Catching the Magic

Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!

  • Home
  • About
  • Blasts from the past
  • Country Kids
  • Motherhood
  • Poetry
    • 2011 Poetry
    • 2012 Poetry
    • 2013 Poetry
    • 2014 Poetry
    • 2015 Poetry
    • 2016 Poetry
    • 2017-2018 Poetry
  • Travel
    • Auckland
    • Fiordland
    • Kapiti Coast
    • Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough & Canterbury
    • Otago, Queenstown, Wanaka & Southern Lakes
    • Taupo, Rotorua & Tongariro National Park
    • Wairarapa
    • Byron Bay and the Gold Coast (2005 and 2016)
    • Californian Adventures, 2013-14
    • Canada, Dec. 2018
    • Cook Islands
    • Copenhagen, July & August 2014
    • Japan
    • Singapore
    • Sydney
    • UK Visits from 2014 to 2022
    • England via Santa Barbara & San Francisco, 2012
    • England via San Francisco – July 2007
    • NZ to UK, with our 9 month old, 2004
  • Running
  • Special Days

daddy

Can’t wait for the man of the house to be home!

February 13, 2014August 22, 2014 BritMumInNZ Leave a comment Life in action - Videos, Special Days

He’s been away three days, but that feels like ages when we’re living overseas and all in the house together every day. The girls and I have kept ourselves busy and are thrilled that he’s coming home tonight (though we’ll be fast asleep when he creeps in around 1am!). It’s his Birthday today and the […]

Continue reading


The man of the house is back

September 18, 2012September 18, 2012 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Dan, Sarah

I’m sure it’s the same in other homes where there’s only one male – the behaviour of the females in the house changes when he’s home. In our house the energy levels are ramped up. There’s a lot more physical play, loud voices, movement (chaos) and laughter. There’s a little elbow pushing and jostling for […]

Continue reading


Flying solo this week :(

September 10, 2012 BritMumInNZ 4 Comments Dan, Learning & growing, Sarah

The man of our house left on a jet plane last night. We’re not used to him being away. When I was a little girl my Dad was away every week or so – for two to three weeks at a time (I don’t know how my Mum coped!). There were lots of tears from […]

Continue reading


Silent Sunday

June 24, 2012 BritMumInNZ 8 Comments Alice, Dan, photography, Silent Sunday

The rules: Use just one photo in your post. You must have taken the picture. Use a photo taken in the week leading up to your post. You don’t have to do it every week. No words in the post OR the title. ________________________________________________

Continue reading


Daddy’s back & a ‘Run’ for Lyrical Sunday

April 17, 2012April 17, 2012 BritMumInNZ 5 Comments Dan, Lyrical Sunday

We greeted Daddy at Wellington Airport, first thing on Monday morning. We knew he’d be tired from his travels – but we weren’t expecting him to be quite so burned out… There wasn’t much meat left on him – but he still managed to pedal a bike next to Sophie at the Fonterra Science Roadshow! […]

Continue reading


Missing someone, but still finding things to love…

March 15, 2012March 16, 2012 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Dan, Loving & Not Loving

The man of the house is away for three nights 🙁 We’re missing the scent of testosterone in the air (but not his socks). We hung out watching Charlotte play touch-rugby yesterday, after our man had flown the country, wishing he was there to add some of his flair. Bedtime isn’t the same without the […]

Continue reading


Happy Birthday to the man of our house!

February 13, 2012April 4, 2023 BritMumInNZ 4 Comments Dan, Special Days

Birthday time for the man of the house is a little different with three energetic daughters to contend with. One daughter (young Alice) decided to pick the eve of his Birthday to wake up and do some midnight star-gazing with her Daddy. Any chance of a lie in to catch up on lost winks was […]

Continue reading


Silent Sunday

June 19, 2011June 19, 2011 BritMumInNZ 11 Comments Alice, Charlotte, Dan, photography, Silent Sunday, Sophie

Being temporarily hosted by ‘HerMelness Speaks… out‘, whilst Mocha Beanie Mummy kicks someone’s technical behind!

Continue reading


With love to the man of the house x

September 5, 2010September 5, 2010 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Dan

A little girl needs Daddy For many, many things: Like holding her high off the ground Where the sunlight sings! Like being the deep music That tells her all is right When she awakens frantic with The terrors of the night. Like being the great mountain That rises in her heart And shows her how […]

Continue reading


Sack of potatoes: A father’s love

May 16, 2010September 8, 2010 BritMumInNZ 10 Comments Dan, Random Musings, Writing

The magic relationship of a father and his daughters. They adore him, worship him, seek his approval and search out his praise. He is their play thing, their most loved toy. He riles them up and they passionately love it. He throws them in the air, hangs them upside down and struggles to say, ‘No,’ […]

Continue reading


Happy Daddy’s Day

September 7, 2008September 5, 2010 Dan 3 Comments Charlotte, Dan

Today I am a very proud Daddy. My two lil’ girls have been brilliant to me all day long – particularly Charli. She’s been drawing me cards and pictures all day long, telling me she loves me every 15 minutes, giving gratuitous hugs, and even getting into Star Wars big time. She’s been a dream […]

Continue reading


Happy Father’s Day!

September 2, 2007September 5, 2010 BritMumInNZ Leave a comment Dan, Sarah

Happy Father’s Day to Daddy Dan from his adoring fans! Little Sophie kept him up most of the night, wanting all the cuddles and love she could get, regardless of the hour! She’s spent the past two month’s holidaying in the UK and sharing a bedroom with her dear Daddy, so adjusting to her own […]

Continue reading


  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Archives

Recent Posts

  • WAI2K 50km trail adventure, November 2024! February 20, 2025
  • Visits back to the UK aren’t always a holiday – when those you love aren’t well. February 6, 2025
  • Celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a long weekend on the Gold Coast – June 2024 January 6, 2025
  • ‘Last time’ moments on a spring visit to the UK, May 2024 January 2, 2025
  • Race Tekapo 50km September 29, 2024
  • Running the stunning Motatapu Trail Marathon May 30, 2024
  • 50km for 50 years! How I saw in the first day of my fifties running the 50km Faultline Ultra! May 21, 2024
  • Six month catch up! March 9, 2024
  • Ten blissful days in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. August 8, 2023
  • Marlborough Food & Wine Festival Birthday Celebration August 7, 2023
  • A few running events to kick off the year & a sub-4 PB at the Rotorua Marathon! May 10, 2023
  • Auckland mid-week break away for Harry Styles! April 4, 2023

Things I Write About

Art (100) autumn (42) Baking (37) beach (67) Birthday (51) birthday party (31) breastfeeding (29) cafes (46) christmas (71) Country Kids (59) family (117) family time (57) featured (34) friends (38) Garden (43) holiday (36) Holidays (133) Lyall Bay (47) Lyrical Sunday (68) milestones (62) motherhood (37) New Zealand (38) parenting (36) photography (39) poem (69) poetry (92) running (62) Santa Barbara (32) school (75) school holidays (50) seasons (45) Silent Sunday (51) sisters (29) sleep (35) spring (38) summer (60) swimming (28) the gallery (62) Things I'm Loving (118) UK (33) Walks (47) weather (34) Wellington (137) winter (42) writing (50)
dazzling Theme by Colorlib Powered by WordPress