Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!
On occasions, like right now, I feel the need to dump down where we’re at on this old blog, which I started in 2003 (long before social media platforms came into play!). I often wonder why I keep this blog, but then my husband and I will start talking about some memory or other and…
This gorgeous fantail found its way through my kitchen door, up the stairs and into my daughter’s bedroom. She loves nature and was enchanted by our little visitor. We often have birds coming into our home, living surrounded by trees and native bush, but they usually stay in the living room and don’t venture as…
One day we are tucked up indoors playing LEGO, reading, baking and making toy boats to float on the bath tub, the next we are walking in the sunshine, picking sweat-peas, and paddling our toes in the sea. We are definitely ‘going with the flow’ this spring in Wellington (not to mention keeping sane with…
When I read that ‘The Prompt‘ this week was the word ‘Paint’ I knew exactly what to write about. This past month my dear parents have been staying with us in New Zealand, visiting from their home in England. My dearest Mum loves to paint with watercolours and has been taking classes for a couple…
For the third week, in a row, I’ve had at least one of my three daughters home poorly from school. They have been hit hard by some flu type virus, that is doing the rounds across the country this winter. They are all slowly on the mend, though still not at full energy. In the…
Last Thursday I picked up my youngest daughter from school and we headed straight to the museum – Te Papa – in Wellington. The museum is open late on a Thursday night and she’d been asking to go for a few weeks, so I finally made it happen. I used to spend so much time…
It’s been a busy week in the household with the mid-year reports arriving home and parent-teacher interviews to coordinate for all three girls. Thankfully the reports have left us with no concerns and we’re really delighted at how our older two are doing; considering they had a good year or so gallivanting in the USA,…
Twinkling in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades) signals the Maori New Year. Traditionally, it was a time for remembering the dead, and celebrating new life. In the 21st century, observing Matariki has become popular again. Heaven-bound kites, hot-air balloons and fireworks help mark the occasion. Credit: Full story by Paul Meredith…
Last week was a crazily wet one in Wellington (and much of New Zealand) and, with the short days of late autumn, there’s stark few hours for out-door fun after school; so we’ve been keeping dry at home and enjoying some drawing. Any parent with more than one child will concur; it’s a bonus when…
I adore the downtime of the school holidays and the opportunity it gives my children to be creative without any constrains on their time. It’s also wonderful to see them create with the freedom to go with whatever is currently in their hearts and minds, rather than have to work on something within the guidelines…
So many changes this year for our family of five. We have gone from having three children ‘unschooling’ whilst living in the USA for fifteen months, to having two children at school and one about to make her first school visit! Meanwhile, the amazing man of the house has returned to work (but not too…
A tweet reminded me of this lovely ‘Linky’ (‘Mini Creations‘ by Kid GL loves), run by a couple of great kids, in the UK, to celebrate the creations our children produce. All too often I wish I’d taken a photograph of a particular creation – but then the moment has passed, the item has been…
Halloween last year was as it should be – in the northern hemisphere, in autumn (albeit living in Santa Barbara, California, wasn’t quite the northern hemisphere type of Halloween I remembered from my apple bobbing youth growing up in England, UK). It was lovely to be living somewhere where pumpkins were plentiful (as we experienced…
There’s a room in our home that I’ve always loved, ever since we first bought the house – back in 2006. It’s the laundry room, off the back of the garage, and is a sun magnet in the afternoon. It’s a large room and a space I’ve always filled with paint, paper and craft materials…