Quick Update

It's been hectic lately. There just seems to be one thing or another going on at the school or at the kid's weekend clubs.

Sensory Garden

As lead ambassador Adam has to MC school 'events'. Here he is (left) at the opening of the school sensory garden.
He was in charge of hoisting the flag. Bit weird really. A 'Pommie' raising the kiwi flag.

The kids do all the hard work and present the show while the teachers sit around watching. Very strange at the end when Adam said "teachers, you may take your children back to class now"

Laura (2nd from right) also took part. She was in the Kapa Haka

Adam with the Chair of Governors who officially opened the garden


Te Puke Christmas Parade

Unfortunately we couldn't see the actual parade because Adam was performing in his drama group production at the same time. However we dropped him off for final rehearsals and saw the floats getting ready before we had to go to watch the play.




Lots of tractors involved.



Adam's Drama Group

Really poor picture of the group because you weren't allowed to use flash. Adam is 2nd from right at the back. I took a video of the actual play which I'll put on YouTube soon and post the link.

Adam was also presented with his 2 year attendance certificate.


Multi-Media Class

Adam got selected for the Multi-Media class next year at Intermediate School. This was great news for him (all his work during the year is going to be done on a brand new Apple Mac laptop), but not such great news for our bank balance. New laptop was NZ$2500 (about 40 quid) ... so he's doing quite a few chores around the house to help pay for it. Poor kid. If he questions doing anything we just mention 'laptop' and he's on to it. Even Laura has started doing it. He's getting the laptop Christmas Day so it's his main 'prezzie'


Ra Whakangahau

This is a celebration of the local school's Kapa Haka groups. Adam has been in the Kapa Haka group for the last 2 years but this is Laura's first year. Adam is the chief Kaea which is the one who is the lead warrior who leads all the 'songs' and basically shouts a lot ... very loudly!




This is the group practicing in the playground before going off to Maungatapu School.

Laura's task is a bit more 'calmer' and she dances and swings a 'poi ' which I refer to wrongly as a 'pom pom on a bit of string'. She's only been doing it for a few months and was very nervous about it. That's her practicing below.

Laura is 2nd from the right in the picture below.


... and here she is below swinging that pom pom ... sorry poi


Here's Adam in his Kaea costume.
... and here he is below shouting the orders like I have never heard him shout before. It really was weird hearing him acting with such aggression. He was told by the teacher that he needed to sound like he wanted to 'kill' when he was doing the Haka. The Haka the group did was about protecting the Mount.


Phew! ... back to the niceties of Laura swinging the poi

.... but then followed by another war dance. Adam looking mean

The end of the Haka

Laura relieved after a perfect performance. We were very proud of her and her poi work.


It was a very proud moment (if a little weird) to have Adam lead the Haka. A pale skin Pommie kid just 'off the boat' from 'Engerland' leading the school Kapa Haka. We are really not sure where he gets his confidence and 'need to lead' from. He is nothing like me and Jo (or his sister!) ... we think we might have picked the wrong kid up from the hospital. There are no performers anywhere in the family but he just wants to do everything.

Here he is below getting interviewed by the local radio station about being a pommie leading the group.

Christmas Carols by Candlelight

Apparently it is nearly Christmas. I keep seeing Christmas trees everywhere and there are Christmas songs on the radio but it's 24 degrees out there. How can it be? We've still not got used to hot Christmas's.

We walked to the Greerton square to listen to the carol singing by candlelight but it loses some of its potential atmospheric qualities when it starts at 7:30 and it doesn't get dark until ten. Ah well, we supported the local community event and the kids had a go on the rides. They also got free glow sticks so it was worth the walk into town.

Laura met up with school friends ...

... and spent the time patting all the dogs

Kids on the swings

Laura never seems fazed by fast rides. Adam doesn't seem so sure


We then decided to drive down to Pilot Bay and watch the Christmas fireworks. We had been there last year but just before they started Laura jumped off a foot high wall and broke her toes. I think we heard the faint bangs as we sat in casualty.

The weather changed dramatically as we drove to the bay. In the 15mins it took to get there the weather closed in with mist and then heavy rain. The Mount was not looking its best.



We found a spot under a tree to try to keep a bit dry.It didn't really work. Palm trees are beautiful to look at but make useless umbrellas. Adam was not impressed. We just mentioned 'laptop' a few times and he shut up moaning.


Laura enjoyed the free glow stick

Not the best view


... but as darkness fell the bay took on an eerie atmosphere.

The fireworks were very impressive and well worth the wait in the rain ... almost

They seemed to light up the whole sky with colour ... it was if the dampness radiated the colour somehow. It was impressive.






Triathlon Training News

Just one last picture that was take at the Tinman last weekend. I liked the huge orange buoy dwarfing the lonely swimmer.



Oh and how is the training going I hear you ask? .... erm er .... well as you can see it's been a busy week and there been no time for training!

I WILL get back into it next week. Calf feels OK(ish) and I'm itching to get back on the bike. Work should be a little less hectic over the next 2 weeks and so I plan to swim as much as possible at lunch times. There are also some open water swims on the triathlon course that I want to enter.

4 weeks to go!