How to exhaust a 7 year old boy (and his 24 year old sister for that matter)

I woke up this morning to a news item playing on the radio in the kitchen. It was about the owner of the dairy at the top of the street where I am staying for the weekend (and spent years 12 - 18 domiciled) throwing a bag of lollies at an armed robber. Dumbass.

Actually Jake may have woken me up. It's still groggy. He did the usual hop into bed with me before seven in the morning act and wriggled his tiny little cold limbs and butt up against me and farted on me until I was awake and ready for adventure. But it was cold this morning. I asked him to get up and pee for me and he said he couldn't cause he didn't have a fanny. I said "Jake!". He said, "well you asked me to pee for you" (very indignantly). Currently he is asleep, a cherubic expression on his face as I kissed him goodnight. I feel victorious at his slumber. And exhausted. I can't believe I did this quasi-full time for awhile....

Today was the most exquisite shimmering winter day you could ask for. We were at Fergusson Park just after nine, playing tiggy with a ball on a playground that I used to take him to when he was in nappies. Now I don't have a shit show against his dexterity and, well, shortness. My saving grace was long distances, I would just run out in to the field when he was it and let him chase me for five minutes or so until he got grizzly, at which point I'd let him hit me with the ball. Then he would run back to the playground and I was screwed again.

After we'd both had enough of that we went back to his place, got my camera and then went to the supermarket to get stuff for a picnic. He picked lemon pepper tuna, peaches, and a loaf of white toast bread. I picked ham, blue cheese, and a persimmon. While we were there a woman dropped a whole six pack of beer on the ground as we walked past, I saw she was a rep unloading her wares and just switched off. Jacob skipped over and started to help her pick them up. He never ceases to amaze me that kid.

We were planning on scaling Mount Maunganui and using my last film-photos ever to capture the view from up there, but the summit track was closed and has been for months because of a 15 tonne boulder that dropped on to the track, and a whole lot of other slides and slips that have made it too dangerous. Probably just as well, cause we'd got 10 minutes round the base and he started to moan he was hungry. So we just shimmied up the hill a bit, dodging the sheep shit, and found a rock to perch on where we were looking out at nothing but the Pacific. Jacob shyly presented me with three purple daisies which I put behind my ear, and he told me I looked like a Wahian (Hawaiin). After we'd eaten we went rock climbing on the shore, and found this pristine rock pool to wade in (and for Jacob to get soaked in). Although it was much too cold for us to swim, the sun made the water inviting enough for a paddle.

I bought my camera. Even did a bit of bargaining which I can't usually be bothered with. But I picked up that the guy in the second shop with the better deal on the canon I wanted was bullshitting me (I've worked in retail asshole) so returned to the first shop, told them about the better deal at the other place, and got the price knocked down even less than the second shop. I don't think I'm writing coherently. Been soaking at the Oropi hotpools tonight and am feeling very relaxed, and very sleepy. And need to go prepare for some cold feet in my bed at seven in the morning.....