GIB, Captain Underpants and Mary Plain

A pic for Mary: the evidence is mounting up.

Yup, we have a 6 year old boy in the house. Captain Underpants is giving Zac Power a good run for his money 'though. Tonight Ryan told me they (the Captain Underpants characters) know they're in a book, and wondered if we might be in a book, or maybe the whole universe....

There he goes, Captain Underpants with the Toilet Paper of Doom.

For a bit of a break from scatological gadgets we're also reading the positively ancient Mary Plain (in the slightly less ancient 1970s editions from my childhood). My kids really like them - I think it's because Mary is so naughty, and they like her picture writing.  It's particularly good when her picture writing is naughty!  I used to Love Mary Plain, I remember convincing myself that the "bear pits" at Newtown Park Zoo were in fact the Bear Pits at Berne.  I was pretty convinced.  

We only have these four much loved Mary books (3 of mine, one from a school fair - which sparked the reading) and they are sadly out of print.  I can feel a new 2nd hand shop obsession coming on... 

Quick and Random

That title perhaps promises more excitement than this post can deliver...

I accidentally took a photo of my foot walking down Cuba Street.  Which lead me to ponder the proportion of asphalt to chewing gum.

A pic for Pippa - this is what you need to keep those pesky cats off your garden!

A fine day lead to a fine night (if you can call 6pm night) and Fish and Chips on the beach.  We have some good F&C shops here in Island Bay, we prefer "the yellow one".  Always fresh, never (too) greasy.  And there's a Batman in the toy-grabber machine (which I never let my kids have money for because I'm so mean).

Munch, munch, munch...

...and wipe your hands on your shirt.

November

I am more than a little bit over the crappy weather we've been having pretty much all year, but today is lovely so here's hoping it's the start of better things.  I wonder what it's like to live somewhere with predictable weather?  Imagine living somewhere where it doesn't blow a gale for three months of every year and doesn't rain for weeks on end, and actually gets properly warm for more than 3 weeks in summer! 

But then when would I get to wear my hats and cardies?  I think I could cope, I'd get to wear my dresses and swimming togs instead and I think I could handle that.

The man's considering mo-vembering.  Hmm, all for a good cause I know, but no kisses for him if he does.

I got a haircut and new dress (more on that another day).

I could not resist this waffle maker at half price.

The tomatoes I grew from last year's seeds have moved from the window sill to a pot on the deck and are flourishing.

The last of our trees to blossom, the others are all green leaves now.

We've been playing a lot of swingball when the weather is kind to us.

Summery looking plants are taking over from the spring ones.

The big old bush rose smells even better than it looks.

I'm knitting two different things with two different golden wools.

The kids are totally engrossed in Medieval Playmobil world.  Somebody keeps buying 2nd hand Playmobil off Trademe...  The castle isn't Playmobil, it's something a bit cheaper.  Zoe save up for months to buy it.

The sad little lemon is putting on lots of new growth after sitting quietly all winter (as to be expected).

Raspberries and California Poppies always do well, I do love pretty and/or tasty weeds :-)

The cabbage trees are flowering, attracting gazillions of bees.  These smell amazing too, sort of like vanilla, but sweeter.

And that's how I'd like to think November looks in Wellington.  The 4th coolest city to visit next year.  If that's not damning with faint praise...

Spring Knitting Update

Put the buttons on the very pink Miette.  I love this little cardi, it's just right.  This yarn (Classic Elite Duchess) is very cosy and the weather is getting a bit warm for it, so I may just have to knit another in cotton.

Took a break from selfish knitting in the past couple of weeks.  Firstly a wee baby set for a friend's new wee girl.  Theses are two very special yarns - the creamy wool is the felted merino I dyed with lichen collected from the trees at M & B's cottage, and the trim is the last of Angie's "Lavender Garden" hand dyed wool.  The lichen gives the wool a lovely woodsy smell that doesn't seem to wash out, hopefully the recipient won't mind.  The patterns are Baby Bolero from One Skein, and Baby Socks from More Last Minute Knitted Gifts.  Think I might work my way through all the patterns in More LMKG ;-)

And secondly a vest for Ryan.  He chose the wool from the Wool Company when we went on a road trip to Field Days via Sarah Bean's house last year.  It's only taken me 16 months to get around to knitting it up!

The pattern is completely improvised, I figured I could knit a v neck vest in the round without a pattern, and it worked out pretty good, the fit is perfect.  I experimented with working the arm and neck trim as I went (I hate picking up stitches around armbands and v necks) and finishing them with a little crochet.  It worked ok, but I think picking up and knitting would have looked better.  There is usually a pretty good reason why things are done the way they are, huh?  (Hey Sharonnz, can you pick this cafe? They've expanded their play area recently, the shelves used to hold wine...) 

Next up: finishing my Happy Wanderer, a little black Audrey in Unst, possilby a lace weight project, and a test knit.....

We're turning Japanese

A new store just opened in town called Japan City.  It's really just a Japanese $2 Shop (Which I notice in these inflationary times is now called a 2n5 dollar shop), but for some reason Japanese junk is cooler.

Anyway me and my 6 year old thought Japan City was very exciting and bought a whole pile of very cute crap essential stuff.

Yes, plastic "Lunch Time" soy sauce fish!  Faux lacquer bowls with bunnies on!  Cute animal stuff! 

Ryan chose the work book for learning to write Hiragana.  He knows far more than me about a lot of things, including Japanese.  Did you know they have three different alphabets?  He did!

I don't suppose Japanese style seems strange at all to my Anime watching, Tamagotchi playing children.

Well, while we were enjoying Japan City our own Salaryman was in Real Japan, and he brought back even cuter and cooler bowls and chopsticks.

We've been eating a lot of noodles, dumplings and sushi this week.  I tried to make it cute.

Very soon we'll be able to eat broad beans in our bowls.  These ones are growing in my "rubbish garden" - a little patch by the compost bins that's mostly used for putting things that start growing in the compost. 

  

A Saturday Song

"Years ago

I was an angry young man
I'd pretend
That I was a billboard
Standing tall
By the side of the road
I fell in love
With a beautiful highway"

David Byrne, I love you, but you are quite mad!

I'll miss the chocolate chip cookies too.

Trees, children, playground...

Heaven is on the Bypass...

In the form of Martha's Pantry.  An oasis of feminine calm just off Upper Cuba Street on Kamo Drive, formerly know as the Bypass.

http://www.wellingtonnz.com/bars_restaurants/marthas_pantry

Why oh why have I never been there before now?  Absolute retro-girly bliss.

Cupcakes, truffles, Louise Slice, melting moments.



Mini frittatas, scones with cream and berry jam/passionfruit curd.



Mint and cucumber sandwiches, cornbeef club sanwiches, mini pizzas.




Two pots of glorious Kerikeri teas, all served on vintage china, souvenir teaspoons, embroidered table cloth, teacosies.....

All for $25 each, well worth it!  And we ate it all bar one tiny cupcake which they kindly put in a wee box to take home.  Thank you so much to the lovely ladies who so kindly took pity on this trio of frazzled mums who forgot to book for high tea.  We promise to book next time, and bring our daughters (maybe). 

Sweeeeeet.

Is it possible to get drunk on tea?  I left feeling distinctly giddy.  Rumour has it they are opening a blokey version called Arthur's.  I can only imagine...