I had already decreed that today would be a no school day because there was a possibility that there would be some visitors coming.
But as the weather had turned especially nasty no-one could come so we canned the day and have postponed it till a later date when everyone is over bugs and the weather has settled.

Nathan was therefore allowed to sleep in.
I went in at 8:30am to see if he would like to rise and shine but I could hear gentle snores coming from his bunk so I left him to his beauty sleep.

The girls were up early as per usual. They haven't reached the age yet where it is a privilege to stay in bed in the mornings.
They like to be up and at it and spending time with their Poppo

When I came through the kitchen I found Tim at the table with an illegal immigrant-!!
Mo was inside and was thoroughly relishing Tim's attentions.
Tim knows that I do not like or allow or want cats inside so he always carries on overboard about them when he has them in.
Mo just stretches himself right out across Tim's legs and laps up the attention totally oblivious to the domestic non-bliss he is causing by his presence inside-!!


It was raining again today, more thundery weather throughout peppered with some patches of no rain.
Just the right sort of day to do not a lot.
Azzan and I curled up on the sofa and watched 'The Wizard of Oz'. Azzan's choice.
I hadn't watched it for years so it was almost like new for me.
The girls joined us.
It was fun.
Azzan wanted to know why the movie was all black & white and rusty??
The beginning and end of it when Dorothy is in Kansas is in sepia tones - hence the rusty

Azzan has spent the day sorting out things.
He began with the books in his and Hali's room.
It is very easy to pull them all out of the bookcase but very difficult to put them all back in again if you are a 5 year old boy.
It was finally done tonight after some serious threats to his life by his mother

He also decided to sort out the cd's.
Who needs maths equipment when you can sort cd's and books etc.??


He was funny today.
Whenever he came into my room to ask me something he would ask me in his normal voice.
I would answer him in a whisper cuz my voice is still gone awol.
Then he would reply in a whisper

Last night I decided to make a birthday card for Nathan's friend. He is turning 14 and Nathan has been invited to his party on Friday night. He is quite excited that he can go.
I showed him the card this morning and he was really thrilled with it.

It is a new set of stamps that I bought a few months ago but hadn't gotten around to using, but then last night I thought they would be perfect for a young lad.

Shanni wanted to call her girlfriend just before dinner so when I had dished up I went to find her and here she was

on top of the attic steps. I spose it's a good place to get some peace and quiet.

I was razing Nathan tonight about slouching at the dinner table.
So he proceeded to sit up straight and act posh


It's been a good day - I haven't had any pressures to do school or anything much. I haven't had to talk, and when I do Nathan can hear me and he translates. I have made quite a few cards today so that feels good plus I have begun working on an altered book I have had sitting here for way too long.

It has been very wet here most of the weekend.
I spent 90% of Saturday in the study determined to get the accounts finished.
I did it and then had three goes at emailing them through to the accountant.
I made a mistake with the address twice before succeeding.
This normally wouldn't matter.
However, I have this amazing set up on my iMac where I can restart the computer and it opens up in Windows if I hold down the right button on the keyboard.
I only use the Windows interface for the accounts so when I am doing them I am totally separated from the world and the accounts have my undivided attention.
No jazzing off to check emails or fiddle around getting side-tracked on more interesting stuff.
I have to get into the figures and get them sorted before I do another restart to get back to my favourite friend, the Apple interface

So making a mistake with the address meant I had to go through the palaver of restarting the computer about 6 times to get it right! Normally the only time my computer is turned off is when I go away or if there is a lightening storm happening or a power cut catches me unawares. So I have always have various windows open that I am working on or saving to show Tim etc. Restarting means saving stuff or loosing it

Tim spent the day doing stuff around the sheds. Welding gates etc. They went out mustering between showers too.
The children were pretty much left to their own devices. They are very good about that but unfortunately Azzan seems to have been suffering due to his parents absence and he was getting mischievous and in trouble with his siblings - more than once-!!

During dinner the rain began pouring down so hard we thought it was hail. It wasn't but the gutters were blocking so Tim had to go out to do a gutter and drain check. Shanni had to go deal to her birds so they wouldn't get too wet either. Man! was it a deluge! Short and sweet though so not too much damage.

Seb drove to Nelson in the afternoon and got caught by rain - too much water on the road and his electric's got wet and his car conked out on the Whangamoa's. A friend came to rescue him but because of the delays he never got to his defensive driving lesson he had gone out for. So once again it was a wasted trip. Here's hoping next weekend will prove more fruitful in that area.

Tim and I watched a movie last night. It was so good we ended up watching the whole thing right thorugh even though it didn't finish till 11pm.
'The Ultimate Gift' based on a book of the same name. It was such a good story, thoroughly recommend it. Tim commented at the end how nice it was to watch a movie with no bad language or filth in it.

The children all slept in this morning so Tim & I snuck out for an early morning spa. It was trying to rain so quite nice out there. I love the heat of the pool when it is cold and wet outside.

I ended up in the study all morning. Had a l-o-n-g chat with Joy. A friend across the Sounds. Nice to have a catch up - we pretty much grew up together from our teen years and we married best mates but we don't see each other very often these days unfortunately despite it only being an hours boat trip over there. I finally threw on some clothes around 11am and then went out to see what was brewing in the kitchen.

Before that though I did my weekly weigh in and whoopee do-!! I have broken the 70kg. I weighed in at 69.5kg. I was so astonished to see the 69 that I thought the scales were malfunctioning. It didn't register at first that I was actually not seeing 70-something

Azzan was hungry - like he always is. He tells me a million times a day that he is hungry. So I suggested we made pancakes. No. He doesn't like pancakes. So what about pikelets? Yes, he likes pikelets but didn't want to make them either.
So I asked him what exactly he did want to make. He went off and had a think and then came back and said 'I want to make bangles.' Just as well I am a mother - I knew what he meant without too much figuring. 'Ah! Bagels. Is that what you mean?' Yes! That is exactly what he meant. I haven't made bagels in years so I asked him how he knew about them. He said he read about them in Dr Seuss. So I guess there is something normal in Dr Seuss after all-!!

My recipe for bagels was lacking some ingredients so we searched the internet and found some recipes. And we set about making them.

Thankfully I have a Kenwood cake mixer so it did all the kneading for us.
Then I cut them into pieces

and Azzan and Mahalia helped shape them.
Mahalia got it sussed but Azzan was making some interesting ones. I think I made about 16 to their 4

Then while they sat and rose a bit I had some breakfast.
Then it was time for the boiling water part.

Then it was into the oven with them all coated with sesame and poppy seeds.
They certainly looked very yummily delicious when they came out of the oven.


I was wondering what we would put in them for lunch - I was thinking traditionally here, salmon, cream cheese, savoury fillings - you know the go!
But Nathan put all those thoughts out the window.
'Butter and jam Mum.'
'Don't you remember? That's what we had at the hostel in San Francisco.'
How could I forget??

So jam and butter it was.
Such a nourishing and healthy lunch

Enjoyed by all.
I even broke my carbohydrate free diet and had two. They were GOOD!

We have had a very chilled out day since then. The children have been watching 'The Waltons'. Remember the wonderful TV series. It was one of my favourites when I was young. The children couldn't understand why it was in colour if I used to watch it when I was young. I tried to explain that it was when Granny was young that the movies were in black and white. 'But you are old Mum so how come they were colour back then?' Cheeky brats - duh!

I decided it was time to become more involved in my craft room again. So I went and got engrossed and made a few cards. I am just fiddling with bits and pieces that are lying about that I haven't cleaned up and actually turned out a few really cool ones. So I was feeling pretty happy with myself. Nice to do something I want to for a change - I have had enough of accounts and school at the moment

Shanni cooked dinner tonight and was very pleased with herself. I did suggest that yes, she had done a great job but it is usually best to let others praise you and not do it yourself over and over. To which she said 'Well, no one else does so I have to'

I am heading off to bed now - I am feeling rather whacked now. Need to get myself together for a day at school tomorrow. It will be a short week so gotta make the most of the next two days.

Today Tim & Aidan scarpered out to the mussel lines bright and early to work for the morning.
When Tim has a mission on he likes to get going and get to it before anything can side track him - like wife or children

The children got stuck in and helped to clean the living room cuz we were expecting guests for a 'girls day'.
However, the main-player of the day called to say she had been up all night vomiting and she didn't think it was a good idea to come around and share her bugs.
We all totally agreed with her, made some calls and postponed the day till next Wednesday.
It was also raining off and on so not a great day to be going places.

I got myself a relatively clean living quarters out of it anyway, so it wasn't all bad
Nathan & Shanni got on to their Alexander Graham Bell projects.
I was really pleased with how well they both worked independently of me.
Shanni said the problem with studying interesting people is that there is so many interesting things to learn about them there is too much to try and write down!!
I was busy in the office getting the accommodation quotes done for next season so couldn't give them my undivided attention.
Mahalia managed to do her maths with only one small altercation with Nathan - those two seem to be red rags to each other at the moment - for some reason they really spark each other up!
Azzan was at a bit of a loose end and was quietly driving everyone nuts, at one point I tucked him up in my bed to give him and the rest of us some space. He cuddled my angel bear until he decided they were both hungry!

The guys got back in time to have lunch with us and then the children and I cuddled up to watch 'Little Lord Fauntelroy'. It was the original 1936 version with Mickey Rooney and the children were fascinated that it was black and white. Azzan lost interest so he went off rather reluctantly to go mustering with Tim and the guys. He arrived back very happily later on so it can't have been too bad an outing.

Shanni and Hali did the veges for dinner. Hali very happily did the brussel sprouts saying she loved to cook and this was the first time she had helped get dinner ready. Man! Am I ever the slack one. She has done heaps of baking but never dinner - we will have to rectify that won't we

Shanni made roasty potato chips with fresh rosemary and black pepper. They were delicious. I bought the brussel sprouts cuz when I was shopping with one of the little ones they didn't know what they were. Shame on me! I have never really liked them so don't buy them unless they are super cheap. So while the children are happily gobbling them down for dinner I smile and make out I am being very generous in allowing them to have them all on their plates!

Even though Anson is miles away across the Tasman I am still his secretary
I got a text today asking me to find his Australian tax number and then I had to make calls to his previous employers to get other important information so he can work and get paid over there. What would he do without me??

Tim cooked the scallops I got given yesterday from Seb's boss. They may be very small and not terribly developed yet but they were still very delicious. First scallops of the season - yum

Seb arrived home in time for dinner.
He had slipped down the boat steps today and is walking around very stiffly - hit is neck and upper back. I think he will live but as he still has his head cold he is very fragile.

We are just about to go watch a movie - I will go see what the guys have chosen.
Nathan has just come to tell me it is 'Shooting Dogs' so I am off. I have been wanting to watch that one for ages.