Weekend Sunrise

Friday---Katie was the only one to make it up and out for early morning time.

She learned how to use the ramps at the skateboard park and was genuinely pleased with herself for conquering a new skill.

Benny was pleased to get a chance to turn in his money for a ‘bought lunch'! Katie and Tim missed out this week. Katie because she had forgone her morning tea to play... and Tim just wasn't hungry one day I guess...because he hadn't eaten anything at all on Tuesday.

We played UNO again. I tried to win by playing a 37 ½ banana...but Tim had a 37 ½ Orange and played it and won. (No matter how much I cheat they cheat more!)

As it was Friday we had fish and chips.

The kids are fighting over who gets the top bunk...Benny and Tim got booted out because I caught them everywhere except in bed at 9pm. Katie was pleased to get top bunk. The next night the boys made it all the way through without trouble. Katie had top bunk again on Sunday.

The kids have been keen to have me sing "swing low" to help them sleep (‘though they have actually gone to bed and to sleep a lot earlier than usual ...7pm). They had a ‘contest' initiated by Benny to see who could sing it best. {I know Benny was certain that he was a shoe-in for top prize...but unfortunately he couldn't carry a tune in a wheel barrow lately!}

Tim got tops...he sang the song in the jazz version and stayed on key. Katie got special mention for staying in rhythm and Benny had top marks for enthusiasm.

(I did have to come down on Benny for interrupting during the song... 3 counts from the end of the last note..."Dad...Dad... can we have a contest." It is mostly me being put out to have my singing interrupted...but it IS a bad habit they all have of interrupting while people are talking or giving instructions or having a conversation...etc. So we discussed that...again).

On Saturday the kids and I dropped Clare off at the airport... The kids like to hold their breath while we go through the tunnels. We saw a very bright sun-rise over the Hutt valley. (Clare thought that would be a treat...but the kids and I have seen the sunrise most days for the last fortnight.)

We went down to the beach after breakfast. Benny and Katie road their bikes and Tim and I walked.

We met a black lab, Jake, and his owner. The owner had a ‘fling stick' that had a cup on the end, about a meter long that could pick up a tennis ball with out touching the dog slobber...and then she would fling the ball out to be fetched. Tim used it and hit the dog with the ball. Benny and Katie each had a go. I told Jake's owner not to let the kids throw sticks for the dog. They all throw at the same time and the dog goes nuts.

It was a very calm day and lots of boats and cars on the beach...we didn't stay very long as Tim gets tired of watching Katie and Benny circle him with their bikes.

We did walk to the dairy later in the day and pick up a new Aserix and Obelix DVD. ‘The twelve tasks' The kids loved it.

Benny went to a birthday party on Sunday...a BOWLING party. He was very pleased to go...yet his expectations of ‘beating everyone at bowling' didn't pan out...he came in last. It is good that he has a healthy ego I suppose but most of his ‘claims to greatness' are based on more of a healthy imagination.

Tim, Katie and I caught his last three frames and we cheered him on anyway. The gutter guards were up and he played ricochet bowling off the guards. All the kids at the party looked to be having an equally lax and enjoyable game so I was happy to see him happy.

(I think of the bowling with Dad...and trying so hard to stay out of the gutters...wish I had these guards!)

Grandma brought Clare back from the airport Sunday afternoon. She spent some time with Benny trying to sort out a spelling programme that might work for him. The spelling list he has now is more for 12-13 year olds. The words are not common...and his hand writing is slow and torturous enough that he forgets where he is mid word. We will move him back a couple years of word lists and build on some easier word lists I think.

Clare rousted the boys off my computer in the evening, (they were supposed to be in their pyjamas!) and tucked everyone in and they snored off to sleep fairly early. I think they missed their mum...Morning found them all coming to see her and get cuddles and moochas smoochas. (especially Tim).

Benny had the birthday on the brain. He came in at 6am wondering if he could get started on his birthday party invitations! (I suggested later would be better.) Evidently he had a dream about it and remembered that we were pressed for time last year as the winter break was just before his birthday and he had to send out his invites a couple weeks early.

The walk to school was very boisterous. It is a good thing we walk at 8.30am and not earlier...the neighbours would throw rocks at us! Today we played "pokah in our head" (Tim speak for mental poker). I said...ok...what do you have. Nobody fell for that....so I ‘dealt' the cards. We played texas hold'em...where we all go two cards down and then five cards up. The really interesting thing was...All of us said we had two Jokers in our hands! Weird.

Tim was very sure he won all the hands. Again, no matter how much I cheated...they cheated more. Benny bet large...100 Million...Katie upped him...'one infinity Monnies'...I folded. They had straight flushes...again.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday...

Friday---Katie was the only one to make it up and out for early morning time.

She learned how to use the ramps at the skateboard park and was genuinely pleased with herself for conquering a new skill.

Benny was pleased to get a chance to turn in his money for a ‘bought lunch'! Katie and Tim missed out this week. Katie because she had forgone her morning tea to play... and Tim just wasn't hungry one day I guess...because he hadn't eaten anything at all on Tuesday.

We played UNO again. I tried to win by playing a 37 ½ banana...but Tim had a 37 ½ Orange and played it and won. (No matter how much I cheat they cheat more!)

As it was Friday we had fish and chips.

The kids are fighting over who gets the top bunk...Benny and Tim got booted out because I caught them everywhere except in bed at 9pm. Katie was pleased to get top bunk. The next night the boys made it all the way through without trouble. Katie had top bunk again on Sunday.

The kids have been keen to have me sing "swing low" to help them sleep (‘though they have actually gone to bed and to sleep a lot earlier than usual ...7pm). They had a ‘contest' initiated by Benny to see who could sing it best. {I know Benny was certain that he was a shoe-in for top prize...but unfortunately he couldn't carry a tune in a wheel barrow lately!}

Tim got tops...he sang the song in the jazz version and stayed on key. Katie got special mention for staying in rhythm and Benny had top marks for enthusiasm.

(I did have to come down on Benny for interrupting during the song... 3 counts from the end of the last note..."Dad...Dad... can we have a contest." It is mostly me being put out to have my singing interrupted...but it IS a bad habit they all have of interrupting while people are talking or giving instructions or having a conversation...etc. So we discussed that...again).

On Saturday the kids and I dropped Clare off at the airport... The kids like to hold their breath while we go through the tunnels. We saw a very bright sun-rise over the Hutt valley. (Clare thought that would be a treat...but the kids and I have seen the sunrise most days for the last fortnight.)

We went down to the beach after breakfast. Benny and Katie road their bikes and Tim and I walked.

We met a black lab, Jake, and his owner. The owner had a ‘fling stick' that had a cup on the end, about a meter long that could pick up a tennis ball with out touching the dog slobber...and then she would fling the ball out to be fetched. Tim used it and hit the dog with the ball. Benny and Katie each had a go. I told Jake's owner not to let the kids throw sticks for the dog. They all throw at the same time and the dog goes nuts.

It was a very calm day and lots of boats and cars on the beach...we didn't stay very long as Tim gets tired of watching Katie and Benny circle him with their bikes.

We did walk to the dairy later in the day and pick up a new Aserix and Obelix DVD. ‘The twelve tasks' The kids loved it.

Benny went to a birthday party on Sunday...a BOWLING party. He was very pleased to go...yet his expectations of ‘beating everyone at bowling' didn't pan out...he came in last. It is good that he has a healthy ego I suppose but most of his ‘claims to greatness' are based on more of a healthy imagination.

Tim, Katie and I caught his last three frames and we cheered him on anyway. The gutter guards were up and he played ricochet bowling off the guards. All the kids at the party looked to be having an equally lax and enjoyable game so I was happy to see him happy.

(I think of the bowling with Dad...and trying so hard to stay out of the gutters...wish I had these guards!)

Grandma brought Clare back from the airport Sunday afternoon. She spent some time with Benny trying to sort out a spelling programme that might work for him. The spelling list he has now is more for 12-13 year olds. The words are not common...and his hand writing is slow and torturous enough that he forgets where he is mid word. We will move him back a couple years of word lists and build on some easier word lists I think.

Clare rousted the boys off my computer in the evening, (they were supposed to be in their pyjamas!) and tucked everyone in and they snored off to sleep fairly early. I think they missed their mum...Morning found them all coming to see her and get cuddles and moochas smoochas. (especially Tim).

Benny had the birthday on the brain. He came in at 6am wondering if he could get started on his birthday party invitations! (I suggested later would be better.) Evidently he had a dream about it and remembered that we were pressed for time last year as the winter break was just before his birthday and he had to send out his invites a couple weeks early.

The walk to school was very boisterous. It is a good thing we walk at 8.30am and not earlier...the neighbours would throw rocks at us! Today we played "pokah in our head" (Tim speak for mental poker). I said...ok...what do you have. Nobody fell for that....so I ‘dealt' the cards. We played texas hold'em...where we all go two cards down and then five cards up. The really interesting thing was...All of us said we had two Jokers in our hands! Weird.

Tim was very sure he won all the hands. Again, no matter how much I cheated...they cheated more. Benny bet large...100 Million...Katie upped him...'one infinity Monnies'...I folded. They had straight flushes...again.