Post-bathtime snap | G's birthday drinks | Puppy love

This one was from an hour ago, just after G's bath. He's giving me the "Am I about to get a Hairy Maclary story soon?" look (yes - he got one about 5 minutes later) .

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And here's a photo (for posterity) of the Chateauneuf Du Pape before we demolished it.  Richard B gave it (with two gorgeous red wine glasses) to us on our wedding day in 2007, and we were saving it for a special occasion.  I decanted it yesterday afternoon, and at 7pm last night - exactly one year after George was born - we toasted the little man.  Yup - that's Ben in the background.

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And here's a sequence taken this afternoon, as George flirted with one of his Hong Kong girlfriends, Sophia:

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The Birthday Boy!

One year old today! The little man has had a ball playing with his new toys this morning: .

Playing with the trolley and blocks from Godparents Ross and Ang

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Playing on the toolman's truck (from Aunty Suki and Aunty Queenie at Daddy's work)

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Mummy insisted on a family photo. Yes, we're in pyjamas.

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Cruisin' in his new wheels

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Cabinets, Visitors, Blurry photos

The poor little fellow is still a bit sick at the moment, but when he's awake he's still pretty much his happy old self (well, a snottier, raspier version of himself).  He's started to crawl with purpose now, and has discovered that by plonking himself on his knees, there is a whole new world of stuff to play with.  This particular cabinet is full of our good wine glasses, and has now been secured with a rather ugly set of plastic cable ties: .

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On Saturday, Jacq and Tristan came through for a day's stopover en route to London - George had a lovely day with his new friends. Here's one of Jacq reading George one of his favourite Hairy MacLary books:

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Here's one that was sitting on the memory card - Granny B and George playing on the grass.  Granny B was plucking little flowers and blowing them through the air at George (look just in front of his nose):

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And finally this one - we had a game of Chase around the lounge yesterday. When he's at full speed, it's pretty much impossible to focus the camera on him.  So here's his slightly blurry manic face:

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A few leftover phone photos

The first was taken yesterday when Bunky came to visit me at work, and the rest are randoms from New Zealand: .

Playing on the grass outside my work

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A random church that we walked past (in Havelock North)

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In the plane from Napier to Auckland (that's George's hair on the left...)

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Aunty Momo and Rachel talking in the kitchen while G busies himself with Lego

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Reading time with Paddy

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Cellphone photos

This year I'm trying to take more photos on my phone - the image quality is pretty crappy, but there are plenty of programs available that allow me to do a bit of creative editing on the camera (I have to confess that I have a soft spot for the fake polaroid, having owned a real one once upon a time).  Anyway, it's forcing me to think a bit more about getting a photo right first time, rather than trying to salvage something on the computer afterwards. I just pulled a bunch of photos off the phone from our New Zealand trip, so here you go:

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Paddy and George enjoying story time

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Playing a George-created game (play with the speaker base, sit up, get tickled, then start again) with Granny B

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Pulling himself up to standing, cheered on by Aunty Jane

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Paddy pouring bubbly for the Keane ladies

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Swing time at the park

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Sneaking out from under a chair

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And finally, one for his London-based godparents:

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How's the weather out there this week?

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A few more random weekend shots

Bunky had a pretty rough flight last night, and I'm too knackered to pretty-ify any of these photos from the weekend (I just dragged them off my memory card).  Normal service will resume soon.  Oh, and I took a crapload of photos on my phone too - I quite like going through photos on there.  The camera on the phone is a bit crap, but that does lead to some cool (inadvertent) effects. Anyway, here are some from the big camera:

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Aunty Momo trying to distract George from important tasks on the grass with Paddy and Rachel

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George with his Aunty Jane, who is definitely in his top two favourite aunties list

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Granny B, Rachel and Jane enjoying some bubbly on our last night in Auckland

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Just before George's mini-party on Sunday afternoon. L to R: Aunty Momo, Aunty Jane, Uncle Eugene, George and Granny B

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He wanted the sunglasses but ended up with a kiss on the forehead.  He was unimpressed.

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Explaining the nuances of squeaky hammers to Paddy

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Defying gravity in the back yard with Aunty Jane

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Early birthday drinks

Although Bunky doesn't turn one for another nine days, we decided to have a few early birthday drinks (and cake) for him today in Auckland.  The little piglet managed to scoff cake, part of a sausage roll, some rice cracker, more cake (with cream) and he washed that all down with some delicious leaves from the back yard. Here are a few from the day - once again without the benefit of any Photoshop magic...

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