mumblesandpopsnz

Big Brother and Baby

2009-05-08T01:59:00.000-07:00

At the risk of being thought of as the doting grandparents that have nothing in their life except their grandchildren I set about another blog post that shows off the two most precious children in our world! Dee has just sent through some photo's and what a wonderful opportunity to update the blog. Baby Brooke is 3 weeks old today and is already looking very alert and somewhat cheeky...
Though it is a wee bit hard to stay awake for very long. She is still sleeping a lot of the time and is only now being left to wake on her own most of the time.

If she hasn't woken in 4 hours then she gets a little bit of encouragement. Dee asked Carly to pick up a head support pillow for the capsule when Carly was going shopping and Aunty Carly went for Buzzy Bee, very cute, rather "out there" and one of very few choices according to Aunty. I think it looks gorgeous!

Brooke is even starting to enjoy lying on her back looking at her mobiles - though only for a few minutes at a time! It's a bit tiring doing all this looking. Ethan lay down beside her and said "Hello Foxy, she likes her toys".

Nan stayed a bit later on Thursday night and was thrilled to be able to give bubs her bath, though she wasn't that fussed on the undressing and re-dressing stages she definitely loves the bath time. And even looks quite happy with Nan!

Ethan has been amazing, very protective of his little sister, and very patient and gentle. He is an absolute darling and seems to be growing up before our eyes. Still the cheeky wee monkey.

It's amazing to see the comparison in foot size - I didn't think Ethan's feet were that big but next to Foxy's they seem huge!

Wow - so tiny, and don't panic the other two toes are firmly attached they are just out of sight!!! Brooke had to have another blood sample today for a jaundice test, you can see her wee heel is looking a bit bruised. She's just fine but the midwife thought her "tan" was just a wee bit dark.

And here's Lightening McQueen man all ready, for bed and showing off his battle wounds as well. Ethan and Daddy having races and Ethan's big toe came off second best in a fight with the door! You've really got to hunt to find the plaster on his big toe! He doesn't seem too worried about it though.

You've just gotta love this little man!

2009-04-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

Well it's back around to the weekend, and Dudley and Ethan have headed off to Auckland for Grandad Harris' 70th. Nan and Garg have popped in to make sure Dee and Brooke are ok on their own. Garg just loves this wee girl and she seems to recognise Garg's voice already, she was very alert and looked around when she heard her Garg come in.
However, in true Brooke form she soon relaxed her way into sleeping mode!

Dee is looking great, considering Dee and Duds are setting the alarm right through the day and night for 3 hourly feeds they are bearing up exceptionally well. And baby Brooke put on 90 grams in the last 2 days so the effort is all worth it!

Not that she has suddenly ballooned in size, she is still just under her birthweight but on the way up so that's really good.

With some milk being expressed it means that Dee can have a bit of a breather and others (like a doting Nan) can have a chance to give Brooke a bottle, she is quite happy with this and it means that she can have a top up every now and again.

Those legs are something to remember huh. Skinny wee things!

Can't keep Nan Away - Monday 20th

2009-04-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

Just a quick visit out after work! Actually with Carly down for a few days, Ethan being nan's favourite boy and Dee and Brooke just home it's almost essential that Nan goes for a visit!

One time maybe Brooke will be awake when Nan is visiting. But talk about gorgeous in pink! There's no mistaking that this is a little girl! I just can't get over Brooke's tiny little feet,

They make my hands look huge! Isn't creation marvellous when you see the perfection in a tiny baby like this you can't help but be awed!

Of course she is the most beautiful baby girl born this millenium!

The Homecoming - Sunday 19th April - 3 days old (Just!)

2009-04-25T15:35:00.001-07:00

The family have just arrived home from the hospital and the first thing big brother did was go out to the barn to get some ear protection! We thought Brooke must have screamed her way home in the car, but it turns out that she slept like a wee angel. Ethan is just being a good boy scout and "Being Prepared".
Meanwhile baby Brooke got handed (SLEEPING) around the family, first Garg gets to hold his first grand-daughter.....

Than Nan gets a turn, meanwhile Ethan has provided the medical kit so we can check out Brookes heart!

Then Aunty Carly gets the sleeping babe! This wee doll would just keep on sleeping - It might seem like every parents dream, but as a wee prem Dee and Duds will have to set up a rigorous routine to wake her and feed her to make sure she puts on weight.

Just as well Aunty Carly's knee is big enough for both Nephew and Niece! Ethan is still a wee bit unsure about this wee girl but is very pleased to have Mum and Baby at home.

Well it's time to check out the cot and big brother (though he insists he is NOT going to be big brother .. he's just ETHAN!) has a kiss good night.

When she's put in the cot baby Brooke doesn't take up very much room at all! Even with her cuddly blanket that Ethan bought for her on her "Birthday".

She's all lovely and snuggly. What a darling. She has totally captured the hearts of the whole Harris/Porter family.

Well she might seem like she asleep and quiet for now, but big brother is not convinced that this state of affairs will continue for very long so it is off to the lounge to retrieve the said............

EARMUFFS! just in case. You never can be too sure when these babies might start to kick up a fuss and you just have to be ready.

We are not sure where Ethan has got the impression that babies are particularly noisy but he is defeinitely taking some convincing that Baby Brooke is not going to be that disruptive. Guess we better wait and see.

The Happy Family

2009-04-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

Ethan has been such a good boy while Mum has been in hospital, and also when he wasn't too well himself that Dad said he could have his new Superman outfit. It gives special powers...

Are you ready for the amazing Superman feat!?%$@!Ha! fooled you, but you do get a really nice smile...

Ethan (AKA Superman) and Nan are spending some time at the farm while Dad pops in to the hospital to see Mummy and new baby sister Brooke.
Then it was a quick trip to Nan and Gargs. And even Superman needs sustinance so an itsy bitsy tea was the order of the day. Then Dad picked up Ethan and Nan headed off to the airport to pick up Aunty Carly and go in and see bubs...

Dee was looking fantastic and baby Brooke was on her best behaviour ...

Well for the first 5 minutes anyway!
Then she decided that she had had enough, so for the next hour or so she gave a very persistent lung test. By the sounds of the other babies in the ward several babies were testing their lungs. It may not be too restful a night for the news mums tonight.

Aunty Carly did manage a quiet cuddle at the beginning of the evening and is totally convinced that Brooke is the most beautiful baby girl born.

There's nothing quite like having a brand new baby snuggle in to your shoulder and Aunty Carly is acting like a pro!
Well bubs may not be too happy and Mum is just thinking hmmmmm! little girl just what is your problem? Day Two is apparently quite a restless day for babies as they get used to a whole new way of life.

Well alls quiet for now, Mum has got Brooke sorted out and Aunty Carly gets to have another quiet wee hold.

Brooke's First Day

2009-04-17T03:28:00.000-07:00

Brooke Kathleen Harris arrived this morning - Friday 17th April 2009, at 09:22, weighing in at 2.8kg (about 6lb 2ozs for us oldies). Nearly four weeks early so a pretty good weight, though everything seems huge on her.
Mum Dee is looking pretty good as well. Dee is just so happy to have the wee girl born safe and sound after the last few weeks. Brooke spent most of her first day in Neo Natal ward so Dee has just had her delivered to her room about 6pm tonight.

Nan and Garg were allowed to go into neo natal to have a first look at our wee grand-daughter and what a darling. Garg has fallen in love at first sight.

She is remarkably well covered considering her early arrival, and looking the absolute angel...

Gargs hands give some perspective to the size of the little sweetheart. She is tiny!

And here she is with her first grasp on her Garg, you'd think she knows "this is my Garg!"

Around the house ...growing, nurturing and warming.......

2009-03-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

This spring we decided that we might get back in to a bit of gardening after hearing of Carly's success with her garden in Auckland. We are not going crazy but thought we might do a few tomatoes to supplement the rhubarb and herbs that we regularly grow. So planted a few wee 100's and 100's and a few Cherry toms out side Livvie Lou's bedroom......

A bit of rain and a few hours of sunlight later and it's a bit difficult to find the bedroom!

It certainly seems like the day of the triphids has arrived in Johnsonville. But as well as many many leaves etc we have certainly begun the harvest. Every day we pick between 10 and 20 tomatoes and even that looks like increasing in the next few days! What to do with all these tomatoes?

I found a really easy oven dried tomato recipe - you just wash and dry them, cut them in half and bake at 50 degrees for 6 to 12 hours (sprinkled with a little salt).

They are about 1 1/2 hours into the process at the moment - talk about technology, take a photo, download it and then immediately upload it and hey presto a morning in the life of Lesley and Brent! Thought I better give a shot of the front "garden" as well, tho the herbs are a bit over shadowed by the rhubarb!

Once again we planted a few Swan plants to encourage the Monarchs into the garden. I think Nan enjoys them as much as Ethan. One crysalis came adrift and so we rescued it and had it inside. Much to our delight it survived and when we arrived home from work on Tuesday it was sitting on the kitchen bench. A quick walk outside to transfer it to the garden followed and here it is!

Not the best photo but you get the idea.

A few flexes of its wings and the next day it had flown the garden - hopefully to surviving to produce a few more beauties!

A couple of months ago we decided that with power increases forecast, power outages becoming a bit more regular around the country and the opportunity of free (if somewhat energy sapping!) firewood available from Dee and Duds it would make good sense to get a free standing fireplace. This one has the added bonus of being able to cook on it ... so bring on the blackouts, we'll be warm and fed. If we can get past the puppies that is! When we had it installed and certified we had to have a trial run even though it was the middle of summer and the girls decided they were very happy!

Cruisin' around the Hawkes Bay

2009-02-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

Sunday dawned sunny and warm - infact the bus was rather like a sauna! So we didn't muck around, it was up and away. The first stop was the Farmers Market about 20 minutes drive away. A lot of looking, a few samples and a few purchases filled in about an hour or so. Carly was very interested in the preserves - looking for ideas for her fresh produce from the garden.

Dad spied Lisa and Co from the Club and had a quick chat ....And Mumbles tried out and purchased several locally made vegetarian cheeses... YUM! We also found a stall selling beautiful local Olive oil for a very good price so Carly and Mum negotiated a bulk deal and got two litres each. We'll probably regret not buying more.

Then it was in to Napier to find a nice place for Brekkie. Carly and Kate stopped off to check out handmade jewellery so Mumbles and Dad wandered on to secure a table. After considering sending out a search party to find the girls we finally saw them making their way up the street. We were looking forward to spending an hour looking at their large selection of jewellery thinking that's why they had taken an hour an a half in the shop. But no, just one (very beautiful!) necklace each. After a very yummy brunch we went for a wander.

Down on Marine Parade there appeared to be lots of elegantly dressed ladies and gents all heading towards the beach.

We found out that the annual Long Lunch was about to start. About 800 guests are accommodated on 2 huge tables stretching about 100 metres each and served a gastronomic delight! We suspect there may have been a few sunburnt people by the end of the afternoon!

Down on the beach promenade we found the catering tents with 100's of entrees just about to be served - with military precision.

After watching for a few minutes we carried on our way along the beach. What a beautiful day, if only it had been like this yesterday the Lionel Ritchie concert would have been fantastic.

Well after walking off the brunch we decided we should head off to Clearview Winery for lunch/antipasto and a few glasses of their superb vino. As usual Mumbles being the willing sober driver.

We then headed inland to Havelock North just because we could. Also Kate has not been to this part of NZ before so it was a good chance for her to have a look around. We went to the top of Te Mata Peak (I'd like to say we walked but that would be a lie!).

What fantastic views, you can see the coast line from Hastings to the right and Napier further off to the left.

Of course, you can't take sensible photos all the time ! The girls were having fun.....

Our last stop for the day was the PINK restaurant in Havelock North. It is a beautiful Italian restaurant that Carly went to about 4 years ago... it lived up to it's reputation and we had a lovely meal before heading back to Napier and settling in for our last night.

Monday dawned bright and clear again. Carly and Kate packed up and headed off to Auckland and Dad and I took a bit longer and cruised our way back to Wellington. A wonderful weekend even if we didn't get the see the main attraction we went for. Never mind maybe next time.

Journey to the Mission Estate and missing Lionel Ritchie

2009-02-27T02:28:00.000-08:00

Taking Friday and Monday off work, getting the bus all street legal, packing up and heading off to Napier.... Yay! A great weekend of catching up with Carly and buddy Kate, going to the Mission Estate Winery to see Lionel Richie and then another couple of days to check out wineries and the sights of the Hawkes Bay - who could ask for anything more?
Well if you have to get stuck in a traffic jam you could hardly ask for a better view than the Manawatu Gorge. The line of traffic was about a kilometre or two heading off round the corner so we figured we were in for a long wait but surprisingly once we got moving after about 5 minutes we went straight through. It may have had something to do with the fact that it was about 4 o'clock and the workers were heading off home!

So we continued our merry way to Napier and parked the bus, put the billy on and watched everyone else putting up their tents... with a quiet smile on our faces. And on Saturday morning when we woke to rain and the news that one of our parties tent had become a swimming pool overnight we were even happier to stay warm and dry in "The Bus". Carly and Kate while a wee bit cramped in their tent, managed to also stay warm and dry over night, however they chose to join us in the bus for drinks, food, warmth and conversation.
Pops was checking out the knobs and buttons as only boys can find facinating!

And the girls chatted, read books and even braved the weather to go shopping for supplies in the hope that the weather would clear and we would get to see Lionel.

The rain continued and the mood of the concert goers ranged from hoping the weather would break to thinking we would brave the conditions to see Lionel to praying that the concert would be cancelled so we didn't have to be wusses and bow out! Our prayers were answered at 7.45pm and the concert was cancelled! Though it was a disappointment to not see the show we had all driven to see it was quite a relief that we could stay dry and warm. Planning began for tomorrow.

Biking to Whangamomona

2009-02-10T02:11:00.000-08:00

A group of very youthful bikers from the Johnsonville Club decided they were going to have a bit of a rally to Republic Day in Whangamomona. Brent decided that it sounded like fun (being the middle of the fire season Lesley stayed home ...in comfort!). Besides there was only just enough room in the tent for one! but it was very cosy. The bikers left early Friday afternoon and headed into the sunrise. A longer than anticipated stop for tea just out of Wanganui meant that it was a case of pitching the tents in the dark.
After a hearty breakfast at Kaieto Cafe on the Forgotten World Highway, Stratford, the bikers headed in to Whangamomona for the big day!
The township really gears up for the day with passports required for all visitors and a market day atmosphere! The weather came to the party and it was so hot that the tarseal melted on the road, to the point that several jandal wearers became separated from the base of their jandals. An abstract art piece was made of the left behind thongs... sorry no photo.

Just a couple of the 8 bikes parked outside the local just to prove they actually made it. And they made it home after a wonderful trip going through some fascinating backroads and letting the bikes have their lead. Brent returned home late on Sunday having enjoyed a fantastic weekend and busy planning the next trip!

Gargs Birthday

2009-01-19T01:52:00.000-08:00

Being a Grandparent means you get to enjoy birthdays all over again. Birthdays are definitely one of the highlights of Ethans days and it's a very serious business.
Of course blowing out the candles is one of the best parts!

Though cutting and eating the cake comes a very close second. I haven't noticed before but is there a bit of likeness in the grins from the boys?

Once the cake is all over it was a Headache challenge. Usually Ethan is a front runner but here you can almost see the "Oh no Garg, what ARE you doing?"

A really lovely morning and a great day. A couple of phone calls from Carly in Auckland and Liv in India and of course family in Christchurch also touched base so Brent/Dad/Garg had a lovely day.

Tractor Nan moving the earth....

2009-01-11T00:16:00.000-08:00

Duds let me loose with the tractor ... a borrowed tractor at that. After about a 5 minute lesson from Duds he let me loose! Man I had fun. Such good fun that I let Pops go home without me so I could have MORE FUN!!

Actually it was harder work than I thought. You need to have strong knees and arms, to keep changing the gear and moving the bucket up and down .

But that said I really enjoyed myself for a couple of hours. I don't think I'll give up my day job but for a bit of light recreational fun it was great. The farm is looking really good with the "lawn" area in front of the deck now getting bigger almost by the day!

Lighting the shady areas!

2009-01-08T00:32:00.000-08:00

Well babes, we got our parcel safe and sound, it was a very exciting time! We love everything and have started putting the shades up around the house - a real Nepalese style in the entrance hall... The looooooooooooong red in the hall leadging to our boudoir!!! Not sure where Liss thinks she's off to, but Dad is obviously heading outside with a Heiny!

A couple of limes to freshen up the lounge room........ Do you like our choice of TV programme? It's food channel and the programme is called Rhodes across China all about different styles and flavours of Chinese cookery.

And a lovely shade of lemon for the dinning room! Casting a bit of light on the pashminas and other goodies!

We hope you approve of the choices to date and rest assured that there will be adds, moves and changes over the coming weeks! Good choices on your part though kids, we love them all!

Swimming with Dad

2008-12-29T00:53:00.001-08:00

After the visit to old Nana it was around to Dale and Geoff's to catch up with them and meet Dee, Duds and Ethan, and to have another swim in the pool and enjoy the summer weather.
Ethan wasn't too sure about his swim ring to start with but Dad just jumped in and started throwing him around and Ethan decided it was fun!

In fact it was a bit difficult to convince him to get out in the end, they had a lovely time and the afternoon past very quickly.

What a great way to spend a summer afternoon...............

Boxing Day Baking ...

2008-12-29T00:48:00.000-08:00

Aunty Carly got a brand new Kenwood cake mixer for her Christmas present (from Uncle Russell) so of coursae she had to give it a whirl. Ethan was very happy to give a hand, he still loves to be busy in the kitchen!
Aunty Carly is also happy in the kitchen and even better with her favourite nephew giving her a helping hand and loving it!

Ok, just a couple of drops of vanilla to add to the mix, I think they were mixing up a pancake mix that was then taken out to the Bar-B-Que for Uncle Russell to cook our breakfast..... Yum!

After breakfast Daddums and I went back over to the North shore and popped in to see "old Nana", while she was looking very frail, she was very happy to have visitors, expecially visitors with pineapple lumps to share. We stayed for about an hour and had a lovely chat. Not very meaningful discussion but she was very happy and looked pleased enough with her lot. It was really good to see her in such good spirits, and actually compared to some of the old dears in the home she is doing very well.

MERRY CHRISTMAS xxx

2008-12-29T00:28:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning finally arrived and actually we managed to sllep until after 7am which was pretty amazing. According to the Porter family tradition there was the Stocking hunt to start with and Ethan joined in with enthusiasm1 Well he was the only participant really with Aunty Carly lending a helping hand and the rest of the adults watching! A new twist this year and we had pictures instead of written clues - much better for a four year old!
So once the stockings were found in Aunty carly's car in the garage we got to sit around and open the pressies. Mainly it was watching Ethan...

Then after a bit of gentle persuading Ethan donned the Santa hat and with Gargs help he played a very good Santa and handed out all the presents to the waiting adults.

As a fairly highpercentage of the parcels were for the boy playing Santa it took a while. But we got there. The the next tradition ... croissants and all the trimmings yum. Then Carly and Russell headed of for "lunch" with Russell's folks and Dee, Duds and Ethan headed off to Dudley family for lunch. Daddums and I chilled out, tidied up a bit, had a quiet read and relax and then did a bit of preparation for heading over to dale and Geoff's for a Belcher family catch up for the evening.

It was a lovely day and the kids made the most of Great Nana's swimming pool. Emily and Rosa and Georgia acted as the responsible big kids and looked after the little ones.

Emms is so grown up these days I hardly recognised her. Ethan had an absolute ball though he does look a bit chilly in this photo!

Emily and Rosa decided that shower caps were in order to stop their hair getting wet! Hardly glamourous but they did the trick. Priscilla was not quite so worried about her tresses, she's a no nonsense kinda girl!

Then for a bit of a warm up Ethan did a bit of jumping around on the trampoline with dad keeping an eye out. Ethan wasn't quite so sure when there was 3 or 4 other kids jumping as well, he's not that used to having everyone cramming on so was a bit shell shocked to start with. But he loved having all the cousins around had a ball!

What a lovely Christmas, it was great to catch up with all the brothers and sisters and children and grandchildren, gosh the family is ever increasing! What a fantastic thing is family. We did miss the ones that couldn't be there but enjoyed the ones that were.

Christmas Eve at Aunty Carly's

2008-12-29T00:25:00.000-08:00

We all arrived safe and sound in Auckland on Christmas Eve day, Dee, Duds and Ethan by car and Mumbles and Daddums the easy way - an hours flight! And though it was fine when we arrived, by the time Russell was given the all clear to start the barby, typical Auckland weather had settled in and he had to employ the brolly to try and keep at least part of him dry.
Carly and Russell put on an amazing dinner for the 7 of us what a wonderful start to our Christmas in Auckland.
In preparation for the arrival of the man in the red suit we had to hang the stockings in a place that he was likely to see them! It really makes it feel Christmassy when the stockings are up and even though Liv and Adam are half way round the world in India we put theirs up so we could feel as if they were with us in spirit if not in body. Once the wee man was fast asleep the pressies started coming out! Of course we had to leave room for the ones from Santa. It's the first time that we have had Christmas at Carly's and it was quite nice being the Nana and Grandad and taking a wee bit of a back seat and letting the young ones do their thing. At the same time it's a bit strange not to be the one doing all the organising!

Christmas at Gargs work

2008-12-29T00:15:00.001-08:00

Friday the 19th of December and a wee man was invited to another Christmas party. This time Santa was going to be at Gargs work from 3.30pm so Mummy dropped Ethan off about 3:15 and it was off to the party.

It wasn't a huge affair, with about 10 children but it was pretty exciting all the same, and the main thing was there was a Santa sack with presents, and a table of good food.
Is there an Ethan Harris here? SURE IS! Pick the one with the straight finger again! Susan is doing a fantastic job, after organising the party she then turns her hand to being Santas helper!
And look Santa did hear what Ethan when he said he wanted a Lightening McQueen toy, and he duly got a Mater bubble maker, yay! And of course Garg is on hand to help with the tricky cellotape. Then it was a chance to play pin the smile on the Frog! He did pretty well as you can see.

Then it was a last chance to have a chat to Santa and tell him what a good boy he'd been! And probably get in a few last minute orders..... It was a lovely party and Ethan really enjoyed himself. This is the best time with children when they are sooooo excited about Christmas.

Cleaning Gargs bike

2008-12-29T00:12:00.001-08:00

Well after being treated to a Christmas party the least I could do is help Garg with cleaninghis bike.. It's a bit tricky to get into all thjose small spaces, but this is a job Ethan loves to do. And obviously Garg is happy enough to stand and watch, and maybe give some instructions along the way. We still ride the bike to work everyday, rain, hail or WIND!!

A Christmas Party at the Johnsonville Club

2008-12-28T23:40:00.000-08:00

Sunday14th December and the Johnsonville Club is all decorated and ready for an enslaught of excited children ready to see Santa. Garg is very attentive to the needs of one young man...
Though the laden Christmas tree behind the circle created a lot of interest, the kids love to play pass the parcel and Ethan is no exception. Gotta watch that parcel going around!!

Who is ready for their present from Santa? Pick the boy with the straightest finger!

It's very special to be able to have a chat to Santa, a wee bit nervous but with a present to be had it's worth the nerves.

Then outside to test out the sidewalk chalk and maybe get into a bit of graffiti with Garg!

Then after much consideration Ethan decided that he could be brave enough to go and talk to Charlie the chicken and even managed a bit of a hug. It was a great day and the 65 children there all had a ball, kept Santa busy for a very long time handing out the presents, lucky for Ethan he was called about 5th!!!

Lissy and Ellie get in the Christmas spirit!!

2008-11-30T00:17:00.000-08:00

Today was a bit of a slower start with a bit of a sleep in and then down to the Club for a $7 breakfast. Very nice. Then home and into the garden and realising it was such a beautiful day decided that the girls needed a bath so in they went - and came out smelling like roses and acting like spring lambs.

Thought Liv and Adam might like to see the girls with a bit of Christmas in the background, it took a while and a few "stay!" s but we did it in the end.

They are both really well and enjoying life, Lissy is getting whiter by the month but still races around the yard like a mad thing! barking and carrying on while Ellie gallops along in front.

And here's one of Liss by herself, sitting on her pretty pink mat. She's such a girl!

As promised, here is the heavy laden branch on the Christmas tree that Ethan really enjoyed decorating, there's 3 balls, 2 snowmen, 3 gold stars, a yellow felt star, a pine cone, a silver bell and morethat i can't quite make out.

It is so lovely to see the tree and see all the lower branches obviously decorated by one small boy! One of our best trees ever!!

Time to put up the Christmas tree

2008-11-30T00:05:00.001-08:00

Today Nan and Garg had a very busy day with an early start to the Fire Station and The Club respectively. Then it was out to the Farm to catch up with Carly and Russell while they were in town briefly before flying back to Auckland. Ethan then came home with us with the promise of Christmas tree decorating in store!
He really got in to it, he was very patient while Nan put up the lights and then we got into the fun part. He just loved it and chose all his own decorations and needed the story behind each one! Mummy made this one, Aunty Vie did this, Carly and Nahoko made these stars!!! It was a very special time for both of us....

As it turns out (and I didn't realise at the time) Ethan had a special penchant for one particular spot on the Christmas tree and I later realised and took a photo of one little branch with about 10 different decorations on it - here he is in the act of putting yet another one on! See tomorrow's update for the photo....

Had to take a photo of the pair of us to prove we did it!

Ta Da!!! The finished article - now we just have to hang the santa lights and set up the train and we're done... So we popped down to the Club to see Garg and have a lemonade. Then it was off to the Warehouse to buy the hooks for the Santa lights and while we were there Ethan spotted a Christmas hat that has red flashing lights - at $1.99 it was a must have!

So time for a bit of macaroni cheese for dinner and wait till mummy and daddy come to pick me up and survey our handy work.

Here's Mummy and Daddy in front of the tree, they think it looks great and daddy has said I can do the one at home next weekend ... yay, I'm quite the expert.

Wellington Rural Fire goes to Pauatahanui pre-school

2008-11-29T23:46:00.000-08:00

Well, having a firefighting Nana has to mean some exciting treats for a 4 year old. Nan has been promising to take a fire engine to pre-school for a while and so last week on Thursday 27th Nov it was a lovely day and Colin (The Controller) and Les (Nan) rolled up.....
The kids were pretty excited and seated themselves (with the teachers instructions) under a beautiful big tree! Ethan was very keen to show the kids how it is done - he was so proud to know what to do and even had his fire uniform on to prove it!
Of course being the man of the day Ethan got to go first and expertly hit the cones with the water .....

and over they went! Just like that....

Very soon the numbers had swelled to include several of the younger classes and even a few older ones..... Never mind with 3,000 litres of water on board there was plenty for all to have a turn!

In fact there was even enough for one small boy to have a second turn - a bit naughty of Nana but we wanted some front-on photos!

And he did so enjoy it. It's so neat to be able to spend time doing fun stuff with your grandchild! Every grandparent should be so lucky - and every grandchild as well!

I can't quite believe how many children ended up watching and having a turn - it's great to be able to go to your community and do this sort of thing. And the kids and teachers were so appreciative. A great day!

Of course no trip from the fire trucks is any good without a chance to climb on board and have a drive!! Doesn't he look the part!

Then a final fire safety talk, stop, drop and roll! And remember if you get caught in a fire get down on your knees and crawl to the door!

It was a fantastic day - and a bit of fun for all concerned.....

Staying Over at Nan and Gargs!

2008-11-21T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well tonight might just be the night. Ethan has been trying to stay at Nan and Gargs for quite a long time and he is very sure that he's going to do it tonight. So the night started off with Hot Dog and chips....
Then it was time to get out the Christmas decorations, Ethan just loves going to Yoka's house to see all the amazing Christmas lights and toys, Nan's doesn't quite measure up for variety, but he is a very easy wee chap to please and he sat for ages watching the train going around...

Last time he was at Nan's we went on line and ordered a musical Christmas Tree and two windowsill Santas so we are gradually building up the supply!

Well.... we made it through the night!! Can't say we SLEPT through the night, it was a rather restless one, but we got there with no tears and no asking to go to the farm YAY!!! So after sunny yellow eggs for breakfast it was a few games with Garg. Every boy needs a Garg like Ethan has, patient and kind and willing to crawl around the floor playing..... While the boys were playing Nan was asked to make some piklets for when Mummy came for the pick up! Nan learnt a few lessons from "Old Nana" which is what Ethan calls Nana Belcher in Auckland. Old Nana made really good piklets and used to always make special ones for the children - I have become my mother!

A visit to Nan and Gargs

2008-11-21T19:59:00.000-08:00

After an email warning on Friday night that we might get an early morning phone call from Ethan we were prepared. About 8.15am it came... Hi Garg, I'm coming to your place, I'm coming for pancakes and I'll bring the lemons!!! So a quick shower and get dressed and we were ready.

After breakfast it was outside to do some pruning and after a wee bit of instruction ...

And a few directions.....

He's got the idea! A good few branches got trimmed and the boys enjoyed their time outside. Nan was also doing a bit of gardening and then it was time to go inside for some food. one of the things that Nan and garg have to have in the cupboard is noodles... hardly nutritious but a bit of a favourite and nice and easy so noodles it is!

Then after all that hard work it's time to sit and watch a DVD and eat my noodles. We had a lovely few hours and Mum and Dad had a chance to do a few things while Ethan was out and about.

An afternoon in the Dark Forest

2008-11-08T18:55:00.000-08:00

Well after being at Nan and Garg's for an hour or so, Ethan declared that he'd like to go in the Dark Forest! Our term for the walk up Mt KauKau at the back of Johnsonville. Nan thought we might have a nice wee picnic afternoon tea in the park about 100 metres up the track and duly packed up some goodies. NO! Nan we need to go to the tunnel - a good keen climb of 186 steps and then some... so off we go. Ethan walking under his own steam with a few hand ups on the larger steps!
We sucessfully arrived at the tunnel and did a bit of an explore then off we go up to the top....

Well what we (loosley) term the top! One day I'll be brave enough to actually take him to the top but that might add somewhat to any future climbs..

Of course at the top we stop for a look at the scenery and our afternoon tea.

Creamed rice, grapes, banana, twisties, chocky biscuit, water and juice... yum! You can see that we are quite a way up, a good climb for a wee man, he's been climbing this since he was two, and Nan carried him up well before that - so a favourite outing of ours.

Smile for the camera ... CHEESE! Ethan is more than happy to oblige with a grin.

After a well deserved break it's time for the return journey, slightly easier and Ethan is happy to negotiate most of it without too much help from Nan.It's also a good chance to take in the view. Ellie loves this trip as much as Ethan and Nan. Lissie had to stay home, it's just too much to keep an eye on the two dogs and the lad all together. What... another photo? C-H-E-E-E-S-E!

C'mon Nan lets get down these steps... A man with a real mission heading down to see Garg. Hopefully he'll come and meet us on the way down.....

Yay, we're getting there, and I'm coming first!

YES! Here's my Garg, he did come to meet us. The wee legs had decided they were a bit tired and Nan had done a bit of a carry so Garg was a very welcome sight indeed.

So it was off back to Nan and Garg's where we dug out the scooter and start scooting around.

Rhys from next door called out and the boys spent a good hour and a half have very friendly races and winning the imaginary Piston Cup! Nan wasn't sure where this came from but Aunty Carly tells me it comes from CARS the movie! Anyway, they both had a ball and the Piston Cup was awarded many times.

A great afternoon, though at 5pm when Mum and Dad arrived Ethan was very happy to jump in the car and head home... And Nan and Garg sat down and had a rest!!! How lucky we are to have such an adorable young man in the family.

Pauatahanui Lamb and Calf Day

2008-11-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

After fighting with the 1000's of other drivers to find a car park, we arrived at the Pauatahanui School with half of Wellington. I can see why it is such a fantastic fundraiser - it was packed. Nan and Garg managed to find Dee quite easily, at the Pre-School's cookbook stall looking very countrified!
Having been told that Ethan was off having his face painted with his Dad off we went in search of the lads.... Finally after another visit to Mum to determine what outfit we might be looking for we located the boys at the bouncy castle!
Ethan was very keen to exit the bouncy castle to see his Nan and Garg but we managed to convince him to show us a few tricks to get his $2 worth.

Then it was off to the 1/2 hour queue to have a Merry-go-round, talk about popular with every child at the fair. But Ethan was very patient and stood watching as all the other kids in line had their turn. Luckily his choice of the light coloured pony was available when it came his turn!

In just about every group of kids that had their turn one of the poor wee darlings decided all the excitement was too much and the rides had to be stopped to avoid a fast exit onto the ground by one go-rounder who wasn't as brave as they thought. No so Ethan has was smiles all around!

Then it was back to Mum to inform her that "I'm going to Nan and Gargs, I'll see you later".
As the major fundraiser for the schooll and pre-school it is a fantastic event, with everything from jumble sales, cakestall, pet lamb judging and sheep shearing. There was also a coconut shy and pop the balloon with a dart.

For some stupid reason Nan decided Ethan might like to try his hand at dart throwing! ..... NOT a good idea, first we had to queue for about 20 minutes and then it was .... arm this child with a deadly weapon and let him loose!!! Well not quite, but at 4 years old the technique was to grab the dart by the shaft and chuck it at full force forward! No thought about which direction forward might be... so after 3 shots Nan said "thanks heaps" to the man managing the stall and made for a quick exit... OH NO!! have another shot young man, you get 4 for $1 so we can't let him miss out.

I have to say, I was just glad we didn't injure ourselves or any other unsuspecting fair goer! But as we walked away Ethan said "That was good fun Nan! I really liked that!" So I guess we have to let our littlies experience some things even if it scares the living daylight out of us!

Target practice at "The Farm"

2008-11-02T01:13:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day after a violent storm yesterday. We got a call from Ethan asking when we were going to come and see him at his house. So off we went. Had a lovely afternoon tea of fresh piklets with jam and cream on the deck.

The newest aquisition for the farmer family is a rifle for target practice and possibly the occasional hare! Dudley has replaced the original scope on his rifle with a slightly easier one, and has also got Dee Dee to save a few tin cans which he and Ethan have filled with stones and placed about 50 metres away from the deck (facing a bank with scrub behind so very safe). We all had a ball and even Mumbles managed to hit a couple of the tins! Dee Dee looks a real pro, and got the can on her first shot! She wanted to stop then while she was ahead but was convinced to have another go and got her second target with almost as much speed.
Pops did really well and hit several cans in a row! Ethan was a very keen observer.

Ethan was a wee bit unsure about the whole pulling the trigger thing, but, with Dad keeping a very close eye on the proceedings, had his turn and will be a better shot than all of us in no time I'm sure! Especially if he maintains his superman status.

Pauatahanui Golf Course - Carly and Mum

2008-10-28T03:51:00.001-07:00

Well, on Labour Monday Russell went fishing, the Harris family had a bit of a sleep in and Carly and Mumbles went out for 9 holes at the Pauatahanui Golf Course.Unfortunately for Carly, Mumbles had the camera so all the shots are of Carly....

But I thought the travellers might like to see big sis in Action. Golf was the winner on the day. We got very good value for money and had lots of golf for our green fees.
We really enjoyed the walk and will definitely do it again.....

And now for a birthday party!

2008-10-28T03:30:00.001-07:00

Well it all looks very nice and neat and tidy to start with. The theme is Lightening McQueen, a special favourite of Ethans. Mum and Aunty Carly have been busy preparing food most of the day and Ethan has had a quick visit to Nan and Gargs to help cope with the excitement!

With about 12 children and 14 adults there was plenty of action, and luckily plenty of food as well. Children's favourites of cheerios, chips, lollies, fairy bread and sausages rolls kept the children happy. The adults got rather more grown up food - though that didn't stop us having a bit of party food as well! This is Ethan and Big Josh digging in....

Mikayla (and Leonie), and Matt on the far side, with Hannah, Ethan and big Josh again.

And wouldn't you know it..... A Lightening McQueen cake, and one happy birthday boy.

It's a wee bit embarrassing to have all the attention, but kinda nice to have everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to me! Do you like my 4 YEARS OLD badge?
Just taking the candles out ... with a little help from my friends!

And then it's time to cut the cake and share it all out. Mum and Dad are on hand to help.

Now for Pass the Parcel. Dad did the music and everyone managed to get a turn to unwrap the parcel and get a prize. Mikayla scored the final prize and everyone was happy.

Little Josh loved my Superman outfit so much that he needed to get one as well so today you get two Super Heros for the price of one. Kinda cute aren't we?

Home in time for a special boys birthday!!!

2008-10-27T01:27:00.001-07:00

Sunday 19 October and Ethan James Harris is finally 4 YEARS OLD! Luckily the superman outfit arrived in time for the birthday and is now the favourite attire. Because Aunty Carly and Russell are coming to Wellington for Labour weekend Ethan has agreed to postpone his party for a week, but every boy needs a cake and a happy birthday song on his birthday and Nan and Garg got home from Rarotonga just in time to share the fun.
Mum, Garg, Superman Ethan and Nan all smile for the camera.

And of course blowing out the candles is a very important job.

Now with the birthday stuff done, time for superman to try out the new slide. It is eventually going to go on a fort along with the barrell swing that Nan and Garg got but for now a hillside does just as well.

Nan even cut some steps out of the hill to enable an easier climb for the super hero!

Is it a bird? Is it a Plane? NO! It's SUPERMAN. Isn't he just the cutest wee man? We all think so anyway.

The last day ... AND a SUNSET!

2008-10-27T01:01:00.001-07:00

Well it's our last day and so we had to do a bit of scooting... First stop the Fire station and Police Station, Les couldn't resist a photo in front of the the FIRE station!
Then it was off to the botanical gardens... Brent didn't venture to the gardens so it was up to me to hold the camera up and take my own photo. Love the hibiscus!

Just had to get a shot of "The Needle" from the distance to show how HIGH it is.

Finally we were in the right place at the right time to see the sunset and we were very well rewarded. Our last night was spent in the beach restaurant at the Edgewater resort.
Having a wee drink and enjoying the ambience.

What a fantastic sight. The typical island sunset scene of beautiful sky, a few palm trees and glorious red/orange colours....

Jane and Nanna popped in to say good-bye, stayed for a drink and then joined us for dinner, at last we got to be hosts and provide them with a meal... not as sumptuous as the one they gave us but at least it was a start.

Well that's rarotonga, time to go home. What a fantastic holiday, rest and relaxation on a tropical island sure is the way to go.

Dining Out in Raro

2008-10-27T00:45:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Night.....After our hike over the mountains it was time for s scrub up and off out to Flametree in Muri Beach. The Flametree is owned by the son and partner of a couple at the Johnsonville Club so we thought we better check it out. Lovely surroundings and beautiful food .... similar prices to NZ so not an economic night out but very nice.

Thursday lunch and it was back to the Game Fishing Club for another fantastic fish 'n' chip meal right on the beach Mmmmmmmmmmm!
Now we're talking. Thursday was the reason for the holiday! The 50th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS KIM The chosen restaurant was Vai'mas on the western side of the island to take advantage of the beautiful sunsets that Rarotonga is famous for. Unfortunately when it is P-E-R-S-I-S-T-I-N-G down with rain you don't get much of a sunset, but the meal was fantastic and the company even better! A wonderful night was had by all. Brent chose the fish curry which came with a pawpaw salsa and rice. Yum!

Coast to Coast past the Needle - Wed 15th

2008-10-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Today 4 of the most intrepid of our group decided to cross the Island, a 3 - 4 hour trek that is deemed difficult and requiring a guide. We decided that it couldn't be too hard and what goes up simply must come back down again so off we go..... Brent, Les, Kim and Jocelyn.
There is a fairly well trodden track for the first 3/4 hours or so... hmmmm a bit of off road trekking and we think we are back on the main track, but not 100% sure. We just kept the "Needle" in our sights and we can't go too far wrong.
It is fairly steep in parts but we were in no hurry so just kept going up and enjoyed the scenery. What surprised us was the complete lack of bird life. The only living things we saw was a multitude of native lizards or skinks as we call them. And even then you had to be in the front to see them skuttling away.
We made it to the base of the Needle in good time and stopped for about 1/2 an hour and had a bit of lunch (leftovers from the feast last night!).

Then off we go for the downhill climb. Hmmmmm ... again! We think we followed the main track for a while and then, while there was a track we think it wasn't the main track!

A bit of 5 point contact with the ground required (butts being the fifth point!). We were not the first ones to use this particular track, but we are sure that the guided tour would not require visitors to slide down a skree/dirt slope for about 200 metres!

Never mind, we got to the waterfall at the bottom which is the correct exit point, so while we had muddy pants to prove our journey, we did manage to exit to the carpark where we were very pleased to see Fred drive up in the wee sports car to save us a walk to the bus stop, and maybe some serious explaining to the bus driver to let us sit on the bus!

The whole trip took us about 4 and 1/2 hours, but with about 45 minutes to an hour of rest breaks we felt that we didn't do too bad, and the effort was well worth it, the views and the satisfaction were spectacular.

Rarotongan hospitality

2008-10-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Well the rest of the holiday makers have arrived and settled in at the Edgewater Resort. So of course a visit and a beer are definitely in order. A lovely 3 bedroomed villa will be home for Kim, Russell, Duane and Gemma for just over a week. The final members of our group are Fred and Jocelyn (parents of Gemma's partner Dan) and Malcolm, good friend of Kim and Russell from ChCh.Jane and Georgina decided that the next part of our Island hospitality experience was a feast. It was decided that Jane's home might not be big enough so .... enter Nanna and Waru, whose home is larger and just down the road "clockwise" about 2 kms. The meal was expertly prepared by Georgina with help from Jane and Nanna for all 9 visitors.

What a fantastic meal, the table was laden with island style raw fish, cooked broadbill, beautiful mango salad, taro, chicken, pork and rice. Once the 9 of us walked away with plates overflowing the table looked just as full as before we started.

We had a wonderful evening and for a while it looked like we might have to stay for breakfast. Here is a group photo, from left back, Georgina, Waru, Kim, Russell, Malcom, Duane, Les, Brent, (sitting middle) Fred, Jane, Gemma, Jocelyn, (sitting front) Nanna and Nelson (fisher friend of Jane and co).

We all left feeling very special to have been welcomed into the home of local people who, 5 days before had not even heard of us. What a wondeful experience, thank you Jane,Georgina, Nanna and Waru for your wonderful hospitality and friendship.

Just had to put this beautiful photo of Jane in to finish!

Day two in Raro - Queens for a night!

2008-10-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

For our accommodation we decided that, having hostelled around China we could definitely hostel in Raro, so decided on Vara's on Muri Beach. We got a double room with ensuite for NZ$60 a night. Fantastic, we had a hillside villa and shared kitchen and living with two other rooms guests. While we were there there was 2 girls from England in one room and 2 girls from Scotland in the other, all 4 are on their way to NZ. There's not a heck of a lot to rush around doing in Rarotonga so, feeling a bit jaded, we lay down and had a bit of a snooze.

Then we hear H...E...L...L...O! and we have our first visitor, Jane! Jane's sister works at the Johnsonville Club and had given strict instructions that we were to get an Island welcome, so enter Jane!As part of our introduction to Rarotonga Jane invited us to a "Queens of Rarotonga" show at Castaways Resort. What a fabulous evening. The girls were magnificent! A few technical problems with the sound but it all added to the fun and spontaneity of the night. Another friend welcomed into our lives is Georgina who you'll hear more about later.

The girls did a variety of performances and thoroughly entertained everyone there. Afterwards when the rest of the audience had left for their beds Brent and I were entertained further, meeting all the girls, chatting and sipping the night away.... until about 2am. So much for nothing to do in Raro. We had a ball!

Our First Days in Raroronga - Wednesday Oct 8

2008-10-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well we finally got away from winter (again!) and landed in Rarotonga, the day before we left, the joys of crossing the date line.

What a beautiful place, warm friendly and English speaking. Brent and I had 4 days of cruising around the island before our friends arrived. One of the first things we did was Fish 'n' Chips at the Game fishing Club, we had been told it was the best fish and chips on the island and boy they were good.

We hired a scooter, 125cc for 8 days ($12 a day) and scooted around the whole 32 km island numerous times.

Brent got his licence for $20 at the local Police Station. When we hired the scooter we got a temporary licence that lasts approx 24 hours! Les didn't get a licence though a couple of times when Brent had had a couple of bevvies Les took charge! A bit wobbly to start with but at 30km an hour not too bad. Luckily no checkpoints that night.

The "Girls" at home

2008-10-06T02:02:00.000-07:00

Hey there our intrepid tavellers in Nepal. We thought you might like to see some photos of Lissie and Ellie at home tonight. Lissie is nearly 13 and 1/2 and Ellie about 6 and they love Lissies basket so much that they are eating their way through it. Liv I thought you'd like to be able to see your girl!

Also I needed to practice downloading the photos myself so when we go to Rarotonga on Thursday I'll be able to send you all some photos!

Nothing much happening in Wellington except work and planning for our holiday!!!

Well you can tell this photo wasn't staged - this is just us at home!!

Mumbles doing her Helitack rappeling

2008-09-22T22:12:00.001-07:00

Well summer is approaching and the beginning of the fire season is in sight so it's time for the Wellington region Helitack Team to make sure we are all up to date with our training. This means that we have to do our "drops" from the helicopter. So last Saturday the team headed out to Wrights Hill, Karori and shortly afterwards the helicopter arrived and in 2 teams of 4 with a dispatcher running the show we set about doing our 3 x 60 foot drops, 1 x 120 ft drop and one long line retrieval.

While we are really aware of the need for safety and
care with every step we also manage to have an amazing
time and enjoy every minute!

Grandmas 80th Birthday June 2008

2008-09-02T03:30:00.000-07:00

Just a few shots of the gathering for Grandma's birthday. The whole family was there except for the Intrepid travellers in China! A great weekend and Grandma loved the day. Dee shares a birthday with Grandma so the birthday girls had a laugh!

Kerry and Kellie's wedding 3 August 2008

2008-08-31T01:56:00.000-07:00

We went down to Christchurch for the weekend for the wedding and Kerry's birthday. The wedding dress is an original 1952 Christian Dior dress and Kellie looked stunning.

A weekend in Masterton

2008-08-29T02:19:00.000-07:00

Well, while some of the family are being totally intrepid travellers and planning their next stop in Turkestan Brent and I headed off to the Wairarapa for the weekend.
We arrived at Solway Park and got seetled in then headed of to play golf at the Masterton Golf course, playing Ambrose in teams of 3. You take the best shot of the team and everyone plays from that spot, then you take the best shot again and everyone plays from there - so it makes for a fast game!

Then it was everyone back toSolway Park, have a pre-dinner drink or two and head off to a lovely Wairarapa restaurant for a meal. The "Winners" of the ambrose competition just had to get in front of the camera.... Brent, Lisa and Wayne. Congratulations are in order even if you did ONLY JUST WIN!!!Sunday will be brunch and a walk around Martinborough then back home to good old Wellington. And then we'll be nearly into spring!
MumblesandPopscruisin' in the Wairarapa

First Post on Mumbles and Pops NZ

2008-08-16T03:29:00.000-07:00

Hi there from Brent and Lesley in Wellington, New Zealand. With daughters in China, Auckland and Wellington we thought it was time to get into this blogging world and start our own so we can keep in touch.

MumblesandPopscruisin' at home...