It's been busy!

It's been lovely getting some Eve time, lots of Eve time. We've played with her new tea set, eating cake and drinking tea; we've rolled and chopped her dough; we've been out walking and shopping; we've entertained her cousins; we've laughed and giggled and played. Fantastic fun! Nineteen months is such a lovely age. Eve is very chatty, copying words and saying plenty of her own. She calls me manga, with a soft 'gna'. It's kind of like grandma, a bit backwards and despite me saying grandma, it's stuck. Much to the delight of her mum.

"Where's manga?" Eve asks in the morning. Tomorrow will be the last morning for a while. I suspect she'll be a little preoccupied with her Santa haul and her cousins Milla and Ana. I can't wait to see her face when she sees the playhouse outside, complete with real flowers in the window boxes. It was funny listening to Kieran and Sasi putting the house together, reminiscent of the days when I had small children, those late Christmas eve nights getting things right for the morning. At least Eve was asleep early.

Today there was some last minute shopping, the mall quieter than I expected, the strawberries as expensive as gold. Tomorrow will be a treat, starting in Brisbane and ending in Christchurch. I'm sad to be leaving, sad it was my last evening of Eve. I can't wait to see Noah, Tim and Sarah at my next stop and share the gifts I bought for them. My trip to Sydney on Saturday was eventful, I met a pack of angry people after Jetstar had cancelled our flights. That's a story for another day, an emotional roller coaster of a day the highlight of which was meeting Liberty and her mum Sonia.

Eve and Sasi taking tea