Entries Tagged 'Urban family' ↓

Growing up very fast – in the last couple of weeks he’s:

• Started going to kindy by himself a few afternoons a week, giving a kiss & a cuddle & a wave – no drama
• Talked to us on Skype – still not talking on the phone but hey he’s a kid of the modern age – I guess seeing us on screen talking and waving to him made more sense
• Got a hair cut! And no tears from him or his mother!

Now all the local nieces are in school we’ve had a couple of family morning teas – nice to have some adult time. And some donuts at Nikau. They are truly delicious and as with all their baking, made right beneath the cafe in their bakery. I’m not too sure about the cream though – quite a lot of it and it has a slightly odd taste to me … probably that organic goodness that I’m sure I’m allergic to – give me the sugar-filled rubbish any time

Last weekend we had a couple of days in Blenheim – thankfully not as hot as the visit at New Year and we got to have some quality cat time with the new addition, Butterball Brown.

Aidan’s growing up fast and certainly remembers us between each visit and our particular relationship with him (including wanting to play ‘blow kiss’ with me at his bedtime instead of the obligatory toddler slobber-kiss that parents often force their kids to plant on whoever is staying), although won’t talk on the phone to us yet. He’s very much a little boy, pretty rowdy and destructive but exploring all corners of his personality. About 6 weeks between our last 2 visits, with 2 quite different and memorable conversations with me:

January (after pulling down his pants and running bare-bummed around the garden, came up to me and hoisted up his shirt) “Cathy? Do you like penises?”

February (while sitting at the breakfast bar and showing me a book of felt animals, he rested his little chin in his little cupped hand and looked up at me) “Cathy? Where did you get that lovely top?”

Adorable and somewhat unexpected on both occasions.

And he’s pretty keen on The Mister.

Got to meet the lovely orange puss when in Blenheim at the weekend. He’s settling in very well and is a pretty lovely and placid cat. Apparently he was living at the SPCA for about 3 months before going home with Dean & Steph.

He took to me pretty much straight away – whether my general orange vibe (wore an orange t-shirt especially for meeting him) or my cat voice – either way, smooched and enjoyed a big pat not long after meeting.

We don’t know much of his history, he’s not really a knee cat but will sit crammed up next to you, and he did sleep on the bed for an hour or so on the first night, right on top of my foot but jumped off when I had to move because I had pins and needles.

He did sleep at the other end of the couch and eventually right next to me with his back leg draped across my lap while I was knitting and even though he jumps at loud noises and the vacuum cleaner he didn’t bat an eye lid when a bottle of champagne was uncorked so he must’ve come from an orange, champagne-drinking, knitting household!

This week we went out for MIL’s birthday – felt a bit guilty that we didn’t cook as we’ve done in previous years but just had a crazy start to the year and couldn’t get enough time to do something nice. However it was such a gorgeous Wellington evening and we dined at a restaurant on the waterfront.

After dinner we wandered along to Frank Kitts park for an outdoor circus show – it was an impromptu outing, something MIL had seen advertised. It was a kind of circus-based hour-long skit from Fuse Circus called Campground Chaos – bit of a laugh at every kiwi camping holiday. The trapeze-work and bendy lady were very impressive.

Wellington turned on an amazing still evening for it and there was such a great turn out sitting on the curved steps around Frank Kitts park as day turned to night.

Father assures me that just because they’re retired now they don’t actually sit around in the garden all day watching plants grow and insects go about their daily lives, allowing them to get photos like this – it seems that the monarch butterflies that all hatched out a couple of weeks ago are now up to the reproduction stage.

Who knew? And errr, great photos!

Not looking forward to the next series of photos which will probably be of dead butterflies all over the lawn!!

Butterball Brown, or Butters for short, has arrived to live with our Blenheim urban family. We’ll get to meet him at the end of February – he looks quite orangey so that’ll be exciting!

Timing was perfect to pop across to Mt Maunganui to catch up with our Chicago family after being at xerocon – just for a night but great to see everyone. The twins are almost 5 and we spent a few hours with them, playing games under the tree (well, The Mister did and I knitted) and telling stories of our visits to see them in the States.

Here we are this morning looking through photos of them on my blog before we headed home – maybe we’ll be looking at this one here next time we see them …

Woke up this morning to a photo sent by Cousin Grant of what had  greeted him out the front door of his New York morning – look at all that snow! How do you post a letter on a snowy day? The mail boxes are covered!

Today my goddaughter is 18. I was there as she jiggled in my friend’s tummy and I was there when she was born. Just cannot believe that was 18 years ago! Every single year except for 2 when they were living overseas and last year due to illness we’ve met on or very near to her birthday for a coffee (well, a coffee for her mother and me).

This year I’ve written her a letter – something full of wisdom and worldly advice as she heads off to university – well not really, a little bit of reminiscing and a few words of support. I also decided it was time to give her a piece I wrote about her entry into the world – 18 years ago I sat down at my electric typewriter and wrote what I saw and felt. I thought at the time I might give it to her one day and every few years I’ve found it when moving or tidying but now’s the time. I’m also passing onto her one of my favourite photos of us – her 2nd birthday when we all just happened to be living in England and that day, were at Stonehenge.