School Holidays: Staying in and getting out

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Mika

Hubby called me from work today. Our phone conversation went something like this:

Hubby: “[insert: new stuff that happened at work] and then [insert: possible new employment opportunity] and then [insert: something else that was exciting]

Me: “Wow…cool….”

Hubby: “How’s your day going?”

Me: “Well, I’m still in my pajamas.”

It was way past lunchtime….

Yup…I rocked my PJs all day today. We just vegged at home and watched the DVDs we got from the library yesterday.

The school holidays have just flown past. The kids had their grandma come down, then our family went on an overnight tramp (backpacking), and then my brother and his family came down. We’ve had some fun outings and some delicious family dinners. Now we are (read: I am) just kicking back and relaxing…hence the pajamas.

I’ll leave you with some photos from our overnight tramp.

We went with another family on a hike in the Rimutaka Forest Park. We stayed overnight at Huarangi Hut. It was about a 7 km bush walk to the hut, then a 7km walk out again.

We were toasty warm all night with the wood heater.

The kids were AMAZING! They were fantastic walkers and none of them complained (although my 5 year old would remember how tired she was when she wasn’t walking with her best friend.)

The kids came away with amazing memories. Walking through streams, the composting toilet that they had to walk down a path to get to from the hut, oh, and who can forget roasting marshmallows over the campfire.

I was in awe of the beautiful bush during the day, and the amazing sky at night - it seemed like it had millions of diamonds scattered across it.

I thought that we would be the only family tramping with young kids, but I was so wrong. We came across a lot of families. Families with older children, families larger than ours, families with children younger than ours (some with babies). And in the bush, everyone says “hi” as you walk past. It was like we were acknowledging that we were all out here enjoying being close to nature.

Water fun at Willowbank Park

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Mika

We went out exploring at Willowbank Park in Tawa today. We bypassed the playground, and crossed the river to see where the bush walk would lead us.

We found a fantastic sturdy pine tree branch to catapult the kids into the air.

The stepping-stones across the river was a great find (but I was a bit nervous I would fall into the water with my camera!)

We explored along the river and the kids had fun finding sticks and leaves to throw into the water and watch the current take them away.

We found a small waterfall. The kids loved the sensation of the water rushing over their hands and feet.

My 6 year old fell a couple of times, and had a lovely muddy bottom to show for it.

We ended our outing with the kids favourite activity…throwing rocks into the river.

We have all been enjoying our time at home over the last couple of days. I was almost tempted to stay inside today, as the kids were so content playing with their toys (especially since they bought some new toys yesterday with their Christmas money from Grandad. They were in heaven.) You never know when the next stint of bad weather will come your way, so I thought we’d better get out of the house (and leave the laundry and cleaning for another day!)

Perfect end to the day

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Mika

I’m slowly starting to remember what life was like pre-winter…

The ability to wear shorts!

Blue skies at 8pm!

Windows needing to be opened because it is so hot and stuffy.

And dinner by the beach…

Today was the first time in A LONG while, that I felt compelled to ring hubby up and tell him we were picking him up from work to have fish and chips by the beach.

Oriental Bay was gorgeous and alive with families, groups of friends and couples basking in the sun.

We had so much fun in the sand.

The kids just seemed to be able to make up their own fun…and it was a joy to watch.

Outside in the sun, by the seaside….I was in heaven!

At one stage we had three other children come and play with our kids.

Just before we left, the kids did a bit of climbing on the rocks….because my kids seem to be attracted to anything they can possibly climb!

Basking in the Beauty

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Mika

On Sunday, we took advantage of the sunshine, and the fact that hubby had no Bishop duties after church.

We went for a walk in the Botanic Gardens in Wellington. Instead of sticking to the usual concrete paths that wind through the garden, our children took us somewhere we had never been before.

My son found a walkway off the path, and we followed it up. I felt like Heidi, girl of the Alps, as we walked through the bright green foliage (I used to watch this programme when we lived in Japan as a kid!)

We just kept on winding our way through the hillside, deciding on a whim which way we would turn.

It brought us here…

The walk was gorgeous. How can Wellington continue to surprise us with these beauties that keep us in love with this city?

As I walked along, I thought about how this walk would not have been possible in another season of our life. I could not have done this walk with a pram for example.

I thought about how our family is evolving. Just like it evolved when we no longer planned our day around naps, or when we evolved from one, two, three, four children.

I like the pace, I like the adventure. Sometimes you are never really sure of what is coming next. There are also the parts that are trying and so exhausting. But the view…you can’t beat the view…

Sunshine equals Possibilities

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Mika

I woke up this morning to this:

So when my friend suggested we go here:

I jumped at the chance, so our kids could do this:

And this:

And watch this:

I started the day with a nice sunny walk to school with the kids. (My poor wee boy, was running ahead of us and totally fell! Scratched up his knee and elbow pretty bad…was such a brave boy!)

Oriental Bay was lit up by the beautiful sun, and had a slight chill in the breeze, but Wellingtonians aren’t picky! We make the most of whatever sunshine we get.

After school, we went to the Grenada Village Playground, and the weather was gorgeous! If I didn’t have to drop off my daughter’s friend back home by 5pm, I don’t know when we would have left.

Then to top off the day, it was still light outside at 8pm!

After a late dinner of homemade sushi, the kids all bunked in one room together and conked out soon after.

Another serving of today please!

Psssst! September events in Wellington to put in your diary!

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Mika

Yay! September is upon us. For New Zealanders it means…spring, sunshine and school holidays!

Free Dance Classes

Why not give a dance class a go.

No experience required, partners not needed – wear flat shoes.

Date: Wednesday, 1 September

Time: 6.30pm – Rock and Roll

7.00pm – West Coast Swing

7.30pm – Ballroom

8.00pm – Lindy Hop

Cost: Free

Location: Feet with Heat, 4dance Studio, Level 2, 12 Kent Terrace, Mt Victoria

Register: Bookings are essential. Email class@feetwithheat.co.nz to register.

Meditation for Mums

Heal Your Life Practitioner, Camilla Watson will be sharing tips on Stress Management and Stilling the Mind for busy mums.

This event is put on by Mums in the City

Date: Thursday, 2 September

Time: 7.00pm-9.00pm

Cost: $3

Location: Trust Room, Johnsonville Community Centre, 3 Frankmore Avenue, Johnsonville

Register: Join Mums In The City on facebook and check out their events and RSVP.

Mobile Massage Service

Terumi Isogai from Healing Energy is a Certified Relaxation and Therapeutic Masseuse, and a Reiki Practitioner, and will be based in the Centre to offer neck and shoulder massages.

Date: Monday, 6 September

Time: 10.00am – 2.30pm

Cost: Donation (her 10 minute neck and shoulder massages usually cost $10)

Location: Newlands Community Centre, 9 Batchelor Street, Newlands

Register: No need to book, just drop by the centre.

Sign Language Taster Classes

Deaf Aotearoa will be running Sign Language Taster classes for anyone interested.

Date: Wednesday, 8 September for 6 weeks

Time: 11.00am – 12.00pm

Cost: Free

Location: Newlands Community Centre, 9 Batchelor Street, Newlands

Register: Contact Donna Wilson at donna.wilson@wcc.govt.nz

Free Zumba Class (Recently added Wed, 8 Sept)

Date: Satuday, 11 September

Time: 1.15pm

Cost: Free

Location: Studio 2, Webb St Studios, 22 Webb St, Wellington

Register: Email carolyn.p@xtra.co.nz or thop@xtra.co.nz for more information.

“Spring into Tawa” Market Day

Loads of stalls and fun to be had at the annual “Spring into Tawa” Market Day.

Date: Saturday, 11 September

Time: 9am – 12.30pm Wet or Fine

Location: Tawa Plaza and the Main Road shops

The Great Karori Plunket Sale

Come along for fantastic bargains on pre-loved babies’ and children’s clothing.

This event is put on by Karori Plunket

Date: Saturday, 11 September

Time: 10.30am – 1.30pm

Cost: Gold coin entry

Location: St John’s Hall, Corner Campbell St and Karori Rd, Karori

Colour with Style

· Learn the secrets that stylish women just seem to know.

· Learn how to create a versatile mix and match wardrobe to suit your lifestyle.

· Learn how to best dress for your body shape and receive your very own personal style guide card for you to take in your handbag when you go shopping.

This event is put on by Yummy Mummy Club

Date: Monday, 13 September

Time: 7.30pm-9.00pm

Cost: $25

Location: Johnsonville Community Centre, 3 Frankmore Avenue, Johnsonville

Register: Join Yummy Mummy Club, Wgtn NZ on facebook and check out their events and RSVP.

Botanic Garden Spring Festival

Don’t miss out on viewing the beautiful tulips at the Botanic Gardens during the Spring Festival.

Other fun things to do: Glow worm tours. Workshops on growing your own vegetables and Ikebana. Concerts.

Date: From Saturday, 18 September – Sunday, 3 October

The full programme will be now available.

Mobile Massage Service

Terumi Isogai from Healing Energy is a Certified Relaxation and Therapeutic Masseuse, and a Reiki Practitioner, and will be based in the Centre to offer neck and shoulder massages.

Date: Monday, 20 September

Time: 10.00am – 2.30pm

Cost: Donation (her 10 minute neck and shoulder massages usually cost $10)

Location: Newlands Community Centre, 9 Batchelor Street, Newlands

Register: No need to book, just drop by the centre.

Organic Vege Gardening for Mums

Quick and easy organic vege gardening tips and hints for Mums, and also how to introduce the kids to the wonderful world of growing your own veges.

This event is put on by Yummy Mummy Club

Date: Tuesday, 21 September

Time: 7.30pm-8.30pm

Cost: Gold coin donation

Location: Johnsonville Community Centre, 3 Frankmore Avenue, Johnsonville

Register: Join Yummy Mummy Club, Wgtn NZ on facebook and check out their events and RSVP.

Two Evenings with Sophie Gray – Destitute Gourmet

Get tips on how to provide delicious and nutricious meals for the family without breaking the bank.

This event is put on by Waterloo/NaeNae Plunket

Date: Tuesday, 21 September

Time: 7.00pm-10.00pm

Cost: $60 for two tickets

Location: Naenae Bowling Club, Witako Street, Lower Hutt

Register: Purchase tickets through trademe.

This event is put on by Redwood School

Date: Tuesday, 22 September

Time: 7.00pm

Cost: $35

Location: Redwood School, Redwood Avenue, Tawa

Register: Purchase tickets through Yummy Mummy Club or Redwood School Ph: 232 7704

Baby on Board Descpicable Me 2D Screening (Recently added 16 Sept)

Date: Tuesday, 22 September

Time: 10am

Cost: Adult tickets $9.50. Entry for children under 5 is FREE (max of 2 free per paying adult)

Location: Level 2 Westfield, Queensgate, 45 Knights Rd, Lower Hutt

Best parking for cinemas is Level 2. 4 Hours free parking.

Website Info: http://www.eventcinemas.co.nz/clubs–discounts/baby-on-board.aspx

You can purchase tickets online at the discounted price.

Know of a fun event? We would love to hear about it!

I try to be as accurate as I can, but if you spot a mistake, please let me know

Psssst! Put these dates in your diary!! (for Wellingtonians)

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Mika

I’m excited about August! August is when Petone have their Winter Carnival, which includes a fireworks display!

We also have a fireworks display in November as part of Guy Fawkes Day which is fantastic! The only problem is that it starts at 9pm at night. So you have to weigh up keeping your really young ones up until that time, and letting your school kids have a late night when there is school the next day.

Last year was the first year we took the kids to the Petone fireshow which starts at 7.30pm. We parked with our peoplemover’s boot facing the display. We put the seats down flat, and the younger kids sat inside and ate fish and chips while they watched the fireworks. (Those who attend the fireworks display in Wellington, usually have to park a mile away, and walk…walk and walk some more before getting a good view of the displays)

So if you haven’t been to the Petone Fireshow before, I highly recommend it!

Here are some other fun things that are happening in August:

Petone Winter Carnival

Obviously I am excited about the Pelorus Trust FireShow at 7.30pm, but there are other things happening during the day like Carnival Games and Rides, Fire Sculptures, Free Petting Zoo, Food Fair and much, much more! Check out their website for more info!

Date: Saturday, 14 August

Time: 2pm-8pmish (after the fireworks display)

Cost: Charges apply for some rides, food etc

Location: Petone Foreshore

Johnsonville Family Gala

This was SUCH a great event last year! The petting zoo, balloon making, bouncy castle, gingerbread decorating, petting zoo, ceramic painting, 2nd hand toys and book stall are under cover, so this event can go on rain (wind) or shine! The prices for the activities are incredibly reasonable, which is why many people liked about this event. There will be lots of yummy goodies on sale as well!

This event is put on by our Playcentre and the funds raised will go towards our renovations project.

Date: Saturday, 21 August

Time: 10am-1pm

Cost: Gold coin entry. Charges apply for the various activities

Location: Johnsonville Community Centre Hall, 3 Frankmore Avenue, Johnsonville

Sort your Clutter Workshop

Galit Maxwell from “Sort Your Clutter” will take you through a workshop to:

learn more about clutter and the effects it has on your life
get great tips to help you de-clutter your home plus easy storage solutions
talk about each room of the house, it’s purpose and how to achieve it by using simple feng shui & organising tips
learn how to achieve more effective time & schedule management for your family.

This event is put on by Yummy Mummy Club

Date: Tuesday, 24 August

Time: 7.30pm-9pm

Cost: $15

Location: Johnsonville Community Centre, 3 Frankmore Avenue, Johnsonville

Second hand Clothing Sale

We love second hand clothing sales for children, so it just makes sense that we should have one for women as well!

Do you want to pick up some new outfits at a bargin? Have you got outfits at home than are gathering dust?

If you want to book a table, it is a $10 donation per table to cover venue hire. Book a whole table or share with friends. The seller keeps all proceeds.

This event is put on by Mums in the City

Date: Saturday, 28 August

Time: 9.30am-11.30am

Cost: Gold coin entry

Location: Johnsonville Community Centre Hall, 3 Frankmore Avenue, Johnsonville

$5 Winter Wednesdays at the Zoo

Hopefully there will be some great winter days coming up so we can take advantage of the $5 Winter Wednesdays at the Wellington Zoo!

Date: Wednesdays in August

Time: 9.30am – 5.00pm (last entry 4.15pm)

Cost: $5 per person, Under 3′s Free (Adults are usually $20 per person)

Location: 200 Daniell Street, Newtown, Wellington

http://www.wintercarnival.co.nz/default.asp?PageID=14292

5 Great Finds: Photography Tips, $2 Train Tickets, Picnik Tutorial, Funny Twilight Song, List of Children’s Books

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Mika

GREAT TIPS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY

This article by Digital Photography School is jam-packed with great advice for your budding photographer, or even adults who want to learn a bit more about photography! I’m excited to try some of their ideas!

http://digital-photography-school.com/13-lessons-to-teach-your-child-about-digital-photography

Source: Digital Photography School

$2 ALL DAY TRAIN TICKETS (for Wellingtonians)

You can spend $2 and travel on the Hutt Valley line, Paraparaumu line and Johnsonville line between 9am and 3pm on Tuesday 13 July, Wednesday 14 July, Thursday 15 July! Thanks Tranz Metro! (and thank you Nancy for letting me know!)

http://www.tranzmetro.co.nz/Detail.aspx?ID=5b75b561-505d-4796-bbbe-67c41d2a2d50

EASY TO FOLLOW PICNIK TUTORIAL

Jill from Homemade from Jill walks us through the free Picnik programme to make these lovely printables. Picnik can be used for photo storage and manipulation as well. This looks like fun!

http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-make-printables-without-photos.html

FUNNY VIDEO ABOUT THE TWILIGHT CRAZE

I came across this video on Shanna’s blog Just SO and just cracked up at the words in the song!

A LIST OF BOOKS LOVED BY CHILDREN

Alicia from A Magical Childhood has taken the time to collate a list of books recommended by children! I can see that this wonderful list is going to keep us busy at the library for a long time to come! Thanks Alicia!

http://magicalchildhood.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/childrens-favorite-novels-and-the-winner-is/

GRAB A BUTTON IF YOU WERE FEATURED!

Combating Cabin Fever!

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Mika

Sometimes children can get a bit of cabin fever when the weather limits you to indoor activities.

At the moment I have a child with a runny nose and cough, so I am getting a bit of cabin fever myself! (Can you tell I’m on day 4 of our “quarantine”??)

To get us out of the house, I took the kids out for a drive today. We talked about and watched the trains go in and out of the station, we went to the docks to see the crates getting lifted by huge machinery, and watched the logs being loaded onto a cargo boat. Lots of exploring from the comfort of our car.

Yesterday, I took the kids for a drive out around the bays. We went right from Oriental Bay to Owhiro Bay, watching the big waves break against the rocks. The surfers in Lyall Bay were certainly taking advantage of it.

I came across two really distinctive building on our drive around the bays. I was amazed that they actually looked lived in!

Later on I found out they are owned by some people who rent out “The Lighthouse” and “The Keep”. What an original idea!

Since it looks like my son will need to stay home from school tomorrow as well, I went searching online for some more ideas to combat cabin fever. I found two articles with suggestions that are right up my alley. I can’t wait to try some of them!

Parents Connect: Cabin Fever and Rainy Day Activities for Kids

Babble: 25 Ways to Fight Cabin Fever

Cabin Fever and Rainy Day Activities for Kids

More School Holiday Fun in Wellington

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Mika

Just because I am housebound, doesn’t mean that you have to be

Here is a list of activities that are currently running during the school holidays in Wellington. Enjoy!

TRANZMETRO – $2 DAY (thanks Ula for mentioning this)

You can get out of the house, and go anywhere each day on the Hutt Valley, Paraparaumu and Johnsonville lines, for a tiny $2 dollars per day. (Excludes Wairarapa services)

Date: Tuesday, 12 April, Wednesday, 13 April and Thursday, 14 April

Time: Between 9am and 3pm

Location: Hutt Valley, Paraparaumu and Johnsonville Lines

THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE – KID’S SHOW (thanks Cara for letting us know about this)

Join The Improvisors in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice for their first ever improvised show for kids – it’s interactive, great fun and hilarious! In under an hour and with the help of the audience we’ll take you on a magical journey, which is limited only by your energy and imagination.

Date and Time: Monday, 12 April – Friday, 16 April, 11am and 1pm. Saturday, 17 April 11am

Cost: $10

Location: Circa Theatre, 1 Taranaki St, Wellington

ROBIN HOOD AND THE LOST CROWN

With singing and dancing, this new and very different version of the Robin Hood story is brought to you by the writers and producers of Little Bo Peep and the Cabbage of Doom.

Date and Time: Monday, 12 April – Friday, 16 April, 11am and 1pm. Saturday, 17 April 11am

Cost: $10, groups 10+ $9

Location: Gryphon Theatre, 22 Ghuznee St, Wellington

HANSEL AND GRETEL

In this tale of blended families gone horribly wrong, Hansel and Gretel try to outwit their mean stepmother, when she abandons them in the forest, but their hungry tummies land them in big trouble.
Hansel & Gretel need all the help they can get to escape from the wicked witch with a taste for pudgy boys and find their way home!
A cautionary tale of the dangers of too many sweets! Call 04 385 0292 to book.

Date and Time: Monday, 12 April – Friday, 16 April, 11am and 1pm. Saturday, 17 April 11am

Cost: $10, groups 10+ $9, Under Two FREE

Location: Tararua Tramping Club, 4 Moncrieff St, Mount Victoria

CAPITAL E: THE FARM AT THE END OF THE ROAD

Join woolly sheep Matilda and Duchess, Henry and Henrietta the free-range chooks and ragamuffin sheep dog Buck, as they follow a moon-lit road to help Farmer Mac find a new home. Age 2-7

Date: Monday, 12 April – Friday, 16 April

Time: 10am and 11.30am

Cost: $12 per person. $44 for a group of four. $10.00 per person for groups of 10 or more. Under two FREE.

Location: Capital E McKenzie Theatre, Civic Squre, Wellington

FARMYARD MASKS

Down on the farm there are a host of wonderful animals to play with — see the Capital E National Theatre for Children’s performance of The Farm At The End Of The Road and then join us in the playground to make a mask of your favourite farmyard animal to wear home. Age 2+

Date: Monday, 12 April – Friday, 16 April

Time: 9.30am-1.30pm

Cost: $2 per mask

Location: Capital E Playground, Civic Squre, Wellington

CAPITAL E: MASQUERADE

There is nothing more exciting and mysterious than the art of mask — they’re fun to make and wear and for thousands of years they have been used to entertain and disguise. Come and explore the world of mask at Capital E’s Masquerade. Change your own face in our fun virtual booth using facial recognition technology, see an interactive display about masks and all their uses, then get hands-on and make two masks of your very own to take home and continue the fun. Age 4+

Date: Monday, 12 April – Saturday, 17 April

Time: 10am-4pm

Cost: $5 entry, $8 with entry to Commedia Dell’Arte workshop (see details below).

Location: Main Floor, Capital E, Civic Squre, Wellington

(Over at Chez Lee there is a lovely blog post & photos of their daughters enjoying making masks)

CAPITAL E: COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE PERFORMANCE

Come and meet Arlecchino, Pantalone, Scaramuccia and their friends. At this performance you will learn about the art of Commedia Dell’Arte, a form of mask theatre that evolved in Italy, influencing early clowning and ballet. The same masks and characters have been used for hundreds of years. Amazingly all these characters will be performed by just one man, Ralph Johnson, how does he do it? Through the magic of Mask of course! This fun, interactive workshop will give you a taste of this amazing art form. Age 4+ Adult Suprvision required

Date: Monday, 12 April – Saturday, 17 April

Time: 10am-4pm

Cost: $8 includes entry into the Capital E main floor Masquerade

Location: Main Floor, Capital E, Civic Squre, Wellington

MAD HATTERS FUN AT THE MUSEUM OF WELLINGTON & SEA

Make a Mad Hat! Come to the Museum these school holidays and make your very own ‘mad hat’. For just $2 kids can get creative and decorate their hat and go into the draw to win one of 10 children’s passes to SkyCity cinemas. You may even want to bring a picnic and have your very own Mad Hatters Tea Party!

Date: Mon 12, Tues 13, Wed 14 April

Time: 10am-1pm

Cost: $2

Location: Queens Warf, Jervois Quay, Wellington

KIDS CLASSES AT CONFIGURE EXPRESS, QUEENSGATE, LOWER HUTT

Configure Express Queensgate is holding special Kids Classes. The Class which runs for an hour involves fun, games and group fitness. Class costs $5 per child and is for children aged 6-10 years of age. Bookings are essential, please phone 04 576 0941.

Date: Monday, 12 April, Wednesday, 14 April and Friday 16 April

Time: 10.35am-11.35am

Cost: $5

Location: Configure Express, Westfield Queensgate, Lower Hutt

LACE UP A LENGTHY LOVE BEADS NECKLACE AT TE PAPA, WELLINGTON

Date: Tuesday, 13 April

Time: 11am-12pm

Cost: $2

Location: Te Huka ā Tai, Level 4, Te Papa, Wellington

POMPEII AT PLAY FAMILY DAY AT TE PAPA, WELLINGTON

Kids, enjoy a fun-filled day of games, stories, crafts, and talks – and learn all about the bustling ancient city of Pompeii, buried in a cataclysmic volcanic eruption.

Date: Wednesday, 14 April

Time: 10am-5pm

Cost: Free entry to Te Papa & Discovery Centres. $2 for craft activity

Location: Discovery Centres, Level 2 and 4, Te Papa, Wellington

TE PAPA EXHIBITION: A DAY IN POMPEII

Experience the beautiful city of Pompeii – and its tragic destruction – in this blockbuster exhibition.

Date: Now until 25 April

Time: 10am–5pm every day, and until 8pm on Thursdays

Cost: Adult $15, Child 5, Under Five FREE

Location: Visa Platinum Gallery, Level 4, Te Papa, Wellington

CRANK UP THE RECORD PLAYER AT TE PAPA, WELLINGTON

Date: Thursday, 15 April

Time: 2pm-3pm

Cost: $2

Location: Inpsiration Station, Level 4, Te Papa, Wellington

A LIST OF OTHER GREAT ATTRACTIONS AROUND WELLINGTON

WOTZON.COM

CRAFT/ART CLASSES

CRAFT HOUSE, HUTT ROAD, THORNDON

ARTSIGHT, ABLE SMITH STREET, WELLINGTON

VILLAGE BEADS, JACKSON STREET, PETONE

____________________________________________________________

You may also be interested in:

FREE School Holiday Events for Young Children in Wellington

Random catch up

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Mika

I have been quite busy lately, and feel like I have been going from one thing to another. It didn’t help that I was sleep deprived some days (we have been getting better sleep, except last night when we woke 3 times for nightmares and power cuts – my daughter has a light on, so she freaked out in the middle of the night when it was pitch black.)

I’m still keeping up the Friday Fun Day with the kids. We took some bread to Aotea Lagoon and fed the ducks, had a play on the playground, then followed the mini train track all around the lagoon.

We had hubby’s family over during the weekend. We all met up with the extended family at Oriental Parade.

I captured my daughter playing with her cousin. I loved watching my niece go from being apprehensive about touching the sand, to digging her feet through the sand, then scooping it up with her wee hands and watching it run through her fingers….so cute!!

We heard these HUGE engine sounds, and looked over to find these boats racing by. I’ve never seen anything like this close up!

They were having Powerboat Racing in the bays. And boy were they loud! It was pretty spectacular to watch.

I hope the weather will be kind to us during the next two weeks of school holidays. I’m looking forward to relaxing and slowing down (as much as you can with 4 kids…hehehe)

I have already borrowed a few treats for me from the library. I have seen other versions of Mansfield Park & Jane Eyre…so I’m looking forward to seeing these ones. (Post edit: Watched the movie tonight. I was really enjoying this adaptation of Mansfield Park. I thought it flowed well – which is sometimes hard to do when you adapt a film from a big novel. Then all of a sudden it got weird, and deviated from the book. Just when you thought that you were pretty safe with Jane Austen movies, it got a bit too racey for me.)

Always & Forever is an audio book. I have never tried audio books, so we’ll see how it goes.

And then I got Hiding Places after reading the positive comments about the book on Steph’s post where she talked about books she would like to read. (Check out the comment section, there are heaps of recommendations on books!) Post edit: Just finished Hiding Places…Oh my! What a great book! Really inspirational!! So glad I read it.

We had a huge package arrive in the mail the other day. I was excited to see that it was the Spa Factory set that we won at Kiwi Mummy Blogs (Thanks Sarah!). This will be a fun thing to do with the kids during the holidays…making lip gloss and perfumes etc!

So you can see from my books & dvds what I plan to sneak into my easter holidays…have you got any plans?

Friday Fun Day: Revisiting the past

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Mika

And the winner is….ME!! I won Spa Factory at Kiwi Mummy Blogs today!! Thank you Sarah!! I can’t wait to use this with my kids! (Why am I visualising my youngest daughter eating the lip gloss?!?)

Yay! The sun was back today…I missed you!

I am still trying to put in an effort once a week to do something a bit out of the ordinary with the kids.

Today, I took the kids to our old stomping grounds in Wadestown. I showed them our very first flat/apartment. This was my oldest daughter’s first home. I told them stories, and showed them the sights as we drove around. My son started asking about where his first house was, and where my parents used to live. They really seem to enjoy stories from the past. I still remember sitting in my grandmother’s study, and reading notebooks that she had complied with stories of my ancestors and black and white pictures to go along with them. I loved it! Even if we aren’t natural storytellers, or record keepers, I definitely think it is something that we can learn and develop….I think it is something that our kids would benefit from and perhaps even our kids’ kids!

So, after the trip down memory lane, we went to a local park, and just played in the sun. My favourite part was having my 9 year old on my lap on the swing and just lying back and swinging together. (How many more years can I get away with this?!?!)

No camera on hand today, just my trusty cellphone camera

We grabbed hubby on the way home and a HUGE 20 inch pizza from Wholly Pizzas..yum! It was so fun to watch the kids try and put the HUGE pieces of pizza in their mouths!

Off to have our in-house date night tonight…yay! Hubby’s been out 3 nights this week, so it will be nice to relax together.

That was then…this is now

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Mika

I had decided that the day was too beautiful to stay inside. After school I said we were going out.

A few of them weren’t too keen on the idea. They just wanted to stay inside.

Exhibit A: The boy who said "I'm just going to stay in the car, and not come out!"

Good thing I don’t always listen to my children

We went to the river at Willowbank Park in Tawa. We didn’t even make it around to the playground area. We found a good spot where there were walking stones across the river, and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon. It was a blast!

But the sulky faces and whiney comments at the beginning, I could have done without, thank you very much. So that is exactly what they were told on the way home! haha!

While we were at the river I was thinking about how our outings have evolved over the years….

I remember nervously stepping out with four children, aged 0,2,4 and 6.

I would not attempt places with water, unless I had another adult on hand.

I would choose parks where the play equipment wouldn’t be too challenging Otherwise I would end up with different children calling out my name for help all at the same time!

The parks had to be relatively contained, and where the play equipment were close together so I could keep an eye on all the kids easily.

I also remember back to when I was a home body. Quite content hanging at home, making our own fun. I had no clue what was out there, but I didn’t really care, because I had my wee ones with me and we created our own fun memories.

When we went to the zoo last week, I saw the sheltered picnic spot that brought back memories of my first big outing with our baby and toddler…all by myself!

When it came time to feeding the baby, we parked ourselves on a sheltered picnic table. I remember nervously watching my toddler eating her snack, hoping I would finish breastfeeding BEFORE my 2 year old finished her food and decided it would be really fun to go exploring without mummy!

That was then…

This is now…

It had to be one where it was relatively contained, and where the play equipment were close together so I could keep an eye on all the kids at the same time.

M.I.A – Missing In Action

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Mika

I haven’t really been on my computer since Wednesday! Here is just a snippet of what we’ve been up to while I was “missing in action”.

Thursday:

School Picnic at Days Bay, Eastbourne. It was a BEAUTIFUL day!

This was the first year I didn’t have a baby, or two preschoolers or a runner (a child who just seems to run in all sorts of directions, and never comes back!), so I decided to go along as a parent helper. My 3 year old enjoyed being held by all the big girls.

I enjoyed watching my daughter’s team work really hard together on their turtle design for the sandcastle competition. The girls came up with their design and implemented it themselves …. and they won!

Had a nice evening out with some friends. What more could you ask for, good company and an endless supply of dessert (we went to “The Whitby” and had the dessert buffet). I got to hold a gorgeous wee baby….yes I am very clucky!

Friday:

In my effort to make Fridays a bit more special, I decided to take the kids to the Wellington Zoo after school. The tiger looked like it wanted to eat us for afternoon tea!

Saturday:

We went out to Yum Char to celebrate my brother’s 35th birthday. So yummy! Then my kids spent time with their cousin playing with a whole big tub of retro lego that used to belong to my brothers. They had a blast!

Sunday:

It was an eventful day, because my hubby became Bishop of our Ward. Although it is a big responsibility, we feel really good about it. My mum invited the bishopric and my hubby’s brother’s family for dinner at her place – spur of the moment! So we went home and checked what we had in each of our freezers and pantries, and managed to pull it off. Everyone ended up bringing something, so it worked out perfectly.

Reality Check: I love the fact that as I have looked back on the week, I seem to have forgotten all the odd, weird or frustrating moments. The only one I can remember is when I had to use food to entice my son out of his comatosed state so he wouldn’t have a nap in the middle of the day, and be up all night! ha! I love my short term memory!

I want it to be summer all year, and live at the beach

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Mika

I am getting better at noticing the sunsets and sunrises outside our window (we had a stunning orange sunrise and pink sunset today)….now I just have train myself to sit a little bit longer, really enjoy the moment, and just linger, instead of scurrying off quickly to the next thing. (Can you tell I’m talking about motherhood as well!)

Had no real deadlines except for the school pick up, so we just chilled out today.

I took my 3 year old and her 3 year old second cousin to the Duncan Park Play Area in Linden for a picnic and a play. (My older children named this play area “Friendship Park” because they always seem to make friends whenever they come here. )

I got a kick out of watching my budding 3 year old climbers master some of the trickier climbing equipment and hear them exclaim, “Yay! I did it!!” (If you look really carefully at the above picture, you’ll see them climbing solo. At the beginning they needed me to tell them where to put their feet. Now look at them!)

Then we drove over to Island Bay.

They have great rock pools near the orange “bait house”. We went searching for crabs, and found a few in all different shapes and sizes. This little one has one big claw!

We found a neat little rock pool that housed a couple of crabs. As we spent more time there, we noticed the shells started moving around. That was really neat!

Wouldn’t it be great if there was no homework, no meals to prepare, and no chores to be done, and we could just hang out at rock pools all day.*bliss*

And then my heart melted…

Posted on February 27, 2010 by Mika

I made a choice earlier this week, to try and “participate in life and make my choices more meaningful”.

As part of this, I wanted to make Friday a little bit different since we have more time up our sleeves (no homework, easy meal for dinner – During the week I make bigger meals that are re-heatable so hubby can take it to work the next day)

Come Friday, I was tired, and I could feel the motivation had drained out of me! We walked home from school in the heat, my wee man often stopped and just sat on the footpath. My two girls had gone ahead and was sitting under the shade ready for me to help them cross the “busy” T section (it’s not that busy, but feels busy when I think about my girl’s crossing a T section that has some blind corners!) I was pushing my youngest in the pram, who was about ready to fall asleep because of the heat and the busy session at Playcentre earlier that morning. Yet, we all pressed on, and we made it home….except my motivation had not made it!

Part of me wanted to forget about my little plan, part of me wanted to go through with it, because I liked the idea of trying to do something a little special on a Friday.

Who won?

It took a little while, but I finally got myself moving. I decided that we were going to have a picnic at the playground for dinner.

In my head I knew it was a good idea to do this, and that thought helped me go through with it…and then it happened…my heart melted.

I could see my two youngest children on the springy bike, giggling to each other. My youngest was sitting at the back of my 5 year old son with her hands wrapped around him, gleeing with delight. (the shot above is of my two youngest on another occasion on the springy bike…but captures what I saw yesterday.)

Aaaaahh…this was the reward, this is what made the effort all worth it.

My mind was in it, but now my heart was in it also.

My 9 year old daughter and I spent some time hanging out on a climbing frame that had a hammock type set up at the top. We just talked. Bliss…

Today I had many moments where I noticed my heart melt….

…….working as a team to tidy our house and Playcentre this morning. We worked hard, but for a good cause.

……..watching my kids having fun with their friends at our Ward Picnic at Eastbourne Beach. You can’t beat the huge smile on their faces!

…….watching my kids play together building sand castles.

…….watching a mum and a dad taking baby steps with their children to help them jump off the warf for the first time. (I wasn’t quite ready for it, I think my kids would have seen the fear in my eyes!)

…….the many hugs and kisses I got tonight from my kids…heavenly!

…….feeling that today was a good day, with wonderful memories.

Fun Kids Activity: Exploring rock pools

Posted on February 19, 2010 by Mika

We had a fun Playcentre trip to Whiteria Park, which is about 20 mins drive towards Titahi Bay from our place.

The road gets pretty narrow as you are winding around the hills. I had to practice my backing skills when a car came the other way!

When we arrived, the kids all went to the rock pools in search of creatures and treasures.

I found a crab underneath a rock. We were able to have a close look at the crab before letting it go.

My youngest is a collector, so she stopped and picked up shells on the seashore. Others used the spades to dig up the heavy wet sand.

The water was warm, so the children ventured in. They jumped the waves and waddled around.

The time passed quickly, and it was time for morning tea. We sat on our picnic blankets eating our kai (food) and enjoyed the sun on our faces. The children enjoyed the nice cold lemonade ice block that were given out. We heard a lot of “please” and “thank yous”. Ka pai! (Well done!)

Some of the children got changed into their togs so they could wade deeper into the shallow water.

Some of the children stayed behind and listened to books about the beach.

The children had a great time playing together, and enjoyed the water, sand and searching for sea creatures!

Fun Kids Activity: Ferry Trip

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Mika

I woke up this morning, and hubby was buzzing about the amazing weather.

He has always said, that if you want to run an event that relies on good weather, you should run it on the “Seven’s” Weekend in Wellington. For some reason, we ALWAYS seem to have amazing weather on those days!

The Seven’s is an international rugby competition of 7 a side rugby, instead of 15 aside. The games are also shorter.

The Wellington ”Seven’s” have become more about the party atmosphere than the game itself. The best way to describe it is, “New Zealand’s version of Halloween….but for adults”! Grown men and women, dress up in all sorts of weird and wonderful costumes! Today I saw Little Red Riding Hood and a wolf strolling down together, I saw a man dressed up in green like the little plastic army figurines. I saw a bunch of grown men dressed as teddy bears. (Look at the guys below and their wigs!)

Hubby had the great idea of going on the East by West Dominion Ferry today. The kids were so excited!

We drove to Eastborne, boarded the ferry and made our way around different stops in the Hutt Valley and Wellington Region.

We had so much fun!

I noticed my girls snuggled up to each other on the top deck. On closer inspection, they were actually playing shadow puppets on the side of the ferry!

When we arrived back in Eastbourne, we all just went to the beach and swam….in our clothes! The seats in the car got very wet on the way home

Holidays = Eating??

Posted on January 9, 2010 by Mika

Does anyone else out there feel like they have been eating non-stop these holidays?

I’ve been having Christmas food, New Years food, Birthday food, family get together food, picnics, food, food and more food! I’m not complaining mind you, because one of my favourite past times is to eat!

I just came back from a lovely outing with my friend Shelly, who is visiting from Australia. I am stuffed from eating Butter Chicken at The Curry Club with a lovely garlic naan and Strawberry Lassi. Then, if that wasn’t enough we went to Fidel’s for a Hot Chocolate and a Rhubarb tart..mmmmmm!

Earlier that day our families had an outing together at the Botanic Gardens.

Did I ever mention that my children are half monkey?

They have this amazing tree at the Botanic Gardens by the cable cars.

You are able to climb right up the middle of the tree.

Once you get to the top, you can peer out over the branches (and give your mother a heart attack!)

Two of my monkeys waving out to me

Both my hubby and Shelly’s hubby served their missions in Japan, so we had a special lunch at my mum’s house (my mum is a short cute Japanese lady, and my dad is a tall Kiwi aka New Zealander – we’ve lived in NZ all our lives except for a 4 year stint when my dad worked for the New Zealand Embassy in Japan when I was 6).

Shelly’s hubby was in heaven! We had (these aren’t my photos, I was too busy eating, and forgot about documenting the drool worthy food):

Kaarage – Soy-flavoured deep friend chicken

Tonkatsu – Crumbed deep-friend pork cutlet

Okonomiyaki – Savoury pancake

Yakisoba – Fried noodles with vegetables

Misoshiru – Japanese miso soup with tofu

Gohan – Rice

Salad – Salad =P

With fresh fruit as a “lunch dessert”

I know, I know, it’s a tough life, but someone’s gotta live it

We’re all in it together

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Mika

Don’t you just love it when you are with a group of other families and you all seem to have the same stories to tell?

the woes of packing the “house” in the car when you want to go out with the kids.
how the children seem to put on your sunglasses as if their head were the size of a giant (and often end up snapping them!)
difficulties when sharing one room when you’re travelling. Like when you try and pretend you are sleeping while the child just peers through the portacot at you.
the coordination needed when you have the youngest in the pram, and the oldest child runs off in front, and you have to try to hurry up the middle child dawdling behind you.

We have been spending time with hubby’s extended family the last couple of days. 3 young families with 7 kids between them, all 5 and under, with grandparents in tow. The kids are all soooo cute! We were all in one house for dinner the last couple of nights. So, when you add our family to the mix, you have 11 kids, 10 adults…and it actually wasn’t that chaotic!! Sure there were some tantrums and tears (they are young kids after all!), but overall the kids played good together and the adults just relaxing and chatted the night away (and some of the adults were great playmates to the kids too!).

Today we went to Te Papa and then we all split off and our family walked over to Fran Kitts Park. Last night was sooo gusty (even for Wellington’s standards), we were very surprised to see the sun greet us this morning!

It is always great to spend time with other families, because you see that you share a lot of similar ups and downs. It gives you perspective and helps you feel like you aren’t the only one doing the “family thing”.

I think that is why I love reading blogs. I love the feeling that we’re all in this together!

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