a perfect spring day at the river

(ermm... what's daddy got in his hands?)

don't worry... if there'd been any fish he would have let them go

(or so he says!!!)

nana's in town

Walkie Talkie

outside grandpa's in melbourne with 'dolly-doe'

kissykissy

In latest breaking news - Rakaia Rose is talking!

Here are some of her favorite words:

Daddy
Mummy
Nana
(Ba)nana
Boobie (still a firm favorite around here!)
More (very impt)
No (equally impt) Taaaaah (thanks)
Dolly (see pic above with kate's childhood favorite)
Ball (developing a good throwing arm ...and looking like being a left hander after mummy!)
Boo(k) (LOVES reading)
Ha(t) (always accompanied by brisk taps of the head)
Shoe (loves putting them on AND taking them off)
Various attempts at animal noises...whooo whooo and woof woof
Fishfishfishfishfish

our very own fishy: bath time is still a daily highlight!

WE HAVE LIFT-OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right folks: Rakaia Rose is officially a 'toddler'...

she's been toddling at least a dozen steps in any direction for a couple of weeks now and getting more and more confident by the day.

Pictured here at ACCA in melbourne last weekend, sampling a bit of installation art.

tourists

We took the Staten island ferry and checked out Ye Olde Statue of Liberty.... 

Paul and Joel couldn't resist the cheap on board beers...  

the pitts

We've spent our fourth of July weekend in Pittsburgh (home of Flashdance and Andy Warhol) with Joel's uncle David, aunt Alex and cousin Jacob. Pictured below on the steps of a neighbour's house at a genuine all-american block party. I even ate a hot dog!!!  (its not really meat anyway, is it?)

Jacob and Joel share a birthday (12th august if you want to start preparing!)....

 so they had an early celebration today with a fab gluten free cake. Check that baby out!! 

RR has loved getting to know her first cousin once removed.  too cute!!! 

Jacob gave RR some great hand-me-downs including a wicked pair of sunnies. 

from bruthen to the big apple via a little place called... tahiti

 Our 2 day stopover in tahiti was a great success. We laid low at our lovely little beachside shack - swimming, eating baguettes and drinking fresh coconut milk and generally resting up in readiness for our big flight to the states (which went just fine by the way!)

Et 'oui' I practiced my rusty french on some unsuspecting tahitians. 

Rakaia had her first birthday on 16.06 - and since we crossed the dateline she actually had 2 birth-days... one in auckland and one in tahiti. Lucky lucky girl!