Welcome 2013!

I think I better find some blogging mojo again. There's this thing that happens to me when I blog, and trawl through all the blogs available for perusal at any random time. I seemingly turn into an inward focused 'life is hard' person. I don't know why it happens, but when I get too involved something chemically changes in me and I don't like it. Too much facebook, online stuff etc - what I would call living vicariously through other people's lives - it actually isn't good for anyone. We were made for relationships, true, real, deep, open, loving relationships... the kind that come from actually seeing and spending time with a person. I'm not talking about the lovey dovey type - just general friendships with people. So I'm not sure how I'm going to do this 'blog' thing and not turn into the incredible sulk ahem, hulk while trying to add a little something, a little more regularly. I'll think on that one. While I sit here, on this 30+ degree celcius balmy Sunday afternoon, Mr 18 months playing with tongs, a shirt, a saucepan and lid among other things... Mr 3months asleep and Miss 3 out to the movies with her dad, it's the very last day of our much needed summer holiday. We needed a break. Our lives have been a rollercoaster the last 2 years. We've moved house twice, I've brushed death, we've had and nearly lost 2 premature babies.... combined between me and my kids we have spent over 15 weeks in hospital since March 2011. Hospitals aren't fun places to spend time as a patient. They turn into quiet, solemn, lonely white halls at night. Deathly places. I'm sure its different if you work there, but when it's your life, and 8pm visiting hours finish arrives, it's like my heart would sink and a lump would rise in my throat as I faced another night alone in a strange place, separated from all I knew and loved. It's hard to keep your head even and stay focussed. I will write a little (or a lot) about our most recent journey someday soon. Anyway, we've had an amazing holiday getting used to being a family of 5, and just being a family again. Our baby was discharged on 2 December after 9 weeks in Neonatal Intensive Care and then Special Care and we had been split apart as a family for that entire time. We've spent time together, we've spent time with our wider family, we've spent time with friends. We've visited the beach, the farm park, playgrounds, the pools... played in the paddling pool nearly all day. Made messes of our house and barely cleaned up... eaten fruit salad for tea. We've eaten several kilograms of chocolate and treats, we've gained several kilograms each. The grown ups have started a health regime (mostly eating so far).... And it all ends today as my hubby donnes his shirt and tie, shiny shoes, leather belt, woollen socks and returns (greatfully I'm sure) to his airconditioned office tomorrow. So now, I think I might be able to find a few minutes in the day to write a little something to you readers (thanks for being patient)... maybe I won't seeing as I'll have 3 kids on my own again from tomorrow - haha - who knows. Happy 2013 everyone. I pray that this year is a year of pure joy, and a discovery of Joy Himself as each of you walks out and finds enjoyment in each moment - cause that is what this is all about anyway! x

what I've been up to....

Well, the year has officially begun.  Why does it feel like the year never begins until February?  I guess I still feel like I'm on holiday until February hits, and suddenly I realise that hubby gets no long stretch of time off until December, the years programmes are beginning again and well, what do you know - here we are, a month in to 2012!

Here's a mini-update on what I've been up to:

• we just returned from a week's holiday in Hamilton & Auckland.  I feel refreshed and ready for the year to start now...
• we have a great tenant in our house, a nurse, it worked out perfectly
• I'm considering commencing a couch to 5k running program.... but I've lost my ipod.  The music is cool though, semi-addictive, so I think I'll either have to find my ipod or get a 'new' (pre-loved) one  :(
• loving the new place, nicely stretched out, seemingly perfect for my passions - cooking & having guests!
• as it seems many others are also, I am quietly heading back to old fashioned communicating this year.... I have missed and long for face to face relationships over media ones....  I will still show up, but don't count on an update heaps... perhaps the face of this shall change - we will see.
• Mr John has a tooth (or two).  Happy 7 month birthday - a  tooth!  He is keeping my hands full!
• My year is looking excitingly amazing right at the outset!  New opportunities arising, getting regularly back into some things I'm passionate about - the joys of a baby weaning himself at 6 months! :-)
• I'm busy pondering an outfit, or three, for an up-coming wedding..... looking forward to getting glammed up once again!
• I cut and coloured my hair.  Dark brown, fringe again - a long easy to hide one :)  Feeling like a new me!
• I had a child-less shopping spree while away (I had about $250 of vouchers for Auckland stores to blow).  What an AMAZING time I had! whee!
• I have been offered a few jobs lately.... I'm not even looking for work.  Quite nice politely declining!
• I had an amazing opportunity to have a hands on experience at being a chef last night.....  I went into Vie Restaurant (at Flames Hotel) and assisted them with a wedding - catering for around 90 people!  It was so much fun and made me see why I love cooking all the more!!  My job was to plate half of the entrees & then plate the veges (and decorate the plates with sauces) for the mains!!  I got a few ideas, and just loved seeing the 'behind the scenes' at how they do what they do and why etc!  Good times.... better still, I get paid for it!  A busy job still!

Anyway, that's about it from me - seeya!

whew!

sigh. That's what it feels like just about now. a breath of relief in a momentary stillness.

We've had a hectic few weeks!

Here's my list of what has been or is about to be:

• loads of parties and functions
• packing up the house
• every one of us being really sick - the kids for over a week!
• shopping galore (I really LOVED late night shopping before Christmas)
• cooking & baking up a storm
• Christmas day
• Boxing day (with additional Christmas festivities) & seeing my brother & family from New Plymouth
• staying with my parent's in law & siblings in-law for a few days before they left NZ for 8 months (that was a crazy, fun house - 7 adults & 2 littlies!!)
• driving to auckland to bid them farewell. roughing it for the night cause of bad weather.
• driving back
• moving in to their house
• unpacking boxes, finding places for everything
• trying to explain to an incessant miss A that grandma's house is our new 'home' and grandma & grandpa have gone on a big plane for a long time
• trying to clean, get those last couple of boxes and a few jobs done on our old place
• attempting at finding tenants and becoming a landlord! eek.
• trying to catch the in-laws on skype!

Sadly, my hubby took a week less than was offerred to him and so goes back on Monday, without us really getting a break!  Gladly I'm dreaming about our next holiday already - which we've planned for later this month!

In other news, we took a break from all the work & took the kids to the pools this morning.  Mr John LOVED it and was SO keen.  His first swim - little cutie.  He's six months old. Can you believe it!?

In another 6 months, I will be celebrating his 1st birthday.  Thank you God for preserving my wee one's life.  He's been quite fiesty lately.  His dad looked at me the other day (in the middle of a fiesty bout) and I said - it's our fault for calling him "little fiery one".

The above picture - is princess Adelaide with her "microphone" singing to God.  That's what she told me she was doing, and what an adorable job she was doing.  True worship in the sight of God I'm sure.


She is sleeping in a big bed with no bars, all by herself.   That means Mr John can finally sleep in a bed he can fit in.... 

Mind you, the bassinet was very helpful with the eventful weeks we've had.

I've gained a few extra kgs after Christmas, and I think (apart from it still being in the cupboard) I no longer have an excuse to continue eating junk.  So, I'm trying to get back on my regime!


I am 100% glad to wave goodbye to 2011 and ride off into the sunset of 2012. It looks like it's set to be a beautiful ride (once all this craziness dies down!).

Smile a little.... or laugh - a lot

As I sit here in my quiet household, enjoying a hot cup of coffee & a carrot muffin, in perfect peace (for an hour or so anyway) - I thought I'd just have a random ramble.... because today, for once, I have time.

Life has been fast paced lately.

A lot is about to change.

For the first time - I confessed to my hubby the other night - that I can't wait for Christmas to be over.

It's not Christmas' fault.  It's actually more like this - I can't wait for all the busy schedules, (you know them... playcentre, school concerts, parades, church concerts, work functions, church functions, family functions....) that run around this time of year to be over and for us to just have a break.  A relax. A full-stop - for the 2 weeks or so that the hubster gets off work.

Now its actually not going to be a full-stop.  Because in that time we will be moving house & farewelling my in-laws on a long anticipated OE slash a whole lot of other stuff.  Suddenly it has sunk in that they are leaving us.  For a good portion of the year.  That's quite a big deal.

In the mix, we are selling our house - in potentially the worst market that has existed here in a long time.  If we don't sell, we are tenant hunting.  I'm a bit anti-rentals, but with each passing week and empty open home, we're heading for landlord direction at full steam ahead.  I'm more open to the idea now.... I guess I have to be.

I'm quite aware that God is totally able to do this!!  It's just walking it out, step by step.... it's weird, knowing the next step - but not knowing how the previous step ends, or the one following.... I guess that's why they call it a walk of faith. Watch this space.

Meanwhile, Princess Adelaide is moving on too.  She's such a sensitive little poppet and every 'new' thing has to be done at snail pace.  Or perhaps, partly, HER pace., which is my SNAIL pace.  I'm not sure whether this is her daddy's determined streak coming out (which she has demonstrated since birth), or whether it is genuine need of 'slowness'.  Anyway, I finally forced convinced her, into her big bed.

How did I do this?  Well, I think God answered my prayers (Mr John is about 3cm from the top of his bassinet) - and gave me a creative idea.  I removed the up/down side of her cot, and put it against her prettied up big bed.  I secured it with string (Kiwi ingenuity).  When she came to get ready for bed that night, I gave her the choice - cot with no bar, or big bed with bar.... I was 95% sure she'd choose the bar.  She did.  Success to me!  She still cried for her cot for a few nights, but this was easily fixed by removing the sheets and being firm.  Now she climbs into big bed and settles no trouble at all.

Hopefully I have the same success when I take the bar down!

Actually, the first night in her big bed, she got out and was playing happily in her room for a while.  At about 9pm I hear a whimpering cry.  I went in, and here she was, in the dark, lost.  She'd got out to play and didn't climb back in before dark - so she was lost in her room. *cute*

While moving forward, she has also started potty training.  We were all sweet and making very few mistakes, until the 'potty' started to "hurt her bum".  So we bought a new one.  Then she chose the old one.  *grit teeth*

Suddenly though, she decided that she needed to "go wee's" all the time.  So she'd sit on the potty for an hour or more at a stretch, with no wee, but REFUSING to get off - because she needed to go.  We went to playcentre, and in the 3 hours we were there, she honestly spent about 20 minutes NOT on the potty.  I wiped my brow and breathed a great sigh of relief when her wee finally came out of hiding.

To add to this, my wee girl, when stressed, won't do number 2's.  Apparently this is quite a common occurance amongst children.  (she has been medically checked etc).  Anyway, she hadn't gone for a while, so when it came time for her to desperately need to go - she SCREAMED the neighbourhood down - trying not to go.  So you can imagine, her periodically screaming blue murder every 10 to 20 minutes ALL afternoon & night - because she didn't want to go.

Mr John was teething and cranky as.  In fact, the same day - he cried, non-stop for 3 hours.  I kept my cool ALL DAY.  What an achievement.  Grace from heaven I tell you.

So, I announced to hubster that night, that we were quitting the toilet training for a bit.  And there it ended.  A whole day passed (and once number 2's had come) my wee girl turned back into her usual, mostly happy self.

Then today arrived.  Suddenly she has decided that her pull-ups will LEAK if she wees in them (not that I mind so much), so instead, she wants to go wees.... wait for it, in the BATH.

She feels safe in the bath, and I don't mind so much.  Only that, not everyone has a bath - and some people may not like me saying "erm, excuse me, may I borrow your bath - for my kid to do a wee".  She has excellent control though, may I say, and even held on in the car for 5-10 minutes while we drove to my grandmother's house and erm, borrowed her bath.  Thankfully she is a great advocate in children being toilet trained (she did 6 of them) and so didn't mind one bit.

Miss Adelaide used her bath 3 times.

OK so I don't know how to move forward from here - but I just have to take a chill pill and deal with it, one wee at a time.

I hope you are laughing.  Cause honestly, I could have cried.

What is up with this child rearing thing anyway?  The rate that we parent's often want to pull our hair out, I'm surprised that not more of us are balding.  But for some reason (hopefully other than character development), God gave us these precious bundles, wrapped up in mooshy exteriors, to feed & clothe & somehow rear into individuals who are well rounded, great charactered adults who live their dreams and do amazing things.  *and hopefully raise some of their own 'precious bundles' - that way I can snicker at my kid's parenting woes, be a great support and help them out often.*

Last night I told my in-laws that I don't know how people have four kids.... I think I say something similar when in labour...

But, in the midst of this hilarious adventure (I'm an optimist), there is something truly beautiful happening.  The world is an ever-changing place, and though it may seem like at times, it's ever changing for worse, I have to confess - that I believe we are heading for things that people have only dreamed about in years gone by.  Amazing, good and breath-taking things.  The world as we know it, is changing.

Perhaps in all our difficulties of parenting and life in general, we forget that we are fighting for a generation who will live and do extraordinary things.  Hopefully we will do that, but our kids should only surpass the greatness we achieve.

Take a moment to put aside the challenges you have faced this year, and are facing right now - and dream a little.

Now, I'm looking forward to Christmas.

Well, until next time - by the way -

can I borrow your bath?

xx

over at my place.....

I know you all wondered where I have been!! hehe

This is where/what I have been doing:.

Now, as you can probably see - this has kept me VERY, VERY busy in the last few weeks.  Let's hope that it sells quickly so that I am not kept so busy for the next few!

Once I find my camera (I got it back but have "misplaced" it) I will get something decent on here!

x
Arna

Out with the old....

In with the....... new!!!!!

Anyone need a good condition but old tv?

We've had our eye on one of these babies for a wee while.

We don't watch much tv - Princess Adelaide gets to watch Blues Clues and other such kiddie shows in the morning, but that's about the scope of tv watching in our house. 

Unless, of course, the All Blacks are playing, or there is a good movie on.

Plus all the antics of possessions not at all being our focus (or at least we try hard) and living on one income etc - long story short, we didn't feel very justified in paying over a grand for a new tv.

We need our office for the baby so it was a toss up between a lap-top or a tv.  Until we discovered our couple of year old computer can be plugged into a tv.

The hubster was due a bonus from his boss. Accountants like to do things that save them tax - so purchasing "something" rather than just giving us cash is far better.  The bonus wasn't that much - so we had settled for a 32" so to not have to pay extra money.

But on the weekend, there was a clear-out sale - and we got the exact 42" of tv we had originally wanted - for the very amount of the bonus!

Even better is when your parent's paid nearly triple what you did a couple of years ago! haha.

LOVE IT!

Just a ramble...

OK so I confess to being a bit boring in my latest posts.... lol

Food for thought:  We're trying a slightly new regime in our house.  We barely watch TV - we don't even have it tuned in, but find that all the "spare" time we have from that often gets eaten by mindless internet searches, reading online news, facebook, blogging and the like.

Often this comes at the expense of each other, sometimes at the expense of our child, or just at the expense of whittling away life wasting time on nothing very important or significant.

So we're only jumping online for a short time, 3 days a week or so.  It's not a rule, just a desire for so much more than a mundane life.

Anywho, I guess it means that my posts - of maybe once or twice a week - should be a bit more interesting and inventive right?? we'll see.

Ps. I'm making mac' n' cheese for tea - first time in a LONG time.  Looking forward to that carb-overloaded goodness!!

Stay tuned for post later in the week - something about me and 'domestic goddess' hehe. x

Things I'm Loving

Making these from scratch - several batches - some for us, a whole lot to give away



The best part, of course, was smothering them in butter and sharing them with two special friends as our Good Friday tradition....



More makings.....





Turning this space



Into this... (which has been almost 2 years in the making)...



We've had the dishwasher sitting boxed in our lounge since August 09.  Finished the main renovations in the kitchen, so now, it's installed!  Perfect timing if you ask me.

Also loving....

• plenty of chocolate!!


• sleep in's with hubby till 9.30 (because miss 'almost 2' was at Nana & Poppa's for the night)


• late night drive thru mc'ds


• Long weekends which feel like a very much needed mini holiday

 

Don't forget to think about the real reason for Easter.  Jesus gave everything for us.  It is well worth celebrating!

x