Elizabeth’s 13th birthday and a Hogmanay ceilidh

Daniel, Elizabeth, and Dione at the ceilidh

Welcome 2023 and happy hogmanay! Yesterday was a crazily busy day. It started early with cake-baking for Elizabeth's birthday. She turned 13 and I finally got to hand over the ant colony which is thankfully still alive. She is still pondering a name for the Queen and her empire. I made a chocolate cake which… Continue reading Elizabeth’s 13th birthday and a Hogmanay ceilidh

Hövding deployed, a birthday and a BBQ

Yesterday my Hövding helmet deployed the airbag and I wasn't even on my bike at the time. The Hövding is an airbag helmet. You wear it around your neck and in the event of an accident while cycling, it deploys an airbag around your head. It's got much higher shock-absorbing ability than a plastic helmet… Continue reading Hövding deployed, a birthday and a BBQ

Hogmanay and Elizabeth’s 12th birthday

It's Hogmanay and Elizabeth's birthday today. The years tick by and although there are big global events - like the pandemic - we still go through all the same motions each year. Elizabeth is 12 and had a lovely celebration at home with two of her school friends. Elizabeth was such a cute little baby.… Continue reading Hogmanay and Elizabeth’s 12th birthday

Happy birthday to Victoria, open again, and a successful competition

It's Victoria's 1st birthday today. At least we think it is. She was born on or around the 26th April 2020. Here's a little video of her having her fur brushed which she loves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vTnQV3BgbU It has been more than a week since I posted anything which is unusual for me. Things are looking up… Continue reading Happy birthday to Victoria, open again, and a successful competition

A happy birthday, happy Hogmanay, and Dinner for One

If you're looking for something funny to watch this New Year's Eve then might I suggest this 15-minute British comedy sketch filmed in 1963 which will have you laughing out loud. It's played annually on New Year's Eve in many European countries and is widely known throughout northern Europe except, oddly, in the UK where… Continue reading A happy birthday, happy Hogmanay, and Dinner for One

We have a teenager in the house

Daniel turned 13 this week. They say it gets hard again when kids become teenagers. We've been enjoying the golden years with both kids between the ages of 6 and 13. They're reasonably independent in this age bracket and all the sleepless nights and nappy changing is behind you. You're also still a big influence… Continue reading We have a teenager in the house

Birthday activity list and happy Hogmanay!

Elizabeth is 8 today and to celebrate her big day she's put together a list of activities for us to do: We found it interesting that she put "open presents" as one of the last things to do today. She has opened a couple of present already this morning but all the rest she's chosen… Continue reading Birthday activity list and happy Hogmanay!

The best birthday ever

A conversation at school this morning. Elizabeth (to her friend): It's my mum's birthday today and she's 41. Elizabeth's friend: Wow, my mum's heaps younger than your mum but your mum looks heaps younger than my mum. The best birthday present ever 🙂 I had a nice day today. I did one of my favourite things which… Continue reading The best birthday ever

I ate a box of chocolates yesterday

I turned 40 yesterday; I'm officially middle-aged. I didn't do anything exciting other than eat almost an entire box of chocolates. I didn't even feel sick and I'm unlikely to put on weight because a) I'm vegan and b) I've got Busby. The interesting thing about Busby is that there's a positive correlation between my age and the amount… Continue reading I ate a box of chocolates yesterday

Baby photos

I started this blog because of the Christchurch earthquakes but many women start blogs as a way to record images of their children. My blog has certainly morphed into that over the years but there's nothing of my children from before the earthquakes. I realised this yesterday when I went searching for a baby photo… Continue reading Baby photos