On Friday a bird flew into Gracie's classroom and banged into the wall and fell into the reading corner. Gracie picked it up and looked after it. Miss Kao helped Grace and her friends identify the bird as a house sparrow. Grace put the bird out in the garden, and then checked on it throughout the day. Eventually, the bird had gone. Miss Kao suggested that the girls find out more about house sparrows. Grace spent much of this weekend researching and writing her report.

House Sparrow Report

It was a house sparrow that we saved. sparrows eat seeds. sparrows are very noisy. we saved a girl and we know it is a girl because it has a yellow beak. they tirjp. You can find them at the zoo. They eat bird seeds, corn and sunflower seeds. A sparrow's nest is made of grass, twigs and feathers. their eggs are cream and white with brown speckles. The egg is the size of a 20c coin. they make their nest in trees.
Sparrows eat chickin. Some sparrows dont get scird. their correct name is passer domesticus. It is a chunky little bird, with feathers mostly different shades of brown and grey. Sparrows have pink spicky feet. Sparrows ackcherle have mouths. Sparrows have yellow bogrs. They can grow very big. They have brown and black botums. Sparrows have long tals.

Sunday

It has been a lovely Sunday today. We went to our National Conference at church today and listened to some wonderful and inspiring talks. When we came home we had lunch and took a nap. Bliss! I have had a horrible head and throat for the last few days, and I think all the time in bed has really helped. I feel almost normal again. After I woke at about 3, the house was remarkably quiet. I went to investigate, and here is what I found: Jane was putting jigsaw puzzles together. Josie was pretending to be a duck talking on the phone. Charlie was investigating the lego website. Grace was drawing up a chart which looked like some kind of merit/demerit system. When I asked her to explain she remained mysterious. Back upstairs, Rich was tweeting and Ted enjoying a tummy rub. So that was our day. It is almost time for me to make the customary Sunday night pancakes. This has been a tradition for several years now, to the point where Rich and I find pancakes rather repellant. Still, the kids insist that the tradition must not be broken. I think it's time for some fresh ideas.

Mr Squiggle

Remember the show Mr Squiggle? You have to turn a squiggle on a page into a picture. We were playing it the other night and Rich produced this masterpiece. Thought we should record it here for posterity.

Mothers' day

It was a lovely Mothers' day today. I was treated to brekky in bed, and THEN more sleep! What could be more luxurious than that? I am so thankful for the privilege of being a mother every day, though often the daily grind makes me weary. I remember when I was in hospital nearly 5 years ago and the doctor was talking about kidney cancer, all of a sudden I was mortal. I remember thinking that there was nothing I wanted more than to go home and be there to see my baby smile at me.
Now, when I am so tired at the end of the day and desperate for some quiet time alone, when a little person pats the pillow and asks me to lie down a while, or to tell a true story from when I was little, a voice inside my head whispers, "Remember!" And I lie down or I tell the story because I know that every day is a gift, and this is where I truly want to be.

Kids

Circus Aotearoa

Jane

Gracie's Poem

"Graceful Things" (an exerpt)

Unicorn, unicorn, you are pretty.
You fly gracefully
And you are very secret.
I wish I was as magical as you!

Fairy, fairy, you are very tiny
But you can be kind.
You fly like a butterfly.
And so graceful you are!

NZ TOTALLY SOLD OUT OF ELECTRIC FANS!

Yes, I have it on the authority of Briscoes, (one of our largest homeware stores) that "the whole country is sold out of fans." Not a one to be had in this advanced and civilised nation. Admittedly, it has been an unusually warm and dry summer, but for the first time in sixteen months I feel that I am living on a tiny island tucked away at the bottom of the world.

Teddy

Quilt

Look, Grandma - she's still using it.

Jane

Jane and I went out last Saturday for her to take a free trial music lesson. Afterwards, we did a spot of shopping and stopped for a hot choc.

Harvest

This has been a great week for produce. The tomatoes are plentiful, the leeks are starting to resemble leeks, and we had our first crops of corn and potatoes. As you may have noted, the corn is somewhat stunted. I guess Cathy from next door knew what she was talking about when she told me that corn needs a lot of plant food. We'll do better next time.

Staying Cheerful

On Friday Rich left for 10 days in the USA. I am missing him terribly, and so are all the kids. He is also missing us, though he tells me that Wal-Mart helps him feel better. Nice.
It's not unusual for Rich to travel - he's been doing it for years. What makes this time so much harder is that Ted has surrendered himself to doggy depression. He mopes around the house, looking up apathetically if someone calls his name and offers to play. He gazes at the chew toy waved hopefully before his face and then turns away and settles his chin back between his paws with a gusty sigh. When he is not curled up in a woeful ball he is sitting at the front door, gazing sadly down the street. At night time, when he is usually cuddled up on the couch, he chooses instead to go upstairs and lie in the dark with his head under Rich's side of the bed. I am trying hard to stay upbeat, but it's tough with all these mournful vibes. Hurry home, Richie.

Joesphine is 3!

Josephine had a wonderful birthday. We started with balloons and presents, and then had some friends over for a bbq and cake. Josie was keen to have the same cake as last year, which I dutifully created. Gracie watched me place the single m&m on the cake, a blue dot for the duck's eye. "Is that it?" she said.

"Yes, my dear. This is the finished product."

Noticing that she was looking very crestfallen at the lack of decoration, I passed it over to her and suggested she improve upon it. As you can see, she figured out a very logical excuse for putting way more m&m's on. Much better.

Josie had a lovely time. For some reason she insisted on wearing her dressing gown to the cake cutting ceremony, but it was otherwise a very traditional celebration. We love you, Josie!

Waiau Falls

Cricket on Whangapoua Beach

Water park

We went to this lovely water park while on holiday. It was filled with very quaint water machines made from all sorts of bits and pieces, and with a wonderful disregard for any workplace health and safety regulations.

Coromandel Town

We stayed for 4 nights in this renovated shed - it was very quaintly done up inside and a great place for the kids. In these photos you can see the shed, the tramp, the sandpit (a big white boat), the covered bbq area, and the rope climb.