Easter Holidays!

Hello there! – we’ve had a restful and lovely Easter Break – but too short!

I know – I’m a whinging pom – sorry…..

Well – we broke up on the Thursday before Good Friday.

Good Friday was a strange day – everywhere was dead (as a dodo) – I’ve never seen Auckland so quiet – rather nice! We went out for petrol, I put up some curtains and did LOADS of washing – our $15 tumbler is paying its way!

Saturday

Our Invitation to Apply arrived! Yayy – we are now on the step to residency – our officer has said it’s okay for hubby to have medicals in UK and for son and myself to do ours from here as long as it’s all sent in together – MORE YAAYYYS.

Just got to sell our house now…..

Very exciting day also – we went out to buy a bed for son. ( I know – sounds sad to be excited about a new bed – but bear with me here). Drove to Target at Botany where son chose a black metal framed bed. Poor lad has been without a proper bed since December and if you remember, he had to help me make the bed settee the day he arrived – jet lag and all!

The girl that sold us the bed spent most of her time smiling at son and making eyes at him – to which he was of course oblivious as always! So funny to watch.

Upon our return home to the villa – we proceeded to clear the Spare Oom (sorry – Narnia influence) in preparation for the sofa bed – by the way, have I mentioned my hate of white boxes recently?

Sunday

Was invited by lovely friends to have a yummy roast dinner. Of course, it was delicious – especially the roasties! Thank you.

The cats are still gorgeous – but so big now – they’ve also been DONE! Which reminds me – friend’s vasectomy healing is coming along nicely.

Made a visit to the cheesecake shop prior to lunch – gosh it was so hard to decide – we eventually chose a Continental Strawberry one.

Son has just reliably informed me of the difference between continental and baked – apparently the continental is sloppier cheese of angel delight consistency and the baked is more solid. Well – I don’t care – it was bloody lovely! (Since when he became a connoisseur of cheesecakes I’ll never know – he never fails to surprise me – It became rather worrying four years ago in Australia when he suddenly announced “I like this kebab, but the one in Brisbane was better, although Sydney’s chilli sauce was good”. We had been letting the kids choose whatever they liked in the food halls and hadn’t realised just how much crap he’d been eating. Kebabs were on the banned list for the rest of the hols.)

Monday

Met my newest friend for lunch at Botany – enjoyed the company of herself and two lovely daughters.

Discussion about the English Food Shop came up in our conversation de la jour, which included perennial debate about Cadburys chocolate. The NZ Cadburys is good – but not quite the same as home – however tis much better than Aussie Cadburys which I am sorry to say tastes like cooking chocolate. (However, son’s girlfriend – who is of S African descent says the S African Cadburys is the best. Do not feel qualified to comment here though!)

Eeroes were also brought up in the debate – but this is where I became suddenly very LOST. I felt once again that strange phenomenon of the Kiwi accent and the loss of connection to the conversation therein.

The blank look on my face said it all. After a long list of clues such as chocolate and mint and bubbles etc, I finally got it – “Oh – you mean Aeros!”

Much laughter and comments about Kiwi and pommie accents ensued.

I had a lovely natter – cheers for the company!

Tuesday

Returned to Sunday Dinner friends to whisk their two youngest away for a couple of days. First stop = home to drop off belongings, 2nd stop = collect son’s girlfriend, 3rd stop = Botany Cinema for Ice Age II.

However, emergency sustenance was required for all first (priorities must be listened to). Maccy D’s for me and the kids, Chinese for son.

Of course, further refreshements were in demand 10 minutes later in the cinema – these came under the guise of HUGE POPCORN and LARGE BAG OF CHOCCIES. They somehow kept us going until the end of the film and we emerged from the darkness a well fed bunch of peeps.

By the way – the film was ixcillent! It was full of families enjoying the Easter break – thus ensuring the perfect atmosphere of family cinema noises:

Children crying after being told to sit still
Children laughing raucously at the funny bits
Children bawling in despair at the worrying bits
Crunchy popcorn
Crinkly sweet (oops sorry – lolly) wrappers
Slurpy drinks
Farty noises made with straw from said drinks once drink is finished (friend’s children showed me that new trick)
Farty noises – real (not moi)

Better stop now before I sink too low.

Anyway – it was a great film.

We had a wander around the shopping centre after that and then mosied on home.

A very pleasant day was had by all.

Wednesday

This was the day of the swumming pool blow up bouncy castle obstacle course type thingy!

Du du duuuuuuu! (This is exciting intro music, by the way).

Rang the swumming pool people to check the time the above bouncy contraption was available. Nice lady told me 12.30.

Along with 2 very excited children – dashed down to the pool, only to find contraption would not be there for another hour and a half – was apologised to by nice lady – she’d told weekend time not holiday time – so we went for a shop and then home for lunch.

Got there on time and the kids were off. Child no 1 fell off at the first hurdle and child no 2 fell off at the third. Neither was keen to go back for a while – so we played singing songs under the water and how to drown Sue by making her swum with child on her back.

Ten minutes or so later and they were ready again for the floaty thing challenge. Out of about 7 goes, child no 1 cleared the course 3 times and child no 2 once. Both were very proud of their achievements and I was very jealous – I WANTED A GO!

Oh well…..

We all had a great watery time!

Thursday

Son had been poorly in the night, so we took it easy and stayed at home that day awaiting the arrival of the BED!

It arrived on time in the afternoon in 3 separated boxes – GULP!

However, we cast past desperate memories of making the bed settee with only Chineses instructions to help us aside and searched for the instructions.

One hour later, the bed was made and the proud makers stood to one side to admire it! Big pat on the back for us. Son lay on his new bed for a while to enjoy the softness of the lovely thick mattress.

Now – we had a very exciting evening ahead of us and whizzed around to get ready. Empty cardboard boxes and mattress cover etc were unceremoniously chucked outside whilst we busied ourselves in prep for evening out.

Son was going to Sky Theatre (below the Tower) to see Irish comedian Dylan Moran (Black Books fame) and I was meeting girly friends at the Civic to see the show Dirty Dancing (met them in the Irish pub across the road actually).

Whilst walking up Queen Street, we came upon a large crowd of people and after chatting to a nice lady, found that they were waiting for a pop group (Specifics). So being nosey, we stayed to watch their arrival via a rather shiny black limousine. Took some photos, but they didn’t come out very well – however, we will survive this upset due to the fact that once again, I hadn’t a clue who they were. Hey ho.

The theatre was beautiful.



It’s designed to feel like you’re under the stars outside of a Persian palace – amazing. Whilst waiting, I saw clouds float overhead, stars appear and then amazingly – shooting stars whiz across the ‘sky’! Very impressed.

Needless to say, the show was great and a text from son was in a similar vein.

We had a lovely evening and drove home feeling happy inside.

Here are some piccies of the Theatre and Tower from that evening:





Isn't the Sky Tower beautiful?

Friday

Popped into work for a while – very boring prep work to do – yawnie yawn.

Took gas cylinder heater to Bunnings to get new connection. A very nice man gave me the card of someone in Manukau that could help us.

More BORING washing was done.

Got very excited Friday evening due to advert on TV re the Medium programme being in 3D. Son demanded that we dash to the nearest distributors in order to collect free 3D speccies. Upon arrival son saw a whole box full to the brim and all worries about running out due to the stampede of people for that night's programme were allayed.

Just as well eh - we all sat down to watch, drinks in hand and white cardboard specs arranged on faces, only to find (right at the end) that the programme is to be on NEXT WEEK! DOH.

Spent a whole hour with ridiculous white cardboard specs on - damaging our eyesight, no doubt - trying to see things in 3D that weren't there.

Story of my life - sad, but true. Even got excited at one point when we thought we saw a 3D bit.

However - the Indian rug on the floor looked very weird via the 3D specs and when winking, one eye saw everything with a pink tinge, whilst the other saw it all with a blue tinge. So not all was lost.

We are now waiting in anticipation for next week's programme.

Oooh – nearly forgot – bought snorkels and flippers ready for Goat Island tomorrow!

Saturday

Raining – nooooooo!

Well – being intrepid explorers, we still ventured out into the cloudy wet day.

A sudden change of plan led us to Waiwera Thermal Resort instead with the aim of enjoying the hot pools.





But guess what – upon arrival we saw lots of SLIDES too! Yeehaaa!



Proceeded to go down every slide there with son and girlfriend, then just with son whilst girlfriend took action shots and then finally on my own – great fun!!!!!







Had a break in between sliding for some lunch and then carried on again. I LOVE this place!

After we had exhausted the facilities and ourselves, we drove to Goat Island. What a beautiful place. Sadly, snorkels were left unused in the car due to being knackered. However, did enjoy scrambling on the rocks and nearly getting knocked off them by huge waves, followed by a picnic tea.






Drove home knackered listening to boring sports on boring radio due to not being able to find anything else due to short wavelength available on Japanese imported car radio. Son and girlfriend were ominously quiet through journey due to sleeping.

Sunday

Aching all over esp neck area!

Did food shopping (son has provided a menu of his cooking exploits for the week ahead) and more washing.

Monday

Teacher day – back to work – where did it all go? Sob.