Brain Welfare

The child welfare people may not be happy with us over the next 2 weeks as we are encouraging a hell of a  lot of television watching. This as we all know, goes well against everything that is ever told about how much we should be encouraging our children to watch and also what is good for their welfare and development.
BUT the Olympics only comes around ever 2 years (with the fact that they have now separated the summer and winter to different years) and we are loving how much the boys are wanting to know about different sports that up until now they have never watched.

Ok it only started 3-4 days ago but we have seen some awesome stuff in that time.
We have cheered at the Judo, encouraged the rowers, watched in awe at the diving and consoled with the cyclists as they all crashed in the first 4 mins.
We have had amazing fun watching high level judo whilst watching them do such basic moves that the boys can see how important it is to know the basics.

We have watched the dressage, of course not something to have been seen before and judged the synchronised diving to see how in time together they really are?

The opening ceremony was not the greatest, I can honestly say I have seen better over the years, it is my favourite part after all. But it had some great moments in it. The boys just loved Mr Bean aka Rowan Atkinson playing the keyboard, very well done.

So like the rest of the world, the world has stopped for 2 weeks. Many people I know have already confessed to having had some very late nights, as the time difference means that it is all on during the night here if you want to watch it live! 1 friend also said that church was very empty on Sunday morning, obviously as everyone was just getting their sleep ready for another hard day of tv watching!

For us, we are just glad that New Zealand has been so kind as to show a lot of judo (especially as there is no one from NZ in that sport this year) as the boys are enjoying it as much as Steve is.

For me, I love the cross country and show jumping.

So I wish you all well, hope you find a sport you love to watch and get to enjoy all it has to offer.
I look forward to catching up with you in a few weeks time if you happen to go missing at any stage during the next few weeks!

Surprise Visit

We have just survived the first week back after the 2 week school holidays. The boys were great through it. They managed a few days at a holiday programme which they loved. I do have pictures of the production they were both involved with at the end but I will post those pictures another time.

My dad currently works in China, and he suddenly surprised us all by coming back to New Zealand for a visit just as the holidays began. It was awesome to have him here. He managed to come and stay with us twice and each time he stayed for 2 nights. The boys had such fun with him, it was lovely to see them with him. We even managed to attend a Super 14 Rugby match. We don't watch a lot of sport but to have the opportunity to go and see a live game is always fun.

everyone is chewing on warm mini doughnuts

I was actually taking part in the Scavenger hunt at this time and totally forgot to get a picture of someone playing with a ball!
The game was very interesting, a lot was always happening at the other end of the field to where we were sat so everyone had to keep turning behind them to look up at the large screen. Seemed very odd to have the game happening off to our left but everyone was turned looking up to their right!
The team I was supporting won but it was also the oposing team to the grounds we were sat in so sometimes it was difficult to cheer for your team as the other supporters were more dominent. It was fun though and we had a super time.

What did catch my eye though was this ATM machine in the grounds

Yep its mobile and stored in the back of a transit van. What I loved most was the wheel clamps on all the wheels, just in case someone tried to drive away!!

Weetbix TRYathlon

This weekend Ben once again completed the Weetbix Tryathlon.
Once again it was an awesome fun event that everyone enjoyed and got behind.

1500 bikes in transition area

If you have never had the pleasure then now is the time to take note and look out for next years events for your kids.

The kids have to be 7 yrs old to participate and they can do it every year until they are 15.

And like the name suggests it is a Tryathlon, yes there are 3 events to complete, swimming, biking and running (or walking if that is what you do) but the main focus is on TRY athlon as in "give it a go, try it out."
And yesterday that is just what 1500 kids did at Waikato University and they were awesome, every single last one of them ( and I know a little something about the last one too)

The first event, the swimming, is done in age groups, so you enter the pool when your group is called. Due to the distances that are swum (7yrs - 50m, 8-11yrs - 100m and the rest 200m) this will decide on when your age group swims. Yesterday Ben's age group (8yr yellow caps) were the very last group to swim, in fact by the time they had even entered the water most of the older bigger kids had finished their whole tryathlon! But at the end of the day it is not a competition it is a 'fun give it a go day'.

Waiting with mates from school

However, for some reason Ben hit the water and stopped. He got given a float board to use but he didn't seem to go very fast with it, consequently the 2 or 3 little groups of boys left to swim all passed him and he was one of the very last people to leave the pool area and transition onto the bikes.

Waiting to get in the water

 When he was at his bike he seemed to take forever. He had a little trouble with his helmet and we assisted over the fence. However whilst he was getting ready to go on his bike an official came up and asked him if he was alright for his run? Ben told him he was just going out on his bike and you saw the official whisper something into his little mic, obviously letting someone know they still had one left to go out on the bike!
My heart sank!! In fact my heart is sinking writing this (but only a mother will understand where I am coming from)

I soon realised that Ben was the very very last person on the biking field. The very last contestant of all 1500 kids! (Ben however knew absolutely nothing of this and just kept going with a huge smile on his face)

I also knew that from last year he didn't like the running part and walked, so my heart and brain very quickly put 2 & 2 together and yes I got that horrible answer of "oh my gosh he is going to be the very last kid to cross the finish line!

Sole rider getting sorted for the ride

I raced round to where he came out of the bike area and told him where to go, however I could see the 'tailend charlie official' ahead of Ben, so I ran like mad next to Ben telling him he had to catch up with the 2 men in the yellow jackets ahead of him. About 100m later a marshall saw Ben and stopped the officals and they waited for him. So there I stood on the large University field watch my lone 8yr old cycle round the path with not another person insight!

I am not sure whether I wanted to cry or scream, a few profanities came out of my mouth but then I realised we had to make the best of the whole situation. So I raced back to the school tent and found all his mates and their siblings and quickly explained that Ben was the very very last person. It sank in with them very quickly and then we sprung into action.
We all waited at the bike arrival area and cheered like mad for him when he came in on his own, we cheered for him while he parked his bike and set out on his run, the kids ran with him for about 200m and then they raced to the finish area. I ran with him about half of the run, but the thing that amazed me was him, he just jogged along and over took 6 people, I then realised that he wasn't going to come in dead last, he was going to be one of the last ones home but not THE last.
Half way round the course all his mates were on the side again with Steve and Alex and another parent and they all cheered him on again. We cut through the trees to where he was going to come out after going round the lake and we cheered him on again.
The last bend and some of the straight and everyone was running with him, then they all stopped and cheered as he ran the last bit himself straight across the finish.

Because it was the end of the day, and 1493 other kids had already come home, the finish straight was empty, there was hardly anyone standing along it cheering the kids. Of course not, because everyone else had their kids home so they had already moved over to the prize giving area which was happening about 10 mins after the last kid got home!
So after cheering like mad for Ben I stayed on the finish line and cheered like mad for the last few kids to come in. Really supported them, made them feel like someone was still there for them.

Ben is still totally oblivious to where he was in the race, doesn't understand what I saw but then why should he, he did the swim, he did the bike and he did the run. He knows his age group were the last to do everything and next year his age group will be before this group. And the year after his age group will be earlier again.
Although I know that in 2 years time we will go through it all again with someone at the end as Alex will be 8 by then and he will be in that dreaded group that has to go at the very end of the day.

Rugby World Cup

Oh I am sorry, did you not know this was on??
I guess when you live in a country where it is not happening and not in your face constantly for weeks and months leading up to it, then you are allowed to be a little blaize about it.

However, we live in New Zealand and yes... the Rugby World Cup (RWC) is in full swing and has 3 weeks left till final time. Everywhere you go there are flags flying for the country that person is supporting. Shops have designed their window displays around the RWC theme. Offices are decorated to support whoever. People are talking rugby every morning and people are not at work because they happen to be away a day or 2 due to having tickets to whatever game is on. So it has affected life just a little.

Have we got into it, well just a little, the boys have had times at school where they have been required to wear their favorite teams colours, one project they had was decided upon by choosing countires within the RWC.

The media, well what can one say about the media?? They have hyped this to out of this world proportions.

My 8 yr old is now wild about the All Blacks (New Zealand's team, if you didn't already know that) and I can honestly say it is due solely to the media. Sadly he only knows 2 of the players but again that is because they are the 2 highest profiled ones.

We are not a rugby family, yes we will watch it, yes we understand it but no we are not avid fans, no we do not have Sky Tv so we can follow every game religiously and no life does not revolve around a certain game on a certain day!

However, saying that, we did get tickets to a game during the pool games. We went and saw Wales v Samoa that was played right here in little Hamilton.

The boys loved this and were all excited about going. We got flags to wave, although we could only find Samoa flags at the time, so we waved green pompoms for Wales.

We painted designs on our face to show which team we were supporting. The family decided to split up and have 2 support one team and 2 the other.

Team Samoa

Team Samoa

Best Wales flag I could draw!

Team Wales

However, eventually Alex got a little bored in the 2nd half of the game and he just cheered for whatever was happening.

Samoa huddle prior to game

 

The whole atmosphere was great and I am really glad that Steve went to the trouble of getting tickets to a game. I thought the boys were a little too young to apreciate it but I was wrong, they didn't totally understand what was happening at times but hopefully they will remember the fact we, as a family, had a day out to the Rugby World Cup when it was held in New Zealand.

Soccer

Until now, we have always been able to get away from Saturday sports, we knew that one day our day would come. However, the boys have been happy doing Judo, which just so happens to be a very nice indoor sport!

Sadly that time has now ended and we have been entered into Saturday morning sports, although we were happily welcomed with blazing sunshine and nice warm temperatures for our first morning on the sidelines!

Ben has discovered soccer and wanted to play this year, so play he is.....
This weekend saw the teams first game of the season



Someone had to play goalie for the 1st half, sadly he never saw the ball! Due to the score!



He had a blast and his team even won their first match 3-0.
Well done little ones, look forward to watching you next week.

Pro Athelete

Well Ben now thinks he is a pro!

Last weekend, for the first time, he was finally the right age to enter the Weetbix Tryathlon.

Ready to go

The Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRY-athlon is a community event in its eighteenth year where kids aged 7-15 can swim, cycle and run for fun, plus take home a medal and a certificate for having a go - because every kid is a champion!

Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRY-athlon have a Philosophy:
They believe that inside every child there is a champion. It doesn't matter about their size or shape, it doesn't matter if they don't usually get involved in sporting activities. They want them to give it a go and feel like a champion. The emphasis is on being involved and giving their best.

Unfortunately we only found out about it happening in our area 5 days before hand, but Ben was happy to give it ago and try his best. We will train better for it next year, plus he is now registered with them, so we will gain email info months before when the dates for 2012 become available.

He had to swim 50m, cycle 4km and run 1 1/2km
He was very excited, especially as his big cousin, Ellis came over from Rotorua to partake as well.
All in all it was an awesome proud emotional day for me.
He tried his best and achieved so much for my little 7yr old.

Water, I need water....!

"I did it mum"

Look what I got

There were over 1600 kids taking part and it was so well organised. Never once did I feel the kids were lost or confused, there were so many marshals aound in red t-shirts willing to help and direct the kids.
Even in the swimming part, which due to the size of the pool space the parent's are unable to watch, the pool was a sea of people in red t-shirts, ( I spied through the fence when able too) they were spaced out in the water, all holding float boards, I don't think any child had to go more than 2m before they were in catching distance of the next guard, just in case they got into trouble whilst doing their swimming.

There were marshals in the transition area helping them find their bike, if they forgot where they put it! People along the whole course of the cycling and running, helping them, encouraging them and making sure they knew where to go.

Now which one will I take?

The entrance to the bikes from the swimming area with excited parents waiting for their little ones to run by

Keep going Ben

I even witnessed one helper see a young girl really struggling with the last 50m of the run (last activity) and he joined her on the course and helped her along so she finished with her head held high.

Looking down towards the finish area. The kids were running the other side of the people on the right hand side of picture

Everyone was so encouraging, it was an awesome atmosphere all day and a real privilige to be a part of it all.

Whatever You call It?

Football or soccer, whatever, it is something I have grown up with. Dad was a referee and brother has played, so does my 9yr old nephew, very well in fact.

Blogging about football (as I call it) is not something high on my list either but........
When the All Whites thrash Italy, all be it with a draw of 1-1, then I am happy to blog about it.

New Zealand is small, I will give you that.
BUT look what we are capable of doing.

GO THE ALL WHITES

Game Time

Yes it has finally arrived, the much waited for Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada.

I love the Winter Olympics

I just love everything about it, the thrill of the down hill skiing, ice skating, luging, curling just everything.
I would, if possible, take 2 weeks of work, resign from the human race and veg for the whole time watching it. Even if this meant I had to live nights and sleep during the day to capture the coverage with the time differences!
Which given we are always in the midst of our summertime when ever the Winter Games are on, is pretty much, all the time!

So, having just enjoyed the intense Women's Moguls, and it was thrilling, USA Gold and Bronze, Cananda Silver, and I so wanted the young 18 yr old Canadian to get a medal, unfortunately she came 5th, I have some very busy evenings ahead of me catching up on the days events that I will be missing whilst at work

For Christmas, Steve brought me a new game for the Wii, 'Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics'.
The boys have loved playing this game and have grasped some idea of downhill skiing, iceskating etc so I am loving being able to show them real people doing real games, although they do keep asking when Mario and Sonic will be competing!

But now my computer is back up and running, I will sadly have no time to get on it because I will be glued to the tv every evening.
So I am back, but just got way laid on the way for the Olympics.

Enjoy the games!

Sports

Ben also had a sports demonstration at school last week.

At this age they just get to try lots of different activities and give them all a go.

He got to do hurdles, bean bag throwing, high jump, running, 3 legged racing and the potate and spoon race.

He did very well in all his demonstrations and it was a fun afternoon.

Grandma and I got to have a picnic lunch with him at school.