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we promised more crazy weather today, but other than a few clouds and fog nothing very exciting.  at least for auckland.

i had a busy day at work which included a brief period of ‘drop everything and make a pretty slide pack for the CEO’ which was good

jane has been out and about shopping and doing some laughing with her friend fleur (by the sounds of it).

then this evening we all went in to kezia’s school for a meet the teacher evening.  kezia’s teacher seems really good so we’ve got high hopes.  whilst the parents sat in the classrooms listening to the teachers, the kids ran about having water fights, enjoying a sausage sizzle (bbq) and the bouncy castle.  modern schools hey

it’s still nice and warm out but the pool has cooled down a bit with all the rain.  and i had to empty some water out tonight for fear of it overflowing if we get more rain tomorrow.

lots of people have been commenting this is the worst summer they’ve ever known weather wise.  it’s still nice and warm though even if the lack of sun is a bit bobbins.

big news.  a waterspout appeared in the harbour outside my window this afternoon.  luckily i was armed with my camera so you can see what it looked like (above and below)

a few minutes later another one appeared in the distance near where we live.  but it was again over water so there was no danger.   jane can tell you about the rest of the day

Today I led the Mainly Music group for the first time – it went ok, I think. Then I went to coffee with a chum. It has been a musical day for the girls as they both had both of their music lessons today and Kezia had swimming too. Very rainy all day.

Toodle pip

valentimes day today (as kezia used to call it).  jane found this heart shaped special k this morning.  and there was the usual collection of cards

i had a meeting at the industry group office just 10 minutes from home which was very convenient because i needed to be home all afternoon to greet the men who were installing a new copper broadband line in to our house.  it was quite a quick process to put it in, but then the Telecom chap spent a couple of hours doing lots of testing and measurements so they have something to compare it against when we get upgraded to fibre, hopefully within the next month

we’re now on an uncontended test network so anyone skyping us might notice we look even more lovely than normal (i think that’s what it means)

jane had her second week of work at church doing her music group roster sorting.  it’s now got to the ‘oh no, how am i going to remember all that’ stage but i’m sure she’ll be fine once she’s gone through the process a couple of times.  let’s hope the lady who is doing it doesn’t have her baby until at least the due date so jane gets a couple more supervised sessions where she can ask plenty of questions

this evening the girls got on with their homework and music practices so well we let them have a late night swim.  jane went in briefly, but it was a bit chully due to the recent rain so she made a hasty exit

so jane and i sat watching the sunset over the creek and occasionally chuckling at the sight of our our gymnastic guinea pigs running round in circles at amazing speeds

Busy day today. I did domesticities and met a friend from school for coffee. Kezia discovered she has been made a school library monitor – she is very pleased about that.

After school Esther had preseason netball training. This is a new venture for her. Kezia and I went to the library and then to spend some of her birthday money on a new duvet and pillow set.

This evening Dave led homegroup and I went to a worship leaders meeting. They were a lively bunch and I think I will have to lead that one next time as part of my job – eek.

usual sunday morning skyping although i was at church early for band rehearsal so i missed out today.

church was good with some jolly songs i could make a bassy noise to. 

after church i had a life group leaders meeting which i thought was going to be 15 minutes, but actually was an hour and half

which was a bit tricky as we’d been invited to lunch, so i slipped away a little early

lunch was a bbq at some friends from church who live on our road.  they’d invited two other couples along (including some people who lived opposite our old house but who we’d never sat down for a meal with).  we had a really nice time.

kezia went to a party straight after church then jane took her to flippa ball (kezia’s team won – great start to the new season)

i had a sleep.  and now thoughts and actions are turning to getting ready for the new week

oh, and it’s been very showery today.  but still nice and warm.

one of those frustrating days where i’ve got nothing much to show for a day of not really getting anything sorted.

the girls and i left home just after 7.30am to take kezia to her swimming, but when we got there we found out it had been cancelled so we came back.

jane went out to a church ladies meeting this morning which was good (apparently)

meanwhile esther and i did a bit of window shopping then came home around the same time that jane arrived back

the rest of the day has just been low level domestic fiddling.  although there was some intensive pencil sorting this evening for the church kids groups

kezia meanwhile had a great time as she was at a party from 9.30am to around 6pm.  they went up north somewhere to a friend’s holiday house and it was jolly good by all accounts.

jane cooked us a roast for dinner which we ate outside then sat in the garden a bit.

another busy day at work. or at least it was until lunchtime when some of my deadlines and meeting were finished

so at lunch i walked up to the central court in auckland with my work colleague Sasha. he was there to hand in his forms so he can be admitted to the bar or whatever the official thing is that turns you in to a proper lawyer when you’ve completed all your exams

it was a nice walk, though very hot.

jane had a spontaneous coffee with her friend Amanda, then went for a planned coffee with another Janine.  this afternoon she did a bit of shopping and washed a load of kids toys for church

this evening at swimming the girls saw Valerie Adams who has just won Sportswoman of the year again (for the 6th year running).  she was sitting where i normally sit when i take the girls swimming.  serves me right for not going this evening

this evening we all watched frozen planet whilst this excellent sunset appeared outside so i popped out for a snap 

weekend is here.  yay!

a day of such busyness that it didn’t all fit in

work was silly busy with one piece of work just finished at the very moment the NZ telecom regulator published an important document i needed to review and summarise for various people.  i did manage to pop out for a birthday lunch with Buzz though which was a much needed moment of sanity (relatively) in the day of madness

i left work at 4pm (i got in just after 7am so i did my hours) to meet jane and kezia in Mairangi Bay.  jane went off for her cookery (see below) and kezia and i went for a nice walk round the shops and the beach whilst esther was having her tennis lesson. 

the three of us then zoomed to mcdonalds, wolfed burgers (not wolf burgers) then went to esther’s school to enrol her in netball for next term

unfortunately this involved buying some netball kit (second hand rather than new thanks to a tip off from another mum) and then joining a massive queue to pay. the queue was so long we didn’t get home until just after 7pm which was coincidentally exactly the time my church band practice started at the church centre, and ten minutes later than Laura the babysitter had been scheduled for (laura was on the doorstep, though her mum was in the car outside.  i didn’t think to ask why).

i arrived at band practice a few minutes late, but i wasn’t the latest.  and the practice was good

the reason i had to experience the usual hectic domestics (which i’m usually sheltered from at work) was because jane had gone out with her friend Alex to a cookery class in town.  they aren’t back and it’s nearly 4 hours after they left …

and it’s pretty hot and humid here.  as i drove home at 9pm the car was showing 21degC.  very tempting to go and have a quick swim before bedtime.

but i’ve got lots i need to do at work before 9am so i should be to bed so i can get in early.

busy day at work for me with a bit of an earlier start so i could leave at 4pm to pick up kezia from her violin lesson (just as well that i left early as i got lost for 30 minutes on the way), then i took her to swimming.

jane meanwhile went with esther to school for a meet the teacher session which was good

today jane went for a run, a swim (exciting) then did the ironing and supermarket shopping (less exciting)

top picture was taken by kezia in the car.  it shows the very blue pacific with rangitoto our most recent and ever-visible volcano in the harbour.  The bottom picture is of a yacht transporter i spotted going by outside my office window

hello.  how are you?

jane had her first day at her new job – 4 hours each week doing the church music rosters.

this first week was spent being shown the ropes by the lady who is currently doing it.  and it went by in a flash apparently although was a bit of an information overload!

then she went for coffee with alex.  after school the girls went to Wairau park, which is a shopping area, to look for desk tidies to go on kezia’s tidy desk (still work in progress).  then they came home and made up a play in the pool which they presented to jane and me. 

kezia is being a shark in this scene.  she’s being fed by ‘aunty mabel’ (esther) which is clearly a foolish thing to do and ended with hilarious consequences.

work was good and there was a single cloud floating outside the window most of the afternoon (it was interesting as it gradually got bigger).  i didnt spend the entire day watching the cloud.  mostly.

then this evening we had our first ‘life group’ it was just thomas, edmund and me but out of small acorns or something.  we sat outside as the sun went down with the sound of cicadas and new zealish birds in our background ears.