My Birthday!

And then it was my own birthday - and I thought it should feature on this blog along with everyone else's! 

As I had a mid-week birthday, we followed tradition and celebrated at the weekend instead. I got to choose everything we did on Sunday...

We started with a wander through the lovely Sunday Food markets, and a scooter/walk around the waterfront. Alfie was a little tired so he used his scooter imaginatively! 

We ended up drinking green tea and smoothies at my favourite cafe, Beach Babylon in Oriental Bay. This is (yet another) one of my absolutely most favourite parts of the city. It's always buzzing.

After we finished, we discovered that the New Zealand Open Foot Volley championships were taking place right on the beach in front of us. So we sat for ages and watched them. It's an amazing game - beach volleyball with your feet & head, no hands!

When we'd had enough, we scootered some more and walked some more. And Alfie pulled some strange faces....

But despite the strange faces, it was a very lovely early birthday, so thank you very much to my family!

On the actual day of birthday, I took a day off work. (As I'm self-employed, this made it quite an expensive birthday for me, but I tried not to think about that part too much!). I had such a lovely day...

I started in a very similar way to Sunday with the family, with a walk around the waterfront. The morning was Fifty Shades of Grey, hot and humid... but I sat for a while and watched the ocean at Freyberg Beach....and then I sat for a while and watched the ocean at Oriental Bay too.

Then I went back to Beach Babylon on my own, got a coffee and a pile of magazines, and some peace and quiet to sit back and enjoy it all....

From here I wandered around to the City Art Gallery. Going to galleries is something I used to do a lot BK (before kids), but I hardly ever get the chance to do it anymore. It was therefore a real treat - although the photography exhibition that's on at the moment - Creamy Psychology by Yvonne Todd - is ermmmm... a bit "interesting"!

After I came out of the gallery the clouds had all lifted so I drove over to the Miramar Peninsula to drag Jake out of work, and we spent a very lovely hour at Scorching Bay. Walking, talking, and drinking the most wicked milkshake made of Peach Ice Cream and chocolate Crunchie Bars. And Jake pulled some funny faces....

I love Scorching Bay - it's another one of my favourite parts of Wellington!

That evening the plan was for Jake to cook me dinner. Those of you who know Jake well will understand that this is a real once-a-year-occasion. He'd told me what to buy, so I'd been out to the supermarket and everything was sitting ready in the fridge.

A couple of hours before he was due in the kitchen, Jake rang me from work and suggested we go out for dinner instead. He claims not to have been nervous at all about cooking, and that he simply thought it would be nicer for everyone. Really, Jake..? !

Anyway, he asked where I wanted to go. The Crab Shack on the waterfront, I said. Shall I book a table?

No, no, says Jake, leave it all with me.

So the kids and I set off to town to meet Jake after ballet, and had lots of fun posing along the waterfront!

And we arrived at the Crab Shack to be told we had no booking and there was a one hour wait for a table. JAKE!!!!!!

So we went for a pizza instead. Alfie probably appreciated it more than fish! And we finished off with a lovely sunset walk around the waterfront. I like birthdays. Thank you everyone!!!!