flying fox

I try not to make too many comparisons between NZ and the US. Both countries have great things to offer. There are pros and cons to living here and there.

That said, the playgrounds in NZ are better. They just are. Hands down.

Pinch me. I must be dreaming.

The weather forecast for the next TEN days is SUNNY with only light winds. I'm sure it'll change, but it's been a long time since we've had day after day of a bright yellow sun forecasted. And I think it's safe to say that everyone in Wellington is smiling.

Yesterday we had 24 hours of constant rain. It was unrelenting. About 160mm fell.

We didn't step foot outside. And I'm pretty sure Quincy was within an inch of me all day long, asking questions. It was unrelenting.

The sunshine, 17C day today was a welcome relief, for sure. It was time for summer clothes and an ice cream in the village. And my sidekick agreed.

Let me backtrack a bit...When I told the boy he could choose an ice cream at the dairy, he replied, "I'd prefer a chocolate car." You see, he absolutely loves these beautifully wrapped mini gourmet ($1.40) chocolate cars and tries to smooth talk one out of us whenever possible. I warned him that I'd be getting an ice cream, which would take a lot longer to eat than a gone-in-two-bites car. But he didn't waver. He chose a silver one. And I chose a triple chocolate Trumpet.

In the time it took me to unwrap my ice cream, his car had vanished. And this is what happened next...

Once his treat was finished he looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said, "Actually, I'd prefer an ice cream, Mama."

How could I not share?

saving money for a blue shark

For a few months, Quincy has been desperate for a blue shark. He even suggested writing Santa a letter with four months to go until Christmas. For a good month or so, he has been saving money for one. He keeps it in his treasure box, which is an aorable box his cousin, Stef, made him for his first birthday.

We haven't ventured into the world of allowance yet. He still loves helping with pretty much everything we are doing, so we don't want to plant the seed that he should only want to help if he gets something in return. So he has mostly just gathered found coins from around the house. He is also turning lights and heaters off "because he needs to use that money to buy a blue shark."

The other night, I told him to count his money to see if he had enough yet. How much did he have? "Twelve."

Whoa, exactly how much a blue shark costs at Toy World's 20% off sale. So while in town yesterday, we stopped in. Wouldn't you know it, no blue sharks in stock. He zeroed in on another sea creature he's had his eye on... "Actually, I was thinking about maybe this (forty dollar) whale shark." Umm, no.

He scanned the shelves, and thought briefly about a dolphin.

But then he spotted the hippo and was sold.

With his focus on the hippo, he was clueless that his $2.70 didn't quite cover it and that I slipped the cashier my Eftpos card to cover the difference.

He most definitely hasn't forgotten about the blue shark. I have no doubt that it'll be at the top of his Christmas wish list. Hopefully Santa has a better-stocked Schleich department at the North Pole.

tulips + ducklings => the arrival of spring

We met some friends today at the Botanic Gardens for a "Senses Walk". Most of it was aimed at school-aged children, but our three-year-olds still enjoyed sniffing and touching their way around the gardens, getting a tiny taste of what it might be like to be blind.

In the rose garden we came across these little cuties, a sure and welcome sign of spring.

Quincy wanted so much to take one home.

Growing up our neighbours had Daisy Duck, who made my old paddling pool home before moving on to their in-ground pool. So, yes, it's possible. But sorry, Buddy, I think two middle-aged dogs and Harold, your pet spider,* are all the animals we can handle at the moment.

*For about two weeks Q developed a fear of insects, mainly bees, ants, and spiders. Then one day he decided he wasn't scared anymore. He lovingly named a spider he found outside Harold. Now Harold is a bit of a magic spider, as he is able to regularly change appearance. In fact, every spider found in and around our house, dead or alive, is somehow Harold. Amazing really.

a sweet view

This was my view (and constant source of entertainment) as I got ready to go to a local school play...

Note: Other than my usual adjustment of levels, brightness, and contrast, this is (almost) straight out of camera. Jeremy didn't believe me and thought I'd Photoshopped the effect of the foggy mirror.

the boy takes his animal play seriously

After lunch yesterday, Quincy wanted to set up a wild animal park in the backyard. He didn't want it to be a zoo this time because he wanted all the animals in their natural habitats. He quickly turned his attention to the baby animals who all apparently had swine flu. He created an animal nursery and needed to transport them to and from the nursery in his Hummer turned safari vehicle. At the moment, his play is not complete if it doesn't involve water play of some sort, so, of course, all the animals needed baths.

As the weather continues to improve, I have a feeling this won't be the last time we have to lug half his playroom down several flights of stairs to the backyard. And back up again.

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Now you may think the boy is giving me some serious teenage attitude here, but in reality he wanted to seperate the fierce baby animals from the others and we were in the middle of a discussion about whether rhinos are fierce, despite being plant eaters.

Oh my, he needs a haircut. Again.

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During dinner we were telling him the names of various animal scientists. He was definitely intrigued and then stumped us with, "What's the scientist who looks after thorny devils called?"

spring has sprung

and our weeds need watering.

gymnastics...one year on

It's been just over a year since we first went to gymnastics. I planned to go frequently, but we've only been a handful of times. Not only is it a bit pricey for an open gym ($7), but we're busier now with Playcentre. Still, he has a blast, and afterwards I am always glad we went.

Unlike last year, Quincy can jump high on the tramp, he can do rolly pollies (somersaults) down the big ramp, and he has to really bend his knees so his feet don't touch the mat on the rings. His balance is better and so is his concentration during circle time at the end.

Today it hit me that he is one of the big kids now. He's changed so much lately...in appearance and behavior. He's just had a growth spurt and my once placid boy seems to be overflowing with testosterone one minute and sweet and cuddly the next. He's louder, faster, and more cunning. He loved moving from one thing to the next...at full speed...but still following the rules...most of the time.

Sometimes I miss the baby he was, but most of the time I embrace the excitement of this new stage. Even if it does occasionally involve "crashing", "banging", "fighting", and as of today "spitting venom".

happy (NZ) father's day

how i spent my morning...

while Quincy was at Playcentre...

I could've used those precious few hours* to clean the house. I could've prepared dinner. I could've done some major organizing in closets, the garage, and in my craft room. I could've listed some furniture on Trade Me. I could've caught up on (gasp) 5 months of Project 365.

Nope. That stuff can continue to wait. Besides there were leftover black beans in the fridge.

So instead of tackling things on my growing to-do list, I took a long overdue, relaxing, off-lead walk with the dogs. Just me and the hounds. Like old times. The dogs happily set the pace, instead of a certain curious someone who likes to make lots of pit stops. Don't get me wrong, these two noses on legs make their fair share of stops, but today everything was on their terms for a change.

It's pretty rare these days for the dogs, i.e. the dogs minus their 3-year-old human brother, to be my sole photographic subjects.

After the last post, Kai was keen for me to show off her fancy fetch moves. That girl's got some serious skills.

Did I mention the walk was windy?

Here is the ferry that travels between the North and South Islands. [Quincy is desperate to take our car on it and travel around the South Island picking apples(???).] I love the snow-capped mountains on the South Island in the background.

By 5 o'clock, with the laundry thankfully dry and folded inside, the gorgeous blue sky was replaced by a very rare thunder and lightning storm accompanied by hail. Ahhh, spring in Wellington.

Footnotes & Asides

*Actually, "precious" is an understatement as they only come around once a week.

An aside...In the car on the way to dropping the boy off this morning, he said, "You're dropping me off. And then at the end you'll come back and pick me up. That's what Playcentre is all about." I couldn't help but reply, "Amen, brother!"

back on the horse

Sadly very little scrapbooking has been done around here this year. But I am happy to say I got the urge last night.

After looking at this layout from a year ago,

I thought it would be a good idea to document his favorite books right now.

Do you notice a common theme? Animals, perhaps?

Clearly I didn't reinvent the wheel, but I did get back on the horse.

I haven't stopped taking photos or recording stories, so I hope I don't fall off the horse anytime soon.

What does the future hold?

Future vet?

Probably.

Future musician?

Quite possibly.

Future chef?

Maybe.

Future shopkeeper?

Perhaps.

Future rollerblader?

Probably not.

trip to the Plunket nurse

Quincy finally had his three-year check with the Plunket nurse today.

Here Plunket offers well-checks and looks after kiddos until they're five, ensuring they are reaching milestones and growing properly, and also offering (often unsolicited) parenting advice. This is a free service. It is a good service. Really. Especially when they are babies, I found. When they get sick, you take them to your GP.

Depending on your Plunket nurse, it's easy to leave feeling like you are doing an inadequate job as a parent. They have very specific things they want to cover at each different appointment and are pretty much all business. If all the right boxes are ticked, you might get a compliment.

We weren't in the room but 30 seconds and she requested that he sing her a song. Not surprisingly he declined. Luckily I had been forewarned that she asks them where they live, so he redeemed himself pretty quickly.

She asked him to draw a picture of my face. I had no idea what he would do, as I have never asked him to draw anything specific. I was surprised that he actually included a mouth, nose, and eyes. The fact that they weren't anywhere near the circle didn't seem to worry her. Shwew!

He sailed through the object counting and letter matching, but disappointed her big time by not completing the never-ending eye test. He did well on the right eye, but after a while, the novelty of the eye patch wore off and it was irritating the heck out of him. In his book it's written, "Left eye: incomplete. He grew bored."

We were told to floss. Really? I have a hard enough time getting him to keep his mouth open to give his teeth a quick brush.

Last up...ball bouncing and catching. He held out his arms with a big smile and wide eyes, but managed to miss every time. It was a small ball, I tell ya! The last time he picked up the ball he quietly talked about the fact that the ball was actually the world. If given the chance, he could have identified about 20 countries. Instead, she turned and said, "You see what you have to work on, right Mum?"

Let's just say, I was very surprised to read in my book later that "I should be very proud of our accomplishments." Don't get me wrong, there were a few kind words and compliments thrown our way during the visit, but, when it comes to your child, those are too easily overshadowed by even the smallest criticisms. Fortunately, I am confident enough in my parenting to take it all for what it's worth. Really.

i {heart} beautiful winter days

Today was good.

Today was fun.

Tomorrow is another one.

(Dr. Seuss)

happy fourth.

This year we had an unseasonably warm mid-winter fourth of July. Lots of time in the sandpit. Lunch on the deck. Homemade pizza and games in the evening. And a touch of patriotism.

No fireworks this year, I'm afraid. They are only available in the week prior to Guy Fawkes Day in November and we didn't have the forethought to buy ahead. We'll remember this November.

Notes: The flag was used only temporarily to torment the dogs.

A few days later I noticed him waving the flag. He grew quiet and looked as if he wanted to say something profound. Out came the very enthusiastic declaration, "I'm an American of CIN-CI-NA-TEEEE!"

hidden talents

Jeremy discovered a hidden talent the night before Quincy's birthday party a few weeks back.

Here's how the drama unfolded...

Let's just say that I have yet to discover that talent.

But, I did discover the "candle" setting on my camera.

Jeremy, I hope your birthday wasn't too bad despite your wonky cake and nasty virus.

our big excursion

To say that we've had wet weather for the last couple days is an understatement.

I've also had a cold, so Quincy and I have just been hangin' together at home. Normally we would both consider this a luxury; one that we enjoy at least a couple times a week. PJs all day. Non-stop play. No looking at the clock. No need to pack lunches and snacks. However, for some reason, the last two days this hasn't been the case. We've been a bit at each others' throats at times.

That's why our everyday, ordinary trip to the supermarket this morning was much-anticipated. A big excursion really.

Now what do you think is Q's favorite part of the grocery store? The bakery? No, he thankfully doesn't know that part exists. The deli, where all self-respecting Kiwi kids look forward to their free piece of luncheon? (Is it meat or what is it really?) No, he won't eat any lunch meat. How about the cookie/biscuit aisle? Surprisingly, no. The eggs? You're getting warmer. True, he does like getting a good look checking for broken ones, but that isn't it. The fruit and veg section? So close. He does love weighing everything and playing "here comes the sticker", but still no.

Hands down, his favorite part of the supermarket is the seafood section. He loves looking at, no carefully studying, the whole, intact-minus-the-eyes, fish.

He's into the crabs, the squid, and the salmon heads too. All of it.

But by far the most anticipated part of any trip to the grocery store are the mussels, which rest on a large tray that goes up and down keeping them moist while allowing you to scoop some out.

Today, thanks to many library books on the subject of NZ's rocky shores, which by the way make riveting bedtime reading, he informed me that they are indeed green-lipped mussels. In case you haven't noticed, the kid is mildly obsessed with sealife. Anyway, he says he wants to try them, i.e. he wants to scoop some out, so I promised him that Jeremy would take him to buy mussels on the weekend and together with Poppa, who will be visiting, the three boys can enjoy them.

Do I think he'll actually try them?

Not a chance.

Do I think he'll enjoy the process?

Absolutely.

notes: You may wonder if I was embarassed taking these photos in the grocery store. Most definitely yes! But I told myself who cares? And I tried my best to believe it and be quick and inconspicuous. Am I glad I bothered? Most definitely yes. Now I have a handful of ordinary photos that help me tell a story about a tiny snippet of life that I think is worth remembering, regardless of how mundane and quite possibly because it's so mundane.

You may notice from the first photo that despite all the rain, we were still caught unprepared. Five hours later and I'm still trying to get warm.

Once I wade through the mountain of bday pics, I hope to share some stories... Will it actually happen? Time will tell...

While writing this post, a pizza crust was silently taking over our kitchen, unbeknownst to me. Thankfully there were no injuries.