Karuta

Its recently become the done thing after dinner (and before Mana has a shower) to play a Japanese card game called "Karuta" (not to sure on the translation)

Mum reads out the clues and then you have to shout "Hai" as you place your hand on the card (usually its more of a slam)

The rules are simple if you guess the wrong card then its followed by a teasing "OTETSUKI" (translation "bro you are soooo wrong") and it means a forfeiture of one card from your pile of cards to the other player.

Mana's got abit of a advantage over me,well first she's a girl (and of course we all know that girls are smarter than there Dad's) and she goes to Japanese lessons every Saturday.

But hey I give it my best shot and its something that we all enjoy so much,and as long as Mana "wins"..........lets just say she likes to win and losing gracefully is something that has yet to be mastered. (so yeah a nice way of saying that she is a bad loser)

But anyway cool thing to do together as a family.

The Birthday pressie

To quote my daughter "This is soooo much funnnnn Daddddy!!!"

I was down The Mount a couple of weeks ago when 3 guys came "whizzing" down the road on these electric skateboards.

Of course I had to have a closer look and one of them said "Pretty cool aye,you wanna go?"

He set the remote for "Learner" and away I went....well you couldn't get the stupid grin off my face it was so much fun.

Fast forward to a couple of nights ago and I was looking thru the Trade Me site and I came across these things for sale.

My loving (and extremely beautiful and understanding) wife said "Its your birthday coming up do you want it?........but your not having a new surfboard for a whole year"

I umm-ed and ahh-ed and she clicked on the buy/bid button.

Next thing you know I'm unpacking my birthday present.

Another bonus is that it can fit the two of us on it at the same time so we can "whip" down to the shops or up to the park.

Do you believe?

We just finished watching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (which we all thoroughly enjoyed) and the first thing Mana did after watching it was go to her room.......and check her cupboard!!