I survived "Do I get a medal?"

Xmas day was lovely we got all our shopping and goodies earlyish, scored a plump Turkey and had all the trimmings had a lovely cheesecake for pudding Samuel loved all his goodies he got T shirts books and a speaker phone thing for his Mp3 player (looks like a yo-yo and has serous base sound) and some DVD movies etc. I got a diary and a HUGE huge container of my favourite moisturiser.

We managed to eat sleep rest and SWIM at the lake (Lake Taupo Central North Island NZ), biggest Southern Hemisphere Fresh water lake NOT man made.

New Years Eve arrived HUGE fundraiser and made HEAPS money selling some seriously BIG KICK ASS glowsticks!! that random flash in light sequences THEY are sooo cool and so did 1200 of our customers!!!!!!!!!!!

Whilst the family I work for were away I still worked on and off doing mail runs and animal feeding NICE and washing (normal house duty things as if family were still there) as they had 15 days off I couldn't drink until after 7pm once animals had been sorted SO sorted of spoilt my days off (supposed days off) why can't people with ANIMALS organise Other CARE!!

They arrived home and 4 days later the parents went away leaving me with kiddies, for 8 nights (well that turned out so wrong), DAD arrives AUSSIE appendix ruptures in hospital wont release him misses flights etc comes home 4 days after said time!! Me and the kids had a ball we swam, played, made lego forts, water slides, biked, played cards monopoly, played Barbie dolls hairdressing school (1000 clips and butterfly clips in my hair IT FELT LIKE!!!) baking, painting, bubble making generally had a blast.

I am a little over kids ATM only becuase I am so tired but 1 more good nights sleep I should be ok. (young NORTY kittens at other house WHOM jump on you and play at 3am NOT CUTEY CUTEY!). and young girl who wakes at 6am so cute but NOT! boys woke at 8am most mornings.

I am home in my own house and bed and it feels GREAT!

All in all we had a lovelish break but I will take some days too myself soon say a 4 day break! JUST ME! (well and Samuel of course cause I can't leave him on his own!)

I hope everyone has a nice last few days of school holidays!

Ciao

On the home stretch to the FAT MAN COMETH!

We have our last fundraiser tonight KAPA HAKA, whilst performing on Sunday19th for Taupo promo shop till u drop xmas day, A guy booked the kapa kids for a private function ($400 thank you very much!!!) a birthday party we getting ready at 6pm (inked up "moko" etc) and dressed rehearse then onto the party for an 8pm show!! HOW COOL is that (tiring but cool), I worked today from 9am until WELL I'm still going I am finishing at 5pm (nothing like being flogged right up to the day!) I have cleaned 2 houses and then done 9 loads of washing today 3 OF my own, and 6 of SOMEONE ELSES!!!! 2 towels, 1 clothes, 2 sheets and 1 miscellaneous.whilst they are on holiday I guess I am NOT! have to feed cats and water lawns etc! oh yay for me...

I honestly thought I wouldn't hold out until today BUT I have managed JUST! I made $400 on 2 sales this week alone so that boosted the holiday coffers,I am off to do a little of my own ironing AND A FAIR chunk of someone elses ironing, hang out the last load of sheets ! THANK GOD they wont take long to dry, and THEN I can relax tomorrow and xmas day, the only DIRTY clothes and things are what we are wearing ! I may at this stage wear them for 3 days so AS NOT too do anymore washing!!!! lol the food is bought we have 2 extras for xmas day.

MY JASON is coming here (his family have abandoned him AGAIN and he was having xmas alone THEY MAKE ME WANT TO MURDER I SWEAR!!) and I'm ok with him coming here but when you have brothers, Aunties Uncles, in your own town where you are WHY can't any of them invite him over!! (his parents are off tripping down south for 4 MONTHS!!!! they have no responsibilities or conscience or duty of care! he is their son WTF is wrong with these people!)

Vent over for now, but my christmas cheer took a denting when I got the text last night to say "I'm alone for xmas what are you doing?" and of course then I had 60 questions why haven't he family his family asked me over around or INCLUDED him!!!! and they wonder why he has SEVERE mental illness issues THEY FARKIN CAUSE IT!!!! ok enough! Then I stopped cause I realised I could be making it worse BY pointing out HOW MANY of HIS BLOOD FAMILY don't think of him!

I have only bought presents for Samuel and the 2 kiddies I look after nobody else FIRST time ever! feels strange but as I said to my friend where we are going for xmas its about friends your "family" extended( as in my case) and or otherwise and good food good company, and at least we have a house to live in and a job.

To be Thankful

A few things I am thankful for is my gorgeous SON, his kindness, his humour, his unconditional love, his brilliance, his handsomeness, his helpfulness, his spirit, MY friends whom always ask after Jason first and then me (because that's how it should be), I am capable of a normal existence in between moments of chaos. I am thankful of my good health, I am amazed at how I give to others readily and freely, also involving myself in all manner of committee and school based events and thankful I have a job that allows some flexibility to be able to do so,I am thankful that I have friends who appreciate all I do for them, and they immediately jump to my defense when needed,I am thankful my circle of friends whom defend my privacy to the hilt!! in regards to family! My friends ROCK. I am thankful of my elderly neighbours whom regard Samuel as a grandson! I am thankful my son has a nice group of friends long may that last!

Some things I wish

I wish I was more patient, I wish I was more forgiving (Family), I wish sometimes I wasn't so darned hardnosed, I wish I was in a position to offer more volunteer hours at school, I wish sometimes there were more hours in the day.

I hope everyone has a nice xmas and a relaxing time enjoying friends and families company however your family unit is made up....

Ciao
Blondie1 and Son.

Just call me SANTA..........

Cause surely SANTA hasn't ever been this busy!!!!

Just so I haven’t forgotten everyone was our programme of events from the last few weeks until school ENDS, which is DEC 10^th (oh to be back at school) End of year activities and prizegivings and exams it has just been one big BLUR!!!! I hope everyone is well staying out of trouble and looking forward to relaxing at XMAS like I am!!! AND please please do RAIN DANCES as it is so hot and dry it’s terrible.

We have been so DAMNED busy with kapa haka and karate its insane WE have won the right to hold the karate NATIONALS next year and we are fundraising every 2^nd Saturday to raise $18000!!! The kapa haka we had Friday 26^{th November} (pre cycle race) we fed 100 people entertained danced sang and then had to clean up got home 11pm!!! thought I would email through our next 3 weeks of timetable we have kapa haka swimming FRIDAY 19^th, at Jump Jam all day sat 20^th November from 8am until 7pm!!!!

NEXT week is Cycle challenge (nov 27^th) and all that week we have kapa haka tues/wed/thrus/fri night is WELCOMING cyclists onto school and performance then SAT morning we have karate BBQ organised for fundraising and also a RAFFLE going at Pak n Save Sunday and then the next week is Activites week at school for all Year 9 and he has practices karate kapa haka and swimming everyday afterschool right up until SCHOOL ENDS so we are flat out next weekend too, following week we are at school Tues/wed/thurs with kapa haka as FRI night 3^rd December is MARAE stay over as we have to be at Mount Tauhara for Contact Energy (600 GUESTS!!!! Including Iwi groups etc) official powhiri and welcome and entertainment party!! IT WAS 10 HOURS of on and off performing and eating!! Have all day gig Saturday then Sunday is Karate again fundraiser, Week of Dec 6^th is final week of school and we have junior prizegiving kapa haka 3 nights then swimming then Karate BBQ we aren’t free until December 18^th and even then that weekend we have Karate fundraiser on!!! A garage sale at my place IT is 80% set up NOW as of December 16th.

We then have the garage sale 18th december next fundraising is selling amazing "Thundersticks" (random light sticks like lightsabers!) at the New Years Eve concert and at THE STAN WALKER and ANIKA MOA concert Whoop Whoop oh and DJ Rumble will be there and Ivy Lies!!! WE then have A HUGE HANGI fundraiser at End of January and between then I WILL BE ON HOLIDAY I swear!!!!!!

I have kept up with all me gardenign etc and house cleaning (spring/summer huck out!) so IT MAKES me relax as if I see jobs to do I get up instead of relaxing! DAM IT!

Swimming stops in the week of December 17^th being last lesson, then Samuel will go back to 2 nights of karate until school starts again on February 3^rd, then its FULL on as they have a huge KAPA HAKA competition in Rotorua in March so will be practising 3 nights a week for that again and the saturday's as well for it.(and chuck in swimming as well and its BUSY central all over.


Samuel did really well in Year 9 exams got a lot of Excellence in Maths English Science Social Studies, a few achieved with merit, and 2 achieved so he was pleased with that.Also got a principals MERIT award and National recognition awards for Karate.

I got photos of course and SOMETIME I will load them.

I don't know about you guys BUT this year is busier than ever, and we got our tree up 2 weeks ago, but I fear xmas will be very lean for us and our extended friends, it has been a horrid year really finances wise HERE'S hoping 2011 is mucho better.

I hope all of you have relaxing enjoyable holidays with friends and family AND some of you are even getting married!!!!!!!

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Ciao

Far out November already....

last few weeks been absolutely flat out with kapa haka(KH) and karate, kapa haka performed at the schools 50th Jubilee we were there from 8.30am until 3.30pm helped set up 600 seats the kitchen seats and tables the outdoor seats and tables then helped dish up the hangi for 500, then did UNTOLD DISHES!!!!!! whilst the group performed for 2 hours!!!! then helped pack it all away whilst the jubilee group went to photos and afternoon tea and mingling then of course the dinner which other entertainment was used. as people were seated they performed in time sets of 25 mins then break 5 - 10 mins then back into it as each different set of 100 came through, the Pacific Island groups performed later in day and then in the late afternoon the school orchestra too so entertainment was on offer all day. Long day but highly successful.

The KH group has been practicing for 3 days during week and 2 hrs on a Sunday or Saturday arvo as we just competed in a Hauraki meet held in Waihi, GOSH the performances JUST blew me away 1000's of people everywhere and singing galore. GOT up at 4.30am left 5.30am got home 9.30pm!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday Samuel and I DID NOT move off the couches! we were stuffed.

I have some pics BUT not the ones I want to put on never mind!Samuel is second from right!and the 3 girls are the senior members they are 16yr olds, SOME of the other schools MAN their boys/men were scary as!!!! and the girls/women JUST beautiful.The group has 15 girls and 12 boys BUT some of the boys didn't either A: have permission to go or B: had the I can't be bothered to go (touch rugby and sports takes precedence!).The boys wear black g strings and their backsides are decorated and black inked accordingly! (not a job for the fainthearted!).

ALSO the school kapa haka group GETS NO acknowledgement or merits for their performances and or work throughout the year!! HOW STUPID is that they the Te Reo classes ( the classes in their official capacity get merits etc) but they are EXPECTED to do ALL powhiri welcome ,wero and challenges and perform at schools discretion but give them acknowledgement and distinction ERRR NO, and it is a lot like this through out other schools THIS was touched on by ORGANISERS of the 2 most recent competitions we have been too of late, A SHAME really a BIG SHAME! but indicitive of current mood towards encouraging Maori to be Maori.(and I NOW remember what shied me away from my culture over 30 years ago, the backlash is still prevalent however it was so nice to see such enthusiastic performances and pride I even ran into a couple I haven't seen for 10 years!!!).

That being said Samuel is continuing to take Maori and Japanese next year BUT only after a SCHOOL head meeting 3 heads and the principal and me, I argued that Kapa Haka is performing arts and cultural (ie drama and music components), and Te Reo class is the language literature component, and japanese will be vital for his karate and where he wants to head later with his karate, travel etc he will pick up Spanish again next year in his spare time the school argued that the MOE has to know WHY this student (and others) aren't taking drama or music I said kapa haka is performance drama acting singing etc etc and is cultural heritage too, perserving waiata and legends etc his Te Reo teacher and Japanese teacher all supported his request very strongly so that helped too. They finally agreed and I know that there are not 1 but 3 other students are taking 2 languages 1 other girl does Maori/Japanese and another student does French/Japanese.

Samuel has just had an interview with Tpo District Council with the Asthma Funding programme for Asthmatics "Swim For Life" our co coordinator here in Tpo district secured $100K of funding for swim programmes( to roll out to all schools in our district) and the Asthma foundation put in a substantial amount of funding for children/students who had Asthma and needed SWIM LESSONS, we applied beginning of this year and Samuel couldn't swim 10m without huffing and blowing and or stopping, (has never had swim lessons) they and the coordinator is looking at presenting Maori/PI swim programmes to encourage more attendance and are using Samuels story as their Guinea Pig poster Boy, he had to do a write up and they Council and coordinator were blown away by his writing! THEY hope it will bring more people to apply for the funding which is under used!

They KH group are hard out this week and next, 4 day practices for another competition on Nov 13th the group has been asked to powhiri and perform at a CONTACT ENERGY launch at Mt Tauhara Dec 4th WHERE we will be bused to a location and the group has A WOW FACTOR performance for the Kaumatua and guests in the guise of an out style haka and true AMBUSH will be spine tingling stuff thats for real, they have to perform at Senior prizegiving Nov 10th and then another competition then Junior prizegiving, then final assembly!!!!! THEN that's it for the year! phew!!!!! Samuel is down to one night a week karate whilst this is all on and then when school finishes will go back to 2 nights a week karate I will get a 3 month swimming pool card for over summer so he can keep up his swimming and stay on track. BUT I am looking forward to no school as this last month is CRAZY!They the KH group might also be doing 3 day busking over xmas to fundraise for early year competiton in Rotorua. (thats a HUGE competition)

I do hope everyone is keeping busy and only 56 ish sleeps until xmas! eeeekkkkkkkkk

Ciao
Sharon

I love the holidays....................

Samuel and I have slept in every day until 9am ish one day until 10am (but very late night) as 2 of the week nights he had friends stay over, we have played upwords,scrable and crib, in the first week when weather was cruddy, this week we have been out in the sunshine gardening early morning until 1045 11am ish when it is getting too darn bright/hot (dare I say that), I have caught up on all my jobs pulling beds out and furniture and vacuuming under everything will do edges tomorrow and thurs mow lawns thursday wash sheets and air blankets so all caught up pre going back to school TERM 4 OMG!!! as Sunday we have KAPA HAKA practice all day.

Samuels school finish on Dec 10th they have approx 8 weeks schooling left BUT 1 week is strike interrupted, 1 week is year 9 activities week so in effect only 6 weeks of school then 6 weeks holiday!!! gawd give me school any day! I have been working on my pre tan tan all this week in the sun too, nice

Samuel karate club has just secured from Wellington and Auckland THE RIGHT to hold next NATIONALS Aug 2011 (I know right before the RWC) but we are thrilled we have raised so far $2000 and need to raise another $15000 in 11 months very doable and if we succeed and do well Takahashi may very well say Taupo Nationals ALL the time it makes sense there are Wellington people Auckland people Whanganui people and New Plymouth people Turangi and Taupo we are the most central place.

I love this weather and have scrubbed me BBQ and got it all ready for the onslaught of summer YAY YAY YAY.

Hope everyone is having nice holidays too.

Ciao

Kapa Haka Festival was great....

On Wed 15th? I think yip of september the TNT(Taupo Nui a Tia) Kapa Haka performed to raptuous applause!!!! the boys did a "Poi" stint and my son got to perform doublehand poi tricks and single handed poi tricks (he was the only one) and the crowd went wild I will have some amazing photos soon I hope of his get up he looked like a true blue Maori Owwwwww. The other boys did just single poi single hand tricks they had a ball we sold 600 hangis on first day sunny on second DAY hail rain and wind NOOOOOIIIIIIICCCEEEE! not.they are now in training for Wairakei performance A big affair, and next years Te Arawa festival!!!! BIG HUGE DEAL!!!!!

Tomorrow is my babies birthday he will be 14 yrs old!!!he is set to head to Sports Awards and its semi formal got our tickets today as he is nominated and I do hope he receives something ON HIS BIRTHDAY would be soooooo cooool he feels bummed he has to attend school at night on his birthday but the lure of food and nibbles has him leaning towards its ok !!

I don't need to speak of the FOUL WEATHER!!! but it is cold wet windy and rainy and I am over it over it!!!! my house resembles Wing Wah's laundry 24/7 now!!!! (except today it was sunny ish!).

I got my son a mini mini speaker "Divoom" to run his MP3 off and it is the dinkiest thing he is charging it upa s I type so he can use it tomorrow on his birthday, it runs his cellphone music through the speaker and a notebook, pcp, gaming devices, ipod's so pretty darn handy!! 2 people I showed today went and bought one each I thought WOW thats pretty impressive not bad sound considering.....

He is getting music vouchers, t shirts, smellies, games, PS2 stuff and other items that I know of so far so all in all he should have a nice birthday we are having his favourite dinner spag n meatballs, and garlic bread and chocolate cake for pudding then straight off to Awards.

Labour weekend is a big event here for Karate and did I say Samuel has improved out of sight one of the senior black belts said to me a few weeks ago he is getting stronger and faster and striking harder (he bloodied the seniors face and HAD blood on Gi to show me!!! nooooiiiiiiccce!)

I hope everyone is keeping sane and ahead of their washing piles!!!!!!!

Ciao

And another weekend bites the dust!

A huge week swimming,karate,kapa haka, rugby organising(wind up do), and then Friday Saturday Sunday cooking for 24 people dinnerx2, Brekkiex2,lunchx2, I made lasagne, casserole cooked sausages and french toast with bubble n squeak! and DIDI a small mountain of dishes THE KIDS help though and not alot of sleep was had.

It was cold and the practises were long and involved, but alot was achieved, and now for the polishing the boys found out they have to wear "maru" g strings under the bum flaps THAT was hilarious....

When we got home we unpacked the CAR from blankets, clothes mattresses and food, AND did 2 loads washing, I had a karate meeting to attend then I came home and vaccummed cleaned bathroom toilet and kitchen Samuel vaccumed) we then fell down into chairs exhausted (cornbeef in crockpot) had mashed potatoe and pumpkin and veges!

We are now both heading to bed and I BET I snore heaps!!!!

Ciao

I have this coming week off (fingers crossed) and I will be at school Monday, Tuesday organising Rugby folder for our Thursday night POTLUCK dinner YAY (organised by me), Wednesday at school Thursday cooking dishes for the potluck dinner I am going to do a crockpot of chilli mince and one of curried sausages AND a pot of RICE.

I hope the weather holds out for the week