Monday-itus.

Was not in the mood for skewl today.

Became and angry bird about it.

Coaxed her with fresh pineapple.

Worked like a charm.

I'm having issues with her and phonics. I'm probably just being impatient, but we've been at it for a few months now and she still can't sound a word out. Questioned one of the teachers at the local school about it tonight and she said stick with the sight words. Both phonics and sight words education work equally, but if she can't pick up the phonics, try the sight words and vice versa.
I saw a YouTube video of Shakira's two year old reading a book and it got me all down buzzed that nothing I'm doing is working.
Sight words to learn this week.

Dr. Edge (on a trip to the ER once an Indian Doctor pronounced her name EJ as Edge. She does not like when I call her Edge, which is whenever she's naughty, which is often).


First actual piano lesson. Confirmed to myself today that I will not open piano lessons to the public/community. It's OK to grit my teeth at my own, but not others. Lesson one ended in tears and a book swiped off the piano and across the room.
Believe you me child, lesson 2 tomorrow.

Changed the calendars tonight in prep to welcome September tomorrow. I get to look at these guys every time I exit the lavatory.

19 Days.

Not sure how to feel about this line up. SBW was below average during the Championship tourny and has not earned that jersey to be honest. Colin Slade has been just average, but not competent. Mealamu .. did he even play a full game this season? Naholo got injured two months ago and had some Fijian VooDoo magic cure and now he's in the RWC squad. A holy crap moment if ever I saw one.

Where is Sopoaga and Dagg? This offends me some.
Where is Piutau? This does not offend me as much, but is still offensive.

To sum it up.
A solid forward pack and if the backs had Sopoaga and Dagg, they'd be equally solid.

My wish prediction.
Carter breaks his leg. Slade gets injured. Barrett does his knee and Sopoaga called, while white baiting, to convert the winner.

A good squad nonetheless, but I'm just a girl and what do I know about rugby.
Enough to know this is not a hot team, but it's close.

Hello Richie.

Importants vs Friends.

I'm odd.
Always have been.
There are a select few who I allow in.

Investing time into amplifying relationships allows you to build trust. To authenticate loyalty you have to invest.

I trust my intuition. It's saved me from starting relationships with people who could not be trusted. I trust my family. Their judgement on when they feel they are needed the most in my life is bothersome and yet, crucial. I trust my importants. They know acceptance.

Friends are those who are not family or importants. The ones who give you half-truths and almost always, they're the wrong half of the truth. One must have limited insurance in themselves to trust their happiness in the hands of the wrong people

So being odd has it's benefits.

Analogical.

Hanging the washing yesterday, I got a whiff on the breeze that spring is coming. There is a certain smell that lingers when the season changes.

It smells like sun shining on freshly cut grass and clean linen.

My Mum went to a meeting this afternoon and the feedback I got from her reminded me of the breeze yesterday. When people get a whiff of money, they too change.

I wish I was there to tautoko the do gooders. The ones who have remained active in everything marae who are under acknowledged. The ones who deserve a voice, not by birth right, but from years of advocacy.


Spring is coming.
Week 34: Before
A future week is the 'After'. I must remember to link back to week 34.

For Sister.

Rome Camilla Edge.

Rome had a cyst on her lip that got cut out today. She got the star treatment at the hospital and at home. Even I gave her a cuddle because I felt for her and I'm not usually sensitive to Satan.

She is going to be just fine Dad and does not need a Bunny because you know she'll torture it and probably shave it.

The Bebs.

"I hop off Mum".

This happened yesterday.

Three pink fillings.
The dental therapist told me herself .. chocolate is better than soft or hard lollies.
That's gospel if ever I heard it.





I really don't like Netball, but if someone had told me sooner how great indoor netball was, it would have made all the difference. I don't know what the competition is called, but a few cousins took the initiative to put a family team in and despite losing last night, it's been a success. Tyler & Shaily are on the court somewhere in there. I compare it's difference to rugby and league.
Netball is Union, indoor is League.
Yep .. great analogy.

Song kudos to Preston & Atalya.

The Birthday Boy.

I know she's expecting 22 years of herself to appear here, however, she came pre-digital cameras and all the photos of her are in the closet in her room that she threw all her clothes into last week. It's your own fault you messy heifer.

Happy Birthday to numero uno.
May your day at work be merry and bright. Birthday hot dogs for dinner tonight and not those flash ones from Mad Butcher. Just sossies in a bread. We also have no sauce so if you want to go all out tonight, get some sauce.

22 years of this guy.
Y'all is rude!

Nowadays, besides Jesus's birthday, the only birthday that should matter anymore is Hubbas. It's been a long month of birthdays. Shaily's, Tylers and Hubba's is last in a a few weeks.

PA League.

League isn't as strategical as Union. Union relies on individual brilliance and team effort, league is simpler and is a basic attack and defense game with 6 chances to score before the ball is turned over or the counter reset due to error.

On the rare occasion, I watch league solely for the collision.

League in the region began last week.
PA vs Clive 62 - 16 to PA.
Week 33: Action Shots.






Good game.
Good turn out.
Great team spirit.

Week 34: Mini Album Challenge.

Day 1000.

At day 1000, I am content because no one should have to live with the pain that illness brings. I'd rather brave the agony that being without him brings than watch him suffer another 1000 days.

Just like the song lyrics say, not 1000 days but one step closer.

The Primary Disco

The primary disco was better than any ward activity we've had this year. In saying that, I'm glad it's over.






If they sang like this during singing time in sharing time, we'd have a successful presentation next month.

Harvey Spector requires my attention ...
Bye.

Cantando en el baño.

Ladies & Gentlemen ... The Pledge of Allegiance.

Holy blogging Batman!

Yvonne Craig, no relation FYI, died on Monday.

Back in 2004-5 Larry came home all excited to tell me about how he had lunch with Yvonne Craig at the Sherman Oaks galleria. I asked him who she was and he told me I was committing sacrilege not knowing.

She was BatGirl on the Adam West batman TV series. Learned this the hard way and by that I mean if anyone knew my husband you know he could talk the ears off of a wooden Indian. He trained her in 3D for a short while and they became good friends. I'd refer to her as 'his old girlfriend' because just like Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Starfleet Starship Voyager who later became Starfleet Vice Admiral and Jubba the Hutt slave Princess Leia, he was smitten by her.


She's gone to bat heaven.
Hope she's not my sister-wife when I get there Monsieur Shultz. I've seen her photos from the 60s don'tcha know.
I should read her book.

5 Days.

I didn't pull the camera out over the weekend despite it being a busy 5 day weekend for the family. Sister flew in from Tamaki Makaurau (Kia Ora Matua Joel). Livian flew in for his R&R week off. All Blacks won the Bledisloe cup. Pre-celebration for Mere who is 40 tomorrow and 15 years of marriage on Monday, goodbye sister Tuesday and goodbye Livian Wednesday.

The five days consisted of: hidden afghans, vomit stories and wine, wood stealer's, uninvited dinners, an attempt to avoid everyone, netball, pizza, visit from Dad and Nicky and Vikings.

Anyway. School over the last few days. Pretty much has had the water cycle burned onto her brain over the last month.



Can count up to 30 and identify numbers up to 12 by sight.


Phonics is problematic.
A for apple a-a-apple.
F for gold-fish .. g-f-goldfish.
The fish wasn't even gold.


Lunch time.


Tryin to domesticate ya.

15 of forever my Love.

For 12 years I was breathless when I saw him every day. That feeling never went away even when they opened his coffin on the 2nd night to slip his temple recommend into his pocket. If you can feel that way about your significant other, even in death, you've found your hearts keeper.
I hope I'm always a fool.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is day 996.
Tomorrow marks 15 years since we married.
Tomorrow sucks already.

All Blacks won .. Ragnar Lothbrok is a cheater.

I've always had a thing for this Black Sababth song, specifically Odin's court. I still have the original CD I bought back in 1998. It means much more now after wasting a day watching Vikings.

Tony Martin = fantastic.
It's only 11.30pm .. I still have time to break in Season 2 before my chances of attending religion tomorrow become next weekends challenge.

Air NZ Safety Video.

There is only one reason I love this video and it isn't the safety information or Stan Walker. Without the All Blacks in it, this video would be torture to watch before every flight.

Great job Air NZ, great job.

Do or do not. There is no try.

Had a conversation with someone tonight and re-read the conversation a few times. Yes, I'm pretty negative when it comes to this place, but I must correct myself when I say things that lead to a belief of such.

It's the people not the place.
I love this place however, I struggle with some of the people in this place. I let that get me down for years before finally deciding it's safer to stick to yourself and those you trust. I open my door for very few. I even have family on a by-invitation-only list.

People here have the tendency to be lemon-like and I put my hand up first to admit I'm one of them, but only when it comes to those people.

I bought my husband here and after experiencing some of the worst emotional abuse from family (me not him) at the worst possible time, he didn't have high regard for the place and yet, I buried him here.

This is why I will never leave this place.
I can't leave him here because I forced him here, but not only that .. within the four walls that make up my immediate family, the heart of what this place use to be is still here.

So if I refrain from acknowledging you, it's because it's better to be safe than sorry and not because I'm "negative". When you expect a realist behind those smiles but get lemon juice, it's not worth the kinetic energy to return the smile.

I tried Yoda.
Life is not all peaches and cream and accepting that is a positive.

Cold.

I hate to love winter and I love to hate winter.
I say it every year and near the end of the season when it seems to get worse before it gets better, I declare my dislike for it. I'll do the same in summer when I'm reasoning with myself about why turning on the air conditioner is against the god (because of the power bill).
Either way .. it's cold up in here.
Taken from Heathcote Rd on my trusty point and shoot.


Also, a late week 32: Landscape