spring has sprung

and our weeds need watering.

just think...

Just think what we could grow if our garden weren't so unloved and completly neglected.

When I say "unloved", I'm really not kidding.

The cat's out of the bag. We are officially the world's worst gardeners. We are the house that undoubtedly causes the neighbors to just shake their heads. They may even place bets on when the lawn will be mowed next.

On a side note, I brought in a little praying mantis with this gorgeous bunch of blooms. I caught it crawling across my computer screen.

weta

So here's that weta I mentioned yesterday...

We don't have snakes, but we have wetas.

fog

Today we awoke covered in a blanket of fog.

Initially we couldn't see past our neighbor's house.

But it gradually lifted throughout the morning,

leaving a lot of low-lying cloud behind.

We wanted to all go down to the beach in the fog, but we didn't get our act together in time. Still Quincy and I had a perfect camera-free morning, throwing rocks in the sea, making stone soup, and playing in and around a washed-up tire. Meanwhile, Jeremy took the dogs on a long walk around the bays.

Note: We already have our Christmas lights up for December 09. I can't believe how organized we are!

a parcel, $1.20, and a 10-trip ferry ticket

Apparently that's what our peace-of-mind and sense of safety in our own home was worth to the burglars. They went through all our bedroom drawers, found all my hidden jewelry, searched through two safes, dealt with two pestering, noisy dogs, and went through the pantry to find dog biscuits. That's a heck of a lot of effort for a parcel, $1.20, and a ten-trip ferry ticket.

We were extremely lucky. I still have all my photos. We didn't lose any heirlooms. It is just so so odd and has warranted many laughs. Still I feel no less violated or uneasy. And I still drive myself crazy trying to figure out their motivation.

Margaret and Jon, you must let me know if you ever receive a parcel filled with Squiggles, Twisties, Scorched Almonds, Marshmallow Santas, Exploding Elves, and a necklace. Their behavior was so odd in our home, that it really wouldn't surprise me!

technology for three

This is our current set up. Jeremy now has a computer in the kitchen. That has allowed him to be in the thick of things more. I either use my laptop at the kitchen table, in my office, or in bed. And Quincy, well, he has to be just like Papa with his wireless keyboard and mouse.

Downside is that sometimes our kitchen table is overrun with technology (clearly I took the above photo on an unusually clean day) and occasionally I have to bust Jeremy's chops for working during dinner. Yes, you read that right, during dinner. Honestly, no jury would convict me.

And here we have the twins...

I just thought they looked cute, side-by-side, so I snapped a shot of their backs. But this was their identical response to hearing the camera shutter. So scary!

the sandbox and our new shell garden

For years I have been collecting bits and pieces that I find on the beach. Paua shells. Driftwood. Sea glass. Quartz. Cool rocks. Whatever. They were randomly stashed around the house, in jacket pockets, on the hall table, in backpacks, in various flower pots, in the garage. They were always little treasures without a home. Until today. We made a shell garden in the flower bed above the sandbox. And it's the perfect home for all our beach finds. Perfect for buried treasures. Perfect for decorations in our sandy artwork. Perfect for filling the dump truck. Just perfect.

Last month we converted one level of the garden around the deck into a sandbox and this is the not-so-perfect result.

Jeremy started the project but didn't have time to finish. Nor did he have the right tools. (How come they never have the right tools? And each project requires an expensive trip to Mitre 10? But I'm a scrapbooker so I certainly have no right to complain!)

So we called in a handyman. A very nice guy, but we had to promise him our next born child. And it looks awful. Ridiculously awful. It's times like this (among others, of course) when I sure miss my dad! Anyway it's functional. And hours and hours of fun. And Quincy is learning that getting dirty is actually okay.

He discovered his back pocket and held his little pointer in there for so long.

underfoot

I used to have two little furry creatures forever at my feet, but now I am blessed with three munchkins underfoot.

This was my view tonight as I mixed the batter for banana muffins.

Happy Easter!

What a great day! The forecast was questionable, but we were treated to deep blue skies and temps in the mid-20s (75ish). Actually after a cool autumn morning, the mercury hit 32C on our balcony, that's a blazing 90F! Not a bad way to celebrate Easter.

The dogs had their annual kibble & pig's ear hunt while Quincy had a blast smashing colored eggs (destined for egg salad), tasting (make that devouring) chocolate for the very first time, and discovering the (many) goodies in his basket. He spent ages pulling things out one-by-one. Each bite of chocolate culminated in a wide-eyed "mmmmmmmm". Yes, the Easter Bunny was very good to him, and I think he knows it. When asked if he likes Easter, he responds with an enthusiastic and emphatic, "ya." He took two chocolate-induced coma-like naps almost certainly accompanied by sweet dreams.

In the afternoon we all took a good long (much-needed) walk and played on the playground and the beach. Good to see lots of people out and about enjoying the summery weather and the four-day weekend. Good Friday and Easter Monday are stat holidays here and Easter weekend is the last of the warm weather holidays. I love that all the stores are closed on Good Friday and Easter. There was talk in Parliament of eliminating those Easter trading restrictions, but fortunately nothing came of it. It will be revisited in three years, but I would seriously hate to see that happen. In a country that I think lacks the strong holiday traditions that I am used to, it would simply become just another long weekend with a lot of chocolate and hot cross buns consumed (see below).

Anyway, we seemed to spend the entire day eating. For lunch a fruit salad (in an attempt to injest something somewhat healthy...a tradition I established a few years back). Jeremy made perfect omelettes for brekkie (not a single dark spot to be found) and a yum dinner--his take on my mom's rouladen. He made a risotto which he rolled inside pork tenderloin and served with a kumara (like a sweet potato but much much better) version of sauerkraut. Mmmmm.

And how could I forget choc cross buns. Neither of us care for cooked raisins, so we are not fans of the traditional hot cross buns. But choc cross buns, now that's another story. Warm with melted butter. Mmmmm.

To top it off, and I don't mean to brag here, but... the bodysuit that was covered in chocolate from this morning... Well, it's washed, stain-free, line-dried, and back in Quincy's closet. (You gotta love those days when everything just falls into place. How else would you get through the days when it doesn't?)

The only thing that would have made the day more perfect... an Easter Egg Hunt at my parent's house with Quincy's cousins. Another year perhaps.

You may be wondering what I am doing as I write. Eating a Marshmallow Peep. (Which, by the way, Quincy initially scoffed at. Until he realized it was just pure sugar, at which time he took one very restrained bite and was finished. He'd enjoyed it but had had just enough to satisfy him. And that was that. Now if I could only borrow an ounce of that self control from my ten-month-old!!) Anyway, my poor aching teeth.

food is love

This year for Valentine's Day, Jeremy got his favorite Maple Walnut ice cream,

and I got extra vegetables, including lots of spinach (good for the iron levels) and zucchini (from our garden), together with chicken in a lovely laksa.

Food is love, especially for a pregnant woman!

The pups got some extra pets,

we enjoyed a poorly decorated chocolate cake for dessert (I think I'll stick to scrapbooking!),

and I couldn't resist picking up one of my favorite kiddie books for the bub.

Last year, the focus was much less on food. Instead Jeremy gave me laughter...

It's safe to say we're not really about the flowers, chocolate, and jewelry! Although those things never hurt!

sunshine & responsibility

First of all, it is actually hot today. It's sunny & hot. Even when the sun goes behind a cloud, it's still hot. I'm sweating, actually sweating. If you had just experienced 6 months of windy, rainy, winter weather, you would savor the sweat too. Trust me.

I love this photo of the dogs. They are enjoying some of their favorite things:

each other

comfort

sleep

warmth

&

sunshine

Some of you may remember my story about Kai crossing the motorway and nearly getting hit.

Tragically someone I know lost her Beagle, Shiloh, on Monday at about the same spot. Same story, except at the point when we were incredibly lucky, he was sadly hit by an SUV that never slowed down. He died in her arms. Again it was a split second thing. She is even a dog trainer, and Shiloh was a very well-mannered dog. In fact, he competed in obedience and agility.

So a harsh reminder that even the most well-trained dogs can be unpredictable. Caring for our four-legged friends is such a big resposibility. Keeping them safe, happy, and fit is not always an easy task.

It makes me wonder why there are so many Woof Woof Ruffs (seriously, that's what the Wellington City Council calls dog exercise areas) right by the road and why I can't think of a single fenced in dog area in the whole city. So frustrating.

unreal.

As I type, mud and rocks are rushing down our street. There is a massive slip at Norma's. Her garage is full of mud and the water is just gushing down. It's unreal. And the bulk of it is going down into our neighbor's house.

It's nearly midnight and there are about 15 neighbours out there working hard; helping the 6 firemen. Trying to shovel the muck into wheelbarrows and build a barrier to guide the slip down the road instead of into our neighbour's house. It's coming down faster than it can possibly be shoveled though.

The sound of shovels scraping against pavement fills the night air. The stream in our neighbourhood sounds like Huka Falls. Unreal.

Jeremy is out there getting dirty using our only shovel. I tried to help but wasn't much use so came back inside.

I wish it was appropriate to go out and take photos. It is such a sight. The teamwork is inspiring. Teenagers through to pensioners. Everyone in gum boots, except my husband who seems to be the only Kiwi without them. Many with their Dry-As-A-Bone's on.

Also there is another slip at Sunshine Bay, the bay just past ours, making the only road to Days Bay and Eastbourne impassible. I was driving home at about 1030 tonight (I never ever go out, mind you!) and there were police at the bottom of my street forcing people to turn around to find accomodation for the night. I was able to turn up my road at least. I had to turn around once I get close to my house though.

Stefanie, I finally had a reason to go up Richmond. To park. Away from the mud.

Note to self: Crocs are not good for trudging through mudslides.

A further indication that the weather is insane... It took the ferry over 9.5 hours to cross Cook Strait. This is normally a 3-hour journey! There were 9-meter swells. The airport has been closed all day. Not a good day to be in Wellington.

ETA: The weather has cleared this morning thankfully. The slips were most likely caused by the logging from several months back. This morning Jeremy said to me, "I thought I'd come in and you'd have clean pants and a hot drink waiting for me. Instead you were there with your camera." To my credit after I took a few pics, I quickly got him dry clothes and a hot drink!

nice way to start your saturday...

ha.

We awoke to find that a window in the guest bedroom--that doesn't lock properly/that we've been meaning to fix--had blown open overnight. I'm talking a meter square gaping hole open to the elements. And oh the elements. Torrential rain and serious wind all night.

Well the nicest bed in the house, with its bright white linens and 6 million brightly coloured throw pillows, is an absolute mess. The comforter cover looks almost tie-dyed. If ever I needed to channel my mother's stain-fighting expertise, it is now.

Oh yah, and I switched offices the other day (Stef was barely on the plane and I was dismantling her bed ;). I had the closet so organized. All the plastic ugly but functional storage was nicely tucked away on the shelves--filled with brads, letters, and various other tiny things. My works in progress stacked in boxes. My out-of-control ribbon collection hanging proudly from hangers. And it collapsed. The whole closet. Seriously.

You just gotta laugh.

boy was i wrong

I was under the impression that we had a pair of wood pigeons that for about 8 months of the year lived in our yard.

Not so.

I moved my office yesterday and I have a different view of the yard from my new space. I glanced out just a bit ago to find

.
.
.
SIX
.
.
.

The kereru may be one of New Zealand's protected native birds, but you'd never know it if you looked out my window.

They are frolicking about and chillin' just on the other side of the glass.

They are massive. They are colourful. They aren't your average, everyday pigeon. They hang in groups. They make me want to grab my camera everytime they get in a new configuration. The wind makes their metallic-looking feathers do all sorts of funny things. They make me smile. They are distracting me.