We are alive

When lino and carpet collide -- Harper and me at The Three Oaks in Wairoa

Wow, that was a long break from the blog. We are alive. And healthy. And none of us has lost limbs. We've just been quite busy with things to blog about, which have means I've had little time to blog.

A quick update on What Happened To Us In January

1. I am Back At Work. Which means I am a Working Mother. I am supposed to feel terrible all day missing my kid, but actually I am LOVING being back. Though I feel the novelty may soon wear off, I am feeling pretty happy and productive and the time I get with Harper at both ends of the day and in the weekends is great.

2. In January, we went norf to Wairoa for the wedding of Harper's godfather Josh and his partner Kirin. The wedding was awesome, though I missed the haka and Bollywood dancing because a certain young man needed to go home to bed. It was held on a marae half an hour out of Wairoa, and though it was a hot sunny day in the early 30s, by the evening it was cloudy and rained during the reception, forcing everyone inside into the wharekai. Which was cool. Harper ate his first hangi food, and seemed to approve. It was a really lovely day, and I feel pretty lucky to have been part of it.

3. My first attempt at gardening is starting to produce produce. The first thinning of baby carrots produced enough finger-sized veges to keep Sweeney busy for a few minutes, and this lewd mutant carrot (above) that I ate in one bite. My cherry tomato is producing one red tomato at a time, and the first lot of beetroot have come up. Soon I will be pulling up the last of the carrots and beetroot and getting the soil ready for winter veges -- more carrots, parnsips, peas and lettuce methinks.

Watching the sunset at Neil and Becc's house - L-R Matty J, Neil, Nat, Gus and Deb

4. We said goodbye to our pals the Firestones, who have left for the sizzling sidewalks of Melbourne. Deb, Gus and Leo have been a big part of my life for years now, especially since I returned from Hamilton in 2006. Leo was the first baby I ever bathed, fed or had fall asleep on me, and there is now a big void in our group of friends. Who will bake the birthday cakes? Who will bring up UFOs at dinner? Who will cheat at board games? They were especially dear to us when Harper was born, bringing us meals on nights when the contents of the compost bin looked like an easy, quick dinner. We miss you.