Good things over the weekend: Kevin's cousins from Kansas came to visit (
let the alliteration begin!) The weather was so shiny, I brought out my Ohope Beach outfit.
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| Oakland kids (back) and Kansas cousins' kids |
We barbecued some sausages (expensive ones) and were not impressed. I'm sorry, but you cannot find good snozzies here. Kiwis and Brits take note - gap in the market.
Tallulah turned 12 (not 32?) and continues to entertain us with her deft impersonations, one minute Glinda, the next Elphaba.
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| Tallulah in Mauritius |
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| Tallulah turns 12 |
We started boot camp for Teddy the 6lb teen dog. He continues to have the heart of a lion (and body of a bunny) and he gets frothy angry when he sees the big dogs, especially when they disrespect him by peeing in front of our house. The dog trainer said he was very spoiled and it's going to take a lot of work to get him obedient. (Please don't fire us like the piano teacher did! Don't give up on us Tammy!)
On Monday Kevin took the boys to what for Oaklandish people is the Emerald City - A's baseball. I thought I'd seen the end of watch-sports-like-it's-your job when I flew out of New Zealand at age 25, but here I am living in Oakland which has
three top US sports team; the
A's baseball team (immortalised in
Moneyball) the
Raiders football team and the
Warriors basketball team.
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| Kevin and the boys take off to the A's |
The sort of thing I hear all day long: "The A's lost in the fourth quarter on a Steph Curry interception." Or something like that...When the flying monkeys come, let them take me.
I love your striped colourful top Jody! Your daughter is beautiful:) They seem to grow up so fast nowadays!!
ReplyDelete~Anne
Small dogs always loathe big ones unless of course the big ones show respect! Strange that it happens in humans too ESP males!
ReplyDeleteScary how quick the children grow up and blow from being sublime one moment and v wicked witch the next - my mums says I was just like that too!
Enjoy Oz even if the sausages have a lot to be desired!
Tattie - yes Teddy has short man's disease, no doubt about that.
DeleteLove this post.....family, happiness, great jumper, proud smile on Kevins face.
ReplyDeleteHilarious as always. There's a trend amongst private girls schools in Australia to do either a term or year away at the school's country property when girls hit 14. It's a huge hit with the parents. They have to fend for themselves cooking and cleaning, and apparently come back changed (for the better) and appreciative of their mothers. Wouldn't that be nice?!
ReplyDeleteLove your outfit, sounds like a great time with the family was had, sub par sausages notwithstanding. x
What a great idea! Think should be mandatory to go bush at that age for both boys and girls.
DeleteWhat a lovely girl your daughter is. Thinking back to how I looked at 12, I was still gawky and probably young for my age. Your daughter is a gazelle! :)
ReplyDeleteI thought you were lying down in that first pic, then saw you were holding a drink and had to readjust my head. Very snazzy top there, and beautifully accessorized as ever.
I was a major pizza face with a huge bobbly nose that grew before the rest of me...
DeleteNo decent soss? Lordy! How do you survive? I feel your pain over the sports thing - it's the same in this house only not so much live sport, more hogging the TV every time some inconsequential Eastern European never-heard-of-it team plays a footie match *groan*
ReplyDeleteI know some (girl) friends of mine are happy to watch away, that gene I am missing
DeleteThis sounded like a wonderful time...you have gorgeous children :) xx
ReplyDeleteLove the picture of your children and their kansas cousins! I am lucky in that there are no sports fantatics chez moi, but they like airplanes and punk, so go figure....
ReplyDeleteYou are out numbered with all those boys! Glad Tallulah can keep you giggling!
ReplyDeleteAnd our sausages are not good? Clearly I haven't lived.
The gourmet ones we bought were tough once cooked. I don't know what the difference is but the snozzies in England and NZ are delish
DeleteAh, maybe the gourmet ones don't have enough tasty fatty content to be delish, or not get tough once cooked.
Deletehaha a spoiled mutt
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't like the big dogs sniffing his butt? lol
Had to go there
And my plenty of wonderful kiddos at your lair
Even your drink bottle matches your outfit! Love that palette and even an unsuccessful barbie is better than none. Good old mash up with cousins always makes great memories!
ReplyDeleteI always ensure the beverages match the sweater!
DeleteHAPPY BIRTHING DAY!You have a beautiful group.
ReplyDeletexxx
Love the bracelet. Is it two pieces as like a crocheted cover? Could be a new idea for our friend Julie to design. Bracelet cozies.
ReplyDeleteIt's a crocheted cover. Yes Julie could knat a good one - bracelet cozies the next big thing!
DeleteSports "reporting" is a constant undertone to my life too. Non-stop. And in my house there dwells a large and regularly disappointed NY Yankees fan who also has season tickets for the Giants - football. Fortunately we have been priced out of the Knicks.
ReplyDeleteThose two noisy guys who yell at each other on the telly about sports nonsense (which seems to pass these days for "journalism") is the mainstay of our lives.
DeleteHappy birthday, Tallulah! Lovely outfit on you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool looking beach outfit!!!
ReplyDelete12?!?!?! Just wait until she turns...
Nevermind (my kids ages depress ME)
~shoes~
Good idea, Shoes.... Let's not talk about how old we are.... Yes, we includes me. ;)
DeleteHAR!!
DeleteI bet I'm older than you!!!!
~shoes~
Okay.... you got me there, you sly spy. I turn 43 when Superman hits the theaters, but because of my mean medical condition I feel like 75, and that's no joke. Ask the Doc.... he isn't smiling either :)
DeleteHappy birthday beautiful Tallulah! They grow way too fast...
ReplyDeleteAgree about the sausages! You just can't get'em.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to your big girl...
What do you think they are missing?
DeleteTallulah is so cute. Love her playing basketball. She's got to be able to hold her own growing up with three boys I imagine! Happy Birthday to her! Looks like a fun weekend. I just loved the extra day and being home. So nice.
ReplyDeletexxKim
In my household, we watch sports like nothing else matters so your next to last mixing metaphors sentence would be not acceptable at all. ;) And are you wearing perfect white trous as part of that Ohope Beach outfit?
ReplyDeleteTallulah is gorgeous, can't wait to read about when this one starts dating, from your perspective of course. I guess I'm going to have to get out in the world and try some better sausage.
ReplyDeletexo Mary Jo
I'll bet the little ones adored their big cousins.
ReplyDeleteMy all time favourite was Speldhurst sausage. A little village near Tunbridge Wells.
Love the stripy top Jody, very summery. I'm with you on the sporty jargon, I try to look like I understand when they tell me that someone bowled spin and the batsman was caught in the slips, or was it the gulley???
ReplyDeleteI always just yell "get in there" and "good eye good eye" which is really just a rugby thing.
DeleteThanks Jody, I think I can use "good eye, good eye"!
DeleteTallulah, I would say form the picture, is 12 going on at least 22 (not sure about 32).
ReplyDeleteThere is always something significant about cousins getting together. Glad you had the opportunity.
Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting
Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)
Loving the outfit. Our dog did the same barking at bigger things as he loves his food we operate a reward system where we show him the dog biscuit when he sees the other dog and then if he does not bark he is rewarded. Miracle of miracles it really does work maybe not everything but most.
ReplyDeleteWe brought him to the dog trainer who said he is what he is and there is always one in every group. Ops! So no more dog training for him it took 2 years of training to work this out
Happy Birthday to Tallulah! She is beautiful. I love your family shots, Jody, you must have so much fun together!
ReplyDeleteAda
Around here it's all hockey..all the time (Canadians eh?). But we do have excellent sausage...must be our British roots.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is beautiful...I think 12 is the new 18, kids just seem so sophisticated now at such a young age..I was still sporting my "Bionic Woman" rubber boots at age 12 completely oblivious to my own fashion (non)sense.
Hopefully its not the hormones in the milk - or the air!
DeleteOn a totally unrelated matter (love the photos btw and happy b'day to Tallulah) is your email playing up? Sent you an update re cycling w/e in early October and it bounced back!
ReplyDeleteLet me know (londoncitymum@gmail.com)
LCM x
Yes sorry. The website that hosts it seems to be totally lame. will email you right now
DeleteYour Ohope Beach outfit.... that's quite an outfit. I don't think I have a beach outfit myself. Now, why is that?
ReplyDeleteYeah, isn't it frightening how fast time's a-flying?
HAR @ seeing the Blue Grumpster in a beach outfit!!!
Delete:op
~shoes~
Just so you know, Shoes, I stole that word from you... I find myself saying HAR!! all the time. My students think that makes me weird. I tell them it's your fault. You don't mind, now do you? ;) HAR!
DeleteP.S. THIS outfit comes pretty close.... I may have bent the truth a little bit about the muscles, but still...
DeleteHAR!!!
DeleteI think we should make some kind of international movement out of it!!
Hell, if Holland and Mississippi don't qualify as international, I can' t think of anything else that would!!
~shoes~
I'll get to work on a sausage based business plan asap.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fun time was had by all!! I love those Oakland A's outfits. I hope you have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to her! Looks like a fun weekend. I just loved the extra day and being home. So nice.
ReplyDeletecpbay
This looks so much fun and I love the outfit x xx
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest a pair of ruby slippers? Although, I don't think they match your Ohope Beach outfit.
ReplyDeleteYou never fail to get a giggle out of me. Sports. Schmorts. I've always been a sporty kind but heck, basketball, soccer - yawwwwwwn.
ReplyDeleteLove the colours in your top. Finally the sun has come out here and I can get out my summer clothes too!! Lovely photo of your daughter.
ReplyDeletehttp://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/
wow....what fun.....truly, there's no place like home!!
ReplyDeleteYour dog...that is so funny. Spoiled. Love it.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is beautiful.
Happy belated b-day Tallulah!
ReplyDeleteI've missed yours posts lately. Taking a blogging vacation? :-)
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Oakland, but I've seen plenty of Oakland A's play. When I was growing up our local AA team was a farm team for the Oakland As. I watched future superstars Jose Canseco and Mark Macguire slowly expanding into giants from the steroids they were using as their homerun hits flew further and further out of the park. It was extremely exciting and those of us who knew enough to suspect steroids didn't even mind. If you want to learn an appreciation for baseball you need to watch steroid baseball. It's much, much better.
ReplyDeleteLooks like so much fun!!
ReplyDelete