9am- kids are on the couch looking for poo in a see if you can find book… Helena isn’t dressed.

9:15- Helena is now dressed and breakfasted and they are both putting their shoes on to go up to the dairy for 50c mixtures. Oh the motivation.

9:30- kids are back and have bowls and are going through their lollie bags.

9:45- they have the rats out and have been playing with them and are coming in to make themselves tatties (a sort of potato ring thing) in the micro wave.

10- sitting in the sun porch eating a massive bowl of tatties and chatting. They have negotiated which chair they each get and where the tatties should sit…

10:15- still in the same chairs eating, but also they now have a drink (thanks Mum) and are letting the rats out to watch them run back to their favourite spot in the doll’s house, it’s a race.

10:30- still playing with the rats, putting them in their sleeves and the whole glass of spilt drink has been cleaned up.

10:45- they are cutting the grass with sissors. Helena cuts a fairy circle. Somehow a sunflower bud has been cut off, one of only 2 in the garden. I am cross. Things take a turn for the worse ..

11- after lots of cross, sulky, angry, petulant (me), emotions have flown about emanating from the various parties someone has come up with the idea of going to the beach and told the dog (not ours but our neighbors) who is very excited.

11:15- kids are changed, having chosen togs and what equipment is essential, they are mostly ready to go.

11:30- we are mid walk and all of us are feeling generally happier. I am probably nagging something about if they walk slow they will have less time at the beach. I am thinking about lunch, they are thinking and talking seemingly completely random stuff.

11:45- at the beach, sun is shining, the dog has found several sticks, and they are all drawn to the water.

12- the kids have graffitied on the beach and are now in the water. They are sharing the one boggie board they brought…

12:15- now they are making a sand bath, or something like that, it’s the “Best Ever”

12:30- one child is dressed, the other is half dressed and as they forgot a towel they have been drying by running around like mad things..

12:45- we are en-route home. They are still carrying all the stuff, neither of them reneged or spat the dummy over carrying the wet stuff home. I’m hungry.

1- I have a photo of one of them on the couch and other leaning on the back… Helena and I can not remember what they were doing!! (and this is only a few hours later)

1:15- they are sorting buttons, they do this sorting thing several times!!

1:30- still sorting buttons-colour?

1:45- Helena is eating and moving… and apparently we are going geocaching and that was why they went through the buttons (in case there was something to swop them for).

2- We are about to get on our bikes and hit the road…

2:15- we are biking on the railway reserve and have already found one rather nice geocache with an xmas theme, there was nothing to swop but there was a music thing that played an xmas tune…

2:30- and I am reading to them about the Stoke Railway station and how 3000 people turned up for the opening, 1200 of whom were children. It’s the site for the next geocache.

2:45- there was some argy bargy about who actually first thought of looking in the spot that the geocache was found in (very clever) and a button has been lost. There isn’t anything to swop.

We sit and eat fancy apples and homemade fruit strap to recover then meet Helena’s friend’s mum and it’s after 3.

Day is done.

I think it was all about Hauora today… Taha Tinana -moving their bodies, pushing them in ways they are meant to be pushed. Taha Hinengaro -being outside doing the stuff that makes you feel so good. Taha Whanau -being together with people who look out for you, even when you stuff up. Taha Wairua -being in nature and the glory of Papatūānuku..