Catching the Magic

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

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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 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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  • WAI2K 50km trail adventure, November 2024!February 20, 2025
    In November 2024 I took on the epic endurance event of the 50km WAI2K Ultra, from Woodside Train Station in Greytown, through the hills of the Wairarapa and Kaitoke Regional Park, to Tunnel Gully Upper Picnic Area in Upper Hutt. This mixed terrain course involves around 2,500m of elevation gain through dense scrub, beautiful native… Read more: WAI2K 50km trail adventure, November 2024!
  • Visits back to the UK aren’t always a holiday – when those you love aren’t well.February 6, 2025
    Life is never all sunshine and roses. When we have had the good fortunate of having people in our lives that we’ve loved deeply, and have felt their love in return, it is painful to see that person suffering. Life is all about beginnings and endings, hellos and goodbyes, first moments and celebrations, and also… Read more: Visits back to the UK aren’t always a holiday – when those you love aren’t well.
  • Celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a long weekend on the Gold Coast – June 2024January 6, 2025
    At the end of May 2024 my husband and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary and took the opportunity to grab a fix of winter sunshine, over the ‘King’s Birthday’ weekend public holiday (beginning of June), with a trip to the Gold Coast – on Australia’s East Coast. We were joined by our children, Sophie… Read more: Celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a long weekend on the Gold Coast – June 2024
  • ‘Last time’ moments on a spring visit to the UK, May 2024January 2, 2025
    After over twenty five years of living thousands of miles away from my birth country, and many flights back and forth, I am still in awe of the fact I can be on the other side of the world in 24 hours. I remind myself that jet passenger services didn’t start until the late 1950s… Read more: ‘Last time’ moments on a spring visit to the UK, May 2024
  • Race Tekapo 50kmSeptember 29, 2024
    Race registration on Friday night, by the shore of Lake Tekapo, was a ‘hold on tight to your bib’ or you won’t be going anywhere tomorrow affair. The bitingly cold air was a shock to the system, after my husband, daughter and I had driven from a sunny, spring like day in Christchurch. Our flight… Read more: Race Tekapo 50km
  • Running the stunning Motatapu Trail MarathonMay 30, 2024
    This was one of the most beautiful trail marathons I’ve ran and was a great way to celebrate a summer of running and see in the beginning of autumn (though the weather was still very much throwing the heat of summer on event day – which fell on the first Saturday in March). The 42km… Read more: Running the stunning Motatapu Trail Marathon
  • 50km for 50 years! How I saw in the first day of my fifties running the 50km Faultline Ultra!May 21, 2024
    I’ve been on a good running streak for over a year now (meaning no injuries, illness or troublesome hormones to slow me down – thanks to a mix of strength work, good luck and hormone replacement therapy!). When I saw that a new event was going to be held in the city where I live… Read more: 50km for 50 years! How I saw in the first day of my fifties running the 50km Faultline Ultra!
  • Six month catch up!March 9, 2024
    Time is literally flying away on me and blog writing is very neglected these days, but we are all well here and can’t believe our lovely Christmas and New Year festivities were three months ago! Spring and summer has raced by and now we are on the cusp of autumn here in New Zealand. Since… Read more: Six month catch up!
  • Ten blissful days in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.August 8, 2023
    With the days dark and short here in New Zealand we jetted off for some warmth and sunshine in the Cook Islands, just a three to four hour flight from Auckland. We have never visited any of the Pacific Islands and it was with great delight that we touched down on the runway in Rarotonga,… Read more: Ten blissful days in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
  • Marlborough Food & Wine Festival Birthday CelebrationAugust 7, 2023
    Turning 50 is definitely a milestone birthday, but hubby Dan didn’t want a party so in February we decided to head away for the weekend to celebrate at the Marlborough Food and Wine Festival. Dan’s Birthday fell on the same weekend as the festival, in the sunshine summer month of February here in New Zealand,… Read more: Marlborough Food & Wine Festival Birthday Celebration
  • A few running events to kick off the year & a sub-4 PB at the Rotorua Marathon!May 10, 2023
    Round the Bays Wellington, held in February every year, is always an iconic event, generally bestowed with sunshine and an amazing turn out of people of all ages. The atmosphere for this event is like a festival, with entertainment lining the route of the first 6km, between Waitangi Park and Kilbirnie Park (where all the… Read more: A few running events to kick off the year & a sub-4 PB at the Rotorua Marathon!
  • Auckland mid-week break away for Harry Styles!April 4, 2023
    On Census night in New Zealand we were away from home, up in Auckland (along with thousands of other people from all over the country) to enjoy an epic night of entertainment at Mt Smart Stadium. We flew up first thing on Tuesday morning, giving us plenty of time to enjoy some sight seeing before… Read more: Auckland mid-week break away for Harry Styles!
  • Celebrating a Birthday with a Meerkat Encounter!March 30, 2023
    Our youngest turned 13 in February, joining her older two siblings in ‘teen hood’ (though our oldest will turn 20 in June this year!). Having started high school a couple of weeks before her birthday there was, certainly for me, a moment of nostalgia as I reflected on how grown up my ‘baby’ has become… Read more: Celebrating a Birthday with a Meerkat Encounter!
  • Summer holiday in Rotorua & TaupoMarch 29, 2023
    The last week of January, before the start of a new school year, we drove up from Wellington to the central region of the North Island for a week’s holiday. We’ve holidayed in this area many times over the years and never tire of the endless outdoor activities on offer in the most beautiful natural… Read more: Summer holiday in Rotorua & Taupo
  • Christmas and a Birthday in WellingtonJanuary 12, 2023
    Sunshine was gifted to us on Christmas Day this year in Wellington and we had the most wonderfully relaxed day together (well, almost all together, as our oldest currently lives in Melbourne and so we video chatted and were delighted to see them having an awesome time with a friend and their friend’s family). We… Read more: Christmas and a Birthday in Wellington

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