Today was my second brother (read: Fourth child, second brother younger than I am) Pascal's birthday party. He turned nine.
   Why, oh why did we let him have an animorphs party! I mean sure, let him invite seven other knee-high kids around and run around screaming in the reserve pretending to be animorphs while we act evil human-controllers and shoot them wth water-pistols.
   Yeah, why not?
   Anyway, I'm sure they all had a wonderful time bushbashing round te reserve (now what was wrong with the paths?) while we poor human-controllers had to crouch in cutty-grass bushes waiting for them to come near us.
   Ah, filial affection is a wonderful thing.

   His best friend Jack who is my babysittee is also staying the night and they are STILL talking. I am ignoring them in the hopes that this will have some effect.

   Olivia and Kieve might be posted here sometime soon. That's my WIP story. Shall I?

There are eight people in my family. Today, Dad is in Nelson. Mum is in Rotorua with Jethro and Pascal. Letitia is in Puriri with the Merzs. Connor is at tennis and Arden and I are at home, supposedly looking after each other.

Well, sometimes I wish my parents wouldn't leave me in charge when they go away. Or that the child laws in NZ made more sense. This morning I went out to Tararu with my friend Camilla. But I wasn't allowed to leave Arden here alone while I was out, so I shooed her outside and she went to play in the tree down the road while Camilla and I went off on our walk. Now any sensible government would surely see that there's far more danger of her being hurt falling out of a tree on our quiet street than at home. But nooooo.

Tonight is the Te Puru gala - this is a huge town event and it's the Te Puru School's main fundraiser for the year. The whole town goes down to the school and they put on this massive event with millions of stalls and live entertainment and donkey rides and stuff.

Anyway. This year, *gulp* me and my A Capella group are going to be part of the live entertainment. Arrrrgh! I always forget about the performance side of groups when I join up and now it's caught up with me. We are singing four songs and I have to open the show with the calling for "Oj Savice" (which, by the way, is pronounced "oy saveetsay") *is nervous* And I hate it! I hate using microphones and I hate singing for other people! Especially as, after a year of practice, I still can't do the verses right. You'd think, wouldn't you...

Okay, deeeeep breaths. Raise arms over head, puff mightily. Imagine calm, sunny beach.

Nope, it's not working. I AM NOT CALM!!!
Wish me luck.