Day ?

Clearly naming the posts in chronological order from Day One etc was a bad idea, as I have been too slack in trying to post each day and now have no idea what day it is. What I do know is that every day has been a good one and we are having a great time! Christmas Day was filled with all the usual  happenings from rising early at 5:30am with wrapping paper strewn everywhere the sounds of happiness and laughing in the background. Followed closely by construction of said gifts and disposing of the rubbish. Lunch was beautiful as was dessert and the few drinks that followed, now too find a place to lie down to prepare for the night time feast of repeated gluttony.

The boys had a blast and are enjoying there presents with the two older boys buried in there new electronic gadgets and Jackson constructing towers from blocks, reading new books and running around singing:

"Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock! Jingle Bell Sing and Jingle Bell Rock! Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock! Jingle Bell Rock! Jingle Bell Rock! Jingle Bell Rock!"

Doug and I are slowly getting rid of our bugs with Doug able to drown his without to much problem or encouragement at all and it seems that I will have quite a bit of catching up to do come New Year! Jack is well on his way to his normal self but of course these things always go on in waves and now has hit Sam and slowly working it's way through the rest of the house, we are all ready for a quick get away  should it be deemed necessary.

Funny as it is how the countries are so close and almost have all the same things that you think you can't live without as home but of all the things you think you need and want and can't live without, Aidan is in desperate search of Sweet Chili Red Rock Deli Chips and would do, I think, just about anything for a packet. We went into another new supermarket yesterday and while I searched for some bread rolls for dinner he started his mission full of hope and anticipation of discovering said chips. As I rounded the corner with my rolls and a few other necessities I saw the disappointment on his face as I heard him proclaim:

"The only thing letting this country down is the fact that you can't find Red Rock Deli anywhere and I told you we should have sent some over before we left, this sucks!"

But of course, why didn't I think of that beforehand? Chips a definate importance on the scale of 1 to 1000 things that needed to be done before we left.

Boxing day bought with it more eating and drinking but as soon as I heard the sounds from the television of ball against bat I soon found other things to occupy my time and headed into the metropolis to investigate the boxing day sales with Aidan & Maddy, and found myself shopping in "Wall Street". Aidan & Maddy agreed to meet me back at the "spot" in 2 hours which suited me fine. I was on a mission for something different, funny how when we are young we are happy to be mainstream and want what everyone else has and aren't happy till we get it, then when you get a little older, notice I said little older you just want to find something different so you don't look like everyone else not too sure what that's all about.....but I'm sure it has nothing to do with age or anything. After the agreed time I made my way back to the meeting point to find Aidan & Maddy had found a mountain of bargains and shopped up a storm and were donning bags galore only to find that I had one tiny pathetic little bag. Someone please explain to me why wanting to be different is such a costly adventure? I think if I had a spare $1000 I could have been as different as the next person, and why is always the stuff you want never on sale? Bar Humbug!

Getting ready to head South soon, Leo will be over from Spain on the 28th and the rest of the Fahey's both Aussie and Kiwi will be heading to Ma & Pa's for New Year where their small two bedroom cottage will be occupied by an extra 6 adults and 8 kids..........mmmmmm not unlike some kid of cult really. Keep an eye out for us on the news!! I sure hope that when we walk through the front door it will transform not unlike Dr Who's Tardis.



Day Seven!

A few wines last night but not inebriated, bloody flu really starting to piss me off now. Need to stop and get more drugs today. Had a great night catching up with friends and all the kids got along and are still alive so all is well! Left Timaru around lunch time but not before Doug spotted a "Mays Pie's" sign and insisted we stop for what he claimed to be the best pies in the world. So we found a park and trundled out of our people mover across the road to the place where these "pies" were.

Anticipation was high, excitement was building as we all sat down to bite into these "best pies in the world". Of course as time goes by and you haven't had one of these pies for a number of years things are usually not what you remember, and then various excuses are made to save face in front of said pie, in otherwords I was the only one that actually said the words out loud

"that was bloody awful!"

Back to the people mover, because we have a lot of people to move and onwards to Dunedin but not before stopping into the Moeraki Pebbles ooooo I mean Boulders. Can't believe how windy it is today! It's a shame that it is not blowing behind us and saving us some of that $1.95 a litre petrol. Stopped at the boulders and they are as great as I remember the boys thought they were amazing, wind was blowing and tide was in so had a very quick visit.

Arrived in Dunedin very, very windy and quite hot, the sun seems to be putting on a show for us while we are here and proclaiming in a voice that shouts:

"Burn, Burn!"

Terry, Sonya and the Girls are all good and it was so great to see them. About 2 seconds after we arrived Jack and Grace were best friends and chatting and playing for hours after that. Looks like they are going to enjoy spending the holidays together.

Day Six!

Monday morning arrived and saw Doug dropping the Campbell Clan (Doug's Sister, husband and kids) off to the airport for their trip to Auckland. Arriving back at the house to find the boys and I packing up getting ready to head South to Timaru where we will catch up with friends for pizza & beer. Petrol is $1.95 holy shit, are there any laws over here that prevent children from pulling/pushing cars to their destinations???? Probably is but will give it a go and see how far we get..... Called in and spent $40 on drugs to get rid of this flu that Doug and I have picked up - bloody thing won't go away and now it looks as though Sam is coming down with it as well. Everyone a little tired and cranky today - not enough sleep. Considering getting totally inebriated tonight and starting a fresh tomorrow. Catching up with some of Doug's old school friends tonight and will no doubt listen to repeated stories of drunken nights and what not for the 600th time - am starting to believe I was actually there. Maybe in another 10-20 years when their memories are not so good I will actually be able to tell them what they got up to all those years ago......

 

Day Two!

After a few wines, good company, classic conversation & the best fish & chips in the Universe we said goodbye to Day One of our Adventure. Day two arrived with a new sense of relaxtion and gratitude for the coming weeks ahead. 8:30am started the day for Doug & I while the younger members of the family started their day at a very relaxing 11am. The weather is pretty mild with everyone in Jeans and T-Shirts. Jack spent the next few hours casing Toby (cockerspaniel) around the back yard yelling at him:

"Toby stop, sit down so we can shake hands"

while Toby complied 90% of the time to Jacks demands the other 10% of time was spent trying to make himself invisible fron the mad Aussie 4yr old screaming and running around his domain. I am sure we will wake to plenty of fresh land mines on day 3 planted strategically around the back yard in an attempt to slow the 4yr old down.

To give Toby a break we took a walk up to the local shopping centre "The Palms" for subway and a look around. Be still my beating heart NZ has the most beautiful shoes, as I walked around the stores I was trying to devise plans and strategies of acquiring a few pairs, I will go to bed tonight praying to wake up with a few extra pairs of feet as an excuse for said acquirement. More on this at a later date!

The walk home saw Jack on Doug's shoulders complaining how tired he was and when he got home he was going to go to bed, poor little thing he had been up for, ooooh, I don't know 4 hours. We got home to Toby wagging his little tail very excited to see Jack, obviously doesn't have a very good memory or he had recovered from the torment of the morning. The boys were back and playing x-box, funnily the same no matter what country you are in. The money Mum had given them for x-mas was obvioulsy burning a hole in their pockets as Sam came home with a gun and he and Ryan are running around the house shooting each other Aidan & Josh are both sporting the most hidieous canvas shoes you have ever seen, with Doug commenting:

"God $10 you paid for those shoes you got ripped off"!

Day 3 is supposed to be bringing rain but will see the Fahey's dropping the people mover off for a service before our road trip down south and trying to obtain a car seat because you would need one if you had a small child and wanted to drive somewhere......der!

Day One!

So there we were saying goodbye to our drivers (thank you Ang & Gav), standing outside the International Terminal - FINALLY we had made it, our destination awaits. After check in we rode the escalator to the departure lounge where the aroma of fresh coffee was a welcomed scent, aha coffee club our saviour from collapse. All three boys very grown up handing over there own boarding passes, even Jack, the man asked him if it was him in the the photo, Jack replied,

"Well Yes!" Der who else would it be, I heard in his voice.

The winding journey down towards the planes door, excitement filled the air till I heard this very loud panicked 4yr old voice beside me,

"Oh My God! I don't want to get on the plane!"

By now it was official we had formed a back log of passengers wanting to board and start their journey. As we stood their encouraging the other passengers to just go past us and board, I saw in their eyes the sheer panic imminent of a terrible flight? After blackmail, empty promises and bribery we were all seated waiting for take off and I am happy to report a new excited 4yr old voice yelling beside me,

"Woo Hoo we're taking off into the clouds, whoosh" making random hand gestures.

I think I heard the plane sigh with delighted relief, with the loudest one coming from the parents of said 4yr old. While listening to my ipod "Video Killed the Radio Star",  I sat watching the older boys play with their somewhat vintage hand held games and Jack taking photos of Doug sleeping, I realise how tired I am and am looking forward to a holiday in the Land of the Long White Cloud......