We have had a great weekend, well worth blogging about. We kicked off with a long awaited and much anticipated dinner party with our friends. We get together every month for a games night with the Dempsey and Winters family, having turns hosting the night. This is a really fantastic way to keep connected, both for us adults and for our children, who all have just as much fun as we do together.
This month it was the Dempsey's turn, and the game was a murder mystery party. It was SO much fun! The mystery was set in the 1950s at a class reunion, and I was to come as E.C. Leigh (get the pun in the name....?), the popular and bubbly cheerleader, who has a secret child with the murdered victim. Marty was the rich manager of the murdered victim and with his hair greased to the side and with business cards for all, he got right into his part. I had lots of fun doing cheers with my pom poms and acting the ditz. With accusations flying around the room, and new clues emerging every round, we all had a blast. I am so keen to do THIS kind of game again, and when I got home we hopped on trade me for a look. 
Unfortunately, they are not cheap to buy, even second hand - averaging around the $40 mark with delivery fee. Still, that works out to be only $10 a couple if we all chip in, so I have already ordered the next game - a 'honky tonk' western bar murder! Keen to do more of these, but not so keen to shell out money for games we won't use again (once you know the murderer it takes a lot of the fun out!), I am chatting to my friends about creating a hireage system for the games that we all own together. If we lend them out for a fee of $10 per hire, our friends get to play the game for a fraction of the cost and we can pop the money into a jar towards buying the next one....OR we could do a swap with someone who already owns a game so we both get to play a new ones. I am quite surprised there isn't already some sort of swap club organised in New Zealand. These nights are so much fun - just check out the photos.
On Saturday after swimming lessons, we picked granny up and headed out to the Art-X Exhibition in Napier to see her art displayed and to check out the others on display. This exhibition is fantastic, we always enjoy the variety and talent on display from all over New Zealand. Mum sold a picture on the opening night which is brilliant. Marty and I could never afford anything on display, most of it is of the highest quality - I think the price on the one we picked out as our favourite was well into the thousands! Of course, it is a bit of a gamble taking three young children to an Art Exhibition. Note to self, DO NOT try this after a late night. Luke refused to sit in the stroller, instead he decided to copy us as we pointed out aspects of the artwork we liked. Unfortuantely - he has no spacial awareness, and his fingers were pointing and making direct contact with some of the art. "NO LUKE...don't prod that canvas...don't touch the glass"....shudder. I just don't have a spare $10,000 to cover the costs if he popped a hole in a low hanging piece.
And then Kate decided to through one of those rare COMPLETE meltdown tantrums after Granny stepped in to sort out a fight with her sister. She started this totally angry SCREAM that she just repeated over and over again. I yelled for Marty to take Luke, hoisted her up and under my arm - ignoring the many disapproving adult eyes on this awful child and her mother - and carried her down the stairs and out the front door....still screaming. We sat on the steps until she calmed down. It was not pretty. Yeah....like I said, do not try the art exhibition after a late night. Not so fun.
Later that evening, while Marty was out for Wild Alpha, I was considering getting dinner started when I had a brainwave. I searched through the paper bin and found what I was looking for. All the kids jumped in the car and we went to Burger King and ATE IN - this is a total treat for my kids. The paper bin search had resulted in finding the vouchers that meant we all ate a full combo meal for only $15. Yes, $15 to feed four of us dinner. Thank you Burger King, no cooking/dishes for mummy to do AND my kids felt like they were getting the ultimate treat for tea. 
Its been a good weekend. Check out the next blog to find out how we finished it on Sunday night...
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