Clive Owen is great!

 

I had my first frost yesterday. I ended up in Te Awamutu for the night and caught up with Mat, Paula and Alissa. Dominos Pizza store opening was the event of the day. So we had Pizza and beer for dinner (very nice too). Alissa is growing up very quickly and has loads of hair come on recently.

 

So, I crawled out of bed to a frozen car. Turn the car on and amp the heater up full bore whilst I checked out. From here it was a brief drive to Taumaranui (on the main trunk line) to drop off some gas detectors to the rail guys. Breakfast at the Copper Kettle (recommended by the locals) and I concur. From here the local Plod said to head across SH41 to Turangi. A really lovely road, nice winding road through rolling hills with views of native forest and the snow capped peaks of the Central Plateau. Ice on the road, verges and trees at 1030 in the morning! Just before Tokaanu you pop over the hill and Lake Taupo is laying in front of you. I had to stop and have a look. An awesome view. Through Turangi into Taupo onto Rotorua and to Whakatane to the Pulp Mill to drop off another gas detector and give the guys an overview of it. Onto Whakatane to visit the Fire Station and distributor. As no-one wanted me for the next day. I shot up to Tauranga for the night to catch up with Stu from Orica and Tim, Shelley and Steve.

 

A perfect day for driving. Bloody cold though.

 

A couple of hours sleep and then up to watch the 3rd Americas Cup race. Wow, couldn't miss it, so was pretty tired this morning.

 

From here I had to head out to Rangiuru to meet a customer. As I drove through Te Puke, just before the outskirts heading South is a retirement village. I glimpsed a hand waving from the grass. Trying to figure out what it was, I saw a mobility scooter on it's side. So I slammed on the brakes and pulled off to the side, another motorist heading North stopped just after me. We rushed over and found the bloke lying in the scooter on it's side. He said he was OK, and could we get him up. He was about 90kg plus the scooter. Luckily the other guy had stopped, I wouldn't have got him up on my own like that. 2 ladies who work at the village came to help. He cracked me up. He said he'd been going a little fast and clipped the curb and rolled it. So I guess there is no way a cc rating on vehicles will stop these boy racers! He was fine and the ladies took him back up the hill. I'm just glad he hadn't hurt himself. Must find one to take for a spin sometime. They obviously have some oomph.

 

That's all.

Deb is back to feeling better and is looking after Elise again.

 

My days of being at home have me convinced that it is time for Deb to go back to work. Not because it's easier (I can see why she is exhausted by 2130). But it beats working hands down.

 

So, Elise has a urinary tract infection, we found out last night. So we are starting down the path of Jackson's tests to see if she has urinary reflux too. Who knows, it appears that 1 in 3 children get urinary reflux, but most grow out of it. I guess, Andy & Mandy will be able to tell us more.

 

So a change of antibiotics to Augmentin today to treat that. The tonsils still hurt a bit and another tooth is coming through.

 

Elise has started blowing bubbles in the bath. She is quickly learning to lift her head out before breathing in again. The bathwater tastes fine!!

 

Nan & Grandad have just arrived for the week-end.

 

No other news, except that Elise is half Deb's height at 15 months.

 

Keep well!

Well, I've cancelled my trip to Napier and Gisborne this week.

 

I awoke this morning to 2 sick girls. Off to the doctor. Deb with some form of Gastro (not safe to stand in front of, or behind) and Elise also throwing up irregularly, a temperature, but otherwise happy. She has a fever and inflammed tonsils.

 

So Deb spent as much of the day in bed and I drove Elise around getting her to sleep and playing in the lounge and reading lots of books.

 

Both are off their food. Elise actually eating more than Deb. Loved her banana yoghurt. Doesn't like the electrolyte replacement drink they have given her! So antibiotics and paracetamol (I think).

 

I hope you are all feeling better than them!

 

Calling my first paternal sick day tomorrow.

 

Ciao

Well, doesn't time fly.

 

Deb and Elise went for the 15 month Plunket check-up today.

 

9.30kg and 77cm tall, so a gain of .8kg and 5cm in 5 months. Not bad.

 

She is an absolute loon and I came home today to her feeding herself food. Another first (for Mum to relinquish control) and Molly will be keen to experience self feeding from the kitchen floor too!

 

Another tooth is coming through, a top molar now. So a total of 11 teeth.

 

Ciao

 

Congratulations to my cousin Sam and Alex on the arrival of Julia yesterday.

 

3.32kg is about as close as I know for weight. No further information.

 

And a first Grandchild for Al & Linda.

 

 

Right, I'll get down to it.

 

Matt & Di had obviously been at the vino a bit large when they decided to ask us to be Godparents to Rome. Actually, maybe they wanted Deb and I was acquired by default. So as a Godfather, I was keen to hear that I was required to give spirit guidance (at the church). So, off the top of my head "Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder". I'll need to do some more research on what else I can offer him, "Jim Beam me up Scottie" and "Never eat the yellow snow"

 

More seriously, it was a lovely service and Rome (godson-in-law, if Deb gets her way) behaved himself well and it was also his birthday. So back to the Harris' for a party afterward. The kids ran madly around the house and played happily and no tears to my memory. Bob and Angela had been up for a concert on the Wednesday night, Angela stayed on until Bob returned on Friday night and then the week-end. Came to the church, a very nice little one in Epsom. Deb, Elise, Bob and Angela headed back to the Mount on Monday of Queen's Birthday and Molly and I followed on in the afternoon. I then travelled on to Napier for the remainder of the week for work, while the girls relaxed at Nan-camp.

 

Elise is so funny and frighteningly smart. She is now getting closer to speaking (rather than her normal jabberwocky). She has discovered the joy of cupboards in the kitchen and spent this evening opening Molly's food one and carrying each 700g can out into the lounge and dropping them on the couch for Mum. Once it was empty, they were then returned to the cupboard. Then stacked on the couch again. You get the picture. She is very good at posting stuff into bags, boxes and anything else that you can put a ball or block in. She is learning to stack the blocks, but prefers knocking them over laughing and saying uh-oh. Stacking the rings on the pole is fun, and she claps after each successful ring placement. We actually got her to the playground this week and she liked running around. The slides were pretty cool, the swings fun. The see-saw wasn't a favourite. The long straight tube slide, caused a serious case of close eyed terror and then a grin once she realised she'd survived. A success, Deb will need to go more often. She is very good at cleaning up after herself too. Obviously got that from Mum. I must train her to put my stuff in my drawers, as soon as she can reach them.

 

It looks like I'm off again next week to Napier and Gisborne. The 540 is off being re-sprayed at the moment. Meant to be ready tomorrow, but I won't be free until Friday to go and collect it with Deb. Looking forward to all the stone chips being gone from it.

 

Ciao, Keep well.