70 Photos later: the out-takes

• These are the out takes from our impromptu photo shoot the other day... the only photo that was vaguely decent was in a post a couple of days back... seriously 70 photos and that was the only decent one... these are funny though!

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Another Tuesday in Paradise

A little catch up post again... I fear it won't be quite what I intended but I need to get this stuff out there before time passes me by again. With Will now hitting the 6 Month mark it's pretty much time to start solids. I must say he has showed a serious interest in our food of late and seems to have taken to big people food like a duck to water....


.... just kidding I'm going to wait till next month and then start solids. He's been having a little extra pear with his reflux medicine so I can't see it being a big deal and may help our current night waking (4 x plus each night) issue.

I managed to cram in a little creating on Friday making up a travel journal for Les to fill in while he is away. I asked him if he would give me 3 minutes each day and he said he could so I've made him this and he can fill in the blanks and I'll add photos and other bits later....

The back has a pocket for stashing little bits and pieces, postcards and such and I gave it to him in a bag that will fit brochures and such. all of which I can just punch holes in and add to the album when he gets home.

When we were in Australia Les went away relatively often and as Kieran was so little I had a picture of him and Les laminated so he could have it and play with it as often as he wanted. Which it turned out was quite often... he really liked to drag that picture around the house.

Being a fully fledged scrapbooker now Will has something a little more upmarket.... I whipped this up in the weekend and am really happy with it....








And just a little something from Onehunga's main street today. If you know us well you'll know that we call Merenia 'Mira's' most of the time and so I thought this was really cool....

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Change 1. 23.5.2008

More from Brighams Creek Rd- on Ground level this time....

Parting Shots

6 days 6 hours 44 minutes to go...



So Les finally left today! He was ready to go at about 9:30am and we left home, after twiddling our thumbs all morning, at around 12 o'clock. We stopped on the way at Warehouse stationery so that we could get Les updated wallet photos of the kids... always essential when you are travelling.
I kind of forgot that when it comes down to it Les is what I describe as a meat and three veg/small town sort of guy. So he was a little nervous... not as nervous as he had expected... but then the guy is so anal about stuff he was totally prepared. (With one small exception). After a Sushi lunch (YUM!) we headed to the airport...

You know we haven't had photos taken together since before Will was born... it seemed like a good time.

One of the more incredible facets of this trip for me is how much Les DID NOT pack, for him it was like a small miracle... he takes more in his day pack to the flying field let alone 21 days across the planet!

Hmmmm this bag looks interesting says the man at the checkout. 15.2kg model box plus 14.6kg suitcase and the lady at the counter says "Do you realise your baggage allowance?" (He did, she didn't he got a special deal as he is one of those awesome fellas that serves his country... NZDF has gotta be good for something right?)

Checkout lady has called for back-up.... arms crossed... that can't be a good sign....

Les disappears behind the door. "We're not sure if that will fit in one of our containers"

Phew it fits!

A bit of spare time to ....

Eat some tasty finger!

Goodbye Daddy....

And Les departs for......

You would think the story ends here but no....

I got multiple texts....

• Anton Oliver was in the transit lounge... no autograph for Kieran though.
• He took a photo of the plane... ahhh he's a well trained scrapbookers husband.
• He was amazed at the stuff people wear when they are about to spend hours on the plane.
• He was boarding.
• He was in Brisbane and had just met the "most grumpy security screening cow ever".

Now he's on the plane for the next leg, Brisbane to Singapore and then an hour before he heads to Dubai.

By the way PLEASE don't text him while he is away it will cost US 80 cents for each text he receives... and we really don't want a big bill when he comes home!

Indiana, Starlight and Maybe

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I met a little girl at the supermarket on Saturday. She was given the honour of naming her new baby brother. She named him Luke... after another famous Luke. "Luke McAllister" I asked?
"NO he's Luke Andrew!"
"But you named him after another Luke" her dad said....

I was talking to the kids about this when I got home and Kieran said he'd call himself 'Indy'. Merenia went for 'Starlight' and she named Will 'Maybe' well that's what I thought she said but in actual fact it was Maisy... which I guess makes sense considering they were naming themselves after favourite charaters and Will does love Maisy books.

And why was I at the supermarket that vaguely ugly Saturday morning? Well because I went to the Dawsons the night before of course!

And why did I go to the Dawsons? Because I was invited to play the Grey's Anatomy game. (Daniella won all 3 games... I've taught her well!)

And why does that mean I needed to make an urgent call to the supermarket? Because I needed to break one of my key life tenants and get these.....

I DON'T do sweet and savoury. Don't like pineapple on my pizza, don't like raisins or orange in my salad, won't eat the pineapple in sweet and sour... no carrot cake or pumpkin pie for me and Cheesecake Nah-uh, no way, not ever, never.

Until. Now. OH MY GOD! Let's face it anyone who's anyone knows that Philadelphia Cream Cheese is god among cream cheese. And Sweet Chilli Philly was pure genius on the part of the company. BUT STRAWBERRY PHILLI UM HELLO!!!!!! Where have you been all my life??? You truly are heaven totally worth breaking the covenant that is No sweet with your savoury. And on lightly toasted bagels... devine is an understatement.

Thank goodness Les is off to Turkey today because I am moving in my new LOVE!




I meant to post that photo back on the 19th but Kieran had a Rugby tournament so Me and Will headed out to that not long after the photo was taken and I just haven't got to it till now. I've also got the 6 month Monkey photos and Kieran wants to do a guest blog on the Rugby so expect lots more personal stuff from us this week... and I've got some plans for my next three weeks of nights alone with the computer and my strawberry philly.. so the blog should be a lot more tasty for the next few weeks at least.

In the mean time I have a couple of last minute jobs to do before we head out to the airport.

Time to FOCUS Ciao for now!

It was Luke Skywalker of course... what better Luke to name your baby brother after?!

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Celebrating Children's Book week Pt 5

The Tiger Who came to Tea By Judith Kerr We owned this book when I was a child and it's pretty darn cool. But it was second to The Tiger In The Teapot (see below) which we used to ALWAYS get out of the library, although I have a feeling that I mostly liked it because the little girl in the story had white ankle socks, black shoes and the mostest coolest ever hat with a cherry on it; hellOOOO!!! A cherry I tell you!!! Judith Kerr who wrote the Tiger who came to Tea also wrote Mog Books (as in Mog- the Cat with a family as opposed to Mog- Meg the witches cat). Did you know she actually wrote a book in which Mog died... I was devastated when I found out (about 2 years ago). So as for this cat read it to your 3+ year old and enjoy...


Bread and Jam for Frances By Russell Hoban I liked to identify with Frances she was a reall tomboy; liked to go out and find frogs and cool stuff like that. And do weird stuff like eat only Bread and Jam and sing little songs to herself, and run away to under the kitchen table, and she saved up for a teaset (I saved up for my 'Charlie's angels' torches (2 of them, one for me and one for Suzy Duncan) but it was a tough call between them and the teaset. She also got the thing that I really really wanted... a baby sister. A cool series of books for little girls 4+.


The Lighthouse Keepers Lunch By Ronda and David Armitage This is the first of the Lighthouse Keeper books (there are quite a few now). It's also probably my favourite. I love the look on poor Hamish the cats face when he travels in the basket alongside the lunch... poor pussy! If you haven't read a light house keeper book then why not? Age 3+


Tough Boris by Mem Fox This is a super cool book for boys... I mean what boy doesn't love a Pirate story!! And it's got a great twist in the tail, I won't spoil it for you... read to girls too from 3 years and on!


The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The BIG HUNGRY BEAR By Don and Audrey Wood. We love this story in our house and it's Christmas Sequel. It's lots of fun and the pictures are fabulous! Read it to your 3 year old and up....



NO David! By David Shannon This was one of Merenia's favourites both because she could read it from an early age and also because I think she identified with naughty David! I love the pictures myself. I guess we read this to Merenia from age 3 on...


Don't Put Mustard in the Custard Is the name of the version of this book that we have but I think it may now only be published as; Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy It's By Michael Rosen who is a fabulous poet and the pictures are by Quentin Blake Who's also fabulous. I also like Quick let's get out of here! also by Rosen. The especially good thing is that it is a book of poems (it's good to read a bunch of genres with kids) and I have yet to find many really fun and enjoyable poetry books for when you are done with reading nursery rhymes. (That said I am a sucker for a good story and find it hard to go past them!) As an aside Rosen also wrote We're going in a bear hunt and in the course of my research I was excited to learn that there is now a sequel called Bear in the Cave. I always did wonder what happened to the poor old bear after he wandered sadly back to his cave! Anyway wanna read poetry with your children then try Micheal Rosen and if you know of any more good stuff then let me know...

First Swing

Back on the day before Saskia's birthday Will had his first ever Swing....


It was a bit cute...