Hiking with Hayden

Cousin Hayden is a keen beetle finder and catcher, one of his many talents.

High Five!

So, I just lift up the old bark off the tree and I'll find a beetle, right?

Cousins

A Typical Day for Hayden at Kiwi Gelato

Thanks heaps for the map Grandma and Grandpa. We've had it framed and it's hanging prominently at the shop. Now Cousin Hayden can point out to everyone exactly where he is from. Miss you both!

Hayden will be ready for the Central Otago Rails to Trails bike trails when he gets back to NZ after all this biking to work.

Morningside CSA

Mum decided to sign us up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share this summer. For $160 from now until early October we get a box of fresh veggies each week, well a half box, we went in with the Dinkin's. Our first box included lettuce, broccilli, bok choy, Asian greens, parsley, and beets and it was all fabulous. Given that Cousin Hayden is staying with us now, we should have gotten a whole share, that boy can eat. Of course, that's calling the kettle black.

Here are some photos of the Morningside Farm, I'm ready to work it!

Christmas Comes Early

We might as well call Hayden "Santa." His bags were heavy with presents for me, dad and mum, awesome! I got some cool kiwi style T-shirts and a very cool, hat, scarf, mitten set, for next winter. Daddy also got some great t-shirts and mum too. Mum liked her necklaces the best and the card from Auntie Denise of course. Thanks everyone in New Zealand, you are so kind. We miss you! Thanks Hayden for playing Father Christmas.

Ant Attack

Daddy's kayak had been sitting out in the front yard for months, so Mum decided to move it to the basement, were it's supposed to live when not being used. Well, she flipped it over upright and we found we were under attack! There were BILLIONS of ants, ant larvae, ant everything. They made a collective buzzing noise that would frighten an anteater. Did I mention that they bite? Yep, they crawl up onto your legs and bite. Dirty, rotten, scandals.

Southern Accent, but not Southland

Mom says it's a good thing Hayden is here to talk "kiwi" with dad because I'm starting to sound quite Southern. Maybe with some differed accents around me, I can change my ways. "Bye"

Give Me That Camera!

Adorable!

Summer Feet

I'm getting better and better at walking on the gravel driveway. Mum says I'm getting my "summer feet." Who needs shoes when you've got your good, old summer feet!

Sharing the Joy With MiMi

Joy is in my Genes/Jeans

The "joy in the jeans", the Levi jeans, dates all the way back to 1968 (correct me if I'm wrong Uncle Jack). These Levi's were gifted to Jack's younger sister, who then passed them down to Cousin Ben, then mum, then Adam, then Brandi, then Chanley, then Baelynn, and now me! I guess they are Miracle Jeans. All I know is they are nice and broken in, the way I like my jeans.

The "Joy in my Genes" has been handed down for centuries I suppose, by the Coadwell's, the Furness's, Layton's and Summey's. As you can see in the photo, I am quite joyous, most of the time, just like my ancestors, or at least like all my grandparents, I know them!

Much thanks to mum's pal Kathy Halberg, who sent me this joyful shirt all the way from Eugene, Oregon. You New Zealander's may remember Kathy from the wedding. She was mum's friend in Invercargill and is now retired and living in OR.

Cousin Hayden is Here! Hip, hip Horray!

What a glorious Saturday morning. I slept in till 7:45am, which made my mum and dad so happy, then when I went downstairs I found not only MiMi, but Cousin Hayden. I am totally enthralled by his presence. I love to share with him, giving him all my "choo-choo's" to play with. I know this is going to be a great summer. He is pictured here at the table, welcomed with a nice southern breakie of eggs (from our friend Cheri's farm), biscuits, mushrooms and cheesey grits, which Hayden did not eat. More for me I say. Love to the rest of the Coadwell's and McCabe's. Hayden is in good hands.

Bowl, Bra, Pool, Mom, Dada, Pop-Pop and No

I love to talk and have my favorite words. Here is one of them, Bowl.

It's Shoals Time!

Last summer mum's friends Geraldine and Aleshka suggested a group of mommies and babies head out to Dupont Forest to a special spot, The Shoals, for a playdate. "The water is warm", they said. "It's shallow", they said. "It's a short, stroller friendly walk from the parking lot", they said. So we all went, almost every Friday. Thus a tradition began, Fridays at the Shoals. Given the gorgeous spring weather, Fridays at the Shoals is off to an early, and very happy, start in 2010.

What do you suppose I am looking at, with an interested, yet cautious look on my face?

If you answerd newt you are correct. I was very curious indeed. A very interesting water creature. I enjoyed watcing him swim, but was not too apt to hold him.

Hummmm....what do I make of this?

Town Takeover

FOX Carolina News Channel 13 took-over our town last week. Which means, from 6:30am to 9:00 am one block of downtown Brevard was closed to traffic and businesses opened very early in order to get on the morning news. I myself wasn't overly impressed, but the town seemed pretty excited. I hope it brings more people to Brevard to spend money.

Daddy set-up the gelato cart and gave it away, the gelato that is. Yep, free gelato, in exchange for donations to the Bread of Life, the local "soup kitchen." He made yummy breakie type flavors like Blackberry Yogi with a Muesli topping, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Cappuccino Latte and Chai Latte. They showed a close-up of the gelato on the news, cool 'ay!

Here is a picture of the news crew, LIVE. They were pretty nice folks.

Two and half Kiwi's looking for the limelight. This is Anne-Marie, mother of the very new Nathanial (in the stroller) and her mum visiting from NZ. She says my daddy makes the best coffee she's had in all of America. A nice "flat white."

Brevard is known for its' white squirrel's, but I didn't know they could grow so big!

Happy Mother's Day

For Mother's Day I treated my mom to a Stevie Wonder impersonation, "I just called, to say, I love you. I just called to say how much I care. I just called to say, I love you, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart."

I gave Mimi lots of special Mother's Day hugs and kisses because she is my mommy's, mommy, and a darn fine grandmother.

Boating is fun, especially with my mom on her special day. I do take it a bit seroius sometimes, looking out for other boats, I'd hate to crash!

Tom Selleck Impersonation

Like my 'stache? FYI...it's a fruit smoothie.

Cinco De Mayo

I love this country, everything is bigger and better, from the beer to the jars of salsa.

Feliz Cinco do Mayo from your friendly, nieghborhood New Zealander!

Move Over Jeff Gordon

Now, if I could just reach the gas pedal. I'd really be in business!

A Sad Sunday Indeed

Pitiful. That's how I felt that sad Sunday morning when I awoke burning up, an inferno, with a fever of 102.6. Of course I rallied and had a lovely breakfast of pancakes with fresh yogurt, strawberries and bananas, making mom and dad think I was on the up and up. But what goes up, must come down, and that's how the day progressed. It was kind of nice having mom and dad fuss over me. Letting me watch my Thomas video and my Baby Einstein video in the same day. They brought me drinks and raisins and were really nice to me. Until they took me to the doctor, now that's NOT nice. The doc poked and prodded, even took blood, and determined that I had a viral version of croup. Well, that explains the baby seal cough I have going on. I think I'm on the mend, but it's not fast enough. Of course, I'm milking it for all it's worth, sleeping with mom and dad. All it takes is a few pitiful coughs, and I'm in like Flynn!

One More of my Walk in PNF

I told Mommy to add this photo as she forgot to put it with the others in the previous post. I kind of like how cool I look in this photo taking on the tree, like a real pro climber. Don't you agree?

Another Great Walk in PNF

That's right, I'm the man, the man with the master plan. No one can stop me, I'm unstoppable.

I rule this forest!

Oh come on, can't you do better than that? A bridge, that's nothing, easy as pie. Just watch me, I'll be over it in no time flat.

A puddle! Should I go around it? I don't think so! Over it? I can't really jump that far, YET! Under it? Kind of impossible. So, that leaves just one more option. I guess I'll have to go through it! Yipeeeeeeee!

I love the mud! Puddles are my pals. Don't you agree Mommy?