I woke with no expectation – or even desire – for breakfast in bed. I’m past the days of sleep deprivation making a lie in a luxury I lust after. These days, thank the heavens, my daughters don’t wake me for night feeds or cuddles (I had three daughters that didn’t sleep through the night […]
I have friends that would be shocked at how a person could go through nearly 12 years of parenting without a sewing machine in the house. I have often held friends that can sew (or knit or crochet!) in high esteem, as well as being in awe of the amazing things they create. When I first […]
It was a perfect evening, with not a breath of wind (rare for Wellington). The sun’s heat was still present, even as it began to set in the sky. The warm evening was too much of a temptation to play. It didn’t feel like the night before the first day of a new school year. […]
It’s been a fortnight since we returned from the UK to the US. We are heading back to New Zealand to live at the beginning of October, but for now we’re in limbo; between the two places we love. I haven’t felt like writing anything much, but have tried to fit in a little reminiscing about […]
We are so very blessed to have Alice in our family. She has spent her first four years sharing her happy zest for life with us and bringing us all so much joy. There’s been no need to rush her off to kindergarten when we were in New Zealand, or a preschool whilst here in […]
Being woken at 5am by my two year old, Alice, after a late night travelling between France and England in the 1400’s, isn’t easy (though, thanks Philippa Gregory for the escapism). I lay on the sofa, trying to sleep, hoping the ‘Peppa Pig‘ DVD would suffice to keep Alice from demanding too much attention. By […]
After nearly five years she’s here! I felt dazed when she appeared from behind the sliding door at arrivals on Tuesday afternoon. She was like a mirage. It’s taken me till now, Thursday, to truly believe she’s real and not a figment of my imagination. The first day I kept touching her, but not really […]
Some weeks go so fast that I barely have time to stop and take stock, but thanks to my camera in my back pocket the memories are a little easier to hold on to. ♥ It’s been a week of ups and downs, especially with a school girl not so happy – but happier after opening […]
I’ve had the delight of my three little lounge lizards all being home on Wednesday and Friday last week (as Charlotte – Dear Daughter 8 – is a bit tired with the start of the school year – lots of testing and goal setting). It’s been so great to have Charlotte home with us, as […]
Sophie asked me for pancakes for breakfast, again. She’s been asking for days. I keep making promises. I keep breaking them. Oops! But today, I pulled out my wooden spoon and whipped up some batter and fulfilled an overdue promise. It wasn’t till mid-morning I discovered it was actually Shrove Tuesday today! I found a […]
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 […]
For the first time in three years we were reunited in August 2007 when Dan and I took Charlotte (then 4) and Sophie (18 months) to the UK for a visit. We holidayed in the Lake District and took the girls to London. We laughed so much as we talked of the memories, oh so […]
The theme for ‘The Gallery’ is shoes and prompted me to dig out this very special pair. These were the first shoes each of my three girls wore. They’ve lasted well! They’ve travelled to Queenstown, Taupo and Auckland, from our home in Wellington, New Zealand. They’ve never actually ‘walked’, but crawled, bum-shuffled and scooted around […]