School Fair

The neighbouring primary school had their annual fair this morning so we were there bright and early to rummage through the jumble sale. We found some wetsuits, just the right size for the kids for $2 each. Lily wore hers for the whole afternoon and seemed keen to sleep in it tonight until Phil insisted she wear Pajamas. After we'd found all the bargains we headed to the petting zoo and pony rides.






We finished off with badly cooked sausages and big bags of candy floss. Ahhhh the school gala experience is complete.

School Trip to the Zoo

Ali won a Principal's Award and had her story about the trip published in the school newsletter so I thought I'd transcribe it here since her blog commentary was not so detailed.

The Zoo

When we arrived at the zoo I couldn't wait to see the animals.  The first place we went to see was the giraffes.  We got to see them eating.  I saw two baby zebras and one baby giraffe.  They were both so cute.  I liked the red panda most.  I learnt heaps about red pandas and tigers.  My favourite was the baby meerkat.  We got to go through heaps of tunnels.  I just about got lost,  It was funny seeing the monkeys doing their camera poses.  We had to go home.

by Ali

I am under the head of the lion.
I am on the Elephant.
I am holding a hippo's tooth.

Ali and Mum went to the Zoo on a school trip today. Ali is in charge of this blog post but she didn't tell you about the loooong bus trip down, and how much fun it was to see all the animals, and the amazing opportunity we had to explore the items in the class room - pieces of rhino hide, turtle shell, zebra and giraffe skins and the claws still in the lion skin - pretty cool.

Expotition to find the North Pole

Ali found a fine branch for jumping and swinging up high in the air

Hooray for the long weekend, we actually managed to get in the garden and do some weeding, mow the lawns and go for an expedition (expotition if you're Winnie the Pooh) for pine needles to mulch the strawberries. Manpha and Jessie, the niehgbour's girls came as well.

My Brown Bear Barney

Here is Lily's Brown Bear Barney inspired by the story of the same name. Michelle from daycare made this with Lily and both of them were pretty proud of this effort.


Phil scooped all the best photos of calf club, but I would like to add these ones of Ali's winning decorated biscuits.

and this one of Mr Mooney (the lamb) pruning the plum tree... aww how cute.

Calf Club Day Photos.

This is Ali's classroom. The flowers behind Ali and Lily are just a part of the many displays the students made for the day. All the pictures hanging from the ceiling are earlier works. Her classroom is such a rich and happy learning environment. So far from the days of old!
Lovey wears a red and blue ribbon ensemble. These are in fact awards for first and second place in the "Condition" category for Meat and Wool. They also picked up third and fourth place ribbons for "Calling and Leading." Not a bad effort for a couple of Rookey Calf Club entrants.
Lovey and Ali enjoy a moment together on a beautiful spring day.

Calf Club 2010.

Well they say alot can happen in two weeks, don't they? Well, what do they know? Probably more than me because it seems to have been an incredibly busy period since we were at the Noho Marae. Ali is now back at school, Karen has finished all her work for the ERO visit to Playcentre and I have been flat-out painting a seven bedroom luxury Guest House/Spa to get it ready for opening. But that is not enough of course to keep us busy, so we've been gardening and getting "Lovey" ready for Calf Club Day and generally running around like blue-bottomed flies. Have you ever seen blue-bottomed flies running around? Me neither. They're too quick!
The sun came out, the clouds disappeared and the crowds turned up in droves for the Annual Waipu Calf Club Day. A record 94 animal entrants made it one of the biggest in the country (so the principal reckoned), and if the amount of various droppings on the ground was anything to go by, perhaps it was. Whatever the statisticians say, a fun day was had by all and no animals were harmed. We couldn't have asked for much more really.