An even prouder dad

This coming Sunday I may possibly burst with pride or be at risk of having my face split in 2 by a extremely large smile . What you might ask could cause this paternal pride? My Emily has entered her very first triathlon - a sport I have been enjoying for over twenty years.

I was saying to her the other day that she is already, at 8 and a half, a better swimmer than I was when I started triathlon in my 20's

Next Friday after cricket she and a friend are doing a dance in the school talent competition. Sometimes I can't believe how much self confidence, self belief and an I can do anything attitude she has - the way I see it she is going to unstoppable.

Cameron who is 6 is reading chapter books on his own - he has discovered Zac Powers please tell tell me boys don't like to read.

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Cameron's party

We had Cameron's birthday party on Saturday, 9 boys aged nearly 6 and 6 , easiest party ever. Cake didn't go according to my overcomplicated plan. More on this soon...

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Cameron's 5th birthday

Cameron's chocolate cake baked by me with the children's help. Teresa decorated it.


My beautiful boy having his party food on the deck. We invited 4 of his friends from kindergarten but 2 couldn't make it. It was short notice, straight after the 6 week summer holidays, back to kindy on Wednesday and gave out the invites and the party was on Saturday. Cameron wasn't bothered he still had a great time.

His kindergarten birthday when everybody farewells the person turning 5 and leaves for school. Cameron is handing out pop corn to the other children and then takes the rest home. Because Cameron will be going to Napier Central School where Teresa works and not the local he won't see these children again.

I'm writing this on day three of Cameron's school life and he loves it and I love having the house too myself most of the day I'm getting tons done especially as I no longer have the daily walk to kindy. I was sad to ending my relationship with the Kindergarten but I won't miss the walk and am excited about this new chapter in my/our lives.

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Latest happenings

No training last week. Just started again this week.

Greenhouse has broken zip on left side had to wire it together in wild weather. Tomato plants that were doing really well now not doing so well I think it just got too cold even for the greenhouse. I'm going to retry in july which is the middle of winter.

Emily has started swimming in the 25metere pool at swimming lessons. She does backstroke and frontcrawk but returns to the learner pool for breast stroke.

Cameron is a real boy. In the last month it seems he has moved into full blown boy in terms of noise, running around making car noises and general high levels of mad activity.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

Competition winners

Emily and Cameron have been taking part in a summer holiday reading program at the local library. They entered a colouring competition - Cameron won the unders 5's category and Emily was second in the 5-7 category. There were 350 children taking part in the reading program called Superheroes read.

I an currently reading several books by Martin Hawes a New Zealand financial/investment expert- I am learning how to invest for income which I want to be doing by the end of the year. I am also reading The Snowball which is about the life of Warren Buffett one of America's richest men and one of if not the best investor on the planet.

Our mortgage will hopefully be paid off by October. I came to the conclusion that the bank is stealing our money because on top of interest we pay them, they start adding all sorts of penalties if you try and pay it off quickly.

I am also reading loads of graphic novels (they used to be called comics). Teresa and I are watching less and less tv, most of it just a load of boring crap.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

Hawaii Ironman and other stories

Every year I watch this and it never ceases to motivate me. This time I got really excited and had a problem sleeping for a few days after. I also get grumpy a few days before, the same thing happens a few days before Ironman New Zealand which takes place only a couple of hours from here. My own personal countdown to my participation in 2011. After I finished Lanzarote in 1994 I had the feeling that I could conquer anything, I've achieved a huge amount since then. I wonder what I'll feel next time round.

Other news

Emily's first ballet recital is fast approaching. She had to miss her first swim lesson of the new term (advanced breathing class).

Cameron (not yet four) had his first swim lesson. All this took place on Saturday and it was one of those few days where a second car would have been useful but we survived.

Cameron

Emily

What chickens do - the Dust bath

Ethel lying in dust bath under lemon tree.

Ethel leaving dust bath.

What chickens do - Nest

Bertha getting ready to lay. She is sitting on one of the browns hen's egg.

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Number 100 and yet more pooh

It is my hundreth post. I don't want a party or anything special just send money.

One thing I won't miss as Cameron gets older cleaning up pooh. Now to be honest he doesn't do too badly but he is having a bad patch we think he doesn't like the cold toilet seat. (Harden up! Boy!!) I had sent him to his room for wetting himself instead of telling us he needed the toilet, I didn't check for pooh. I went to let him out of his room and there he is sitting with poohey (spelling ???) thunderpants smeared all over the floor.

No I won't miss the last of the pooh. And all Teresa could say was 'aah! he still just a baby'.

Mad dash to the toilet

We think Cameron is having problems knowing when to go the toilet. He will say pooh so we take him and when we get there he can't go. This is becoming a great inconvenience because he is doing it in the middle of the supermarket so I have to abandon the groceries grab him and Emily and get him to the loo. Today we went out to Napier , Teresa took the children to buy underwear and I caught up with them to have a coffee after meeting clients. As soon as we were not near a toilet Cameron wanted to go aagh!!!! (I was saying something else in my head). Luckily for me I have a sixth sense, intuition about the location of toilets or maybe it was growing up with a dad who was cursed with a weak bladder and we were constantly on the lookout for lavatories for him. He was even given a fake toilet inspectors card one year as a present. Anyway for whatever the reason I always seem to make a note of where the nearest loo is and today was no exception, with no hesitation or thought for personal safety I slung Cameron over my shoulder and make the mercy dash. We arrive only to see some woman dive in before us, we wait what seemed like an eternity. I was relieved when the woman came out, I whipped Cameron's thunderpants off, threw him on the loo and ... he couldn't go.