Just quickly

Seeing as it's been over a month since I posted *embarrassed* here's a couple of photos of the wee dude to keep you going till I can write a decent post. (And one of me playing around with an online makover hehe. Thinking of getting a similar haircut. What do ya reckon?)

I like my icecream with sprinkles and......pretzel sticks.

Kool Sk8rboi

Hair makeover

Swim, swim - ouch! Scoot, scoot - ouch!

Tyler has started Flippa Ball this term, and his first game was on Friday. Both Chris and I were working so one of his friend's Mum's took him for us. As the game finished before 5pm, the boys went to the wave pool to play while they waited for me to come from work. When I arrived, there was Tyler sitting in a chair by the pool, with the Mum holding and icepack on his head and a towel covered in blood stains on his lap. He had managed to bang his head on the edge of a sidewall drain and being a scalp wound it bled like crazy. We did a precautionary visit to A&E to check for concussion, but they were pretty sure he was fine and after a bit of a cleanup, some panadol and a lollipop, we were on our way home.

Yesterday, he was tootling around on his scooter so I decided to take a video of him. Murphy's Law, he falls off. I'd like to show you the video but it won't load *sigh*. I'm thinking WordPress is going to be a better blog option. Anyway, here's a photo of Mr Cool Skater-Dude.

Yes, I'm a bad blogger - way too long since the last post. School has started and Tyler is enjoying being in Room 3 with Miss Swney. It's a bigger class than his previous one but he seems to be fine. Swimming lessons have started 4 days a week and he is loving them. His reading books now have chapters, so he's quite proud of that.

My singing engagement diary is starting to fill up. Basilica choir has started again which is every second Sunday. I am singing in a 'Best of Baroque' concert on 13 March - 'Let the Bright Seraphim' and 'If God Be For Us' as solos, plus a duet (probably the Vivaldi 'Laudamus Te'). April 17th is the first A Capella concert for the year (Stainer's 'Crucifixion') then at Easter Vespers I am doing the Mozart 'Laudate Dominum' which is absolutely gorgeous. I'm also working on a Mahler lied which will be a nice little show off piece so hopefully I get a chance to sing it somewhere.

At the end of the month Chris is playing in the Touch Nationals in Christchurch so we are all heading up there for 4 days. Normally the Nationals are held in Auckland, so this is a great opportunity for me to see Chris play at a National level for the first time.

And on March 29th I have a flying visit to Auckland to see Andreas Scholl in concert - can't wait!!

Hopefully tomorrow I will have time to sort out some photos to post here.

Tyler and Chris have just spent a boys weekend in Te Anau which included rabbit shooting, fishing off the jetski (and losing Tyler's rod overboard necessitating the purchase of a new one) and visit to the Gloworm caves.

Meanwhile, yours truly was free to enjoy some girl-time and tick a few things off the to-do list. Went to see The King's Speech (and can thoroughly recommend it). Followed by my favourite Thai peanut satay beef. Eyebrows professionally dealt to. (Incidentally, isn't it ironic that I lighten my hair and darken my eyebrows?) Watched a DVD on Shostakovich's 'war' symphonies with historical background. Had a 3GW catch-up sitting in the sun quaffing Brown Brothers' Zibbibo and inhaling mini cup-cakes.

Last week of the school holidays so I have taken today and Friday off to spend some more time with Tyler. Today I told him he could choose whatever he wanted to do today and suggested he write a list. Here it is :)

We have now crossed off #4 but have yet to get to #'s 5 & 6. 'Mooives' was Megamind, 'Games' was Beetle and Candyland and 'Pictures' was drawing pictures for each other. 'Playstation' was his new Ben 10 game (me watching him with one eye and making encouraging noises and reading a Dick Francis with the other).

He's off to the movies with the other OSCAR kids tomorrow as both Chris and I are at work. Singing lessons start this week - mi mi mi mi mi ahem cough cough. Best I go and do some more practice!

Museum

Me: Let's go to the Museum.

Tyler: It's boring.

Me: But there will be skeletons there!

Tyler: Boooooorrring!

(15 minutes later)

Tyler: Oh wow, cool! Look at those skeletons!

And the rest was pretty enjoyable to judging by his comments.

Museum was followed by a play in the park and lunch at the Cheeky Llama cafe.

And on a completely different note - the bigger boy in life may be a qualified chef, but that doesn't stop him having fun with my breakfast :)

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig

We had a very brief but enjoyable trip to Christchurch, staying with Rosina. We had a little taste of what the poor locals have been putting up with when we were in a shop and a short, but sharp after-shock hit. The salesman we were talking to bolted on us (seriously I don't think his feet touched the floor on the way out the door) and by the time we realised what was happening it was all over. The rapid shaking was quite different to the swaying, rocking type that we tend to get down here.

Tyler, Chris & Rosina

A boy and his dog

Arts & Crafts time

Chris is back to work so Tyler and I are just puddling about. Glorious day yesterday so we headed off to Riverton beach for some paddling and crab-hunting, followed by the obligatory icecream.

Ready to check out the rock pools at Riverton

But the best thing that has happened these holidays? This piece of paper that Tyler casually handed to me the other day:

Jetski = fun

Sunday morning we said goodbye to the Harwoods and, jetski in tow, headed up to the Hennessy's in Kelvin Heights where Chris dropped me, Tyler and the jetski off and headed over to Cromwell for their annual New Year touch tournament. Tyler quickly availed himself of the outdoor spa and Julie H and I took their two jetskis for a blat and trundled down towards the Shotover bridge to have a nosy at the big development which has been taken over by the Hilton. On one set of apartments, each one has it's own outdoor spa. Bet it costs a bomb to sit their with that million-dollar view.

Speaking of million dollar views, it's quite weird sitting on the Hennessys' balcony and watching the 'Million Dollar Cruise' boat go past with tourists snapping photos and a loudspeaker pointing out all the flash houses. I feel as if I should have been wearing diamonds and giving them all the Queen's wave!

This morning started with rain and low cloud but that quickly dissipated and Jim H, Chris and I took the jetskis out for a good fast run over to Queenstown, enjoying the waves out in the channel (and getting a fairly good wetting now and again when meeting a wave wrong). I got our jetski up to 82km before chickening out. Determined to make the ton next time :) Whitebait patties and scallops for lunch (not me - ewww!!).

Off to Chch tomorrow for a few days.