Visit from Johann, Barbara and Henri

 When the updates on the blog have not been a priority for the longest time, it's really difficult to 'pick up where we left off' as it were. So with the choice being either an attempt at something interesting, which fills in some of the gaps, or doing nothing at all and concentrating ones' efforts on other things creative....
Our visit with the children and grandson was just fabulous - touring and sightseeing in a new country can not be quite the same as it would be without an almost-two year old, but nevertheless, we managed to get to visit many places of interest and give our visitors a real feel for life in New Zealand.

Personally, us grandparents would no doubt have enjoyed the three weeks anywhere - it was about getting to know this little fellow and spending 'ordinary' time with him that made the time so special!
Almost (by a matter of days to make the airways' special ) two, Henri is the epitome of energy, enthusiasm, fascination with everything and cuteness personified. Even without the bias of grandparent's rose-coloured glasses, we could see a little fellow with the face of an angel and here and there, touched with a glint in the eye of a little wickedness, which delighted us completely!

There is very little in the way of 'ride on's' that won't appeal to him - this bike was really too small for him, but since we hadn't yet fetched a 'motorbike' from the Wanganui Toy Library, he made it work for him - flying down the slope on the Wanganui river walkway.

This 'ride in' was not going to be left at the toy library - when he thought we weren't going to take one of them home, he kicked and screamed, (literally) like the proverbial two year old - although nobody at the toy library took the slightest bit of notice - I guess they see tantrums of all varieties there all the time! We realised later, that the appeal was not so much the little car itself, or even zooming around in it, it was the DOOR - opening it, jumping in and then banging it shut with a 'DWAH' that was the huge attraction!!

Bathtime is the BEST time of day - bar nothing - this is a little water baby - note the waves in the bathtub! Pre-bath it's fun to hare around the house in the altogether and get grandad to chase him while he shrieks with delight! In fact, water, anyplace, anytime will be the very best.

Soaked to the skin on a cool, cloudy day at the beach - (first time in the sea, ever - and literally squealed with delight and splashed about like a little otter)

The 'terrible two tantrum' at the water area of Kowhai park - (a huge playpark for kids) when Mummy and Nana thought it was perhaps too cold and windy for splashing in the water. Distracted for a good long while with all the other marvellous fantasy things to play on, climb on and slide down or swing on, we had to pass the water feature en-route to the car to go home. We didn't win the second tantrum and Henri got his shoes off and we left him to 'wade and paddle' --HA HA - the little bugger did the paddle for about a minute flat and then swallow dived into the water and was totally sodden - nappy, thick corduroy pants and zip up windbreaker! We changed the nappy in the car, draped mummy's jersey over the bottom half and nana's cardigan over the top half and headed home! Happy little boy - didn't care a jot about being cold and wet - mum and nana sorted it all out!!

 

En-route to visit with great grandmother in Hawkes bay, we stopped for a bite to eat and a leg stretch - Henri's black motorbike in the boot, was soon 'activated' and the lad found the only puddle for 50 square miles deep enough to soak him completely! Another complete change of clothes before we could continue the journey  - wet through, Henri had a little something and then we bundled him, - dry - into the carseat before he did any further dunking! And boy, the laddie can move!!! (There is a reason why grandparents don't generally have babies of their own - we can't move fast enough anymore!)

But truly, the best times of all, were the times with grandad - peas in a pod, wicked sense of humour and cheeky grins in duplicate. Was the best time ever - and having dad and son and grandad all together for a while was just perfect! Dis al!