Jade's 9th Birthday

Wow our wee girl has turned nine! Wow! She is getting so big, wont belong and she will be living at a flat in town, how scarey!

So Jade wanted to go to the mountain for her birthday this year, so I hired a campervan from base and we were going to drive to Whakapapa Village on Friday night, stay at the campervan park there, go to the mountain on Saturday, then off to Taupo Saturday afternoon, to the hot pools there and drive home again Sunday. Jade invited her friends Nyah and Bradley to come with her. Everyone was very excited.

So Friday rocked around and the weather turned to custard, gale force winds for Friday and Saturday at the mountain and lots of rain and snow!!!! How rude, the weather was supposed to do as I asked it, I mean how hard can itt be for 2 days!!! So in the morning I picked up the campervan, went from driving my wee suzuki hatchback car, to driving this 6 berth campervan!!! It was large!! I collected Bradley and Nyah from their houses, and then we camp back up to load up the camper with everything we needed for the trip.

So because of the weather the kids decided to forgo the mountain and to go direct to Taupo. So off we went, the kids were in heavan! I made these rather large goodie bags, full of all things mothers do not want to give to their children, their eyes were wide when they saw them. Anyway it kept them extremly happy on the drive up there.

As we drove through the desert road there was lots of snow everywhere, we could not see the mountain as it was covered in cloud, doing the the good storm thing. We decided we would stop in the snow to play on the side of the road on the way back on Sunday.

Once we got to Taupo, the nice people at the camping ground park, directed me while I back (yes I backed) the campervan into its slot! Excellant driving by me I must say!!! The park we stayed at had thermal pools there, so off we went down there, I sat in the 40 degree pool for about 3 hours, while the kids ran up and down the hydroslide that was there, and visiting me in the pool.

Pizza for tea, called them up for a delivery, and the delivery man forgot to bring out the mobil eft-pos, how cool, free pizza, yes free, yippee for me. The kids watched a couple of movies on the laptop before going to sleep around 10.

Saturday we got up early as of course it was Jade's birthday, she was wrapped with all her loot, and spent alot of time reading the "SIMS" manual on how it all works, she was dying to get home and load it up and play!

After pancakes, laidened with canned whipped cream and mayple syrup (yes more stuff mothers don't want their children to have), I walked over to the office in the pouring down rain to see what things the kids could do for the morning. The decission was made by the kids to go to the Volcano centre. So we packed up and off went. I think the highlight of this was the earthquake room, where you sat and it shook as though you were in an earthquake, I think they did it at least a dozen times.

Off to burger king for lunch and then to the other thermal pools at Taupo for the afternoon, more playing in the pool and lots of sliding down the hydroslide again.

Back to the campervan park, where I reversed the camper in all by myself, no guidance at all!! Pizza and Pavalova for tea, oh yeah and lots of biscuits and more lollies mmmmmmm! Movies and bed, or was that movies in bed!!

Sunday morning we got up early, well I woke at 5.30am as it was 7 degrees inside the camper, so I cranked up the heater and went back to bed for another hour. Busy morning ahead as we needed to leave by 8am, so that we were not to late back to Sanson.

On the trip back to Sanson, there were a couple of events. First one was all the flooding, yes I know what is up with that. On the road from Taupo to Turangi the creeks on the side of the road had flooded, there was signs up everywhere, and the water was quiet deep over the road in about 6 different spots, so that was exciting!

Then the snow, well the lack of it! So us stopping on the side of the road for a play was a big non-event, the kids were gutted. Never mind.

All and all the birthday was a great event and was so well enjoyed by everyone, in saying that, Jade has now gone to stay with Ralf's parents for the week and I am going to bed to sleep!!!