Eye Eye

Over the weekend Alana was in Twizel for rock climbing competitions and on Sunday she won a spot prize – a whole Mt Cook Salmon. By the time she got home it had started to defrost, so tonight we baked it and enjoyed every morsel – what a treat.

After tea, Sam started dissecting the salmon, looking at the spine and then freaking Danielle out by placing the salmons eye on her plate. Such comments as “we’re keeping an eye on you” were heard while Danielle squealed with disgust. Sam then dissected the eye, suggesting that he might glue the other eye to Danielle’s door. Blair then dared Sam to do a ‘Fear Factor’ challenge and eat the eye. As you can imagine, there were varied reactions and squawks. Blair upped the challenge by offering Sam $10 for a successful chew and swallow of the eye. Considering Sam is a food texturephobe we thought we were pretty safe in our dares. But to our complete surprise, Sam popped that little eye in, gave it a decent chew and down it went!!!!!!

So you never know what your kids will do!

Exhausted but thrilled

Alana has been away in Twizel this weekend at a rock climbing weekend. No photos yet as they were all taken by one person so still to come. Alana was worried about the expense (actually not too bad at all) of the weekend and initially wasn't going to go. She has had a wonderful time. When she presented us with the following we were stunned. The value of her prize almost approaches that of the weekend! Have a look at this beautiful Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon!!

Out of the mouths of babes

For a few months now Paige had had a wee imaginary friend called, "Bubby." Where ever Paige goes and whatever she does Bubby does as well.

When Ann took Danielle to Alexandra for camp Bubby went. Unfortunately Bubby fell out of the car and had to be scooped up in Ettrick on their way back through!

Tonight after tucking Paige in she exclaimed that Bubby wasn't in bed! "Yes she is" I replied I saw her hop in before you got in. We prayed and then I tickled Paige, managing to slip my hands out, wiggling my fingers and saying, "that must have been Bubby."

Paige looked me straight in the eyes and said with the most amused grin on her face, "Daddy, Bubby's not real!" I was totally flawed by this comment for I was convinced Paige believed she, Bubby, was real. 

Which is just as well because apparently Ann ran over her in the car earlier this week.

Fairy Princess Castle Birthday Cake

Well done Alana!!

Scooting

Paige goes scooting today. She loved it. Here is the video link. When not blogging on mobile I'll edit this to a hyper link or embed the file but until then cut and paste in to your browser address bar.

Danielle returns home

Danielle has had the last week at Roxburgh Health Camp, she absolutely loved her time there. The swimming - 4 hours in the pool, the fashion show where she got to dress up as a Cheer Leader were favourites. Apparently the food was better this time too.

One very excited, very tired and glad to be home wee girl!

Alana wins 2011 Speech Competition

Sam's Big Night In

Make your own free photo collage

Sam is 4th in on the middle row. This was a concert that he thoroughly enjoyed being a part of as he sung with the Southern Children's Choir.

The Rail Trail from Alana

This photo collage generated with Smilebox

Champion Speech Maker

Alana won her year 8 speech competition with a very humerous speech based on her winning science fair project. Her topic was nappies and the environment. We sourcing a better video that I will link to later, but in the mean time here's the B grade version of the A grade speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at3E07XcPB4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Speech Competition

Alana has made it to the semifinals with a great speech about the environmental impact of nappies whether they be disposable or cloth. This came from her science fair project for which she won the Otago University Biochemistry Dept prize, again, this year.

She has been liaising with a company in CHCH who are able to compost disposables in six weeks and has also been in touch with the DCC to look at whether such a venture could be started down here. As the market is small one option would be to combine Dunedin and Southland. As medical waste already comes south from Oamaru to the Dunedin landfill it would not be precedent setting to look at the feasibility of whether nappies could make the same journey. More work for her next year to look into.

Down on the farm

Today the kids and I went to visit friends who live and work on another friends dairy farm. After a yummy lunch, thanks Denise, Malcolm took me and the kids to feed the calves in the calving shed. He was great with the kids. There were various pens for calves who were sick and not expected to make it but were being given a chance through to those that were soon to go on the 'long holiday' as well as the keepers!

Here are some pics and a couple of videos.

The fun in the snow continued this afternoon

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Kids enjoy the morning's snow and a day off school

Here are a few pictures from this morning.

 

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Forsyth Barr Stadium Escape

A couple of times now the kids and I have tried to get to the stadium for a look and missed out either because it was too early in the morning (the official opening) or we were too late (public open day).

Yesterday, Saturday, Sam's choir (Southern Children's Choir) held a concert with the Melrose Singers and afterwards we thought we would do a little drive-by the now stadium is finished and open. Well we got more than we bargained for!! As we drove past we saw that the gates were open and people we wandering in and having a bit or a recon, cameras out and all. Not one to miss an opportunity for a free look, I quickly parked the car and said, "come on mate let's go take a look while we can!"

Off we went and soon found a group of people getting a bit of a tour. We tagged along at the rear briefly and then headed off on our own. We got right down to the pitch edge, way up to the top of the northern stand. It was so high I got the wobbles coming down!! Then we headed off to the Eastern end where there are 5000 temporary seats - this is where the stage will be for Elton's concert. We chatted to one of the stadium staff and got answers to our questions, we watched two guys walking over the top out beams roped on with steel cables.

When it came time to go we trotted of to the gate through which we entered. Locked!! Oh no, stay calm I thought. As we turned to head off in a westerly direction the supposed tour party were coming towards us with cleaning equipment. Oops, apparently not open to the public after all! These guys were the cleaners getting a run down on their work.

As we came to the entrance opposite Logan Park we noted that all the gates here were closed as well. I spotted a wheel chair ramp and realised that the drop over the side from the bottom would not be that great. "Come on Sam, over the side, down on to that ledge, then hold on to the fence and drop, ok." "Yes Dad", came the nervous reply. Over we went and off to freedom.

East End

West End

Southern Stand

Sam's Ascent

Pitch

Roof

Alana Celebrates her 12 Birthday in style

Prep for the big jump

I am seriously behind in blogging and I appreciate those of you who have said they miss the updates. I hope over the next wee while to get a few more pictures and videos up loaded, with an emphasis on the images and not too much writing.

Boxing Day at Aramoana

On Sunday afternoon we headed off to the spit down at Aramoana for a walk. There was a strong easterly wind blowing when we arrived but at least it was not cold.

As we pulled up we saw that there was at least a half dozen land yachts (blow carts) zipping up and down the beach.

We had a great afternoon enjoying the beach, surf, sand dunes (kids sledding down the huge dunes) and watching 5-6 Blue Eyed penguins trying to get up to their nest, but put off by the fact that we were keen to get closer. As a result of our interest they stayed playing in the surf. Then when they could see that they were going to move off they then emerge from the surf and headed up the beach for the night.

As we were heading back to the car Ann noticed that one of the blow cart riders looked familiar. They were travelling at a fair clip so I suggested we stay until the rider returned and Ann could get a better look to see if it was the person she thought it was. As the rider approached where we were standing he looked up and recognised Ann as she realised it was who she had initially thought.

Samuel was with us and as we chatted Richard asked us, “is this your boy?” We introduced Samuel and it was then that he offered to take Samuel for a ride in his blow cart if he would like it. Well Samuel’s eyes were as wide as saucers as he said “yes!” In he climbed and off they went for the fastest trip down that beach he has ever had. He was so excited and animated when he got back.

Sam's concert with Suzanne Prentice

Several weeks ago the primary schools held a combined choir concert with Suzanne Prentice as a fund raiser for World Vision. There were hundreds of kids and they performed superbly. To our surprise Sam was really looking forward to it and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Sam was seated on the left side balcony, not that there's a hope of seeing him!

No cameras allowed but took this with the phone.

In the Navy

Some time ago now Samuel and I toured the HMNZS Otago. This has turned out to be a controversial vessel with cost, performance, mechanical and fuel problems. We enjoyed our look. Apologies for photo quality. The Cannon camera died and I had to use the phone.

Paige's first steps

Today I went to one of the Italian Film Festival movies with a new friend Roberto Ghidella, needless to say Roberto listened to the dialog while I read the subtitles! What I noticed was really irritating was when ever text was shown in the movie e.g. a text or a letter I would look at the image rather than the subtitles and miss what it was all about!!

That's not the point of this blog. We, the family and me, then joined Roberto and Asta for tea. Asta had made a gnocchi (pasta like dumplings) for us, followed by tuna and double cream cakes (we would call them a rissole) and caponata (rich eggplant based dish with all sorts of veges and some fruit in it), all served with a nice crisp Italian white wine (sorry did not get the name of it). At the end of the meal Alana announced that she had overeaten!! She wasn't the only Donkin feeling like that. How often do you get invited out for authentic Italian cuisine? The kids did really well especially with the caponata which was quite different from anything they have eaten before. Thanks Roberto and Asta for a wonderful meal!!

But, that's not the sole point of this blog either. When I arrived Ann announced that Paige was walking. Now given that when I left to watch the movie with Roberto she was only furniture surfing I was somewhat surprised. Then Alana appeared with the evidence, her camera with a short video. Unfortunately Alana has left her camera at Roberto and Asta's tonight so the videos I have here are of a very tired Paige doing her best to walk. Once I get the video from Alana's camera I will up load that as well. Sure enough she was taking a few steps and looking very pleased with herself, and so she should.