Holiday Madness

Holiday-makers around the country would have been left feeling short-changed this summer but, weather aside, a series of mini-dramas made me wonder if we were destined to stay home.

It started when we were less than two minutes down the road. As our new place doesn’t have a cat door we were unable to leave the cats with the neighbour feeding them this year so decided to take them with us.

After securing their boxes with packing tape we set off only to be gleefully alerted by the kids that Jesse had escaped.

He’s renown for this (hence the packing tape) and is pretty reliable but, not long after, out popped Trixie.

Two hostile cats on the loose in an already chocka car is far from ideal.

I phoned the grandparents and asked if they could have their cat cage at the ready if we swung by on the way past.

After a quick handover on the side of the road (we had the boat attached) we had one in the cat cage and Jesse roaming freely, which the kids thought hilarious.

My job was to keep him away from the driver’s side, resulting in fur flying and multiple lacerations. 

Usually he’ll perch on top of the luggage looking out the window and sniffing the wind but, for some reason, this time he wouldn’t settle. Then I glanced back just in time to see his haunches in that unmistakable squatting pose on the floor of the backseat.

“No!” I cried swiveling round and moving him over to his box as a trail of poo landed on Care Bear’s face.

The giggling stopped abruptly and the car fell silent as the smell reached everyone.

I can’t imagine life without wet wipes and while I used these to clean the mess, a bubble of mirth began to rise.

Of course the hairbrained idea to bring them in the first place was mine so hubby, unimpressed with the whole situation, was frowning out the window in disgust while I silently convulsed with hilarity.

Even Jayla’s whimpering at the state of her Care Bear and subsequently frowning in confusion at my laughter wouldn’t abate it.

“Mum are you crying?!” Cadeyn accused as he caught sight of the state of me.

I eventually pulled myself together and the rest of the journey was uneventful as everyone in the back, including the cats, slept.

That night I was just drifting off when I heard a child vomiting. On went the lanterns, waking the whole family, as the bedding was stripped. With no water connection yet from our tank we threw the sheets outside to let the predicted torrential rain deal to them.

And the torrential rain came.

During a rare break in showers we decided to chance a trip to Rangiputa. While the men took the boat for a spin I stayed on the beach with the kids. Something at the top of the small sand dune was keeping them occupied and, after a while I climbed to the top to investigate.

I arrived just in time to see my children posing for a bunch of French Canadian tourists taking their picture. Apparently they’d been keeping the group entertained while they lunched.

A large bucketing of water soon after brought the men back and had us running for cover.

That night some of the adults decided to attempt fishing. Within an hour they were home – not with the promised kai moana but because the boat motor had blown up.

On and on went the rain and as 2011 clicked into 2012 nothing changed. New Year’s Day arrived wrapped in clouds and drenched in rain and finally after sticking it out a week, we made the call to go home and try again next week. One can only handle so much mud with no washing machine after-all.

I thought things came in threes but the cat defecating on the way home threw that theory.

Home had never looked better. Pure luxury.