Yes I do un-horsey things at times!
This last month has been the least horsiest month in my recent memory! (is horsiest even a real word?) Nonetheless it’s been very busy.
Getting organised for Christmas with three small children is almost has time consuming as running an event. I know why parents are always having a nap on Christmas day – it’s because they’ve been up all night wrapping presents (yes I leave things to the LAST possible minute – I’m the one outside wrapping like crazy hoping that they don’t appear at the door). Needless to say – the delight on their faces when they found their new bikes outside and tearing around was totally worth it – but don’t despair; sanity prevailed – I didn’t wrap the bikes!
We enjoy some time down the coast
On Boxing Day, we headed down to the south coast and had some time at the beach. Sadly the weather wasn’t that great – but kids don’t seem to care, they were delighted to be able to spend some time with Bek Thompson before she returned to colder climes. Ben even snuck in a few kisses while Burto wasn’t there to prevent him!
Astro gets his share of kisses at Cooma
Astro came back from his little holiday, was quickly washed, ridden twice, then thrown into the float and carted up to Cooma. In my somewhat relaxed ‘I’ve been on holiday style’, I had assumed that since there were over 90 entries in the classes I had entered, I’d be later on in the day. Alas, it seems I’ve been spoilt by having fellow secretaries looking out for me, I discovered at 7.30pm the night before that I was 13th in the draw, which meant I was likely to be on at around 9am. I hadn’t packed ANYTHING; horse feed/tack/nappies/clothes etc for three kids, a horse and myself. So at 930pm I’m buckling in the three car seats into the Landcruiser and making lists until about 1am. We had to leave by 7am and thanks to some awesome teamwork, we did it! We arrived at the showground and I hit the ground running, unloaded, tacked up, got changed and completed a clear round within 45 minutes. Given how little preparation we’d done (read – NONE) prior to the show, we competed in 4 rounds of 95 and 105 classes, and only had two rails and one stop (strangely this theory of having some leg on seems to be accurate, I was just testing it by having a little snooze through the double).
Despite everything I was pretty pleased with my showjumping
Photo thanks to Anwen Keeling
My tips for surviving a show with three kids when it’s 35C
- Get a room with A/C
- Spend $50 on a portable DVD player from Aldi – Life saver!
- Drink cider (I suspect it should be water)
- Eat lots of icecream
Astro has now gone out for another break while we go over to New Zealand to catch up with our elderly grandmothers (mine is nearly 98). Ben and Abby don’t know we are going to New Zealand, so typing this while they are around has been interesting.
I’ve organised a clinic with Sam Lyle for the weekend prior to the event at Wallaby Hill and then we can take on the 2013 eventing season. Whether I get to SIEC is up the air – the girls’ birthday and mine are all around the same time as the event, and I’ve not quite worked out how to juggle it all! I’ve got to hold a birthday party for them (and me too apparently – I’d rather go to SIEC but oh well) and five year olds are pretty fussy if you ask me. Thankfully Laura, who is turning two, is not really demanding a fairy themed cake just yet. After that, we seem likely to make the trek up to Scone.
I saw this cartoon last week - sums me up quite nicely and I’m sure it does for many of us.
Hope you all have had a restful break and have not been melted by the heat or burnt by these dreadful fires,
Kate
