First You-Tube Video!!

Hello darlin's

I have created my first you-tube video for you

Click on the title above

Cheers Dad,xx

Jess and Dana

Hiya beuatiful daughters,

I thought I'd stick this piccy of you two because you look so lovely, xx - and Jess your hair looks good shorter

Does Tiger ever sit on your lap Dana, or is he a bit too scarry??

I've finished my last exam, yey - I need to do some serious relaxing now - so you might get loads of blog messages this week

Alexia sends lots of big scrummy hugs n kisses too

Love, Dad n Alexia xx

Wow What a Blanket!!

Hiya Girls

Opa sent me some photos when you went around last - wow what a fantastic blanket Oma, it's soooo big and colourful - where are you going to use it? Who's bed is it going to go on? Maybe Jess or Dana (or both together!!) could use the next tiime they sleep at Tamarind.

Well my last exam is tomorrow - Strategic Business Management, yes it's as exciting as it sounds, yawn - I'm just busting to use my brain for other stuff. I've also picked up a job with Tony Norton a tomato grower, 0.5 ha Venlo block, coal boiler (it's all they use in the South Island - Gas in the North) - I'll send some piccies soon.

Wish me luck!! Love Dad, xx

Picture Stories

Hiya Girls - I came accross this activity on CBBC and thought it was quite cool, especially if you're into making up stories

The idea is to make up a story to fit the picture and publish it on the CBBC website - the winner even gets a prize

Click on the title above to enter the website and get a bigger view of the picture - also go to some of the previous stories, there's loads, some are quite good, I read a couple for fun :o)

Here's my little story!!


Crooky the witch and her cat Rumbold were rushing to get to the great Halloween Ball in the middle of the forest. Everyone was invited, well all the witches, gobblins, ogres and pumpkin heads anyway, you know just the fun types. All the boring old toads, gnomes, elves and fairies could stay in bed and sleep their beauty sleeps.

"I can't wait to drink the newt-eye and fly-wing soup," gurgled Crooky, "it'll make me come out in big spots, haaa haaa haaa" she laughed madly while doing a loop-the-loop. The full moon always made her a bit frisky.

Rumbold just purred quietly to himself and wondered if he was ever going to be turned back into a black cat again. He used to be black you know. At the last Halloween bash the witches had got too excited, as they always do, and showed off their new spells. Grizzelda had fallen into her cauldron, and when the others had pulled her out she was so mad that she waved, flapped and wiggled her wand until it fell out of her hand.

The trouble was that she muttered a curse under her breath, just as the wand fell out of her slippery fat fingers and onto Rumbold. "PING" and he turned green, with blue glowing eyes, and a loo brush for a tail. The other witches nearly wet themselves laughing at the poor transfiguered Rumbold.

Crooky was not laughing though, she folded her arms, closed one eye, and stared the evil-eye at Grizzelda. This made her quake in her boots, well boot (the other was still in the cauldron), until she picked up her wand, only to find that it was broken. She had also forgotten the curse she had muttered. Oh no, how was she going to remember!! The others said they would try to change Rumbold back to black.

They tried all night, and he was changed into a rainbow coloured cat, a fancy pink fluffy cloud of a cat, and even a spikey hedgehog of a cat. As the morning sun rose on the horizon, he had scales and looked like a big stuffed trout, and the witches were still giggling, even Crooky had joined in the fun, but Rumbold had stopped his usual purring. The magic had gone all twisted, and none of the witches could get their spells to work properly.

Well, it's now one year later, and they are off to the party again. Last year, after getting back home, Crooky had given Rumbold a special bath in tiger-spit and zebra-snot that changed him into a stripey cat. She had thought about just painting him black again, but no, she wanted to do a proper job.

So this year she is racing back to the party with a special spell and her own cauldron. The magic had to be performed at midnight, and it would take all the witches powers to change him back. Watch this space, maybe he'll be black after Halloween!!



Cheers, dad xx

Van Gogh

Hello Jess - Just a quicky, I was looking at that Roar game and saw this Van Gogh stuff of CBBC website - click on the title above and have a quick look - you may have already learned this stuff :o) - just thought it was a coincindence

If you want to learn a load more stick Van Gogh into Wikipedia Encyclopedia!!

Cheers Dad, xx

Pumpkin!! What Pumpkin??

Hello Girls, thanks for your comments

- so Dana, you want a kitten for Christmas?? Maybe when your mum is ready, but just have fun with the neighbours cats for now, remember a kitten lives to become an old cat - some can be over 15 years old!! Walking the dogs with Mandy sounds fun, when are you going? You must tell me what sort of dogs they are, and what their names are.

- Jess - you must send a piccy of your new hair cut - is it really short!! Also send a piccy of your pumpkins if you can, what do you think of mine? And no its not my bottom!! or Alexias!!! :o)

I've just done 2 exams, another one tomorrow morning, oh oh!

C U Soon cutie pies, love dad, xx

Here's One for Alanna

Thanks for the birthday card Alanna - yep I posted the picture of the Meer-CATS here for Jess and Dana to look at too - what a silly picture aye! Do you think they are real?

How did your test go Jess, was it difficult, did you PANIC!!! - I've got my first exam tomorrow morning - wish me luck

Love Dad, xx

"Happy Birthday to you..."

Just look at this beauty of a cake - all chocalate and coffee cream and liqueur/brandy - absolutely bloody marvellous darling, and still trying to get through it today, I think we'll be eating it for the next week - must be 100,000 calories ;o)

Thanks for the birthdays wishes everyone, the messages warmed my heart - I had a lovely evening with Alexia, she spoiled me wrotten, lots of lovely food made with love and a smile :o) - She's bloody marvellous too!!!

"Happy Birthday to you..."

Hello Dana, thanks for your lovely comment, I missed you on the phone and I'm looking forward to chatting with you next time, ya cheeky tyke, XXxxxXXxxxXXx - there must be 100 kisses, as many as Tashie will give you when you come to NZ next!! Hey did you know that 'Willowbank' (the place with the eels and deer, remember) has got some otters now.

Hello Jacqui Butterfly, thanks for your comments too, you'll have to show us some pictures of your new house soon, maybe Opa could take some and send them in an e-mail!

Cheers, Dad/Stew, xx

P.S. Yes the cake tasted as good as it looks - wow!! Thank you Alexia :o)

Look Who's Jumped Into the Picture!!

Here's a Closer Look

Alexia is baking me a delicious chocolate birthday cake, yum - the house smells fantastic :o)

We're going to have a NZ speciality 'White Bait' fritters tonight, and my favourite - fish curry, yum yum!!

Thanks for the Flowers and Wine

Hiya Ma & Pa,

Thanks for the flowers and the wine, much appreciated

Did you pick the wine especially? It's called Bergman Chardonnay after the Ingrid Bergman Roses on the vineyard!! So it's got a roses connection - well chosen

Alexia sends her love too and was most impressed with the flowers

Love Stew, xx

Tashies Boyfriend!!

Hello girls,

It was lovely having a chat with you on the phone today - good luck with the test Jess - I missed not having a chat with Dana, next time aye ;o)

Check the photo - Tashie has got in the habit of sitting right in front of the telly, she even watches it sometimes, especially when there's a big handsome hunk like this tiger to oogle over

Great to hear that your doing well at school and your teachers are good - wish me luck with my exams too, there's one on Friday, next Tuesday and Wednesday, and Saturday week

I'm having a really quiet birthday as it's too close to my exams - I went out last Friday to see a band called Katchafire, a reggae outfit, and theres some end of exams/Uni parties sort of planned, that's when I'll celebrate!!

Lots of love Dad xx

More of Party

Here's a few mates from Uni - do you remember Matt from Germany - he came to 'King Kong' film with us just after Christmas

Cheers

Salsa Dancing

Hiya me lovelies,

Hope you are well, I picked up an answer phone message saying that you'd tried to call - I must have been asleep or studying?? Hope all is well - maybe you'll phone tonight? Or just write a comment here?

The photo is me dancing my 'butt' off trying to keep up with the South American girls, Fatima (in photo) was the Salsa teacher at Uni - she took control of the DJ rig and played an hour of her Slasa tunes, she got everyone dancing, even some of the Chinese students who are normally really quite shy!!

I've started my revision - so it's 2 weeks of reading and exams

Didn't Jess have a practice test/exam soon?? Hope it goes well for you - DON"T PANIC :o)

Love Dad, xx

Maori Cat

Hiya lovely daughters - yes I've been a bit quiet lately on the blog - I've been catching up with myself over the last couple of days now that I've finished lectures and preparing for exams.

I thought I'd continue the cat theme and put this lovely Maori picture of a cat up for you guys, I like the cat carvings in the woodwork of the building too.

I'm beginning to look for a job for my practical work requirement - which means for the next 13 weeks - and then I can start looking for something more long term.

I hope you are OK and coping with your school-work and home-work. I know how difficult studying can be at times,

Love Dad, x

Parrr-tay Animal!!

Hiya folks

Thanks for your reply comments, nice to know your still out there :o)

I went to a party last night, bit sad saying goodbye to some of the students I've been with for the past 3 years. It was the farewell do for the Student Contact Centre, where I have been working a couple of hours a week - we used to help students with minor problems - there were about 25 Student Contacts working shifts during term time - it turned into quite a vibey place for the more sociable students to hang out and support each other. I'll send some of the photos we took last night over the next week

The food was fun - we had a 'chef' and his wife serve us some great grub - oh we had a budget of $1000 bucks to blow on our party donated by the Uni - so we blew it on a keg of beer, wines, 'dial-a-chef' food (lots of sushi, filled croisants, chicken drumsticks, cheeses n crackers, mini pastries etc, etc, etc) YUM YUM into my big tum - I also set up some speakers and played some vibey music - which also got used by the two wonderful South American (Patagonian & Chile) girls who teach Salsa Dancing - yep so we all started dancing the night away to Salsa til the 'noise control' police arrived to tell us to quieten things down (we saved money by partying at a friends house/garden in the town)

Seen the cat, he was at the party to, aaahhhh, only kidding

Love Dad, x

Hello Are You Still There?

Hello me pretties,

I'm in the last couple of days at Uni, and as usual, stressed and up to my eyeballs in stuff to do - I'm at the computer so I'm firing off a quick hello

I've noticed that you guys have been quiet on the blog and not doing some of the activities I've set or posting comments lately, like the Wikipedia and Cat story one's

If you think they are silly and you don't want to do that sort of stuff just say, it's OK, I don't want to put any extra work on you guys if your busy and just want to chill

Keep in touch

Love, Dad xx

"Hands up!!"

Hiya girls

This kitty has been a bad bad kitty - she has tried to break-in to a fish factory to steal a big tuna, and was caught by the secutity guard.


Or can you make up a better story, what about you Dana you got any ideas what kitty has been up to? Maybe she's a police kitty and about to pounce on a naughty robber, I'm sure Jess can come up with a good story

Cheers, Dad x