Monday was a regular day. I took the girls swimming, to the library, even hung out at the airport for an hour so SJ could watch the airplanes. They both fell asleep by 7.30pm and with my monthly ‘visitor’ due I was exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep. 8.00pm Dan goes out to…
Author: BritMumInNZ
Getting in the Exercise!
The sun has been blissful this week and today the girls and I made the most of every opportunity to stretch our legs. Sophie and I spent the morning at Oriental Parade where we handled starfish and walked along the waterfront. I pushed her back to the car in the buggy – along the beach…
What’s on your bedside table?
In my first year of motherhood my bedside table was stacked high with a wide selection of parenting books. The subjects of most interest at that time were sleep, health, breastfeeding and developmental milestones. My reading of parenting and child psychology books became a little obsessive. There was a time when the only other items…
Lyall Bay in Black and White
Saturday morning, prior to Dan’s weekly soccer game, was spent whiling away a couple of hours in the sunshine on Lyall Bay beach. Dan took these beautiful photographs. Simple pleasures. Playing in sand dunes, drawing in the sand, making sand sculptures, looking for mermaids and chasing seagulls. Dan won his game of soccer – must…
Amazing Mothers
Mother’s Day, like mothering itself, is varied and diverse in its history and when it is celebrated. I myself, have to work hard to remember Mothering Sunday in the UK is earlier in the year than in New Zealand (last Sunday was Mother’s Day in New Zealand) – so I have one day of celebrating…
Kingfisher in the garden
Sitting upon a flax in our garden today I spotted this beautiful Kingfisher.
Autumn colours
Autumn has descended and there is no place like the Wellington Botanical Gardens to soak up the colours of the changing season. Most of Wellington’s native trees are evergreen and so the change of colours associated with a British autumn is not found across the city. In the South Island there are plenty of beautiful…
Pony Riding at Mackay’s Crossing
A couple of weekend’s ago we drove up to MacKay’s Crossing on the Kapiti Coast and the girls enjoying pony riding at Stables on the Park. Sophie, in particular, is currently a horse fanatic. She wants to watch ‘Saddle Club’ all the time, has a pile of books out from the library and is always…
Art Take Over!
It’s Sunday and I really needed to have a break and be in my own head-space. Dan has been out all day with the girls and it’s been so peaceful. But I’m never alone. There are always delightful surprises carefully placed around the home to remind me of how lucky I am to have such…
Circus Comes to Town
What a blast we had this afternoon! The girls watched the two hour performance with eyes wide and mouths open in absolute wonder and disbelief. They have never seen anything like what they experienced today. We weren’t sure how they’d take it and we’d set our expectations at probably not seeing the whole performance; but…
Meeting fellow expats to be…
Recently we were delighted to meet up with Craig of the wonderful blog ‘One Way New Zealand‘. His lovely wife, Rachel, had contacted us (as well as mutual friend Marrisa of ‘Dawes in New Zealand‘ blog) with her exciting plans of emigration from the UK to New Zealand. Craig and Rachel have a gorgeous son,…
Pony Trekking in Nelson
A Beautiful Nelson Weekend
Finally, a break from the washing to report on the fantastic Birthday weekend that Dan and the girls treated me to. We sailed on the Interislander to Picton on Friday and had a wonderful calm and sunny crossing. The beauty of the Marlborough Sounds never fails to impress. I have particularly fond memories of this…
Watching the Tide
Monday morning, Sophie and I spent a magic couple of ours really living in the moment at Lyall Bay Beach. Since then the rain has barely stopped all week. We spent this morning at the airport watching the comings and goings – I always love the body filling raft of emotions and excitement I feel…