Chocolate Frog just gets better!

The Chocolate Frog cafe at Palmer’s Garden Centre in Miramar, Wellington, just gets better! In the play area (on the opposite side of the garden centre to the actual cafe) is a sign that means the world to parents…

And for dog-owners… a dedicated area to ‘park’ your dog, complete with fresh water bowls!

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Wellington today and Sophie (SJ) and I were on a mission to buy some vegetable seedlings, excited that Spring might actually be trying to break-through. After a delightful morning tea at the Chocolate Frog cafe, within the garden centre, we raced around the garden centre and stocked up. After the shopping we had a gorgeous play at the little playground and spent a while watching some very fat fish float around.

Here’s some pics of SJ and her take on the morning…

Afterwards we headed to our local library to hear a very special story-time. As part of Library Week 2008, a local children’s book illustrator Philip Webb read ‘Piggety Wiggity Jiggity Jig‘ by Diana Nield (which he illustrated).

Sophie and I arrived in plenty of time to enjoy our mutual passion of books before hearing this wonderful story. Afterwards there was ‘question time’ and little SJ bravely raised her hand to ask, ‘How old were you when you started drawing?’. It was a gorgeous book and so exciting to hear how it was put together.

After all the excitement we headed home, with a ‘yellow’ (SJ’s favourite colour!) balloon in tow, and got busy with our seedlings.

We picked Charli up at 3pm from a great day at school (she’s loving it – reading, writing and drawing non-stop now!) and journeyed into town to pick up ‘Daddy-O’ (as the girls refer to him!). I’ve been full of cold and feeling really tired near the end of the day and he’s been such a ‘brick’ in looking after his girls. We drove home via Oriental Parade and were treated to a stunning view of the snow-capped Tararua Ranges. There’s been a ton of snow on Mt Ruapehu too – reckon we’ll be able to ski in our shorts on Christmas Day – if we were so inclined! Turoa now has the biggest snow base in the history of commercial skiing in New Zealand. The snow stake at 2000m above sea level officially measured 455cm’s on the morning of 19 August. Whakapapa is also entering record territory at 350cm’s, which is the most since 1994.

Anyway, enough is enough! Just bring on more blue skies and let us enjoy!

And, it’s 11pm here and my cold ridden body is saying ‘Enough! Go to bed!’ – but my head isn’t listening and can’t stop spinning… (Mum, was I always this difficult at going to bed at a decent hour? Tee hee!) xx