The lovely outdoors

If it isn't raining you'll find us outside most of the time. I'm not good being cooped inside, especially when Kien is running and jumping on the couch and chairs after throwing all the cushions into the middle of the lounge, and the kitchen's a mess, and the floors in all rooms are strewn with toys and bits of food. If Kien is not jumping he's fighting with the iPad, or the TV, or the transmitter that won't make the car go, or the screwdriver as he tries to dismantle the RC helicopter body from the frame, or....(don't get me started on the moaning noise the toddler makes to let you know every bit of frustration he feels - every minute).

So we go out.



Jef or I usually run through a list of ideas on where we could go or what we could do as we are backing out of the carpark. Last Sunday he said "Waterfront", I agreed thinking he meant Mission Bay, and he drove us to North Wharf.



My desk at work gets a perfect view of that building being contracted. I'm looking forward to seeing it finished, and I'm hoping Jef will be able to work there at least once a week. That would be fun - we haven't worked within 1 kilometre of each other since 2006.



The boys ran around the Event Centre, while I admired the boats with the backdrop of the Viaduct and CBD.







I love these city apartments and contemplated getting one - until I found out they are leasehold, and usually less than 99 years, some just 50 years.



We walked over the bridge and back, stopping at the playground. Jumping was the name of the game.





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We have a fabulous park at the end of our road.



In winter it gets a bit muddy, but if it hasn't rained then it's a brilliant place for Kien to burn off some energy.





Sometimes after we've been out somewhere and it's just a little bit too early to come home for dinner we'll go to the park and have a play.





Jef participates. Kien likes that. "Come on, Daddy."



There are some great tree roots for Kien to climb here.



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The other day we were heading out to visit my dad and Kien fell asleep. So we stopped at Mutukaroa - Hamlins Hill Regional Park and I went for a wander. I came across some interesting fungi on the gravel trail.



The bush was filled with Manuka blossoms. They are so pretty.



I came across a park bench and thought I'd take a self portrait.



It's so weird that as I walked along the trail, through and up the lush park/hill I "forgot" that this is smack bang in the middle of an industrial area.



It was an interesting walk - I think Kien will like it up there. He can chase the cows.

Outside, inside, outside, inside

That's pretty much how it goes at this time of year - outside for bit, then inside while it rains, then outside again for a bit, then sitting in the car while it rains - then you take pictures of the rain from inside your car...of the outside.



I took Kien for a drive on Tuesday afternoon through Cornwall Park. I have such fond memories of this place.





When I was in high school a friend and I used to ditch school just so we could go for a run around here. One time I fell down some stairs (not dissimilar to the ones in the above photo), and I had a really nasty gash on my knee. I had to drive us back to school with my knee dripping with blood, front up at the sick bay and explain what had happened. I'm not one for lying, so I innocently told the nurse my friend and I had wagged class because we wanted to run around somewhere beautiful. What surprised me was that she didn't even punish us!



Sometimes during our school lunch break I would just want to drive up to the summit (or go to the Auckland museum). So a group of us would sneak out through the hole in the fence, pile into my car and have a mini adventure before the bell rang.



You're probably wondering (from my alluding to the amount of times I've ditched class) whether I was able to finish school at all. Well, truth be known that during my 7th form year I had an overwhelming desire to experience high school elsewhere, and fortunately I was able to go to L.A. to do my senior year there. I continued to have mini adventures/excursions away from the classroom at "inappropriate" times, still managed to pull off a 4.0 grade point average, left the US before graduation, sat high school equivalency exams, got into university, completed my degree in 3 years with a double major (while working full time in the last semester), and won an excellence award in my final paper (that came with some money as well). So I would justify my decision to escape classes when I needed to as my way to reflect and absorb the world (and life) around me. It made me feel excited and alive, hungry for adventure and the endless possibilities for my life. I still feel this way, and I'm reminded when I visit my old haunts.


I also rode my bike along this path almost every day for an entire year when I worked at the airport.

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It was dress-up day for Playgroup on Tuesday morning. So I dressed Kien up in the only outfit we own. We got there and someone asked me if he was supposed to be an animal trainer. I looked at Kien and realised that indeed his outfit looked more like what Steve Irwin might have worn as opposed to, say, a SAS soldier. Let me know if you disagree.





He was in a really good mood and was happy to roam around and play on his own. After rolling the car around for a while I found him sitting at the table stuffing play dough into the helicopter.



He also enjoyed stacking blocks and making towers - "I make sky tower", he says. Then he will smash the blocks down, laugh, and start building all over again.



At one point the adults decided to get photos of all the kids together. It was hilarious.

Fare thee well

We had a gathering yesterday to farewell Michelle and Thomas, who are moving to Tauranga tomorrow. I have always loved seeing the cousins playing together, and there is (mostly) little conflict between them (probably because sweet Thomas gives in to Kien's demands).





I'm sure we only get to see the good side of Thomas - sweet and innocent. I'm guessing his mama has seen this cheeky expression before though.



Kien found daisies for his aunty Sandra.



Jeff did some weight lifting.



And we got our group shot for the day.

Diamond Jubilee weekend

Sunday night, and all is quiet in my household. Both of the males are fast asleep, and I'm sipping mulled wine, editing photos, making collages, and generally having a merry old time on this jubilee weekend.

Today we were at the open day for NZ Warbirds - D-Day held at Ardmore airfield. One word to describe it - awesome.



They had the old planes flying through the sky doing aerobatics. They were loud and grand.





The planes were also able to be viewed up close.





The MASH helicopter was also here; ready to take passengers up for a test flight (for a small fortune).





Yes, there were 6 planes in the sky at once as they were doing a WWII re-enactment. There were tanks and grenades and machine guns, and they also had Germans surrendering after a fire fight only to run away and be gunned down - yeah, it was a family event.



I think Kien may have found the only dandelion still alive, and he tried tuning in to it's death rattle.



Then he had a go at flying a plane.



The fire brigade was here too.



It was such a fun day, and I am amazed at how skilled the pilots are! They landed to lots of applause from the crowd.



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When we were back in the city we didn't want to go straight home so we stopped by the Fish Market at North Wharf for a pint. Kids and sandpits - what can I say?