Aunty Mel's dogs

Buttons and Noodle. Cute as can be. Maple certainly thought they were hilarious and enjoyed them licking her face. We loved our time with Mel and Julianne, apart from it being a bit short! Thanks for having us.

It was the first really rainy day since our arrival in NZ today, so we headed back to Tauranga in good time. The road to Miranda is quite windy but I thoroughly enjoyed driving on the open road in New Zealand. It has been a long time.... I had almost forgotten about passing other cars.

Maple slept the whole way back, waking just in time to stop in Greeton for an exceptionally good coffee and delicious banana, walnut and custard muffin. I had been desperate for that coffee for about an hour before, but didn't want to risk waking Maple by stopping the car!

That evening my parents and I took up our one and only opportunity to go out for dinner with only one child to manage! We went to Somerset Cottage and I enjoyed my first taste of NZ Snapper in two and a half years! Thanks mum and dad!

Oscar and Bailee meanwhile were having a great time in Papamoa with Nanny and Pop and their friends. They fed the ducks, went to the Toy Library, ate gluten free muffins at a local cafe and had fun with play dough.

By the way, Oscar is still sleeping through every night two weeks down the line! He is also thriving on his gluten free diet.