Introducing....
Last Christmas I took the boys down south to visit my parents. It was a brief visit...all of four days. This was enough for all parties concerned. My parents live in a small country town called Motueka (pronounced Mot-chew-ache-a), at the northern tip of the south island...there's not a lot to do there to keep a couple of electronic-hungry teenage boys entertained, so I figured 4 days would be enough before they drove me and their grandparents batty. Motueka is a beautiful place to visit/retire....lots of fruit orchards...apple trees and kiwifruit vines as far as the eye can see...beautiful beaches...dinky little craft shops off the beaten track....it never seems to rain there. It's a very popular holiday spot for overseas visitors and Kiwis alike.
We took the Interislander ferry over the Cook Strait (3 hour crossing) with the car and drove the 3 hours to my parents home, arriving at 11.30pm Christmas Eve. It was great to spend Christmas Day with the folks...ever since they retired down south, I've missed them terribly and Christmas Day has always given me the dilemma of where to spend it and with whom...for me, it doesn't feel the same to spend the day as a family unit of three. My sisters both live up the coast and my brother is now resident in Australia (after falling in love with a lovely Qantas flight attendant....they're now engaged).
I'd come back from Canada a couple of months prior to Christmas and been severely bitten by the travel bug. Visiting my parents, regardless of how close they were in comparison, made me feel like I was still doing the independent 'travel thing'. The boys were looking forward to seeing their grandparents again and my parents were beside themselves with happiness at the thought of having us stay. (What can I say? We're a joy to behold.)
We spent the four days celebrating Xmas, shopping for crafts, smacking around golf balls on the driving range at the local golf club and generally just hanging out, spending time together, gaining weight and creating more memories to file away and smile at later when we were apart again.
On one such day, my mum and I took the boys into the city of Nelson for lunch. After we'd eaten, the boys were getting fidgety and just basically downright annoying. I suggested they go stand in front of the town centre monument, have a walk around the park, and take some pictures of each other as keepsakes of our trip. Trying to get a decent photo of my boys is virtually impossible these days...both of them aren't keen on having their picture taken at all.
Anyway, my kids being the smart arses that they are, ran off to do my bidding. On their return, they handed over the camera...the expressions on their faces feigning innocence....waiting...in great anticipation of my reaction. I looked incredulously through the images on the camera. Below are the results.
Ladies and Gentlemen...I give you...*drum roll*...My sons, 15 and 14 respectively....
I ask you...What's a mother to do??!
She waits in anticipation to send more postcards out all over the world, that's what. If you're yet to sign up for the NZ Postcard Express-a-thon....click my email link below and zap me with your postal address! Please? Can't you see I need you to???
We took the Interislander ferry over the Cook Strait (3 hour crossing) with the car and drove the 3 hours to my parents home, arriving at 11.30pm Christmas Eve. It was great to spend Christmas Day with the folks...ever since they retired down south, I've missed them terribly and Christmas Day has always given me the dilemma of where to spend it and with whom...for me, it doesn't feel the same to spend the day as a family unit of three. My sisters both live up the coast and my brother is now resident in Australia (after falling in love with a lovely Qantas flight attendant....they're now engaged).
I'd come back from Canada a couple of months prior to Christmas and been severely bitten by the travel bug. Visiting my parents, regardless of how close they were in comparison, made me feel like I was still doing the independent 'travel thing'. The boys were looking forward to seeing their grandparents again and my parents were beside themselves with happiness at the thought of having us stay. (What can I say? We're a joy to behold.)
We spent the four days celebrating Xmas, shopping for crafts, smacking around golf balls on the driving range at the local golf club and generally just hanging out, spending time together, gaining weight and creating more memories to file away and smile at later when we were apart again.
On one such day, my mum and I took the boys into the city of Nelson for lunch. After we'd eaten, the boys were getting fidgety and just basically downright annoying. I suggested they go stand in front of the town centre monument, have a walk around the park, and take some pictures of each other as keepsakes of our trip. Trying to get a decent photo of my boys is virtually impossible these days...both of them aren't keen on having their picture taken at all.
Anyway, my kids being the smart arses that they are, ran off to do my bidding. On their return, they handed over the camera...the expressions on their faces feigning innocence....waiting...in great anticipation of my reaction. I looked incredulously through the images on the camera. Below are the results.
Ladies and Gentlemen...I give you...*drum roll*...My sons, 15 and 14 respectively....
I ask you...What's a mother to do??!
She waits in anticipation to send more postcards out all over the world, that's what. If you're yet to sign up for the NZ Postcard Express-a-thon....click my email link below and zap me with your postal address! Please? Can't you see I need you to???
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