Poppy Ford: YouTube Video Editor

I feel really slack not keeping Poppy’s Blog updated over the past couple of months.  My work has exploded and I feel guilty working on her updates when so many customers have projects for me to complete.  I have heaps of photos to upload and lots of exciting adventures to share with you – including our trip to Napier over Queen’s Birthday Weekend and our upcoming plans to visit Fred (Poppy’s Daddy) in the USA at the end of July. 

Poppy had a break-through this evening with her technical work on the computer. For a few weeks she has been struggling to use the mouse and tonight everything clicked into place and she GOT IT! I was unbelievably proud – as a professional mouse-pusher I perhaps had unrealistic expectations. The smile on her face when she saw my reaction and realised she was successful was one of those wonderful ‘mother moments’ you remember forever.

Poppy had been playing the infant and toddler games at www.fisher-price.com where lots of the action was activated with the spacebar.  She particularly enjoyed the alphabet games – however she got a little frustrated with the colouring in.  So I found her a shareware kids colouring-in book online and she was really working hard to move the mouse over the colours and then back to the image to click and colour.  After slowing down the mouse pointer, she had more success but it just seemed like more work than fun.  At the Toy Library this week I took out a CD-ROM game called Getting Ready For School and we played it tonight.  There is a game called CLICK & COUNT that requires you to move the mouse over each object in the series and click.  The voiceover will count as you click and reward you when you finish the series.  Poppy seemed to pick this up immediately and clicked to count 3 frogs, 5 cakes, 2 balloons, 6 balls etc with ease.  After counting 5 lots, the little gold star comes alive and plays with you.  Now I’m really keen to find other simple mouse games for her to try.

We had a Mother’s Day breakfast at the farm this year – exchanging gifts to our Mums.  Adrienne gave GranJan a set of printed cards & envelopes showing the cottage on the farm; and Poppy gave Mummy a card and chocolate cupcake she made at Preschool with her friends & teachers.  Unfortunately, Poppy had to eat the cupcake herself since it was HERS!

After breakfast we headed off to Takaka to spend the weekend with Steve.  Poppy was very pleased to be sitting in her new booster seat for the winding hills.

On the way to Takaka we stopped to say Happy Mother’s Day to Sarah in Motueka… she was working at the store but had time to help us shop for our groceries and to give Poppy her very own lipgloss!

To break up the trip, Poppy and Adrienne ran up to Hawkes Lookout at the top of the Takaka Hill.

After having lunch with Steve, we went on an adventure to PuPu Springs and Anatoki Salmon Farm where Gerda gave Poppy her favourite treat – a chocolate fish!

It’s that time of year again – when Adrienne walks the Nelson half-marathon.  This year Janine and DonnaLea did the quarter marathon with Kate (Janine’s neice) while Janine’s sister Mary and friend Shelley came over from Wellington to attempt the half with Adrienne.  We all had dinner out a couple of nights beforehand to celebrate our registrations – then drinks at the airport the evening after the race to say goodbye to Mary, Shelley and Kate.  Adrienne whipped her time from last year by 22 minutes!  Poppy had fun as part of the Support Crew and took her job of handing Mummy her drink bottle very seriously.

Poppy had her first walking race today!  Although she relied on Mummy-power, her official number was recorded on the Waimea Harriers website.  The Richmond Queen Street Mile was an institution 10 years ago and they brought it back this year.

Afterwards we joined in the BBQ at the El Taverna and Adrienne won a spot prize of a dry-fit running shirt – the perfect thing to wear at her half-marathon in a couple of weeks!