The Long White Cloud in Pictures...

Happy Monday!

I have been a tiny bit tardy with boring you all with my holiday snaps from NZ, and I can tell you are champing at the bit to peek into the escapades of the Cleary clan?

Anyway, I can't resist sharing a little of our trip with you. Well -- the ones off my iphone anyway: the rest of my snaps are trapped on my Macbook while I wait for my charger to be posted to me from NZ... ooops...

We were lucky enough to have my parents-in-law (you know, the ones most of you want to adopt... and frankly I don't blame you) along in tow -- to 'babysit' and otherwise fatten up my children with every "fluffy" (cappuccino) between here and Auckland while Dan and I attended a work conference.

In true Cleary style, the only forseeable means of transport for all of us was - no, not a car (my suggestion) or a train (my dad's suggestion) but....... a stretch limousine!

Yes folks, we got a limousine to the airport. As you do. The kids loved it, of course, and although it smelt a little too much like a year 12 high school formal, I did too:

The first part of our trip was in Auckland for the conference. There are only so many days you can be cooped up inside a hotel room with two kids under 3... but it's amazing how much entertainment a packet of balloons can provide:

Well, balloons and "fluffys". I truly think Fern drank every fluffy in NZ -- amazing how many interpretations of a "fluffy" there are! But this was my own personal fave - complete with cocktail umbrella!!



One of Fern's squillion "fluffys". Oh -- and that's "Whitey". The Novatel gave him to her at checkin. He stayed in her arms for an entire week. There were tears when we didn't have him within arm's reach. But when we got home with him we lost immediate interest. In fact, Fern wanted to leave him at the airport. I dunno. Kids.



My kids did not exactly set any world records for sleep in the hotel. It would be safe to say that one small hotel room with two adults and two kids under 3 does not work. Not unless any of you want more than 3 hours sleep per 24 hours. I am still catching up -- and I've been back for a week. Anyway. Poor Elliott got his sleep where he could:



Elli - in his $27 stroller propped up between two chairs having a good-ole kip!

There were a few unexpected discoveries:

And little Elli had everybody by the short n curlies (hair, that is)

Wait...  Is that ANOTHER "fluffy?"



The second part of our trip was a drive to Lake Taupo, where we stayed in lovely self contained cottages with a tremendous view of the mountains and snow, glorious snow!

I was rather excited about our trip to the snow, in case you missed it. I loved every second. We didn't have any appropriate snow gear (only going for a couple of hours and never having been before!) apart from my gloves (borrowed) so I found snowman building a little easier... poor Fern, Dan and Lesley got frostbite o-the fingers in our exhuberant bid to create the worlds most amazing snowman:

I couldn't stop myself; I slid on my bottom down the hill (several times). Then I had to sit in wet pants for the hour trip back to the resort!

Um, I do think I might sound a little too much like Bridget Jones in this clip:

Fern and Dan had a go, too, but clearly didn't have as much prowess at it as me:

Little Elliott slept in the car for much of our snow adventure, but did manage a quick slide down the snow with his dad before we left. In true Elliott style, he just sat there, sliding a billion miles an hour in the snow, blinking into the sunlight like he did it everyday. Nothing fazes that child.

Of course, there's no place quite like home... and although it was a great trip I'm glad to be back. Nothing beats your own bed (and shower, for that matter) but why is it that I have done at least 17 loads of catch-up washing since we got back, and I am still no closer to seeing the bottom of the laundry basket? Seriously?

Have a great week folks... if you need me, I'll be on a sewing stampede. Aside from a slightly intimidating amount of bm3 orders (bring 'em on!) and designing a bunch of new stauff for Spring (my Facebook fans have already seen a sneaky -- have you "liked" my page yet?) I have a lot to conquer for Elliott's Teddy Bear picnic party which is in two weekends time. First up? An outdoor teepee! Stay tuned for pics and the how-to. Yayee!