A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Sunday, March 1, 2009

After the storm yesterday, we were all eager to get outside in the sunshine. So after Sherry whipped up some pancakes for breakfast, we ambled across the street to Coronation Park. There was a veritable retirement-village's worth of silver foxes playing bowls at the lawn bowling club next to the park, a game we don't fully yet understand. Mark's retirement-age patients all seem to play, however. Anytime they suffer an injury, they're sad because they won't be able to lawn bowl.

Mount Maunganui Bowling Club

The ducks who are usually at the park must have taken shelter from the squall elsewhere yesterday, because they were nowhere to be seen. We did, however, spot a freshwater eel (about 1.5 feet long) in the goldfish pond which Ro thought was really cool.

Sherry by the waterfall at Coronation Park

We then walked a few more blocks to the beach, where Ro busied himself climbing whatever treacherous-looking rocks he felt he could manage. He got braver as the afternoon went on, even "cliff diving" after a while...actually just jumping from a few feet up a rocky outcrop into about a foot of water, but he liked it enough to do it at least ten times.

Ro with Motuotau Island in background

Ro in mid-air "cliff diving"

Ro hangin' ten with a surfer statue along Maunganui Road

We were all getting hungry by that point, so we actually took a chance on the one Mexican restaurant in town. It doesn't look like much from the street, just a sign pointing down an alley, but we were pleasantly surprised to find it opened into a bright, sunny courtyard, with colorful umbrella tables and even toys for kids to play with. Mark got the lamb fajitas (we are in NZ, after all), which were delicious, as was Sherry's veggie burrito. Ro stuck with his usual rice & beans, but managed to clean his plate despite all the distracting toys.

Sherry taking a break at Mundo Mexicano

Tracy was kind enough to bring Sherry's bike by The Anchorage in her SUV, since it wouldn't fit in our Camry without taking the front wheel off (and we have no tools). We spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool and the hot tub, playing with Ro. We're slowly teaching him the basics of swimming, and he finally trusted us enough today to willingly put his face in the water and blow bubbles. At this rate, he should be swimming by the time he's in high school...lol.

For dinner Sherry made our first "repeat" by popular demand, a pasta salad with kalamata olives, tomatoes, and Australian haloumi cheese. She's becoming quite the baker now that she has an oven, making banana muffins for dessert. Fortunately, Ro has been pretty agreeable (for him) to expanding his horizons when it comes to new foods, past his standard noodles, PB&J, and yogurt. He even wolfed down a pastrami sandwich yesterday! Mark was so proud, a tear came to his eye. Stage Deli, here we come! Mark especially enjoyed the relaxing weekend, since he starts five shifts in a row tomorrow, his "tough week" on the monthly cycle.