Happy New Year!!!!

A somewhat eventful start to the year. Whilst Anton worked, three members of the family went in search of a kitten. Unfortunately an outbreak of cat flu meant they were all quaratined till Jan 11th. This meant we just had to go and look at the dogs. We were thinking of a rescue dog anyway, for lots of reasons, security being the main one but fitness, companionship and fun running it a close equal second. And sadly there were so many new dogs in the centre. I had met one a couple of weeks ago, a sort of staffy cross with really intelligent ears, but he was nowhere to be seen. There were, however, lots of puppies.
Needless to say we fell in love, with all of them. We have put our names down for a 'labxstaffyxshepherdxsomething'. Our first choice is a fawn coloured little girl and our second choice is a black cutie with a white collar. We have to have a property check to make sure we are suitable and then she will be neutered, microchipped and registered. I know it's a big responsibility but it feels like the right thing to do. The litter we saw had about eight puppies, all six weeks old which had been abandonned down a bank on Margan Ave in New Lynn on the 28th. There is such problem here with unwanted pets, especially because people don't desex their animals which leads to a glut of kittens and puppies, especially around Xmas. It is so irresponsible and so stupid.


I do keep wondering if we have done the right thing but then Caitlin, being 43, reminds me that the quality of life for that puppy will be so much better than in an abandonned box or being euthanised ( my word not hers).
Luckily we already have offers of help for training her. Chris and Debs who we met on Xmas day, have a beautiful newfoundland called Storm. She is huge but incredibly docile. They came over on New Year's eve as none of us had any firm plans and we had a blast. I didn't realise the amount of alcohol consumed until Roo had to do the recycling run to the bin. The poor thing was exhausted by his tenth run down the stairs!!!
Chris and Debs walk Storm past our garden every day so we are becoming firm friends. Lst night we covered topics ranging from organic gardening ( her veg is delicious but you don't want to know what she waters it with), dog training, broken bones, chinese horoscopes ( Anton the dragon and me the monkey are the most highly compatible verging on the nauseating), children's programmes ( as every good 30something conversation has to ), Star Wars and the search for real stormtrooper outfit, bungee jumping, white water sledging, motor bikes, campervans, drumming and lots more I can't remember. Poor old Chris had to put up with Reuben play fighting with him all night, with a bow and an airpump shooty thing. Roo, who usually is very wary of new people absolutely idolised Chris, for his drumming skills I am sure.

Did you know you can shoot arrows from Parau to Beijing...trouble is Roo has no arrows, just a bow. Oh for his imagination.

We ended up in the spa at 11.30 to see in the new year. As usual Roo took himself to bed ( ours) so he would not miss anything but was soon fast asleep. Caitlin, being nearly 44 stayed up till 2 with the rest of us. She was a real star. I can safely say it was one of our best New Year's Eves probably all the better for being quiet and cosy.


What will the next year bring? According to our chinese horoscopes the last year has been tough for all of us, but next year looks far better. Anton has been advised to look for new horizons... COOKIE MAKING!!! I am enjoying a lovely choc caramel mix at the moment. Ben's cookies have nothing on these!!!!!

What have we created???

So we have had the table tennis table for 6 days!








And Caitlin has finally beaten both of us!!!!







AARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

Christmas Update ( courtesy of a message to Jane)

Christmas was fab. We had brekkie on the deck, pancakes cooked on the barbie, then pressies. We bought a table tennis table for everyone and it's getting lots of use. The kids mostly got books, the guiness book of records and the daring book for girls from each other. Roo has been engrossed in the book by Stephen Hawking 'George and space' or something like that. Santa brought the Doctor Who series three ( C had been begging for it everytime we saw it and I kept saying it was too expensive) and a game called Boogie for the Wii, lots of singing and dancing! He brought me a new ds to replace the one that was stolen ( well if Ant will let me go shopping on my own on Xmas Eve!

Ant went windsurfing off our beach and came back with a huge grin on his face. It was good to see him so happy. He met some other Brits on the beach and they came over for a drink with their huge dog, who was gorgeous.

Then lunch, salmon, scallops, home made burgers, new potatoes corn and salad, with Ant's cookies for pudding, much later.

Then we had a family tournament because it rained. There was table tennis, boogie singing and dancing, Wii tennis and bowling, a basket ball shoot with Roo's new little hoop in his room, and a game of knock out whist. Needless to say Anton won, competitive tike, can't even lose to an eight year old, though Roo did win the tennis and the basketball. C was second and R was third.. I claim to have thrown the card game and I'm pants at the dancing and the tennis! Also I am their mum so I let the kids beat me !!!!!!!!

Boxing Day was cool too. Ant went on the water again and the rest of us read books. Barbara sent me a book entitled " Starbucks saved my life' just because of its title. It wasn't bad, about a guy who lost his job but found a better life as a barista. MAybe I should try that...free coffee too!

It was very strange having a warm Xmas, but nice too. You are not couped up in the house, though what it'll be like in July when it's wet and cold and there's nothing to look forward to I don't know.

We had a bit of a house warming yesterday. C and R had Ruby and Sam round all day so Donna and James could get some painting done. We didn't hear a peep out of them all day except for the screams from the spa and Roo beating out a rhythm on the drum kit he has been lent for two weeks by one of Ant's work mates. A load of Ant's work mates came round for a bbq and most ended up losing to Roo on the Wii or playing table tennis.



We also finally took the kids to Rainbows End the theme park. It was really small by English standards but great fun. We got them on most of the rides, like the pirate ship, couldn't get them off that one, and the big corkscrew, though they chickened out of Fearfall, an eighteen story drop at high speed. I challenged Anton to that one. It was a blast. We finally remembered to take a picnic so Ant was happy he didn't have to pay for food!



The kids are on the far side, just behind the mast. C is wearing bright pink!

Photos to follow

Christmas dinner

I have too much time on my hands today

We might just be going to the Animal Welfare centre after Christmas...




AND ANTON IS FINALLY SMILING!!!!!!

He has been windsurfing on Christmas Day

Absent friends and family.

It is so wonderful to speak to people from home, even if the time difference is a little odd.

I really am having difficulties with Skype, especially video skype but I suppose I will have to get over it. I think I'd be alright if I didn't have to see the video of myself at the same time as I am speaking.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Christmas

Here is an assortment of pictures of our Christmas celebrations.

The chilldren were awake and bouncing ( on the trampoline) at 7 but waited until the allotted 8 to come into us. They then had to wait very patiently till after breakfast to open their presents. Roo found this very hard.



we cooked pancakes and bacon on the barbie, made lovely cappuchinos, cut up lots of strawberries and melon and took everything, including the dining room table, onto the deck.




On Christmas Eve we allowed ourselves one present from under the tree. The children chose them for us and soon three of the family were engrossed with books. I had to make do with socks, comfy but not so engrossing!

I wonder if Santa knows where we live

Here are the letters written to Santa by the children on Christmas Eve. We are not sure he has got our new address yet so we are hoping he can find us. I did ring him today just to make sure but don't tell the children. It's a surprise.



Dear Santa

I am sorry to bother you on such a day when I am sure you are getting ready for Christmas but I know that I have not written to you yet so I thought that today is as good as any day.

I do not want much for Christmas but I would like a Terrys milk chocolate orange, The daring book for girls, Notes on the fridge, a small bottle of L and P and please could you bring something that will make my family happier.

Please could you ring my mum and tell her if you want wine or milk.

I hope all your planning is going well

Say hello to Mrs Claus for me and to Amathyst for my mum

Good luck for tonight

Love Caitlin
P.S Merry Christmas


Dear Santa
I am writing on behalf of Reuben Ashcroft who has been very good this year. They wanted me to share with you their wishlist full of their most most favourite things.
1.Settlers the game
2.Any Alex Rider Books from Eagle Strike onwards
3.Chocolate
from
Zircon ( he's a christmas elf, like Amethyst...check out Cadbury magical elves.com)

Caitlin wants a kitten

Will she still want a kitten after this?

Strange stockings

We have been making stockings.
We have been decorating pillow cases ( because they are bigger than stockings. Our friend Ginny said that is what kiwis use.)

My pillow case has a picture of the battle of Troy on it. This is what it looks like:




The blue circles are the Greeks and the red ones are Trojans.
The green rectangles are the archers and the dark blue are the arrows. The wall is the two different types of brown and the orange is the Trojan Horse.

I decided to do this picture because I like the Greeks and the Trojan War.

Daddy has made a picture of Santa on a jet ski and Caitlin has made an angel.



Mommy made a christmas tree but she is probably going to change it because she has seen how good everyone else's is and hasn't stuck hers down yet!





by Reuben

The family tennis champ

We all went to play tennis last night and guess who was the best player.

She hit everything, chased after every ball, made some superb cross court shots and smiled the whole time!!!

The lodger

This is Peter. She is the cat who comes with the house. Allegedly Tim and Gloria will be picking her up on January 7th when they get back from Spain. I'll believe that when I see it. It could be the story of Smudge all over again.

"Oh no she never comes into the house. It will only be for a few days"

No mention of the two large dogs who were the reason she never came into the house!

She is very cute but very shy. Unlike Oscar who lives next door who is huge, adorable, friendly, always hungry and loves a fuss.

So now we have broadband we can get up to date

We have been in NZ now for exactly three months. We touched down in Auckland at 6am September 16th and it is now 7pm December 16th.

Such a lot has happened: in short. Two weeks spent living in a tiny apartment in Torbay, dealing with jetlag, ants and house hunting. We thought we had found the perfect place ( a beautiful villa in Deirdre Place in Laingholm) but the building report put us off. The next place we liked the building inspector didn't even bother to look at it as he knew the place and said 'walk away!'. Just as well as we have found a slice of heaven. Two weeks ago we moved into a six bedroomed ( room for visitors) brick and tile gem in a place called Parau, close to the kids' school, next to a beach and tennis courts, down a peaceful little road....


So the story so far. We looked at nearly 60 houses, maybe more until we found this one and even then it was fraught with problems. The council here has to agree everything in triplicate before you can even think about changing anything in a house. Think planning permission but for knocking in a nail or straightening a picture. Suffice it to say quite a bit of this house is 'illegal' but when you are in love you overlook such things.



Looking back the first two weeks were very stressful and we tried to do too much, finding houses, cars, our way around. We fell on our feet with regards to accommodation. The house we were warned off is owned by a lovely girl called Rachel and she lives there with her two toddlers, Chloe (1) and Ben ( a very loud 2). She'd bought the house with another couple four months previously but they'd moved out just before the birth of their second child and because their first and Ben didn't get on. They needed some way of covering the mortgage and Rachel suggested that we move in. Although far from ideal, we had a roof over our heads.

I am convinced the house had sick building syndrome. Everyone was ill, including Reuben! It was probably due to damp and to a lack of a good night's sleep!

On the plus side, we found the children a delightful school, Laingholm Primary- The greatest little school in the Universe, run by a head who understands that school should be fun and by an incredibly dedicated staff. Caitlin has the remarkable Miss W ( Wolstenholme) whilst Roo is with the very young Miss Guertz. Both have found their feet quickly- especially Caitlin and both have made some very good friends! I have been doing a bit of relief work there. I'm known as Mrs A and apparantly I'm 'cool!" I think that means a pushover though Room 14, the class from hell, have grown on me over the weeks!



The high spots of our first three months ( I use the term loosely)

The burglary; I met three strapping men coming out of our shared house, with Rachel's tv in the back of their car. I'm not sure what came over me but I tried to block them in the drive with my car but I got myself rather man handled and they managed to push my car out of the way. We reckon they'd only been in the house for five minutes and only took a tv a dvd player and probably one of our ds's ( we may have just misplaced it). The police came, the helicopter came out, the SOCO arrived three days later(!!!!), we all had to be fingerprinted ( in the cells) and I had to look at mug shots. Exciting really but a bit time consuming and no conclusion yet.

New cars! I have a blue RAV4 and Ant has a white Toyota MRS ( old ones but hey). He needed a boy toy for the many miles he was going to be travelling every day.





The thermal pools at Waiwera. Fantastic hot thermal pool resort, just the thing for over coming jetlag, including a pool with a cinema screen. Child Heaven!

Anton starting work; His first day was spent drumming and walking in the bush ( team building) His second day started with a formal Maori ceremony where we passed him over to the care of his workplace. Lots of nose rubbing and Maori chanting. Sadly work hasn't quite lived up to his expectations.

Reuben mastering the monkey bars in the school playground.



Roo never wearing any shoes

Caitlin getting to the final of the school speech competition with an oratory on 'Books'! And the semis of the general knowledge when most of the questions were on New Zealand

Both of them being fantastic tennis players, and making huge progress in their tennis lessons!


Guy Fawkes night in the rain



Rotorua; Ant was at a conference so we spent the previous weekend there. Hot springs and geysers in the middle of a city centre park. Phemonenal pools of sulphur, the smell of rotten eggs and one of the best brunches in the world (At the Fat dog cafe).


Going to the Netball world Cup competition at our local stadium, and meeting the English Team and getting C's ball signed.



Kitting out Roo's bedroom for under $150 dollars using Trademe ( like eBay).

Finding furniture from unlikely sources ( garage sales, Sally Army). Caitlin's Mackintosh chair is a major find.

The new spa, trampoline and barbeque...well why else are we here!



Ladies football at Laingholm on Tuesday nights. All that time spent watching John Terry was not in vain.

The container arriving and having all our stuff around us, after three months of living out of suitcases.

Putting up the Christmas tree after spending the day on the beach at Whatipu.


Watching Gok on Friday nights.

Caitlin being addicted to Shortland Street!

Doing the 'greatest little fun run in the universe' as a family