New Zealand according to Seth - A Guest Blog

Before - Whitehorse, brrr Now - Leamington and hot, hot, hot....

Hi all from NZ,

This is my first guest blog... not bad for a 9 month old.

Thanks to my mom, the very long flight from Whitehorse to Auckland via Sydney Australia was great - I nursed, slept and looked cute.

NZ has been a learning experience for me. The big first exciting new experience.... NO SNOWSUIT.... and exposing my bare bits to the sky. No nappy.

Backyard with mom.

Exercise.... yoga works for me. Downward dog.

Looking cute - is that a wink?

Next great experience... these two girls. They are excited to see me each day and wait to see me when I wake up in the morning. Mira is very happy to carry me around. I have learned to crawl! This is great news to everyone except my mom... sure, she is very proud of me and everything but now I am on the move! No more leaving me there and me still being there when she comes back....ha ha!

One of my fans.

Seth and Jill at Mt. Maunganui. Like my new togs?

Next great experience is the beach. This is really neat. No snowsuits, oh, I mentioned that. Lots of sun (mom hides me in a tent and under a hat and under sunscreen and.... ) and there is an ocean - that is a really cold bath that has unpredictable waves and best of best is the sand. Mom wouldn't let me eat it even though I really tried to have a taste. I did get to play with my feet in the stuff though. Cool.

I noticed that those girls are learning things too... Kate got a new-to-her bike so she is learning to ride... lots of running involved.

Mira takes me on the slide. Fun.

Mira learned how to make ... get this... paper slippers in art class. I wasn't allowed to chew on them.

They look tasty.

Speaking of tasty... I am experiencing all kinds of new foods. Watermelon rinds - yum.

Sharing corn on the cob with mom.

No cows yet.

Paul bought me this... Mom is not sure about this one! Lamb and Bacon? Hmm?

Feet? I won't mind trying a nibble but nah...

One last experience... Mosquitos or mozzies! So I am told that Kiwis don't use screens. I really can't say why. Our house has a herd? flock? school? murder? of flies that buzz around in circles in the middle of the rooms and I am getting my wee cheeks eaten. Like I said, new experiences abound.

Here are a few of my bites. Like my new Kiwi?

That is all for now. I will keep you up to date on my world travels.

Cheers, Seth

Polo Anyone?

Yes, we are now part of the Polo Set.... On a beautiful NZ sunny day - really rather hot, we were official spectators at the Cambridge International Polo Match. UK vs. Northlands was an exciting match for a bunch of Canadians who don't even know the rules. What we do know is that it is a bit like croquet on really fast horses that run like stink. We were told that each player will use 6 horses a match. The UK team uses horses provided by the NZ team. It is a courtesy thing. Of course there are enough horses to go around. One particularly amusing point in the match occurred when 2 dogs trotted across the field. The announcer was a gas and very entertaining.

The Canadian Spectators looking a bit bored, ah really.

Future polo players got a kick at the can... this one, a really young player was playing well until his horse got a bit frisky and took off.. he never made it back to the match....

Filling in the divots at half time? quarter? period ends? end of each chacka?
\

Ray and Paul toasting the match with some dry bubbly.

Ray says that this bubbly is good.

This week at Mira and Kate's new school, Leamington Primary School, we got a text informing us that "our child at Leamington school would be receiving a certificate"... Of course, the worrywart in me thought instantly that immigration would be waiting for us.. but Kate and Mira received certificates in front of the entire school. I thought Kate would burst with pride and Mira was ready to hide under a rug...

Mira with her Welcome certificate.

Kate received a Certificate of Merit - for beginning a good friend and easy transition to school and a Welcome Certificate.

We also had the school picnic this week. We were to bring a picnic, our togs (swim wear) and have an opportunity to meet the teacher. Ms. Seymour is pleased with Kate's transition but of course she has already had a year of school. Mr. Morrison, Mira's teacher is gearing up for the 3 day camping trip in March.

AT the end of the picnic.. there was the 'Lolly Scramble" = the principal threw candies over the fence while kids scrambled to collect as many as possible. Great fun...

Thursday. Mira's class and the year 4, 5, 6 s and two other schools participated in the filming of SLAM. It is a NZ institution. It has been on TV for 30 + years. It is one of those shows where the kids run through obstacles and through goo... most of the morning, the kids provided the backdrop for interviews etc and the afternoon, the games began. The first game weeded most of the kids out of the competition. The kids were divided into age groups. The youngest group went first. At their backs was a two story gazebo. Up on the top floor, there was a fella with a spud gun loaded with balls was at the ready. The kids had to run down a grassy hill, while the fire station sprayed water at them and attempt to get one of the 6 balls shot our from the spud gun. Winners then run through a goo slide and moved on to the next game. Mira's age group was the fourth group to go. By then, the grass was slick and muddy. Mira took off after a ball - it happened in slow mo... she drove after a ball and 16 kids, all rugby players landed on top of her.. I gasped.. I was sure her teeth would be coming up in her hand... she only had the wind knocked out of her and no, she won't be going on to Christchurch.

Jill and Seth arrived on Monday night. We are very excited to have our really good friends from Whitehorse here in NZ. They are enjoying sunshine and NO SNOWSUITS.

Kate and Seth in the tub... my baby is soooo big now.

Mira, Seth and Kate.

Paul rode his bike up over the Kaimais to Mt. Maunganui and relaxed in our new sun tent.

Today, we all went to the Waka Kapa Haka festival in Hamilton. The dancers performed and are judged. The dances are remarkably similar to the Hawaiian dances we saw in Maui.

As good Canadians, we celebrated opening ceremonies with a bunch of Canadians and honorary Canadians. Great fun. Go Canada Go.

Ta ta for now.

Back in School

So the Girls headed off to Leamington Primary School today for their first day of school since.... since... since.... a really long time. As you can see they look fabulous in their uniforms (costumes as Kate calls them). They were both nervous and excited as they headed off. Kate is in Year One with Mrs. Seymour and Mira is in Year Six with Mr. Morrison (an American). They had their snacks packed for Morning Tea at 10:30 and lunch for 12:30 and their TOGS (that what the Kiwis call their bathing suits and towels) as they swim most everyday in the pool in the centre of the court yard. There are 26 kids in Mira's 5/6 split. She said the library is very small and doesn't have many books but the school looks great and the principal is very nice.

I took advantage of no kids to do shopping, reading, coffee drinking and a run. What luxury.

Paul hit the open road on his bike.

Mira has homework tonight. ta. s