It has been a week of celebrating the beauty of nature. ♥ Loved learning of New Zealand’s native trees and the amazing variety of different trees the world over. ♥ Loved identifying different tree species in our garden at home and in Wellington’s Botanical Garden with Sophie and Alice. Sophie worked so enthusiastically and wrote […]
Alice
Do what you love, one day a week: Paddle boarding!
After my last attempt, in less than calm waters and with a few adrenaline pumping wipe-outs, I went out on the board again this week. It was beautifully calm in Lyall Bay on Sunday. Barely a ripple of a wave broke on the shore. I found my feet quickly and plunged the paddle deeply into […]
LOVING that school’s out for summer!
The long summer break is before us with hopefully lots of beach days and sunshine. We’ve had a busy last week or so, what with Charlotte’s wonderful dance show taking up all last weekend, a carol service and a prize giving evening at the Town Hall on Thursday evening. There have been Birthday parties galore […]
A wet summer Sunday walk
It was perfect walking weather – mild, a slight refreshing breeze, a touch of rain and plenty of cloud cover to shelter from the strong sun. And with a tired family (Charlotte was performing in a dance show the night before) and a bit too much morning television on waking up, we were getting that […]
Things I’m Loving in between the anxiety
It’s been a tough week seeing my Sophie suffering so much with anxiety at going to school. Tears before bed. Sobbing as I help her into her uniform and into the car. She’s only been two days this week. She does have a good day, when she’s there, but has great difficulty leaving the comfort […]
Things I’m Loving… Perspective
I have a weakness, I know I am not alone. I find it hard to disconnect from my children’s woes. I sometimes see them teary eyed and behaving out of sorts. I try to say the things I ought and guide them the best I can. Sometimes it pains me to say what I have […]
Expressions on a Wednesday in a Tutu!
We’re half way through term four and on a roll to Christmas, with all the dance shows, carol singing and preparations. Sophie is really settling in to her new school and coming home every day with a smile and a pile of reading. She brings home wonderful books and often has the whole family acting […]
Expressions on a Wednesday at the Strawberry Fair
We went to the Strawberry Fair, where red balloons floated in the air. We feasted on strawberries red, drizzled with cream. And watched the QM College girls sing like a dream. Alice danced, and clapped, along to the songs – dressed in a vision of strawberry red, with a Christmas tree, towering, over her head. […]
Apple bobbing Halloween in the southern hemisphere
Our Bright Light Party did the trick in welcoming the sunshine and giving us a hint of summer to shortly come. Apple bobbing is a whole lot of fun when the weather is warm enough to do it in the garden like this…. Sophie enthusiastically got bobbing too, with great results! And Happy Halloween 2011 […]
Counting down to the RWC 2011 Final!
With minutes to go till the RWC 2011 Final I’ve been reflecting on the impact of the rugby on our household. Today we wrote our support in the sand, willing the All Blacks to succeed in tonight’s final game. Tonight I sit quietly, watching. Sophie lies on a camp bed in the lounge. Alice is […]
A new start is rarely all smooth going
This week has been one of change and adjustment. Sophie joined Charlotte at school. I stepped up a gear with morning school preparations and post school fall out. Alice adapted to moving at her own pace with a little more ‘down time’ during the day. Charlotte enthusiastically embraced the start of term 4 whilst supporting […]
A few things I don’t want Alice to forget
I always think it’s sad that our children don’t remember much of their first years of life. I like to think that all the rich and wonderful experiences we savour together help to imprint a map in the neurons to guide my children on positive paths in the future. Right now, as our daughter Sophie […]
A Curious Wonderland
It’s spring school holidays here in Wellington and ‘Capital E‘ is always high on our list of ‘must do’ activities, with theatre, workshops, crafts and wonderful spaces to delight the senses. We didn’t make it to the theatre today, but did make a couple of wonderful ‘Fishy Friends’ – before going on to visit a […]
Sunday snippets: Enjoying the sunshine
After a week of rain and cold winds, with just a few snippets of blue in between, it was with great relief that we woke to sunshine this Sunday. We did the chores, mowed the lawn and then got out together and dosed up on Vitamin D to fight our snuffly noses. Here’s a few […]