sardines

i remember when our babygirl was teeny, i acquired this idiotic notion that parents' beds were just for parents. no kiddos allowed. thankfully she didn't listen. when charlie was growing in my tummy and space was at a premium with pillows holding up my achyness and daddy squeezed over in one corner of the parental bed, we'd wake up in the mornings with Miss Two starfished between us and both of us would give the hairy eyeball to each other and and have no idea how she climbed in there.
last night, in the middle of the night, i awoke to a flash of lightning immediately followed by the loudest thunder i've evah heard. there were electrics RIGHT ON TOP OF OUR HOUSE!!! followed by an immediate pitter patter of sixteen year old feet racing into our bedroom and bundling into bed. hello, starfish.

total divas

***we need soundz. press play on
PLAYKATE video in the sidebar***

a couple of months ago, i threw caution to the wind and bought woozie'n'me a couple of *cheap seats* to tarnished frocks and divas - which is a retro fashion show in honour of celebrating life (beautiful story here).

finally the date rolled around today!!!!!
of course, the poppies turned it into a bubbles and cupcakes event, complete with rooftop photoshoot:

all frocked up in retro

the divas with monsieur le paparazzi

cupcakes on the rooftop, shout it out..

baby, we're ready to go-o-o-o...

and in we danced, finding our seats in the third row from the back...
and then - something incredible happened - i overheard a lady asking peeps in the row behind us if they would like *paparazzi seats* - so we leapt up and sprinted to the front of the auditorium, and found ourselves sitting *on* the stage...

being wowed by
(my faithful pxts)

the amazing ms jackie clarke
showcasing her talents and humour -

she didn't miss a beat.

retro frock makeovers
(all the models are over forty!)

one of woozie's fave outfits -
it's all ruffled jeans and zips

my fave - a daffodilly dress

it was a totally amazing afternoon - three hours of divaness - dancing and singing and hippie hippie joy joy... fuelled by bubbles and the paparazzi prenzel pressies we all got up and boogied at the front of the stage during the finale!
you go, girls.

hindsight

i'm suddenly six again,
upsidedownhandstanding
on the grassy bank
with skirts gravitating
to reveal summer pyjamas and
long red nails with broken
chalk pieces jumbling a
stolenstampcollection
which doesn't sound so bad
when it's said onewordish like that.

and it's turning too fast,
this mouse-wheel of achievement
objectives and learning intentions
and plans and assessments.
they're clouding my vision
and all i can see is upside down
whispering grass and dandelions
which are threatening to blow away,
splatting on a strawberry screen
and i just want to cram everything
into my paddington backpack
and littleredbicycleaway.

who moved my cheese?

i've spent the last six days attached to my mouse.
and i'm about to drop kick it.
the blasted thing keeps disconnecting from my pooter every 3.8 seconds, which is rather stressful when an assignment is approaching its deadline.
and i have sand in my eyes.
but i am totally multiliterate.
*unplugs and replugs mouse*
have just done the final edit on my very first powerpoint, and am rather glad that i've been a Web Wife all these years cos i have even hyperlinked to this hilarious website and even to youtube and hidden it behind the logos. so yeah, ya click on the screen and BOOM! it takes ya right there.
*unplugs and replugs mouse*
Multiliterate Wizard Award.

and in other news (yeah, the globe keeps turning even while i'm down inside the tube) Woozie sang at school assembly today. the first we heard of it was when Bulldog turned up to skool and teachers kept running up to him amazed. yeah.
*unplugs and replugs mouse*
Vocal Wizard Award.

oh, i just read the blog and realised that Woozie has been featuring rather prominently here of late. there ARE other peeps who live here still:
let me think:
*unplugs and replugs mouse*
Sambo has nearly finished a huge Road Trip assignment - he is coming to a city near you.
we had teacher interviews and Holy Charlie is a total brain, rather like Mousey.
land sakes. not my genes then.
*unplugs and replugs mouse*

and we are about to go on a Noho Marae visit this weekend, just BD and moi. we'll have to do our mihi. yes, i've been practising: Kō Maungawhau tōku maunga... etc.
nothing compliKATEd, just following the KISS principle.
*unplugs and replugs mouse*
so that means that Granny and GD are arriving in two days' time to look after the cherubs - with DANNY BOY who is about to turn twenty (TWENTY?!!) and who hasn't had any more rides in police cars (as far as i know)
*unplugs and replugs mouse*
i bought a "teachery" book today.
reading activities. yeah, sounds boring, but these are ROCKING!!!
oh and i'm going through another "i'm really freaking out about being in charge of a classroom" phase.
*unplugs and replugs mouse*

fashionability

woozie is studying soft materials technology this year (yeah, the term 'sewing' is so *old skool*). her teacher said that the students could either: design a costume for the show, or exhibit a piece for global connexions. of course, woozie made the impulsive last-minute decision to do *both*.

the first was a complete success - the initial durability of those shiny purple pants was a tad questionable - so she made a few special modifications herself (movie line, ohk it's han solo in star wars, skiting about the millenium falcon to princess leia). the pirate king sang and danced that costume throughout three dress rehearsals and six performances.

in the five weeks post-show, wooz has been nipping back and forth to skool in every spare and not so spare moment (the rules say that the teacher must supervise that every stitch is made by the entrant) designing and sewing her heart out.

she entered her outfit in the FIRE category, using up some spare black fabric and making a fitted fire-jacket and some high-waisted shorts. dig those buttons.

the outfit was completed with a plastic red fire hat (which went home with another wanna-be fireperson) and some black pseudo-docs.

the outcome? no podiums this year, but wooz's outfit made it to the final ten entries for the FIRE section, and also got to the finals for EXCELLENCE IN SEWING. yep.

durability? tick. wearability? tick.

all around fashionability? tick tick.

the freakin' weekend

it's so great, when ya write about something, and then it's like you just wrote a post-it, and stuck it on the fridge (oh, how i love fridge doors, i think they tell ya *so* much about a person). and then all is suddenly well...
and you start gaining a little perspective, and actually having weekends, and late night chats with your peeps, and eating dinner together, and talking, and reading stories together... as well as writing essays...

and then a weekend happens, and instead of getting pissed off that ya missed *two* parties cos you're a busy student, ya *GOK* up an outfit for Bulldog

for number #2 said party

and field a nine o'clock emergency phone call to two lost girlfriends on their way to number #1 said party.

and then the next day ya grab
kiddos and boyfriend

(yes, i just said the B word,
for the first time evah)
and ya head to the
Big Wide Open Spaces...
and for the first time
in yer life,
instead of stomping
that you're dragging them
to the beach yet again,
peeps say how much they've
missed it,
and you walk and walk
and swing and swing
and laugh and laugh
and talk and talk
and finally return home
full of the joys of living...