NHS School Events

Norwich Girls High has held numerous events lately as we approach the year end.  We break up on the 12th July.

Tanzin studied the Tudors and their year took a field trip to Kentwell Hall, where they all had to dress and act like poor tudors in 1559.  http://www.kentwell.co.uk/events/tudor

Tanzin devoured reading the Horrid History books by Terry Deary.  Pure genius he is.  I even enjoy reading and learning from them as well!  http://www.terry-deary.com/

Tanzin and Poppy, who we do a lift share to school with.

Earlier this week was Tanzin's year 4 production of "Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat"
The show was very impressive indeed and held in the school hall.  Unfortunately due to copyright, we weren't allowed to take any vid or photos.  Tanzin played one of Joseph's brothers and was absolutely marvellous (but you knew I was going to say that!!)

Surprisingly, she wasn't too keen on the beard!!  The orange scarf was wrapped around her head.

Next up on the weekly calendar was the Norfolk Show.  The school had a day off on Wednesday so together with G&G, we spent the day there and what a huge, fun day it was.  The girls spent most of the day collecting goody bags from all the stalls!

My animals

I just adore Taylor's sparkling 'Dorothy' shoes - she wore them the whole 8 hours and never complained!!!

'Ello Bobby!

Hounds and Horses

Segway, very cool!

And finally, today (Friday)  Jaimie and Taylor's classes held their field trip at Sea Palling beach.
The tide was high, and cold, the weather was very iffy, but to it's credit, the rain held off
The kids had the time of their lives playing together, paddling in the sea, burying themselves, building sandcastles and rolling down the dunes.

Megan and Taylor

Kitty, Taylor & Saanvi

Jaimie's loveheart castles

Jaimie with her teacher, Miss Stevenson

Group piccy with Mrs Thain who will retire in two weeks 

Hey Honey!

We met with a bee keeper the other night and offered a section of our field to him as it's just sitting there and it would be perfect timing for them as the bees have seriously struggled over the past couple of years given the poor weather conditions.  

The bee keeper is very excited and so come winter, he'll set up a few hives and we'll be rolling in the honey!!!!

Bumble bee pollinating the fox gloves

Would butter melt in her mouth?!

I don't mind cartwheels over me as long as they don't take my bone!

Besides skipping, hula hooping is Jaimie's latest craze

Wise Words from Jodiann

My beautiful friend, Jodi-ann wrote this on her FB page yesterday.  I know that I was so lucky to have met her 12 years ago, when we both first arrived in Hong Kong.

Early 2009, Jodes was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer of the blood and she was 34 weeks pregnant with her third son, Timothy.  Today she is cancer free, strong and positive - (huge smiley face!)  I'm so sad and excited that it is now their turn to leave 'home'.

Jodes wrote this letter from her heart and she captured it beautifully that I really wanted to share this with you.   Love you girls xxxx

To Hong Kong,

You have been a wonderful, safe and exciting place to live over the last 12 years. You offered yourself as a ‘city on a silver platter’, with more options and more to offer than we could ever exhaust.

We came to your bright lights and late nights with fresh faces and the travel bug. You were expensive and exotic, and gave us the taste for Asia that we will never know how to shake off.  We marveled at your skyline and "can do" attitude. Sure, we encountered the "can not" for a lot of things too, but that all became a part of the new game plan we enlisted to adjust to our new city.

24/7 this city embraces you, it's like a Merry-Go-Round that keeps you on the go; the heat, the hacking, that fragrant smell that winds through the markets and those cramped city streets. 
The bamboo scaffolding, the people that squeeze your hand and touch your life forever, it's just the way this city rolls.

We've learnt to compromise our personal space, channel our own Australian version of "momen tai". We haven't tried to change the locals, we have become more accepting and colour blind to a melting pot of culture that lives in harmony better than any place in the world.

And now it's time to say goodbye. It's not forever, because you could never leave Hong Kong and never return. It's a break in the history that we have built over the last decade. It's a pause... really, though, "it's not you, it's me". I need to share with my young family a life in the land "down under".

We need a home and a backyard to create new memories for our family. We are all feeling softened by our pampered and fortunate lifestyle that we fell so easily into. Deep down, we are seriously patriotic, we're independent and secretly feel undeserving of this easy lifestyle; us Aussies, we're tough and can do it ourselves. We were raised that way. It's just our time.

So it's "jik hoi", it’s farewell to our silver linings and our best friends, but we're off, searching for what we've already had - the time of our lives!

For Timothy, Corey, Jake and Matt,
Whom I live for each day, I love you guys

Jodes, Mones and Lis - I adore these girls

Cuthbert the Cat

We inherited Cuthbert when we moved into Belmont.  We call him a she as he is so pretty and we're also not used to having another male in the house!

The very first night we spent here in the house, Cuthbert very proudly brought us a mice for show and tell.  The second night, he played with another mouse at 2 o'clock in the morning.  I then found the bits of the mouse in the bathroom that morning and so it went on for only one or two more nights till he was outta here!!!

I guess Cuthbert then felt very sad and rejected as he then sprayed in the laundry room.
Now you all know how disgusting, vile and pungent that smell is and oh so hard to get rid off.  I tried EVERYTHING to rid of the smell and only time really did the job properly.

So poor ol' Cuthbert was then forever banished from the house.  It sounds mean, but we have made him/her a nice bed in the boiler room (which is warm) and she finally and slowly is becoming friends with Matilda.  Matilda seems desperate to play and sniff, but Cuthbert won't have a bar of her!

Until very recently, I've been allowing her to come in for cuddles at night time.  Today was special though and she spent most of the rainy day on the sofa!

Her eyes remind me of Puss n Boots!  Who moi?

Nose kisses with Matilda

Fathers day

We did another bike ride today to g&g's - this time am pleased to say with much success as there were no chocolate breaks, no falls, and well, only a handful of fights!! Oh and it only took an hour (an hour shorter than the first time!)
Tom and Sam met us on their bikes halfway and we were also pleasantly surprised to meet g&g and ponies trotting along the country lane!
Now we are back at their house, it's time to get stuck into roast beef with all the trimmings!!
Happy Father's Day Daddys xxxxxx

Local stuff and more flowers! (I'm obsessed!)

Matilda wanting to be let out to play!

The first of our roses to bloom

Foxgloves

Vase of Buttercups

Local town sign

Our local, the Scole Inn

Town sign

Rape seed

Poppies ardorn the roadside

All Frocked Up

The girl's school held their Annual Ball on Saturday night.
It was terrific fun and we danced all night.  It was just so nice to meet new people and have the opportunity to get all dressed up.

Unfortunately the ball clashed with Granny & Grandpa's party.  Their theme was war time "Keep calm and carry on," They had a 20 piece swing band and all the paraphnalia.  The girls stayed the night there and dressed up accordingly.  Apparently they were a smash hit at the party and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Tanzin on the other hand was with her friend, Rosie at the Newmarket Races.  After the races, cute
boy band, Lawson and The Saturdays played. She kept phoning me so I could listen but all I could hear were girls screaming!!

Garden

Wisteria drapes upon the Aliums and Iris' in the walled garden.  The roses have just started to bloom as well.

I haven't picked up the hoe, shovel or rake for one whole week and look what happens!!!