So I think it’s time my kids did more work around the house, after all I’m the mama and not the maid. So I presented them with a chores list recently. Not surprisingly making your own breakfast in the morning is the most favourite one on the list…

How could I forget to add this one. It’s been on Facebook for a while. Like most others this month it’s totally out of chronological order but who cares. Meet the cousins. This was part of the first instalment of our summer holiday adventures. We relocated a campervan to Auckland, taking 2 days to drive it up there and overnighting in Taupo where we had visit the AC baths of course. We then spent the most wonderful weekend catching up with the cousins at their beach house enjoying sun, sea, surf, good food and plenty of wine for the mothers. We had such a wonderful time and it went by way too fast. We did not want to go home! But we had no choice as I had managed to book a free ride back home by relocating a 10-seater van. So on Monday morning we had to go back to Auckland. We took our time driving back, overnighting in Taupo again, doing some shopping and have a good long swim in the lake.

I edited this one on my un-calibrateable laptop so the colours, contrast etc were a complete guess but I could not pass this one up when I downloaded my images. I am aware the colours are warmer than I normally process/like.

I realise my uploads are completely out of order and I do apologize. I’m just going through my images bit by bit and edit what I feel like. Must admit to having missed the odd day here and there too but all in all I should end up with at least 20-something images from this month. Now I just have to get them all on to the blog! Ha ha ha.  So here it is, my image(s) of the day for 15 January:

We’d been saving our small change for a while for a special occassion. We decided our little roadtrip was that special occassion. When in Kaikoura or even just passing through you have to try the crayfish, just once. And finally we did. This here is our $50 lunch at Nin’s bins(eek!), an iconic little roadside caravan that has been selling crayfish for decades. Thomas doesn’t look like it but he had been looking forward to this since we booked the camper relocation. He chose the crayfish and wasn’t happy first having to wait for it to be cooked and then having to wait for me to take a quick few pics before he could it eat. It was so good!

Ok, ok, so I am really behind with posting here and you may have seen some of my “PAD” Images on Facebook (but even there I am 2 weeks behind) but today this one takes priority. Yo-yo joined our family this afternoon. There’s also Jazz but she hasn’t come out from under the furniture yet. This was about 3 minutes after walking in the door. A quick sniff around and he made himself right at home. Yo-yo is 10 weeks old. Little Jazz is 8 weeks old. Both picked up from the SPCA.
I told the kids to leave them alone and just go about their day so the kittens could get used to their new environment. Thomas switched on the TV and parked himself on the couch. Yo-yo followed and initially sat on the couch arm licking Thomas’ hair! By the time I’d gotten my camera he had moved positions and both boys were watching TV.
(yes I’m aware the couch cushions are the wrong way around with zipper showing)

Oh and little story how Yo-yo got his name: Thomas was playing with him making him chase his necklace. Yo-yo kept jumping up and down trying to catch the pendant and that’s how he got his name.  Can’t wait to show you little shy Jazz. She has a Siamese mother so her eyes will stay blue. She did surface today but got a heck of a fright when I had to pull out the vacuum cleaner to deal with a spill of couscous. Poor thing flew into the laundry and got tangled up in the washing basket. I think she may be a little traumatised. Hopefully tomorrow she’ll be game to play.

yesterday’s picture today and today’s image(s) tomorrow. How’s that for starting off, only 3 days in and I’m already behind.

Not the most flattering angle but so typically her. Annabel rushing past as usual cluthing her standard accessories of a variety of stationary items and her baby Poppy. No matter where my girl goes she is always carrying something. She won’t leave the house without her handbag, which is filled with a note book, pens, (toy) cell phone and hair ties/clips. She loves to play school and playing with my hair. She’s always writing some kind of list and I find her love notes everywhere <3. And she’s growing up way to fast.

I have attempted this once before and lasted only until day 5 I think. This year I’m trying again. I may not post a picture each day but I fully intend to take at least a couple of photos each day. One month of photos, one month of memories, that’s the goal. Wish me luck.

Here’s day 1:

Starting the new year with a rare and luxurious sleep-in. I normally have my essential morning coffee much earlier than this. Two cups of milky coffee in the morning for breakfast. Without it I struggle to function and feel ‘off’ all day. My need is so great that Thomas challenged me for the 40 hour famine to go without coffee. Little stinker.

It’s been up for a while. Going for the ecclectic look this year. Just throw a whole lot of stuff at it and call it good. Kids did it all and I resisted the urge to rearrange. Veto-ed the tinsel though.

This is Annabel taking a picture of her handy work with the camera she got for her birthday.

A wetsuit drying. Surfer?  Looks can be deceiving

Just a quick one to share that caught my eye as I was trawling through photos of the last couple of months. This one makes me happy. I remember the day. The kids were bored and at each other’s throat all day, driving me up the wall. In desperation I got them out of the house just before sun down and we went for a walk just on the track close to our house. After sulking for five minutes their moods improved – along with mine – and silly business took over.