Catching the Magic

Two Brits in Aotearoa bringing up three NZ born daughters. Our children: Our future. Haere Mai!

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Painting

Paint – Three Generations | A poem

January 21, 2016 BritMumInNZ 4 Comments Art, Poetry, Special Days

When I read that ‘The Prompt‘ this week was the word ‘Paint’ I knew exactly what to write about. This past month my dear parents have been staying with us in New Zealand, visiting from their home in England. My dearest Mum loves to paint with watercolours and has been taking classes for a couple […]

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Things I’m Loving – Silver linings to poorly children at home…

August 28, 2015August 28, 2015 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Art, Country Kids, Our pets, Things I'm Loving

For the third week, in a row, I’ve had at least one of my three daughters home poorly from school. They have been hit hard by some flu type virus, that is doing the rounds across the country this winter. They are all slowly on the mend, though still not at full energy. In the […]

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Mini Creations

December 3, 2014December 3, 2014 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Art

A tweet reminded me of this lovely ‘Linky’ (‘Mini Creations‘ by Kid GL loves), run by a couple of great kids, in the UK, to celebrate the creations our children produce. All too often I wish I’d taken a photograph of a particular creation – but then the moment has passed, the item has been […]

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When art takes precedence over dinner…

September 19, 2012 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Art

I’m sure Van Gogh would have understood. There are times when eating can wait. Dinner can wait. But art – all that creative energy and impulsive need to pour out emotions into one form or another – sometimes, that cannot wait (at least in our home). So, this evening, I had one child making clay […]

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My house is turning into an art gallery!

July 11, 2011July 11, 2011 BritMumInNZ 5 Comments Alice, Art, Charlotte, Sophie

I’m going to be running out of wall space at this rate! Charlotte, in particular, is producing artwork faster than I can find a hammer and nail (and spare wall to hang them!). She’s been working away on an art exhibition at school this term, which has fired up her natural imagination and creativity to […]

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What made today mean something?

July 5, 2011 BritMumInNZ 10 Comments Alice, Art, Writing

I knew how it was going to end before they even began. I wished for a moment the grown up in me, lurking somewhere, would step forward and declare the activity ill-timed. But the child in me wanted to aid their spontaneous creativity; even though the adult knew we’d be forced to clean up the […]

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Colour Poetry: Lyrical Sunday (Week 11)

March 19, 2011April 3, 2011 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Lyrical Sunday

I feel calm with my bare skin brushing green. The colour of nature, its needs unseen. A transfer of love between us exists, Like the cycle of air that must persist. So many shades envelop my senses, Intoxicating me with their riches. The darkest green is like a winters cloak, The scent of evergreen pine, […]

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Dear Mummy…

August 17, 2010September 9, 2010 BritMumInNZ 9 Comments Art, Random Musings, Writing

An imagined letter from my children to me: Dear Mummy, We’re sorry for the mess we left everywhere, but do you like the painting we did for you? The painting is of you being busy. You are always busy, but we like that you stop to give us a hug and play with us too. […]

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Peapods and strawberries to lazy dayzs on the beach

January 4, 2009January 8, 2009 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Charlotte, Sarah, Sophie

Shortly after breakfast, with Sophie in her PJ’s, the girls teamed up and started moving their painting equipment out onto the driveway. When I asked what they were doing, they simply said, ‘Painting pea-pods!’. Here they are in action… I just love the way they are so creative and work so well together to come […]

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Art Take Over!

May 4, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

It’s Sunday and I really needed to have a break and be in my own head-space. Dan has been out all day with the girls and it’s been so peaceful. But I’m never alone. There are always delightful surprises carefully placed around the home to remind me of how lucky I am to have such […]

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End of Term and Both Girls at Home

July 2, 2007November 28, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Charlotte, Sarah, Sophie

Today was the first day of the school hols and it was quite strange to have both the girls at home for the day – though lovely too of course! Charlotte was quite sad at not going to Kindi, which I saw as a positive as she is definitely loving it. We’ve had a truck […]

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Charlotte’s Rediscovered Confidence in Art

June 1, 2007September 9, 2010 BritMumInNZ Leave a comment Art, Charlotte

Charlotte was quite handy with any type of art until just before Sophie’s arrival and then she changed her focus to construction, cutting and pasting. Just when we were beginning to worry about her recession to scribbles she has bowled us over this week with a couple of ‘masterpieces’. Every parent must recall the first […]

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Recent Posts

  • Christmas and a Birthday in Wellington January 12, 2023
  • Summer highlights from the Wairarapa January 8, 2023
  • A long weekend with friends near Goat Island Marine Reserve January 6, 2023
  • It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – southern hemisphere style! December 23, 2022
  • Wellington Lantern Festival – in the spring rain December 18, 2022
  • Toast Martinborough – Wine and Food Festival December 16, 2022
  • Spring running highlights on Wellington’s trails December 14, 2022
  • Trail goodness in the southern Remutaka Ranges October 25, 2022
  • Family, hills & roller-coasters! October 22, 2022
  • Summer visit to London in July; seeing friends, West End Shows, National Art Gallery, Women’s Euro 2022 & corgis! October 14, 2022
  • North-east Cornwall holiday snapshots (part 2) September 3, 2022
  • Summer holiday in North-East Cornwall (part 1) August 30, 2022

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