Autumn is coming...

I felt the first signs of autumn the other day while walking the kids into school.  It was fresh out.  Distinctly fresh, like a late August or early September morning in Alberta... The sun is noticeably lower too and the days are getting shorter.  Easter is less than two weeks away and I have to admit, Easter in autumn is hard to wrap my head around!

Well Jake had another visit to the emergency room.  Just over a week ago, he was racing out the door to a soccer scrimmage with his indoor buddies.  He managed to drop a FULL water bottle (a 'heavy metal' one) directly on his big toe (of course he hadn't put his socks or shoes on yet - that is what people do in the car enroute to the pitch!!).  Long story short -- we ended up in emergency a few days later having it drained, bandaged up and getting a round of antibiotics. It is so much better now, but it really was a mess and it has interfered with playing all the sports he loves.  Tennis and indoor soccer wrapped up last week.  He was able to hit tennis balls at his final class last week, but we had to keep him out of cricket and soccer.  He should be OK to play in his last cricket game this Saturday.  Hopefully his new toenail will have grown in by the time soccer season begins when we arrive back in TN!!

Final tennis lesson - Sofia can hit that ball *when* she wants to...

Jake's final lesson - he's on the far left (squint hard!!)

Although Jake couldn't play in his final indoor game on Friday night, our friend and neighbour Cameron did, in Jake's place.  It was Cameron's first indoor soccer game and I think he'll take Jake's place on the team next term, which is great!!  We had some of the boys and a few parents over afterwards for pizza and drinks.  It was a really fun night. We've met some great people through all the kids' activities.  Sadly, my pictures don't do it justice --I need to get a couple group shots from our friends, so watch this space for an updated photo or two!!

Mitchell (middle) reliving his big goal

Eating ice cream...

Cricket is played at Pigeon Mountain, which is only about three minutes by foot from our home.  The view of Pigeon Mountain is really special - it's a volcanic cone (and old Maori fortification) with a distinctive set of trees sitting on its top!  There's a massive green space at its base which I find it a spectacular place for family walks, kicking the soccer ball around and as a backdrop for Saturday cricket.  I took some photos on Saturday - it was a beautiful morning.  The photos have a lot of glare as I was taking some into the sun - so they aren't the best but hopefully you get the point...

View of Pigeon Mountain

Large field near the base of the mountain - Sat AM cricket...

Another photo of Sat AM cricket...

Saturday night was a special evening for me.  I had a friend named Andy back when I was a teenager who moved to New Zealand when we were in grade 10.  Thanks to Facebook we'd reconnected through our group of friends maybe a year or two back.  Turns out - he and his girlfriend live about 10 minutes from where we are staying.  We'd been trying to coordinate dinner together since we got here.  Finally we found a day that worked and we went over for dinner on Saturday night.  It was great to meet his two girls (Ava & Mia), meet his girlfriend Amanda and catch up.  It was another late night, though it likely would've been a lot later had we not needed to get the kids home to bed!! 

On Sunday, we took the kids to the Kelly Tarlton Aquarium near Mission Bay.  WE FINALLY SAW (drum roll......) PENGUINS!! They are adorable creatures.  Love 'em.  There was an exhibit on Captain Scott & his Antarctic explorations.  We watched the sting rays get fed, saw sharks and, probably Sofia's favourite, sea horses!  After a weekend of late nights, it was a relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  Everyone went to bed early Sunday night...

On train through Penguin Exhibit - this simulated the disorientation you'd experience during a "white out" in Antarctica.

Penguins! (seen through glass of train)

This weekend coming up should be fun!  John and I are going to Waiheke Island with Ben and Lisa for wine tasting!  Sunday, Sofia and I will go to a play that our friend Mark is in (Howick Children's Theatre) while John and Jake attend the cricket awards ceremony.

Next Thursday, April 5, the children start their two week school break.  We plan to spend Easter in Mangawhai (north of Auckland) and then our last adventure will include time in the Coromandel area.

Australia is now on the distant horizon -- coming slowly into sight... 

Ciao for now.