Carolina Kiwis: Our 100th Post!

Wednesday

Earlier this week, Sherry was helping Ro's class make clay tea-light holders (her pottery background is finally paying dividends). After helping the teacher clean up, Ro was coloring during free-play and wrote the word "Mom." A girl in his class named Greer corrected him, "No, it's M-U-M." Ro looked puzzled, and Sherry came to his aid, letting the girl know that it can be spelled either way depending on where you live. The girl, hearing Sherry's accent, asked "Oh, you guys are from America?" When Sherry replied in the affirmative, the girl squealed with delight, "That's where Hannah Montana lives!" Then she ran off to tell her friend as if we were Miley Cyrus' cousins or something. Apparently, like swine flu, some plagues are universal.

Yesterday, the three of us went back to The Rock House so Ro could climb (he'd been asking us to go back ever since he went on Sunday). We ended up buying him a 6-month membership so he can climb as much as he wants. Now that his rugby season is finished, he needs an outlet for his energy, and this actually works out better because he can go climbing whenever he feels like it, and we don't have to worry about keeping to anyone else's schedule.

Ro heads for the ceiling

Sherry belaying Ro as he tries a new route

Made it to the top where the big boys live

Although it's still technically winter, it was shorts weather today, and Mark has hopefully retired his blue jeans as far as New Zealand is concerned. Sherry started feeling sick again last night as the monster virus bounced back to her, and woke up this morning scarcely able to move. As she took to the couch with her blankets and hot water bottle, Mark kept bringing her tea, and we sat around watching movies all day while Ro was at school. No matter how many times you watch Animal House, it's still funny. Mark picked up Ro and Tori from school (MJ was home sick), and knowing Sherry needed some quiet time alone, took the kids to the rock climbing gym. Although the kids had to take turns, since Mark was the only one who could belay them, they still had a good time. Ro's favorite activity there is climbing the metal fire ladder, which is on a reverse incline and goes all the way to the rafters. Well, climbing it isn't really his favorite part - swinging off it is! About every other rung, he'll let go of the ladder and swing out away from it, stretching out to grab it as he swings back and continuing on with his climb. After a while, he began turning away from the ladder, hooking the tops of his feet over the rungs and leaning forward with his arms outstretched like Superman about to leap off a tall building. Tori was copying him in no time flat. After climbing for a couple of hours, we dropped Tori at Carla's flat and came home to wake Sherry from her much-needed nap. Mark "cooked" dinner, hoofing it down the street to pick up Indian takeaway for Sherry and Ro, and fish & chips for himself.