Whose for a laugh...

Last weekend we decided to put up the tree, reluctantly dragged it out of the shed and said to the kids, go for it! We always put on a christmas CD and sing songs while decorating it. This time was no exception. The only change this year was our new edition to the family "Lucy" who decided that the tinsle and christmas decorations looked like alot of fun to play with.

So she jumped inside the tree and swiped at us every time we put a decoration on the tree.

Husband and I headed up to Auckland the following weekend to attend a Christmas Function as a guest with Fujitzu. We stayed with my cousin, the boys took off early in the morning to jump on a boat to go fishing, so K and I joined a church coffee group and proceeded to making Gingerbread houses. If you havent done this sort of thing before, I dont suggest you start! Oh my goodness, I can glue fascinators together but dont ask me to glue a gingerbread house together. The sides collapsed, the roof fell in, my cousins little boy kept eating the sides of her house before it was even put together! It was fun though. Then it was off to the Comedy Club in Queens Street for dinner and a show! Great fun.

Now, what would Christmas be if you didnt get the poppies together and "pretend" to make Christmas Wreaths for ya door while downing cupcakes, champers and chocolate rockyroad along with gorgeous wreath shaped bread.

Birthday week

Years ago I wouldnt have thought I could be happy about turning 42, (I had a crisis about turning 30 for goodness sake....wouldnt let Mum put the no. 30 on my cake amongst other things.....) but things have changed in recent times. I welcome any year that follows the next, because now I know it is a gift to be alive, to have my health and to be with my husband and beautiful children.

So I say bring it on.....


I love my friends who are so generous with their love and time and thoughtfulness. I love that my husband and children want to have me as their wife and mummy, I love that my parents support me in all the crazy things I do with un-faulted attention. I love that I dont sweat the little things and take each day as it comes and accept people for their differences...... I hate my increasing waistline, I hate my wrinkles, I hate my housework and messy everything, I hate having to produce food everyday for hungry mouths, I hate frizzy hair days..... but you know what, the things I hate can all be fixed, (just need to have lipo, facelift and a maid), but to have the love of your friends and family is sooo much more precious than saggy things, so my hates just pale in comparision to my loves. I love my life, I couldnt be more happy with what I have.

My week started with lunch downtown with two special ladies who bought me lunch, and beautiful little trinkets and pamper vouchers.(girls just know what other girls like aye!!)

Then the next day my two kids started my birthday off with fascinators in their hair and feathers on sticks. They are so like their mother!!!!

Tuesday was my actual birthday and I spent it on my own which sounds weird but after having partied during the weekend (mamma Mia yay!!!!), I actually enjoyed the peace and just "me" time. Went and saw Brideshead Revisted which was lovely. Ate lunch on the beach at the mount, shopped at Save Mart and picked kids up from school. Husband returned home early so we took kids to McD's for tea and then off to ICONZ. Met up with Mum, Dad, my sister and had tea and desert at Bravo. Lovely time.

Fab Five

On Thursday Katey Sparkles organised a lunch for me in her secret garden. What a treat, hats and bubbles, salads and cupcakes. What more could a girl want.

Meanwhile E6 has decided to enter yet another competition at school (as if Maungatapu Idol wasnt enough!!!) and has auditioned for "So you think you can dance"..... yep wouldnt you know it, she got through her audition and is into the semi-finals. You go girl, I love how she makes the most of every opportunity!!!

Mamma Mia, what a Weekend.

What does one do when Mamma Mia is finally released onto DVD... well you go and buy it with the sounds track to match......Hmmm, its really one of those movies to be shared.... ok. lets have a girls weekend away and celebrate its release.

......but where do you go when there is only a 24 hour window of possibility to get 5 girls together? Pukehina of course, its the next best thing to Greece!

Ok so if we cant holiday in Greece itself, we need to pretend we are there, so a menu was planned around Greek food and there you have it.... one special "Mamma Mia" girls night away.... It really was more of a "release" of the girls than a release of the DVD!

Oh and a weekend away just wouldnt be the same without wigs and boas.

Next morning Saz created a feast for our eyes (and tummys) with salmon eggs bene. Oh yumm, so much better than any cafe could do.......

Thanks girls for a special weekend....

Semi-Finals

So the Maungatapu Idol Semi-finals got underway last week, with our 5 divas singing their little hearts out once again (High School Musical - Start of something new).... oh they were so gorgeous and everyone enjoyed the performance. They set up a voting system where you had to "vote" with a gold coin donation for the performers you liked the best. Wouldnt you know it, E5's group got the most money and now they are off to the Finals! Oh to be 5....

Take the good with the bad

Good news: E5 and 4 of her school buddies entered their School Idol competition last week (this is a year One class!) and sang a song from High School Musical and won their heat of the competition! That means onto the finals with the rest of the hopefuls! They were soooooo gorgeous up there, they had worked out all the actions and costumes. So proud of my little girl. Hopefully Daddy is going to be home in time to watch the finals.


Bad news: Well not really baaaaad news but I went to pick R8 up from school on Friday and I noticed as he was walking towards me that one side of his face was a bit bigger than the other! Oh dear, he had collided with another student as they were both going around the same corner - in opposite directions. Result - black eye. Now Grandma will know all about how that feels, after having just broken her nose and ended up with two black eyes!

The last photo was taken 3 days later, the brusing is significant now but the swelling has gone down.

On yer bike

The count down is on.... G39 is almost ready to leave on his grand adventure... biking through France. Yes biking, not motorbiking, push biking.... from Paris to Bordeaux. He has been invited to join his Parents who are biking from Amsterdam to Barcelona. Mad? maybe.... courageous... definately. Oh and by the way, he wont be staying at some quaint little B&B in the French countryside or some flash villa... oh no, he is taking a tent, an inflatable mattress and his bike. They are aiming to do around 60-80km a day.

Now packing up his bike is no easy task....

Tires need deflating, racks need removing, pedals off, axles secured, wheels dismantled...

Until you can fit a bike into a bag that can go on a plane....

....and thats how its done!

Have a great trip Husband and Daddy... we will miss you over the next month, but we know you are going to have an adventure of a lifetime... you go with our blessing and love. xxx

Mamma Mia Mania

Mamma mia, here I go again....My my, how can I resist you?

News Flash - girls go crazy in Bay City Cinema - It must be Mamma Mia Mania!

Knowing me, knowing you (ah-haa)...There is nothing we can do
But have a fun night out
To sing and shout … we love Mamma Mia!!!
I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay....Ain't it sad

And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me .. Except for tonight!....

In my dreams I have a plan, to see Mamma Mia if I can..... I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball...

Tuesday night and the lights are low....Looking out for the place to go.....Where they play the right music, getting in the swing......You come in to do your thing......Anybody could be that girl........Night is young and the music's high........With a few feather boas, everything is fine.......You're in the mood for a dance.....And when you get the chance...

You are the Dancing Queens, young and sweet only 30 something's.....

You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life ....See those girls, watch their scene, dig in the Dancing Queens!!!

Honey honey, touch me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey....Honey honey, hold me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey....You look like a movie star(You look like a movie star), ...But I know just who you are(I know just who you are), ...you are my fabulous friends, oh you make me crazy!

Let me hear you sing once more like you did before...Sing a new song, Tau and Angie....Try once more like you did before....Sing a new song, you buncha crazies!

falafel anyone?

Thank you girls for a fantabulous night out ..... mwah mwah, lova ya all.....

p.s. thanks to the husbands who did the ICONZ drop offs and picks up to make our night possible. mwah to you too, we cant live without ya!!!