Routines and Porpoise Bay

Our weeks are becoming familiar and more like a routine. The kids continue to enjoy school, as well, Dan and I are enjoying our jobs. I found out this week that we do not do reports this term. I hugged that information bearer and squealed! This past Friday the kids competed in a school swim meet in Gore. Never having done anything like this before the kids were a little nervous. Abby ended up getting 1st place in Front crawl and Sammer a 2nd and a 3rd. I was able to get coverage for a class and attend this event. It was wonderful.
The kids started rugby this week. They practice Thursdays after school. They are learning the game which is new to them. They are tackling and being taught how to tackle. At first both Sam and Abby felt weird tackling. From the beginning of their lives they have been told "hands off", so actually being expected to go and tackle someone to the ground was a little foreign to them.
The kids are taking English riding lessons after school at a stable just outside of town. A set of twin girls that I teach live at the stable and offered to have the kids spend an hour every Wednesday learning how to care for horses and riding them.
This Saturday was wonderful. We woke up to thick fog, but the temperature was warm. I made some phone calls to Canada. It was so nice to talk to Pam at Grand Bend School. I was thrilled to have made Derek blush and leave the room as a result of my teasing. You know I love those button fly jeans! Mom phoned, which is always nice. Brian C. made me smile with his "Sammy" when he heard my "Hello". I miss him. Great Grandma Burgess too sounded great and was delighted to hear us on the other end of the phone.
Our plan for the day was to get some wet suits and swim with the dolphins at Porpoise Bay. We drove to Invercargill to Rebel Sports and got s few wet suits (not pretty). While in Invercargill we met a man standing on the street with a contraption strapped to his back. He had invented a cooler and spout that was refrigerated and was selling raspberry cola. Also, Dan and I bought ourselves bikes at a bike shop. The bikes will be delivered to our house this week! That never happened to us back home. April 18th marks the beginning of a two week break and we plan to do part of the Rail Trail.
Our drive to Porpoise bay was twisty and windy. Car sickness seems to find its way into our vehicles. Abby starts with...."I'm hot" in a shrill sharp whine. Then soon after she follows with gagging. There is no gravol here, but we have found something similar called Sea Legs which is only in pill form. Our kids have never really taken pills before so convincing them that they will not die by having the pill stuck in their throats is almost more trouble than a side of the road regurgitation. Once at Porpoise Bay we had a wonderful time. No dolphins but certainly lots of fun in the waves. The wet suits were necessary as the water was cold. We love being near water and waves. The place that we went to has a camp ground beside the ocean and the sites are separated by large Tussock bushes. There is very little on the sites, it is very rustic. As the sun set we drove home, showered the kids and tucked them into bed. It was a good day.