blogorrhoea

twitter

2009-06-29T22:19:00.001+12:00

A couple of years ago my sister-in-law sent me, from Geneva, a small, brightly-painted wooden bird that twitters when shaken. It sits on the windowsill above our bed and can sometimes be heard, from the living room, tweeting away on its own. Perhaps a train running along the tracks deep below our house? Or a very gentle earthquake?

saturday nite haiku

2009-06-13T18:31:00.001+12:00

Parenthood, these days,

equals Real Life in relays

(if there's two of you).

ship to kenya

2009-06-11T22:22:00.002+12:00

The girls try out a crate for size at Wellington Zoo a few weeks ago

Family portrait

2009-06-09T20:43:00.001+12:00

Taken by my sister Ruth during her visit to Wellie with Danny and gorgeous 14-month-old Molly.

is she an adenoid?

2009-06-04T11:54:00.002+12:00

Proof that I am, after all, turning into my mother: the last two lines of Jack's 3 June blogpost.

a confession

2009-05-28T09:09:00.004+12:00

After some initial scepticism (not to say lip-curling disparagement) I've followed the lowing herds onto Twitter. And now tweeting is eating my blog time. It's fun: I especially enjoy the restrictions imposed by the 140-character limit, which probably speaks volumes about my own character. Anyway for those who're interested, here is my Twitter page.

little pitchers

2009-05-02T09:44:00.005+12:00

J and I are piloting the Parenting Safe Word system. This is to be employed when the kids are being, ahem, challenging: it enables one parent to inform the other, in the presence of the children and in the heat of the situation that they may, possibly, be overreacting and inadvertently escalating matters, and that in the co-parent's entirely respectful opinion, they need to step back. Maybe go for a short, calming walk. However it does this quietly and discreetly without undermining that parent's authority in front of the kids, thereby provoking resentment, intemperate language and general Bad Things.

Ours is 'chloroform', if you're at all interested.

bright was the day and high our hearts

2009-04-08T16:26:00.002+12:00

Becca about to head off for her first day at school:

She ran all the way.

2009-04-05T17:37:00.003+12:00

Here's my beautiful girl at her fifth birthday party at Chipmunks, the local indoor playground.

More photos on my flickr page.

2009-03-20T23:16:00.002+13:00

I'm working up to Becca's fifth birthday and first day at school(!) photos. In the meantime, here is a picture of Maggie eating a sticky bun.

the pursuit of busyness

2009-02-26T08:37:00.006+13:00

Was contemplating New Year's Resolution about blogging more often, but decided I didn't need more guilt in my life so 2009's NYR is to declutter. And we're getting there slowly, jettisoning clothes and books and baby kit along the way. Baby kit's more or less spoken for as everyone we know seems to be breeding at the moment*. Still, there are always the books: does anyone local want a shelf-full or two, some in French? My librarian boss did a horrified inhale when I told him about the book disposal plan, but the way I see it, I've spend the last few years acquiring children, and stuff, the result of which is that until recently I was convinced that we need a bigger house, before realising that what we really need is less stuff (although we can probably keep the children) because I see no reason to buy a bigger house just to store more and more and more of it, mostly books which, if I am absolutely desperate to read them again, I can get them out of one of Wellington's many libraries, possibly even the one I work in.

Upshot of all this is that the blogging has taken a back seat to real life, of which there has been a lot lately – I'm looking at you, 2004–2009: Lord knows what J and I did with our lives before the kids came along: sat around scratching ourselves, for all I can remember. Or, as J points out, in pubs. We did have an enjoyable reminder of pre-kid life last weekend when we got a two-day pass for our ninth wedding anniversary (love you too, dear!) and took off on Friday morning to the Wairarapa. Weather was mucky, but offered us the perfect excuse to spend a fair bit of the break indoors tasting the local wines. Returned to collect the kids from their nana on Saturday night; Sunday morning spent in atonement/healthy outdoor activity, biking along the banks of the Hutt River in the annual Bike the Trail event. Would definitely recommend this one to anyone with a halfway decent mountain bike: it's a great course – varied but not difficult at all – and a really well-run event.

And Becca will be five in under three weeks so there are parties to organise: a cake for her last day morning tea at crèche; a bedlam-style kiddies event on the weekend at the local indoor playground; a hopefully more subdued family do the next day and then on Monday 16 March, her actual birthday, she starts at the local primary school. We've done a couple of visits and she is desperate to just get on with it.

And in the meantime, the music continues apace: next Klez Rebs gigs are at the Newtown Fair on Sunday 8 March at 2pm and an evening gig at the Newtown Community Centre the following Sunday 15 March at 7.30. Details as always on the Rebs web site.

The only thing that hasn't been working its arse off is my slacker immune system: have come down with second cold in three weeks, blergh. Unless the first one just went away for a few days and came back with reinforcements: in any case, think I may have toadstools growing on my tongue. Time to break out the Vitamin B. Or maybe I should just take a lead from my kids and smear Marmite on myself...

*Congratulations to Nik, Andy and Fletcher on the arrival of wee Marshall, and to Reb Nikki, Giacomo and Rebecca on the arrival of Sara Golda. And to Charlotte, Jack's sister, and Ben, who are expecting their first little Darlow in August!

rarely seen in the wild

2009-02-05T07:58:00.004+13:00

Have to link to this photo, taken at Morgue and Cal's civil union, not only because it's a lovely one of the happy couple but because it's the only pic I've ever come across with all of us in it! (Also because it looks like someone out of shot is is handing me a giant bunch of flowers.)

double the fun

2009-02-03T20:58:00.005+13:00

Gig alert: the Klezmer Rebs are playing two gigs on Waitangi Day (this Friday). Come and dance along at:

12.30–1 pm Waitangi Park (formerly Chaffers Park) – we're taking part in the Waitangi Day celebrations.

Or you can catch us later on in Porirua, at the Festival of the Elements:

3.50–4.20pm – Te Rauparaha Domain (next to the pool, near the skate park and library).

In the meantime, here is your god bless teh internets moment of the week.*

*Shamelessly cribbed from the Listener. Or gacked, or whatever the hell the bloody parlance. (Honestly, why do you need to make up silly neologisms when there are already perfectly good oldologisms?)

singing in the rain

2009-01-20T18:45:00.006+13:00

The Organic River Festival was a little damp.

All the same, we had fun. Nothing's more rewarding when playing a gig than hearing ecstatic cries of Mummeeee! HELLO MUMMEEE! from the crowd. And when the heavens opened, somewhere between Sympathique and Bashana, the audience simply reassembled in the adjacent beer tent while the sound crew scuttled forward with tarps for the monitor speakers.

Here's one of us at the Summer City Concert in the Wellington Botanical Gardens on a perfect, warm, still night (apart from the frenzied dancing!)

Next two gigs both on Waitangi Day: info here.

happy 2009!

2009-01-11T10:46:00.003+13:00

Taken at the Army Museum at Waiouru during the long, long trip home from Auckland. It's a bit blurry because the ride was going at the time. Or maybe because the photographer was still twitching from having driven the Desert Road in a foaming downpour with about 50m visibility.

coda

2008-12-24T17:51:00.002+13:00

Our Christmas cake, planned and partly implemented by Rebecca*. Note how it matches the Christmas tree!

*Drowned rat look due to having just returned from a Christmas Eve puddle walk.

shalom

2008-12-24T16:06:00.010+13:00

The Klezmer Rebs' new album, Just add shmaltz, is out!

It's been a tremendous effort, two years in the making but well worth it! It features 14 tracks, including several new Rebs originals, something French, something Russian, something Italian, and of course some traditional Klez. Contact me for your copy, or order from our web site - only $NZ20, plus P&P. Or you can save on the P&P by buying one at one of our FREE summer gigs:

Tuesday 13 January 8.00–9.30pm – Gardens Magic Concert Series at the Soundshell, Wellington Botanical Gardens

Sunday 18 January 2–3.15pm – Organic River Festival in Otaki.

Friday, 6 February 12.30–1pm – Waitangi Park, Wellington...

...and our second Waitangi Day gig at 3.30–4pm – Festival of the Elements, Te Rauparaha Park, Porirua

Merry Christmas, Happy Channukah, Happy New Year and peace to all.

blue-arse flying

2008-12-17T20:23:00.003+13:00

On Sunday I Biked the Bays (and broke in my Miramar Cranks shirt). Great event: a warm clear day, no wind, so the 26 or so km flew past in no time. (Well, in 1 hr 26 mins actually, but there was rather a large mass of participants. As ever, was horrified by my slow progress until I realised that my odo is still set to Imperial so was reading m and not kph: must do something about that.) At the finish, was met by a small but vocal reception committee bearing bouquets as a reward for (ahem) "winning" the race. Mummy? Did you win? – Er, no darling, but I did my best and really enjoyed myself and that's what counts. (Honestly, it's best not to listen to yourself too much when talking to your kids.) Anyway, photos here. *WARNING* this page features images of me in lycra: those of a nervous disposition may wish to give it a swerve.

Band news: The Klezmer Rebs' first studio album, Just add shmaltz, will be ready for our first summer gig. Tuesday 13 Jan 2009, 8pm in the Soundshell at the Bot Gardens. And the indefatigable Cat is getting up a posse to come and see us, during her flying visit to Welly from gay Paree. Come along, dance, sip Chardonnay, enjoy. And buy the album!

More band news: we are now doing two Waitangi Day gigs, the first of which will be a short set at Waitangi Park; we'll be on at about 12.30, following the powhiri and kapa haka. Come along, dance, &c. &c.

mo' better jews*

2008-12-10T19:01:00.006+13:00

Some more Klezmer Rebs summer dates:

Sunday 18 Jan at the Organic River Festival in Horowhenua

Waitangi Day, 6 Feb at the Festival of the Elements in Porirua.

Here's the Magnet and me at the J'ville Pool. Photo taken just before she launched herself headlong into the pool with a maniacal giggle, as is her wont: note expression of steely determination.

*sorry. sorry. sorry.

go the cranks!

2008-12-08T17:16:00.006+13:00

Gig alert: the Klez Rebs play Summer City!

DETAILS:
Soundshell, Wellington Botanic Gardens
Tuesday, 13 Jan 2009
8pm–9.30pm
FREE ENTRY

Come along and dance! (Already.)

Jack and the Miramar Cranks (aka the Weta Digi team) after completing the Lake Taupo Challenge:

long leggety beasties

2008-11-15T11:37:00.005+13:00

Great moments in parenting: loaded the kids up the other day and drove to the furthest reaches of the Hutt Valley to get my violin professionally fettled. After a long hot drive, reached our destination and pulled into the driveway with a small exclamation of triumph. From the back seat came the following rejoinder: HLWWWUERGH-ARGLE.

Fortunately, the fiddle-fettler's wife has eleven grandchildren and insisted I brought Maggie in for a bath and provided me with a bucket and sponge to rinse the lumps out of the car seat. You can often depend on the kindness of strangers. And we had a very nice time at the zoo afterwards, once I'd been home to change my top.

Here, and not before time, are some photos of the kids at their Halloween party at crèche. Maggie is dressed a tarantula, in case you were wondering.

time tripping

2008-10-19T10:49:00.007+13:00

Am continuing to add photos from the archives to the Flickr page. Here's one of Becca and Jack in our garden in Cambridge, taken when she was about three months' old.

We loved living in the UK and it was a tough decision to come back. One I'm very glad we made, but I've never missed the UK more than last Saturday, when Chris and Melanie got married, in Stow-cum-Quy, I believe it was. Congratulations, and may I add about bloody time too, y'bastards!

I still have the lurgy, but have recently discovered that pseudoephedrine is wonderful stuff. Wheeee!

hit Shift five times and click your heels for good measure

2008-10-14T16:57:00.011+13:00

This week: feeling like crap*; updating Flickr page; wondering whether to do yet another degree; wondering where Doris Lessing has been all my life. Becca seems much better though, thank heavens: taking her to the GP for a follow-up tomorrow.

Last week: went on a Course; learned about link spatter, the evils thereof. Mea maxima culpa...

Oh and working, it turns out, for the former Witch King of Angmar**. Welcome to Wellington...

*Generic ~~winter~~ spring lurgy (bah!)
**Had always considered librarians a faintly wraithlike breed; worst fears now confirmed. Can only speculate as to how my next performance review will pan out: YOU ARE FAILING TO MEET YOUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS!!! [unsheathes bloody big sword: smites desk...]

with nothing on my tongue but hallelujah

2008-10-03T08:44:00.005+13:00

Fun episodes in parenting: spending most of yesterday in the children's ward with a grey and shaking Rebecca while they tried to figure out whether she has a kidney infection. After much prodding, poking, palpating and osculting and one prolonged and particularly fraught attempt to obtain a blood sample (against vociferous and dare I say speaking as her mother impressively articulate not to say compelling objections from the hapless patient) the jury is still out. So we have been sent home with a bottle of pink antibiotic syrup while we wait for the lab to analyse the urine sample it took us about 6 hours and I forget how many frantic dashes to the loo to obtain.

Now I'm at home with a rather more cheerful little girl, planning a quiet day. We may sit in the sun. Or go for a gentle walk. And be thankful it doesn't seem to have been more serious.

best-laid plans

2008-09-22T21:18:00.004+12:00

Oooh, work has nice gym. Hadn't set foot in a gym in five years, not since finding I was pregnant with Becca, thinking 'Ha! but I am going to be one of these mummies who works out right through her pregnancy' and then the vomiting started, and that was that really*. For five years. Went back on Saturday, and then again tonight: now have v sore arms, but it's a smug sort of sore. Best bit: having entire, pristine, swimming pool to myself; floated on back in the middle, bobbing up and down all meditative like Juliette Binoche in Trois Couleurs: Bleu. And not an Elastoplast in sight. May never leave the Parliamentary Service.

Off to Auckland to visit distaff side on Wednesday. May also go to the zoo.

*is remarkably good abs exercise, if you keep it up for long enough. Like, say, for nine frickin' months.