Teddy Bears Picnic

Hamilton Parents Centre organises inconjunction with Barnardos a Teddy Bears Picnic in the park each year.
It is part of the Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival, but this year was the 13th year it had been running.

To us it is our major fundraiser, we organise it all and we get to keep the funds made at the end.

So this was my first involvement and it was a blast. We were lucky with the weather but only just, there were a few trickles of rain, but nothing that didn't just cool everyone down.

The kids loved all the entertainment and it looked like there was some fun had by all the teddy bears too.
It was a long day for everyone. I got there at 7.30am and the boys got there at 9. We left at about 4.30pm after cleaning up.

Ben had a great time, he got to see The Funky Monkeys, a local kids entertainment group who have been on the tv.

So all in all a great cheap day out. Looking forward to being part of it again next year.

Alex's Day

When you go and collect your child from a day at daycare and they tell you they kept forgetting that they had a new child in the room it makes you feel really happy.
Apparently Alex just blended in and got on with it and they kept forgetting that he was new as he blended so well.
He was a very happy child when we collected him, he had had a ball.

Me....I managed to get the laundry on the line to dry in the sun, get some Parents Centre work completed and spend so lovely time with Ben when he finished Kindy.

So a good day which was finished off with a Christmas picnic party at Kindy for Ben. All I can say is that Ben is very enthusiastic about his singing. He was the loudest and everyone noticed! But he had fun and that is all that matters.

Sudden Picnic

Dinner all planned and ready to cook, when I realise that the beef mince doesn't smell as good as it should!
Quickly get more out but must have been a bad batch as that isn't much better.
Due to a committee meeting at 7, decide oh well off to Noodle Canteen for noodles and fried rice with chicken.
Steve had this wonderful idea to eat it in the park, so grab the plates and forks, he grabs the picnic blanket and we rush on out.
20 minutes later we are sat in the park eating noodles and rice and having an inpromptu picnic dinner, ok it could have been a little warmer to make it more enjoyable, but hey you can't have everything.

The boys had fun and that was the most important thing.

Horse Racing

We had a day at the races. Rotorua Races that is. What a lovely day we had too. Took a picnic lunch and had a few little flutters, came away even, so no loses! The boys thought this was great. the horses walked right past us to get their saddles etc and then back past us to go onto the track. As we were stood by the winning post we saw them as they all finished, then they walked back past us to do the parade in the winners circle where the jockeys dismounted and the horses were lead away. So the boys got to see so much of what was happening. Ben thought it was all fabulous and had a wonderful day.