Conflict Resolution

Lazlo:  Brody wasn’t being friendly at school today.

Me: Really, what happened?

Lazlo: He said I couldn’t work at the woodworking station.

Me: Oh.  What did you say?

Lazlo: I said I had a saw in my hand and I could saw his head off.

Me: Hmm.  Can you think of anything else you could have said to him?

Lazlo: No, I can’t think of anything.

Me: Why don’t you give it some thought.

Lazlo: I could have said “This isn’t your woodworking station, everyone can work here”.

Me: Wow, that sounds like a great thing to say.

Lazlo: Ok, I’ll say it tomorrow.

Brad and I laughed about this conversation because Lazlo is such a sweet kid and wouldn’t saw anyone’s head off.  But then we got to thinking it was a good thing Liska hadn’t been in his place, because she probably would have sawed the kid’s head off without even a warning. That girl means business.

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Brad’s Sushi Class

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Kai Iwi Beach

Pictures from a beach and playground 10 minutes from our house.

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Friendly

Before we arrived people kept telling me how friendly kiwis are.  When I think of friendly I  think of Sandi, my aerobics instructor in Tennessee who would have us do a kick line to our aerobics finale “I got friends in low places” by Garth Brooks and then high five everyone on the way out.  Kiwis are much more reserved.  However, when our car broke down at a busy intersection this weekend within 10 seconds of having our hazards on a man had pulled over, ran over to our car and helped Brad push the car off the road.  Then, when Brad was with the tow truck and I was wandering the streets with the kids waiting for him and it started to rain, a man who was painting an office came out and said “I saw what happened, you can sit in my van to wait if you want”.   When you try to thank people they shrug it off and say “No worries”.  Also, when meeting other moms, they’ll often say something like “Well, it would be nice to catch up with you so why don’t you come over for morning tea on Thursday if it suits you” and before I know it I’m having tea with them.  So, I agree with all of those people who will tell you how nice people from New Zealand are.

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Napier

We decided to follow the good weather this weekend and drove to the other side of the island.  Napier was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and is now known for its art deco architecture since many buildings were rebuilt in this style.  The city is pretty, but the coast is even better.  It’s on Hawke’s Bay, next to New Zealand’s “fruit basket” and vineyard areas, with mountains in the distance.

Napier coast

We went to the farmers’ market, visited playgrounds on the beach and went to a vineyard where Brad tasted the wine while

Napier coast

I chased the kids around the grape vines.

Lazlo and Liska at Napier winery

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Licorice

If anyone reading this happens to love black licorice, let us send you some. RJ’s blows Panda out of the water and we want to share our happy discovery.

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Father’s Day

one 38-year old and 15 pubescent adrenaline junkies headed up the hill

Fortunately for Brad New Zealand celebrates Father’s Day in September.  We were in the middle of packing to move on the US Father’s Day this year and completely missed it.  For the NZ Father’s Day Brad wanted to go downhill mountain biking.  The local mountain biking club had a trailer day where they drive everyone and their bikes up to the top of a REALLY big hill and people ride down (over and over again…).  Brad called this before we arrived-it was him and a bunch of teenagers.  I’m glad I couldn’t see the trail because apparently there were 6 ft vertical drops and switchbacks that hugged the side of the mountain.   He had a blast and Lazlo and Liska and I hiked to the trail end where we watched the kids (I say kids, because Brad knew better than to try it) rocket over a huge jump.  Afterwards we drove to a nearby small town for lunch, headed back to the Wanganui playground and watched the Battlestar Galactica miniseries before bed.  Oh, and he gave himself a Father’s Day/birthday/xmas gift of an espresso maker.  I think he had a good day.

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Headlines

The headline from today’s paper read “Impaled Cow Leads to Charges”. The other day it was “Postcard Enthusiasts to Gather in Wanganui”. And to think that Wanganui gets a bigger dot on the map than many towns in New Zealand…

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Fluffies

Hooray for fluffies

Do coffee shops in the US have these yet?  One of our favorite things about New Zealand are the fluffies.  A fluffy is a small cup of warm steamed/frothed milk that is served with a tiny marshmallow and a dusting of chocolate and only costs 50 cents.  Fluffies keep the kids busy while their parents enjoy a coffee treat.  They are also the first reasonably priced item we have come across in New Zealand.

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Wellington

Tararua Mountains

Playground in Levin

It was the first weekend with decent weather since we arrived so we decided to go to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, which is about 2 1/2 hours south of Wanganui.  On our way we drove beside the Tararua Mountain Range and the western coast.  We stopped at yet another fantastic playground.  Wellington is  compared to San Francisco because of its hilly terrain and location on an ocean harbor.  We both liked Wellington a lot, it was pretty and has a lot to do compared to our sleepy town.  There were also tons of people with small children out and about.  The city has less than 200,000 people (the region has close to half a million) but is home to the national ballet, symphony orchestra and Massey University and so is considered to be the “cultural capital” of New Zealand.  It also has more bookstores per capita compared to other cities in the world, but with only 190,000 people that may not mean much.

Wellington

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