over a month

since I last posted! It has been fairly busy as you all know how this time of year can be. On Thursday Laura had her final dance concert although we have the awards thing this afternoon where we have to dress up like we are going to the Oscars. So I have been busy driving her to all her extra practices for the concerts. i would drive home open the garage door the kids would come out and we would go again ( I didn't even make it inside) and would get home about 7:30-8pm. So no time for blogging. The new job is okay there have been times when I am not sure what I am suppose to be doing. I think because I already worked there they just assume I am suppose to know what needs doing. We have also had the street Christmas party from which I didn't get home until 1am! I had to go to work at 7am the next morning, lets just say I was a bit slow. Interesting night though, I had fun anyway.
We have also had both our work dinners, mine was first and at Winnie bagoes in town on a Sunday night. Justin's was in Auckland at a place called Mecca stone house in mission bay. they flew us up for the night. It was a good night, Justin was quite happy when he came back from his meetings to get me for dinner. Then we didn't get to stay as we had to fly back as Laura's dance concert was the same weekend. She was there on Saturday from 10am till about 8:50pm and by the time we got home and to bed it was about 10pm. we went to the show on Sunday, it was pretty good, very long but good. Everyone has commented on how much Laura has improved and come out of her shell. She even had a one line singing solo! She was excited about it and nervous at the same time. She told me that the best show would be the Saturday night one as she wouldn't have anyone she knew watching it! Not sure if that was true or not, never did ask.
Alexander has been okay, actually he has been pretty quiet. I think the late nights have been a bit much for him. one day when we drove in he fell asleep and had a good hour's sleep in the back of my car until Justin picked him up after work. It is not surprising as he is up most mornings between 6-7am!
Christmas is fast approaching, we have a fake tree for the first time which the boys helped me put up (Laura was at her friends) It is a white one that I brought from work last year in the clearance sale. It sat in the middle of the floor for about a week until I got around to decorating it, as I wanted blue decorations which my Mum kindly donated! and I brought some as well. Managed to start and finish my shopping this week. I think I only have the parents to get something for. My Mum is the hardest. Okay so that is the shortened monthly catch up. what about all of you? What's been happening. You're all so quiet, I guess you have been busy too. Take care,

Laura was in the jump jam team at school and her team made it to the nationals which happened to be held here in Christchurch yesterday.Her team looked good and they did their routine really well they were in time and it was the best I have seen them do it. They didn't get placed in the top 5 but they did really well and should be proud of themselves. I think the judges must've had a really hard job as all the teams where really good. I also think the song has alot to do with it as well.

I spent all day Friday pretty much snoozing on the couch. I would have gone back to bed when I got home from the gym but we had someone coming to look at the leaky tap and the oven. Not sure why I didn't feel sick just my eyes hurt and wanted to stay closed for abit. Maybe the late night I had on Wednesday when I went out to dinner to farewell our visual merchandiser from work was catching up with me. it was a good night out though, it was just us four girls and it I really enjoyed it.

I start my new role at work on Monday even though I haven't signed a new contract or anything, they have replaced me already as well! which is great but a tad sad as well. So from tomorrow I will be the store's new visual merchandiser! I was suppose to go for training at another store but since I have a day off in the middle of the week to take Justin in for a procedure I am going the following week.

We went to the fireworks held here at Rolleston last night and man was it cold!!! the fireworks were good though and it was a reasonable stroll home! Okay better go hope all is well with everyone take care.

Well I typed up a big long post last week but then decided it was more than you really needed to know. Here's the short version. Interesting week at work. Lots of stock and even less staff than normal! 2 days there were us 2 merchandisers for two days and then the next day it was me and one salesperson. I am pretty happy with our dept though because even though we have been short on staff for the last month we aren't looking to bad. yes there is abit of stock out the back but I think we have done well. The interesting part hasn't been finalised yet but I am about to take on a new challenge which I am both excited and scared about. It will mean moving out of my dept and my comfort zone but thanks to the support of other staff members and friends I accepted the role.
On other news we have been out to dinner the last two weekends, I love eating out not so much the bill but you only live once as my Mum and Justin say! We went to the Greek restaurant Costa's. I had the most delicious steak, it reminded me of when I was in Paraguay for some reason. Dessert was okay I had the balavka, it was rich and sweet. the weekend before I wasn't really keen on a lot on the menu (unlike this week where I had to much to choose from) but dessert was easy and yummy. Okay better go as I have to take Laura to dance.

Laura passed her Jazz exam that she had this week! She did the jazz grade 4 exam and got honours which means she got between 85-89%, I am so proud of her, she was quite nervous as this was her first time doing an exam.
We are going out for dinner tonight with the Carsons and the Browns all without children how rare is that these days. It has been awhile since we have been out for dinner at all actually. I invited everyone and Justin picked and booked the restaurant, which I had a quick look at the sample menu and well nothing really jumped out at me so hopefully when we get there tonight something does!!
Not much else happening here really, work taking Laura to dance and back to work again. Although I did have two episodes with my alarm, human error of course. I dropped my phone on Sunday and didn't change the clock so when I was still here at 6:50am on Monday Laura was quite surprised although I thought she was up to early and told her it was only 6:25 as that is what my phone had said when I last looked at it. Opps so I was a little late for work luckily I just worked later. Then on Wednesday I had to set my alarm for something else and forgot to change it back so our phone was ringing at 4:30am on Thursday as I wasn't at work. Double opps!! that my friends is about all the excitement I have had this week!
Take care, talk to you soon.

finally got photos stuck down and managed to take a photo to upload. Here are the two fully completed pages I did from Nic Howard's take two class. I think they look great but that's because I had all the hard work done for me all I really had to do was put it together. thanks Nic!!

Laura

Alexander

I am getting abit slack at updating aren't I?? Well lets see, our house guest and his daughter who ended up staying a couple of nights as well, have now gone. they moved out late Saturday. We were all abit slow on Saturday as we had a bbq next door the night before and had a few drinks. I was still in bed early though, not that it felt like it helped much. Moving right along Saturday night was a work thing, the guy that hired me left earlier in the week and it was his leaving party. He is such a nice guy and he is going to be missed alot!! It was a good turn out too, I wasn't going to go as it is a bit of a hassle having to drive into town and then back out but I am glad I did. I am currently on holiday so no work well except the Post Office job. It is tiring not doing anything. the kids have gone to the movies with their cousins and grandma, not sure why they didn't do it last week when I was at work but oh well. So I have spent the whole morning altering photos, just adding a bit more light to some of them. In the end I found it was just as easy to do that it picture viewer thingy rather than photo shop. Not sure how good they will turn out though, I guess we will find out later.
So I signed up to face book as well last week, I even have some friends too! Plus a photo of myself, now that is a biggie. I don't really like having my photo taken and this one isn't the greatest, although it does look a little better. Photos show how much you've aged don't they? I am not sure how everyone else looks so great and relaxed about having their photo taken. I guess I am just not photogenic.
Friday last week I had my reassessment at the gym but the guy that took it last time wasn't there so I had a different one. Let's just say ......... it was interesting. He was really nice and has given me a few new things to try but since I am not going to work I haven't started it yet!!! I did go to the gym this morning but I went to Jellie Park instead. They have recently been renovated and it is all flash, new machines that Fiona couldn't work out, well two of them but the rest was good. It did feel strange going to a different gym.
Laura has less than a week till her first solo jazz dance. the competitions are this weekend. I am not sure how she will go once she is on stage. I think I am more nervous than she is.
Alexander is fine, he is looking to do tennis this summer when one of his parents gets around to finding out some more information about it.
well I think that is quite enough for now. Hope you are all well. take care.

We have a house guest with us at the moment, he is a friend of Justin's and is staying until he finds a place to rent. He actually arrived last Saturday night but since I haven't blogged since before then you didn't know!! Laura has been at camp since Wednesday, I didn't get to say good bye and take care and love you before she left as I was at work and I went to bed while they were all still on the computer but the cute and lovely girl that she is texted me before she left in the morning to say she goodbye and that she loves me. Isn't that just gorgeous, my sweet 13 year old made me sad and happy at my break for breakfast that day. Happy that she sent me the text to say she loved me and sad that I wasn't there for her. don't get me wrong its not like she's never been away from me, (hell we went away for a month and left her with grandparents). I just thought is was lovely!!!
what else has been happening, not much work, only had to take Laura to dance once this week although I did drive out to where she has dance last night to pick up Okiwi, a student from the dance studio in town who was teaching as Laura's teacher was not there. He is at high school but a very talented dancer and so enthusactic and funny. So the drive back was not at all awkward as I know who he is and have spoken to him to say great work at Christmas in the park but don't really know him if you know what I mean. Although now when he is famous I will be able to say I gave him a ride once!
okay I have just talked to my best friend on Skype (great thing that) and she has told me I have to join face book. Which I have been avoiding since I really don't know anyone but now that I know two people as I know my cousin is one there too I guess i will go and check it out.