Adventures with Nana Pat

Ben's Voice:We go and see that, that was so funny, little man's mumma was a pirate, that was so funny. Dress up in pirate, dress up all funny.
Cafe in the car. Book shop. The waves were cross and we found an owl (pine cone shaped like an owl) we got stinky shells, that was one of Belle's, they were so stinky aye Belle.
We went to train world and Thomas was there and Thomas was upstairs and Thomas was downstairs. Two Thomas. I watched Thomas on video. One, two , three (girls prompt) Number thirty five.
(We saw) Auntie Pam, Caroline, Amy, Cameron.
Riding the tractor and motorbikes.

Annabelle's Voice: At Nana's he was getting his feet grubby on Nana's drive way. After those days Nana washed our feet before bedtime. Ben fell asleep as quick as a wink. And we listened to a new one on the radio and it was called the watermelon man and it had a book with it and then I got tired after reading some books and I fell asleep and I got up before Bridget and Annabelle.
This Holidays was the second time Ben got to go to Nana Pat's with Belle and Bridget. When they go mum has a book she writes up with the girls and that they add their drawings and stories too.
It's called "Bridget and Annabelle's adventures and Ben's too."

Nana Pat's Voice: (With notes by dad)
14/07/09
Bridget, Annabelle and Ben came to stay with Nanna and Granddad today. Mummy and daddy and Alex went home. (Amy and Cameron also turned up, people are always arriving at Nana's.)
On Wednesday we all went to Napier to see 'the man whose mother was a pirate' by Margaret Mahy. (Margaret Mahy is one of mum's favourite children's authours and she has lots of her books at home she reads with the kids.) We dressed up as pirates. (Auntie Pam says Ben wasn't quite sure why she was dressing him like a pirate, but he didn't mind.)
It was a really good show, we liked it. Aunty Pam took Milly yesterday.(Auntie Pam works across the road from Nana and Granddad's at Arataki and is always involved in their adventures, as is the kids Cousin Caroline (a.k.a. Jack) who also works there. Milly is Aunite Pam's granddaughter.)

We looked at the museum too for a while. We had lunch at 'Breakers' then we had to shift the car. We went to see Aunite Jenny for a short time, then climbed up 31 steps to train world. Ben liked that. We walked back to the car along the beach, the sea was rough, we picked up seashells and pumice and came home to see Auntie Pam and show her our shells. (Trips to Napier and stops at saint beads, the trains, the museum, the aquarium etc are a common theme of their adventures.)

On Thursday Auntie Karen(Whose lives two houses down from Nanna's), rang to say that Phillip (her son) and Lisa had had a baby girl (Lily Rose). We went to the village and got some stuff from the supermarket and some petrol. Then we went and got cousin Kath (Nana's cousin) and did meals on wheels. We had lunch at Pernel. Auntie Leigh (Nana's sister in law who does the flowers and cakes for everyone's weddings) came too. On the way home we stopped in the village to buy a baby card for Phillip and Lisa. We has just got home when Oenone (From St Lukes) rang to say we were supposed to be at June's place so we jumped in the car and went back to Havelock. Nanna had her photo taken. Aunty Pam had afternoon tea with us.

18/07/09
Nanna gave everyoone a shower and washed their hair this morning, then we went to the village for morning tea at Cafe 32 (Another common theme, as is Pernel). Bridget had hot chocolate, so did Ben, Annabelle had a fluffy. Bridget had a muffin, Ben and Belle had 1/2 a lemon cake each. Nanna had a coffee. We walked to the supermarket and got some bread and came home to play with the motorbikes (Mum has a great collection of ride on bikes, all the kids, and then grandchildren have ridden on her bikes, drawing large pictures in chalk on the concrete is another favourite) and in the playroom.
We found out why the seashells were stinky, some had dead bits inside. Bridget, Annabelle and Ben don't want to go home, But mum, Dad and Alex are coming at Lunchtime. So they'll have to go.

(After Lunch Mum, Dad and Alex came, Laura and her Steve turned up along with Amy's Boy Cameron who is Ben's age. When we left Ben cried, he wanted to stay at Nanas.)