Dave, Nicki and Tayla Horan: Boston, Beach, Braai and Beautiful weather!!

Well, quite a game yesterday; a deserved All Black win but the World Cup should be good.

The last three weeks have been very busy and as a result the blog seems to have the last priority on our list......hopefully this is a good one!!

Last Friday I collected Tayla from school and headed into town to run a few nerrands (Nicki - errands). On my way home I popped into Nicki's work to say "hi" and we ended up trying the Sushi happy hour at the restaurant next door - appropriately called Harbour Front. The photo below is of Tayla making good use of her chopstix while enjoying shrimp tempura.

On Saturday morning Tayla went for her swimming lesson.....on her own. Mom sat on the side and watched.

Then is was off to her school's graduation. Yes, that is the correct word. The class above her (the 4yr olds) graduated in gowns and all. Very American, but Tayla sung beautifully in the choir and pretended she was water (so many talents, sigh; but then again I am not sure how you "act" as water). We have witnessed a huge change in her over the past six months and this was one tremendous example - no tears, only smiles!!!

The Dickinsons' then joined us for a braai and a spin on the boat. We moored up at Paradise Lakes (not really lakes but a grouping of islands) and swam off the boat for an hour. A couple or sea turtles even enjoyed Nicki's banana muffins which had fallen overboard.

Finally, it was back home for some further entertainment - see below.

Going back a week (Fathers Day); Nicki and Tayla treated me to a brunch at the Waterlot Inn down the road. After a tasty brunch Tayla fed the fish and loved their response!! A nightmare day followed as both Nicki and I wondered if we had failed the parenting exam - enough said - this family has no issues!!

Nicki assisted in arranging the Fidelity family day last Saturday. Bouncing castle, face painting etc was the order of the day. Unlike the Batman birthday party Tayla asked for a more ladylike magical horse on her cheek.

We are experiencing fantastic weather at the moment and these two shots were taken by Nicki early yesterday morning - sunrise from our veranda looking west over Jew's Bay.

A huge highlight for us, two weeks ago, was a long weekend in Boston. What a great city - a mixture of the best of London and New York. Clean, small, efficient, friendly and exciting; we loved our stay. It was also very child friendly and we were able to find loads to do with T.

The aquarium was on the agenda. Full of real penguins (Happy Feet) and ONE not so real one!!

Note the smile.

Supper outside Funiele Hall - shopping and small traders.

The Valentines joined us and we shared a few good laughs.

Seal's being fed outside the aquarium - stop being so serious!

The penguins were a highlight.

And then the amazing Childrens Museum. Here Tayla tries her hand at TV - she is about to be stood on by some animated foot.

She then played in the soap room where there were many different ways of making bubbles! A wall in this case.

The major highlight of the weekend was not the shopping (Nicki) but the Duck Tour. An 80min tour of the city in a WW2 amphibious vehicle. Where you are taken both on land and in the river on a most entertaining trip.

If you look carefully you can see Corinna and Clara in the reflection, as well as our mad driver "Captain ???" - just forgotton his name, but he was a mad Red Sox fan and even got married with "THE" trophy (if you follow baseball it was the trophy that broke the curse - now look that up on Google!)

Boston common was an interesting interlude. We visited the park and the frog pond only to find the pond empty and the park full of members of the Gay Pride regiment.....if you catch my drfit!