Weddings

The children lined up excitedly to watch their aunty's nuptials.

Wedding banter stepped up a notch between the youngsters last week in the lead up to their aunty’s nuptials.

My kids are obsessed with people being boyfriend and girlfriend and getting married so this was just the icing on the wedding cake.

The wedding was an all-weekend affair at Pakiri Beach. A lovely weekend where food, accommodation and even childrens’ activities were provided – all we had to do was pack clothes! Gotta love a holiday like that.

The morning of the ceremony was an early one. The kids were sharing a room and one bright spark decided to wake the others at 5am to make the decision whether to don their wedding outfits or togs. I got up to find them all standing starkers, blinking in the light and pondering this big decision. They were told to put on their undies and go back to bed. This was when it was discovered I’d forgotten to pack Miss Four’s knickers. By the time I’d searched high and low we were all wide awake and so our day began.

The morning was spent exploring the Matakana markets before heading over to Leigh for some snorkeling. Just as we pulled on our wetsuits it began pelting down. The boys were fine – they frolicked in the sand and shallows undeterred while Miss Four huddled with her head buried in her towel – a few orange tufts of hair all that could be seen sticking out. This made for some power-snorkeling and, realising the kids were just a little too young, we packed up and headed back in time to scrub up for the big event.

The weather came right just in time and the kids waited with eager anticipation – with Miss Four wearing a pair of her brother’s truck undies under her pretty frock - for their aunty – the bride. The day before they’d dressed up their Barbie and Ken dolls in wedding outfits and staged a mock wedding so to see it all unfold in real life was just too much. They sat in a line with their hands held to their mouths stifling giggles but when it came to the kiss, they erupted. 

They were a little distracting and it took a bit to settle them down ready to perform their duties – blowing bubbles at the newlyweds. Miss Four’s role was to sprinkle rose petals, painstakingly gathered in a basket to match her outfit but, at the last minute, decided she was too shy.

After that, the 5am start began to take affect. While the boys got a second or third wind, Miss Four began to wilt. But we still had the 45-min bus ride to the reception – we were only just beginning! Luckily the kid’s menu kept them awake and all the children played outside the restaurant in the playground till well after dark – all that could be seen were their glow sticks bobbing around.

Finally on the bus ride back, the twins fell asleep exhausted while Master Six, hyped up from no sleep, a new friend to show off to and too much fizz, entertained the passengers with stories, interspersed, of course, with toilet humour, which had them in hysterics. Spurred on by the laughter, his stories, which filtered down to me in the front, became more and more ridiculous and, not to mention, embarrassing.

Finally they toppled into bed and, after the giggling subsided, fell into deep sleeps until 7.30am, which is a major sleep-in for us.

Strangely, Barbie and Ken have remained idle and all marriage talk ceased since the real life wedding – I think my three might just be all wedding’d out.