Rushing

So ... wasn't April a glorious month, weatherwise?? Up until about twelve hours ago, at least?? I gave Sweeney's winter coat from last year away, without having a replacement on hand. That's how glorious it was. Now I've cranked up the heater, pulled the curtains, and am contemplating how to wangle having the oven on all day tomorrow.

Sweeney and Harper headed to their Nana's for the school holidays. That made things verrrry quiet around my way for two weeks. I ran, I read, I ate carelessly. I did just about everything in a more leisurely manner than usual.

It sounds like all three of them had a ball down there. The boys took in a ballet, learnt to make pizza, wrote charming letters home, and came back knowing more about the solar system than I do. 

The big thing for me, since Sweeney got back, has been rugby. In an unusual move, we went to see the Crusaders trample the Hurricanes the night he got home. He greatly enjoyed waving his flag and drinking lemonade. I rather enjoyed the actual rugby.

He and Harper have joined an Under-6 team, and today was their first game. They're called the Wild Jaguars. Spectators fell about laughing as our children ran the wrong way, forgot to pass the ball, froze in the face of the opposing team bearing down upon them. Pure gold.

And my mum's been in town, staying at Kimberley's. It's been great to have her just a matter of minutes away. Plus she's doing an awesome job of doing a mountain of chores for their household while Joe's consumed with study and being on section.

In other news, I've finally made peace with the fact that Sweeney is not made for fishing. After several tries, including one where Grandad's glasses fell into Oriental Bay, and Sweeney guided him back to the car, I realise that the kid just isn't built for contemplative activities. If he's outside, he's likely to be moving at max speed. Hence, the rugby.

It's so nice to have him back around the house. Turns out I really rather like it a bit noisy and on-the-verge-of-frantic, even if I'm the one making the most noise sometimes ...

Remake/Remodel

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 there was much murmuring around the table about their greatness. I don't like dates at all, though. I figured it'd be a dealbreaker.

Anyhoo, I ventured out on a walk that landed me in Lyall Bay a few days later. Sitting on the beach, watching the morning kick in, drinking a delicious coffee and feeling apprehensive about eating something with dates in. Here's a really silly photo of it:

Reader, I married that scone. Or near as dammit. Go get one. As soon as you can. I figure they must soak the dates, so they bake up like ribbons of date-tasting goodness, without that gritty texture that puts my teeth on edge.

Because, as nicely as my interpretation - I substituted stewed apple for an egg - of Lucy's version of these scones turned out, it wasn't anything like so splendid as what they're knocking out at Queen Sally's.

And the brownie?? I went vegan on it because we were out of eggs, and it needed a fully ripe banana, which suited very well.

In other news, it's Hallowe'en party time. I went to a little shindig after work last night, and snaffled a beautifully cut jack-o-lantern to take home. Sweeney and Harper loved it in their room with a tea light.

We took it to Bela's party this afternoon. It performed very well. Note special, festive horns.

 Then I took some photos of it in action, along with the special, festive horns. The tea light had extinguished, and the only other candle short enough was a bit of a whopper, so it's fairly blazing here ...

Then we went back downstairs and about three seconds passed before the smoke detector went off. As a result of all of this, Sweeney really likes Hallowe'en now. And he doesn't even know about trick or treating yet.

Little Star

 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 his mother by asking if he could have a salad sandwich for dinner. Stunned her some more by actually eating it.

Went to see The Lion King in 3d.

Had that pesky dead tooth removed.

Crikey.

Long Weekend

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 place. Luckily, most of the groovy houses I lived in have already been flattened to make way for carparks, so no surprises there. We had lunch in Lyttleton, in the one cafe that's managed to reopen. Sweeney asked for us to stop beside the twisted bridge on River Road, so that he could look at it properly. We checked that the Bridge of Rememberance is still there. It is. It's all a lot to take in, to be honest.

And then we were there for another quake this morning that made the papers ...

We set out for a fabulous day of steam trains and adventure yesterday at Ferrymead. The steam train ran at about 2mph, with views of soggy, mostly bird-free wetlands on one side, and the soggy back end of the Ferrymead compound on the other. It was a little anti-climactic. The bit I enjoyed most was when I pinged Sweeney's undies, and a boy next to him - a complete stranger - thought it was a good idea and did the same.

Then we got off the train and staggered around in the most miserable weather of the year. That was when we saw The Horses. To me, they looked like a collection of clapped-out, somewhat moth-eaten nags. To Sweeney, they looked like glorious stallions with shining coats and possibly even wings.

Anyhoo, from there it was a quick sprint through a pianola demo and a whizz round the crafts stalls, then back to Nana's for hot lunch and a spot of lazing.

Thanks, Mum, for the lovely weekend!!

On Saturday Afternoons

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

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;
• Consequently, the next day, Sweeney had a heap of quality-face-time with Joe and Harper;
• We said to goodbye to John from No.20. The quality of street gossip is never going to recover;
• Paths were swept and hosed;
• Frank from No.21 popped over for a visit;
• Rubbish was taken to the dump;
• Delicious stroganoff was concocted and snorkelled down with delicious noodles. Take that, you annoying quantity of crisper-dwelling mushrooms and half-cups of wine left over from Sunday night dinners ...;
• My hair kind of did what I wanted it to, most days;
• Which was just as well, because a photo of me ended up in the paper. Turns out that more important than the Important Social Message I was imparting was the fact that I have an actual age, and semi-Vulcan eyebrows;
• Lamb shanks as big as Sweeney's face, along with some awesome cauliflower curry and other stuff that didn't really match but still tasted amaaaaaazing, were served up for dinner with the W-Ds and M-Zs; and
• The sun shone, the birds sang, the wind blew in rather a pleasant way, there was some insanely lovely full moon action ...

Sweeney scored a boogie board at the Dump Shop today, and a Spiderman toy. At that point, I noticed that he was wearing his full Spiderman outfit, and had been all day. Top marks for eyes, Ange.

Harper and Kimberley came for dinner, and, out of nowhere, Sweeney gave Harper custody of Pooh.

Just like that. His favourite, favourite of All the Favourites since he was ten weeks old. We even prop him up with us to let him enjoy us reading Winnie the Pooh at night better. Sweeney uses him as a pillow, half the time. Last night, when we got home at the ungodly hour of 9:45pm, and he was about three feet beyond knackered, the look of relief on his face as I plopped him into bed and he buried his head into Pooh's soft fur was just magic.

Spiderman is the New Favourite. I know this because he's taken his boogie board to bed, and is lying asleep on it, using Spiderman as his pillow.
*Note that the boys kindly selected Bert for Kimberley to play with, so she could feel all included and stop giving her own child The Rabbit ...

Sometimes It Rains In April

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 house in Khandallah. There was a pool table that kept Sweeney enthralled, and a table straining under the weight of its delicious drinks that kept me enthralled. And of course, the company ...;
• got through Easter with only one truly horrific sugar frenzy. I blame Sweeney's Uncle Ben and Grandad O'Neill;
• took a day off from the world;
• Sweeney had two sleepovers at Harper's. I spent one of them watching Poirot and knitting. The other I spent oozing in and out of consciousness on the couch, notably missing both the Royal Wedding and the party I was supposed to be at to watch it. I blame the fully-enjoyable-but-fast-getting-out-of-control drinks frenzy I went to first;
• encountered one of my more hilarious cousins and hung out with him and his ravishing wee girl. I particularly enjoyed how she got Sweeney's measure superfast - belting out his name whenever he removed himself from view, running everywhere with him;
• turned out a bread and butter pudding in the slow cooker. I come from a bloodline of strenuously delicious bread and butter puddings. It was my first bread and butter pudding. Next time, I'll be sure to add some flavour;
• watched (1) Exit Through the Gift Shop, (2) District 9 and (3) Baghead. (1) Loved it, (2) surprised myself by loving it, (3) surprised myself by hardly hating it at all;
• spent not nearly enough time with pals, swam, went to the beach, ran and ran and ran, built lego, read stories, constructed a stunt car ramp out of toilet rolls;
• made awesome dinners. Replaced some of them with baked beans, for my shorter, more philistine dinner companion's benefit; and
• made some real inroads with my yoga and my running. Then went backwards for a bit. Am resolved to go forward some more ...

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

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 the tiniest while.

When I got home last night, I looked up the pictures from just after Sweeney's entry into the world. I was knackered, mostly, Martin was nearly hysterical with besottedness, and Sweeney was just taking in all the lights and noise.

The pictures of Nikau and his dad - well, the poor man just looks stricken.

On the plus side, his sister is going great guns. Little, and still in hospital, but progressing rather well.

Straight after I'd looked at the photos and had a bit of time to let them sink in, I had a meeting to get to. What usually drags on for an hour was taken care of in a pithy twenty minutes, and I pretty much got things sorted the way that we need them to be sorted. Love it when you can channel the devastation into something meaningful ...

In the meantime, keep growing, Grace ...

Island Life

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 thirty years old, and we'll go to a part of the island where there are some birds. Well, some birds that aren't ducks, anyway. Oh okay, we saw a bunch of weka, and there were a few beautiful robins when we got underneath some trees, and I saw a bunch of what I thought were takahe, but they were just enormous pukeko. I'm being churlish, I know, but I was totally hanging out for some kakariki action, and I wanted forest, not coastline. Sigh ...

But as the photos - none bird-related, I'm afraid - show, Sweeney, Harper and Leo had a fine time. The ferry-tractor config at the start of the day was fascinating, and throwing rocks into the sea was a fab end to our time on the island. And they had a wild time together inbetween those bits. We even saw an enormous stingray.

Sunday Song

 

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.

In Bloom

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 to be rehoused at Grow From Here. One's gone to Kaye's house, one to an apartment on Webb St, and the not-so-awesome one is potted up and hanging out looking ornery at the shop. Happy.

And now, flowers. Aren't they beautiful?? And they even have a lovely, delicate fragrance. Not what you'd expect from this particular plant at all ... or at least, not what I was expecting. And they're extra, extra special because they bloom hardly ever.

But I'm all out of order with my news. Friday night saw KimberleyJoeHarper over for fish and chips, followed by cake. Delicious, delicious cake.

Here're Sweeney and Harper helping me to blow out the candles. Thanks, you jokers!!

They Say It's Your Birthday (Next Week)

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 for baked assassins.

Why the baking hubbub?? Harper's birthday party was on, that's why. He's three any day now.

 

Here's the star of the day, looking rather splendid in his new t-shirt. Note the entirely adequate cake in the foreground ...

You're a rather lovely chap, Harper, and I'm chuffed to know you. I love the way you call me "auntyange", and how you call Sweeney "Seeney".

I love that you and Sweeney can't get enough of each other, yet you're happy enough, each of you, when the other is gone. You're so similar and so different. You're lucky boys, to have each other.

And here are two beautiful, fine women who breached the perimeter yesterday. Bela, who we've known forever, and Coco-Inez, who we've only just met.
Anyhoo, Happy-Birthday-for-Saturday, Harpoon!!

She's In Parties

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 vege garden that manages to be functional and pretty.

We had lunch at the Curator's House, in the Botanic Gardens. There's a beautiful kitchen garden there, and the bees were keeping busy in amongst it all. Sweeney even picked up his first ever bee sting, which earned him a tea towel filled with ice cubes and full attention from The Italian - one of the waiters - for a bit.

I made a devil's food cake from Kitchen - yes, I travel with it - which was pretty flaming splendid, if I say so myself. Two chocolate sponges, layered with icing made of butter, sugar and a cake of dark chocolate. Then the whole external mass slathered with more of that same icing. The boys carefully positioned chocolate buttons on the dark surface, we plonked on some candles, and we were away.

It was rich enough that none of us ate much. There was a round on the birthday itself, then morning tea the next day, a slab was packed up for some neighbours, and there was still enough to seriously dent anyone's resolve to calorie count. Look at it, it took three people to cut the thing ...

Back to (Real) Life

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 runs in long grass beside SH1. Harper tried to teach himself to wink ...

We hung out a little bit with Bruno and his fine parents. These two were like peas in a pod. Which brings me to ...

Actual peas in an actual pod, from Nana's garden ...

Nana and the boys found a hedgehog trapped in the waterrace and I was despatched with a fishing net to rescue it. It's been a long time since I willingly put myself into a body of filthy water, but when it's for your family ...

The (ungrateful) hedgehog sat outside the back door for an hour or so, then we think it went under the house.

We sampled delicious local fare ... I lost my mind periodically ...

Nana made fern crowns for the boys and they showed their appreciation by doing whatever is they thought they were doing here ...Sweeney introduced Harper to the Monster Truck ride at the mall ... But mostly, we all just had a Big Relax together.

Love you, Nana!! Love you, Mum!!

Holiday

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, and seeing the boys together for an extended period of time has been great. There've been a few fights, some anguish, half a million band aids and one bout of terrifying nappy rash, but I think that as long as we're all realistic about exactly when we need a nap - and I'm including myself here, peace is where it's at.
Photos when we get back home.
In other news, Miss Smith, who I can't mention without telling you how fab she is, has given me a Versatile Blogger award. Coming from one such as herself, this is high praise. Oooh, get me. I'm revelling.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to provide photo evidence of rampant versatility right now. I've been having a Big Relax, as Sweeney would say. I tend to just write about whatever takes me at the minute of writing, and I'm chuffed that there are people out there who enjoy it.

The prize comes with two jobs attached. I need to hand this prize on, which is hard because there are a grillion tasty blogs out there, beautifully written on interesting topics. So here are three ...

Clare at Green Valley Crafts

Gillybean at Gillybean's Garden

Kimberley at Special K.

Now, I need to tell you seven things you may not know about me:

1. When I was 10, I planned to grow up to be the Ambassador to Japan. Or a Speech Therapist. I'm not either of those things;
2. I don't see my friends as much as I'd like;
3. I love rollmop herrings, sardines in oil - no spring water, thank you - and most other fish-type things;
4. as scathing as I generally am about science fiction, I think Iain M. Banks is a genius. Most people I know who actually know something about science fiction think he's a dick;
5. I have at least two slightly humiliating skin conditions. Each is dealt with efficiently with steroid cream and/or hydrocortisone, but I continue to look for less evil methods;
6. when I go to work, I'm all about work. I don't call my friends or family, I hardly write any personal emails and I have an alarm to remind me to leave in time to pick Sweeney up. I never used to be like that. I rather like that I'm like that now;
7. I was recently diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, and now I have meds and blood tests and my body feels better than it has in a long, long time. I'm totally able to blast that pesky 10-15kg now ...

In other, other news, thinking good thoughts for the Pike River miners these days. We've got a long family history of West Coast mining, but no whanau are directly involved in this episode. It's looking pretty bleak right now, but you never know ...
And I passed my exam. Only just, but I passed it. And I found an awesome antiperspirant that actually works. And we're going to Costas for dinner ...
Feel that serenity ...

How Sweet It Is

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, but there's none in the fridge right now. Turned out delish, as it happens. Turns out I like broad beans.

Here are Sweeney and Harper experiencing the shizz that is sparklers. Guy Fawkes night was a minor triumph. We got all our cracker action done before the southerly proper rounded on Wellington, and we got to take in the show in the harbour on our way back into town. I thought the chap in the car in front of me was sent from Hades to drive me insane with his slow driving, but no, he was part of a long, 30kph convoy on the motorway, doing us the lovely favour of letting us take in the show without crashing the car.

In other news, I'm going on holiday on Monday. I'm packing the car with Sweeney and Harper, and we're heading down to spend oodles of time - two weeks - with their Nana. A road trip with two fine-looking young men with all their own teeth. Every crone's dream ...

But in the meantime, I've got about three years of work to do before we head off, and there's a million things to do around the house this weekend. So tonight Kimberley and I went to see The Social Network. Turns out we were wearing matching outfits, sort of. The film was very fine. Go see it now. Even the music is great. And no-one does cold, blue cinematography like David Fincher.

And it was our dad, Sweeney and Harper's Grandad's birthday yesterday. In honour of the great event, Sweeney gave him a card with Lightning McQueen on the front and the sound of racing cars when you open it. That card is so much the shizz ...

That Day is Done

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 the yoga class that I look forward to more than any other yoga class, and I was so out of sorts with it that I left and stood in the foyer for a few minutes just to make myself less out of sorts. Then I went back in and felt better.

It is the best yoga class ever. Really.

As I walked home I contemplated buying a KFC burger and scarfing it in the street. So glad I didn't.

Because dinner was delicious and Sweeney was chuffed to see me and I had a lovely shower and read him The Snail and the Whale and Dad brought out delicious pudding and now I'm watching a Poirot on telly.

In other news, Harper was at our place for a few days last week, while Kimberley spent some time in Christchurch with Mum. Okay, I know - they're little boys - and little boys like to pick their nose. But somehow two of them going at it got to me and I introduced a horror regime - timeout for anyone caught picking their nose.

It's turned out effective as all get-out, but the crowning moment was when they caught me - ME - idly wiggling a finger up my own nose, and they thought it was great gas to put me - ME - into timeout.

This is the view from timeout. Not so bad, is it?? I'm coming to think that timeout's rather lovely, after all.

The prospect of 44 minutes being left completely alone was quite appealing, but Sweeney told me I could come out after five minutes, because he and Harper needed juice.