The Young and the Restless

Quail Island

When we first got here I made a bucket list a mile long of things to do here in Christchurch (and of course an even longer one for New Zealand as a whole). It's amazing how much we've crossed off that list and I'm feeling an extra urgency to finish it all off as our time is winding down. I just love how there is so much to do, so many great places to spend a Saturday together as a family. I made the kids research the history of this little island before we left (an idea I got from one of the mommy blogs I read, ya know, the ones that equally inspire me and make me feel like a horrible mom all at the same time), and even though they groaned (a lot), it really helped the history come alive. It was more meaningful and they got excited when they found things like the dock Captain Scott (famed for his Antarctica explorations) used to load the animals onto his ship before heading out on his last ill-fated exploration, or the shipwreck graveyard, or the huts they used to quarantine lepers. Jayden couldn't seem to keep the terms "lesbian" and "lepers" straight. I'm sure tourists passing by wondered what we were teaching him when he would wonder why the lesbians had to live alone and how many lesbians died there. The ferry ride back was a highlight. The wind had picked up and there were some pretty impressive waves, so we all stood at the bow all Titanic like as the boat rose and fell with a crash, spraying everyone with water. It was better than a roller coaster ride. Days like these are my favorite. These people of mine are my favorite.