January - Thirty One

 

January 31. Last day of the holidays, I elected to drive out to Huia and spend the afternoon with Gabby and Estevez, Nureyev, Holiday, Chewy and Palace and the chickens. We haven't seen them since Holidays first birthday, so I took some of those apples which we cooked and ate with rhubarb yoghurt. Men cut trees, children skateboarded,  I wish we did this more often.

January - Twenty Nine

 

January 29. Went to my mums, she was making some birthday cards with new stamps shes just got, mad scrapbook fever lady. She also has 4 apple trees, laden with new seasons braeburn, so we collected the windfall apples off the lawn, they were starchy and sour but they made beautiful apple sauce.

January - Twenty Eight

 

January 28. Friday night at Amy's, I've taken some food and drinks, and we're hanging out, the kids are playing, the cats playing, the grown ups are happy, its good times. I massaged Gabriel into oblivion, its amazing how compliant a toddler becomes when you rub their feet.

January - Twenty Seven

 

January 27. Its the last days of holidays, Seb wanted to go to the beach for a swim, so I suggested visiting Mike, Kat and the kids. We went down to Milford beach and had fish and chips, the kids swam and then everyone played abit of beach cricket. I don't think I've seen so many dogs in one place in my life. Perfect end to the summer hols, next week its back to reality.

January - Twenty Six

January 26. Kirsty came for an impromptu visit, which I love. cheese, crackers and a cocktaily thing with Rose', cranberry and soda water. Just what you need for a nice summers evening.

January - Twenty Four

 

January 24 - the weather has been weird, loads of rain, not like usual, so when the chance to catch up on the washing presents itself, you really don't ignore it.

January - Twenty Three

January 23. Sunday night, feeling tired, one week to go till the boys are back at school. Maccas and a movie, I can't recall what, but thats possibly because I was paying more attention to those cats playing mischief in the hallway.

January - Twenty Two

January 22. Its post-BDO, its cold, its raining, its January. Im wearing my new shirt I got for Xmas, and Im eating beans on toast because its nice to eat hearty food on rainy days. I also went to Kirstys, she was in slippers, I like to visit with her and Adam when they're in Auckland and her Dad moved to Onehunga so its even better. I like Kirstys parents rug, its ace.

January - Twenty One

January 21. Big Day Out 2011 - not there to see anyone particularly remarkable, Im getting old and my music knowledge is slipping. Seb, Mat and myself, with guest appearances by Adam, Emma D and Saskia were what consisted of my company, and its the first day we've been to when it rained like buggery. Thank god I was smart and took ponchos. Pick of the Day - Kora. booked 2 days before the gig, well worth it.

January - Twenty

 

January 20. Its the day before the Big Day Out so I've come to my mothers to drop the boys for the night, Cole and I are outside on the lawn, hes playing with a large stick, and my mum has just rescued a goldfinch from a hawk. Its the calm before the rains.

January - Nineteen

 

January 19. Seb cooked dinner, tuna pasta. This requires music and dancing to make it taste as good as it does, its Sebs signature dish, thank god we all like eating it.

January - Eighteen

January 18. Coles friend Peter James came to play and thus to clean up as well.

January - Fourteen

January 14. I went to see Neil my chiropractor, he's been helping me rectify a bad neck for the past month. As I left the office I saw these beautiful yellow Hibiscus flowers and took photos. When I got home I zoomed in by accident and couldn't beleive the detail in the stamen. Sometimes its the tiny things that are the most beautiful.

January - Thirteen

January 13. For two days I have sat in the lounge, sorting through piles and piles of lego, trying to make some sense of it all. The children have more toys and clothes than you can poke a stick at and so I have been spring cleaning their bedrooms.

January - Eleven

 

 January 11. Its my mothers birthday, shes 57. I invited her for dinner, and my nana came as well, and provided the excellent dessert selection - chocolate pear tart, and choco cherry gateau cake. All of it tasted like yum.

January - Ten

January 10. Mother Cat is the beginning point of most of our animals, and while we've had a few namely Milo and George (RIP) she continues to rock on. I love watching her with the kittens, her grandbabies, she is loving to them and croons to them the way you imagine a grandma cat should.

January - Nine

January 9. Kobi had a new friend over to play, Alex is Bolivian and a very nice boy, so we went to the park to try out Kobi's kite. The boys went to their grandmas for the night so Seb and I went to Mission Bay for fish and chips on the beach, something like a 'date'.

January - Eight

January 8. After many an invitation I was never able to honour, I finally got to go to the birthday bbq of my friend Paul, seen here demonstrating 'drug eye' with his friends Kiri (left) and Melanie (right). We all went to high school together, but Pauls brother Alex and I were peers, and these guys were the kids of '93. An interesting evening spent listening to a new set of old memories.

January - Seven

January 7. Seb is working midnights, Im home alone with my thoughts, my laptop, and the kittens. Its a gamble to let them anywhere near the bed because they keep thinking its a toilet. The nights are hot, this January has been unusually warm.

January - Six

January 6. I spent the entire day in my pyjamas, folding the washing and hanging out with some Navi. Holidays are afterall about spending alot of time, doing very little.

January - Five

January 5 - Coming home after a week away from the kittens we spent some time in the garden. Their mother Lulu tried her best to lure them into Agnes' garden next door, but they couldn't figure out how to get through the fence. Being indoors all the time, the garden is full of smells and wonder and they went abit nutty.

January - Four

January 4 - Home again with my family, Matty comes over for a bbq, our first for the summer.

January - Three

Just after I took this photo, the sunscreen in my bag leaked onto my camera. In an effort to clean it up I opened the door where the batteries are stored and one fell out, lost in the sand. I couldn't take any pictures till I got back to Auckland. On this day I drove back with Kat and the kids, ending our time in the sunny Coromandel.

January - Two

We experienced the hordes on the beach at Hot Water, and the strange flow of thermal water burning our feet before the cold sea rolled over them again. Cathedral Cove and Telfer childhood memories of Hahei, icecream and fish and chips at the shop.

January - One

New Chums.

First day of the year, Im burnt, and Im with the Telfers. Its a hike through a stream and across the rocks, its a hike through the bush along a winding path, up a hill and down again to a white sand beach and beauty.