall... will work on the water feature me thinks.

Photos will follow (once I'm outta bed).....

Right, photos:

Playing "Pin the Penis on the Man"... we were blindfolded, had to draw a penis and then pin it on the man... this was really funny... you should have seen some of those penis's!

ABOVE AND BELOW: Amanda having to "simulate a s*x act".... hee hee he.

The start of the pub visits... in this one she had to 'initiate' the new barman by removing his shirt and having a lap dance....

This guy was English (drool)... he was just gorgeous!

Amanda had no trouble whipping his shirt off!

Hee hee, her face fell a mile when she thought he was gunna get his pants off too! HE DIDN'T, bugger it!

Getting a kiss....

The girls having a drink before they moved on... this is when I left to go home.... I was already getting a headache and didn't intend to spend the rest of the night feeling ikkkk..... but I did have a lovely time. I presume the girls had more fun later on.. Amanda had several more "Dares" to do... like get a man to give her a condom, kiss the first man she saw wearing socks AND sandals... you get the drift!

Mother and Daughter.... I liked this photo, even though I look so fat! We are not at all alike eh? She took after her father.

Onward with the day... it's been good! Went to Sylvia Park, where I made an appointment for new glasses... then over to Maukau for lunch... got some concrete and came home.

Stew made the pond, then we all lay in the sun for a little while.

Stew has put a roast on for dinner... of which I'm having NONE cos I had my main meal at lunchtime. That's about it for the day!

End of Day: I had roast afterall, the SMELL got to me .... *sigh*. nite nite.

OFF TO THE POLLS.... GOTTA VOTE

Stew and I will be out first thing this morning to do our bit.... Voting. Hope I'm not disappointed with the outcome. Let's just say I like BLUE.....

After that, off to buy some concrete for the water feature.....

And then home to do it I suppose!

Later on in the day I'm off to Hamilton for my daughter's Hen Night......you girls in USA might call it a Bachelorette Party? Anyway, it's the girl equivalent of a Stag Night. Hopefully it will be fun.

NOT a productive day so far.... went out to get concrete, Stew didn't seem to be too keen on doing it... so we spent 3 hours looking at other alternatives... to no avail... cos now we still have to go get CONCRETE! Tomorrow maybe.

*sigh*

Didn't get a chance to lie in the sun either, cos now I have to get ready to go to Hamilton. It better be a good evening, cos I so wanted to just lie in the sun!

End of Day: home from Hamilton, had a lovely evening! Didn't go on the pub crawl... so not my scene... so came home!

The election has gone well, looks like National has won! Ya hooooo! nite nite.... a few photos tomorrow!

AWWWWW SHUCKS!

I just got this CUTE AS Bracelet in the mail from some lovely bugger in Florida, USA!!!!! So, I have NO IDEA who sent it... except the name was S. M*****llo ... Who are ya? I'd like to say 'Thank You' personally! *Edit* Why Thank You Catherine!

I thought it was another Birthday Card to begin with... and was tickled pink to see such a cute wee gift. Felt special I did! *Big Smiles*... made my day.

So it's friday, end of week and all that... and I'm actually looking forward to the weekend. We hope to go to another beach or two in a different direction this time. AND I am hopping down to Hamilton tomorrow for Amanda's Hen Night (eldest Daughter).... so that will be neat.

As for today, well I will take it as it comes, doing that a lot lately. Starting to feel a bit 'isolated'..... but I don't want to get a job and be tied down ... can't win really. Must do something soon though or I will go nuts (NO, I'm not already!)..... ONWARD.....

OK... saw this on another girl's blog and just could not resist pinching it!

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS:

It really is just too cute for words!

I went to Weight Watchers, I gained .800grms. I don't think I'll say any more about that!

LEE-ANNE: hopping would burn up more calories!

NOEXCUSES: If you knew me at all you'd know my working with kids would NOT be healthy for the kids.... I don't particularly like kids anymore! Been a mother of 8 for far too long !!! That's not to say sometimes they are cute.... nice even.... but I would go nuts having to be around them all day! Actually, I LOVE babies.... they don't give you too much trouble!

Here's hoping for a relaxing afternoon.... kids are home, all is good! Dinner is sorted: left-overs! Neat, no preparation involved!

End of Day: glad it's over, I'm tired and ready for bed! Got a busy day tomorrow. nite nite.

IT HAS TAKEN 50 YEARS, BUT I'VE DONE IT!

I have grown a strawberry ! I am so proud of my wee vege garden... all my own work!

I almost have lettuce leaves ready to pluck, and my tomatoes are starting to grow well too. I'm even casting my eyes around for somewhere else to grow more!!! It's so much fun..... I KNOW, I'm mad. But it's the small things that can make ya smile eh?

TODAY:

- kids to school

- Put the FOLDED washing away!

- Rain or shine I WILL get the corner ready for concreting this weekend so we can get the wee water feature up and running!

Here's a photo I took yesterday... I just love it! My way of staying sane, put earphones on Griffin so I don't have to listen to the Playstation! And Teddy outside enjoying his new toy.

He had a whale of a time chewing Helen Clark....

Doesn't she look SO MUCH BETTER NOW? ha ha ha.

THAT'S IT ... for now.... cos ya just KNOW I will be back later...... can't shut me up eh? lol.... SHIT SHIT SHIT, just remembered I'm due at the hospital at 11 am...... better get a move on or I will miss the train!

Nice day... caught the train no probs, got jabbed in the arm... 5 vials taken... home again. Quiet ..... gunna make a meat loaf for dinner, Stew will like that. He's been away in Wellington for the last 3 days.... I'll be glad to have him home, farts and all!

It's been friggin cold here too today! I hate being cold! Makes me GRUMPY.

DAUGHTER: While I say I am sick of the kids often, that does NOT mean I would rather be without them, NEVER EVER EVER would I want that. I love my kids to death, full stop, end of story.

It has turned out to be a VERY stressful day.... I'm getting a dreadful headache.... at least my sore throat has settled down. ONWARD....

End of Day: yaaaa Stew's home, I can relax and enjoy the evening. I hate being here on my own at night... it's LONELY and a bit scary. I suppose that will change as I get used to this area/house more. Anyway, dinner was sooo yummy! Meatloaf and fresh salad made with some of my very own lettuce leaves. Going now... nite nite.

WELL, IT'S FINALLY HAPPENED!

I bet you are thinking "WHAT"???? Well that's the problem... cos nothing has happened! I've got nothing to say!

Today is going to be:
- kids to school
- housework

THAT'S IT..... How friggin boring can it get????

I know, it's a HUGE disappointment to me as well... ha ha ha.

I have unpacked, decluttered, sorted, moved stuff around, planted friggin veges even... and now I have nothing to do!

The table top has to 'set' before I can do the edges, it's raining so I can't dig any bloody holes.... I don't feel like sewing, I could read... but how thrilling is that?

So come on.... suggestions please! Otherwise I may just have to fold all that bloody washing, and I so don't want to!

Hmmmmm.... I'm looking at the pile..... just lookin...... thinking.... hmmmmm... might go to the MALL ! Anything to get away from it!

I've decided to go buy some togs (swimmers, bathing costume).... and find out if the local pool does Aqua Exercise sessions! How's that? It will mess up the hair, but oh well.... LOL

Well, the local pool is free to use! Awesome. The Aqua classes are on at times I might find hard to attend (8.30 am and 6.45 pm)... will try and see what I can do. Maybe go in the evening's as long as Stew can get home in time?

Next: I finally got the dog lead for Teddy, and I also found the most awesome chew toy for him! It's a bust of Helen Clark, our PRESENT Prime Minister... we vote on Saturday, guess who I'm NOT voting for!

ABOVE: the chew toy for Teddy.... I added a bit of 'reality' to it with the black lines etc! LOL

Stupid weather! One minute it's lovely and fine, next pouring with rain! So, I took the car up to get the kids from school as it was pissing down... and within seconds of parking the car it is hot and sunny again! DOH. Weird.... and Griffin's come home in a right royal shitty... I have sent him to the laundry to think about his behaviour! BOYS.... sometimes they are sooooo not nice!

SUE: gee I hope you meant that in a nice way! I am sure there are occasions when I really do have nothing to say .... BUT NOT OFTEN! LOL

End of Day: I'm done, kids are in bed, washing is going to be folded any minute now.... lol. nite nite.

MIGHT DIG A HOLE TODAY!

Weird title eh? Do you have any idea how hard it is to come up with one every day? LOL

Anyway, today I will dig the hole for the pond thingee in that corner ... do the shaping etc. (edit: it's pissing down with rain, maybe I won't afterall!)

What else? Ummmm, might get out for a walk (edit.. will have to be on the treadmill now), then maybe go shopping! Don't actually NEED anything... well maybe a longer lead for Teddy, so when we go to the beach he can run a bit further away from us before he runs outta room.... poor wee bugger only has a very short lead at the mo.

Brylee has swimming at school today, I hope she has a good time! Both the kids hate water on their faces, so can't swim... they are the only kids we have raised with this problem. I keep meaning to take them to lessons.... but keep forgetting! Derrrrr. Must try and organise it for this summer.

*sigh*... there is a humongous pile of washing to be folded too.... shit I hate the washing!

WOOO HOOOO the bloody top is finished! Now I do the edges, just plain blue thanks... then... learn to grout it! I suppose I better read some instructions first eh? LOL...

I'm getting a sore throat, it hurts when I swallow. Damn.

My dog stinks, he needs a bath. Damn.

I have no energy either.... Damn.

Now isn't that fun?

The throat is much the same, not too bad.... will wait and see how it is tomorrow before I think about going to the doc.

Still havn't bathed Teddy..... the washing is STILL in a huge pile in the spare bedroom... and I didn't dig the bloody hole either! Slack Tart I am.

Going to get dinner now.... something TASTY I think! Feel like TASTY.... ha ha hah hhhhhha.

End of Day: a so-so day really, nothing riveting going on... nite nite.

AND TODAY'S JOB IS....

Finding a water proof container or something to fit in this corner for the Water Feature! I am wondering if black liner will do? Oh well.... I will pop out and have a look-see what's available.

Kids off to school.... Stew off to work... the day is mine, all mine! Love it.... can get the house all tidy and then relax knowing no bugger is going to mess it up... well until 3pm anyway!

Full steam ahead on the weight loss too... no slip ups today thank you.... I am going to be 100% GOOD.

I had a wee bit too much dinner last night, but it was soooo yummy! I made homemade beef rissoles and they were delicious. So today I have to be very very good. I want a loss this week!

ONWARD..... well after looking around I have come to the conclusion that we will need to make our own wee pond for that corner with concrete! Stew, you will be so thrilled when you find out! ha ha ha!

So not a successful morning in respect of finding something, so now I'm going to hang out the rest of the washing and watch something I taped on TV the other day.... yaaaaa.

Been rather quiet today, just got on with housework, mosaic, watching telly... now it's time to get dinner for the family.... something easy tonight I think.

End of Day: I had hoped to be able to put a photo up of the finished table top... but NO, I'm still not done. And once I've done the top I have to do the edges and THEN grout it all. I haven't ever done it before either, so I'm just 'winging' it! Hope it comes out OK after the hours it has taken so far! nite nite.

SLEEP IN ? HA HA HA

It may be sunday, the day of rest... FOR SOME.....but knowing our Griffin .... we will not be sleeping in. *sigh*

I did really well last night with the table top:

It's getting there! Bloody hard yakka though! It was probably a rather large first project ... but I am loving it. It's hard on the hands too... they are really dry and feel ikky.

Not sure what's on the agenda today, maybe that drive around the coast I mentioned yesterday, dunno! But you can be sure I will have a nice day, I usually do now! Being all together again is so nice.... even if Stew's farts nearly kill me! ha ha ha.

TODAY :

We drove to Clevedon, where they have a weekend market....


Where we bought some home made jams and a water feature thingee,


Then we went a bit further along the road to the coast, to a place called Kawakawa Bay....

Where Brylee and Griffin got wet, and Stew and I got eaten to death by sandflies...


Then we headed even further around the coast road to a Place called Kaiaua where the kids got to play on this....

AWESOME PLAYGROUND, and Stew and I gathered rocks for the water feature to go in the garden.....


The kids playing in the playground.....

Teddy 'posing' by the seaside! LOL


This is a log I parked me bum on by the beach, I thought it looks quite neat.

After all that we continued all the way around and back to Auckland... a lovely day trip!

NOW? relax till dinnertime! ....

End of Day: fed the family, worked on the mosaic some more.. now off to bed. It's been a long but lovely day. nite nite.

LOOK! I'M BLOODY SMILING... OK???

I hope you are happy, it took me ages to 'fake' a smile... it is NOT EASY taking a photo of yourself and trying to smile about? NOTHING...... right at that moment!

So, all you buggers out there who keep harping on about me not smiling, THERE YA GO... now bugger off and do ya own smiling. I'M DONE.

TODAY: Well hopefully it is fine, but the forecast says 'Not'... so we might go for another ticky tour, maybe around the coast to the Miranda Hot Springs for a swim? We will have to wait and see what the day turns up.

In the meantime, I shall continue with my resolve to stay outta the pantry and fridge! Stew is home so he can help me keep up the motivation. I was rather rapt with my weigh in yesterday at WW's... so didn't expect such a wee gain.... don't want to bugger it up now do I? ONWARD dudes.....

WOOOO HOOOO! My girlfriend Sandra is up here in Auckland on a Weight Watchers Leaders Meeting... and we are going to meet up after the meeting. NEAT! And I will get to see an old friend from Palmerston North who moved up here a few years ago and then became a WW Leader too... so this afternoon is going to be lovely.

This afternoon has been so neat! I went out to get Sandra from her meeting, and met up with a good 4-5 WW Leaders that I knew... then Sandra came back home with me and we had a good time yakking and catching up.

I must be breaking a record here, cos I'm smiling AGAIN!!! Enjoy it, cos it doesn't happen often.

Now for my dinner.... a strawberry shake it is.....

End of Day: I'm working on the table top, Stew's watching the rugby... all is good in our little corner of the world.

nite nite.