Friday, April 13, 2007

New Blog Headers and Tram Rides ...

My life is an odd one ... I'm rarely sure of 'what's next'.

Today I learned that my daughter has talents I knew very little about ... talent and time on her hands as she adjusts to life in a new land.

So yes, writes this bemused mum, my blog has this new header I love, using two of my favourite photographs ... photos I took while wandering through Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome back in 2003.

Of course there is always that moment of crisis in any good story ...
Gert was working at fitting the header into my blog template when he looked over at me and said in a deeply disturbed tone, 'I've just lost a whole section of code from your template!'

But that's not all ... today was also the day of little Miss Two's very first tram ride and she found it fascinating. She also charmed everyone with her singing and chatter, to the point where one man and his wife turned and gave her some chocolate Easter eggs.

My tram rides were often spent lost in a book, it was odd being part of a performing trio of kiwis, clearly led by the littlest one.

Progress in the naming of Gert department ... well she has her 'mum', as always. Then there is me and I am now 'mama' which is her version of 'granma' but specifically for me because Gert was also warmly greeted with 'GRANDMA!' as she ran into his arms when we met him off his after work tram.

He's now working on a renaming, using the Flemish version of grandad ... he's hoping'bompa will meet with Miss Two's approval ... which all makes me giggle as I sit here writing that story up.

Oh the trials and tribulations ... who knew.

12 comments:

paris parfait said...

Oh, Di - love the new header and the sweet tales as everyone adjusts to new circumstances. Yes, Bompa sounds better than Granpere! And so glad Gert managed to save the code! Enjoy your weekend. xo

Anonymous said...

I have been waiting impatiently for the stories about MISS TWO lol.. And I too love your new header!! Congratulation Mum! lol.
You all sound like things are going soo well,, and I am sure they will. I can hardly wait to meet Miss Two and re meet her mum! Have a great time you four! Love!!

Di Mackey said...

Thanks Tara. I loved Granpere but the little 2 year old mouth had trouble forming it. Bompa seems possible ... maybe even simpler than Grandma :)

Things are going well as we catch up with each other ... today we are 6, as Gert's children came to stay last night. Breakfast soon :)

Anonymous said...

The New Zealand Supremes, it could work, it could work :D

Grandma is a perfect title for Gert :D Ahh kids, they are so amusing.

The new blog looks awesome!

Anonymous said...

Love, love, love the new header. It is YOU. Beautiful and on a journey.

Di Mackey said...

Is that so Meneer Manic, and will you be our manager? We'll have to teach you to talk in fairdinkum Kiwi talk though ... ;)

And news update .. Gert is now Bompi.

I love the new blog look ... it was a Jessie and Gert production, I was merely the ideas chick.

And thank you v-grrl, writes the blushing Di. Lol but yes, I love the blog and was stunned by my daughter's modesty after creating my lovely banner.

Anonymous said...

Right, lets try the Kiwi talk -its in one of my uni books explained what makes u talk the way u talk :D.
I was using the 'barnes walk' while eating me 'chocolate fishes' when a 'fizz boat' crashed into the building of the 'golden kiwi' next to a section where they would start construction on a new 'superette'.

So did u have a 'bach' back in ur Kiwi days?

And was my Kiwinese any good?

Di Mackey said...

Okay, let me go over your kiwianese ...

What is 'barnes walk'?
Chocolate fish ... I had forgotten about the delicious pink marshmellow-filled chocolate coated fish ... sigh.

We don't have 'superettes' ... bad textbook you have ;)

As for the 'bach' question, nope ... I was a South Islander and we all went to the 'crib' ... the North Islanders have 'bachs' and the Turks and Italians have 'summer houses' ... who knew eh wot.

We're going to have to work on your kiwinese and toss out that text book explanation of our talk ... it's most wrong.

Guest = Gest
Bed = Bid
Pen = Pin
and etc ...

Anonymous said...

A barnes walk according to the text book is diagonal walk at traffic lights. According to the book your small supermarkets are called superettes :P maybe he was talking about Flemish instead :P

Di Mackey said...

I've never heard of a 'barnes walk'. We call the diagonal walk at traffic lights - jaywalking.

The book sucks :) 'According to the book your small supermarkets are called superettes' ... our supermarkets are called supermarkets and then we used to have Four Squares, which were little shops on neighbourhood corners. Hmmm and there are also dairys ... more like nachtwinkels but open all day and sometimes through the night too.

New Zealand is a fairly 24 hour service kind of country and bakeries don't close for lunch. You have to go see it Manic, and I'll give you the crash course in Kiwinese ... you'll take to it like a duck to water, I'm sure of it ;)

Anonymous said...

How about lady's take a plate?? lol. I remember that one well!!

Di Mackey said...

Ahhh yes ... Manic, you need to take note of ML's New Zealandese.

There are some social occasions you might go to when you finally get to NZ and the invitation (or 'invite') might read 'Ladies Bring a Plate' ... and it's exactly as it says :)

Mary Lou startled me with those words when I got into the car with her one day ... she had been reading a book on NZese and was so proud of herself. I was so stunned to hear if from her in Americanese ...

We have some lovely ones ... 'As thick as two short planks' and when something is easy, some blokes might be heard to say 'Well that was a piece of piss'.

Do you think I should run courses Manic?