Random Ramblings.....

A Fishy Tale.....

2009-09-06T13:10:00.002+12:00

While I was away at a Girl Guide training weekend, the rest of the whanau were off having fun, after biking through The Redwoods, they went to the Trout Hatchery and caught us all feed or two - yum, smoked trout!:

The Morning After.....

2009-04-14T19:18:00.000+12:00

We played marathon games of Monopoly in our pj's and we played endless games of cards to see who got to pack up what. The Lad has an extra day off work, so although this has been an extended little break for us all together as a family, it's coming to an end tomorrow :o(

In Your Own Backyard.....

2009-04-13T13:17:00.002+12:00

H9 pulled out "Go camping at Bowentown" from our holiday lucky-dip bowl of exciting-things-to-do-when-we've-done-all-our-jobs. We rang them and it was going to cost us $140 but we couldn't get in till 2pm and we had to be out by 10am, so we bought ourselves a supply of gourmet sausages and loads of marshmallows and pitched out tent on the lawn.

We built a campfire, invited the neighbours over for damper and camp milos and the compulsory 'show', as kids are wont to do when there's an audience of adults who can't escape ;o).

We did a spot of stargazing, and because we were getting bitten by the mozzies, we got our sleeping bags and mattresses out of the tent and gazed for hours. So long, in fact, we never ended up going back into the tent, we all slept out under the stars - magic!:

Tryathletes.....

2009-03-29T12:49:00.001+13:00

L11 and H9 took part in their first ever Weetbix Tryathlon this year, they had a blast and L6 reckons when he's old enough he'll be giving it a go, too:

Omokoroa.....

2009-02-05T15:40:00.001+13:00

The Lad and I went for an early morning kayak - with the kids at Nana's it's a luxury we don't often get as usually one of us has to stay on shore with half of the kidlets while the other one is out on the water with the reminder. It was gorgeous, very calm and peaceful - we paddled out to the little island in the last photo and back:

We also called in to our fave second-hand bookshop on the way home, for hours, in peace ;o) No-one wanting to go home because they're b-o-r-e-d, or h-u-n-g-r-y, etc!

Little Waihi.....

2009-02-04T14:57:00.000+13:00

We cruised out to Little Waihi to meet a few of our peeps and have a splash around:

Happy Birthday L11.....

2009-01-29T16:23:00.002+13:00

Thank Goodness for Nana and Grandad who *always* send birthday pressies that arrive before the birthday, so they have something to open on the day - these days she asks for the cold, hard cash in lieu of a pressie from us. Here she is with her very own Yates Garden Guide, some new facecloths, a new funky notebook and some talc:

Her and her Bro's:

The fairly predictable birthday breakfast of choice - sushi rice, salmon, fried egg white and buttered toast:

Her first bean harvest of the season from her plants - and tasty they are, too!:

OMG! What Kind of Mother Am I?.....

2009-01-29T12:03:00.006+13:00

"I don't WANT to go!"

"You'll be fine, H9, once you're there you'll be so busy having a fantastic time, you'll hardly even miss us. The days will whizz past in a blur and we'll be down to join you before you even know it. Take your phone, and I'll text you each night before you go to sleep"

Well, that lasted for the first night! How crap am I? (I didn't even text her the second night, The Lad (who obviously cares more than me) did ring her, though). I said to The Lad as we fell into bed last night "Shit, I forgot to text Hannah tonight!"

We knew she would be fine during the day, but it is the getting to sleep that our little bed-hopper finds so hard. Getting to sleep by herself is nigh on impossible, and she is often found wandering the house looking for an obliging sibling or parent to snuggle up with. I have been known to be woken past 11pm by:

H9: "Mum! Mum!"

Me: "Hmmmmm, wahhhh?"

H9: "I'm really worried. I've been laughing a lot today."

Me: "Why is that worrying you, honey?"

H9: "Well, remember you said ages ago that you nearly died laughing? I don't want to die."

And other such notions that seem to surface at sleeptime.

Which is probably the underlying reason we received this text at 3.09am this morning:

1 3/4 hours is such a long way when your baby wants some lovin' :o(

Peeling, Mohawks and Fourteen Years.....

2009-01-28T23:08:00.000+13:00

The lovely Soph has been staying for a few days and the girls are fascinated by her peeling back, L10 has been writing her name on some of the pieces she peels off - eeewww!

Soph and L10 played hairdressers with L6 and he would only let them do either a Munsters part-down-the-middle and gelled either side, or a mohawk. He secretly wanted the part, but settled begrudgingly for their choice:

Happy 14th Anniversary to The Lad and I ;o)

Weta.....

2009-01-27T15:48:00.002+13:00

Hmmmm, do you add an add 's' to a word from a language where there is no 's'? I think not, so read the title as Nga Weta, or Weta (in the plural).

L11 found this little trio hanging out in the sheet they used to use for a hammock:

She made a (badly photographed but *very* yummy) big stack of American Hotcakes for lunch today:

What Have We Learned?.....

2009-01-26T13:37:00.002+13:00

We have learned that even when you think you have dug all the potatoes from a plant, it is still worth checking a few weeks later:

And also that if you put the funky glass drink bottles on the top shelf of the fridge, then move stuff around so that they end up at the back and touching that freezy-platey thing (cos' that's the technical name), then they will be cracked from the expansion of the overfull contents upon freezing:

I'm Sick Of The Dust.....

2009-01-25T14:08:00.000+13:00

From the roadworks going on, they are sealing the road, but man! can that dust get places - inside, outside, on the washing, in the water tank - everywhere:

Swinging with Melissa.....

2009-01-23T11:27:00.001+13:00

L6 in the hammock:

James and Uncle Graeme:

Yay, Melissa's here again:

Hangin'.....

2009-01-22T11:30:00.002+13:00

Melissa reading:

L10, Sophie and H9 colouring:

Zara and A12 playing playstation:

Boaz at the Beach.....

2009-01-21T11:34:00.001+13:00

We got to have cuddles with Boaz today:

When we met a few peeps for a snorkel at Pilot Bay:

Bunny.....

2009-01-19T14:12:00.000+13:00

A12 is very aware of rabbits at the moment, he would like one as a pet, and has been trying unsuccessfully to catch some of the wildies that hang round the front lawn:

Melissa.....

2009-01-18T11:36:00.002+13:00

Got dropped off for a holiday today:

James, doing a spot of tidying:

L10:

The Lad showing us his ball balancing skills:

Uncle Paul called in for a coffee while he was in the neighbourhood:

Whangapoua Harbour and Beach.....

2009-01-17T16:00:00.000+13:00

Parked at the lookout where you could see way back to the Hauraki Gulf on one side, and out over the Whangapoua to Mercury Island on the other:

NZ Dotterel - cute!

Some of the busy little Oyster Catchers:

Playing in the little rivulet on the beach:

The little airfield near the beach:

New Chums Beach.....

2009-01-17T11:40:00.001+13:00

Looking back at Whangapoua Beach on our walk over to New Chums Beach:

Gorgeous New Chums Beach, what a treasure:

Having a quick drink and rest in the shelter of the caves before we swim:

Body Surfing:

L6 and The Lad as we head back:

One last look back before we leave:

Looking towards Whangapoua Beach:

We split up and half of us walked back along the track, and the other half rock-hopped round the beach:

Tuateawa.....

2009-01-16T16:15:00.002+13:00

Some of the quail and seagulls on the back lawn at the house we rented:

Tuateawa Bay:

Snorkling round the rocks, the kids discovered it was easier to float around on the top of the water when they were wearing their lifejackets:

The paua the kids picked off the rocks:

A12 exploring the bay a bit further in the kayak:

Waikawau Bay and Tuateawa Bay.....

2009-01-16T14:18:00.003+13:00

A12 eager to embrace the day again:

A teensy Pohutukawa in flower:

Waiting for hotcakes, banana, bacon and maple syrup for our breakfast:

Looking back over the Coromandel:

The in-car BopIt entertainment:

H9 at Tuateawa:

Checking out Waikawau Beach (hey Uncle Barrie!):

Apparently the sand was too hot for him:

Some of the rocks at Tuateawa when we went down to check out the fishing:

One of the many giant stick insects in the patio back at the house:

Back at Tuateawa Bay, fishing off the rocks after dinner:

Colville Bay.....

2009-01-15T14:49:00.002+13:00

We took the kayak round for a paddle at Colville Bay after dinner tonight - A12 reckoned he saw a stingray and so came back in, so L10 paddled out for a look and flipped it on a wave coming back in:

We had to stop at the Colville General Store and pay for something via eftpos, as the kids were laughing at my retelling of the time when The Lad and I and a few of our friends called in there on our way to camping at Fletchers Bay many years ago. They had a sign up saying "Last stop, we have everything!" After we selected some provisions, I asked the man at the counter if they had eftpos. After a split second delay (surely not wanting to admit they might not have everything after all), he called out to the back room "Do we have any eftpos left?"

Dog Wash.....

2009-01-14T15:08:00.000+13:00

Rebecca came to stay for the night tonight, and the dog must have been stinky because she asked if they could give him a bath:

Here he is, nicely shampooed and dried:

Little Bay.....

2009-01-13T00:36:00.001+13:00

After arriving at the house we had rented to find the previous tenants still there, we drove round the coast about 5 minutes and spent the morning at Little Bay:

Some of us paddled straight away:

While others of us took a while to get wet:

We swam and tested out the snorkels:

We dried off in the warm sun afterwards:

The Lad and I tried (and failed) to remember how we used to roll our towels and wear them on our heads when we were youngsters:

Okere Falls and The Blue Lake.....

2009-01-12T15:10:00.003+13:00

We packed up the kayak and some lunch and headed down to Rotorua for the day. First stop was Okere Falls:

The caves:

This is my kind of graffiti:

The Trout Pools and a show-off shag:

The Power Station:

Then we carried on round to The Blue Lake. The plan was that A12, H9 and I would kayak across, while The Lad, L6 and L10 walked round:

We met in the middle and had our lunch and a refreshing swim:

And then I walked back by myself, while the other five weighed the kayak down, mixing it up between swimming alongside and paddling in and sitting on!:

L10 on the climbing frame at the lakeside playground:

Rosellas. Horses, Potatoes, Nails and Berries.....

2009-01-11T15:27:00.003+13:00

The Rosellas that were flying around this morning:

Sophie is staying again tonight:

The girls and L6 dug some potatoes for our dinner:

The girls painted my nails - a hand each and L6 did my toes (I'll spare you the foot shot):

They played horses most of the afternoon:

L10 made dessert, it looked beautiful when she served it up:

And then she did this to hers:

Apple Pie.....

2009-01-10T00:29:00.000+13:00

A12 has been asking to make an apple pie all week, even though I explained to him that it is not apple season here and I didn't really want to pay a premium for imported American apples just so he could make a pie (he didn't want the canned or frozen options). I found some early new season NZ apples today, sso I bought them and he made his apple pie:

While dessert was being taken care of, I took the girls up on their kind offer of painting my toenails (brave, hey? - touching my feet):

A Tour Round Nana's Garden.....

2009-01-09T15:33:00.000+13:00

Courtesy of L10 and Mia:

Some of the Lillies:

The swan plant:

The petunias:

The sunflowers on the back fence:

One of Grandad's tomatoes slipped in:

Then and Now.....

2009-01-09T14:27:00.002+13:00

When The Lad was at college in Gizzy he did this pencil drawing of a house he used to see from the river when he was rowing. His Nana took a fancy to it and had it on her wall for years:

When Nana passed away, his Mum took it for her wall, and while we were in town this time, we popped around to see if it was still there:

Group Shot.....

2009-01-08T15:38:00.000+13:00

We thought we should take the opportunity to take a few photos of us all together before we go our separate ways tomorrow:

Cherie, Mia, Ainsley, Jimmy, Lynley and Joe:

Angus came to play today:

Here's L10's shot of a rainbow through the hose:

Summer in Gizzy.....

2009-01-08T14:43:00.000+13:00

Always, always, involves Grandad with a hose:

And we wouldn't have it any other way ;o)

The Cuzzies.....

2009-01-07T15:42:00.001+13:00

Mia:

Joe:

Jimmy:

Cherie:

Ainsley:

Lynley:

And dodgey Grandad hiding down the back in the dark byh his sunflowers, lol!:

Kaiti Beach.....

2009-01-06T00:24:00.001+13:00

H9 and her sand foot-spa, complete with seating for four:

Steon showing us his handstand skills:

L10's turtle sculpture:

L6 and Cheyenne playing in a little inlet stream:

L10 and Laina helping Cheyenne with her boogie board:

Gizzy.....

2009-01-05T15:45:00.000+13:00

To see the Wellington Cuzzies, what a hoot!:

Travelling tires poor old Tramp out, lol! I reckon this is where they get that saying about it being a Dog's Life!:

Kapiti Island.....

2009-01-04T23:17:00.004+13:00

After 37 years of looking out at Kapiti Island, we finally went out there for a day trip. It has to be said that I was, up until yesterday, expecting to be cruising round the Island, sipping a Malibu, looking skyward at a few birds and enjoying a close-up and new perspective of an Island that is so familiar to me. Darren shattered that dream for me when he told me on the drive back from the airport yesterday that we were, in fact, doing what would be akin to mountain climbing for someone of my fitness level!):

The launch tractors were a crack-up to look at but worked a treat:

Uncle Darren in the cabin:

One of the information panels where we were debriefed by DoC when we arrived:

The birds we encountered close up were just awesome. There were loads of Kakariki I had never seen before, and this was the first time I had seen seagull chicks, gorgeous little balls of grey fluff that they are:

And juveniles:

Oyster catchers are fairly common:

The crack-up weka, who scrambled on top of bushes no worries at all:

But the Kaka were pretty much our favourite, although they were always a surprise as they appeared out of nowhere whenever you started eating anything!:

The Lad got the classic Tui on a Harakeke Flower shot:

The absolute highlight of my day was seeing the Takahe up close, and their beautiful chicks:

One of the many fat Kereru we saw:

The Hihi (stitchbird) feeder. DoC supplements their diet as the other birds bully them out of a lot of food:

They were tiny wee things:

A Saddleback, another first for me:

Looking back to the Kapiti Coast from Tuteremoana (the summit - 521m asl if you please!):

Looking out to the South Island:

Looking down to the lunch table:

Looking back up:

A12 after 'leaving the track' in a most spectacular way, lol:

Nana and A12, probably waiting for me to catch up - I was breathing so hard Darren had to go ahead a bit as he was afraid I was sucking up too much of the oxygen around me ;o) L6 waiting as well:

A12 and L6 waiting for the boat home:

Drawing on Darren.....

2009-01-03T15:47:00.002+13:00

What else are Uncles for?:

We're never gonna win the million dollar prize this series of puzzles offer to anyone who can solve them:

H9's Birthday at Nana's.....

2009-01-02T15:48:00.001+13:00

Hannah and her cake:

Aunty Paula brought Tyson to the party:

Jayde and Tyson:

The water fight:

Davida:

Aunty Bev with Deakyn and Deneka:

Uncle Paul and Uncle Eddie:

Nana:

Uncle Richard:

Uncle Trevor:

Tyson, L10, Aunty Pauline and Shari:

Aunty Jill and Priscilla:

Lynette:

Poppa and Hannah:

Hannah, Nana, Aunty Vick, Aunty Bev, Tamien and Tony:

The pool:

Brittany:

Bear....

2009-01-01T15:55:00.002+13:00

You can see how he got his name:

Ange's kids had to go back to their Dad's place and so couldn't make Hannah's party tomorrow, we thought we'd take a wee afternoon tea party to them:

New Year's Eve.....

2008-12-31T15:58:00.000+13:00

L10 found this Gum Emperor Moth today:

Aunty Coleen, waiting for her ride to the party:

Gemma:

Ruby:

Gemma and L10:

Oliver:

Poppa, Nana and Shari:

Poppa, Nana, Shari and Aunty Coleen:

Wellywood.....

2008-12-30T16:02:00.003+13:00

We went in to Te Papa today:

Then The Lad and L10 went Art Gallery crawling, while the boys and I hung round town (mostly McDonalds, though!):

And home to the obligatory feast prepared by Nana and a spa bath with bubbles:

Delivering the Ducks.....

2008-12-29T16:08:00.004+13:00

Nana's ducks went down to the creek this morning, and we tried to make it as containing as possible for them:

Poppa's lovely first attempt at winemaking:

The horses down the road:

Uncle Paul and a Haircut.....

2008-12-28T16:10:00.003+13:00

L10 shaved The Lads head for him this morning - she couldn't resist a bit of L10 flair though:

Uncle Paul came for a ride today:

Our last day with the ducklings:

Tramp after having a bath so he doesn't stink us out on the journey tomorrow:

H8's Friends Party.....

2008-12-27T16:15:00.001+13:00

Because we're travelling on her actual birthday, H8 invited some friends over for a play today. They had a water fight:

She asked for a Coffee Cake, decorated with chopped walnuts sprinkled in a heart shape:

Party lunch:

Pressies galore:

Hamilton.....

2008-12-26T16:19:00.001+13:00

We called in for a swim at Uncle Paul's:

En route to Uncle Graeme's:

The duckies came too:

Christmas Day 2008.....

2008-12-25T16:23:00.001+13:00

L10 with her pressies, her beloved camera, her new bikini, her Nike backpack, her make-up, her hair straighteners and playing with the combined haul of Dukit:

Everyone's Dukit creations for the morning:

A12's Nerf Gun:

And his new stationery haul:

H8 with her Polly Pocket and her new Schliech:

She introduced the new horses to the herd:

L6 with some of his new Lego:

Our traditional Christmas Day Fruit Breakfast with Sparkling Grape Juice Cocktails:

The Lad popped the cork and it bounced off the ceiling and came back down, smashing the glass I was holding!:

Then, wouldn't you know it, H8 had a go and it bounced off the ceiling and landed on a glass on the table, knocking it over!:

Then The Lad barbecued us whatever we had requested for lunch - this year it was venison and salmon by most of us:

Another bbq for dinner:

Followed by a Decadent Chocolate Mud Cake:

A Christmas egg - they're pretty rare these days!:

And some flowers on the latest lot of potatoes we planted:

We ended with some Christmas Stories:

New Glasses.....

2008-12-24T15:06:00.001+13:00

Picked up my new glasses tonight, just in time to be back for Sue, Greg, Megan, Marcus and Colin who were coming for dinner:

Christmas Bikkies.....

2008-12-23T15:15:00.002+13:00

L10 made some Christmas Bikkies to give to her friends today:

I tell you, this girls gonna make a great chef one day - she loves to create recipes/tastes, doesn't much like to eat, and doesn't ever want a bar of cleaning up after herself!

Tennis, Anyone?.....

2008-12-23T15:08:00.000+13:00

A12 is back doing tennis lessons with the lovely Jason:

He enjoys the time honing his skills:

And hanging with his mates:

Zac doing press-ups after a boo-boo:

Snow Freeze Ice Cream.....

2008-12-22T15:29:00.002+13:00

We found the Mr Whirly ice-cream dispenser in a box in the shed today, so we all had to refresh ourselves with a McDonald's cone:

The ducklings are so cute, and growing every day:

Plum Tuckered Out.....

2008-12-21T15:22:00.001+13:00

L6 asked if he could watch a movie on the computer this afternoon, he must have been feeling a tad weary as this is how I found him some twenty minutes later:

The Ducklings Coop.....

2008-12-21T15:18:00.001+13:00

L10 designed and built (with the help of The Lad) this stylish little outside enclosure for the ducklings - it's so we know where they are and to help Tramp understand we like these little creatures, and we don't want him to eat them!:

It Must Be Holidays.....

2008-12-20T15:23:00.000+13:00

..... 'cause we get to hang heaps with Soph:

Funny Face, I Love You.....

2008-12-19T15:25:00.001+13:00

L10 and H8:

A12 with the ducklings:

The Christmas Lights.....

2008-12-18T11:08:00.000+13:00

I wonder who put the lights away last year? Luckily I love sitting down to a good session of untangling - wool, string, rope, necklaces, tree lights ;o):

Weta.....

2008-12-17T11:06:00.000+13:00

L10 found this lovely guy today, for someone who doesn't like bugs, I find them fascinating, it's weird. I think I find them a bit like huhu - so prehistorically ugly, they're almost cute:

New CackleBerry Layers.....

2008-12-16T10:44:00.000+13:00

We picked up 5 new hens from a friend last night, hopefully these ones will fare better with the neighbourhood dogs than our previous girls did. Here's Lulu, Peanut, Feathers, Muddy and Penelope:

Brownie Christmas Carnival.....

2008-12-15T11:29:00.000+13:00

I tell you, this girl knows how to put on a party, she's the Brownie Leader with the Mostest, without a doubt. Our day at home started off with making a few dozen toffee apples:

16 red ones:

16 green ones:

And 16 colour-free ones:

Which we took along to the carnival, where there was also a sausage sizzle:

A slingshot beanbag toss:

A12 was the balloon animal master:

Popcorn and fizzy:

Juggling classes and a bubble machine:

Trolley rides down the hill:

A bouncy castle:

A candy floss machine:

Target shooting:

A surprise birthday cake and speeches for the Queen of the Brownie Leaders:

Hula hooping competitions:

And a fire dancer to finish the night off:

Mate! Talk about setting the bar high ;o)

It's Starting.....

2008-12-14T11:44:00.001+13:00

.....to look decidedly Christmassy round this joint, what with the ornaments scattered about:

The tree looking fab:

The kids reading Christmas stories to themselves:

The potatoes and beans looking set for a Christmas Day Table appearance:

And the dog, well he's gearing up for the Silly Season, no doubt about it:

Happy Birthday Poppa xoxoxo

The Cocktail Party.....

2008-12-13T11:17:00.000+13:00

The two most important things I learned from tonight's 40th Birthday Bash for Michelle, that it is crucial to ascertain *before* you get to the party whether a) "Cock Tail" is a typo and supposed to be one word, or if you are supposed to wear a tail ;o) and b) whether "Fancy Dress" means dressing up fancy-formal, or dressing up fancy-costume. I got it wrong on both counts, lol!

Anyway, here's the birthday girl and her hubby, all dolled up:

And here's my two mates I went with, also all dolled up (I was starting to get suspicious as I rang them before I left to see if they wanted a lift to the party as well as home, and one was getting her hair done before she put her dress on!):

And, although I don't have any pictures of my impressive tail (a pantyhose leg stuffed with five rolled up sheets, and a pump top Tresemme conditioner bottle conveniently squirting on command at the end), I did have a photo of the plate I took. It grossed me out that not only did they all get eaten, most of them were dipped beforehand as well:

I was pleased to note that I wasn't the only gutter-minded girl on the guest list - there were at least six of us with Cock Tails ;o)

2008 Christmas Card Photo.....

2008-12-12T11:28:00.000+13:00

The Christmas Barn.....

2008-12-11T18:49:00.000+13:00

Here's L10's photos of their barn they have been building recently. Here's the whole scene:

Here's a closer view of some of the inhabitants:

And here's a blurry view of the barn with the candle burning in it (before it caught on fire! - Lesson for the day: Always check placement and burning time when using lighted candles as illumination props for your cardboard barn):

Marmalade.....

2008-12-10T18:44:00.000+13:00

Uncle Graeme chopped down his grapefruit tree, and so we sent H8 up there before the deed to pick all the remaining fruit:

We minced half of them:

And juiced and finely diced the rind of the rest:

And then we started the three day process as described by Aunt Daisy ;o)

Kea Party.....

2008-12-09T11:03:00.001+13:00

Well, any good Kea Leader has to schedule in a Christmas Party to finish the year off, and so we made some Christmas Puddings from Mallowpuffs as a coming in activity:

And we had a heap of fun and games which culminated in Miss Claus dishing out some goodies:

My two most cutestly toothless Keas ;o) - L6 and Tegan:

Even better, the flowers I was presented with (along with chocolates that didn't make it to the photo shoot, lol!):

Marmalade, Part Two.....

2008-12-08T10:57:00.002+13:00

The marmalade is finished, and bottled, and has little cloth covers with a blurb attached to them for ideas:

"Paddington Bear lurves marmalade straight, but if you're looking for a few different ways to enjoy our marmalade, you could try stirring it into some cream cheese with a few drops of vanilla for a yummy fruit dip, using it as a glaze for roast pork or chicken, making a quick cheat's chutney by combining some pureed mango, marmalade and sweet chilli sauce. You could make a marmalade cake or marmalade muffins, and even include it in a chocolate chip bikkie recipe. Make a zesty salad dressing by combining marmalade, oil, seasoning and a squeeze of lemon juice or a scrummy marinade with equal quantities of marmalade, lemon juice, soy sauce and white wine vinegar. Add some into the pan juices before thickening for a gravy to serve with sausages and garlic mashed spud. Make a dipping sauce from marmalade, fish or soy sauce, some chopped red chilli, crushed garlic, a squeeze of lime juice and a drizzle of sesame oil. Create a dessert by pouring a large pot of Greek yoghurt into a loaf tin lined with plastic food wrap, dollop in loads of marmalade and use a fork to ripple through. Freeze for at least 4 hours until set, then turn out and cut into individual slices to serve....."

Toof Number Two.....

2008-12-07T10:52:00.000+13:00

Well, it didn't happen overnight - but it did happen:

Brownie Camp.....

2008-12-06T09:59:00.002+13:00

We had a jungle party themed camp this weekend, and I was lucky enough to be in the Lion's Den:

Here's H8's Giraffe costume she made herself for the dress-up party night:

The two gorgeous 'birds' from the kitchen:

H8's group's performance:

The fire dancer, what a fantastic showpiece:

The kitchen girls and Saasha:

Away In a Manger.....

2008-12-05T16:43:00.001+13:00

They decided en masse this morning to make a barn nativity scene, they all worked surprisingly well together for a surprisingly long time until it was done:

End of Year Guide Break-Up.....

2008-12-04T09:54:00.001+13:00

It was a G party for the Guides and a B party for the Brownies (and R for the Rangers and P for the Pippins):

L10 the Ghost:

H8 the Beggar (she even took her cardboard box house/bed/rain shelter with her):

The 2008 Wreath.....

2008-12-03T09:48:00.000+13:00

We were stoked to find a holly tree growing directly opposite our driveway, and there were even some berries left on it:

So we whipped up a wreath (jokes, it took us about 5 hours to get the boughs (prickly little suckers!) and trim them up and form them and secure them and..... you get the picture:

It was a bit large to hang in the doorway, though, so we took down the Toulouse Lautrec print for a few weeks, and hung the wreath on the wall in it's place:

The Advent Calendars Are Up.....

2008-12-02T10:54:00.000+13:00

And the countdown is on! Again this year, we have a little 'task' to do each day along with a treat to munch, to remind us about the proper spirit of Christmas:

First Tooth.....

2008-12-01T09:34:00.001+13:00

Yeehah! It's time, says L6, to get Dad to pull out his first tooth, 'cos it's really annoying, he reckons:

No screaming and just a wee bit of blood later:

"You know, Mum, my next toof (we're still working on the SLT sheets for the 'th' sound, lol!) will be ready to come out in the morning, I reckon":

Fruit Mince Tarts.....

2008-11-30T09:43:00.000+13:00

Yum, after not getting sucked into the commercialism of Christmas too early, and managing to walk past all the Christmas decorations and fruit mince tarts that have been out since they took their Halloween stuff down at the beginning of November!!!!!!!, I did start craving some mince pies (I'm a Marketer's Dream! - put it in front of me and I want it, nay *need* it!) I made a beautiful brandied apricot mince from a Julie le Clerc recipe:

Hamilton.....

2008-11-29T16:41:00.001+13:00

We visited Uncle Graeme and Aunty Sokchea today, James showed us how much of a water baby he really is, he even turns on the hose and fills up his 'pool' by himself:

When it started getting a bit cold after the sun left the back yard, we watered the garden with the swimming water, which didn't go down at all well with James:

Uncle Graeme on the bbq:

Friday, Beach Day.....

2008-11-28T16:29:00.001+13:00

Yeehaa! It's Friday:

Here's H8 and L6 who have been buried next to eachother:

Cathy:

And Petra were amoung our peeps today:

What's Green and Sticky?.....

2008-11-27T09:40:00.000+13:00

.....A stick insect! (a twist on one of our fav sspack jokes in this house - "What's brown and sticky? (you're supposed to answer 'A Poo!!!' here). A Stick!):

Hangin' Ten.....

2008-11-26T09:30:00.000+13:00

The Lad bought some new surfboards, so we've decided Summer 2008 is the year we learn to surf! Wish us luck ;o)

A Little Elbow Grease.....

2008-11-25T17:02:00.000+13:00

..... goes a long way when you're 6 and you decide the mouldy wooden picnic table needs a clean:

The Art of Data Filing.....

2008-11-24T18:39:00.000+13:00

A12 has been sorting out ways to store or access information without a computer - he came up with this system of 'holes' for each data item, the card is punched on the relevant info 'tab' and held up by the skewers, the information card that comes out is the one that you eliminate the data from. I guess you have to see it in action to understand it properly ;o)

Horse Trekking at Maketu.....

2008-11-21T20:10:00.000+13:00

The Lad had a great time at his work break-up this year, they went horse trekking (he didn't tell L10 where they were going till they got back, lol!). Here's some of the photos he took on the day:

Da Bike.....

2008-11-20T16:27:00.000+13:00

L6's birthday bike he chose for himself this year:

Apparently it goes *really* fast ;o)

A Hunting We Will Go.....

2008-11-16T14:29:00.004+13:00

Don't read if you're squeamish.

The Lad went with Grandad, Uncle Ivan and Tony:

To Makapoua Station this weekend:

For a spot of deer hunting:

The fawn for the upcoming wedding on the Station:

Budgie Eggs.....

2008-11-15T16:24:00.000+13:00

Our first budgie eggs from Sparx and Cherrie, it's all very exciting and L10 is being very protective, you have to poke the camera in the nesting box for a few seconds only, and you can't adjust your lens or settings, it's point and shoot and the resulting photo bears witness to that:

Roadworks.....

2008-11-13T15:58:00.001+13:00

We used to be able to say that we lived in "the house before the gravel", but that is all changing as they are slowly tarsealing to the end of the road:

A12 wandered along with the camera for a bit:

Stories in The Forest.....

2008-11-12T14:25:00.000+13:00

Cathy and Petra came over today, so we packed our afternoon tea into picnic baskets, grabbed a teddy bear each (it was a picnic, after all) and headed down to the forest for some stories in the shade:

The Day After.....

2008-11-02T16:03:00.003+13:00

Oaks and Karz hanging out:

One of the cuzzies took these great photos of Pania and Aunty Vick, and Mahana:

Aunty Dorothy doing a Lantern Festival game with the lanterns Jacque bought the girls:

Rubes:

Zane:

And his daddy, Tony:

I Do, I Do, I Do.....

2008-11-01T13:35:00.000+13:00

Awwww, the long-awaited Wedding Day of Darren and Dorothy has arrived. How's that for a gorgeous Bride and some beautiful Flower Girls (H8 is tucked away on the left there)?:

Then came the Bridesmaids:

Up to meet the cheery looking Groom and his Groomsmen:

Da Kiss:

Spunky A12:

Stunning L10:

Dazzling H8:

Handsome L6:

Vivacious Venus:

Sublime Aunty Sheryl and Alluring April:

Elegant Eugene and L6:

Beautiful Brooke:

Aunty Pauline, Uncle Trev, Nana, Darren, Dorothy and Poppa (yeah, enough of the corny synonyms already!):

Uncle Ed, Darren, Aunty Vick (who was also the Celebrant) and Dorothy:

I'm not good at public speaking and get all nervous, but I decided I'd like to say a few words at the reception (even though I'd told Darren I wouldn't), so I took the opportunity poolside yesterday (while I was 'actively supervising' 6 littlies in the pool at the complex, lol, to pen a few words on the back of a Brownie notice I had in my handbag.

Kia ora te whanau, nga mihi kia koutou i tenei ra miharo, i tenei ra na te marena ko Darren raua ko Dorothy i hono. Nice to see you all here on this rather auspicious day, the day Darren and Dorothy were joined in marriage.

I'd just like to quickly stop and thank Lucy, Taramea and Mahaki at this point, for giving me some tips on meaningful and engaging whaikorero after their strident efforts at Amiria's 21st - I hope I don't let you guys down today.

You know, we love Dorothy to pieces, she's very cool and funky, and just such a really beautiful person. I was half expecting her to wake up one morning, wonder what the hell she was doing, and call the whole thing off! But, luckily, she obviously realised something most of us already knew, that he was well worth the trouble and stress.

For Darren's birthday this year I pondered for ages over what to get him for a present and I just couldn't come up with anything. I settled instead on a series of quotes from our childhood, such gems as "Don't muck around in here, you'll make the needle jump" - Darren on getting the first even 'modern' LP record - Jon Stevens from Aunty Vicky!, and "Ouch!" - Darren on a visit from Uncles' Trevor or David, and "Dax" - Darren on helping his father pronounce the weird and wonderful names of his mates.

I also included a bit of personal blurb from me to him, some of which I'll share again with him tonight. I remember reading somewhere that the longest relationship most people have in their lives is the one they have with their siblings and for me, I guess, that would be with you (although, thanks to Dad, Paul is running a closer-than-most-non-twin-siblings second, ha ha). I thought I'd take the opportunity to get all deep and meaningful and tell you that I feel honoured to have had you go before me in this life I've been blessed with. You are inspirational to me in your fierce, unwavering loyalty to, and love for, your entire family. Every whanau needs some staunch glue of your calibre, and although I never tell you so, know that I love you and everything about you, and I'm privileged to have had the best big brother ever.

Finally, to Dorothy, it's been a long 14 year wait between weddings for Mum and Dad, and, as the saying goes: 'All good things come to those who wait', and darling, you're certainly a good thing, and definitely well worth the wait. Welcome to the family, Aunty Dorothy, and we wish you a long and happy togetherness.

To Market, To Market....

2008-10-26T13:25:00.001+13:00

Well, we weren't buying a fat pig, but we were swapping some of our treasures for cash. Something about having stalls that kids love, hey? My kids love it when we get to sell Guide Biscuits on a stall, and when we have stalls at the Papamoa Lions Club Flea Market and the like. Today's take - $165, can't complain about that.

For the record, the Mother Goose nursery rhyme goes:

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again, dancing a jig;
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog;
Home again, home again, jiggety-jog;
To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,
Home again, home again, market is done.

Snapper.....

2008-10-25T13:32:00.000+13:00

.....then eat 'er ;o)

A12 went fishing with the neighbours today down off Papamoa Beach and came home with some dinner. Yum:

What a Buzz.....

2008-10-24T12:11:00.000+13:00

We have a bit of a community starting to form in one of our plum trees:

So Cathy asked her friend Glen Barr if he'd pop round and re-locate them. He came with his lovely brother in law:

The first step was to get them stoned by way of a giant shotgun, lol! Dak talk aside, they were calmed a bit by the smoke:

Then it was really amazing, they just put the box under to catch them all and gave them a giant shake! Nothing to it:

Then they put the frames in to give them somewhere to hide:

Gave them another blast of the incense to keep them all together while they transported the box to the truck (maybe that was the purpose of it when I used to go to the Catholic Church, to calm us all and make us keen to stay, lol!:

While we had some morning tea, Glen showed us the start of the hive they were building in the tree:

Tip for The Day: If you find yourself in a situation where loads of bees are, don't panic. Bees will generally give you a warning in the form of a dive-bomb to your head a couple of times if you are annoying them. If you haven't heeded their warnings, they could swarm angrily upon you (DON'T head for water - they'll only be waiting when you re-surface), but move away if they do start trying to tell you something. If they are all buzzing around you and past you, you're pretty much

Mr Slobby and the Girl from Bebo.....

2008-10-23T12:57:00.002+13:00

Yep, you read it right ;o)

The homeschoolers were invited along to this production by Te Puke High School this afternoon, it was well done and enjoyed by all:

Breast Cancer Walk '08.....

2008-10-22T09:16:00.001+13:00

Don't we look fab? And that's all the hard work of Kate and Ange:

Bangs, Fringe, Whatever You Like.....

2008-10-20T09:14:00.002+13:00

Today H8 wanted to go from no fringe:

To a crooked, cut-by-your-Mama fringe:

Well, technically, that's *not* what she necessarily wanted, it's just what she got ;o)

Up and Down the Whakapapa....

2008-10-18T15:53:00.004+13:00

Nana and Grandad and Uncle Graeme and Aunty Sokchea and Baby James came to play this weekend:

Uncle Graeme found out that Jamie is sensitive to peanut butter after he shared his toast with him and he broke out in a very impressive rash:

Grandad was pretty excited because he got his new G5 iMac today and he has been playing with it most of the time:

The Tree Fellah's.....

2008-10-17T09:09:00.000+13:00

Well, that's not *actually* their company name, but it could be ;o)

The Lad got some boys in to drop some trees with precision today, they needed such exciting gadgets as wedges to enable them to 'aim' the tree as it drops - between other trees, around the septic tank, avoiding the track, etc.:

It was really quite tricky how they ddid one row, they started at the bottom of the hill, taking a chunk out of each tree, then moving up to the next one:

So that by the time they got to the top tree, they just dropped that one completely, and it fell in a domino formation on the next one, which fell on the next one, etc. Clever:

Kaituna Cut.....

2008-09-07T15:50:00.002+12:00

We had an afternoon/evening fishing off the rocks at the Kaituna rivermouth today, we came home with a fish and so we were happy:

The Lad provided some entertainment for us by slipping on the rocks and falling in - funnily enough, he didn't find it as amusing as the rest of us did:

Amiria's 21st.....

2008-08-30T15:38:00.001+12:00

Amiria had her Black and White themed party tonight, completely forgot the camera and left it at Nana's! A12 took this photo of Poppa:

And this really bad one of Spidey, aka Uncle Lele, aaka her widdle bruvva Leon:

Another Beautiful Wellington Day.....

2008-08-29T15:31:00.000+12:00

See, I told you "Wellington Weather" is a myth perpetuated by Aucklanders. Here's us having fun by the sea at Island Bay:

And you need wind to windsurf, right? A wee gust of wind or two keeps this going, now worries at all:

We called in to the airport to pick up Uncle Darren and Aunty Dorothy, here's their plane - no worries landing at the airport:

Chef Shari cooked us the best Bacon and Egg Pie in the world, L6 got the recipe he loved it so much:

Coffee with Nana and Uncle Trev completed our day out:

Bathtime.....

2008-08-28T12:25:00.000+12:00

A12 hardly ever has a bath these days, but with spa jets and the option of a ton of bubbles, the little boy comes out in him:

Playing Hairstylists.....

2008-08-27T12:21:00.002+12:00

Nana saw some girls in town last week with a cool 'hairnet' made from their own hair, and copied it on the girls:

I did L10's, and it wasn't anywhere near as neat and tidy as Nana's attempt on H8:

Tree Felling at Nana's.....

2008-08-26T12:17:00.002+12:00

Nana and Poppa were getting some trees dropped at their place and it was fascinating to watch the guys in action - when you are skilled at something and are doing a professional job, it's certainly made to look an easy one:

Even the native birds come for a nosey - kereru don't like eucalypts as a rule, so we're not doing him out of home: