Molly with Clare's friends baby

Lots of lovely presents

Had a great surprise when I got home yesterday - presents from England!

Mummy's package arrived (in double quick time too) with presents for Molly - which Clare had opened if they were wrapped - and lots of lovely clothes for my special girl. There was also a Christmas card that obviously had Molly confused. She thought the Virgin Mary was "Bar-bar" - which I can totally understand, but she thought that Jesus H Christ was "Grandad Tom"!!! Haven't a clue where she got that from! We all know he's the father not the son...

Best of all was a CD with a years worth of photos with some truly stunning stuff. Tom's always been a superb photographer with a real patience I lack, but I thought it was something he hadn't done for years - not so. I'll post some of Tom's pictures in a couple of days (and some lovely family ones too), but I'll put my photos up today ('cos I can) for a comparison - prize to the King of The Jews methinks.

There was also a package from Nana - her fantastic taste continues to surprise us - some pajamas she got Molly have to be seen to be believed, I can't wait for Molly to pose in them. Still a bit sad that there's only one name on the Christmas card though...

House is nearly ready for our delivery, office is completely finished (read: a bedroom again), the garden is looking superb and I've bitten the bullet and made the extension a proper storeroom for now (will eventually be a dining room).

Clare is missing my Mummy quite badly - especially when she saw a card for Caitlin, but I'm ok. Clare keeps asking me if I'm missing home, and of course I am; but I'm not tearful or wistful. I found a website that lets me get Match of The Day and download full matches (England vs Argentina - AWESOME!) and with Mummy at the end of a phone line it's not too bad at all.

Amazed at how grown up Lauren is, and how much she's looking like her Mum. Won't be too long before she's visiting here - perhaps with her Auntie Amy when she's back on her feet (or knees).

Updates in progress and great gravy.

Have posted some updates - they are between 13th November and today, check to see 'em!

Today, we have been doing some housework, Clare has been cleaning and vaccuming while I emptied out my office; all ready to be another bedroom. The "office" looks great at the moment and I have to say I'm a little reluctant to give it up.

I daresay Aloise will change my mind...

Went and had dinner at Lindas today, there is nothing like New Zealand lamb I promise you - though it's expensive. And I LOVE Linda's gravy - it's almost as good as my mum used to make (but not quite). I'm obsessed with good gravy and rate my whole meal by it, I even eat at places that have good gravy and crap everything else!

Clare booked tickets for Hi-5 for Molly in Palmerston North - I hope I'm the one to take her, she's going to love it.

Lots of news to come this weekend...

Sorry for the recent lack of updates (that means you Mummy!) - preparation for Aloise is coming thick and fast and we don't expect the baby to be late this time. Clare thinks the first of the contractions have started but they're waaaaaaaaaaaaay apart at the moment so likely a few more days at least.

I'll do proper updates over this weekend from the last two weeks, but I've not taken any photos - hence no updates, of course, I forget that sometimes justa few words is all that's wanted, so I'll remedy that this weekend.

Very sad to see George Best has passed away, I knew him well enough to talk to from my days of working in Cheam when we should share the bar at the pub next to my office. I remember the last time I saw him - which had been for the first time in a while - I couldn't help thinking how frail looking and old he looked, worse in fact than Grandad who by that time was ageing daily. It saddened me at the time for George and also for my Grandad. I was lucky enough to see Grandad when he was still a pretty strong man for the last time and I'll always be thankful for that.

No doubt George & Grandad are sharing a Guiness upstairs. Save a warm stool for me guys....

Ooops

On a whim, I decided to take Clare - 8 and a half months pregnant - and Molly - two and a half, down to the beach today.

We went to a beach a bit further from the house this time as I fancied going to a different beach and maybe get some driftwood for the fire. I've been building up firewood over the spring and summer for next winter because it can get cold and the wood I had delivered wasn't exactly dry.

The weather's been scorching recently so I thought I'd top up my firewood shed (pretty full now thanks to the old boys next door chopping down our trees for us).

Me being me, it didn't go exactly as planned.

We went about 15km away from the house to a beach that Damian and I spent last Xmas day at - one where I'd forgotten that we needed to cross a ford to get to. Doh! Clare was adamant that the car wouldn't make it across (the BMW has been lowered) so she insisted we went another way. There were two options. Number one was a route that had a sign saying "Deep holes - we tow - you pay!". At this point Clare thought we should go back to our home beach, but number two had no sign, so away I went.

The track started out as grass and rapidly led into the volcanic sand that we have at a lot of the beaches, but I kept going. The track was running parallel to the beach with no sign of an access after the first 5km. I kept going.

By now, Clare has been repeatedly telling me to turn around - all of which I ignore, but I suddenly find myself on a slight incline and within a few seconds - stuck. I tried all of the things I'd seen in the movies - digging out the tires, putting sticks and things under. Nothing worked.

Finally I decided to walk back to town and phone my brother-in-law for a tow. Off I go in the searing heat, being sun burned and wind whipped for 5km - uphill and in thick sand. It took an hour. I get to town and realise this is one of those retirement towns where no-one lives and therefore there are no shops. I muddle around for 20 mins beginning to panic worried about the girls when I flag down a car.

I explain to this simple (I think) guy my predicament and make sure I mention Clare's condition. Instead of letting me use a phone, he takes me to his parents house and we drag out his dad and his 4x4. On the way to Clare, his dad explains that he was the guy who put up the "We tow - You Pay" sign. Arse.

Lucky enough, it takes 2 minutes to tow the car out and he never charges us. Nice guy, Neil was his name. We thought about Clare making him a cake to say thanks but we both agreed that we didn't want to go back to the beach again...

Molly thought it was hilarious, I paid for my cockiness and Clare was good enough not to say I told you so. Though I knew she wanted to...

Party time

Went to my friend Chris' 30th tonight with Clare. Chris & I used to work together at DTSL and have remained good friends - I probably meet up with him and the (non-work) boys once a month.

All the DTSL guys were there, which I admit I was a little nervous about but they were all great and really pleased to see me & Clare. Apparently, I'm a legend in the office for my "crazy, angry Englishman" attitude. Whatever that is.

I have to say, I miss DTSL more than any other job I've had, it was a blast and the people were really nice. As I said, I still see Chris, but also Dougie and Di too - 3 out of 10 staff is good I suppose.

We had a blast of a time, and it's the first time Clare has gotten to meet the "boys" - Chris's friends that he introduced me to that I really got on with. Naturally, New Zealand being a small place, Clare either knew them or knew of them or their sisters etc etc. But she agreed that they were all nice chaps.

None of these guys are what I used to call "best" friends, but its really nice to go out with people that you have things in common with and are pleased to see you. I appreciate that for almost everyone else in the world, having your partner solely as your best friend isn't anything new - but it is new to me and I still sometimes whistfully look back to the "old days" when I had many, largely superficial friends.

Bring on Damian I say...

Molly meets Father Christmas - guess what she asked for?

Last night, Clare and Molly put up the Christmas tree - Molly loved it and is really looking forward to the big day now - she knows there's lots of presents in the ensuite waiting for her all wrapped up and good to go.

Clare took Molly to meet Father Christmas at the mall today, forgot to take the camera but we did buy a photo from Santas elf. I will try and get it scanned and put it up - it's a really good one.

At first Molly just wanted to look at him in awe, but eventually she decided to tell him what she wanted for Christmas...

Chips and coke

Just like her Daddy bless her!! (Chips are crisps by the way)

Update from Clare

Hey girlies I have had a very productive weekend! On Saturday we did Dad's marathon, well actually alll last week i was helping with the marathon, we had to make 70 lunch packs on Friday night, not much fun!!!

Then i was an official, how exciting, Paul was the officiql photographer and molly was the star attraction for entertainment! Needless to say we all selpt like babies on Saturday night, well except for my bladder! Yesterday we spent the entire day in the garden, the two next door neighbours who walk theri cat on a lead jumped over the fence and brought their chainsaw and helped us clean up the back part, they have been itching to do something about it since the O'connels lived there!! They were always offering to help trim teh trees! So there is now light in the kitchen, the fijoa trees got a real trim and we cut down the rotten silver birch, teh necterine tree and trimmed a whole lot more!

I think they were keen to cut down more but it was getting late! I managed to weed all of my front garden, to the best of my ability and cleaned up my lemon tree who was looking very sorry for himself! Unfortunately i managed to burn myself to a crisp, i did put sunscreen on but not in the right places, as i was too interested in Molly, who had by this point painted herself in sunscreen, and it is a thick white one for kids so you can see where you have been, so she was very sunsmart. she also managed to tip my lavender oil everywhere, which was hidden in a drawer and got the childproof cap off some paracetmol for kids, and pour half a bottle of bubble bath in to the bath- it was a hint that worked well.She had a very bubbly bath!!!

So yes i was a very busy wee bunny! I am paying the price for it now though, as my back is killing me and i had weird birthing dreams all night, i think i may have been having braxton hick contractions! I went tot the midwife on Friday an the baby is breech so i have to do some acupressure which actually does make teh baby move a lot, so hopefully on Friday when i go again she will be engaged....not long to go now!

I am working tonight, just the deep fryer as they have a large amount of people coming in at 530, which isn;t so bad, Mondays are a 930 pm finish and i would quite like the cash I have to pay off the layby's from Kmart for christmas! Please don't buy us pressie this year as i am too unorganised!

I haven;'t even sent Emily's birthday present and she was one on Nov the 4th, bad bad auntie, its sitting in the car but i keep forgetting to bring Fionas addresss iwth me! I have also packed my bag for the hospital, but not Molly's yet! She will be heading to Nana's for that night! WEll thats my roundup!

Love you guys CLareyp

A marathon day !

Really long day today. David (Clare's Dad) was holding the 50th Feilding marathon, which he had organised, arranged sponsors for, got runners etc etc and ran in. Really good family day for all of us. Linda was an organiser, I was event photographer (and crap at it), Clare was caterer, Megan and Brent ran security and First Aid.

Clare had spent all of Friday getting the sandwiches and refreshment packs ready for everyone and headed off at 6am to get organised. Molly and I were up so we pottered around, had some brekky and a bath and headed off at 10. I can't honestly say I was looking forward to it, but it ended up being great fun.

As soon as I got there, we had plenty of time to spare, so I took Molly to the park next to the soccer club that served as the venue for food and the finish line. Got a little bit homesick to be honest looking at all of the footy club scraves and tops - but decided that I'd have to have another stab at playing at some point in the near future.

The time soon came for me to be on the finish line taking the photos - there was 20 minutes between each of the first four runners so it could have been boring, but had a great laugh with the old dears (and my mother in law, definately not an old dear).

Brent and Megan had to check on someone who was injured so we had Caitlin for a couple of hours, which was great for me and Molly. Caitlin took a real shine to me early on in her life and always gives me the "reward" for paying attention to her. She's been well for a few days with no seizures at all which is great news for all - perhaps we've turned a corner.

It turned out that the injury happened to David, who had pulled a hamstring halfway through the course, but like the trooper he is, he finished the marathon - though he came dead last. In a real show of how much people think of him, a bunch of peopl ran back a km or so and trotted back to the final stretch. At that point, Molly ran up to Grandad and the pair of them crossed the finish line together. I nearly wept.

Molly met a little friend at the after race party and played for an hour or so then we headed home. Went to bed early - planning to do the garden tomorrow.

You can please some of the people...

Got a complaint from my Dad (posted on the site). Apparently he is upset that there is no mention of him or photos on the site. Personally, I would have thought that it would be obvious that this is supposed to be a place for me to vent, share recent photos of his grand-daughter and allow him to keep up to speed with what is happening with his son's life.

But not wanting to appear biased to others (who haven't asked for anything) here goes:

The last one is my favourite.

Fireworks night

Took Molly to her first fireworks display tonight - she loved it! As soon as there was a pause she would say "No more?" then go "Wow, wow, wow!!" when the next set came along. It was a really well done display (considering it was in teeny tiny Feilding) at the Manfield Racetrack - no comparison to Silverstone, but a great night.

We started off by getting some good old fashioned fish and chips from Clare's favourite chippy (and former workplace) and sat in the car park eating them. Chips were good but the fish was a little tough for me so I didn't eat much of it.

They really put on a show with daredevil motocross riders, horses, funfair, a big fire and of course the fireworks. There were 18,000 people there so when we left it took an hour and a half but the evening was so good that I didn't really mind.

Best bit by far was the funfair with Molly, they had a bouncy castle - which she always loves and a big bouncy slide that was so high both Clare and I were terrified for her. All of the other kids were much older and bigger than Molly so we didn't know how she'd take to it.

Molly ran up to the slide and rapidly climbed to the top but was a bit concerned about the coming down part so I had to run up and bring her down. She loved it, then decided to go on her own. Clare took a couple of great photos - with both of us clearly enjoying ourselves!

Molly insisted on sitting on my shoulder for most of the time, while Clare found us somehwere good to sit (in the pit straight). Unfortunately, we were sitting on the ground and we had arrived fairly early so people soon sat all around us and Clare found herself being kicked in the back which she was not at all happy about.

Aloise was kicking an awful lot and was obviously sitting funny because Clare was in a fair bit of pain. I asked if she wanted to go home but she wanted to soldier on and see the fireworks display. I knew that once the fireworks started there would be no way we were going to be able to get out because by now the crowds were huge.

The weather was really great and with the big crowd, it felt like we were somewhere other than backwater New Zealand. We'll definately be going again next year.

All in all, we went home knackered and really happy.

Not a lot to say

Started the day speaking to my Mumsie, which is always a good start; then took Clare & Molly to the hospital while I saw some clients in Palmerston North. Another great day weather wise.

Went to see Caitlin who was under sedation, the poor girl looked so tiny. Megan has been amazing and was so bright and positive, made me feel a little inadequate to be honest. I wish I had her strength.

We are going to the big fireworks display on 9th November, hopefully Molly will like it - she's a bit of an actress now and exaggerates everything - including fear!

Picked up another 3 months supply of Aropax from the pharmacy and returned home - pretty quiet day.