christmas messages, not quite the queen's speech

but close enough for jazz

i put the kids on the spot, this was all they got

the three girls weren't here as i only figured the way to do this after they had left for pahiatua, sorry



eliot, looking spunky and a little like tintin



hannah, details are everything




india, not sure whether being boiled alive might be more fun



henny gives it a dry run, but gets giggly when india drops her script



this time henny gets it all out without giggling

memories

the packaging from my birthday,
originally uploaded by ninefish.

i was prepping some things for christmas and found these treasures. for my last birthday the children got me these imported treats, i hadn't had maynard's wine gums in maybe 15 years, and they'd been a staple part of my food pyramid since i was small. i'd forgotten that allthe different colours taste different rather than just be different colours

within seconds of arriving tidy rooms look like this

within seconds of arriving tidy rooms look like this,
originally uploaded by ninefish.

i'm very very grateful that i grew out of this, even though some would say i'm still living like this.

but more so i'm grateful that at least they are still visiting to make my house look like this

india and the year six leavers sing

well i think they were singing at least, it's like this in all schools i guess, only the adults are singing and most of them are groaning tunelessly under their breath, why are school songs set in such unsingable keys?

india leaves school

it would have been better in focus i know, but it adds a certain artyness to it don't you think?

india shakes the hand of the principal [sue ashworth] her teacher mr "wayno" mathews and chris stent from the board of trustees

other photos are also on flickr.com

i don't remember graduations at 13, but wish i did

it's been a day of farewells, first katie and rosie finish school and now hannah has her prize giving last night

im grateful to bask in the reflected glory of our kids
eliot got a prize two weeks ago, but i couldn't get there to see that
katie was librarian and read the welcome speeches at her schools graduation [still a year to go for her though]
and last night hannah got the Breens Intermediate Citizenship award for her extensive committments at the school. she was a modest team player etc etc. i hope to get the commentary from the teacher, once i do, it will be here



Hannah and the citizenship award

katie's welcome speech

other photos are also on flickr.com let the family know…

still number one

cold butter melting on hot toast

staying up late and not arguing even though we're tired
chilli con carne
warm norwest föhn winds
last days of school
impending holidays
twee inspirational stories that aren't quite true but could be be

the real christmas story

a weekend of fun

snuggling back into bed after getting up once
watching sleepover with katie and nina
BBQ food
reading in the hammock
snoozing in a warm room after eating too much
spooning

"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate himself through conscious endeavor."
Dale Carnegie

today's serendipitous quotation

doom

"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try."
Beverly Sills

insight of the day there've been messages left for me here all week

thursday

Insight of the Day: "'Forget about the consequences of failure. Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success.'
Denis Waitley"

Insight of the Day

getting paid [not enough, but something]
fish and chips
finding out it's still possible to be creative

Insight of the Day: "'Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.'
Robert Louis Stevenson"

weekend blessings

a night out at the harbour lights in lyttleton with earth-sea-sky
christmas dinner with all the family
unwrapping presents [photos here]
christmas shopping [the day after, spending gift money from all the grandparents]
snatched coffee with friends and lovers
girls with hula hoops
a top and a skirt with henny
boys who want gifts for their girl-friends
kids looking after each other and helping each other decide on clothes

"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it."

Maya Angelou

insight of the day

faster than writing

i'm thankful that it's as fast to type this as it is to write it

kids all home
sexy in work boots
not having broken anything in the fall
beautiful warm sunshine
making the top 100 on squidoo!

it's thursday already

"'I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.'

Martha Washington"

Insight of the Day

something there for everyone today

choose life

for getting lots of tasks completed yesterday
[completing all the tasks in the list]
afternoon sunshine
late night whispers
the acknowledgement of the distance travelled by the scouts in a year
contacting job agencies

save some time

see the two new links in the sidebar?

save yourself some time. either subscribe to new posts via email using the feedblitz link, or use the feedburner link to add a subscription to your feed reader

i guess for many of you, the email might be easier, new posts will then be emailed to you as they go up, no need to check in during the day to see if anything has turned up...

love and kisses

somedays i feel like this chicken

#1 reason to be grateful everyday

oooooh!,
originally uploaded by ninefish.

i go gooey at the knees

it will be sunny tomorrow

"'Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong.'

Muhammad Ali"

nachos with the girls
a quiet moment with katie
feedback from the outside world

excited

the last few days have ben exciting because i've been coding and making things work, this hands o work has blown over into some work with clients, and either way it's given me some hope again that i know what i'm doing

i've been having fun

Insight of The Day

from Insight of The Day

'It is not the straining for great things that is most effective; it is the doing of the little things, the common duties, a little better and better.'

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

reasons for being grateful on monday...
new recipes added to the fishy's food roster : aloo gobi [well it's based on that, any indian friends i had would probably roll in their poppadoms]
bike rides
friends in times of need
listening to after work stories
warm winds into the late evening

thanks my friends

clients who come back
associates who commend the web site changes

gratefulness in abundance

sunshine in the bathroom
movies on the couch
children cooking dinner
katie's cookies
barbecues in the late evening warm sunshine
insect bites
peace and quiet
sunday morning lie ins
impromtu stopovers
insight of the day

an idea that's been had before

"Less isn't more; just enough is more."
Milton Glaser, designer

wednesday's gratefulness

quick pizzas
finally getting CSS code under control-seeing the light at the end of the tunnel-
bringing home the van -it's not as if it's really like some warrior returning home-
parents who help out whenever they can
dad whose emails amuse
winning projects…
clients who come back and restart projects we invested time in last year-slow cookers-

Love Your Work

Savage Chickens: Love Your Work: words fail me sometimes, but this is magic