WHERE'S BEST TO LIVE IN NZ ETC :PART 6!!!

[AngryBeaver]

Wow! Part 6...got to be a record.

MN Towers, where's our prize?!

Oh and yes, I have indeed been up since 5am in order to get on the ferry at 5:30am because something went wrong with the one we were supposed to go on at a much much more civilized hour of 10:30am. Am feeling very uncharitable towards the ferry right now.

I'm sniggering at the thought of either of my dds staying clean during mealtimes when they were toddlers. I have a great photo of dd2 covered in fricking Dora "chocolate dessert" - face, chest, tummy, arms, the lot.

Mess doesn't really bother me and I think it's part and parcel of having small kids. I remember my in-laws being horrified when I gave dd1 (aged 1) a yoghurt and spoon and let her get on with it - I could see they were desperate to grab it off her but somehow managed to restrain themselves.

Meh. Small kids. Mess. A bit of food on the floor and themselves while they learn to feed themselves. Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? Of course not.

I don't think it is a girl thing. I think it's a parent thing. Do they just have one DC? It's much easier to control food when you just have the one, through simple logistics. DD has always made a mess but I want her to feed herself as I think the control helps develop a healthy attitude to food. She's not great at using a knife and fork though- should I be worried about this at 3 3/4? I reckon as long as your kids are eating well and growing you are doing it right Lolly.

I've heard it is fire station open day on the NS. Dunno if the rest of the city has open days though.

The weather .

AB - tell us news from

Yes it's only DC for bro and SIL and they are VERY anal about mess. They used to get towels out for my boys to sit on on the furniture in case they made a mess. They have a beautiful house, John Lewis/Laura Ashley style - duck egg - it really is lovely. I have a sticky, unmatching house full of broken bits of plastic that float around. But I suppose DS4 can feed himself.

A year now since we left UK - gone so fast.

Waiheke that is - but I assume you're waiting on t'interweb

Sorry Justa- thought it would be fun.

Lolly- towels on the furniture! Wow. Congrats on surviving your first year. What will you do to celebrate?

Towels on the furniture?? Wow, really? That sounds like hard work

Lolly, a whole year! We have just done our first year. We are 'celebrating' at maccy Ds on our way back up the north island. You need to go and do something really good to mark it. Take a photo of you all on the couch or something :-)

Justa - they cancelled the parade. I am beyond miffed.

And Ireland lost the rugby to Italy.

DH is being very nice to me right now

Dammit. First MONTH

Anyone feel that? Geonet say it was under the volcano!

Yes we felt it! It took a moment or two to register what it was.

Made me realise that we really need to sort out emergency plans etc.

Does it make anyone else nervous that it was under the volcano

Oh, a quake? Didn't feel anything here.

I wasn't very good at geography but surely quake under volcano is not the best ?!

Wonder if AB felt it on Waiheke. What a welcome to the island...

Didn't feel anythind down South either, stuff says North Shore, West and Waiheke mostly felt it.

That's what I was thinking WSS! Welcome to Auckland!

No no no lolly, you were supposed to come on and tell me in great scientific detail why an earthquake on a volcano is absolutely no problem at all

Hope AB is doing ok. Can't be a nice greeting to Waiheke!

Oh good. Thought I'd sent you on a wild goose chase!

Hi all (crap at keeping up)

Gutted to have missed a fire station open day - do say if you hear of any others.

Ikea desks - I recently made my H bring one back from aus on the plane! And when my friend heard she decided she wanted one too. Serves him right for choosing to work in aus since the twins were tiny

Anyone know what you're supposed to do when a swaddled baby starts to roll in their cot, by the way? These are the best sleeping babies I've ever had and I'm convinced its entirely down to swaddling, will have to stop it though if not safe I guess.

Didn't feel the earthquake here southeast of the cbd, it's a newish concrete house though maybe it would be more noticeable in another house.

Artful. I had a couple of things that helped when DD was tiny. First was a safe-t-sleep which you basically use to velcro the baby on their back.

The other thing I used when DD was a bit older- it was a sleeping bag which was sewn onto a sheet down the back. The sheet was then secured to the mattress with straps. It mean't DD could roll over and sit up but not try to climb out of the cot.

Have a look at the sleepstore for the safe-t-sleep. They are quite expensive but lots of them sell well on trademe. I borrowed mine.