Meet Julie From The Love Boat

Over the weekend, do you ever feel like you've morphed into Julie McCoy from The Love Boat?

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Welcome aboard, we're expecting you, Julie says. The she invites the well-dressed and cheerful guests of the Pacific Princess to join her on the roulette, badminton court or the shuffle board...

I know I don't have her sweetie-pie smile and perky hair do but I am that Julie. The Entertainment Director. Ushering little guests from activity to activity with a cheery sweep of the hand. (Thanks Torrie from A Place To Share for reminding me of this show.)

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Well okay, I am GrumpyJulie. And GrumpyJulie sometimes finds it hard to have an open smile when it's not such a friendly shore. My four constant guests were not always compliant and grateful. Sometimes they are melting-down, complaining little persons who refuse to pay for their passage.

But we are on that boat and we are not getting off! And we are going to have so much entertainment! And if we do not have fun, we will at least have spent loads of time in the car in pursuit of it!

First up was Cy's soccer... but actually when I think about it, his coach took him. I was looking after Tallulah, nine, and her five sleepover guests. And then I got a friend to take Cy, seven, to his baseball. Kevin took Harley, 13, to his basketball game and Jackson, 11, cycled to his baseball game.

 Cy

I did take Tallulah to her cousin's ice-skating birthday party, but admittedly my brother Tony chaperoned her around the rink while I clutched on to the edge.

Tallulah and Tony at Yerba Buena Centre, SF

I did photograph their tennis and took them to the pool.

Tallulah, Kevin and Cy at Claremont CC, Oakland

Claremont CC Pool, Oakland

Let's face it. Not even Julie could be Julie. The actress who played her, Lauren Tewes, was famously dismissed for her cocaine habit. And eventually the show was cancelled for lack of interest.

You might wander what GrumpyJulie was doing instead of constantly entertaining her kids? Well Isaac may have overpoured the previous evening, and with Doc Gopher on shore leave and unable to adminster to the bottle flu, it was Captain Stubing in charge.

Tomorrow night we're off to New Zealand for 10 days. We planned on staying for two weeks but when we booked the flights, the kids were fighting so consistently and persistently, we just thought: "Oh two weeks would just be too much fun!"  So next time you hear from GrumpyJulie she will have embarked in the port town of Wellington, New Zealand accompanied by four happy wee travellers eager to see the cultural sights. Bon Voyage!