rivettingKateTaylor

What a wonderful day we’ve had today. Farming, exploring, movies, rugby and cycling.

It started with Sarah cooking herself “fried bread dipped in egg” which is basically French Toast (and the only time she’s allowed white bread, unless Dad is doing the shopping) and Lachlan whipping up some scrambled eggs.

Then it was out to the farm for some calf dehorning (Thomas), weedeating (me) and lamb training for the children. It’s Rangitoto Boys and Girls Agricultural Club’s annual event on Wednesday – otherwise known as lamb and calf day.  The organisation is shared between our school and our neighbouring school (their turn this year). We still have Diesel from two years ago – he won four red ribbons so we can’t bring ourselves to eat him (don’t tell the kids but Cardigan and Weasel from last year have already been and gone). Luckily this year’s lambs, Good Golly and Miss Molly, are both girls so they’ll be added to flock next year.

On a sad note, Brandi died on Friday. Lachlan went out to feed her and Max (the two smaller ones) and came back in saying “Brandi’s lying on the ground on her back and won’t come to drink her bottle”. We talked them out of a coffin and a service and opted for the offal hole. Can’t beat the game of life on a farm.

Back to today. We then helped Thomas bring our flock of sheep (one ram, Diesel, four ewes and seven lambs) up to the yards for a jab and to do lawnmowing duty in the farm laneway.

Sarah and Lachlan stayed down below to play in the creek. They found a lovely round piece of steel/metal/iron/thing, which left a nice rusty colour additive all over their clothes, and had a wonderful time going in and out of the muck down there.

It was cup of coffee time for me so I wandered up, made a coffee and a piece of toast, mmm, strawberry jam, and sat on the HaHa (retaining wall that drops away from the lawn giving the illusion of no fence) and watched them play (when they didn’t disappear down a bank).

We have long operated a simple rule. I call out asking if they are okay – waiting for a “yeeeeeeees” and a “yeeeeeeeeees” from two voices. If there’s no answer, the yell is louder with the grumpy voice on. If there’s still no answer, I go looking. Now there is the odd occasion that they just don’t hear me, but more often than not, they can play to their hearts content without Mum breathing over their shoulder or telling them what they should (or usually shouldn’t do). Independence is a great thing and I’m pretty sure I have taught them some decent common sense.

So, anyway, now it’s lunchtime so after a quick shower to wash off the farm muck, we’re into sandwiches and off to the car for a trip to Dannevirke to catch the last showing of Mama Mia for the holidays with a girlfriend whose two are the same age as my two.

We have been listening to the sound track since the start of the holidays (thanks to stealing (better say borrowing) Fairy Godmother Sarah’snew CD).  I saw the movie when in Wellington on my girls trip and second time around was just as good (although I wasn’t as pushed to stand with rapturous applause after each number this time. And the kids loved it.

After coffee and afghans (highly recommend the Vault in Dannevirke) we headed home to see Hawke’s Bay’s Magpies beat Waikato in the rugby to earn a semi final spot in the national champs. Yaaaaaaaaaaay! (They tried to lose it – winning 28-nil at half time and winning the game 31-28).

We would have gone to the game in Napier but Thomas has only been to two games this season and they are the only two games the Magpies have lost so he wasn’t willing to take any chances! Thank goodness for Sky.

Then we were on our bikes for a run to Takapau (four kilometres) to play on the school playground for half an hour (Sarah reckoned she had forgotten what it looked like). Luckily we had a tail wind on the way home cos it’s all uphill!

And Thomas had tea on the table. What a man. In the middle of Bathurst too.

So that was the last day of the holidays. After a weekend in Wellington, a week in Gisborne with Grandma and Nanna, two days in Hastings playing with coffee group kids and three days at home (which included a trip to the vets and a several hours at a ploughing competition – tennis club catered lunch but the kids did love the vintage machinery and the Clydesdales) it’s time to find the uniforms and get ready for school.

I hope I cleaned the lunchboxes.

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