Summer nights and the girls are usually asleep around 9 o’clock. Thankfully, they sleep till nearly 9 in the morning, so hubbie’s been having to set the alarm clock for work – for the first time in nearly 5 years! We’re really loving the evenings and the stress free mornings. There’s such a sense of […]
Holidays
Blast from the past: Abel Tasman National Park
Our last trip to Nelson and the stunning Abel Tasman was six week’s after the birth of our first daughter, Charlotte. It was a trip down memory lane for Dan and I; as we’d spent a memorable trip independently kayaking the Abel Tasman. The Nelson region is simply stunning. With a mixture of beach (Abel […]
Entertainment from the Car
The miserable wind and wet weather continues over the school holidays. We are having fun at home, but the occasional drive out lifts all our spirits. The other day we cruised down past the end of Evan’s Bay, along Cobham Drive, to look at the great sculptures (check out the Wellington Sculpture Trust‘s website for […]
I hate you! Go to jail Mummy!
Is it that Charlotte’s been playing too much Monopoly? How could such hurtful words come from such an angelic face? It was whilst holidaying in the UK she first uttered these words. If it hadn’t been for a dear friend, who had her first child a few years before I entered the realm of motherhood, […]
Home Safe Via Sunny San Francisco
We’ve arrived home, finally! I think the girls tired their hardest to put Aunty Claire off having children for life, but their charm and smiles (in between the occasional tantrum on a ten hour day flight from London to San Francisco) won over her heart in the end. Claire and I really enjoyed our time […]
Two More Sleeps Till Our Return Journey to NZ!
We fly home to New Zealand on Friday morning, after nearly two month’s in good ‘ole Blighty with the folks. We can’t wait to get back to Dan (aka Daddy) and our home. Staying on longer as helped me come full circle in the all too expected roller coaster of emotions one feels on return […]
Milestones Museum: The Way Life Used To Be
I always loved history as a child and it was brilliant to see the awe in my own children’s eyes as we walked the set of a Victorian street at the Milestone’s Museum, in Basingstoke, Hampshire, this week. We are having such a brilliant holiday in the UK and soaking up the history is all […]
Enjoying the Sites of Southern England
It was a sad farewell to Dan (aka Daddy) last week, but the girls are coping well. We’re really looking forward to seeing him and will be ready to fly home next Friday. They know Aunty Claire is going to help us on the return flight and were confused when she came to stay with […]
A Fix of History
We took the girls to Skipton Castle, one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England, for a real taste of history. Living in New Zealand, but having all our family in the UK, we are always talking to the girls about their British roots. Charlotte, being older, has poured over castle […]
A Magical Family Reunion in the Lake District
We’ve enjoyed a magical week in the Lake District. It holds a special charm for young and old alike. As an adult it is wonderful to visit a place that was treasured in my youth as a place of awe inspiring beauty and wonder. It is especially poignant to see my own children now wonder […]
Up North in Blighty
We’re on holiday in good ‘ole Blighty and currently visiting Grandma and Grandad Lee in Colne, Lancashire. We’ve dreamed about visiting our families and seeing England again, but dreaded the thought of travel with two preschoolers. We’re feeling a whole roller-coaster of emotions right now. It’s wonderful to see our family and to see the […]
Fleet Pond
Over the past ten years I’ve been coming back to England and visiting my folks in Fleet, Hampshire. During that time it’s been heartwarming to see the conservation and restoration work at Fleet Pond. Settlement in Fleet dates back to the Saxon period (a more detailed history is provided on the Fleet Pond Society‘s website). […]
Family Gatherings
We travelled to Bristol and back (from Fleet) on Sunday. When the British motorways are flowing they are fantastic. Charlotte and Sophie were in awe of the six lanes of fast-flowing traffic. They also enjoyed a stop-off at a British motorway stop, a little different to New Zealand where we plan our trip around various […]
Winter to Summer
Coming from a NZ winter to a UK summer has totally confused us all! The girls routine is completely out the window and tonight they went to sleep close to 10pm, waiting for it to get dark! This is fine, but if only they’d sleep in till 10am! The incessant rain that’s hit the UK […]