We've been away. A family holiday to Lake Taupo.
The weather was beautiful one day, perfect the next.
The snow gear was stashed for a mountain adventure. The swimmers were packed for hot-pool fun.
The bikes had been tied to the back of the people mover for lakeside touring...
On our way south we knew we'd be crossing paths with Nan and Grandad who were on their one-way trip to Auckland. So we arranged to rendezvous at the halfway point for coffee...
Its still surreal. My mum and dad are living in my town. They are not going home. Home is here now.
My kids will have grandparents-on-tap. I still can't get my head around it.
We waved goodbye to each other calling, "See you in Auckland...!"
They headed north. We headed south...
The holiday house did not disappoint. Such a blessing - through Mr G's work we got it for $20 a night. Views to the mountain and the lake. Electric blankets on all the beds, a gas fire, fenced yard... even an ensuite!
The first morning dawned frosty and clear. We were all ready to set off on our first mountain adventure; thermal and waterproof layers; hats, gloves, scarves...
But one look at Scrag and I knew there was no way he would survive a day in the snow.
He was coughing and sniffing, whingeing and saying, "I'm tired; I wanna go home!"
To take him would be to condemn us all to a day of misery. And make his cough worse.
So I made the sacrifice.
And sent the kids off with daddy while mummy and Scrag stayed in by the fire.
They had a blast.
It was too bad that Scrag was poorly for the whole holiday. Wouldn't you know it?
His fevers kept returning each night, his hacking cough keeping him awake.
He'd fall asleep by 6pm, refusing to eat, wanting only to stay close to mama.
No way could we drag him to the snow.
No way could we immerse him in water, or strap him to the back of a bike.
He would have loved it up that mountain, sledging and sliding, making snowmen and having snowball fights. He'd have loved seeing the lake from the back of daddy's bike; playing in the warm thermal pools, whizzing down the waterslide.
I would have too.
Never mind. Luckily I took a nice thick book with me to stave off the worst of endless Diego.
At least the views were good.
And the sun was shining.
And the kids were coming home smiling and laughing, having had great fun with their dadda.
Biking. Hot-pooling. Watersliding.
Sigh.
So the sun has set on another Team-G adventure.
Scrag still coughs, though it no longer wakes him at night.
He has lost so much weight, we can no longer call his thighs chunky.
As we headed out of town, we stopped by the park with a miniature train ride.
Daddy and Scrag went off on their own adventure, three times round the track for two bucks.
Scrag came back skipping. He might have missed out on the big fun but he was content with his train ride, bless him.
Who could begrudge caring for a sweet little guy like that?
And that's how the first few days of the winter school holidays went for us.
May the rest of them be fever-free.
Click here for Miss fab's story about her day at the snow over on her blog...
How are your holidays going?