Christmas

Happy New Year everybody. It's a daunting prospect getting the blog up to date so we might attempt it in a quick succession of installments.

Rosie didn't seem to have had a birthday party with her school friends for a while so we decided to do hers early this time on December 17 so she could grab her primary school friends before they all went their several different ways. Luckily, she wanted a bowling party because they're delightfully easy. After food and presents we caught the tram to Strike Bowling Bar in Prahran which took care of us very well. On the way between trams we bumped into a rather youthful Santa. Then it was back home for a Trampoline icecream cake custom-made to Rosie's specifications.

Two days later it was Peter's birthday so Will and Eleanor came over for dinner and so did Ken Young who happened to be in town conducting Orchestra Victoria.

December 20th was the last day of school for Rosie and Sophie and that evening was the Grade 6 Graduation ceremony, quite a big deal over here involving dressing up. Greer came over after school to do Rosie's hair and I had a portrait session with a very reluctant subject. The Grade 6 kids had a meal with their teachers first, then we showed up for the middle bit and the kids had an after party later. I picked Rosie up at 10pm to get ready for our departure for NZ the following morning.

Because of graduation we had to travel on one of the most popular days which meant that only Premium Economy was available. While a pain at the time of booking, it was a blessing in disguise because the plane was chokka and we were able to swan upstairs on the 747 and feel like VIPs. We arrived at Barb and Dick's house and checked out our charge, Frida the cat, and the pool. Barb was at work but Dick helped us blow up the airbeds. They left the following day to have a holiday house-sitting for somebody else so it all worked rather well. We checked out One Tree Hill which was just over the back wall and through a couple of paddocks. Peter's sister, Jenny, and my 90-yr-old Aunty Jane from Mt Maunganui arrived a couple of days before Christmas. Jenny stayed with us and Aunty Jane wisely wanted to have her own space so we found her a very convenient motel just down the road.


Christmas day came and after a private stocking and present session with the inhabitants of the house, we got ready to welcome more rellies for a barbie lunch. Kasi and Raymond came with their son, Gordon and his Japanese girlfriend, Tomo. Gordon and Tomo offered to be in charge of the barbie and since Tomo is a chef we thought that was an excellent idea. Aunty Tina (mother of Stanley, our hairdresser) came along with some of her clan. Her duaghter, Charleyne, came with her sons, Jared and Caleb and Cathy (ex of Aunty Tina's eldest son) came with her daughter, Tina. Everybody brought food so we didn't go hungry. Sophie, who found all that fantastic food far too intimidating, had half a potato for Christmas lunch. It was very informal and relaxed.

Later in the afternoon Kasi, Raymond, Margie (a friend of Kasi's who had popped in) and I decided to scale One Tree Hill to work off a little bit of lunch.