Sweeney's Mama

In the Summertime

2012-01-24T22:29:00.002+13:00

Sweeney and I spent a few weeks in Christchurch with Nana over Christmas. We went on a horse trek. We erected a Christmas tree that reminded me of Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. We ate trifle and chips and dip and Christmas mince pies. Sweeney had a rad time with his bubble machine and his major lego haul. We experienced some whomping Christchurch earthquakes. We hung out with Christchurch

Remake/Remodel

2011-10-29T21:21:00.002+13:00

I wanted to make morning tea for the team I'm leaving behind at work. I made them orange and sultana scones, and chocolate brownie. If you read the KitchenMaid blog, you'll see that her recipe is based on some legendary scones around town. I'd not heard of them until I read her post. Then I had dinner with a bunch of gals, most of whom were locals to the cafes where these scones come from, and

Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win

2011-10-25T21:47:00.000+13:00

Sweeney's fresh back from two weeks in Christchurch with his Nana. Sounds to me like they had a fabulous time - reading books, watching Fantasia a bunch of times, gardening, going for outings, chatting, eating delicious food, and on and on and on ... Meanwhile, I was here in Wellington, indulging in time to myself, which usually took the form of looking at things in shops on the way home from

It's Oh So Quiet

2011-10-13T20:32:00.000+13:00

Sweeney and I went to Christchurch on Saturday, to see his Nana. At his request, we spent a bit of Sunday at "the twisted bridge", that runs between Avonside Drive and River Road. For whatever reason, he really digs that bridge. It was a lovely weekend. Apart from a terrible incident at the Northlands mall, involving a balloon animal in the shape of a motorbike, a rubbish bin and a boy with

Never Never

2011-10-02T17:39:00.000+13:00

Bed's made. Books are where they're supposed to be. Shoes are on the rack, clothes are in the drawers. Cars are put away. The floor is clear. Even the planes have been detangled on the mobile. So where is the little hero who managed all of this today?? He's spraying the sunroom with lego now. Oh well, we can clean that room up tomorrow ...

Little Star

2011-09-26T14:14:00.000+13:00

What Sweeney's been doing for the last while - highlights ... Caught some considerable snow action up the Rimutakas Had a wicked time at the skate park with Bela Stayed in Wellington while his mum and Nana were caught in the snow in Christchurch Was awestruck with Harper at the Observatory Made inarrpopriate use of the big gun outside the Observatory Stunned

Chemistry

2011-09-24T20:10:00.000+12:00

Did you know that this is the Year of Chemistry?? No?? Well, it is. And to celebrate, the Royal Society are behind a project called Knit the Periodic Table. Yes, you read that right. A bunch of us needle wielders have knitted a square each. Mine's Uranium. I chose it. Here it is, at top right, with a bunch of other great elements ....Aren't they great?? I'm looking forward to seeing it all put

Wonderful Life

2011-07-15T21:47:00.000+12:00

Yes, I've been off the air, but here's a quick catch-up on Things Sweeney from the last three weeks:Sweeney turned five; He had a Last Day party at EIK, and bid his preschool friends adieu. Don't get me wrong - he didn't actually say "adieu"; He had a party at home, with some friends and family. The weather was not only fine and warm, it was finer and warmer than was forecasted; He and Blessing

C is for Cookie

2011-06-19T21:31:00.000+12:00

Sweeney's packed in a swag of preschool-grade goofing off into his last weekend as a four-year-old:ran and jumped and clambered with Bela; played something noisy and shouty and very, very active with Aariz; went to a climbing wall with Joe and Kimberley; helped me make sourdough, and fish and leek pie; took about three years to tidy his room. By which I mean, empty most of what was in his room

The Pancake Song

2011-06-12T19:36:00.001+12:00

-remember all the good times we had together? -what times? -the time we had those pancakes? -pancakes? eggs, milk and flour, pancake power,look at his milky yellow sunshine faceflip it now flip it good ooflip it now flip it good oosome are salt some are sweet some are fruit some are meat the time we used the chiveit really came alive!edible frisbies springtime tuesday i like to boogie. Yes,

Long Weekend

2011-06-06T22:47:00.002+12:00

Check out what Kimberley's been doing. She's like, a traveller again. She brought me back some maple syrup and an extraordinary tea towel. Chuffed. In other travel news, I carted Sweeney and Harper to Christchurch for a long weekend at their Nana's. We met up with Kimberley at the airport, and set off for three days of hanging out with our mum and watching the boys goof off. We explored about the

I Love the Dough

2011-05-31T20:18:00.003+12:00

My friend Paul is a bit of a clever clogs when it comes to making bread. He gave me a sourdough starter of my own. Then he gave me another one when I killed that first one. And he didn't make a single unkind comment about my neglectful ways, or anything. He's that nice.Dagnabbit if I don't learn a lesson every once in a while. I've not only kept it alive, but I've also actually produced a loaf

On Saturday Afternoons

2011-05-28T19:29:00.000+12:00

Winter afternoons in my bedroom are beautiful. So I was looking forward to a spot of this for a few hours today, what with Music 101 on, and all ...Instead, this happened ... and then I just embraced it and we got through most of this cool plane ...

(His) Favourite Things

2011-05-22T21:06:00.005+12:00

What a mission this week was ... Sweeney's preschool was flooded out and stayed closed for three days; Sweeney's grandad spent three nights in hospital with severe bellyache; Sweeney popped into work with me for 11.4 minutes and provided us all with visual confirmation of what Running Rampant actually means. Also Gleeful Shrieking and Telling Your Mother's Boss Secret Things About Her;

Heroes

2011-05-10T22:17:00.001+12:00

Good lord, I so often forget just how completely ace David Bowie was. I'm sure he's still ace, but I'm not bothered so much now. But I can't go past a good bit of Bowie / Eno / Visconti. Peter Gabriel, too. I just watched videos of Heroes and Sledgehammer, is why I'm thinking of this.In other news, I've been rearranging my bedroom. I read an article recently about the psychological harm it can

Sparkle Me

2011-05-09T20:53:00.000+12:00

Oh yes, check out my bling. Sorry, it's a terrrrrible picture, but I don't know how to make the Finepix do justice to the new jewels.Anyone who's ever actually seen Actual Me will know that this is not my usual style of earwear, but this is what Sweeney chose for me for Mother's Day. He asked me to wear them to work this morning, and was chuffed when I put them on.I was chuffed that they didn't

Sometimes It Rains In April

2011-05-01T08:09:00.001+12:00

See ya, April!! You were a pretty good month, not that I can remember terribly much in detail about you. Highlights include, but are not limited to:kicked off the month with a fab weekend with ladies; finished the month with two of those ladies, another one of my fave ladies, and their fine families; saw Sweeney's grandad off for a sojourn in hippie paradise; went to a party in an enormous, posh

Taking the Rest of the Day Off

2011-04-27T21:58:00.000+12:00

Sweeney and I cut school and work today - a mixture of horrendous cough-sounds, torrential rain, freaky coldness and the delightful prospect of a day spent just cruising at home all combined to make that decision this morning. We made biscuits. They were delicious; We discussed what each half of an oval is called when you cut an oval in half; Sweeney learnt a tough lesson about what happens when

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

2011-04-16T07:54:00.000+12:00

Have you seen this my-own-child-fest going on over at Kimberley's?? Makes my heart swell, I can tell you. In other news, a woman I know had her twins last week, and one of them didn't make it. They knew he wouldn't make it, from pre-natal scans and all, but ... She sent through photos of him, and the birth in general, yesterday. Of course he was beautiful, just like his sister, and he lived for

Miles Away

2011-04-07T07:14:00.001+12:00

March was a bit of a hell month. Work was all about getting 15-odd people over the line by the 31st, getting the hang of a new boss and not going completely mental in the process. Weekends were all about a gajillion actvities, obligations and chores, and not going completely mental in the process. The last half of the month, I hardly saw Sweeney, except to bark orders and wrangle him into yet

Going to the Zoo

2011-04-06T19:28:00.000+12:00

Sweeney and I went to the zoo. The otters were a no-show, the penguin looked miserable. One of the giraffes did a giant wee in front of us and that made Sweeney's day. A giraffe, a minute after weeing ... The wild dogs were in the Nest having their ears flushed, so not prowling-prowling-prowling like they usually do. A tiger, typically asleep The gibbons were great, but about a million

Island Life

2011-03-20T20:58:00.000+13:00

We went to Kapiti Island today. If you don't know, Kapiti Island is a nature reserve, just a wee ferry ride off Paraparaumu Beach. It's known for its awesome bird life. I'm very fond of certain native birds, so I was pretty excited to show them to Sweeney. We went to the North End, because the terrain is easier for the littl'uns. I think the next time I go there with Sweeney, he'll be at least

Time to Pretend

2011-03-20T00:35:00.005+13:00

Just in from MGMT. What an ace show, what with the lights and the sound and the tunes and all. And I was in excellent company, what with the Ruth and the John and the Lee. And the Student Union was all refurbished and flash, with Jamesons on offer even, and the place jam-packed with well-groomed young things. Orientation gigs are a whole world away from in my day. Admittedly, my day was about 3

Sunday Song

2011-03-14T20:16:00.001+13:00

Ordinarily, I have no reason to wear platforms in the forest ... Fantastic Mr Fox breakfast - French toast and blueberry smoothies Some O'Neill family chaps with the O'Neill family bike Sweeney with his full set of cousins.

Here Comes the Sun(flower)

2011-03-05T21:43:00.000+13:00

Check out our sunflowers!! Sweeney's Grandad nurtured these fine specimens from seed. They're on the wane now, though, and birds have harvested a swag of the seeds already. But they've given us, and all the people who walk past the house every day, a blast at just how huge and happy-looking they are. Sweeney's appointed himself Minister of Watering.In other news, it feels like summer is truly on

House Quake

2011-02-23T20:18:00.000+13:00

Usually, I'd be kind of chuffed that little old Christchurch had made it onto the front page of the New York Times. Not so much today. I looked back at my post about the September earthquakes, and I'm ashamed at my glibness. Who gives a fig about buildings and nostalgia?? I just care that my mum's okay, and all our friends and whanau are okay. We're so lucky. Read this.When you get power back on,

Hot 'n' Cold

2011-02-20T20:21:00.002+13:00

Cold:Sweeney not having nearly enough sleep last night, refusing to eat his breakfast, not listening to what I say yada yada yada all day; me not being in the mood for patience with any of that stuff today; finding that Hataitai's fabulous fish and chip shop has burnt down; finding that Newtown's fabulous fish and chip shop doesn't open on Sundays; forgetting my gluten free-ness when Maria

Pizza Pie

2011-02-13T22:04:00.000+13:00

Check out Sweeney and Blessing giving their lunch two thumbs up today. Albeit in a non-committal kind of way. Actually, more of a could've-done-without-it kind of way. What's with them??It's a crustless pizza, from Kitchen. I think it's delicious, and it's easy, and it was ready within 45 minutes of me cracking the first egg. Three thumbs up, in my book. I doubled the quantity, used some

The Doctor Is In

2011-02-11T14:12:00.000+13:00

I've been having myself seen to, and am feeling rather splendid that it's over. The procedure itself was no big deal. They do a lot of them, the doctor told me, and they get through them pretty quickly. Normally you're out the same day. I would've been out the same day if I hadn't had to wait for seven months for the procedure - in that time the single polyp had grown enormous, and my body had

In Bloom

2011-02-09T20:51:00.000+13:00

Look what I found this morning ... This is my San Pedro. I dragged this cactus around with me in a pot when I was young and nomadic, and planted it for good when we bought this place aeons ago. It's really kind of huge now. A few weekends ago, to make space for more vege, I dug out the other two specimens I've been cultivating, as well as a related-but-not-nearly-so-awesome cactus, and took them

Paris is Burning

2011-02-02T20:37:00.000+13:00

Hey, I went to Laneway festival last night with Liisa. Great night. We had a few drinks, some halloumi salad, ran into people we knew about the place. The music was just about all unfamiliar to me, but it was amazing. It was so unfamiliar to me that I thought that it was all New Zealand bands, but no, only Ladyhawke was from around here. I think I liked her the best of all. She might be wee, but

They Say It's Your Birthday (Next Week)

2011-01-31T21:15:00.001+13:00

Sunday morning. Woke up, got up, made coffee and toast, shlepped around the kitchen and garden for a bit. Watched a Psychedelic Furs video from about a million years ago. Mixed this up and bunged it in the oven. It turned out brown. Just right for a chocolate cake. After breakfast, Sweeney helped me knock out some ninjabread men from this healthsome recipe. They turned out brown, too. Just right

Corn With the Wind

2011-01-22T14:37:00.002+13:00

I'm an inconsistent gardener, to be sure. But growing broad beans and finding that they actually don't make me gag blew me away and inspired me to continue my half-arsed efforts in the soil. A few evenings ago, Sweeney helped me to plant some corn seedlings for a late harvest. I read my Yates Garden Guide and it told me that corn and beans do really well together, so I planted them in amongst

Pay It Forward

2011-01-17T22:03:00.005+13:00

I promise something handmade to the first five people who leave a comment here. To be eligible, you must repost this message, offering something handmade to five other people. The rules are that it must be handmade by you, and it must be sent to your five giftees some time in 2011. Ready, Set, Go!!!(via Frangipani & Green Valley Crafts, & Meet Me at Mike's)Be sure to leave an email address ...

She's In Parties

2011-01-14T18:38:00.007+13:00

First up, Happy Birthday to my mum, Sweeney's Nana!! And to the several hundred other members of our extended family who share her birthday with her. It's the same day as Al Capone's birthday, but that's another story ...Kimberley, the lads and myself went down to see her for a few days this week. The garden looks great - lots of fuschias for the boys to pop, red dahlias for me to covet, and a

Monster

2011-01-09T16:03:00.009+13:00

Things I didn't know this time last week:Sweeney likes coleslaw;I can feel more tired than I did at the end of last year;Sweeney is mysteriously familiar with KFC and its range of products;You should lightly oil the pan that you're baking your pie in;Eta lite mayonnaise is actually rather acceptable.Okay, it's not much of a list. It's been a slow week. Or maybe I've forgotten a bunch of stuff I

Take A Picture

2011-01-06T19:01:00.011+13:00

I see from a quick look at other people's blogs this evening, that there's a bit of summing up of Awesome Craft Behaviour from 2010. I'm not doing that. It'd be showing the same knitting pattern made repeatedly, sometimes not even in different wool, and even I, with my high threshold for boredom, recognise that that's not so interesting. And I just can't quite get the hang of how to make my

New Year's Day

2011-01-01T21:05:00.007+13:00

Sweeney and I capped off 2010 with a wee campout with some great friends. It was Sweeney's first time in an actual sleeping-over-in-the-outdoors tent, and it was his first chance to use his Hot Wheels sleeping bag in anger. It worked perfectly.Camping for short periods is a good opportunity to clear out a few leftovers from the fridge. In this case, we took some things I've been knocking up from

Bumper 2010

2010-12-27T14:31:00.005+13:00

What did you do in 2010 that you've never done before??Wore platform-type wedge-ish shoes. Became aware of my thyroid. Saw a 3D movie. Had my hair coloured.Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year??2010 was all about recovering from the car crash that was 2009, with a couple of super-stressful exams thrown in. 2011 will be about building further on that -

Block Party

2010-12-26T19:42:00.005+13:00

Ahhh, Boxing Day. According to something I read today, it's the one day on which it's acceptable to eat trifle for breakfast. I love trifle for breakfast any day of the year. Unfortunately the trifle I fancy is something that only my Mum makes. It's nothing like anything I've ever encountered anywhere else, except when my Nana was alive and she would make it. The unfortunate thing is that my Mum

Smitten for the Mitten

2010-12-16T19:53:00.004+13:00

I joined in with a Christmas ornament swap. I've never done one before, and I was a bit intimidated by other people's efforts to start off with. Then I had a couple of false starts, a few u-turns.And then I tried making some teensy-tiny mittens. Not very New Zealand, I know, but what the hey. Then, when I was faced with a pile of ten of them, they just looked kind of utilitarian and I was a

Tell Me Why

2010-12-13T20:15:00.008+13:00

Does my child choose to leave the house and enter society looking like this??Whyyyyyyy??? He promised he that he was putting on sandals, but when he came out of his room, he was wearing long socks and walkshorts. Good grief ...I'd like to blame it on his recent lurgy, but no, he's actually a box of birds now. Fit as a flea. Enjoying the rudest of health.As we walked along this morning, I realised

Burnin' Up

2010-12-07T19:09:00.007+13:00

Sweeney's rattly cough never quite went away, and now I find his chest infection is back, and he's got a little ear and throat infection, too. Poor little guy. He mentioned a sore throat two days ago, and I put it down to a spot of hayfever, because I've got a sore throat and I reckoned to myself that it's hayfever.Of course, it's not hayfever. We've both got our chest infections again, but not

Dear John

2010-12-02T20:56:00.004+13:00

Today Sweeney and I went to a funeral for our friend John. He was 83 and had been ill for some time. John was a lovely man, always up for a chat, always smiling. It was a great funeral, with a lovely get-together afterwards. One of John's sons was my partner for several years a long, long time ago, so most people there, I hadn't seen for aaaages. It was sad but nice, and I look forward to seeing

Whale Song

2010-11-29T21:01:00.007+13:00

Have you read Moby Dick?? It's on my list. Partly because I'm trying to pack in as much boys' own literature so as to be a good example to Sweeney, partly because I love the John Huston version with Gregory Peck as Ahab, but most recently because I stumbled across this blog tonight. What a fantabulous idea.First day back at work was a bit of a schemozzle, but we're all still alive and I even got

Back to (Real) Life

2010-11-28T09:45:00.009+13:00

We're home, Sweeney and me. The last few days of holiday ramped up on the Hectic scale, but I think I'm the only one of us who actually threw anything approaching a tanty. It's nice to wake up to the sound of tui and Frank and Arthur next door.Here are some highlights of our time away ...We arrived in Christchurch, after a ferry crossing and a 6-hour car trip, incorporating many toilet breaks and

Holiday

2010-11-23T13:10:00.007+13:00

Hey, the holiday is going great. Nearly over, but still lots to do and see and we're all having a good time. This morning I went back to bed with my book and when I got up, it was lunchtime, and the boys and Nana were just arriving back from a trip to feed ducks. With ice creams for our pudding.Now that's Good Holiday, people ...The weather's been amazing, we've been hanging out with super people

How Sweet It Is

2010-11-11T21:31:00.009+13:00

I've been busy. Bizz-ay. Sorry for not being in touch. Here's something delicious that came out of the garden. Well, I think it's delicious, and so did Sweeney once he engaged with it. Broccoli, you are the shizz ... I also harvested what turned out to be 50grams of broad beans, gave them a wee boil, then fried them off with some bacon for a minute or so. River Cottage book called for chorizo,

All Right Now

2010-10-21T19:15:00.003+13:00

Yes, it's been a little while. Sorry about that. I've had a viral respiratory infection, followed by a bacterial chest infection, and frankly, it's knocked me right off my perch. Off my perch. But now I'm nearly back to normal, apart from three or four tubercular-sounding coughing fits a day. In no order of importance, here are a few snippets from the last two weeks:Sweeney fell over and banged

Yo Ho Ho

2010-10-05T20:18:00.003+13:00

This just in* from Sweeney:- can we read the book about pirates, Mum??- sure, where is it??- got it, now I want to see the pirates in timeout.- ???- [feverishly turning pages] here they are!! Pirates in timeout, Mum!!- ohhhhh. They're in prison. I guess that's like a timeout. Only it goes on for aaaages.In other news, the broad beans have developed actual bean pods and the broccoli has started

The (Food) Chain of Love

2010-10-04T22:33:00.006+13:00

This just in* from Sweeney:- What do elephants eat, Mum?? Do they eat peanuts??- Sure they do. They eat other stuff, too ...[Not actually interested in that]- What do leopards eat, Mum??- Umm, they eat meat.- Do they eat giraffes??- Yeah, I guess, if a leopard caught a small giraffe, it'd eat it.- No, Mum, the giraffe GIVES the leopard the meat.- Youwhatnow??- The giraffe gets the meat from the

Hey, Paul

2010-10-03T20:34:00.006+13:00

Start the day off early enough for some alone time with Paul Newman in Hudsucker Proxy, and you can't go wrong. Not if you're an Ange, anyway. I watched Road to Perdition the other day and realised that I just love watching, and listening to Paul Newman. Because the other big piece of viewing in our place of late has been Cars. Trying to interest Sweeney in the person behind Doc Hudson is a

Just Be Good To Me

2010-10-01T20:50:00.006+13:00

I love this ... Politeness as a radical act. There's so much more to it than please and thank you. At our house, we're well into excuse me, now, and working our way into some deep table manners. There's so much more to it than that, even, isn't there?? There's letting other people go through the door first, there's holding the door open for people, there's all sorts of funny little things that

Not Feeling Very Well

2010-09-29T20:44:00.006+13:00

I was reading Miss Smith's blog the other day - and you should, too, because she's rather special and good - and her post was about her smaller poppet, who'd been in hospital with chicken pox complications. When I read it, I thought to myself "if only Sweeney would get chicken pox, and just get it over with".Oh, and a whole bunch of get well wishes for the littl'un, Miss Smith. That goes without

A Little (K)night Music

2010-09-22T21:39:00.005+12:00

Sweeney dressed up as a knight for his teacher Mo's last day party at preschool the other day. She took a photo of him in his outfit. He loved thrashing about with that inflatable sword so much, it had several slow leaks by the end of the day. In other news, last week I went to a work event, drank about 10,000 drinks and felt bad for four days. Yoga and good eating went out the window. This week

That Day is Done

2010-09-13T20:32:00.006+12:00

My horoscope today said a whole bunch of stuff about rubbing against the world instead of flowing along with it. It so turned out that way. Spooky.I felt a vague sense of annoyance at just about everyone I dealt with at work. Some people at work made me feel less vague about my annoyance, but there you go.I found out the hard way that my bean sprouts last six days, but not seven. Yuk.I went to

Time in a Bottle

2010-09-07T20:22:00.004+12:00

Of course everyone knows about the earthquake. It's all over the news here. My mum - Sweeney's Nana - is fine and the house is okay. Her neighbours are okay. Everyone I know there is okay.Elsewhere, beautiful buildings and gorgeous roads are broken. I got all choked up watching a video of some demolition today. Part of Christchurch's appeal for me has been all the things that have stayed the same

2010-08-29T20:29:00.004+12:00

Tonight I made lasagne from the Edmonds Cookbook. I think the last time I made it was in 1985, and my friend Lee and I made it together from an Australian Women's Weekly cookbook that she had. It seemed complicated, which is why we made it together.Tomato-mincey goodness, cheesey cheese sauce, pasta. What could be better?? I thought if I added in some broccoli and mushrooms, that'd make it better

Joan

2010-08-27T19:58:00.007+12:00

It's been a big couple of weeks. Biggest news is that Sweeney's grandma died last week and was buried on Tuesday. She was really nice. She took nice to a whole new level. She made nice people look rubbish. She was actually supernice. There was a big turnout for the funeral. One thing I really like about funerals is the stories you hear. I found out that Joan was actually a bit of a slob in her

Holiday

2010-08-16T20:04:00.004+12:00

Go on, love. Have a day off from the chores.And for goodness' sake, put a cardi on. You're 52, and it's freezing outside. You'll catch your death.Happy birthday, Madonna!!

Om(mmmm)a Rapeti

2010-08-07T19:30:00.006+12:00

I've been getting a lot out of yoga classes over the last month. I'm especially trying to make the most of the relaxation stuff at the beginning and end of each class, but I meet with varying success. The meandering thoughts are one thing, but today I couldn't even keep physically still. Here's how it went:Teacher: "Focus on the breath. See where the breath takes you."My mind: "Man, I'm loving

There's a Mouse in the Kitchen

2010-08-03T20:50:00.008+12:00

Our new flatmate, Maose, died a hopefully-not-too-heinous death in the cupboard under the sink. I've been sinking under the weight of that mouse for too long now. I took a naive approach to start with, thought I'd be reasonable and just remove any chance of him having a nibble, and cleaning everywhere I'd seen that he'd been, with strong-smelling cleaning products. But it just forced him out onto

What's Going On

2010-07-19T19:27:00.007+12:00

In no particular order, here are some highlights of the past week around here ...Blessing and Michael's last day at preschool. Here's Sweeney and Blessing doing what they do best - playing at being wild cats and being a little bit unruly ...KimberleyJoeHarper moved into their new house. It's got a basement and offstreet parking. For two cars. Also there appears to be a kitchen and bathroom, and

Rainbow Connection

2010-07-08T20:08:00.012+12:00

There was a rainbow as we walked home tonight, but Sweeney wasn't impressed. Rainbows in real life aren't nearly so awesome as in books, or even in drawings young chaps make at preschool nowadays. Sadly, Nature doesn't use felt tips. I don't care. I love rainbows. I also love orange and brown together. Jaffas are orange and brown. They really are the chocolate-orange mouthful. Jaffa flavouring is

(Kind of) Wish You Were Here

2010-07-06T20:16:00.010+12:00

I'll tell you a story about one of the better birthday parties I ever went to. It was Martin's 40th birthday, and he was in Auckland Hospital, undergoing assessment to see if he could go forward for a liver transplant. The previous week had been enormously stressful, and he'd had a stint in ICU, but he'd rallied and we were all feeling rather chipper. All the extra fluid he'd been dragging

The Block is Hot

2010-07-01T19:12:00.006+12:00

Lego's wicked. I never knew until now. Sweeney got Lego for his birthday and it's really captured me. I've been checking out sites for ideas of things to build.Knitting has hardly had a look in this week. Nor has the study I was supposed to launch myself into as soon as Sweeney's birthday was over. Ahem.So here's what Sweeney and I built together. I don't think Sweeney realises you can take them

The Party's Over

2010-06-28T18:29:00.007+12:00

Wow, I didn't realise just how much actual work went into Sweeney's party until it was over. Just getting the house and garden sorted, planning the food, thinking up who should come, that sort of thing. And all the while, the full-time job started ramping up to being more full-time than is really good for us, but it's an opportunity for some good work that I don't want to pass up.*sigh*We've had

Celebration

2010-06-27T20:32:00.005+12:00

Sweeney O'Neill, you are now four years old. You're tall and strong and brainy and kind of a nice young chap. I think you're ace. On my fourth birthday, I got wrapped up in the paper that came with flowers from my Nana, and I ran around the garden with my friends for what felt like hours. It was hot and still and glorious. Yesterday, you chose your Crash Landing t-shirt and your Speed Racer

Fine Time

2010-06-11T20:11:00.004+12:00

Okay, what have I been doing?? Oh, you know, the usual. Going to work, raising the young'un, doing some chores, watching Cranford some more, reading my book - also called Cranford, knitting my beret, taking my beret apart and knitting it up again ... stuff.Sweeney's suddenly too tall for his jeeps pyjamas, which is going to kill him because they're his faves. His nana bought them for him last

I Made This ...

2010-05-25T22:36:00.004+12:00

Here's a little kimono I finished sewing up the other night. There are a couple of candidates for this, but I haven't decided who it's going to just yet. There's a swag of other nifty stuff people have made over here, if you like.When Sweeney was teensy, I made him a lovely little garter stitch jacket in this wool. I loved that jacket, and the matching hat. Strangely, the hat was enormous and

Stomp

2010-05-19T19:22:00.004+12:00

I've not posted about Sweeney's burgeoning football career, because it's hardly burgeoned at all. He had two weeks of Little Dribblers and was quite anti the whole thing. Happy to have a kick around, but absolutely no way was he going to stand on a line with the others, or kick the ball into the goal, or run down the pitch ... or even stay on the pitch, actually. Then we rocked along on Sunday,

Look Away Now

2010-05-14T15:10:00.005+12:00

I had a tooth taken out on Monday, and it's forced me to spend most of the week looking like this. Not really, I was reading a different book until yesterday, and I've been drinking Coke Zero as well. But I've been wearing these pyjamas, and there is swelling ...It's taken me by surprise, let me tell you. I've had all my wisdom teeth out and never before has there been anything to report

Orange

2010-05-11T15:56:00.005+12:00

We're loving orange in our house right now. Here's how ... In other news, thinking about Sweeney's birthday. I've got a few weeks to sort out his party, wondering if there should be a theme. Thinking cowboys, thinking pirates, thinking cheetahs. He's very into cheetahs right now. Although last year I just about lost my mind simply vacuuming before everyone turned up, so maybe I'm overreaching ...

Mother

2010-05-10T21:07:00.006+12:00

Some of you may have noticed that yesterday was Mother's Day. I know I led up to Mother's Day with a lot of "it's just the same as every other day" hooha, but do you know what?? It was actually rather splendid.For a start, Kimberley and I were at our Mum's, with her two Precious Boys in tow. As it turned out, it was Kimberley and me who were in tow. The three of them seemed to revel in us being

Because

2010-05-05T20:50:00.010+12:00

Why is that car red??Why did Aariz's dad talk to us??Why are you in the shower??Why did that bus go past??Why do I have to put my shoes on??Why do those cars have their lights on??Why, Mum?? Because. That's why ...*sigh*

I Would Rather Go Blind

2010-05-04T21:22:00.008+12:00

Here's what I've been doing with most of my evenings. My friend Girlie had her baby Gian Matthew - Gio to his new fans - last Saturday, and this is a bunch of stuff for the little guy. Will deliver these later in the week.It doesn't seem to matter how many of these things I push out into the world, there's still a ton of wool in this house. Anyhoo, Gio's going to look splendid. And be warm, which

Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon

2010-04-28T21:05:00.004+12:00

After the power cut on Thursday, our servers at work were fried on Friday. Some of us could do virtually nothing for the day. So I lost a day and my deadline didn't move out and then I got a new piece of work to do by the end of May, and my other project needs more of my time until the end of May, soooo ... I figure I'll be looking at these things quite a bit for the next few weeks:My

Flashlight

2010-04-26T19:05:00.005+12:00

Sweeney's got a torch. He reads stories with it after I've read stories with it and tucked him in and left him to get snoozing. I realised I hadn't seen or heard him for what felt like ages tonight while I was making dinner. He was up at the front of the house, shining his torch on cars in the dark. After some stories I showed him how to make an alsatian shadow with your hand. He was kind of a

You Belong to Me

2010-04-24T20:22:00.003+12:00

Here's how my special little guys spent a chunk of time today ...More work on the fence today - a few trips to get appropriate hardware, including the safety gear for the young 'uns, then Joe and Dad put the posts in. I did some pruning about the place, building up the pile for mulching next weekend. Fitted in a burst of scooter riding down the road, a round of cheese on toast for lunch, the

Express Yourself

2010-04-19T20:32:00.009+12:00

Today has a surprise guest behind the post - my nephew, Harper. You've heard of him already on this blog, and he provides a lot of the content in this other blog nowadays. I adore that kid more than I thought I could ever adore a kid with white fluffyduck hair, who says "don't touch me!!" and can use the same chip as a Sauce Delivery Mechanism for an entire fish and chip dinner ...

Top Fab Fave Five

2010-04-12T21:20:00.005+12:00

Top five for this week:1. Top escape attempt. I can't even see where his tiny little fingers could go to haul himself up this wall, but he found a way. Then shimmied down on his bottom. And repeat. Honestly, the photo makes the wall look shorter and less freaky than it really is ... 2. Top hosiery. I rather fancy myself in these, don't you know ... You can't see the purple houndstooth action

Be My Friend

2010-04-10T23:26:00.006+12:00

Here's a gratuitous picture of Harper, holding onto as many Easter eggs as he can, in the midst of the first Easter Egg hunt I've ever set up. I researched hard, planned on laying out a trail of red ribbon or wool for the boys to follow, setting it all up so that the boys would be enticed to the next egg. In the event, I put the eggs out in pretty obvious places and lurked near the boys as they

My Creative Space

2010-04-08T19:39:00.008+12:00

I'm calling it creative, but don't be fooled - I didn't think the patterns up myself, and it's mostly mechanical. But I'm a little light on interesting blog post ideas at the minute, so why not show you what I've been doing at night lately??The entire universe knows I'm trying to get rid of stuff out of the house. This is how I'm getting rid of the stockpile of wool I've accrued over the years.

Fab Five

2010-04-05T21:30:00.005+12:00

Fave Five for this weeks are ...1. Best parcel - Nana's parcel for her Precious Boys, crammed with chocolate treats, and best of all, a torch each!! Sweeney fell asleep last night with his torch still on, snuggled under his armpit. There was a sweet little glow when I went in to check on him before I turned in. Thanks, Nana!! ;2. Best Dinner - from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's newish book, a

When I'm Calling HuHuuuuuu ...

2010-03-31T19:41:00.005+13:00

We've been reading up a storm today. Just since I got home at 6pm, Sweeney and I have got through We're Going on a Bear Hunt, the Golden Book of Firemen and Old HuHu a bunch of times. It's a great book. Sweeney's Uncle Joe gave it to him. He's a really thoughtful chap, Uncle Joe. Old Hu Hu dies and little Hu Hu Tu struggles to make sense of it. He gets advice from his friends, which exposes him

Top Five

2010-03-29T11:50:00.006+13:00

Top Five things around here at the minute:1. Top War Movie - isn't Where Eagles Dare just the most awesome war movie ever?? Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood together on screen, totally handsome, finest mahogany acting this side of the Black Forest. Richard Burton somehow passing himself off as a Nazi, even with his RADA-Pontrhydhyfen accent. And the fact that he's so obviously Richard Burton. "One

Cleaning Out My Closet

2010-03-23T23:11:00.005+13:00

I've been sorting through all the piles of Sweeney's paintings and drawings around the house. I'm frankly loving what's coming home from preschool these days, and I can even handle the felt tips strewn over his bedroom floor, because seeing him lying there, absorbed in some colouring or drawing, just makes me jiggy. Or whatever the appropriate term is. Sweeney was given an easel for Christmas. By

There Must Be an Ange

2010-03-22T13:27:00.005+13:00

I had a morning of beauty on Saturday. The truly splendid outfit known as Hair by Ange has been running a special on getting things tended to, and I decided to go and, ahem, get some things tended to. This may not be an accurate representation of how things turned out.Anyhoo, felt a gazillion bucks when I came out. The haircut's great, the eyebrow tinting looks fab and non-caterpillary, the

La La Love You

2010-03-13T19:25:00.006+13:00

This just in ... The Pixies gig in Auckland last night was just the best, best thing ever. I still can't quite hear properly, my face is still sore from grinning the entire time they were playing, and I can't confidently leave behind the feeling that my chest is about to explode.Our journey began with a descent into hell, courtesy of Jetstar. No cheap fare is worth this happening to your loved

All I Want Is (Someone Other Than) You

2010-03-08T21:32:00.005+13:00

What's in the kid these days?? We have our usual bedtime chat about, I don't know, whether a giraffe can drive a car, or why it just isn't possible for Blessing's dad to have been coloured blue ever, and somehow, SOMEHOW, he steers it into talking about his own dad. This stuff is fraught with landmines these days. It exhausts me, to be honest. When Martin died, Sweeney just seemed to roll with it

Big Hair Gets You Closer to God

2010-02-26T20:22:00.004+13:00

I didn't make it up. Read this.In other news, this is what we had for dinner tonight. Photo by Sweeney. Here's a ripping yarn I found for Sweeney today, plus his artwork from preschool. He made that picture especially for me. That's a first. Photo by me. And this is what I look like tonight. Photo by Sweeney.

Just Say Yes

2010-02-25T18:16:00.005+13:00

Today's Philip's birthday. He's one of Sweeney's Dunedin cousins. An ace fellow. Sweeney really likes his Dunedin cousins. I think I mentioned the birthday once to him this morning, and tonight he renamed both of his Poohs - they're now both called Philip - and had a little party with them before he settled in for sleep. Happy birthday, Philip!! From Sweeney and the Philips!!!In other news, my

Not the Girl You Think You Are

2010-02-23T21:27:00.006+13:00

Hi, I'm Ange 2010. I have insurance, a will and have organised guardianship for Sweeney in case I'm caught in a tornado. I am so upright and sensible. My car has a current warrant, registration and five near-new tyres. My toilet is clean. I recycle and compost. My socks and undies are clean and organised and put away properly.I read at night before I go to sleep. I get to work on time. I don't

I Try

2010-02-22T18:25:00.005+13:00

Today I signed Sweeney up for Little Dribblers Saturday morning football. I realised this summer that he's got some severe developmental delays around sport, for which corrective measures must be taken. He can't tell the difference between football (soccer) and footy (rugby). We went past two chaps playing tennis one day and he insisted they were playing cricket. He argued with actual men over

Every Day I Read the Book

2010-02-21T21:55:00.007+13:00

Wow, my brain feels on fire these days. Right now I'm watching a French film. With subtitles. I gave up subtitles in 2006. I gave up Chinese films in 1994, but I don't expect I'll ever get them back.Today I finished Damian Wilkins' Somebody Loves Us All. Last week I finished Transition. Before that, I finished some other book that I absolutely loved, and I know I read all of Tu not long ago. I

Baby, It's You ...

2010-02-19T17:59:00.006+13:00

and you and you and you ... so many babies being born over the last few weeks, so many birthday parties lately. I say Hurrah!! More cake, please ...I've been off the air, blog-wise, for a few weeks now. We've been doing stuff around here, believe me. Nothing Big and Important, but stuff nonetheless. Here's a smattering to catch up with ...the world's greatest nephew, Harper G-Ray, turned two and

Wild in the Country

2010-01-24T17:32:00.008+13:00

Okay, today didn't go just how we planned for it to go, but it was awesome nonetheless. Kimberley and I had a plan to take our kinders to the Greytown Arts Festival, and we were on our way mostly on time, and we had provisions packed for a picnic of sorts, and we got as far as Greytown ... and then we decided to just keep going to Carterton, because both the boys looked like they were on the

Salad Days

2010-01-20T20:58:00.008+13:00

Man, what a scorcher today. Glorious to wander home at snails pace with an ice block, then eat dinner outside and play outside until bathtime. If only summer wasn't due to be over by midday tomorrow again ... All I have is a list of random musings ...Robert Downey Jr is an amazing actor;criminy, the prices for food down Lambton Quay are astronomical. Quite the motivator for making my lunch in the

My Name is Prince (William)

2010-01-18T19:15:00.004+13:00

My co-workers and I went down to the Supreme Court to check out Prince William this morning. Girlie took a great photo of the pillar he was behind for most of the event, Andrew made unhelpful comments about how we couldn't see anything, and I actually quite enjoyed myself. Not that I don't usually enjoy myself, but, well, I really did think it'd be just dumb, but the sound of girls squealing as

Sunday Morning

2010-01-17T21:58:00.005+13:00

Ahhhh, bliss. To get up in the morning and churn out some breakfast for the young'un, hand over parenting to Playhouse Disney, and pile back to bed with a great book and a pile of jammy toast for an hour. Mmmmm.Then off to see my friend Pauline, who's in town from Woy Woy for a stretch. Fabulous to see her and her parents. Then off for a swim at the pool. Loving going to the pool at the moment.