We started February with a lovely trip up to the Bay of Islands.  One of the main attractions was to meet up with Danie and Joan Marias (Danie went to
school with Howard's Dad).  We had been meaning to get up there for ages and finally got around to it!  What a lovely farm and what lovely people!  We
spent the whole of our first day with Danie and Joan and so enjoyed seeing
their farm, which is set right on a bay so it has some of the best views in the country.  It was lucky that we were able to spend the day with them as our car had played up on the trip and needed to get to the "Doctor".  That all worked out well and we spent our second day seeing the sights - the little town of Russell and a boat trip out to see "The Hole in the Rock". The final day brought some welcome rain to the area so we (actually I) made the most of it - visiting the little galleries and shops.  Howard was on "Grace duty" - not for the feint hearted when expensive art works are on display!

On our way home from The Bay of Islands, we stopped in to see the Donald's
in their new house and can certainly see why they have chosen Gulf Harbour
to begin their lives in New Zealand.  They are like pigs in the proverbial and it is just lovely to see!

Our time in February was also taken up with much deliberation about whether
we were to move back to Sydney or not.  The corporate cogs at "The Big Red
C" have been making their slow way through our lives for quite some time and it certainly looks like a move back is on the cards.  Unfortunately, we still have no confirmation of the way forward and the indecision is complicated by a very difficult Landlord who was not prepared to extend our lease in our lovely little house in Kohimarama. So, on top of all the lovely things in February, we are also in the process of moving all of our worldly possessions into storage, in anticipation of a move back to Sydney in June 2007 - which may or may not happen.  Grace and I leave for South Africa on 8 March and Howard will join us on 3 April and then we'll all be back in Auckland in May.  By that stage, we should know where we will be unpacking our lives.  Suffice to say it is very disruptive and quite distressing but I am trying very hard to be patient and know that by the end of March, we should have finalised the decision (but I'm not holding my breath!!)

On a happier note, we had another booking in the B&B - and yes, once again
South African's now living in the UK!  Brett and Gaynor Boulle arrive on 21 February at the start of a 3 week tour of New Zealand.  It was great to see them and to have some real quality time together.  Not that it really needs mention but little Miss Grace charmed the pants off Brett and Gaynor too!!
She had a great time exploring their luggage (especially Gaynor's make up
etc), painting her nails and generally reveling in all the attention.  We had a lovely few days doing the touristy things - Piha, 1 Tree Hill, Waiheke and were lucky to go to the Starlight Symphony too.  Howard and Brett had a day out on the boat which was good male bonding time and Grace, Gaynor and I had a fantastic time just "playing house"!

I have also included some pictures of Hugo Landman's 3rd birthday (how did
you guess he's of South African decent?!) cause it was the most colourful party I have ever been to - including coloured spaghetti - which Grace tucked into as soon as she arrived!

So, with our lives a little in limbo, Grace and I head off to South Africa to celebrate my Mum's 60th birthday and meet new cousins (Carl, Martin & Jeanine's little boy and Casey Joan, Brenda & Jonty's little girl born in November) and generally soak up time with family and friends.  Howard is currently in Atlanta (funny how he always seems to be in Atlanta when we move house!!) and returns to an empty house (even the poor cat is going into
"storage") until he joins us on 3 April.  We are hoping that all of the indecision will be sorted by the end of March and that we will be able to plan for the next few years - so hold thumbs for us!

For those in NZ & Australia, we'll miss you terribly while we are away but for those in South Africa, we cannot wait to see you!  Having 3 "homes" and no house is terribly confusing but it does come with the benefit of many great friends!

2007 has certainly started with a bang, beginning with a steady flow of visitors to our lovely Pacific Island.  We saw the New Year in with a wonderful visit from Rob Warner & Graeme Hurst (South African's currently living in the UK).  It was just lovely to see them and have them get to know Grace.  Grace has taken to all our visitors with glee and Rob & Graeme kicked off her career as "Hostess with the Mostess" in style.  They arrived bearing a Paddington Bear from "Hamleys" no less, so Grace was even more taken with them.  We raced around Auckland seeing the sights and generally having a lovely time just catching up! 

Graeme and Rob handed the baton on to Sonia, John, Emma and Nicole Steiner (from the UK but currently living in Sydney) who were with us until about mid-January.  The Steiner's were remarkable and really made the most of their time in Auckland, packing in the sights and enjoying the new history
and culture.  Once again, Grace just loved having them stay and made herself
perfectly at home in bed with the entire family in the early morning!

So the pattern continued with the arrival of Paul, Caren, Garrick and Shena
Donald (South African's who had lived in the UK for 10 years and were now
emigrating to NZ - are you getting the pattern yet??).  Having grown up with
the Donald's (best description being the Maori word "Whanau" - meaning
extended family) it is just wonderful having them around!  They have taken
Auckland by storm and managed to fall in love with an area called Gulf Harbour (northern suburbs of Auckland); find a place to stay; book their
children into school; get the children started at the school (which seems to
be just great); get heaps of extra-mural activities going; make heaps of friends and generally make the most of every day in their new home.  Their
positive attitude and embracing of everything that Auckland has to offer is
really an inspiration!  Suffice to say Grace is totally besotted with Garrick and most disappointed when he won't give her a kiss and she thinks the sun shines out of Shena!  Once again, she made herself at home with all of the visitor's possessions and accommodation.  As I said, she is a lovely little host but still lacks the etiquette of not assuming that "while you're in my house, what's your is mine"!

Howard, Grace and I headed off for a visit with the Jurgensen's in Raetihi
at the end of January, which was just glorious.  The twins and Grace get on
like a house on fire - which is both wonderful and exhausting and "little" Gabriel joins in in his own quiet way.  I don't wish to imagine what these
visits are going to be like when he gets up and running too! 

The highlight of the stay was a wonderful day on one of the most beautiful
farms I have ever been to.  Friends of Kylie and Steven's (The John and Meagan Ward) own the farm, which is about half an hour from Raetihi.  We had a magical day in the pool over looking the lush paddocks, having a lazy
afternoon sleep and then heading off to a private camp site on a magnificent
river bend
*  4 kids under 2 and a half;
*  4 adults over 30;
*  2 dogs; and
*  3 amazing Quad-bikes
We had a tasty BBQ - Kiwi style - with a little "Kylie style" thrown in for good measure.  The kids loved it - especially Grace - as you can tell from the pictures.

We ended the day with a bang - sending the husbands and kids off to feed the animals - which they loved - while Kylie and I did a bit of a clean up and
wandered round the fruit orchard enjoying our fill of summer fruits.  What a
feast of a day!

The last day of January 2007 was a very special one for our family as Carl
Christian Gilmour - son of Martin and Jeanine Gilmour - arrived in the world.  Grace now has two boy cousins to grow up with - isn't that great!

And so began 2007.  We're now officially charging for our B&B and tour guide
services and you are welcome to pay with gifts from Hamley's!!

Gosh, December is a very busy month isn't it!  Grace's 2nd birthday, "Christmas in the Park" (an Auckland institution - even in the pouring rain), Playgroup Christmas celebrations, Jess and Shaun's wedding, Christmas proper and New Year celebrations!!  How anybody manages not to feel 5kgs
heavier and needing lots of sleep is a wonder!  But it's all worth it!  And what a great December we have had!

So, I thought I would end this years contribution with a few lovely pictures of our Christmas celebrations and well wishes for all of our family and friends both near and far...

Christmas began for Grace straight after her birthday, with a wonderful evening at "Coca Cola Christmas in the Park".  This is a free concert sponsored by, you guessed it, Coca Cola, with 3-4 hours of great entertainment and lots of Christmas cheer.  This was our first experience of "Christmas in the Park" and we got a double dose with the company Christmas party on the Friday evening and "the real deal" on the Saturday night. 

Grace absolutely loved the party on the Friday evening.  She was very excited to meet Father Christmas but would not get too close when it came her turn to sit on his knee.  She was however very impressed with the Christmas Fairy who had on a gorgeous red dress!  She was also very happy to accept the little "goodie bag" that all the kids were given!  We had a great evening hopping back and forth to the "balloon lady" who made Grace a number
of blow up animals, only one of which (a butterfly) survived to tell the tale. 

Howard and I went to the Saturday night's celebrations on our own which we
were thoroughly impressed with despite the rain!  We arrived to find the Auckland Domain jam packed with Kiwi's - umbrella's up and tents pitched -
eagerly awaiting the night's proceedings.  The rain came and went, absolutely pouring when it arrived and then clearing to chilly night skies but it didn't seem to "dampen" the mood.  I am not certain I would have been so enthusiastic if we had had to sit out in the wet but from the relatively dry confines of the Coca Cola marquee,  I really enjoyed the show.  It was packed with great songs and great - mostly Kiwi - performers.  The fire works at the end and the grand entrance of Santa and Mrs. Claus in a huge sleigh was just wonderful!  We will certainly look forward to joining in again next year!

We also had a lovely Christmas celebration with our Friday Play Group and
Christmas Carols at Play Centre - both of which were chaotic and fun! 

Christmas decorations were all around and had Grace totally excited every
time we went near a shop.  I think it may have been the familiar presence of
the Father Christmas in our local shopping centre that finally got Grace to agree to have her picture taken with him.  She also had to be bribed with a lollipop but at least she sat next to him.  Maybe next year she’ll give us a smile too!!

We were invited to the wedding of Jessica Heyns and Shaun Niemand on Sunday 17 December.  Jessica is a second cousin once removed - or something like that - now living in NZ.  Howard and I were very happy to be invited and happy to represent all the family that I know would have loved to have been there.  It was a beautiful wedding and the weather really blessed them.  The ceremony was held at a lovely park in the City and conducted superbly by Jessica's Dad, Anton.  The reception was held at the Tamaki Yacht Club (right on the water).  Grace was very excited by the proceedings and now calls anyone dressed in white a bride!

Finally Christmas day arrived and we spent it with a wonderful group of friends.  Bridget Machine, from Varsity; Aurelia, Paolo, Carla and Dano Zatta (we were also at Varsity with Aurelia) and Orla, Andy and Aislinn Prest (from Ireland and the UK respectively but now living in NZ).  It was a total feast and a wonderful warm fellowship.  We have really been blessed with our friends in New Zealand!  I am sure you will be able to see this from the photographs. 

While Christmas Day itself was not too sunny, the 26th was great.  We managed to get down to the beach at about 16h00 and only got home at about 19h00 - Grace having eaten an entire ice cream cone by herself!

Christmas in New Zealand is characterized by the beautiful Pohutukawa trees
which begin to bloom around December.  I have fallen in love with these trees, which for me are very Kiwi - totally understated and gorgeous, warm and abundant at just the right time!

So, on that happy note, I will wish you all a very blessed Christmas and a fantastic New Year

We have now been in New Zealand for almost 18 months and enjoy it more and more every day.  We have met lots of warm, generous, welcoming Kiwi’s along with wonderful people from the UK, Australia, South Africa, Denmark, Peru – a veritable United Nations!!  It feels like we have been here for longer and I know that, if and when, another move comes up, we will be very, very sad to have to move on again.  But I suppose I would rather have it that way and know that we have made some very special friends.  There are no moves on the cards at this stage and Howard and I continue to debate when “taking the opportunity” will become something we decide not to do for a while.  We are very blessed to have so many fantastic options open to us but it does have its challenges.  No matter what though, we know we have been very lucky to have built such wonderful friendships in both Australia and New Zealand!

Grace is just too cute, having turned 2 on the 3rd of December.  She is a lovely, happy, independent, gentle, sociable little soul, with a good dose of 2-year-old tantrum, thrown in just to make sure we don’t get too complacent!!  I so wish you could all have been with us to see her “Butterfly” party in action.  It was chaos and we are suitably exhausted. Grace was thoroughly spoilt and we were very lucky to have the help of our wonderful friend Bridget to help with all of the preparations (we could not have done it without her!).  I have attached a few pictures for you to enjoy

I just cannot believe she’s two already.  I have learnt so much about Grace, myself and Howard over the past two years and they have been some of the happiest of my entire life.  I wouldn’t wish away one moment of her growing up but I am also very excited to see how we continue to grow and develop together, as a family.  I cannot imagine my life without Howard and Grace!

Our little girl is really good with words and mimics a lot.  She came out with words like “cappuccino” and “Pohutakawa” (a NZ tree) really early on – which was a great way to impress!!  She loves songs and nursery rhymes too and will happily sing you “Twinkle, twinkle little star” and “Happy Birthday” and “Shoshaloza”!  She’s also learnt quite a few Afrikaans words and some Xhosa, which Howard has been really good at teaching her.  Ooh and she loves reading.  When she wakes up in the morning the first thing she says is “Mommy read a book” and it’s the last thing she says at night too.  She prefers to choose her own books and generally wants to take at least one book to bed with her.  I have learnt not to let her take books with “soft pages” to bed as they tend not to survive the night very well.  With daylight saving now well underway (which means that it’s light till about 20h30) she entertains herself for quite a while up in her room, with her beloved books and little songs.  It’s lovely to know she is so happy and content with her own company.

Speaking of company, Grace also loves being around people and she’s nice to have around.  We started with a little Playgroup on a Friday morning, in about May and then in July, we started at Playcentre, which has been wonderful! We go to the St. Heliers/Glendowie Playcentre, which is set in Churchill Park, so we’re surrounded by greenery and beauty.  Grace loved it from the moment we got there.  At first she was mostly interested in the paints (which she got everywhere) and the swings.  We have now been there for nearly two terms and she has begun to really enjoy dressing up, imaginary play, baking and “having tea parties”.  She also loved the running races we had other day!  So, all in all she’s a happy “all rounder”.   She’s great at going to other adults for help if needed and she has a lovely gentle independence, which makes me so proud of her.  She is also noticing the other children and has a really lovely way of greeting them when they arrive – often accompanied by a hug - which also makes me so proud!  I have also learnt a lot at Playcenter too and have so enjoyed feeling part of the community.  I don’t know what we would do without it!

We have also been really lucky and have continued to see our Wednesday Coffee Group regularly.  They’re a lovely bunch of Mums and kids!

At the moment our lives are really full in the mornings, with our various activities and if we haven’t left the house by 09h00 Grace begins to say “get in the car” or “get in the pram” or “go to Playcentre”, so she enjoys being busy.  The afternoons are still for sleeping, which is good as I am able to get a few things done, but once she wakes she’s keen to be off again and we always have a walk to the beach or to the park.  I used to use that time to get a fast walk in for me and get some exercise but I am afraid those days are numbered as she now says “Gracie walk along a bit” as soon as we set off.  She inspects and comments on everything on our way.  She loves to smell flowers and pick the ones I will let her have, you she loves to say hello to the neighbourhood cats and going to the beach.  Grace especially loves going to the beach with her Dad (especially if he’s home early in the afternoon –which is great).

I know that Howard enjoys being with Grace very much too.  He wants to be part of our day.  He wants to be home to bath her and read to her and put her to bed, what a lucky little girl she is!  And he loves playing with her and seeing her explore things.  Watching Howard with Grace reminds me how important it is for her to have both of us in her life and to have us do things in our own way (though I still try to tell Howard to do it my way) but Grace loves the differences, I can tell! 

Last Friday evening, after her bath, Grace was playing with Howard on the bed and he asked her for a kiss on his forehead.  I wish I could capture those few moments, as she kissed him on his head and his eyes and his ears and his chin and his cheeks, forever.  What joy!

I know I seem to be waffling on about the details of your days but I want to capture these memories – it is such a happy time in our lives!

Howard continues to enjoy and succeed work-wise.  He has really enjoyed working with his team in NZ and I have enjoyed getting to know some of his work colleagues too.  He’s lucky to have a really great bunch to share his working day with!  As for me, I cannot believe how happy I am being a full-time “homemaker” (the new PC terms for “Mum”).  I still have flights of fancy that I would like to develop my own business too and I hope I get there in the next few years but for now I am happy with my priorities and think I am a happier person for it.

So, on that happy note, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and New Year.  My your angels be with you

Christine, Howard and Grace

PS:  If you have the time, please have a look at our August-November “stories” too to have a quick catch up on what we’ve been up to

November was a very busy month, the highlight of which was our trip to
Sydney in the second week of November to catch up with our friends in OZ.
We had a crazy week – full much food, wine and friends. 

We began with our annual Christmas Party – with Harvey, Emma and Rosco Jones and Tertia, John and Abigail Tyson.  We have now established this as a Christmas tradition and it’s just wonderful.  This year we were joined by
Kerry, Chris and Corbin Bahlmann, which was great.  The kids played a much
bigger part in this years festivities which made it all the more chaotic and
“Christmassy”.  The week then tumbled one day into another catching up with
friends (even Gail and Bryan Ashworth, who I had not seen since 1995/1996)
but it was lovely to see everyone.  I managed to catch up with my Sydney
Mother’s Group – always a hit and Grace enjoyed our annual “Kris Kringle”
with her first friends, in Sydney.  Howard managed to get a quick visit into
the office and also loved his day out on Harvey and Emma’s new boat!  Our
week ended with a wonderful sunny Aussie day on Balmoral beach where we were able to catch up with friends and enjoy one of Sydney’s fantastic beaches!

The month continued in a bit of a blur as Christmas and Grace’s 2nd birthday
approached faster than we could get our heads back from our Sydney whirlwind
tour…

October was a busy month in our house hold - especially as we had a 10 day
trip to Queenstown, South Island New Zealand planned for the end of October. It was really a fantastic trip but I'll tell you more as we go.

The month started with a full house as we played to host to Nicki, Michael
and Harrison Green - and Nicki's week-overdue bump!  It was a very exciting
week, filled with anticipation - countered only by Nicki's serenity in the
chaos around her!  Their little girl, Carmen, finally made her way into the
world in the early hours of Saturday 21 October - nine days late - a healthy
3740g!  It was all quite inspiring!  Carmen had also managed to arrive on the day we left for our trip to the South Island - so preparations were made amidst much excitement, happiness and relief! 

We flew into Queenstown, collected a car and made our way to Arrowtown - a
gorgeous "old world" village about 20 minutes from Queenstown proper.  It is
really a beautiful place and with spring in full bloom it was even more inspiring.  We spent out first night in a lovely B&B but managed to ensure
they would not be inviting us back by using all their linen and towels as
Grace developed "Rotor Virus" and we ended up with vomit everywhere every
hour on the hour! 

For those of you who haven't heard of "Rotor Virus" it is actually quite a
dangerous thing for littlies to get - as dehydration can set in quickly.
For those who have dealt with it before - you'll know that vomit only every
hour is actually quite good and you'll be wondering what we were complaining about?!  Suffice to say that we left a pile of laundry behind.  Poor little thing, she really wasn't well!  Funny thing about Grace though, she's really quite happy - as long as she's not vomiting.  So, we spent the next few days wondering whether she was over it and then having another "episode" - but nothing as bad as our first night! 

Looking back at the pictures I can see how awful she felt - you will be able
to see this too!  So the first few days of our much anticipated holiday were
less than idyllic but they were still set in one of the most beautiful
places on earth.  With Arrowtown setting the "bar" pretty high, we were
astounded by the beauty of Queenstown and its surrounds.  We wished we had had three weeks there - at least - but here are some of the fun things we
did:

We spent an afternoon aboard the TSS Earnslaw which takes you on a
"nostalgic cruise of beautiful Lake Wakatipu" (the lake at Queenstown).  The
Earnslaw is the oldest steam ship in the South Hemisphere (I think that's
what they said) and takes you across the lake to Walter Peak High Country
Farm. We chose the "afternoon tea" option which meant that we had a tour of
the farm (including a sheep dog and sheep shearing show - always fun!) and a lovely tea with scones and "pikelets" (Kiwi name for crumpets).  Grace slept
through the whole thing except the sheep shearing - which she enjoyed.  She
thought it was great that the sheep was also having a haircut!!

With a not too well baby, we spent most evenings at "home" but ours days
were full and exciting.  We took a trip up the Skyline Gondola to one of the
peaks above the town itself.  I thought I would be brave enough to Skydive
(tandem) from the top but I turned out to be the chicken I had anticipated!
However, Howard and I did enjoy going on the "luge" (fast go-cart) track at
the top.  We also had a lovely walk around the Botanical Gardens which were
in full bloom with Camelia's and Rhododendrons and Tulips and lush green
lawns.  Oupa would have been in his element! 

We spent a day driving across to Wanaka (a pretty ski town about an hour
from Queenstown).  The views were magnificent and we even got to play in
some end-of-season snow.  We had a wonderful afternoon at Puzzling World in Wanaka - full of "mind bending" puzzles of every kind!  We stopped at the
historic Cardrona Hotel on our way back and soaked up the atmosphere and a lovely dinner.  Wanaka and the surrounds need more time but we loved our
first taste of them!

The next day we set off for Ta Anau - Gateway to Fiordland.  Ta Anau is a
small, pretty place about two and a half hours from Queentsown.  It’s a
great place to base yourself if you're planning to see Milford Sound or
spend some time walking in Fiordland.  We decided to go to Doubtful Sound
instead of Milford - for various reasons but the main ones being our still
not so well (though on the mend) little girl and advice of local Kiwi's.
Doubtful Sound is less well known and therefore less populated and it should be on top of the list of "Things to see before you die"!  It's totally,
awe-inspiringly magnificent!

We took a tour to see the Sound - I think it's pretty much the only way to
see it from the land side.  The tour took us across Lake Manapouri (one of
the most beautiful in NZ - which is saying something); Then across the
fairly treacherous Wilmot Pass - built to service a pretty amazing
hydro-electric power station (which we saw later on in he tour) and then
onto Doubtful Sound for 3 hours of beauty!  I sound quite "ga-ga" and so I
should be.  Words and even pictures aren't enough to do Doubtful Sound
justice - you've just got to see it for yourself. 

My favourite part of the holiday was the 5 minutes when the Captain switched
off the engines and everyone sat quietly and soaked up Mother Nature.  The
really amazing part was that Grace - who managed to sleep for almost the
full 3 hours - didn't break the silence either!!

We spent another day in Te Anau - just going for walks and having a quiet
day and the set off back to Queenstown. 

Thinking our little girl was now well mended we stopped in Queenstown to
enjoy a pizza at "Winnies" the famous pizza spot with the roof that opens
up!  Grace loved the pizza and so did Howard and I.  But the fun didn't end
there, nope, Pizza is not something that should be fed to little girls
(especially if they are just getting over a horrid virus).  Suffice to say,
our last evening - also spent in Arrowtown was a fairly sleepless and very
mucky one too!! 

Aside from the obvious unhappiness of a little girl who's not feeling her
best, I can honestly say that Queenstown is a brilliant holiday destination.
If you get the chance to get there, take it and spend as much time there as
you have!  If you don't get the chance - make it!

We were back in Auckland for 5 nights and jetted off to Sydney for our
annual Christmas party... so now you can see why October was such a busy
month!

August saw Howard off to Turkey again for a training course.  He was gone
for about 10 days - which is a hell of a way to got for just 10 days!  He stopped off in Shanghai on his way and had a debaucherous weekend with John de Villiers in London.  All in all though it was a good trip which he enjoyed.  Grace and I took the opportunity to go away too and spent a lovely - but rather chilly weekend - with Kylie, Steven and their "brood"!

This batch of pictures also includes a few gorgeous pics of our little "Gracie Gilmour"(as she calls herself) in some of the wonderful outfits sent by Granny Tinka (Howard's Mum).  Both the raincoat and the jersey were put to good use as the winter drew to a slow close.  The raincoat, in particular, was a big hit with Grace who spent most of her time telling her parents what all of the pictures on it were "Butterfly", "Flower" "Bunna" (her word for button). 

The jersey was a "trolly stopper"!  We were stopped in the super market to
be told what a beautiful girl she was and what a beautiful jersey it was!!
When I took it off her she said "Gracie lovely jersey" - so I knew she'd heard the compliments!

Her special words for August included: "golly gosh" - vast improvement to
her mothers alternative's to "golly gosh"!  She also discovered that asking
for a hug or a kiss would get her Mum to stop doing whatever she was busy
doing.  I finally wised up to the fact that she is "just using me" and using
these little "love distractions" to avoid having her face wiped, nappy
changed, etc...

We also had a lovely long weekend away in Rotarua which is a geothermal area mid North Island (read - "hot springs on steroids").  Anyhow, it was quite
interesting although it rained a lot!  Having had a rather harrowing night
drive to Rotarua on the Friday, on Saturday we did a bit of sight seeing and
then spent about 3 hours in some spa pools (called the Polynesian Spa)
overlooking Lake Rotarua.  Our little girl slept in her pram for the better
part of two hours and joined us for the last hour in the water.  She loved
it and we only got out because she was beginning to make loud - and rather
embarrassing - remarks about our fellow bathers!

We decided to have a bite to eat at the little café in the Polynesian Spa
complex.  When Grace threw a tantrum shouting "Gracie want some chips" and pointing wildly at the man sitting next to her trying to enjoy a good
plateful of Kiwi style "slap chips", we knew it was time to get her home!
Just as an aside, the man was quite happy to share his chips with Grace and
gave us some great travel tips - aren't the kiwi's great!

On Sunday, it absolutely bucketed down, so we went to the "Agrodome" - which had "nogal" been recommended (by the man with the chips)!  I couldn't
believe my eyes! It's a whole complex devoted to "farm animal shows".  As
proof, I have attached a pic of Howard and Grace at the Sheep Show... Only
in New Zealand!! 

Grace was not very interested in the photo opp' and was far more interested
in the fake flowers on the front of the stage than the big sheep and obedient sheep dogs!  Unfortunately her growing self awareness also means that picture taking is no longer a one sided affair and now we have to review the results together.  This not only rakes a lot longer but also means that she no longer smiles sweetly and lets me get a great pic. Mostly, she is taking to me, wanting to see the pics and wanting to hold the camera so, none of these are award winning shots (sorry Phil) but at least they will keep you up to date with how she is growing!

Grace does not stop talking, from the moment she opens her eyes till she closes them to go to sleep at night, she’s EXTREMELY chatty!!  Think she gets that from her father’s side!  She has picked up some very endearing little mannerisms / sayings like saying “thanks” when I give her something she wants or “sorry” when she is trying to get past me to get something.  Our mutual delight at understanding each other when she repeats “brush, brush, brush” in the bath and I finally realize she is wanting me to pass her the tooth brush is too wonderful.  She says things like “Grace lie down” when I want to give her her “muti” and greets the cat when she enters saying “meow kit kat”. 

She is generally pretty easy but can throw an award winning tantrum when you’re least expecting it and has a totally disconcerting habit of banging her head on the floor (very hard) or pulling her own hair to vent her frustration.  This can be truly awful to watch but I am trying to have a sense of humour when the need arises.  It’s also a sure way of not letting me ignore the tantrum. I just don’t have the strength to let her do that without intervening.  So, I will have to think of something clever to deal with these little hiccups.  The really tricky times are when she protests terribly at being put into the pram or into her car seat or high chair.  She usually saves these little surges of venom for public places – she really prefers an audience.  Of course the “I’m a bad mother” trick works really well most times and I just leave her for a while or carry her and push the bloody pram for kilometers.  The other day however, I had a very kind Mum stop to help.  Initially I reacted with irritation, waiting for someone to give me a good parenting lecture.  I was mildly amused when the lady said she was just stopping to offer to help me force Grace into her pram.  It felt quite weird thanking a complete stranger for helping you to torture your child!

We have eventually joined a playgroup – we had been waiting for nearly 6 months to get a spot.  Its’ just a little community playgroup held on a Friday morning and they have play dough and paints and crafts and all sorts of things for the little people to explore.   Grace is  completely comfortable with new environment and hardly even notices whether I am there or not.  I basically let her do her own thing except when she doesn’t move away from the “morning tea” tables, even when all the food is gone!  She is eating everything in sight at the moment and her nappy is telling the sorry tale of her exploits.  Not fun for the one who has to change them.  These are strong enough to peel paint off the walls!

She’s generally very happy to be left with other people and is easy with other kids.  She’s not too possessive but does tend to fight back if she really likes a particular toy.  She loves dancing and will often bop up and down in the car seat if there’s a nice song on the radio.  If I switch the radio off she says “more sing, more sing”!  We have a little “Music and Movement” group on Monday and most days she dances happily, right in the middle of the circle and delights at getting the musical instruments to work.  This really is a lovely age.

So, the holiday of April and May followed the holiday month of March – isn’t it great to be able to travel with your job (hee, hee)!!  And we found ourselves trying to fit in as many people and places that we love in what felt like a terribly short time – at least for us.  I can’t say the same for poor Howard who languished away on his own in far off New Zealand!   

Our trip to SA began with a week in Sydney where we managed to catch up with the girls from my Sydney Mothers Group and their gorgeous children.  I have such an interest in the little people I first met when Grace was born and it is just wonderful to see how they have all developed and grown.  We also had a heap of admin to get done and tried to fit in visits with as many people as we could cram into our time there - bearing the baby-schedule in mind. 

It was then off to JHB where we spent 4 days recovering from a 14 hour flight during which my child screamed inconsolably for 10 hours.  It was totally awful. 

Kirsten and I then got back onto a plane, with our respective babies, for an hours flight to Durban.  We managed to get through that okay but the 10 days of South Coast bliss which followed could not have been more welcome!  Mum, Shorty, Kirsten, Connor, Grace and I had a wonderful break.  The little house was just perfect and pretty baby-proof and we were literally across the road from the beach.  Grace LOVED the rock pools and it was a delight to see my Mum so enjoying her grandchildren.  We were also really lucky to have my Grandfather (my Mum's Dad) join us for a few days.  It was very special having him there.

We returned to JHB for 3 days and I left again for Cape Town.  I spent two and a half weeks there and you would think that would have given me enough time to see at least a good number of friends and family but while we managed to see quite a few people, we really didn't have enough time.  It's the story of my life at the moment.  It just isn't possible to see all the people you know and love in 6 weeks - and that is always what I try to do.  So I end up feeling a little tired and frustrated after a few weeks away.  But I still wouldn't swop it for the world!

We ended up having only 10 days in JHB - at the end of the trip - most of which I spent rushing around trying to get banking and other tedious admin sorted out and then succumbing to a horrid tummy bug which had both Grace and I and poor Kirsten and Connor laying very low for a few days.  In fact it was a little touch and go as to whether we would even fly out on our intended date as we (Grace and I) were still at the vomiting stage!  In retrospect we shouldn't have flown the flights are just too harrowing to do when you are not well, not to mention the risk to other passengers.  But we had been gone for a long time and I was quite keen to get "home".  In addition I just felt too bad leaving my bachelor husband alone any longer. 

I must add however that Howard was not completely alone while we were away.  He had a lovely visit from Winston and Siobhan Churchill – from Coffs Harbour NSW and then he had a great trip to Turkey.  The latter was work related but he and Craig Cotton, a colleague from the NZ business seemed to have a ball.  I’ve included some pictures of their time there.  He was also really lucky and was invited out a lot by lots of lovely friends in Auckland, so he didn’t feel too neglected.

Frustration of too little time and too much to do aside, we had a wonderful time in South Africa and most importantly Grace’s Granny’s and Grandpa’s, Aunties and Uncles and friends were able to see her and will have some wonderful memories of her as a toddler.  It’s very hard being so far away from home and knowing that the people I love are missing out on this wonderful time with our Grace but we are happy here and I suppose that makes up for a lot.

March was a big month!  We celebrated our 5^th wedding anniversary in the first week and then prepared for the arrival of Howard’s Mum, Stephanie and her husband Ed.  This was only the 2^nd time Ed had ever traveled overseas and everyone was nervously anticipating the trip.  Suffice to say he handled it like a champion! They were with us for just over three weeks and made the most of their time here, including getting up to The Bay of Islands – all on their own.  Howard took a week off in their last week with us and we all went off to Whangapoua (pronounced fanagapoua) in the Coromandel which is a beautiful peninsula about 3 hours drive (but not nearly that far in km’s) from Auckland.  We really enjoyed staying in our little “batch” (the Kiwi term for a holiday cottage) and exploring a little.  We went to Hot Water Beach one day but were too late to enjoy digging ourselves a little hole in the sand and letting the hot springs bubble about us.  It was beautiful though, so the trip was still worth while.  We also did a little exploring of Coromandel Town itself.  It’s a lovely little place with quaint shops and gallaries etc and a great “scenic railway”.  The “Driving Creek Railway” was built by a local potter (ex-Science Teacher) initially to extract terracotta clay from the mountainside.  Once he got up there he realized the tourist possibilities and so, we were able to enjoy the views too.  Grace loved the trip and had a great time with her Granny Tinka and Edgar.

We had a close call getting Steph and Ed off to the airport, I was calling to confirm them of their flight for the Tuesday afternoon (on Monday morning) only to discover that their flight was actually on the Monday afternoon.  After very hasty packing, we hopped in the car and raced off to the airport.  The good thing was that no one really had time to get too sad and then they were off!  Grace and I followed hot on their heels as we set off for our 7 weeks away – a few days in Sydney and then to South Africa – only 3 days later.

I was not nearly as organized in February and had to look at the pictures and see what we were up to! 

I know that the weather was just beautiful and that the daylight saving made a world of difference to my day as I still had sunlight to enjoy after doing the baby dinner and bed time thing.  Day light saving does however tend to make for late nights - which is not good with a 14 month old.  We also had a stunning long weekend at Waiheke Island with friends Michael, Nicki and Harrison Green who have moved across there from Auckland.  Waiheke is only a 30 minute ferry trip from Auckland and it feels like another world.  It’s an idyllic spot with its own micro climate and intriguing mix of the “Rich and Famous” and Hippies right out of a 60’s time warp.  We love it there and hope to spend more time there during the year.  Waiheke also boasts some really beautiful little protected bays, so we swam all weekend!  Grace and I were in the water for nearly an hour at one point – just wading about and enjoying it.  Paradise right on our doorstep!

At some point in the month, Grace and I joined Georgina, Brett and Sam Gerrad at the Devonport Wine Festival.  Devonport is a gorgeous little area tucked into a pocket of the NorthShore of Auckland.  Its is also more easily accessible by ferry – so that’s what we opted for!  There are some cute pics from that day out.  Grace went to sleep under a tree for over 3 hours – with all the revelry around her she was in heaven!

We also has quite a few investigations done to determine whether Grace’s slower uptake of the walking thing was anything to worry about.  We eventually saw a Pediatric Neuro-Surgeon (or something like that) at Auckland’s Starship hospital a few days after she had happily hopped onto her pins.  Safe to say it was more a case of a laid back personality than anything physical.  Think she must get that personality from me!!

These were a few of my thoughts jotted down hurriedly somewhere in January, with the intention of coming back and putting them into some sort of story.  Now, 6 months on, I’ve decided to leave them in their “raw” state – they paint a lovely picture all on their own.

I have fun every day!!  Wish I had done this sooner!!

You should have seen how much sand she ate on the beach this afternoon!!  She’s going to be like a concrete machine tomorrow morning!  Think I’ll line her up next to one of the building sites and save them some time!

She now makes it very clear when she wants to eat something – pointing and saying “yummy, yummy, yum” – very clearly.  Unfortunately she has now also taken to doing this while pointing to my boobs!!  Have to start weaning!!

To top it off, I left her nappy off for two minutes yesterday evening as she cruised about the garden.  When I got to her she was merrily smudging her little "surprise" into the wooden deck with her right foot...

How the hell are you supposed to deal with that and not give your child a complete complex about her bowel movements?  I am afraid she may be scared for life after my reaction but, frankly, so am I, so we're even.

Enjoy intellectual grime while you can... babies are not for the faint hearted or clean hand!!  But they do come with up sides that corporate just will never have!

The only draw back of Grace’s birthday was that I felt awful.  I had battled with a cold for quite a while and by Sunday 4^th I couldn’t move!  I really didn’t feel well at all which was made doubly awful by the fact that Grace and I should have left for Sydney on that day.  Suffice to say I laid low for a few days and we eventually left on Tuesday 6 December.  We had planned to be in Sydney to celebrate Christmas with Harvey, Emma, and Rosco, Tertia, John and Abigail and Sheila and Andre, the celebration happened on Saturday the 10^th and was a real feast.  We have been getting together to celebrate Christmas for the last 3 years and I hope it is a tradition which will continue for a long time.  The babies were all very cute together keeping us fully entertained and occupied.  Howard managed to make it over for 3 nights but it really wasn’t enough time for either of us.  The problem is that we now face the same dilemma as we have in South Africa – too many friends - isn’t that a blessed curse!  We tried to see a few people but with my still feeling quite under the weather it was not possible to see half of those we wanted to see. 

 We did however manage to be at the Sydney Mothers Group “1^st birthday / 1^st Christmas” party – which was fantastic.  I couldn’t believe how much all of the babies had changed – some of them beyond recognition!  Lucky they were all paired with the right mothers so I was able to fit names to the right babies.  While the kids had changed significantly, I am very happy to report that I hardly felt like I had been away.  It was just lovely to see all the Mum’s that I had bonded with so well after Grace was born.  A very special group of people!

 We also managed to have a day on Coogee Beach with Tertia and Abi.  It was very cute watch Grace and Abi eat as much sand as they possibly could and Tert’ and I managed a bit of a catch up.  The beach was fantastic – real Aussie summer!  By Monday it was back to Auckland where the Christmas celebrations continued! 

 While we missed our family over the festive season we didn’t have any time to dwell on it as we socialized our way through it!  We were invited to a Danish family on the 23^rd – called “Little Christmas”, then we had a few other “Christmas Orphans” over for a celebration on the 24^th, then off the Zatta’s for the 25^th and finally back to our place for Boxing Day.  It was certainly “eat drink and be merry in Auckland!”

 In between all the eating and drinking we had a lovely visit from Kylie, Steve and the twins.  We managed to play outside in the paddle pools on most days and otherwise just lazed about and relaxed.  Howard didn’t take any time off but was able to come home at a relatively decent hour and enjoy the party.  The twins are too gorgeous and are really developing their own little personalities.  Grace loved the company and so did I!

 We saw New Year in at the Zatta’s again – what would we have done without their ready-made family – and settled into the beginning of 2006.

 All in all the year ended on a very high note.  We are so enjoying living in Auckland and have found the Kiwi’s so warm and welcoming.  We live just 5 minutes from the beach and have a holiday feel about our everyday lives which is just wonderful.  Grace continues to delight us and we are very aware of how blessed we are with so many people in the world to love and who love us!

My focus for the start of December was, of course our little girls 1^st birthday.  Grace turned 1 on 3 December. 

 We were very, very lucky to have a wonderful group of friends help us celebrate.  I went quite dilly on the “pink and frilly” theme but I figure God gave me a girl for a reason, so I may as well enjoy it until she is able to tell me she really prefers black!  I went through a little angst as the pressure of the first birthday cake loomed but eventually decided I would not let it phase me.  I had no idea that a few friends had noted my angst and stepped into the gap.  So, Grace had 3 fantastic birthday cakes for her first birthday – lucky baby!  She was an angel throughout the day and was really excited with all of the pressies.  And she got some fantastic pressies including a full “beach outfit” – complete with a sparkly pink cossie, pink peak cap, towel, bucket, suntan lotion; a wonderful Beatrix Potter “touch and feel” book – just perfect for her; a singing kiwi; a yellow see saw which has been used constantly since then; and lots and lots of other fantastic pressies.

 It is quite amazing how new things stimulate these little people.  One of the pressies was an Old Macdonald toy which has the farmer and a few noisy friends all sitting in a tractor singing the inevitable tune.  Just a few days later, Grace was singing along, loudly dotting the song with “E I E I O” which sounded more like “aiyayai” (little old Yiddish lady style), it is too cute to hear it!