Blairs Boys

I'm crossing over ...

2007-02-07T11:45:00.000+13:00

... to WordPress, and leaving nasty Blogger behind!

Thanks to Janine and Karen for helping me make the move!

Thanks to a handy dandy new feature, I was able to import my entire blog into WordPress, so I haven't lost my archives! How awesome!

So you can now find me here: http://blairsboys.wordpress.com

Please update your blogroll and favorites - I don't want to lose any readers!!

We're back!

2007-02-06T10:24:00.000+13:00

And it has taken me almost 2 hours to check my 300+ emails and catch up on blogs!! Crazy!!

We had a fantastic time in Hahei. The weather was HOT and SUNNY and we spent most of our time at the beach. The kids had a great time, and didn't want to come home. They really enjoyed spending a whole week with their Nana, Grandad and Aunty.

Tyler really loved the water again this summer and did so well with his water wings, floating all by himself. Ethan is more cautious and he doesn't like big waves, but he still loved going to the beach ... most of the time. Besides going to the beach all the time, we did a few other things like catching the ferry over to Whitianga and getting fish & chips. That was fun, and I got a few photos so I'm sure a layout will eventuate!

I will post some pics later, but I actually didn't take as many as I wanted to. LOTS of scenery pics this year, since we found a nice new beach called Lonely Bay and it was so beautiful I had to take heaps of pictures!

It was a wonderful holiday, but it is nice to be home again. Ethan is uber excited about starting morning Kindy tomorrow! I'm not *quite* so excited about going back to work, but it always feels good to come back after a nice relaxing break.

I'm going AWOL ...

2007-01-27T21:11:00.000+13:00

Or more correctly, I'm going to the beautiful Coromandel. Hahei, to be exact. [Canadian Dayna, I know you know where that is now - how cool does that feel?!]

And I'm not going alone. Rob and the boys are coming, of course. And my parents and sister. Then some family friends (the Allens) will be coming down to join us for the last 4 days.
We rent a house down there every year. It's such a great place: not expensive, sleeps 12 people, only 2 blocks back from the beach. And now they have a dishwasher, a new BBQ and SKY Digital! Which is pretty cool for us since nobody in our family has SKY and we are all big Rugbyheads ... and the Super 14 starts next weekend!

Anyway, I'll be away from my computer for 10 days (gulp!), and I hope I survive! Not sure how I will cope trying to catch up on everything when I get back ... hmm, perhaps I should have taken an extra day off work just to do that??
When I return I shall have many photos to share, stories to tell and (hopefully!) sunny weather to boast about. So until then, ciao.

P.S. Happy Birthday Christi for tomorrow - I hope you have the extra special day you deserve! Love ya!!

Blast from the past

2007-01-25T13:55:00.000+13:00

I've been tagged by Angella. By the way, I also stole her title for my post. I figured since I was taking the overall idea from her blog, I'd take her title as well ;-)

Anyway, here's what I have to do:

"Go through your archives and find the post that best fits the words listed"
I tried to go as far back into my archives as possible. I needed to give myself a challenge.

Something SERIOUS
I found a few, but I've picked just one: Tyler's Operation. He had grommets put in about a year ago. It was his second operation under general anaesthetic. It was pretty hard for mummy!

Something totally ROMANTIC
How about this one? 20 Things I Love About My Husband. I know he thought it was totally romantic.

ALL ABOUT ME
I couldn't find much, but here is one of those questionnaire thingies ... you should be able to learn something about me from these answers!
Three Things
And here are some Things That Make Me Happy

Something FUNNY
I found it hard to choose between 3 of my favourites. So I didn't.
Sugar Sugar
New Mens Magazine
And I simply couldn't resist including Some Ethanisms

There. I hope you all learned a bit more about me and my life, since I have quite a few more readers now than when I first started blogging.
Now I'm tagging Julie, Tanya and Janine. Oh, and anybody else who wants to do it.

Say what?

2007-01-24T08:48:00.000+13:00

So Tyler has this new habit - one that Ethan used to have (and still does, to an extent) – of repeating things over and over until he thinks you’ve heard it. But the only way he believes that you’ve heard it is when you say it back to him word for word. And heaven forbid if you mess it up, because then he’ll start repeating it all over again. This goes on all day long.
I remember when Ethan first started to do this. He was about the age Tyler is now. At first I thought it was pretty cute. Then it got a bit annoying. Eventually he stopped doing it quite so much, but he still does it if he is talking to you and there is other noise in the background (like Tyler, or the TV, or somebody else talking). Doesn’t the child realise I can listen to more than 3 things at once? I’m a multi-tasker!

So anyway, just as Ethan starts to grow out of this habit, Tyler starts it up. At the moment it doesn’t annoy me because I’m still enjoying his speech development. You know when your kids first start to talk “properly”, using long sentences and understanding big words, you’re just so proud of them and you want to listen to them talking all the time? And then, gradually, it becomes a constant droning sound in the background that you try to shut out! LOL. Well, we’re still at that first stage with Tyler. The stage where we giggle and laugh at the things he says, where we ask him to repeat words because he sounds so adorable when he says them (like “San Diego”, “crack-a-lackin” and “enclosure” from the Madagascar book, just to name a few).

Oops, I think I’ve made it sound like I don’t want to listen to Ethan talking at all. That’s really not the case, I enjoy having little chats with him, and I love that we can have such great conversations now. I think all the mums out there know what I mean though … some days it just feels like all you’ve done is answer mindless questions! I guess I should try harder to appreciate both boys’ conversational skills. After all, I’m very proud of them.

A wedding ... and well-constructed sentences

2007-01-20T19:48:00.000+13:00

You may be wondering how those two things are related. Well, keep reading and I'll explain.

Today I went to my friend Juliette's wedding. (Juliette used to work at Adis). Anyway, the Reverend who officiated Juliette & Shaun's wedding talked about what makes a well-constructed sentence. I guess his choice of topic may have been influenced by Juliette's profession -- she's a medical writer. He suggested that all good sentences consist of "a few words, well-placed". He had 5 fridge magnets (this choice may have been influenced by Shaun's profession - he works for Fisher & Paykel). Each magnet represented 5 well-constructed sentences that are needed to build a good marriage. Holding up colourful number magnets from 1-5, he explained that the sentences contained 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 word(s) as follows:

5: I'm sorry, please forgive me.
4: Can you help me?
3: I love you.
2. Thank you.
1. Chosen.

I was so taken with his message and the way he delivered it. And he's totally right. Those 5 sentences are the building blocks to a good marriage. If you can't say those things, you've definitely got something to work on. He said #3 is one you will never get tired of hearing. How true is that? And I know if we all used #5 and #2 a bit more, the world would be a happier place.

I was just reminded today of how wonderful marriage is. I feel totally blessed to have such a great marriage, and to be married to such a great guy. I hope all those who read this post will get something out of the message, even though I couldn't share it as eloquently as Reverend Norton did today.

And finally, a big CONGRATULATIONS to Mr & Mrs Allport! You guys looked awesome today and I hope you had a really wonderful day. It was so neat to be there and share in your special day. It was also a neat surprise to see Robyn and Andrew - you guys are so cute together! ;-)

Time for a change?

2007-01-17T13:38:00.000+13:00

Well, I think I have the “back to work blues”. I know, I’ve only been back for 3 days, and I only have another 8 working days until our Hahei holiday, but I’m feeling a bit demotivated right now.

[I’m pretty sure nobody at my work reads my blog. Plenty of ex-coworkers who read it (Robyn, Ju, Tanya, Rachael, Lyndal, David …) but they will probably understand more than anybody how I’m feeling! So I can safely say what I want to say ...]

I love my job. I really do. I have NEVER woken up with that horrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of having to go to work. And trust me, I know what that feels like. I had it EVERY SINGLE TIME I had to go and work at the supermarket. I worked there for 5 years. It wasn’t fun.
Anyway, I don’t dislike coming to work. I enjoy what I do, and I work for a good company. But right now I’m feeling a little disillusioned about things. I recently had my performance review and apparently (according to a friend who just moved departments, and had his PR before he left) I got the highest rating in my team. I should be happy with that, but I’m not. I need a new challenge. I need a change. There are plenty of vacancies in the company at the moment, but there’s a problem with that scenario. I currently have a really flexible working arrangement. I’m allowed to work from home every Friday (my 1/2 day) and I’m also allowed to do shorter days when I drop off/pick up Ethan from Kindy, as long as I make the time up later. That works briliantly for me. If I moved to another department, I would be unlikely to have that flexibility. Not until I had been there for a decent amount of time, gotten up to speed with the new job, and proven myself capable. I’ve been in my current job for almost 8 years, which is why I have the freedom I have right now.

There is glimmer of hope for me though. I’ve asked, and been given a very encouraging response (not 100% yes, but very encouraging all the same), about working from home fulltime. As in every day. As in no travelling to work … saving me 1 hour of driving time each day, and about $40 each week in petrol. Of course the standard childcare arrangements that we have now would have to continue. I would need the boys to be at daycare 2 days/week, for Rob to be home on Mondays, and for Mum to have them on Wednesdays. I couldn’t work 40h/week AND look after both boys all the time. I’m good, but I’m not that good ;-)

This wouldn’t happen until May, when Ethan starts school. But I’m hoping it will all go ahead, because it would make life SO much easier for me. I’d be able to be a “school mum” every day, not just once a week. I’d be able to drop him off and pick him up every day. I’d be able to go to the gym at the much more godly hour of 9am instead of the ungodly one of 6am. I’d be able to watch Dr Phil … okay, maybe not! But I’d be able to shuffle things around and get my work done inbetween everything else. If Ethan had a school trip, I’d be able to go.

A few years ago, I would never have considered doing this. I would have missed my friends too much, because I had lots of them. But right now I don’t have that many friends here at work. I have colleagues who I like a lot and get along well with, but nobody that I would call a “good friend”. Nobody I would miss so much that I would feel sad about not being here. My sister works here, and since I have lunch with her everyday I will miss her a LOT. But I do see her a fair bit outside of work so that’s not really an issue.

So until May, I have to stick it out here. It’s not bad, really. I’m sorry if I made it sound bad. It’s just time for a change. And working from home is (hopefully) going to be that change!

My latest layouts

2007-01-14T15:20:00.000+13:00

Until this weekend, I hadn't done any 12x12 layouts since November! What with Janine's Christmas challenge (for which I did a mini album), Christmas cards and then getting my CJ ready to post out in a few weeks, I just hadn't found the time to do any other scrapping.

These layouts were all started at crop on Friday night, and I finished them the next day at home. I haven't had too many photos developed recently, I have decided to make more effort to scrap the HUGE box of photos I already have, some dating back to May 2002 when Ethan was born. I'm glad I don't scrap chronologically, because it would annoy me to never be "all caught up". But I really do need to scrap these older photos sooner rather than later. I'm enjoying it as well, because there are some great ones in there.

1) Anyway, the first one is our family photo taken on Christmas Day 2005. Don't we all look SO much younger? ;-) I kept this one pretty simple since the photo was large and I didn't have any journalling to add.

2) The second is of Tyler at the zoo, completely in awe of the new tiger. The huge glass cage is amazing, as you feel so close! And can you believe the tiger photo was taken through the glass?

3) The final one is of Ethan's first live rugby game, which he just loved! I was really happy with how this one turned out. I wasn't sure about using the photo of the game "in action", but I think it works well with the other pics and the papers I chose. And it gives more of an impression about what it was actually like to be there.

That is probably the most scrapping I will be doing for a long time! I'm back to work tomorrow, but only for 2 weeks because then we are off to Hahei. I won't be doing any scrapping down there either, since we'll hopefully be spending all our time in the water ;-)

Healthy weight?

2007-01-12T13:30:00.000+13:00

I just read Christi's blog where she had written about a BMI calculator for children.

I actually never knew there was a BMI chart for kids. But I know from my job that the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) is an extremely reputable organisation, so I felt happy enough to use the BMI chart on my kids too ;-)
No surprise to me, they were both in the "healthy range".

Ethan
3 ft 8 1/2 inches
41 3/4 pounds
BMI = 14.8

Tyler
3 feet 2 1/2 inches
35 1/4 pounds
BMI = 16.7

I wasn't surprised that Ethan's was quite a bit lower. He is very lean, just like his Daddy. Tyler is by no means heavy but he is more solidly built. He's also very tall!

We follow the same sort of philosphy as Christi's family does when it comes to food in our house. All things, including treats, in moderation. Our boys love healthy food just as much. Tyler eats SO much fruit, he prefers it to almost everything else. Ethan loves brocolli, celery, tomatoes and these are often chosen as a snack or for his lunch. Neither of my boys drink juice or soft drink (only on special occasions), they just drink water (and LOTS of it).

I'm really happy with where they are at, and to be honest I'd never really considered that they would be overweight or needing to watch what they eat. We eat healthily in our house so it's never been an issue. I would only become concerned if they weren't active, but they are, all the time. So I know they're fine. The BMI calculator was just a good way to confirm what I already knew ;-)

**EDITED to add:
I knew both my boys were tall, but I had no idea just how tall!
Tyler, at the age of 2 years 3 months, is the height of an average 3-year-old. Ethan, at the age of 4 years 7 months, is the height of an average 6-year-old! I guess with Rob being 6 foot 2 and a mother of "average height" (5 foot 7) they were bound to get some "tall" genes ;-)

My first weigh-in

2007-01-06T20:14:00.000+13:00

I had my first weigh-in at Curves yesterday. So that means I've been going for a month now. I think I've done 20 workouts in that time, which is pretty good considering they've been closed a fair bit!

Anyway, I'm pleased to say I lost 1.2kg during that first month ... and of that, 1.18kg was body fat! Yeah! So I'm down a whole percent in body fat, and I've lost a total of 14.5cm. That includes 6.5cm from my bust (although I think some of that was due to the different bra I was wearing, I didn't think to wear the same one!), 2.5cm from each arm and 6cm from my hips. So I'm pretty happy with my results. However, I reckon if I'd had my weigh-in before Christmas, I would have lost more than that. It kind of goes without saying that I gained a little bit of weight over the festive season. As much as I tried to eat well, it just didn't happen that way all the time. And you can't deprive yourself at Christmas!

So things are going really well and I'm feeling great. I have finally found something that I LOVE to do, and something that works for me. I no longer feel the tremendous guilt about my eating habits. I used to feel really awful every time I had something "bad" because I knew I wasn't doing enough exercise to burn off the calories. Basically, I couldn't eat that stuff but I still did! Now I don't even want junk food 99% of the time, but when I do have something I'm okay with it because I'm so much more active now.

Ethanisms ... and more!

2007-01-06T19:18:00.000+13:00

Ethan has come up with a few good ones lately.

A few weeks ago he asked if we could take him to "the park which has a sitting wolf".

He meant a "flying fox".

The other night he asked if he could go "spongy jumping".

He meant "bungy jumping".

Last night when I put him to bed he said "I just wish there was some way to make you understand, to talk to me ... I know what you're going to say, but I just want to be with you."

We were at Mum & Dad's at the time, and some other friends were there too. I went back out into the living room and told the others what he had said. It was pretty funny, the guys were saying "maybe he'll be a poet when he's older?" and "perhaps I should be writing this down" lol. He does have a way with words, my little guy.

We got Ethan a new bike today. We won it on Trade Me ... can you believe we only paid $32 for this?!?! It looks almost brand new, like it has only been ridden a few times. Needless to say, Ethan was really excited when we went to pick it up from Greenhithe today. He's really happy to have a new bike ... now we just have to get him a new bell to replace the Batman one he had on his other bike. Oh, and this bike will be locked in the shed so this one won't be stolen.

I thought it was about time to upload some photos of what we've been up to over the holidays.

This is Rob's brother Paul with his little boy Brock at the beach in Whangarei.

Here is a sand monster ... oops, I mean Ethan! Note how much sand is in his HAIR. He got a boogie board from Santa and this is what he looks like after he's been on it ;-)

Here are the boys all ready to go fishing the other morning. Tyler caught his first fish off Manly beach!! Rob said he was a bit freaked out - he was holding the line and all of a sudden he started yelling and pulling on it!

And finally, here is Tyler on his trike. He is getting better at it and hopefully he'll soon be able to pedal properly by himself. He is SUCH a poser these days, he loves getting his photo taken!!

Holiday mode

2007-01-04T12:21:00.000+13:00

We're in holiday mode. And it's great!

We spent a few days up in Whangarei after Christmas, spending time with Rob's family. Since we got home, we've just been enjoying the lazy days of summer. Going to the beach, taking the dinghy out, playing at the park ... oh and painting the house! I've been catching up on Season 2 of LOST (I was a bit of a late convert) ... I've watched 24 episodes in just 5 days! So now I'm ready to watch Season 3 on telly with my hubby, instead of having to leave the room every Wednesday night ;-)

My parents looked after the boys yesterday. They took them to the zoo, and the boys stayed over. Rob and I got quite a bit of painting done, and we also managed to find time for a picnic lunch. Rob had been up to the supermarket and bought wine, strawberries, fresh bread and cheese. Then he threw me a helmet and we got on the Vespa and rode out to Tindalls Bay for a picnic on the beach. Really nice! It was my first ride on the Vespa and it was cool. I've been on a motorbike before but the Vespa doesn't go quite as fast!
In the evening went to the Mexican restaurant for dinner, then walked along Orewa beach. And this morning we slept until 8.30! Bliss! Poor Mum & Dad: they were woken up at 5.30am!

As for my exercise routine, I'm back into the swing of things now. The gym is open again and I'm back to going 5 days/week. It was pretty hard over Christmas and New Year with them being shut so much. I found it much harder to keep up with my healthy eating when I wasn't able to work out. Now I'm back on track and hoping for a good result tomorrow when I have my first weigh in!

I hope you are all enjoying the start of 2007. The weather has been great the past few days, so I'm hoping for more days like that before I go back to work on the 15th. And then some more nice weather at the end of January because we have our proper Summer Holiday at Hahei. I'm looking forward to that!

12 Days of Christmas

2006-12-31T11:25:00.000+13:00

Here are my completed layouts for Janine's 12 Days of Christmas challenge!

Thanks so much Janine for setting these! I've now got a lovely little Christmas album to share with my boys as they get older. I used an old baby's board book for my mini album. I just tore off the shiny paper and then covered with patterned paper.

Here are the pics:

Day 1: On the first day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/A pukeko in a ponga tree
The first challenge is around the Christmas tree ... Do you have a real tree or a fake tree? Do you have a theme for your ornaments or tree? What day does the Christmas tree go up? When do you take the tree down? Do you have a family tradition to celebrate the tree being decorated? Do you decorate the tree yourself or do your children help?

Day 2: On the second day of Christmas/My true love gave to me two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree
This challenge is around food ... Do you leave any special foods out for Santa?

Day 3: On the third day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/Three flax kits/Two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree!
Day Three of the challenge is around gifts ... What do your children want for Christmas this year; include your children’s wish list, or maybe their letter to Santa.

Day 4: On the fourth day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/Four huhu grubs/Three flax kits/Two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree!
Many of us have extremely hectic schedules around this time of year. So it seems right that today’s challenge is around making a calendar page showing all of the holiday events and activities your family is involved in during the month of December.

Day 5: On the fifth day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/Five- big-fat –pigs/Four huhu grubs/Three flax kits/Two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree
Today’s challenge is what Christmas means to you? Tell me what Christmas means to you and or your family.

Day 6: On the sixth day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/Six pois a twirling/Five- big-fat –pigs/Four huhu grubs/Three flax kits/Two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree
Today’s challenge is about music…What are your favourite Christmas songs/carols?

Day 7: On the seventh day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/Seven eels a swimming/Six pois a twirling /Five- big-fat –pigs/Four huhu grubs/Three flax kits/Two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree
Today’s challenge is about summer ... Whilst we celebrate Christmas in summer weather other countries celebrate Christmas in winter. What do you prefer a hot or wintry Christmas?

Day 8: On the eighth day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/Eight plants of puha/Seven eels a swimming/Six pois a twirling /Five- big-fat –pigs/Four huhu grubs/Three flax kits/Two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree
Today’s challenge is about Family ... Is there a roster of whose place Christmas is held at or where lunch is and dinner is? Do you all pitch in food wise or is it a potluck Christmas dinner? Do you have or have you had an orphans Christmas where you invite other friends to join you?

Day 9: On the ninth day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/Nine sacks of pipis/Eight plants of puha/Seven eels a swimming/Six pois a twirling /Five- big-fat –pigs/Four huhu grubs/Three flax kits/Two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree
Todays challenge is aorund keeping in touch ... Christmas cards.

Day 10: On the tenth day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/Ten juicy fish heads/Nine sacks of pipis/Eight plants of puha/Seven eels a swimming/Six pois a twirling /Five- big-fat –pigs/Four huhu grubs/Three flax kits/Two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree
Entertainment is the theme for today. So the Christmas meal has been eaten and the dishes done, your relaxing and the kids just want to have fun. What happens on Christmas day for entertainment?

Day 11: On the eleventh day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/Eleven haka lessons/Ten juicy fish heads/Nine sacks of pipis/Eight plants of puha/Seven eels a swimming/Six pois a twirling /Five- big-fat –pigs/Four huhu grubs/Three flax kits/Two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree
Today’s challenge is about Christmas Eve ... Do you do anything as a family on Christmas Eve? Any family traditions you do on Christmas Eve?

Day 12: On the twelfth day of Christmas/My true love gave to me/Twelve puipuis swinging/Eleven haka lessons/Ten juicy fish heads/Nine sacks of pipis/Eight plants of puha/Seven eels a swimming/Six pois a twirling /Five- big-fat –pigs/Four huhu grubs/Three flax kits/Two kumara/And a pukeko in a ponga tree
Todays challenge is going to be a little bit different. You have two topics you can choose from. The second choice is yours, you decide that your page can be about. However there is a catch, there has to be twelve items in your page. Mine has 12 embellishments.

Finally, the cover of my album.

Glimpses of our Christmas ...

2006-12-26T11:25:00.000+13:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ....

2006-12-18T08:16:00.000+13:00

... oh, I just love that song!! Always reminds me of the movie Home Alone, which is my favourite Christmas movie ever! My sister and I try to watch it every year on Christmas Eve.

7 sleeps to go ...
A few days ago, Ethan asked me: "how many days until Christmas?" … and I answered "11". Yesterday, he proudly announced to us at the breakfast table that there were only 8 days until Christmas! When he said it, Rob looked at me, thinking I must have already told him. But I hadn't. He had obviously worked it out by himself - I had said 11 days, then he figured out it was 10 the next day, then 9, and then 8! We were SO impressed!

The boys are enjoying opening their advent calendar each day. I got one of those felt ones with the pockets and I filled them with my own things. Some days they get little Santa chocolates, other days they get Christmas stickers, balloons or a little ornament to hang on the tree. Usually we have the generic chocolate advent calendars with Nemo or Bob the Builder on them. When the shops started stocking those calendars in late October, Ethan asked me to buy one. How do you explain to a 4-year-old that if he got a calendar now, he would have to wait almost 6 weeks before he could start opening it?! So I duly waited until the end of November, and when I tried to buy one, they were all sold out. Except for the Barbie ones, but I would NOT have been popular if I had come home with one of those! As I left the store, I noticed the felt ones. I decided it would be more fun (not to mention healthier) if I could fill the pockets myself, making sure that not every pocket contained a teeth-rotting substance. I thought the boys might be unhappy with the non-edible offerings, but they've been great. Having said that, they do like the "chocolate days" best ;-)

I have been working steadily on Janine's 12 Days of Christmas challenge.
I've completed all of them except for #9. I haven't done that one because I foolishly forgot to take photos of the Christmas cards I made and the family newsletter that I wrote before I posted them all out on Thursday! So I need to go round to Mum's and take a photo of her one.
For the challenge, I made a small 7x5 album from an old board book that belonged to the kids. I just ripped off all the shiny paper and covered the pages with Basic Grey papers (Blitzen, Dasher and Fruitcake). I decided to wait until my entire album was done before taking photos and putting them on my blog. So hopefully by the end of this week I will have them all up here for you to see.
Thanks Janine, for such a great challenge! I'm really glad that we now have this little album as a family Christmas heirloom.

Endometriosis

2006-12-14T15:09:00.000+13:00

I've written about my health issues previously, but I never went into detail. That's about to change.
Don't worry, there won't be too much detail … but I want to explain because I need the prayers and support of my friends and family right now.

This morning I went to see Cindy Farquhar, one of the country's top gynaecologists. She suspects that I have endometriosis. I'm sure most of you know what that is, but for those who don't, here is a bit of information on it:

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (the endometrial stroma and glands, which should only be located inside the uterus) is found elsewhere in the body. Endometriosis lesions can be found anywhere in the pelvic cavity. The most common symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain. The pain often correlates to the menstrual cycle, but a woman with endometriosis may also experience pain that doesn’t correlate to her cycle. For many women, the pain of endometriosis is so severe and debilitating that it impacts their lives in significant ways. It is estimated that 30-40% of women with endometriosis are infertile.

I haven't had any issues with infertility (and I'm SO thankful for that) but I have been experiencing severe pelvic pain for the past 6 months. I previously suffered from dysmenorrhoea when I was a teenager, but after I had kids the problem seemed to just disappear (very common, apparently). Then all of a sudden, the pain was back, and worse than ever. So over the past few months I have had exams, blood tests and a pelvic ultrasound to try and find out why. None of these showed anything, so my GP referred me to Dr Farquhar. After doing yet another exam and taking my history, she started talking about endometriosis. She told me that my main option is to have laparoscopic surgery. The main reason is to diagnose endometriosis (in fact it is the only way to properly diagnose it) and, if any is found, it can be cut out or burned off.

She has left it for me to decide whether to go ahead with the surgery or not. There is a chance that they will not find any endometriosis, and then I would have paid $6,500 and undergone general anaesthesia (for the first time in my life!) for nothing. There is a contraceptive device that may help, but that is also expensive and seems a little ridiculous since Rob has just had a vasectomy!! I'm taking very good anti-inflammatory drugs at the moment, which do help, but I would prefer to find a more permanent solution to the problem.

So I've got a lot to think about and I need your prayers and support. I need to make the right decision, and at the moment I have no idea what to do. Hopefully I will choose correctly and whatever that choice may be, I hope it will lead to a better quality of life for me.

Fast tracking my weight loss plan ...

2006-12-11T07:50:00.000+13:00

I posted some time ago about my newfound enthusiasm for losing these final 10 kilos.
I've been doing okay. The weight loss has been very gradual. I doubt many people would have even noticed it. I'm doing well with my diet but the exercise just hasn't really been happening. I just never had the time, never had the energy, and never knew what exercise to do that would really burn the fat.

SO .... I joined the gym!! I never, EVER thought I would do such a thing! I used to go to fitness classes and aqua aerobics classes at the Leisure Centre (which I loved!), but going to the GYM was always a bit too scary. Anyway, Christi suggested that we join the local Curves gym together. We joined up last week and I've been 3 more times since then.

I just LOVE it!! The workout is 30 min, and you get a full body workout. They recommend going 3 times a week. I felt SO good after each session last week, and I'm really looking forward to my next one this afternoon ... especially because Christi will be coming with me! The only problem for me is their opening hours. They close at 7pm weeknights and they are only open from 8am-11am on Saturdays. Closed on Sundays. Since I work four 9h days/week and spend the other weekday at home with the boys, I just don't have much time to squeeze it into my day. But I've managed so far, and Rob is really supportive so I'm sure it will be fine. I've got a plan: I intend to go on Mondays after work, Wednesdays before work and Fridays after Rob gets home. Plus Saturday mornings when possible.

I'm actually pretty excited about my future now. In the past I have had great success with Weight Watchers and controlling my diet, but the exercise part has never really been a big enough focus for me. I guess because I am extremely time-poor. But Curves is great because it is so quick and you feel like you are really working out all parts of your body. Simply going for a walk doesn't make me feel that way because it is all cardio and I just don't know where to start with the weight training at home. Doing my Pilates DVD made me feel good, but I knew I wasn't getting the full workout I needed. Going to Curves is perfect because everything there is customised for women, and the machines are all designed to target each muscle area. Then you do your cardio bursts in between (and I'll try and go walking on the days I don't get to the gym).

So even though I probably won't be in That Dress on Christmas Day like I hoped, I know I will definitely be wearing it on my birthday in March! YAY!

My sweet 4-year-old

2006-12-06T19:24:00.000+13:00

I just put Ethan to bed and this is the conversation we had. It just about made me cry!

Me: Goodnight, Ethan. I love you!
Ethan: I love you too. But my heart is starting to feel really funny.
Me: What do you mean?
Ethan: My heart feels all funny because you are leaving [clutching his chest]
Me: You feel sad because I'm leaving?
Ethan: Yes, I think my heart will break when you are not with me.

I couldn't believe he was saying those things. I didn't know he had those sort of strong emotions, he usually doesn't express them like that anyway. It was so sweet, but also a bit sad! I felt bad leaving him but I just gave him another cuddle. Then we had this conversation:

Me: Off to sleep now, okay?
Ethan: But I can't sleep, I don't know why.
Me: Think about your Kindy Christmas party tomorrow, that might help.
Ethan: I don't think I will be able to dream about that, because I always dream about you.
Me: Really?
Ethan: I hope I can dream about you tonight as well.

Talk about heart wrenching!! What a sweet little guy he is (most of the time). I just love him to bits!!

Photos

2006-12-04T09:03:00.000+13:00

On Saturday afternoon, the amazingly talented and wonderful Christi came over and spent some time taking family photos. She has already showcased some of them on her new photo blog but these are my favourites and I wanted to share them!

You might be wondering about the one with Ethan showing the plaster on his knee. Like why did I choose it as one of my favourites? For some reason, I really love it!! It is just so "boyish" and typical of him. The plaster is tattered, he has bruises on his legs and he's not smiling. It makes me think "tough guy" and "boys will be boys". I'm going to be scrapping that one, for sure!! And probably in 8x10 or something ;-)

I am soooo happy with how they turned out!! Originally I just asked Christi's advice about taking some Christmas photos of the boys with their santa hats on. This turned into her offering to take the photos, and then us getting all dressed up and made up for some decent family photos!

I have to say that Christi is pretty talented when it comes to this sort of thing. I mean my boys know her pretty well so they weren't really shy or anything, but she still had a really great way of getting them to smile, look at the camera and generally co-operate. They had such fun! She was quick, too! It was all over in about 15-20 min which was great, because kids don't last much longer than that, lol ;-)

I'm going to get some of these enlarged & framed for Christmas presents, and some more for myself because I just love them!! Of course I'll be scrapping a ton of them, and my sister suggested using the family ones for Christmas cards ... so if I find time I will do that!

Thanks Christi, you're the best!!

My hectic social life ...

2006-11-29T14:47:00.000+13:00

It happens every year. I know it is going to happen, but it always hits me like a ton of bricks.
December is just So. Very. Busy. It started in November, and it will no doubt creep into January. Like a virus, really.

I have constructed a "living list" of social events and appointments on my calendar. By "living" I mean a list that is growing, evolving and expanding at a rate of knots. Let me tell you, it felt really good to cross off a dozen things that I had on there for November! Here's what's left for December (that I know of!):

1/12
Tyler - Doctor 8.40am
My work Christmas Function 6pm
3/12
Church 9.30am
Joshua's Dedication
Choir practice 5pm
5/12
Music practice 7.15pm
6/12
Drinks with girls from Coffee Group 7.30pm
7/12
Kindy Christmas Party
8/12
Ethan & Tyler - Dental Nurse 9am
Rob's work Christmas Function 8pm
10/12
Church 9.30am
Wayne & Mari's Baptism 12 noon
Lunch with ex-Adis girls 1.30pm
Choir practice 5pm
12/12
Music practice 7.15pm
14/12
My specialist appointment 9.30am
15/12
Preschool Christmas Party
All-Staff Christmas Function
17/12
Choir performance 9.30am
Choir performance 7pm
19/12
Last day of Kindy
22/12
Last day of work
24/12
Christmas Eve service 10am
Christmas Eve service 7pm
25/12
The Big Day!

I'm pretty glad that I have 4 weeks holiday this Christmas. I am entitled to 4 weeks paid annual leave each year, but very rarely do I take more than 2 weeks over the Christmas/New Year period. This time I'm taking 3 weeks over Christmas/New Year, and then another week in late January/early February. I'll be back at work for just 2 weeks inbetween ;-)
But boy, I'm going to need all the rest I can get!

An update

2006-11-27T13:10:00.000+13:00

So I got an email this morning from Little Treasures magazine, and unfortunately Tyler didn't get chosen for this particular photo shoot :-( Of course I am a little disappointed, but she is keeping his photo on file and hopefully he'll get chosen another time.

In other news …
I took Ethan to a Kindy concert & disco on Friday night. We had a great time! He was happy to dance with me. They had cool music, dry ice, a bubble machine and coloured lights. Most of the kids were completely fascinated with the dry ice. They kept throwing themselves onto the floor, pretending to gag and choke like they were being gassed or something. Well, the boys did. The girls just stood around trying not to get it in their eyes, lol.
---
Ethan now knows about his bike being stolen. And as I predicted, he was really upset. He kept saying "why are there bad people in this world, Mumma?" … man, how are you supposed to answer that?! I just tried to be honest with him but he was still shocked that any "bad" people would live in our neighbourhood [You know what? We were surprised about that, too]. We told him that we were going to get him a new bike, but he said he wanted his old one :-( He also said he hoped that the Police would catch the bad people and shoot them!!
---
Mum told me a little story about something that happened at her place on Saturday. She was about to go out to her work dinner, and she was taking Ethan with her. Tyler was staying at home with Grandad. Mum overhead this conversation just before they left:

Ethan: "Now Tyler, come here. I want to have a little talk with you. I'm going out with Nana soon, but you are going to be staying here with Grandad. Now I need you to be a good boy for Grandad, and don't be naughty. There's to be no screaming or crying, okay? And you have to do what Grandad tells you, okay? Alright, Tyler?"
Tyler: "Alright."
Then Mum came in and Ethan told her about his "talk" with Tyler. She asked Tyler about it.
Tyler: "I be a good boy for Grandad". And apparently he was.

Vertigo

2006-11-26T21:02:00.000+13:00

So last night was the U2 concert: Vertigo.

Man, it just totally ROCKED!!!!!!!

It was the BEST concert ever, I was so completely blown away by it and I hardly have the words to describe it!!
The best part of all was that we were among the first 4000 to be admitted into the stadium, which means we got into the special roped-off area right by the stage. We called it the "holding pen" because it was caged off and we all got "branded" with green stamps on our necks so that we could go in and out to get food, use the toilets, meet people etc. I know, totally awesome!

It wasn't even part of our plan to get there early. But we arrived at 3.30pm. The gates were due to open at 5pm, so around 4pm we started getting into line outside gate A. While we were waiting, I looked ahead and thought "there are not that many people in front of us, perhaps we will be part of the first 4000". Bonus! Then I noticed an area off to the side where some people were being sent through a different gate and then ushered into a HUGE tent. I told Rob to go and find out what they were doing. He wouldn't go, so I kept on nagging him, lol. Eventually he went over and a few seconds later he was motioning at us to follow him. We started walking towards the big tent and he said inside were the "first 4000" people!!! They let us go in because we asked! They weren't advertising what was happening and it was just a matter of "you ask, you get". But we knew there was still no guarantee that we would be one of the 4000, because they were just roughly counting and the "official" counting would be done down on the field (with handheld counter thingies). So we tried our luck and waited inside the tent for 45 min. Then finally we were allowed into the stadium. It was a mad rush for the front, and we made it!!! About 10 seconds after we got there, they closed it off and said "sorry, no more". We were SO lucky!! Seriously, we were just about doing backflips when we realised we had made it, and that we would be able to go in and out all evening thanks to the green stamps!

We were SO CLOSE to the stage! Especially the runways that jutted out into the crowd. When Bono and The Edge were standing on them, they were literally only a few metres away from us! We could see the entire stage perfectly, we had TONS of room around us and nothing behind us except 2 fences and some burly security guards ... and then row upon row of crushed people!
The show itself was OUT OF THIS WORLD. They did so many awesome songs! Obviously quite a few from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, but they also did a few from All That You Can't Leave Behind and then heaps of older ones from The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, etc. Of course they did "One Tree Hill" as the final encore, which was just awesome! The stage was SO impressive, and the lighting and screens were just amazing.

Man, I just can't stop talking about it!! My sister took heaps of photos on her mobile phone but obviously we didn't have our cameras. But it was the show of a lifetime. Just an awesome, awesome night!! It was a long day, with lots of standing and I wasn't feeling too well, but it was worth it all. We got home at 1.30am but since the kids were sleeping over at my parents' place we were able to sleep in - bliss! I'm feeling shattered now but I'll be off to bed shortly. We've been playing our U2 CDs all day ... I guess we've got it in our blood at the mo ;-)

Surprises ...

2006-11-24T14:21:00.000+13:00

Today has been full of surprises!

This morning I got a letter from my bank. Basically the letter said that the bank has reached a settlement with the NZ Commerce Commission relating to disclosure of currency conversion fees on foreign currency transactions. Apparently they didn't adequately disclose their fees to customers between 17 April 2002 and 31 December 2004, and therefore breached the Fair Trading Act. This was the part of the letter that was most surprising to me: "As you were on of those customers, you are entitled to a payment of $0.38. This payment will be paid to your account."
Could I BE any luckier? 38 cents!!

Then about half an hour ago, I got a phone call from the editor of Little Treasures magazine. For those who don't know, LT is the biggest Kiwi parenting magazine. I've been a subscriber since I was pregnant with Ethan. When Tyler was about 4 months old, I sent in a photo for their files, hoping that Tyler might get some work as a baby model. Everybody had been telling me how gorgeous and photogenic he was, especially with his red hair and bright blue eyes (which are now hazel). So I sent the photo in, and never heard back. I have to admit, I never really thought about it again.

Well the lady who rang today wanted to know if I could send a more up-to-date photo, because they are looking for little boys to be on their next cover!! I said "you do realise he is 2 years old now?" and she just laughed and said "I bet he looks very different to the baby in this photo I am holding!" ... and obviously he does! But she is still keen to see some recent photos so I have just emailed them off to her. I'm thinking perhaps it was a good thing that we cut his hair! I still don't know if they want him or not, but if they do we will be off to a photo shoot next Wednesday! Apparently they choose 5 models for each cover, shoot all of them and choose the best. So even if he goes to the photo shoot, he may not end up on the cover. But he would still be on their files and have a good chance of future work.

I feel quite proud of my little man! Even if he isn't successful, he still got "noticed" and that makes me feel pretty good. He's sick at the moment and pretty miserable, so it is nice to have some happy news where he's concerned :-)

Site counter stats

2006-11-21T14:25:00.000+13:00

After reading Angella's post about her stat counter, and requesting for lurkers to come out of hiding and post, I decided to further investigate the stats on my own counter. I must admit, I hardly ever take the time to read my stats, but after today I think I will do it more often! Very interesting indeed!

Just as Angella did, I decided to have a look at the particlar Google searches people have done in order to end up here. These were pretty funny!

Junkyard Jalopy
(my kids love this game!)
Waiwera
(what a great place!)
Sore ears after snorkelling
(interesting …)
Tickly throat lost voice
(okay, I know I've been sick a few times but seriously?)
What boys want Hannah
(this one I found particularly amusing … if not a little disturbing)
Cough medicine that works
(well I'm also on a mission to find one ….)
I love sudoku + blogs
(hey, me too!!)
Wentworth Miller
(now this one really made me smile ;-)

So, following in Angella's footsteps, I am also going to request that all lurkers come out and leave me a comment. I'd love to know who is reading and not posting! Even if you've only read my blog a couple of times. Most of my readers are Kiwis, which makes sense. But I have quite a few Canadian visitors, and I suspect many of them are friends of Angella's or Jenn's. In fact, their sites are common referring links :-)

What really gets me is the number of visits lasting 0 seconds. Am I really that boring?? I have to say, if I stumble across a blog (either via a link on another person's site, or via a Google search), I will generally spend at least a few seconds reading it. But these people obviously click and can immediately tell that I am not worth any more of their time. Why does this depress me so? I guess I thought I was more interesting than that. Perhaps not. We shall see just how many comments I get on this particular post … and perhaps I will make a few new friends in the process!

Bring on the comments!!

Random Monday thoughts ...

2006-11-20T08:03:00.000+13:00

I have a few things I want to say today, so I'm going to save a few brain cells by just listing them in bullet points ;-)

* I am very tired this morning.
* Last night I had dinner with Christi, Ann & Dale at the Mexican restaurant in Orewa (it was fun, thanks girls!)
* Yesterday we had Tyler dedicated at church. Our goddaughter Miriam was also dedicated yesterday.
* I am getting used to Tyler's short hair now.
* This Saturday we are going see U2 live in concert!
* Most of my weekends are fully booked up until Christmas.
* Between Wednesday and Saturday last week, I did 5 scrapbooking layouts and made 5 cards.
* We haven't found Ethan's bike :-( … and he still hasn't noticed it is missing.
* I got my hair cut on Wednesday and the only people who noticed were my husband and my sister.
* In 7 days, Ethan will be exactly 4 and a half years old.
* I really need to get some work done now!

First time published!

2006-11-15T09:29:00.000+13:00

Well, the issue is finally out! And my layout is on page 74 - woohoo!
It feels pretty awesome to see my work and my name in print. I'm sure for many it is not a big deal, but I've been submitting to Up2Scrap for about a year without any success, so I'm hoping this will get a foot in the door, so to speak.

Here it is, for those of you who don't scrapbook or haven't already hot-footed it down to the local bookstore to pick up a copy ;-)

Congratulations also to Christi, Ann, Delys, Julie, Andrea and the other ladies who were published in this issue. I noticed so many "familiar" names this time!!

Chocolate

2006-11-14T13:52:00.000+13:00

A girl at work has just passed around squares of 70% cocoa bittersweet organic chocolate.
I'm sorry, but why bother?

Eating this is like eating cocoa powder straight from the box/tin. The aftertaste is beyond unpleasant. It is like eating cooking chocolate. Which I have done in the past, but only because I was utterly desperate and there was no "normal" chocolate left in the house.

It always amuses me to read about the purported benefits of dark chocolate.

- you only need to eat a small amount. EXACTLY! Who wants to only eat a small amount??
- one small piece will satisfy any sugar craving. Um, wrong! I've eaten one small piece and not only has my sugar craving intensified, my taste buds are protesting because they have been cruelly tricked.
- it has antioxidants. Well, so does cabbage, but that doesn't make me want to eat it! And if you really need to boost your antioxidant levels, why not drink a glass of red wine?
- it contains minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium. Um, take a supplement.
- it decreases LDL cholesterol. Hmm, I know of some drugs that can do that.

I don't care what they say, I won't eat this stuff. I won't waste precious calories on it when I could be using them to eat something much more satisfying. For me, it is milk chocolate all the way. Cadbury is the best, but I would never say no to Nestle or Whittakers.

In my opinion, if you are going to eat chocolate, you may as well enjoy the experience. Now is that a strange concept, or common sense? I thought so :-)

What have we done?

2006-11-12T21:02:00.000+13:00

What have we done?
We got Tyler's hair cut on Saturday.
After more than 6 months since his last cut, it was getting real long. He had the softest curls and we both loved his hair long, but it was getting in his eyes a lot and we heard that he had been subjected to wearing hair clips and ponytails at daycare!!
On Friday, 3 people called him a girl while we were out shopping.
When Rob came home, I said "it's time to get his hair cut" and he agreed.
So on Saturday morning, Rob took him up to the Barber. When he came home and I saw my baby, I cried. The hairdresser was psycho and ruthless and decided to cut off a whole lot more than Rob requested. She cut off ALL his beautiful curls.
And now he looks like this:

He is still beautiful of course, but he just looks SO different. He looks like a completely different boy! And I really didn't want to lose his curls. I'm still upset about it, and Rob is too. We are slowly adjusting to our "new" Tyler. My mum almost fell over when she saw him. People are definitely getting shocked when they see him!!

Ethan, on the other hand, just loves his brother's new look! As soon as he saw him, he said "Bubby, your hair cut is SOOOOO cool!! Do you want me to help you look in the mirror?". And when we ask Tyler if he likes his hair cut, he smiles and says "YEP!". We've been saying "Tyler, shake your crazy hair" (from a Hi5 song that we always used to sing, and Tyler would always shake his hair and laugh) and he tries to do it and then says "No, all gone!" ... so cute!
So I guess the main thing is that he is happy, his hair is no longer in his eyes and hopefully people will stop calling him a girl.

But despite my feelings of despair, I'm still in love with his cuteness. His gorgeous smile is even better now, as it really does stand out on his face without his hair in the way. And now his curls are not the first thing people notice. They see his eyes, his smile, his personality. And I'm happy about that.
I just hope the curls grow back again!

I'm in shock ...

2006-11-11T12:59:00.000+13:00

Ethan's bike was stolen. From right next to our front door.
We're not entirely sure when it happened, but we noticed today that it was missing.
Ethan doesn't know yet, we haven't told him. I have no idea how to tell him, he is going to be so heartbroken. It was the bike he got for his birthday in May, with a Batman bell on it and everything. We've decided not to tell him until he notices himself. Hopefully that won't be until the next time he wants to go for a ride.
It just sucks that somebody could do this. Stealing from a child is just the lowest. I'm guessing it was another kid who took it, but I can't understand how his/her parents aren't wondering where they got a new bike from!
We have given pictures of it to all our neighbours, and we're going to put some up in the shop down the road. Hopefully somebody will see something and we'll get it back.
I swear, if I see another kid riding MY son's bike, I will be on them, man.
I honestly just feel like crying. My security has been shattered. We've never had anything like this happen to us before, this is a really safe neighbourhood. I know we probably should have had the bike chained up, but it doesn't take away from the awful thing that has happened. I'm totally gutted.

20 Questions

2006-11-10T20:58:00.000+13:00

1. What countries have you visited?
Australia, USA, Canada.

2. Would you rather fly, walk, swim or ride a horse?
Swim, but I'm not all that good at it. I am able to keep myself from drowning but I certainly wouldn't win a race and I wouldn't get any points for technique!

3. If you could get stuck in an elevator with any celebrity, who would it be?
Easy - Wentworth Miller!! The man is HOT!

4. How would your co-workers describe you?
Extremely organised, highly productive, reliable, friendly but not overly sociable.

5. Do you have any piercings or tattoos?
I have 4 piercings (2 in each ear) and a tattoo on my left shoulder.

6. Which movie character would you most like to be?
Meg Ryan's character in "City of Angels". I would love to be that close to Mr Nic Cage!

7. What is your nickname?
I have a few, I guess. Rob calls me Poppet or Honey. My close friends and some family members call me Han. Dad calls me Sam or Molly. My boys call me Mumma.

8. Have you ever been arrested?
No.

9. What is your worst pet peeve?
Drivers who don't indicate (signal).

10. Is your music collection alphabetised?
Yes. You're not surprised, are you?

11. What's your favourite cartoon character?
I've always loved the smurfs, and I guess Smurfette was my favourite. Girl power and all that.

12. Do you play any instruments?
I play the piano.

13. If you were on Survivor, what would be your luxury item?
Pen and paper. I always need to be writing (heck, I even do it for a job!) or sketching/doodling.

14. If you could eliminate one disease, what would it be?
Cancer.

15. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I'm not really either!! I definitely like to go to bed early (preferably before 10pm) but I can't say I like waking up early! I guess you could say I like to sleep :-)

16. What are your secret talents?
I can flare my nostrils on command. I can roll my tongue. And some other things to do with having small wrists and flexible arms that I can't explain well in words, they need to be seen to be believed.

17. Who is your favourite author?
Lee Child.

18. Which TV family would you like to join?
The Huxtables.

19. What song would you sing at Karaoke?
"I'm gonna soak up the sun" by Sheryl Crow.

20. If you could have only one food for the rest of your life (assuming that this would not affect your health), which food would you choose?
No question! Chocolate, for sure!

I'm tagging everyone who reads this! Ha!

Growing up

2006-11-08T09:48:00.000+13:00

Sometimes I get quite emotional about how fast my boys are growing up.

It suddenly hit me last night that Ethan will be starting school in just over 6 months' time! I'm excited for him, but at the same time I feel sad. He is such a great kid now, I just want him to stay that way! I'm not sure that I'm ready for him to be out in the "real world" so to speak. Okay, he is already at Kindy and is being influenced by his friends & teachers there, but school is just so much bigger. Of course I am looking forward to him learning lots of new things, and improving on the skills he already has. Along with that, his social skills, confidence and independence will improve. Those are great things, but as well as the positive things about starting school, there will be some negatives. I'm just not sure if I'm ready for it all!

Tyler is now 2,, and no longer a "toddler" in my eyes. He has been getting really good at talking, and now speaks in 20-30+ word sentences all the time!! I'm constantly amazed by the things he says and understands. He's still my baby of course, but he's growing up faster than I ever expected him to. I think having an older brother is a real incentive for him to talk louder, run faster and jump higher! He comes up with the funniest sayings.

Last night I started thinking about how one day my boys may not want to spend heaps of time with me, and give me cuddles & kisses. If I had my way, that day would never come. But I know it probably will.
The best thing I can do right now is to make the most of today. Enjoy the things that Ethan does & says that make him, well, four. Relish the fun times with Tyler, even when he is being a typical toddler. Take lots of photos, write about the things I want to remember, create memories that will last forever. I'm glad that I do those things, and that I have really great memories of the last 4 1/2 years. In many ways it is exciting to think about the future, and wonder what my boys will be like in another 5-10 years. I'm sure we'll continue to have as much fun as we do now (if not more).

Guy Fawkes & recent pictures

2006-11-05T21:14:00.000+13:00

Yesterday we went up to Sky Fawkes at Snells Beach with Christi, Hugh, Kamryn & Lauryn. It was a pretty good afternoon/evening.
We got up there about 5pm and the kids played for a while on the bouncy castles & slides, and then Kamryn & Ethan got their faces painted. We had our dinner on the hill alongside the stage and listened to/watched some of the acts. The whole thing was supposed to finish at 9pm, but the fireworks didn't even start until after 9.30pm!!
Our kids were SO good, I was really shocked at how well they did being up so late. My kids have never been up later than 8.30pm so for them to last until 10pm was pretty awesome!! Ethan got sleepy but Tyler was just wired and loving everything that was going on around him. He had a good time dancing to the music, and he especially loved the fire dancing. He kept saying "Want more fire song! Not fair!!" in the car on the way home (before he finally fell asleep, lol).

I was pretty disappointed that the fireworks started so late, but considering how good the kids were it really didn't matter. It was well worth the wait, too. The show was just amazing!! Some of the best fireworks I've ever seen. My boys were actually a bit scared of them but Christi's girls just loved them. Kamryn even said "this is like my dream come true!" which I thought was so sweet!
The kids had a great time playing together, running up and down the hill playing Tag, rolling down the grass and dancing. Kamryn gave Ethan a few kisses when it was time to leave, which he said he didn't like ... but secretly I think he did ;-)

We left around 10pm but it took a while to get out of Snells Beach because of all the people trying to leave at one. We took the "back roads" down to the beach and then came back up to the main road at the roundabout so we didn't have to wait. It was pretty sweet from then on! The kids slept in the car and finally got to bed at 11pm - wow! They both slept in this morning though - Tyler slept until 7.30am (he normally wakes at 6.30pm) and Ethan slept until 8.15am (and he only woke up because Tyler was being his usual loud self). After church Tyler had a big 3 hour sleep. I thought they would have been really grumpy today but they've been great! Really happy! So maybe tomorrow they will be tired, but that's okay because it is Rob's day off, hehe!

Anyway, I wanted to post a picture of Ethan from yesterday, and a couple of others that I took during the week. The boys love riding around our back yard with their Daddy on his Vespa. They looked pretty cute so I had to get a photo. Even though Rob bought the Vespa without my permission ... but that is a whole separate story!! lol :-)

Our church camp

2006-10-31T13:48:00.000+13:00

The photos were taken at our CHURCH CAMP over the weekend. It was so much fun and the boys really enjoyed themselves. I just love the people in my church. We have such a wide variety of ages and personalities and we get along so well. It just reminds me how we really are a big family!
Chrissy took heaps of photos over the weekend so I didn't even bother getting my camera out. She got some great shots of my boys too, which I was happy about.

(1) Tyler asleep at the table at lunchtime!
(2) Ethan and my Dad sliding down the hill on bits of cardboard!
(3) Ethan at the Concert on Saturday night. He wanted to sing "Wind the Bobbin up" which is a song they do at Kindy. But he just got SO shy and would only whisper the words. I was still so proud of him.

We had a special dinner on Saturday night and the theme was "Shipwreck Survivors". We had to come dressed in whatever we were wearing when the ship went down. Tyler and I wore our pyjamas! Rob wore a shredded tuxedo shirt and pants, with bare feet. Ethan was a pirate (in fact, there were lots of little pirates who had all been to the same $2 shop!! lol).

(4) My Dad was the MC so he was dressed as the Captain - doesn't he look great?

------

P.S. I would like to thank you all for your very kind comments on my last post. It was so encouraging to hear other people say that they like my work, so thank you!! I'm feeling quite confident about things now, and I will definitely be applying for next year's DT! In the meantime, I'm hoping to just find a bit more time to spend scrapbooking and doing challenges. And I'll keep submitting to magazines and hopefully I'll be published again. The new issue of Up2Scrap should be out very soon, and I'm really looking forward to seeing my layout in there alongside Christi & Ann - yeah, go HBC girls!!

Scrapbooking

2006-10-27T09:35:00.000+13:00

So I'm sure everybody who reads this knows that I love scrapbooking.

Many of you are fellow scrapbookers (but not all) and I have to say I am really enjoying getting to know lots of other awesome girls who share my passion for this art.

Lately there has been a lot of talk on the forums and blogs about Design Teams. Lots of people applying and rushing around getting their entries in. And then there is me. I didn't apply for Meg's DT at SE, and I didn't even know about Lisa's one until Christi told me about it. My reason for not entering was that I don't have enough time to complete the requirements. Usually 2 layouts/month and active participation on the forum, etc. I guess most of the time I DO complete 2 layouts/month (often more) but I'm not sure I would be able to do that consistently. I would feel bad if I couldn't keep up.

But there is also a part of me that has been thinking my work is not really good enough for a DT. I've only been scrapping for about 18 months and I know I've improved HEAPS during that time. I'm hoping that I will continue to get better so hopefully next year I will have more chance of getting on a DT, not to mention more time to devote to the job. Christi has been really encouraging, telling me that my stuff IS good enough and that I should seriously think about it for next year. She has given me a confidence boost which is really great.

Next month I will have my work published in Up2Scrap for the first time, which is really exciting for me. I've been submitting layouts to them for a year and I was thinking of giving up. But I kept on trying and voila! Success! I can't share that particular layout here but soon it will be in the mag and I will be able to share it.

I thought I would share a few of my recent layouts. I realised I haven't posted any one my blog for a long time, so here they are!

My wonderful husband

2006-10-26T11:43:00.000+13:00

About 11am today, my phone rang. I hardly ever get phone calls at work, and this one was an internal call so I wasn't expecting much. But it was the receptionist, saying "Rob is here to see you" - woohoo!! I love it when he calls in to see me at work. Which is hardly ever, since he works on the coast and I work on the shore (30 min away). Sometimes he has jobs to do on the shore and he can stop by on the way home. He hasn't done that for ages though. He doesn't do many deliveries anymore because he has to pop in and out of work so often during the day, picking Ethan up from preschool and taking him to Kindy, etc. So he's hardly ever down this way.

Anyway, I walked into the reception area and he was waiting there, with a beautiful bunch of flowers. He said he knew I needed cheering up today, and boy was he right about that! The health issues I wrote about a few weeks ago have been getting me down again. They still haven't been resolved, and I've been in quite a bit of pain over the last 2 days. He knew it was bad today because I had taken one of my extra-strong painkillers this morning (I think I left the packet on the kitchen bench).

What a great guy I have! He cares about me so much. I seriously don't deserve that. Having a visit from him really made my day. Not to mention the flowers, which I don't get too often. There is a serious shortage of vases here at work so right now they are sitting in my big grey recycling bin which is half filled with water!! lol :-)
I just want to say … I SOOO love my man!

Jeckel & Hyde

2006-10-25T09:12:00.000+13:00

Oh. My. Goodness.
How can my child be such an angel sometimes and then completely switch to being a little monster?
I'm talking about The Two Year Old.

So apparently this is "normal" behaviour for a child of his age. But that doesn't make it easy to deal with! Not to mention the fact that we didn't even go through stuff like this with Ethan. I feel lost!

The main issues are temper tantrums and screaming/squealing. Tyler can throw a mighty fine tantrum when he feels like it. He's been perfecting his skills in this area since the tender age of, oh, 15 months. The screaming has been going on since he could open his mouth. But put them both together and combine them with being Two & Terrible, and you've got a recipe for FAR OUT!

On Monday he had a tantrum that lasted for more than an hour. Yep, an hour. And you won't believe what started it. We were on our way out the door to visit my parents, and he didn't want to take his slippers off and put his shoes on. Normally I would have just let him wear his slippers, but it was persisting down with rain and shoes were definitely necessary. But oh no, he wasn't going to have a bar of it. So he just lay on the floor by the front door and screamed. And screamed. And screamed.
Ethan & I went to Mum & Dad's without him. Rob kindly agreed to stay home and listen to the screaming. I talked to him on the phone later to see how long he had kept it up. A loooong time. He finally wore himself out and stopped long enough to eat some lunch, and then it was off to bed. Where he screamed and cried for another 20 min. MAN!

I know we did the right thing (this time). We took away something he wanted (to go to Mum & Dad's) and we ignored him until he stopped. But the simple fact is we can't always do that. We can't ignore him at the supermarket or at church. So often I find it easier to give in and let him have whatever it is he is screaming about. I know that is probably fuelling the fire a little bit. But seriously, why should I always take the hard road and then have to deal with the tantrums and the screaming, when I can take the easy road and keep him smiling? Most often the things he is mad about are not worth fighting about. He doesn't want to take his shoes off. He doesn't want to put his shoes on. He wants his toys to sit on the table while he eats. He wants to close the microwave door when I've heated his milk up at bedtime. He wants to carry his own bag. He wants me to carry his bag.
Get the picture? These are not things that are going to harm him. He is not throwing tantrums because he wants to eat lollies for dinner, or he wants to paint on the walls. He just wants some control over the little things in his life.

So tell me, please. Am I doing the wrong thing here? I have always tried to pick my battles when it comes to disciplining the kids. I don't want to be one of those mothers who is constantly saying "No, don't do that", "Stop doing that" and "Leave that alone". Although some days it feels like I say those things all the time!! But generally I try to ignore the little things that don't really matter so that the bigger things can be dealt with more effectively. Life would be a mess if I were to pull Tyler up on all the things he gets frustrated about. Yes, I would prefer it if he were compliant and obedient and let me call all the shots. I would like it if he could just do what he is told without handing me a contract with his terms & agreements on it first.

But he is only 2. And he is trying to figure out his place in the world. I understand that. I really do.
Some days that understanding gets me through the worst. Other days I feel like a terrible mother. Why can't I control my child? Why don't other children have tantrums about silly little things? Why is my kid the only one screaming at the supermarket checkout? Are people staring at me because they feel sorry for me, or because they are chastising me? I know, I know. I shouldn't worry about what other people think. Um, that's just too hard for me. Sorry. I always worry about what other people think. I can't help it.

I've just re-read my post and it sounds like Tyler is a demon child on steroids. He's not. He is sweet and lovely and funny and cute!! He is a source of absolute joy in my life. He makes me smile. I am in awe of him. And I love him, with all my heart. I love him when he is being sweet and I love him when he is being awful. I know that is why I am a good mother. In spite of all my failures and stuff-ups, I know where my heart is. I know I am doing my best, and that is all I can do.

Butterfly Creek

2006-10-23T09:40:00.000+13:00

We went to Butterfly Creek on Sunday.
We had a great time. What a neat place!! Ethan was excited about the farmyard, the playground and the train, but said he wasn't interested in the butterfly house. [Just a bit of background info for you. Ethan detests anything "girly" at the moment ... pink, purple, glitter, sparkles, dolls, flowers, butterflies, jewellery, dresses and fairies. Many of those things I'm quite happy for him to bypass (like the fairies and jewellery, lol) but the loathing of all things pink & purple is wearing a bit thin. He won't even eat pink lollipops!!] Anyway ... he was adamant that he wouldn't like the butterflies, but I knew he would once he saw them. And he did. He was pretty darn fascinated by them, actually. Especially when they landed on us.
I got some pretty good close ups of some of them. The boys also loved the fish and the turtles that were inside the butterfly house.

We also went on the train and walked around the farmyard. Tyler got to feed a lamb some milk from a bottle. He also tormented a poor baby goat by chasing it around until it ran inside the barn to hide under a table. That didn't stop Tyler, who proceeded to climb under the table after it, yelling "there it is!!!" and pulling the poor thing's tail!!
The boys also enjoyed patting the rabbits and the pigs. We didn't let Tyler hold a rabbit by himself for fear the poor animal would be squeezed to death. So he just patted one that Rob was holding :-)

After all that we had a delicious lunch at the cafe, and then the boys played on the playground. We we there for about 3 1/2 hours and it there was just so much to do there. We could have easily stayed longer but Tyler was getting tired and we had visitors coming round at 3pm. I would definitely love to visit again, and bring my parents & sister. If it were a bit closer to home it would be an awesome place for a birthday party. They have a party room and I know a friend from work had her son's 5th birthday party there. But I'm sure we'll be back again at some point, it is a neat place!

Waiwera Hot Pools

2006-10-21T21:19:00.000+13:00

It's the long weekend! Today we decided to take the boys to Waiwera Hot Pools for the afternoon. On the way there, we worked out that we hadn't been there since I was pregnant with Ethan - about 5 years ago!! Rob and I used to go quite often before we had kids. And I've lived in this area all my life, so I remember going there when I was a kid.

The day was perfect for it. Slightly overcast, not too hot, but not too cold.
The boys had a great time there. They've always loved going to the pool, but it was their first time at Waiwera. I think they were a bit overwhelmed with the size of the place and the sheer number of pool choices, not to mention the crowds.
Tyler took a little while to adjust to the whole thing, actually. At first I was worried that he had lost all the water confidence he had last summer, when he was constantly in the water, trying to dive in to water above his head and "swim" on his own. But I needn't have worried, because he soon found that confidence again.

We started off by the slides, and we went down a couple of them with the boys on our knees. They enjoyed it, but didn't want to go again. So we went off to play in some of the other pools for a while until they were more settled, and then Rob decided to try again with Ethan. When he came back, Ethan said he had been on the slide "3 times, all by myself!!" So we all went over and the boys spent AGES going on the Kiddie Slide all on their own (we caught them in the landing pool). Tyler looked so cute walking up the stairs on his own! He was so excited each time he got to the top and started to slide down. Ethan really enjoyed himself too.

I did take my camera, but I didn't use it. Too hard when you're always wet and too hard to get decent shots when you are actively supervising young children. Which reminds me, hardly any parents really do that. Sitting by the pool reading a mag is not "active supervision". And why don't the other parents want to swim with their kids and go on the water slides?? Huh? But I digress. I'm sure the boys will remember this day for a long time. We have a discount card so we have to go again soon before the weather gets too hot (it is hard to spend too long there on a hot summer's day as most of the pools are quite warm).

Tomorrow we're off to Butterfly Creek so I'm sure I'll have more to write about then, and hopefully some photos to share as well.

I've been tagged ...

2006-10-18T14:23:00.000+13:00

I've been tagged by the beautiful Jenn

1.Things that scare me:
- losing my kids
- bees & wasps
- missing an episode of Prison Break

2. People who make me laugh:
- my kids
- Christi
- Horatio on CSI: Miami

3. Things I hate the most:
- lateness
- people who don't indicate/signal when driving
- crappy stuff that happens at work

4. Things I don't understand:
- languages other than English
- people who complain all the time
- Helen Clark (NZ Prime Minister)

5. Things I'm doing right now:
- eating Hershey's Kissables
- reading The American Journal of Gastroenterology
- blogging (duh!)

6. Things I want to do before I die:
- see my kids grow up & get married
- travel to Europe
- pay off my mortgage

7. Things I can do:
- spell
- cook
- solve Sudoku puzzles

8. Ways to describe my personality:
- determined
- loyal
- kind

9. Things I can't do:
- snowboard
- sew
- burp on command

10. Things I think you should listen to:
- good music
- God
- children playing

11. Things you should never listen to:
- bad music
- blasphemy
- swearing

12. Things I'd like to learn:
- Maori
- how to sew
- how to play the drums

13. Favorite foods:
- chocolate
- pasta
- strawberries

14. Beverages I drink regularly:
- water
- coke zero
- um ... nothing!

15. Shows I watched as a kid:
- Fraggle Rock
- The Cosby Show
- Full House

16. Persons I'm tagging:
- Christi
- Ann
- Lisa

Back from the doctor ...

2006-10-13T16:12:00.000+13:00

... and it all went well. So far. I guess the real test will be to see if I stay not pregnant.

The procedure itself actually looked pretty easy. I'm sure I could have done it myself. Didn't look any more complex than dissecting a rat, or a grasshopper, or any of the other things I had to cut open at University.

Rob had Dr Pritchard aka Dr Funny Guy as his surgeon. During the preop consult, he said "now, you won't be able to do the dishes for a few weeks, I don't want you standing at the bench for long periods of time" ... and he said it with such a serious look on his face, it took me a few seconds to realise he was joking!!
Then he wrote us a prescription for condoms since we have to wait for a test at 4 months before we are "safe". He asked "so how many do you want? 120?"
Hilarious.

But the funniest thing happened when we were leaving. I stopped at reception to settle the account, and Rob saw some old friends of ours sitting in the waiting area. I figured they were here to see one of the on-call emergency doctors. But Rob sat down and said "you're not here for a ... you're not here to see ..." and our friends said "Dr Pritchard?!" which led to lots of laughing. Then they called our friend's name, at which point he looked positively white! I gave him the thumbs-up and he smiled, but I could tell he was terrified! SO funny.

So ... no more babies for us. But that's okay. When you've got these 2 little guys, how could you want anything more:

The big "V" ...

2006-10-12T13:30:00.000+13:00

Okay, so this is probably pushing the limits of what people find interesting to read about on my blog, but it's a big step for our family and therefore important for me to write about.

Rob is getting a vasectomy tomorrow.
And on Friday the 13th, no less! Of course we are not superstitious, but it was pretty funny when we realised what the date was going to be. Coupled with the fact that the doctor who will be performing it has just returned to work after having hand surgery (!), it gave us a bit of a chuckle :-)

We knew as soon as Tyler was born that our family was complete. All through my 2nd pregnancy we had been wondering whether we should have 2 or 3 kids. We just didn't know. But the moment he was born, I remember this strong feeling come over me, and I just knew that he would be our last child. There was not a doubt in my mind. When I told Rob about it, he said he felt the same way. So there was our answer!

But it took a little while to actually decide how we were going to make sure we stopped at two. I cut out an article on vasectomy from little Treasures magazine and left it on Rob's bedside table. He read it, and said he was happy to do it. Simple! I didn't have to beg, bribe or persuade him that it was "his turn". He made the choice on his own.

At my 6-week postnatal check, when my doctor asked me about contraception, I told her that Rob wanted to get a vasectomy. She didn't try to talk me out of it, but suggested that we wait a bit longer, because Tyler was only a baby and both Rob and I were still young. She said a lot of people waited until their youngest child was a year old. I remember thinking "Why? Would they `replace' that child if he/she died during the first year of life, but not if they died during the second year?" It didn't make much sense to me.

Anyway, the whole idea got put on the back burner for a while. The next time I mentioned it to my doctor she said "great idea" and handed me a brochure! Eventually, Rob got around to making the appointment, and now it's really happening. I'm pleased, because it is what we both want. But at the same time I feel a little sad. I'm completely happy & content with my 2 beautiful boys, and I have very good reasons for not wanting to have another baby. But part of me is still sad that the possibility is no longer there.

Anyway, wish us luck! I say "us" because I am going to be there to support him. It is the least I can do! He was there for me during my hideously long (22h!!) drug-free labour, as well as the much shorter drug-free one. He was there by my side through it all, I don't even remember him taking a coffee break. So I figure sitting next to him for 45 min and stocking up the freezer with frozen peas is not too much to ask ;-)

Job description - Mother

2006-10-11T15:05:00.000+13:00

JOB DESCRIPTION - MOTHER (aka Mum, Mummy, Mom, Mama, Mommy)

POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Long-term team players needed for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication and organisational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in faraway cities.
Travel expenses not reimbursed.
Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 kmph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and co-ordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organise social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute and an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap plastic toys and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION
Virtually none.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this - you pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that university will help them become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.

BENEFITS:
No health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stockoptions are offered.
However, this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

Hey, I'm glad I got this job!!

Health update

2006-10-10T07:29:00.000+13:00

Well, I finally have an update on our health issues I posted about last week.

I had my scan on Thursday as well as some blood tests. The results came back yesterday and everything is completely normal. Which is a relief, but still doesn't explain why I've been having the symptoms I've been having!! So the doctor has proposed a "watch and wait" approach, and hopefully the problem will just sort itself out. Oh, and she has given me some medication which should help. I'm happy about that, but don't want to be taking it unless I have to. We'll see what happens from here.

Rob took Tyler to the doctor yesterday to ask about his cough and the possibility of it being asthma. She listened to his chest and said it sounded really really good. She's confident it isn't asthma, just a cold that has lasted for 2 months! Well, it had gone away a couple of weeks ago, and then he picked up another cold.
Oh, and one of his grommets (tubes) is falling out. Great!! I wasn't too happy to hear that, but there's no point worrying too much at this point. We're hoping that now he is a bit older, he won't be prone to ear infections anymore and even if the grommets fall out, he won't get any more infections. Fingers crossed about that one!!

So ... thank you to all who posted their comments and sent prayers or healthy vibes our way. It was much appreciated, and as you can see we've both ended up with a pretty good outcome. Thanks Lord!

Our weekend

2006-10-09T08:01:00.000+13:00

Rob was at Promise Keepers this weekend, so it was just me & the boys. That prospect was great, because I don't get a whole lot of one-on-one time with them. I have every Friday with them, but we usually have jobs/chores to do and I have 4h of work to do at home as well.

The weekend didn't turn out quite the way I had hoped. Both of them were sick with colds (again!) which made Ethan really lethargic and sleepy (but extremely co-operative and obedient, so I can't really complain too much, LOL) and Tyler really grumpy and grizzly. I took the kids round to Mum's on Saturday. We were going to take them up to SheepWorld but Tyler's bad mood put the kybosh on that. So it was just a matter of getting through the day. He cried about almost everything, had tantrums about everything else, and was generally not a happy camper. I think he really missed his Daddy too, which made things worse.
But ... Rob had a really good time. I love it when he goes to PK, he always comes home a better husband (if that is even possible). I kinda wish I was a guy so I could go one year! It sounds great! :-)

On Sunday we enjoyed some family time.
After church we had lunch at Mum & Dad's with Norman, Yolanda, Kurt & Rueben Murray and Donovan, Beryl & Joshua Lewis! They are all South African friends of my parents' and really lovely people. Kurt & Rueben played tirelessly with my boys (bless them!) and sweet baby Joshua slept for most of the afternoon! He's my parents' "adopted" grandson, since Donny & Beryl don't have their parents here in NZ. He's got a little black afro and he's sooooo cute!

Later on in the afternoon Rob took Ethan to watch the North Harbour quarter-final at Albany. It was Ethan's first live rugby game and he really enjoyed himself. Although Harbour got thrashed by Otago which was not quite so cool! And I made sure Rob took photos I can scrapbook the event :-)

Yesterday's happenings

2006-10-04T08:02:00.000+13:00

When I went to pick up my boys from preschool yesterday, I was met by a VERY excited 4-year-old.
His best friend Devon has been away in England on holiday with his Mum, Dad & brother Cody. For 3 MONTHS. And now he's back!!!
Ethan has missed Devon SO much. I told him a couple of weeks ago that Devon would be coming home during the Kindy holidays (which finish this week) and that he would see him next Monday when Kindy starts again for Term 4. So Ethan has been pretty excited about that. But then yesterday Devon & Cody were at preschool (unexpectedly, since they usually go on different days to my boys) and apparently there was MUCH excitement when they arrived!
When we left preschool, Devon & Cody had their faces pressed up against the window, shouting goodbye at the top of their lungs. Everybody was just so happy!! It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling :-) And later on last night, Ethan told me that Devon had kissed him when they saw each other. Awwww!

In other news, Tyler did wees in the potty last night! Again, there was MUCH excitement from the entire family!
Rob was getting Tyler ready for his bath while I was cleaning up in the kitchen. I heard some shouting and cries of "good boy, Tyler!" and wondered what was going on. Then I heard him say "let's go and show Mumma" and next thing I know here is Tyler, in the nuddy, walking into the kitchen with Daddy holding a potty. And there is something yellow in the potty. Yeah!
I don't remember Ethan using the potty quite so early. And even then, he wasn't ready for proper toilet training until after his 3rd birthday. It never bothered me, I just wanted him to lead the way. And when he was ready, it only took 5 days to train him.
So using the potty at such a young age is kind of uncharted territory for us! We'll just follow Tyler's cues, like we did with Ethan. He may not be ready for ages yet, but it is a good first step. And boy, was he PROUD of himself!
As for me, I was so excited I got the camera out! I'm sure he'll hate me for that when he is older :-)

Health issues

2006-10-02T07:46:00.000+13:00

Me/. Sorry, I'm not going to launch into detail on this one, except to say that I've been having some health issues lately (some of you already know about them). After going to the doctor on Friday, it was decided that I need to have a scan and some tests done this week. Of course I don't want there to be something wrong with me, but I do want an explanation for the symptoms I've been experiencing. So in some ways I hope that the tests DO show something, just so that I can have a proper answer and hopefully get it treated and fixed.

Anyway, I'd appreciate prayers for this. I probably won't know anything until next week, as I'm getting the tests done on Thursday.

Tyler/. There is another "potential" health issue in our family. It may not even be an issue, but I've been thinking about it a lot and we're going to get it checked out. It has to do with Tyler's persistent cough. He had a cold which started in early August, and it hasn't really cleared up. For the past couple of weeks, he's just had this nagging dry cough. He no longer has a runny nose or any other symptoms, so I don't think we can still call it a cold. The doctor prescribed some medication for it (not a cough medicine, but an anti-asthma medicine), which was supposed to dry it up. But it hasn't really worked. He's been coughing most of the night, and a good part of the day as well.

All this got me thinking about asthma.
I know that in infants, asthma is commonly triggered by a cold or respiratory infection (as well as temperature changes), that there are often no signs of wheezing or shortness of breath (just a persistent cough), and that 2 years of age is one of the most common times for developing asthma.

Last night I was talking to Rob about it, and reading some of my medical books to find out more. At first he seemed dismissive about it, but after I read him some of the information from my book, I asked him again what he thought. I said, "don't you think it could be something like that?" and he just looked at me with a really sad face and said, "I don't want him to have asthma". I know exactly what he means. Of course I don't want him to have asthma either. But just because you don't like the possibility doesn't mean that you should ignore it. I told Rob that, and he agreed.

So ... we've decided that if Tyler continues to cough this week, we'll go back to our GP next Monday and ask her about it. Hopefully it isn't asthma, but I want to get it sorted out. A cough that lasts for 7 weeks is not normal and it can't be much fun for Tyler. I just want him to be better again.

Pictures

2006-09-28T07:32:00.000+12:00

Busy weekend

2006-09-27T09:40:00.000+12:00

Tyler's birthday wasn't the only event happening over the weekend. We had a really full-on few days!

Friday: I took my Dad to a live filming of NZ Idol on Friday night. The tickets were his Father's Day present. We ended up sitting right up the back in the corner, so unfortunately we didn't get on TV :-(
But it was still a lot of fun and I was surprised at how much better all the contestants sounded in the studio. They honestly sounded 10 times better, and I don't think they get the mix right for TV. It was a pretty cool show to be at, the theme was "what gets you in the groove?" so there was heaps of variety.
Dad really enjoyed himself too and it was nice to go out together :-)

Saturday: After Tyler's party, Rob's sister Liv, her husband Hamish and our newest niece Georgia came back to our place to stay the night.
They asked if we would like to go Ten Pin Bowling since they don't have one up in Whangarei. We'd never taken the kids before but we decided to go for it! So after Tyler and Georgia had a sleep, we went up and played one game.
Ethan played with the gutter guards up and he used the ramp for rolling the ball down, but he did great! He beat me and Liv, and he was beating Hamish until round 7! He ended up with a score of 88 I think! Ethan really loved it and was so proud of himself whenever he knocked some pins down. And he didn't get upset when he missed, either. He had such a great time and we're definitely going to take him again!
Tyler was very well behaved. I had visions of him chasing the balls down the lanes, trying to carry heavy bowling balls around, and running around the whole time. But he sat for much of the time, watching and clutching his new Buzz. Near the end he got a bit restless and was climbing all over the bench seats, but generally he was very good considering he wasn't playing! Next time we might let him have a turn as well, I'm sure he will love it.

Sunday: In the afternoon we took the kids down to the beach. It was quite hot so they were wearing their boardshorts.
Ethan decided to go for a swim, despite the water being icy cold! He was in there for about 10-15 min before we made him get out. He wasn't just paddling, either. He was completely immersed in the water, running in and out and lying down on his stomach. I gave him a warm shower when we got home and dressed him in trackies and socks, but he still took a little while to thaw out. Crazy child!
Tyler didn't swim. He took his shirt off and stood at the water's edge, but he didn't go in. I don't blame him!!! I dipped my foot in and ran away yelling!
Rob actually found a crab in the shallow water. The boys were really interested in it and wanted to hold it (don't worry, it was dead).

I want to post some photos of baby Georgia, Ethan bowling and the boys at the beach. First I need to resize them and upload them to photobucket, so I'll do that tonight.

My baby is 2 today!

2006-09-24T22:12:00.000+12:00

Wow. I can't believe that my baby is 2 years old today! The time has gone by so quickly. He's not a baby anymore, and hardly even a toddler, but a preschooler!

It is his actual birthday today (Sept 24) but we pretended it was yesterday since that was the day of his party. He was so excited to open his presents from Ethan and Mummy & Daddy. He looked so proud sitting in his chair in his PJs, and he was genuinely delighted with each and every gift. When he opened one, he would say "wow" and then smile the biggest smile ever.
We had his party at my parents' place, and it was lots of fun. We just invited family and close family friends. Tyler had a blast, and when we all sang Happy Birthday to him, he was so proud and happy! He was grinning from ear to ear, and then joined in the "hip hip hooray" at the end :-) You can see from the photos just how happy and excited he was.

The party had a Buzz Lightyear theme (the child is obsessed) with a rocket cake and green & purple balloons. And of course he received a lot of Buzz paraphenalia, as well as heaps of books, art supplies, clothes and other cool stuff. I guess his best present was a new Buzz figurine from Nana & Grandad, to replace the old one with no hands, one wing and a broken propeller. The new Buzz is half soft/half plastic, which makes it much more practical for taking to bed :-) He doesn't, however, have a helmet. Tyler was a little unnerved by that in the beginning, as his favourite thing to do with the old Buzz was to make sure that Buzz had his "helmet down" at all times! But now he seems unbothered by the lack of helmet :-)

Yesterday was a wonderful day, and even though it wasn't his real birthday, I felt quite emotional about it. It did feel strange waking up this morning and not giving him a present or singing Happy Birthday to him. But hey, he's 2! And it doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things.

I'm so proud of my baby, because he is really growing up. He's talking in huge long sentences now (5+ words) and is becoming much more of a playmate for Ethan. They enjoy the same things now, and Ethan particularly loves to teach Tyler how to say difficult words.
Tyler still has a temper at times, and he can squeal and scream better than any girl, but he's the cutest little guy ever and we love him to bits. Happy Birthday, bubby. I love you!! Mummy xox

Weight loss

2006-09-21T16:22:00.000+12:00

I'm just over 2 weeks into my renewed weight loss efforts, and I'm so happy because I've already lost 1.5kg (almost 3 1/2 pounds)! Today I got some new clothes and I was happy to find that a couple of things I tried on were too big and I had to get the smaller size :-)

I can only hope that by Christmas, I will be able to wear my dream dress. The size 12 one that I got in Melbourne 6 years ago and that I wore on Christmas Day 2000. The one that fits me now but doesn't look good. I hope that it will fit properly this year, because I really want to wear it again. That's my goal, and I'm determined to try my best to get there.
I'm determined that this summer I will be more comfortable and less intimidated about wearing summer clothing. I won't ever wear a bikini again because I have stretch marks for Africa (thanks to my lovely children). But at least I'll feel happier in myself, and that's the main thing.

Brock, buttons and a big boo-hoo

2006-09-15T09:25:00.000+12:00

First, I have to say that I'm feeling much better. Thanks Janine, and others, for asking :-)

Brock.
He's my newest nephew, and he came to stay last weekend. With his mum & dad, of course. He was so good, and he is so smiley! I got a few really nice shots of Paul (my brother-in-law), Ethan & Brock. The ones with Tyler in the shot as well were not so good. It seems it is impossible to get a grown man, a preschooler, a toddler and a baby to sit still and look at the camera at the same time. Sigh.

Buttons.
My boy did his OWN buttons up last night, when he put his PJs on. I was so very proud of him! I know lots of other 4-year-olds have probably been doing their own buttons for months, but it has been more of a challenge for us. So this is great progress!!
He was so proud of himself, too. You'll see from the picture that he didn't get the first button in the right hole, but overall it was a good job :-)

Big Boo-Hoo.
This is in response to the Final of RockStar:Supernova last night. I am completely and utterly GUTTED that Lukas won. I was such a Toby fan (I mean come on, who wasn't??) and when he was sent home I came seriously close to shedding a tear. So after that I was rooting for Dilana but I knew they weren't going to choose her. I knew they were too chicken to have a woman fronting their band, even though she is a zillion times better than Lukas.
I'm sorry to all you Canadians who probably love him, but I really don't like him. And there is no way I am buying their CD when it comes out. But I will be looking out for Toby's CD (uh oh uh oh uh oh) ... EVS forever!!

Monday-itis

2006-09-11T08:09:00.000+12:00

I really don't feel like being at work today. Hence the blogging.

Last night we were at my parents' place for dinner and I noticed my throat was a bit tickly and my voice was sounding funny. This morning I wake up with NO VOICE whatsoever and my throat is really sore. It feels exactly like the laryngitis I had earlier in the year. GREAT.

My kids are still sick, they have had the same cold for 5 WEEKS. Yep, that's 35 days. They got sick the day I left for Canada and haven't fully recovered. They have improved, but they haven't recovered. I guess I should be grateful that neither of them have ear infections. This is the first year since Ethan was 1 that he hasn't had an ear infection. The doctor told me last winter that he would probably grow out of them and he has. Tyler has grommets now, so he hasn't had any ear infections either. I'm positive that if he didn't have grommets, he would have had several.

I started Weight Watchers again last week. It wasn't a particularly diet-friendly weekend. We had family staying and on Saturday night we went to an engagement party with excellent catering. But hopefully it won't put me back on the "I don't care, I'm not strong enough to do this, I love food too much, I'm happy to be a size 14/16" path. I only have 10kg to lose and I really want to reach my goal and never have to deal with this crap again. Having kids really wrecks havoc on your body, I tell ya!

On a more positive note, I have updated my Recipe Blog (there is a link on my sidebar for futre reference) and I hope that some/all of you will visit and enjoy some of the recipes. There are some great ones on there and I'm more than happy to share with others since I love trying new recipes myself.

And while I'm trying to think of happy thoughts to make this post end nicely, let me just thank my darling husband and my wonderful brother-in-law for installing a rockin' almost-new CD player in my car! My old one had been dying a slow death for some time, and had gotten to the point where it would no longer play 99% of my CDs. Rob picked up a CD player from a guy at his work for $100 and on Saturday Paul helped him to install it. Did I mention that it ROCKS?

Til next time, ciao.

Canada photos

2006-09-04T19:33:00.000+12:00

It has taken me a while to get around to downloading these! Here are a few pictures showing some of the things I did in Canada. I took heaps more but I don't want to bore you!

1. Jenn's beautiful street in Ajax, Toronto
2. Jenn herself, and half of her other half (sorry, Chris!)
3. At the ball game!
4. Cobourg Beach, Lake Ontario
5. View from the top of the CN tower
6.-9. Niagara Falls. These were the best photos I got, I was really happy with how they turned out. I don't have a spectacular camera so wasn't expecting anything great. But I'm pretty proud of these ones, if I do say so myself :-)

Here is Ethan's card ...

2006-09-04T19:27:00.000+12:00

I was pretty impressed (and surprised, actually) at how well he copied the letters. He really wanted to write it all himself, but I knew writing the message inside would take too long and he would get frustrated. But he was fine doing the cover and the names.
I love how he wrote "Ethan Blair" instead of just "Ethan". Like Daddy might think it was from another Ethan! *giggle*
Oh, and the pictures are of a goat (on the front) and a TV (on the inside). In case you couldn't tell ;-)

Father's Day

2006-09-04T08:25:00.000+12:00

We had such a great Father's Day yesterday!

On Friday I took the kids up to the shops to get a present for Rob, and one for Grandad. We got a mug for Grandad that said "Groovy Grandad" (thanks Mum for telling me about them!) and Ethan chose a Simpsons DVD for Rob. I chose some pyjama shorts to put with the DVD, even though Ethan said he didn't like them.
Ethan made cards during Tyler’s nap. I wrote “Happy Father’s Day” on some paper and Ethan copied it onto the cards. He did so well! He got the "P's" back-to-front on Grandad's one but they were fine on Daddys' one! Then he told me what he wanted me to write inside, and he drew pictures on the front and decorated them with animal and outer space stickers.
We wrapped up the present and I attached a card that said:

The Blair Bistro
Breakfast Menu
(a whole lot of choices and little “tick” boxes next to them)
Please make your selections and give this card to the waiter (Ethan) or chef (Hannah) by 7.45am.

Yesterday Rob and I were woken up at 6.30am by Ethan whispering “Happy Father’s Day”, clutching the present in his hands. Of course Rob loved the card and the present, and he had fun ticking all the breakfast selections (porridge, french toast, bacon, apple juice and coffee) and giving the card to Ethan. Actually, we all ended up having french toast and bacon for breakfast :-)

At church we had a special Father’s Day service which was really fun. Leah & I sang a few songs with Dad, some of the ones we used to sing when we were little. Dad even played an old tape of us singing, when I was about 5 and Leah was about 2. It was pretty embarrassing!
After church we had lunch with Mum, Dad & Leah at "Kaizen" in Orewa. Unfortunately they were really busy and we had to wait quite a long time for our food, but they had colouring in stuff for the kids and that kept them pretty happy. Lunch was great and then we went back to Mum & Dad’s for the afternoon.
I cooked a special Father’s Day dinner last night (French-style Lamb Shanks), but it wasn’t ready in time for the kids to eat with us so they had scrambled eggs. We ate at 7pm, by candlelight, with music playing in the background. SO very different to the usual dinner time routine :-)

Rob, I hope you had a wonderful Father’s Day. Like I wrote in your card, I thought you were pretty perfect when I married you, but after watching you become a Father, there are now so many more things to love about you. You’re a great Daddy and it always warms my heart to see how much our beautiful boys adore you. And I do, too.

So proud of my boy!

2006-08-31T16:23:00.000+12:00

On Tuesday at Kindy Ethan did a little talk about Canada. I guess you could call it "Show and Tell", but he was specifically asked to do it by one of the teachers. He decided to take along the stuffed moose that I got him, and 2 postcards. One of Niagara Falls and one of the CN Tower.

Anyway, I decided to get there a little earlier than usual so I would be able to hear him. He had been practising the night before, standing on the couch saying "excuse me, kids ..." while holding up the postcards :-) I knew that on the day he would get a bit shy, but he still did really well. He just spoke quite softly and Lisa had to repeat all the things he said. He couldn't remember the name of the waterfall but he said it was "really big". And when he showed the picture of the CN Tower, Lisa asked "how did mummy get up the top?" and Ethan said "she used the stairs" ... um, whatever! I'm soooo not fit enough to do that! Actually I don't even know if they have stairs. I suppose they do somewhere, but they weren't for public use.

I was so proud of my big guy! He did great, and all the kids were really interested. They were not quite so interested in the next boy, who had a plastic make-up case to show everybody. He (yes, he) was actually wearing the make-up as well. I'm really not sure what that was about! The teacher didn't ask a lot of questions, either!

I only wish I'd taken my camera! It was a moment definitely worth scrapbooking. But I did see one of the other teachers taking photos, so I might see if she can email them to me. I know they will put a page in his portfolio about it, but I'd love to have copies as well.

Tyler's talking

2006-08-28T09:18:00.000+12:00

While I was away, Tyler acquired a few new words & phrases. Some of them I heard over the phone (which made me SO homesick!) and others I am only just noticing. His funniest one is "not fair" when something isn't going his way. The other night I was getting his PJs on and when I took off his T-shirt he said "I want car" (there was a car on his shirt) and I said "car is dirty, it needs to go in the wash" and put it in his hamper. He said "not fair, I want car" and I just about died laughing! He wasn't upset, he was almost angry! He had a really serious look on his face and his voice was very authoritative! What a crack-up.

He says "whoa!" all the time. Anytime he wobble or teeters on the edge of something, anytime he is remotely close to falling off something (which is quite often). He says it with such gusto, as well!! It always makes me smile.

Tyler has also fallen in love with Toy Story. He carries Buzz Lightyear around the house and wants to watch Toy Story 2 all the time. The last 3 mornings the first words out of his mouth have been "I want Woody on" which means he wants to watch the DVD. He slept with Buzz the other night. Buzz is not soft & cuddly. He is hard & plasticky. Tyler loves to carry the DVD cover around with him, and he points to all the characters and says their names: "Buzz, Woody, Zurg, Jessie, Rex, Mr Potatohead, Ham, Bullseye" … and the way he says "Mr Potatohead" is just SO cute! He says "Tay Toe Head" and pronounces each syllable really precisely.
He plays with Buzz like a real boy. He makes flying noises ("whee, whoosh, whoa") and uses his arms to make Buzz fly all around the room. Tyler is learning and copying a lot of things his big brother does, and it is really cute to watch.

The most often heard phrase in our house these days is "No, Ethan" (or more correctly "No, Eh-Uh") and this is usually followed by "Mumma/Daddy, Tyler said No to me". Who knew the word "No" could be so insulting?!

I have to admit, I was worried that Tyler wouldn't want anything to do with me after I got back. He's always been a Daddy's Boy, and usually prefers Rob to me when he is feeling upset. Ethan is more of a Mummy's Boy. I thought that after being away for almost 2 weeks, Tyler would be even more firmly attached to Rob than before. But to my surprise and delight, Tyler has actually been more attached to me since I got home. It's a nice feeling. He seems to be "evening out" and not really having such a strong preference for one or the other. I guess he is just growing up, and that is part of the process. I can't really believe he is going to be 2 next month. The time has gone by so quickly!

I think I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

2006-08-23T15:16:00.000+12:00

And it is SO ironic, because just a couple of weeks ago my Dad was telling me that he has had numbness and pain in his left hand for a while, and Mum and I were telling him to go to the doctor because he "almost definitely" had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!! Of course he hasn't been to the doctor, so we still don't know! Typical male :-)

Anyway, I first noticed the numbness in my left hand while on the plane from Toronto to LA. I figured it was because I had been sitting for so long, and had my arms squashed up to avoid touching the people on either side of me (as you do, on a plane). But it hasn't really gone away, and I've noticed it getting worse while I'm working.

I decided to ask my dear friend Google about it, and I found the following description of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

Symptoms usually start gradually, with frequent burning, tingling, or itching numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers, especially the thumb and the index and middle fingers. Some carpal tunnel sufferers say their fingers feel useless and swollen, even though little or no swelling is apparent. The symptoms often first appear in one or both hands during the night, since many people sleep with flexed wrists. A person with carpal tunnel syndrome may wake up feeling the need to "shake out" the hand or wrist. As symptoms worsen, people might feel tingling during the day. Decreased grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. In chronic and/or untreated cases, the muscles at the base of the thumb may waste away. Some people are unable to tell between hot and cold by touch.

Although I haven't had much pain, I've certainly had burning, tingling, numbness (lots of it) and the feeling of needing to "shake out" my hand. Kind of freaky! I will have to take my own advice and get myself to a doctor. My parents are away at the moment so I can't even talk to Dad about it and see if we are having the same symptoms. How bizarre would it be if we both had the same thing and both needed surgery?!

I'm home!!

2006-08-21T10:43:00.000+12:00

And it is so good to be home. There is NO PLACE LIKE IT.
Every time I go away, coming home just reminds me how much I love NZ, my neighbourhood, my house.

My plane arrived at 6.40am yesterday (Sunday) and I have to say that walking through that arrivals gate and seeing my boys waiting for me was the BEST feeling in the world. I was so excited to see them, and they were just as excited to see me. And considering Rob had woken the boys up at 6am and taken them from their nice warm beds into the cold morning air, followed by a 45 min drive to the airport, they looked good! I could tell they were still a bit sleepy though :-)

My trip home was loooong. I arrived at Toronto airport 4 hours before my flight was scheduled to leave. This was "just in case" it took a really long time to get through security and US customs. Which it did. Then I had a 5 hour flight to LA, another 8 hours at LA airport waiting for my 12 hour flight home. 30 hours without deoderant, toothpaste, lip gloss and moisturiser. Boy, was that tough!! Needless to say, I chewed a LOT of gum and the first thing I did when I got my bags in Auckland (before going through to arrivals) was crack open my deoderant. LOL. But I wanted to smell nice for my honey! And he noticed :-)

I had a really great time in Canada. I loved Toronto, and I'd love to go back someday. I especially enjoyed meeting Jenn, Chris, Duncan, Matthew and Joey. What a neat family! I'm so blessed to call Jenn my friend, and even more blessed to have met her in real life.
I have to say that I liked Canada a lot more than the US. People were friendlier and it seemed more like home. A Canadian guy I talked to on the plane home said that NZ is often likened to Canada, while Australia is likened to the US. And there is that rivalry between the countries just like between NZ and Aussie. That was interesting to me.

There were lots of things I really loved about Canada.
1. Quizno's. I had it twice and both times I was sad when my food was gone. I really wish I could have taken a Quizno sub home for my sister who is a huge Subway fan, just to prove that it is yummier!
2. The accent. I really like it!!
3. Wal-Mart and Sears. Great stores! I went a bit crazy in both of them, buying clothes for the boys. I got some cute stuff for them!!
4. Maple syrup. I'm glad we have it here, too.
5. Chocolate (oops, I mean candy) bar selection. I tried a few different ones, most of them got The Big Tick of Approval from this chocoholic!

There were some things I didn't like about Canada though.
1. Not enough fruit & vegetables! I was going through veggie withdrawal when I got home and last night Rob cooked a whole lot of broccolli and peas for dinner and they tasted so good! And I didn't eat any fruit while I was there. I couldn't find any!
2. The volume level in conversations. I didn't notice it at all with Jenn's family, but most other people I talked to spoke so loudly all the time!! My uncle (who passed away last year) was a Kiwi who lived in Canada for most of his adult life. And every time he came to visit I would be scared of him because of his bellowing voice! I noticed lots of people over there talk really, really loudly. Why?
3. The crowds. I'm just not used to them. I'm not used to jostling people as I walk down the road or through the mall. I definitely could have lived without that.

I missed certain things about home. Just to name a few: Weetbix, Vegemite, Coke Zero (couldn't find it anywhere!), my TV shows (I didn't find much worth watching over there, even with 58 channels to choose from) and most of all HUGS! I can totally understand those studies that have shown people who don't receive any physcial affection can actually die. I went for over a week without any physical contact with other people (apart from being pushed and shoved while queuing up for things). After I left Jenn's place, I didn't hug another person until I saw my family. You just don't think about those kind of things, but it really affected me! I hugged everybody lots more yesterday :-)

Ah, home. I love it. And I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere else.

Mildly exciting photos from AIDS2006

2006-08-16T10:00:00.000+12:00

There hasn't been much to report so far (well, besides scientific stuff that would bore you all to tears.) However, you may have seen/read on the news that Bill Gates has pledged more money to fight the AIDS epidemic, and has been a keynote speaker here at the conference. I heard him speak at the opening ceremony, along with his wife Melinda. They are doing some very good things for the AIDS cause.

Richard Gere also spoke at the opening ceremony, albeit briefly. Apparently Alicia Keys gave a speech on Monday but I missed it. Bill Clinton has been here for a couple of days, and today I managed to get to part of a press conference he was giving in the Media Centre. Unfortunately I couldn't take pictures thanks to very large men with very large cameras standing directly in front of me. However, I did manage to snap a couple of very blurry shots as he was leaving the area.

I also took a couple of photos of some of the vandalised pharmaceutical company stands in the exhibition hall. Apparently at the 15th AIDS Conference in Bangkok, activitists and protesters threw blood over some drug company stands. This year wasn't quite so bad, but you get the idea. In case you can't read the small poster, it says "Abbott your booth is empty just like your promises".

I'm working my butt off, feeling quite weary but only 2 more days to go. I have scanned one of the two abstract books (each one is 520 pages) and I'm working on the second. My shoulder has a permanent "dent" in it from carrying my conference bag stuffed with info, and my arms are covered in bruises from being bumped and pushed and shoved in the extremely busy poster hall. Like I said to Rob last night, I'm going to need a holiday when I get home!

Want to see something spectacular?

2006-08-13T10:58:00.000+12:00

Then you should go to Niagara Falls. They. Are. Amazing.

There honestly aren't enough words to describe how awesome they are. I took heaps and heaps of photos, probably way too many but who cares!! The falls are simply breathtaking. It felt surreal to be standing there today, seeing something that I have only ever seen on TV or in a book. To watch all that water just tumbling down, the power behind it, the sheer majesty of God's beautiful creation. It felt strange to look across the river and see the U.S.A. (and I can tell you now that the Canadian side definitely has the better view)!

My tour group was small (just 16 of us) and I met some lovely people. Many of whom I hope to see again during the conference. We went on the Maid of the Mist, a boat which cruises up the river and directly underneath the Horseshoe Falls. They provide blue ponchos, but we still got drenched! But it was totally worth it, and in my opinion part of the whole experience.
I learned so many things today. I didn't actually realise there were two sets of falls, the American and the Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls, with an island (Goat Island) separating them. I also hadn't heard the stories about people who survived falling down them, and how people who survive it these days face a $10,000 fine!

We had lunch at Table Rock Restaurant which overlooks the falls. Then we drove along the Niagara Parkway to a quaint and pretty little town called Niagara-on-the-Lake. So beautiful!! It was a gorgeous sunny day, and being a Saturday afternoon there were weddings at the church, market stalls, street performers and lots of other things to see. The Peach Festival starts tomorrow, I was disappointed to miss that. But I did try a new thing while I was there ... cookie dough icecream! I've always wondered what it was like. I have to say it was a bit strange and I'm not sure I would buy it again. It actually has chunks of cookie dough in it - I always thought it was just the flavour. But it had to be done, and I was happy to oblige :-)

My conference starts tomorrow, so I'm not going to get much time to blog. Besides, it wouldn't be interesting to anybody else! Unless I meet Bill Gates, Richard Gere, Alicia Keys or one of the other celebrities proported to be here :-)

A taste of Canadian life

2006-08-12T08:26:00.000+12:00

Today is my third day here in Toronto. I've had such a great time so far, hanging out with Jenn and her family. Here are just some of the things I have done:

~Rode the subway into the city
~Had a "real" Toronto hotdog
~Went to a baseball game (and the Blue Jays won!)
~Shopped at Wal-Mart
~Tried Quizno's (like Subway but yummier!) and Dairy Queen
~Swam in Lake Ontario

Tomorrow I am going on a tour to Niagara Falls, including a boat ride "Maid of the Mist" and a tour through Niagara-on-the-Lake. I organised it through the AIDS conference website, so all the other people on the tour will be conference delegates.
Jenn is taking me to my hotel tonight. I'm ever so grateful to her & Chris for their hospitality and generosity. It was also lovely to meet Marilyn & Peter, Jenn's parents. Duncan, Matthew & Joey are the cutest little boys. I have felt so welcome and at home here.

I have to admit being around Jenn's boys has made me really miss Ethan & Tyler. A lot. So much that I'm not sure I could travel like this again. Leaving them was harder than I thought it would be. I feel so far away from home, and 12 days is a long time. I miss them so much my heart physcially hurts. But I know they are doing great, and I talked to Ethan last night on the phone. But I have to say, I don't agree with a work colleague who told me leaving her 2 girls (ages 5 and 3) wasn't difficult. She has travelled twice in the past 6 months, and both times she said it was no big deal being away from her girls. I'm sorry, but I can't understand that. I miss my kids so much and I don't know how anybody could find it easy to be away from their own children for more than a few days.

Anyway, I better stop or I'll make myself cry. I'm feeling a little anxious right now, considering the recent terror threats and increased security at airports. But like Rob said, I will be even safer flying home now than I would have been before. That is quite comforting, but I do hope things go smoothly for the trip home. I'd appreciate your prayers for that, and that the conference days would go by quickly so I can get home to see my precious boys (all 3 of them).

I'll post again tomorrow after my tour. I'm sure it is going to be amazing, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and something I'll always remember.

Here I am in LAX

2006-08-09T11:29:00.000+12:00

It is 4.30pm here and I have SIX hours to kill before my flight to Toronto. I've paid $3 for this e-mail port and it took me the first 5 min to get here!
Anyway, it was a pretty uneventful flight. Was seated next to 2 French guys and directly across the aisle from the bassinet seats. And 2 babies. I was worried to start with, but they were so good! They slept almost all the way. And Rob, the school kids were really quiet!!
I took my sleeping pill but wasn't impressed with the results. I slept on-and-off for about 7 hours but not much more than 60-90 min at a time. Had to wait forever at the security checks here in LA. Crazy system now, I had not travelled here since 9/11 so things are different. Had to take shoes off!!!
There isn't much to do here in Terminal 2 but now I'm here I'm not leaving!! LONG queues to get back in. There are some food places and a few duty free shops. I'll probably just read my book.
I do miss my boys a LOT but now that the worst part (the long flight) is over, I think I'll be okay. Hope to phone mum soon and maybe talk to Ethan. He was ever so brave yesterday, for the goodbyes. I was so proud!! Anyway, I'll blog again soon, probably after the ball game I am going to with Jenn tomorrow - can't wait!!

My next post will be from Toronto!

2006-08-08T10:26:00.000+12:00

Or possibly Los Angeles. I have an 8h layover. Yep, 8 HOURS. So if I manage to find an internet cafe or somewhere to hook up my laptop, I might do some more blogging. Otherwise you'll have to wait until I get to Jenn's place!

My bags are packed (almost). I've shaved my legs (it is HOT over there). I have written lists and crossed things off. I recorded 6 stories onto a tape for Ethan to listen to while I'm gone. Today I am supposed to be working from home, doing last-minute conference planning. But I'm not doing much work. I figure I will be working enough overtime while I'm there, so today is going to be a chill-out day. I need to relax and calm down after a week of stress and frantic planning/organising.

I will take Ethan to Kindy at 12.45 and then pick him up at 3.15. Perhaps I will stay for the session, and do some "parent-help", something I don't usually get to do. We'll see. Anyway, after Kindy I will have about an hour to spend with Ethan before Rob gets home with Tyler and we drop the boys off at my parents' place.

Then it will be time for The Goodbyes. I am not looking foward to them at all. Ethan has been saying "I don't want you to go to Canada" and "12 days will take too long". Poor little guy. He was really upset on Sunday night, enough to make me cry when I'd left his room. But last night he was much better. He didn't cry and he seemed to have accepted it a bit more. He is going to be upset when I leave today though. And that is going to be the hardest thing for me.

Anyway, I'd appreciate prayers and good vibes for my trip. That everything would go smoothly and I would get some sleep on the plane (courtesy of Zopiclone). I'm really excited about meeting Jenn and seeing a new country. I'll miss all 3 of my boys SO MUCH, but being away for 12 days will make the homecoming SO good. I can already imagine myself walking through the arrivals gate and seeing them there. I can't wait!

Name writing

2006-08-04T15:50:00.000+12:00

Ethan has been practicing writing his name a LOT since he started Kindy.
Every afternoon when they arrive at Kindy, they find their name on the whiteboard, and then copy it onto a sheet of paper. Before Ethan started Kindy in mid-May, he was able to write an "E" and "t" pretty well, but the other letters weren't as easy. Plus, he wasn't overly interested in doing it. But after just a few weeks at Kindy, he was writing his name almost perfectly. Now he can do both his first and last names without asking for help or copying them. And he enjoys doing it!
Have a squizz at this:

Michelle's recent blog about her 3 1/2-year-old daughter's drawings prompted me to take some photos of Ethan's latest artwork. I need to have it documented and eventually scrapbooked :-) At the moment he really likes drawing people, faces, animals and shapes (squares, circles, triangles, etc). Here's one of his typical "people":

You know, there was a time about 6 months ago when I thought Ethan would never be interested in drawing, writing or even colouring in. But now he loves all 3, and is getting better and better at them everyday.

Proud mumma? You bet!

Anti-girls?

2006-07-31T13:41:00.000+12:00

About 2 months ago, Ethan adopted an "anti-girls" stance. He stopped talking about Georgia, Amber, Nicole and the other girls at preschool that he used to play with. Playdates with friends who have girls were met with a less than enthusiastic response. He reluctantly invited one girl to his birthday party, and then proceeded to ignore her the entire time.

I decided this was just a stage, and he would eventually grow out of it.

We go to a fairly small church. A lot of the time, our 2 boys and 3 children from one other family are the only kids under the age of 10. The kids in the other family are Aidan (8), Teighan (7) and Catriona (4). In fact, Catriona is just 5 weeks older than Ethan, so they have pretty much grown up together. Over the past 4 years, I can't say they have been particularly close. They aren't really "friends", but they sometimes play together at church because they have nobody else to play with. Lately, Ethan has been hanging around Aidan a bit more, because he is into "cool boy stuff" like cars and dinosaurs and robots. Thankfully, Aidan doesn't seem to mind :-)

Yesterday at church, Ethan was playing with Teighan & Catriona. They had built a "hut" from cushions in the corner of the room, and they were huddled in there like sardines. I figured they were playing hide and seek, so I left them to it. About 45 min later, they came out and Ethan told me that they had been playing "Mums and Dads", and they did lots of kissing and cuddling. Surprised, I asked him how they kissed each other, and he proceeded to grab my face, and kiss me on the lips for a really long time. In fact, he only stopped when I pulled away! Nana said to him: "But I thought you didn't like girls", to which he replied: "I don't! But I like her", and pointed to Teighan!

I'm not sure what this means now. I hope he doesn't start kissing all the girls he knows … somehow I don't think that's very likely.

Attitude, teeth and tummy bugs

2006-07-28T12:21:00.000+12:00

First, the attitude.
Ethan has one. And I'm not a fan.
It really only started over the past week or so. Like, after his vaccinations. Can I get away with blaming everything on them? Anyway, he's been back-chatting and arguing, refusing to do what he is told, and generally complaining about almost everything. Nice.
I really need to nip it in the bud now, before it becomes a habit. Wish me luck.

Second, the teeth.
Tyler is getting some. His 2-year molars.
Actually, he's been pretty good about it. Sometimes he gets grumpy but I just rub some Bonjela on his gums and it seems to help. Boy, I'll be glad when these teeth have finished coming though. It will be the end of teething for our family! Okay, I know they get 4 more teeth when they are older, but I figure it won't be much of an issue.

Third, the tummy bug.
Rob has had one. A nasty one.
Thankfully it only lasted for a day. And most of it was during the night. Now although that equaled less sleep for both him and I, it also meant the kids were in bed and safely away from the germs. I actually enjoyed the opportunity to be the nurse. He spent so much time looking after me when I was sick, and doing everything for the kids. So it felt good to return the favour :-)

Ethan's arm ...

2006-07-21T10:49:00.000+12:00

Vaccinations

2006-07-21T10:17:00.000+12:00

I took Ethan to get his 4-year vaccinations on Tuesday afternoon. He had to get MMR in one arm, and DTaP-IPV in the other. He did most of his crying in the car when we got to the doctor's surgery. He was afraid it would "really, really hurt" but then afterwards he said "Hey, it didn't hurt that much ... I was really brave, eh Mumma?" ... which he was :-)

I watched out for any reaction that evening, but there was nothing. I couldn't even see the prick marks from the needles. But he did complain of not feeling well and had a slight fever. I gave him Pamol and he slept well. The next day he was at mum's for the day and she said he wasn't quite himself. Then last night (this is 2 days after the vaccination), Rob was giving Ethan a bath and called me in to look. He had a HUGE red patch on his right arm (the DTaP-IPV) and it was swollen and very hot. Rob put a cold flannel on it for a while. We took his temperature and it was normal, so we gave him some Pamol for the pain in his arm, and he went to bed. He slept until 8am this morning and came out looking quite hot. His arm was still red and hot. I took him up to see the nurse again at 9am and she said it was a reportable adverse reaction (I knew it would be, since Tyler had a reaction to the third MeNZB vaccine and his red patch was about 1/4 of the size of Ethan's one). She also said it was most unusual to react 2 days after the vaccine (it usually happens within 6h). She drew a line around it and if it spreads too much we have to go back to see the doctor and get some antihistamine.

The whole thing is quite interesting for me. In my job as a medical writer, I specialise in the area of Vaccines and Viral Infections. But when something like this happens to your own child, you feel really differently about it. Of course there is no way I would refuse to vaccinate my kids because I know that it is important, but it doesn't make it easy.

Photos

2006-07-20T08:12:00.000+12:00

Christi - how do you like Rob's 4-week growth???? It's gone now .... :-)

The d-d-d-d-dentist!!

2006-07-18T09:36:00.000+12:00

Last night I had to go the dentist. I had chipped a molar and it started to hurt over the weekend. I was lucky to get an appointment at 6.30pm last night as they are usually booked weeks in advance. Ethan wanted to come with me, and I was happy to take him. I wanted him to experience going to the dentist and the Smile Studio is a great place for him to do that. They have movies playing on a TV attached to the roof, lots of toys for kids to play with, and Adam (my dentist) is just fantastic. He always makes me feel great, even when I haven't been to see him for ages!
I actually ended up being *this close* to needing a $900 root canal, but thankfully I only needed a standard filling. My tooth had broken because there was a cavity, and the tooth had just caved in.

Anyway, Ethan was really well behaved. He sat on the floor and played with toys and looked at books. Adam kept explaining to Ethan all the things he was doing as he went along (he does that anyway, which is SO awesome, why can't all dentists do that?) ... "look at these cool sunglasses that your mummy gets to wear" … "now I'm taking all the yucky stuff out of mummy's tooth, and I'm using this cool drill, see?" … "now I'm filling mummy's tooth with this white stuff" … I think Ethan was pretty fascinated by it all. On the way home ($270 later), Ethan was telling me that he would like to go there again, and he would like to sleep there overnight, in the dentist's chair! Because it would be "so much fun!"

I'm glad Ethan has had a positive introduction to the dentist. I remember being scared to death of the dental nurse and the "Murder House" and that fear stayed with me as I grew up, until I started going to the Smile Studio. They charge about $35 for kids to get an exam, but I think I'll take Ethan there instead of the (free) school dental therapist. I made an appointment with her a few months ago and she wasn't very friendly at all. I ended up having to cancel because the boys were sick, and I haven't been able to get hold of her to make a new time. After last night, I think I'll just spend the money and take Ethan to the Smile Studio. Now he's met Adam, he knows there are videos he can watch, and he's familiar with the place. So it should be a really positive experience. What a change from my childhood!

Loving the LOVE between my boys

2006-07-17T07:35:00.000+12:00

Granted, brotherly love doesn't always feature highly around here, but when it does it just makes my day.

After dinner, Tyler will often run off to the playroom. Which is down the other end of the hallway from the kitchen. He doesn't like going down there in the dark. He will stand about halfway down the hallway and call out "Ethan? Sunny?" which means he wants Ethan to come and turn the light on for him!! He can't actually say "Ethan", instead he says "Eh-Uh" (gee, it is hard to write in toddlerspeech!) ... which, conicidentally, is exactly the same way Ethan said his own name for quite a while!

Saturday morning, Tyler had woken up first and I went and got him out of his cot and took him back to bed with us. We usually do that at the weekend. Tyler's room is upstairs, right next to ours. Ethan's room is downstairs, but he just gets out of bed himself when he hears Tyler and comes up the stairs to get into our bed too. Anyway, on Saturday when Ethan came up, he saw Tyler's blankie, so he decided to go back downstairs to get his blankie. Well, Tyler wanted to go with him. We still don't let Tyler navigate the stairs on his own. He is fine going up, but coming down is a bit trickier since we don't yet have a handrail! So Tyler always walks down the stairs holding Rob's or my hand. Ethan said "I'll hold your hand, Tyler" and so off they went. I heard them both get to the bottom and then run into Ethan's room. I said to Rob, "This is the first time they've both been downstairs while we're still in bed" .... it was a strange feeling! We could hear them chattering away to each other and Ethan's little helpful comments: "Here, Tyler. I'll help you with that", "Tyler, Tyler, hold my hand" and "C'mon Tyler, I'll help you" ...

Of course, that second story is rather well balanced by what happened the previous Saturday morning. When Ethan came up the stairs and into our room, Tyler (who was already lying in bed between Rob and I) sits up, points his finger at Ethan and says "NO, Ethan!"

Like I said, I'm loving the LOVE!!

A great start to the day (NOT!)

2006-07-14T12:39:00.000+12:00

Tyler has had a cold for the past 2 weeks or so. In fact, I'm pretty sure he also had laryngitis like me, because he lost his voice completely as well. But generally he hasn't been bothered by it. I've taken him to the doctor twice to get his ears checked, just in case. Both times they were perfect. So we've just been giving him Pamol & Tixilix for his cough. On Wed night he took ages to go to sleep (he was just talking) and then woke up at 10pm crying. We gave him Pamol but he didn't really go back to sleep until midnight. Most unusual for him. But the next day he was fine, and he slept well last night.

This morning I got him up and noticed there was "stuff" on his sheets. I figured he must have been sick during the night. He was coughing a lot around 2am, and sometimes coughing a lot can make you sick. Later on when I was feeding him his porridge, I noticed some gunk coming out of his right ear. It was like snot, but had a brown tinge. Blood, maybe? So I cleaned it out with a tissue and he didn't seem bothered by it. He didn't have a fever, and he was happy. But I'd never experienced ear discharge before so I rang the HealthLine. The nurse I spoke to said the only thing it could be was a burst eardrum, and that I needed to get to a doctor immediately. I explained several times that Tyler has grommets (tubes), and I asked if it could just be a discharge like a runny nose. But she insisted it could only be a burst ear drum. When I got off the phone I started crying, because I was so worried about it. I figured if his ear drum had burst, the grommet would have come out. I don't want to go through all of that again.

So it was off to the doctor (the 4th time I've been up there in 2 weeks). I was so relieved when Ruth said no, his ear drum had not burst, and both his grommets were still in place. She said (and I quote) "it could just be a discharge similar to a runny nose". OMG. Exactly what I had asked the nurse!! So his ear drum is perfectly fine, and there was no real emergency. Gee, talk about freaking me out for no reason!! Ruth said there could still be an infection, so she took a swab and is getting it checked at the Lab. Then she will know exactly what bacteria is in there and exactly which antibiotic to use. I'm worried about that though, because none of the other antibiotics worked for his other ear infections, which is why we got the grommets put in. I didn't expect him to get any more ear infections - I mean, that is the whole point of getting grommets. So that is a little upsetting, and I feel anxious about how easily this infection is going to clear up. Hopefully it won't be an infection and he won't need antibiotics. But I'm really just glad that it wasn't worse, and he is happy and sleeping now :-)

Pardon my absence ...

2006-07-13T10:34:00.000+12:00

… but I have a very good excuse.
I've been sick as a dog. A really, really sick dog.

First, I got a cold. Not a big deal, nothing I couldn't handle. I carried on as normal, went to church, work etc. Then 3 days later BAM! I was hit with laryngitis and almost lost my voice completely. I had the sore throat from hell and couldn't talk, I had a nasty cough that I couldn't cough out. I had many moments of being almost unable to breathe because my throat was completely blocked. I had 3.5 days off work and 3.5 days in bed. Then I started to feel a bit better (although whenever I talked to people they would comment on how terrible I sounded, which was funny because I actually sounded great compared to 4 days ago, lol) and decided to go back to work on Monday. After I'd been at work for about 1/2 hour, I realised I could not stay. I had a headache when I woke up, but took Panadol and Nurofen thinking it would gradually ease off. But it got worse and the pain was spreading all over my face. I diagnosed myself with sinusitus (sinus infection) and got myself to the doctor. Got my antibiotics and then went back to bed for another 2 days. On the third day, I woke up and thought "I actually don't have any pain in my face today" and ventured back to work. I made it through yesterday in 4-hour blocks. That's because every 4h I took 2 Panadol and 2 Nurofen, and used my Otrivine nasal spray. Last night I cut back to just ONE painkiller, and things are looking up. Finally.

Now I just have to hope that my sinus infection doesn't come back (which they are known to do), because the last thing I want when I fly to Canada in just under 4 weeks' time is a stuffed-up head for my 12h flight to LA, 8h layover and then 5h flight to Toronto! Ugh!

Preschool progress report

2006-07-04T19:06:00.000+12:00

I've decided to do one of these preschool (daycare) updates every few months. The older kids at preschool have portfolios and the younger kids have daily record books. They write about things that the kids have been doing, and they stick photos in as well. Tyler's record book comes home with him every day for us to look at, but we only get to see Ethan's portfolio every few months. So here is an update of what the boys have been learning at preschool over the few months.
I know this post is very long, but hopefully you'll find some of it entertaining!

Anecdotes from Ethan's preschool portfolio:

Devon and Ethan were playing aeroplanes today. They built an aeroplane out of our climbing frame and a plank of wood, then with their arms stretched out, away they flew. They talked about the pilot that was in charge of the plane.
Devon was tipping his wings so he could turn the corner. Ethan was looking down at all the houses and people below him. He wanted to fly all the way to space and back again so he was going to speed up. Devon wanted to fly all day long.

Devon and Ethan were playing remote control vehicles today.
Devon was a Big Blue Motorbike that could go really fast. He was going to speed to the Library to get one of his favourite books. It was about a dragon. Ethan was a Green Sports Car that only felt like going slow today. Ethan was going to drive to the Dairy and buy a raspberry chocolate bar, which he was going to open when he got back to preschool.
[There is a photo of Ethan and Devon, sitting at the table together]

Ethan and Devon were playing with the plastic animals. Ethan picked up a zebra. "Marty can fly", he said.
"Yeah, Marty can fly because that's his name, Marty", said Devon.
"I have the Madagascar movie at home", said Ethan. "Me too", said Devon.
They both laughed and flew their animals around the room, they were singing "we like to move it, move it" (a song from the movie).
They flew across the room and met Ollie who had an ice cream truck.
"How do you do?" asked Ethan, putting on a voice. Ollie described all the different types of ice cream flavours he had. They bought an ice cream each and they flew off - "to fight crime."
[There is a photo of Ethan and Devon, sitting on the mat, playing with the toy animals]

Ethan was sitting outside under the climbing frame. He was holding a twig which he had threaded dry leaves onto.
"One, two, three" he said. He began singing, "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me."
He blew on the twig cake.
[There is a photo of Ethan, sitting under the climbing frame, holding his twig cake]

Teacher comments:
- Ethan and Devon play well together, with good communication skills.
- Ethan and Devon both express their ideas in their play.
- Ethan is always looking at what is going on around him.
- Ethan enjoys playing with his friends.
- Ethan expresses himself and his ideas well.
- What an imagination and a fantastic way of expressing it!

Excerpts from Tyler's preschool daily record book:

23.01.06
Tyler helped me put all the toys away today, great help little man!
Tyler loves to join in with everyone when we put the music on. He especially loves shaking the shakers.

9.02.06
Tyler enjoyed painting this morning, mixing both the blue and white paints together.
Tyler fell asleep during lunch and ate the rest when he woke up!

28.02.06
Today we made a big tent inside. Tyler thought this was so much fun. He kept running in and out with a great big smile on his face!
Today we did face painting. Tyler was very patient while we did a cat face. When he looked in the mirror he got a bit of a fright!

21.03.06
Today we went for a walk to the beach and park. Tyler had a great time playing in the sand and on the swings. Tyler was also very confident on the playground. He would walk cautiously across the bridge, then smile when he got to the other side.

30.03.06
Tyler likes to sit on the chairs in the lounge and read stories with Olivia. They show the pictures to each other.
Today Tyler had fun playing with a bunch of carpet samples. He would line them up in a row.

11.04.06
Today we got a new grocery set with a cutlery set. Tyler especially liked the cake. He would pretend to lick the icing off!
Tyler enjoys building towers with Jake, using blocks.

18.04.06
Tyler always enjoys reading books, especially while sitting in the teacher's chair!
Tyler likes to put the dog masks on and pretend walking on all fours like a dog. So cute!
Today we playing cooking with flour and our tea set. Tyler enjoyed this and pretended to cook the flour in the toy microwave.

20.04.06
Tyler played downstairs with Ethan today. Tyler gave Ethan lots of lovely cuddles.
Tyler enjoyed the new bikes, he zoomed around with Jake and pushed them up and down the deck.

04.05.06
Today Tyler sat with Lily and helped her put the shapes into the shape dispenser. They worked very well together.
Tyler gets very excited when we blow bubbles outside. He'll chase them and stamp on them yelling out "bubbles" as they fly around and land on the ground.
Tyler always gets excited if he sees Ethan through the fence. Sometimes they give each other a big hug then go off and play with their friends.

25.05.06
Today we put a Spiderman cape on Tyler and straight away he said "Ethan".
Tyler likes to do pretend water painting on the fence outside. This keeps him very busy.

20.06.06
Tyler plays dress-ups with Raquel, and waves and says "goodbye" as they pretend to go shopping.
Tyler enjoys playing in the family area, with the pretend food, dolls and highchairs.

Funnies from the mouths of my kids

2006-07-03T09:45:00.000+12:00

* Rob picked up the phone to ring somebody the other day and Ethan said “Daddy, who are you ringing? Are you ringing the police to take Mummy away?”

* I was on my way out on Friday night, and stopped in the playroom to say goodbye to Ethan. He didn’t want me to go out, so he said “Mumma, why don’t you just turn around, get those nice clothes off and put some other ones on, and just stay home!”

* Tyler and I were looking at books together on the couch. I pointed to a picture of a dog and he said “dog”. Then I said “what does a dog say?” and he pointed to the ceiling and said “roof, roof!”

* Ethan was practicing his letters (he has some flash cards that Rob made him). He only recognises a few letters (e, t, h, a, n, m, d, b, w, o and s) so when I held up “j” he asked me what it was. Rob carried Tyler over to say goodnight and he started saying “j” … we could hear him saying it all the way up the stairs. Ethan said “oh Mumma, Tyler is soooo cute, eh?”

My story of healing

2006-06-27T13:55:00.000+12:00

This is my story of how God healed me. If you are a believer, I hope you are encouraged and uplifted by it. If you are not a believer, then I hope it prompts you to find out more. God is real and he cares about us all.

A few weeks ago, we went to stay with Rob's dad in Whangarei. The first morning there, I woke up with a whole lot of what looked like mosquito bites on my leg. I had some behind my knee, and some on my lower leg. Over the next few days, I got more "bites" all over me. I had them on my arms, stomach, shoulders, legs, hands, feet. I remember a few of them appearing while I was waiting at A&E to get my foot stitched after the glass door incident. I also remember getting some while watching the rugby at a friend's house.
I knew they were not mosquito bites because it is winter and there are no mosquitos around. I also had no exposed skin since it was so cold! We wondered if there were fleas in the house, but we have no pets, hardly any carpet and nobody else in the family was getting bitten. Also, I had been getting the bites at all kinds of places, not just at home. I washed all my clothes and all the bedding. We cleaned the carpets and got a flea bomb. But I was convinced that it was something else.
I asked the doctor about hives, but she said they didn't look like hives. She prescribed an antihistamine for me anyway. It helped the bites to stop itching so much, but it didn't stop me from getting any more. Eventually I stopped the medication because it was giving me side effects. The bites continued and I was going a bit crazy trying to think of what could be causing them.
Then one night at the Alpha course, we looked at the topic of Healing. On the way home that night, I prayed for God to heal me. I was desperate and I wanted him to show me miraculously that he had taken my affliction away. The next morning, I expected to see all my spots completely gone. But they were still there. I was a little disappointed, but I know that God doesn't always choose to heal people and I accepted that.
But .... ever since the night I prayed for healing (which was over 2 weeks ago), I have not seen any new "bites". And this is after weeks of finding between 5-10 new ones each day. Now almost all the scars from the old bites have faded away.

God healed me. Although it wasn't the dramatic miracle that I asked for, it was a miracle all the same. The doctors had no idea what was wrong with me, I couldn't self-diagnose myself (and I'm usually very good at that, being a medical writer!) and the other measures we had taken around the house had not improved the situation. I needed a divine intervention, and God provided it. The affliction I had was not life-threatening or debilitating, but it bothered me constantly and it was making life pretty miserable. God knew that I was suffering, in my own way. He cared enough about me to answer my prayer. And he did it in such an obvious way that I would have NO DOUBT that it was him.

More on Time Out

2006-06-26T11:12:00.000+12:00

I just had to post about this!
Time Out has been working brilliantly for Tyler since we started it last week. But after we'd used it a few times, he started saying "sorry" as soon as we put him in the corner. He would just stand there looking at us with big sad eyes, saying "sowee, sowee, sowee" over and over! It was pretty hard the first time he did it, but we had to persist with getting him to stay in the corner for 1 minute. He must have figured that after he says "sorry", he gets to leave the corner. So he says it right away, hoping to get a cuddle and permission to leave.

The kid is SO cute it's not funny.

Time for Time Out!

2006-06-22T09:31:00.000+12:00

We’ve started using Time Out for Tyler. Well, my mum started using it with good results, so we decided to use it at home as well. His behaviour hasn’t been too bad, but there are moments where he is naughty and KNOWS he is being naughty, and the previous toddler techniques of redirection & distraction were no longer working. I wasn’t sure he was old enough for Time Out, and I didn’t know if he would understand the concept of it. But he sure does!

Mum decided to just use a corner of the room, so we’re doing the same thing. Ethan has Time Out in his bedroom, which is downstairs and close to the living room and playroom. But since Tyler’s room is upstairs, we needed a “safe” place downstairs for him. I wasn’t prepared to put him in the toilet or bathroom (I think he could actually do some damage in there) and the playroom is out of the question too, for obvious reasons! So the corner it is.
Yesterday mum put Tyler in Time Out because he was throwing toys, and he didn’t stop after a couple of warnings. So she followed the Super Nanny technique. Apparently she had to put him back in the corner about 8 times because he kept following her, but eventually he stayed there for a minute. He said “sorry” afterwards and gave her a cuddle. And he didn’t throw any more toys!
She told me about it when I rang her at lunch time, and I immediately decided that we would start using Time Out at home too. Well, we got the perfect opportunity after dinner. Tyler kept putting his feet up on the table, and Rob had told him to stop. So he went to the corner of the kitchen for 2 minutes and he was NOT happy! Not fair – he didn’t cry and protest when mum tried it! But he only had to be put back about 3 or 4 times, and once again he said sorry and gave Rob a cuddle.

I’m just glad he seems to understand how it all works. But I have the feeling he’ll be getting more Time Outs than his brother ever did. Tyler loves to push the boundaries and doesn’t particularly like to follow the rules. But I think this will help him learn, and it sure beats any other form of discipline we have tried over the years!

The boys

2006-06-21T08:35:00.000+12:00

Time for an update on the boys.

Ethan
Lately he has been getting into games a lot more. He got Junkyard Jalopy for his birthday. It is like Operation, you have to take small pieces out of the car using tweezers and not touch the sides or the horn beeps. He’s getting really good at it. And he still loves playing Snap and Memory.
Last night I went out to the movies with Christi (thanks, it was fun!) and when I got home Rob told me that when he was putting Tyler to bed, he realised there were no socks left in his drawer so he asked Ethan to go downstairs and find 2 matching socks on the washing rack and bring them back upstairs. Apparently it took him a little while, but he did it! He must have been able to tell which socks were his and which were Tyler’s (even I have trouble with that sometimes, LOL) and then found two the same. And they weren’t in pairs to begin with.

Yesterday he didn’t cry when Rob dropped him off at Kindy. He was so proud when I picked him up, and the teacher had given him a stamp on his hand. On Friday, we’re going to a Movie Night at Kindy. They’re having a sausage sizzle and watching Ice Age 2. The notice said “bring your sleeping bags” and when we told Ethan, he looked very puzzled and said “why do we need our sleeping bags? Are we sleeping there?” … I guess he’s never watched a movie in his sleeping bag, so I can understand why he was confused!

We got his first Kindy photos on Monday – you know the ones in the pack that come with those ultra trendy cardboard frames! I can’t believe they still have them, they are just the same as the ones I had for my school photos about 20 years ago! The photo itself is not fantastic, but we decided to buy them anyway. I think we’ll buy the school photos every year, even if they are bad. It would be wrong not to have one for each school year. The class photo is quite good, so we’re also going to buy that. The timing was awesome, since they came to take the photos on Ethan’s first day of Kindy! I don’t know how many times a year they do it, but it is only once a year at school. So I’m happy that we got in when we did, just in case there aren’t any more photo days.

Tyler
He’s talking so much now! He has a few cute phrases that he loves to repeat. One of them is “I do it!” which he says when he wants to do something himself, or when he has just done it and is trying to say how proud he is of himself, LOL. If we ask him something and say “alright?” at the end, he will answer “okay”. And if we say “are you sure?” he will reply “sure”. SO cute!!
His bedroom is right next to ours, upstairs. Quite often we hear him talking to himself early in the morning (he often goes back to sleep again after a bit of a chat). Rob and I have both heard him say “Daddy door shut” if we make too much noise shutting our bedroom door! And we are pretty quiet up there since we know he is a light sleeper!

He’s still obsessed with shoes. But it is getting a bit much. He wants his shoes on from the minute he wakes up, and he refuses to take them off when we come home. We have a general rule of no shoes inside the house, but it has proven to be much easier to just let Tyler have his way. Otherwise we have to deal with the ugliest tantrums. I’m hoping that the shoe obsession will gradually fade!

They have changed the age group divisions at preschool (daycare) now. It used to be age 3 when the kids went to the “big kids” area, but now it is 2. So Tyler is doing quite a few visits to the downstairs classroom. He spends all day Thursday down there since there are no other little ones there that day. Melissa said he just loves being down there! He’ll be moving permanently in September. His friend Jake has just turned 2 and moved down, so I think he misses him a bit when he is still upstairs. But he does have a couple of little girlfriends who are his age, and he plays with them a lot. They read books to each other, apparently! Raquel (he calls her Kel), Isabelle (he calls her Belle) and Olivia (he can’t really say her name properly). I find it so interesting because when Ethan was Tyler’s age, his friends were all boys. And it has stayed that way, for the most part. I wonder if Tyler will be different?

I know that was a long update, but I had so many random things I wanted to write about. I know many of you are reading from afar and don’t get to see the boys every day, so this update is for you!

Kindy update

2006-06-14T08:14:00.000+12:00

Ethan has been at Kindy for about 4 or 5 weeks now. For the first 2 or 3 weeks, he was fine. But then he started getting sad when Rob dropped him off, saying “I don’t want you to go, Daddy” and then saying he didn’t want to go to Kindy anymore. The first day it happened was a day that Devon happened to be sick, and Ethan was upset about Devon not being there. When I picked him up he told me that Devon wasn’t there and I asked him if he played with any of the other children. He said “no, I just lay on the bridge in the playground and cried because nobody was my friend.” Talk about heart-breaking!! I told him that he could make new friends by asking other children if he could play with them, but I know he hasn’t been doing that. He thinks he can only have one friend. At first I was really puzzled about that, because at preschool he is really popular and has lots of friends.
But then I started thinking about the differences between preschool and Kindy [he’s at preschool on Tues and Thurs mornings, and then he goes to Kindy on Mon, Tues & Thurs afternoons].

I think there are a few things that Ethan is finding difficult:
1. There are 45 kids at Kindy, all in one room. There are ~20 kids at preschool, separated into 2 buildings (under 3s and over 3’s).
2. The kids at Kindy are all 4. Kids at preschool range from 3 months to almost 5.
3. The lack of structure at Kindy. Preschool is much more structured and he knows the routine well.
4. The Kindy teachers are unfamiliar to Ethan. He has known his preschool teachers for much longer and has a close relationship with them.
5. Kindy is a new & different place. Preschool has been part of his life since he can remember, since he started there when he was 1.
6. Most of the children at Kindy are unfamiliar to Ethan. Almost all of his close preschool friends (about 6 of them) started at the same time as he did, in 2003. They have practically grown up together.

Having said that, he just loves the playground and all the toys and activities they have at Kindy. He is getting to know the teachers now, and feels more comfortable with them. Yesterday I had a big talk to one of the teachers (Lisa), and she said Ethan is doing really well. She said it is normal for most kids to take a few weeks/months to settle in … there is usually a “honeymoon period” where they are just so excited about coming, they don’t have time to get sad. But then the novelty of something new wears off, and they start to feel a bit overwhelmed. Lisa said she has been reading a book to Ethan or doing a puzzle with him when Rob drops him off, and he stops feeling sad after a couple of minutes. She has told him that he can always come and have a cuddle with her if he is feeling sad or lonely. I thought that was very sweet. She also talked about what a neat kid he is, and how he has a great sense of humour. I asked Lisa if Ethan plays with other kids when Devon is not there (which has been quite often, for various reasons) and she said he doesn’t yet, but she’s confident that he will start making new friends once he feels totally settled.

So I guess the main thing is that he is happy while he is there (after the first couple of minutes) and he is learning lots of things. I’m sure he’ll make more friends as time goes on, and in the meantime I am really grateful that he has a good friend like Devon.

This song makes me cry ...

2006-06-12T14:51:00.000+12:00

I'm at work, listening to my iPod.
Mumsdollar, a Kiwi Christian punk band.
They're good!

But this song always makes me tear up ...

LET ME GO

In summer when sun shines you watched me as I play
In autumn when leaves fall I ran to you with joy
In winter when it's cold here you tucked me in at night
In springtime when flowers bloom you held my hand when I flew my kite

But it's time to let me go
I'm not your boy tonight
Forever grateful to this day
But now I'm my own shadow

In the old days, the good times
I knew you were invincible
As time flies, through divine eyes
You're a shade more vulnerable
Step aside now don't cry now
You know it's hard to say goodbye

But it's time to let me go
I'm not your boy tonight
Forever grateful to this day
But now I'm my own shadow

And as a lion cub grows and leaves mum
It's time to release me and let me move on
You know that tomorrow I'll still be your son
You know that I'll run home when things get rough

Let me go

I can't bear the thought of my own boys wanting me to let them go! I want them to always be my babies, to always say "you're the best mumma in the whole world" and to always want to give me cuddles and read books to them.
Why can't I just freeze time and enjoy them before they grow up and ask me to let them go?

I won a scrapbooking contest!

2006-06-07T09:33:00.000+12:00

Well, I'm still a bit shocked, but had to share this news with you all.
Christi and I both belong to Scrapbook Essentials, a new online scrapbooking store with a gallery and forum. They have a monthly layout contest. Christi won the first month (March) and I just found out that my Gingerbread People layout is the winning layout for May!

Click here to see my layout and my name published - woohoo!!
http://www.scrapbookessentials.co.nz/layout_contest.html
My prize? A $20 voucher to spend in the store :-) Yay!

I'm so happy! This probably seems like no big deal, but for me it is huge. I never win things, and I've never had any of my layouts published (despite submitting on a regular basis). I know this is not the same as being published in a magazine, but for me it is the first step on my journey.

Foot Fiasco Part II

2006-06-06T09:07:00.000+12:00

I think I may have to cut off my left foot.
You'll remember a couple of months ago I fell down the stairs while I was carrying Tyler and sprained my foot. Well, yesterday I put the same foot through one of the glass panes in our back door, and spent almost 2 hours at A&E getting 8 stitches put it.

I'd never had stitches before, and didn't know what it was going to feel like. Getting the local anaesthetic hurt like nothing else, and then I had to get a tetanus shot as well. They said I was "very lucky" not to have severed a tendon. I can see now how close it was to my Achille's but I didn't realise at the time how bad it was.

Last night it felt fine, the anaesthetic lasted for hours and I didn't feel any pain at all until 1am this morning. I took pain relief at 8am and now it feels pretty comfortable, but I'm supposed to keep it elevated and I didn't really do that last night (I still got dinner, tidied up around the house, put Ethan to bed and hung some washing on the drying rack). Today I'm home from work and I'm going back to the doctor in about an hour to get the dressing changed. Apparently I am supposed to keep off my foot "for at least a week" and I'm meant to have 5 days off work!!! Um, I don't think so! ... I'll probably be back at work tomorrow.

I'm going to Canada!

2006-06-01T11:01:00.000+12:00

A couple of you already know this, but most of you don't.
I'm going to Toronto in August for a work conference. I'll be attending the International AIDS Conference from 13-18 August but first I am having a few days of annual leave and I'll be staying with Jenn! I'm starting to get excited now, since I'm actually booking flights and hotels, and organising things.

I'll be away for almost 2 weeks. And boy, is it going to be tough! I can only imagine how much I'm going to miss my boys, but I'm sure I will be kept so busy that I won't have time to mope about it. And I get to ring them everyday.

The whole concept of travelling is exciting, since I haven't been overseas for 5 years. Last time I was in New York visiting my cousin, and then Philadelphia for a Diabetes conference. I've never been to Canada before. Lots of my dad's family live there, but they are in Vancouver and Calgary. I did think about taking a detour first to visit them, but it was going to be too difficult. It is easy for me to have a few days in Toronto first, and since Jenn lives in Ajax which is very close, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet her.
Woohoo! Canada, here I come!

Party photos!!

2006-05-29T20:41:00.000+12:00

Ethan's Spiderman Party

2006-05-29T20:18:00.000+12:00

Ethan had a great day on his birthday. He woke up really excited, and got to open his presents from Tyler and us. We didn't wrap his present from us - a big boy bike! He loved it, especially the batman bell I found at the Warehouse for $4!! :-)

The actual party wasn't until 2pm which gave me heaps of time to make and decorate the cake. I was pretty happy with how it turned out. When Ethan saw the finished product on the bench, he just looked at me and said "I can NOT believe it!" .... so I guess he was impressed!
Mum and Leah came over before the party started and Ethan opened his presents from them. Mum got him a Spiderman costume (along with a HUGE bag of other goodies), so of course he wanted to put it on and wear it for the party.

I can't believe how much Spiderman paraphenalia that boy now owns. He had a whole lot already, but now he has even more! I could open a Spiderman museum one day!

The party itself was a great success. 7 boys (Ethan & Tyler, cousins Eli & Jet, and 3 of his friends from preschool), and one girl. Poor Emily! But I think she had a good time despite the boy overload! We had party games, which was a first for me. I didn't bother with them last year since the party was at an indoor playground. But this year we had Pass the Parcel, Musical Statues, Duck Duck Goose and a game I made up called Match the Pairs. Once the kids were completely worn out, we had the party food and then cake & icecream.

**The photos will have to be in a separate post because Blogger is giving me grief and won't let me upload them all. Grrr.

My baby is 4!

2006-05-29T07:35:00.000+12:00

I really wanted to post this on Ethan's birthday, but didn't get time. So please pretend you are reading this on May 27th, 2006.

Happy Birthday Ethan! I can't believe you are 4 years old today. The time since you were born has flown by so quickly and you have grown up really fast. I'm so proud of you and the person you have become. You're still my baby in some ways (and you always will be), but you are a boy now. You're not a toddler, and "preschooler" just doesn't seem like the right word for you anymore. You're simply A BOY.
You're my firstborn child. I am a firstborn child. Every single day when I look at you, I see myself. You and I are so alike. We are smart, stubborn, impatient, contrary, almost obsessive about things that are important to us. We're affectionate and talkative, we learn quickly and we aren't afraid to ask questions. You get me and I get you. I love that we are so similar and that makes our relationship really special. You're such a wonderful little guy, and I'm so blessed to be your "mumma".
I love you so much. Have a fantastic 4th birthday! Mumma xx

I haven't yet downloaded any pictures from his party so I will do a separate post tonight.

Ethan & Mummy are sick

2006-05-24T09:04:00.000+12:00

Well actually, Ethan is better now but Mummy is still feeling like crap.
Just colds, but nasty ones. He's been coughing like a chimney sweep with asthma, but we *may* have finally found a cough medicine that works! Woohoo!
Anyway, we both stayed home yesterday - him from preschool & kindy, and me from work. He watched a lot of videos!! And I didn't even get to watch all of Dr Phil ... isn't that supposed to be the best thing about having a sick day? Anyway, I did get a lot of scrapbooking done since I dragged all my stuff out into the lounge and did it in fits and bursts while Ethan watched TV.

At one point Ethan came over and said "What are you doing, Mumma?" and I told him "scrapbooking". He said "I want to do some scrapbooking too" so I got out his crayons and some cardboard and he made a birthday card for Devon. He wrote his own name but he got me to write everything else. I asked what he wanted me to write, and this is what he said:
"To Devon. I love you. You're cute. I like you. You're my friend. From Ethan."
How sweet is that??!

Anyway, here are the 3 layouts I did yesterday. My first Wild Asparagus layout (Christi, are you proud of me?) and 2 others using the new Crate Paper. I love the stuff!!
If you want to read the journalling and see a list of products, go to My Gallery and don't forget to post a comment!

My boy is really growing up!

2006-05-19T12:26:00.000+12:00

Ethan has just left with my sister-in-law Sarah on his first solo playdate ... as in I am not there with him. Granted, it is a playdate with his cousin, but it is still a big deal for him. He's quite a shy child at times.
Sarah emailed me the other day and asked if Ethan wanted to hang out with Jet (who is 4 months older than Ethan) today, so I could have some one-on-one time with Tyler. I asked Ethan and he said YES! ... then no ... then yes again :-) He wasn't sure about me not being there, but I assured him he would have fun and that Auntie Sarah would look after him. He said "but what if she doesn't like me?" LOL! Where does he get these ideas from?
Anyway, Sarah came and picked him up an hour ago. Jet was waiting in the car with a "special treat" (Rolo chocolates) and was so excited about giving Ethan his! I know they'll have a great time playing together. Sarah & Greg have a new puppy, chickens to feed, a trampoline, etc. All things that we don't have, and Ethan loves :-)
I just can't help thinking Ethan has met another milestone today, as small as it may seem to others. And I'm proud of him!

Fun family evening

2006-05-17T08:34:00.000+12:00

We had a fun family evening on Tuesday. Our local video store has $3 movies on Tuesdays so we decided that we would rent "Chicken Little" and eat takeaways for dinner while we watched it. So I got the DVD and picked the boys up from preschool just before 5pm, and Rob got Wendy's from the drive-through on his way home from work. We put a blanket on the lounge floor and had a "picnic" while the movie was on. We started watching at 5.15pm and it finished around 6.30pm, just enough time to get the kids ready for bed.

Can you believe that BOTH my boys sat and watched the whole movie?! I knew Ethan would, but I figured Tyler would lose interest. After all, it really is aimed at older kids. But he sat with me on the couch for most of the time, often with his head resting on my leg (VERY unusual behaviour for him, let me tell you!) and then sat with Rob for the last bit. I think he's actually coming down with some kind of cold or something, because he was unusually placid, and Melissa and Kristie said he hadn't been himself at preschool that day.

Anyway, it was really fun thing to do together. Since it was so successful, we might end up doing it on a regular basis, like once a month. It was such a change from the usual stress between 5-7pm … rushing home from work/preschool, keeping the kids away from the pantry, struggling to get a good home-cooked meal ready before 5.45pm, dealing with "food issues" at the dinner table, then the bathtime/storytime/bedtime routine. The usual. Most parents will know what I mean. But Tuesday evening was the most unstressful evening we've had as a family in a long time.
And the movie wasn't half-bad, either!

First day at Kindy!

2006-05-15T19:00:00.000+12:00

Today was Ethan's first day at Kindergarten. I took a few photos before we left, he was pretty excited! When we got there he saw Flynn, a boy who used to go to Hannah's House (preschool), so the two of them started playing with the toy dinosaurs together. I stayed and talked to Flynn's mum Sarah for awhile, and then Ethan's friend Devon arrived with his mum Lissa. The boys' faces just lit up when they saw each other! They ran outside to play on the swings and yelled "Bye, Mummy!" at the top of their lungs to Lissa and I :-)

Rob, Tyler and I all went to pick Ethan up at 3.15pm. He was sitting on the mat, and didn't realise he wasn't allowed to get up until the teacher had called his name (a safety thing, to make sure kids go home with the right people). He ran over to me and hugged me, and got a bit upset when he had to go back and sit down again. He didn't really understand, but hopefully next time he'll realise the procedure. He also didn't eat any afternoon tea because the teachers don't remind or encourage the kids to eat, they just leave it up to them to decide if they are hungry or not. So Ethan was really thirsty and hungry when I got there. I told him that next time he could just help himself to his drink and lunchbox if he wanted to. There were quite a few little things like that he didn't know or understand, and I thought the teachers would have helped him a bit more considering it was his first day and he didn't know how things worked!! Oh well, he wasn't too upset by any of it. He had a really great day and is excited about going back tomorrow.

I'm hoping to be able to finish work a couple of hours early each Tuesday (and work from home for a couple of hours at night to make up for it) ... because I really want to be able to pick him up at least once a week. Rob will do it on Mondays (that's his day off) and Nana will be doing it on Thursdays.
As we were walking from our car to the Kindy gate, watching all the mums & dads picking up their kids from the primary school next door, I said to Rob: "This is going to be our life from now on!" ... it was a really strange but nice feeling. Like we're moving onto the "next stage" and although I'm sad that my baby is growing up, it is nice to see him change & mature. I'm so proud of him!

Pictures

2006-05-15T09:36:00.000+12:00

Kindergarten

2006-05-10T08:15:00.000+12:00

We finally got the phone call!
The one to say that Ethan has a place in Kindergarten!

His name has been on the waiting list for almost 2 years. Initially they told me he would get in around the age of 3 ½, but that didn’t happen. Then it was 3 years 8 months, then 3 years 10 months, and finally at 3 years 11 months, he got in.
He’s really excited about going to Kindy. His friend Devon from preschool will be turning 4 the day before Ethan, so he should be starting around the same time. We’ve got a meeting there on Friday afternoon, and the teacher said one other parent would be there with their child … so I’m hoping it is Devon!

Logistically, getting Ethan to and from Kindergarten is going to be nightmare for us. The days and hours are so weird. Mon, Tues and Thurs afternoons from 12.45pm until 3.15pm. Then after about 6 months, he will go 5 mornings from 8.45am until 11.45am (12.45pm on Wed & Fri). Mondays shouldn’t be too bad as Rob is home. Tues and Thurs both the boys are at preschool, so Rob will have to pick Ethan up from preschool after lunch and take him to Kindy, then pick him up from Kindy at 3.15pm and take him back to preschool until 5pm when I pick them up. Luckily his boss has said that’s no problem. Also, Devon’s mum has offered to pick Ethan up sometimes and take him back to their house to play with Devon until Rob finishes work (they live just around the corner from Rob’s work). Actually, both Ethan & Devon were pretty excited about that idea!
It will be tricky, but we’ll make it work. It will be really good for Ethan, and a great “transition” period before he starts school next year – yikes!

Our weekend getaway ...

2006-05-08T09:53:00.000+12:00

Rob and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with a night at the Duxton Hotel in the city. The kids stayed at my parents’ place on Friday night and all day Saturday.
We got to the Duxton at 2.30pm, then we hit the hotel gym and had a swim in the pool, then a soak in the jacuzzi (both outside, but luckily the rain had stopped so we didn’t freeze our butts off). Later on we had free drinks in the bar, then walked down to Aotea Square. We had dinner at The Playhouse, saw a movie, had dessert/coffee & watched the end of the Hurricanes game.
In the morning we slept in until 8.30am (woohoo!) and then walked into town again for breakfast at Stark's. We browsed around Smith & Caugheys and Borders. Then it was off to Victoria Park Market. We got our anniversary present there - a huge copper gecko that hangs on the wall, with a space at the back for a tealight candle. [The traditional 7-year gift is copper or wool and we’ve always given gifts according to the traditional list].

The highlight of my weekend:
On Saturday afternoon Rob organised with our friend Eddie to borrow his motorbike and take me for a ride. I'd never been on a motorbike before but Rob used to own one “back in the day”. Anyway, it was unreal. We had so much fun and now I want him to buy another bike! And new helmets. Rob likes his helmet but his spare one doesn’t fit me properly – it was too tight across my forehead. It also had no visor, so by the time we got back from our ride I had a headache, chapped lips and a runny nose! But I loved it anyway.

I'm home ... and it's our anniversary

2006-05-01T07:53:00.000+12:00

Well, I'm back from my conference. I got back Saturday night, but haven't had a chance to blog until now. I wanted to spend Sunday with my kids because I missed them SO much! Honestly, it was really hard being away from them. The second night was the worst, I had to leave one of the sessions early and go and sit out in the foyer because I was so emotional.
On Sunday morning I woke up to find Ethan's face right next to mine, he was just looking at me and waiting for me to wake up. He had the biggest grin on his face, he was so happy to see me. Then when Tyler woke up, he was calling out "mamma" so I went in to get him up and he literally jumped up and down in his cot!

Today is May 1.
Our 7th Wedding Anniversary.
Like I wrote in Rob's card, it feels like only yesterday that we got married, but at the same time it feels like we've always been together. The last 7 years have been so wonderful, I look forward to the next 7 ... or should I say 70!?

Separated from my boys

2006-04-27T08:28:00.000+12:00

I’m going to a music conference this weekend. It starts tonight (Thursday) and finishes late Saturday night. It will be the longest time I have spent away from my kids since they were born.

Ever since he was a baby, Ethan has had numerous “sleepovers” at Nana & Grandad’s, but only for one night each time. Except once, when Rob and I went away for a weekend. That was for 2 nights. When Tyler was born I only spent 2 nights in hospital, and Ethan came to visit twice anyway. Recently, both kids stayed over at my parents’ place for one night. That was Tyler’s first “sleepover”. They’re doing it again next weekend (its our wedding anniversary), but again only for one night.
This time, I won’t see my kids for more than 3 days. The conference starts tonight, but I had to say goodbye last night because I leave for work at 6.30am when the boys are still asleep, and I’ll be leaving for the conference at 4.30pm while they are still at preschool. I’ll get home around midnight on Saturday, but obviously I won’t see them until Sunday morning.

So Wednesday night until Sunday morning – that’s a long time!

Ethan was upset when I said goodbye and told him I was going away for a couple of days. I had to bribe him with promises of the things Daddy would do with them while I was gone (and then tell Rob afterwards so he would make sure to follow through). Tonight they’re having Wendy’s for dinner. You know, bribery with chicken nuggets has worked with Ethan since he was old enough to eat them! I guess they are his currency :)

Of course I am not at all worried about Rob’s ability to look after the kids by himself for 3 days. He’ll be fine. He’s such a hands-on father, I know he is not fazed at all by the prospect. I am worried about my kids missing me. Most people have been saying “oh, they’ll have such a great time, they won’t even miss you” but I don’t think that’s true. My kids love me, and they ask for me when I’m not there. Tyler often calls out for me in the mornings, even though I’ve left for work already. When they wake up in the night, they usually call for mummy.
Whether or not my kids will miss me is beside the point, anyway. I’m going to miss them, I know that for a fact!

Gingerbread People

2006-04-22T15:22:00.000+12:00

I was thinking this morning how scrapbooking and blogging are so intricately linked. Confused? Well, often I blog about things that I intend to scrapbook, and today I scrapped a page that I am now going to blog about.
I would have blogged about this earlier, but it happened almost six months ago. Therefore, I can't blog about it in the usual way. So instead I'm posting a picture of the layout I did this morning. I was actually pretty chuffed with how it turned out. And pleased that I finally got to use some of my Die Cuts With a View Retro paper that I've been hoarding for ages :-)

Enjoy.

The journalling reads:

Ethan, you had been asking me to help you make "gingerbread mans" for months. I think it was a result of watching "Shrek 2" so many times! I guess you figured if an Ogre and a Donkey could help make a Giant Gingerbread Man, then the least I could do was help you make some not-so-giant ones! You were pretty excited when the day came. We made gingerbread men and gingerbread ladies, and then decorated them appropriately. One poor guy lost his life down the waste disposal unit, but it was for the best, as he had been cut a bit thinly and got a good roasting in the oven. You were pretty distraught about losing a man, but these things are part of life, buddy. The others lived to tell the story. Until we ate them, of course.

I only wish I'd taken a photo of YOU to put with these ones. A photo of you covered with flour and icing, a photo of you stealing "just one" chocolate chip, a photo of you watching them cook in the oven. Oh well. These pictures will always remind me (and you) of the fun we had together, making your first "gingerbread people".

Way to melt a mummy's heart

2006-04-20T09:33:00.000+12:00

I always meant to post this, but I completely forgot about it until the other day when I was cleaning out my bag. I found a scrap of paper I had used to document this little conversation with Ethan, with the thought of using it for a scrapbooking layout.

Ethan & I were driving in the car one day, just the two of us.

E: Why do we have heads?
Me: So we can use our eyes, ears, nose and mouth. God made us that way.
E: God gave us …
eyes so we can see fishes …
ears so we can listen …
mouths so we can …. um, talk …
feet so we can stand up …
knees so we can … why do we have knees? …
hands so we can touch things …
arms so we can hold things …
… and God made flowers so we can choose them for somebody!

I just love the way his little mind works!! It was so lovely to hear the first thing he thought of for each of those things. Probably not the first thing I would have thought of – but that is what made it so special.
I thought the last line was especially neat, it just melted my heart.

Our Easter weekend

2006-04-18T07:21:00.000+12:00

We had a great Easter weekend.
After church on Friday morning, we headed up to Whangarei for a couple of nights. We stayed with Rob's mum and stepdad, but we also caught up with Paul & Jo, Liv & Hamish as well as Julien (Rob's dad) and Jenni.
Rob went fishing all day Saturday with Pete & Hamish, and then Ethan got to spend an hour or two out on the boat as well. He loved it! We had fresh snapper for dinner - yum!
The kids had a fantastic time collecting feijoas, feeding the cows, chasing each other around the orchard, and watching Mr. Goose. We left Whangarei around 6pm on Sunday night, which turned out to be the best time to travel. Got home just in time to put the kids to bed and watch C.S.I. together :-)

Yesterday (Easter Monday) we took the kids to the Easter Show. Mum, Dad & Leah came with us and we had the best day! Last year Ethan was too scared to go on any rides or touch the farmyard animals, and Tyler was only a baby. But this year Ethan rode a horse, fed & patted the animals at the walk-in farmyard, rode on the Ferris Wheel with Mummy, slid on the big slide with Daddy, and went on the Merry Go Round with Nana!
As expected, both boys loved the Madagascar live show.
Tyler especially loved the farmyard ... the child has no fear!!! He was pushing & shoving the sheep if they ran away from him, he tried to "ride" one of the pigs like a horse, and he wasn't shy about saying hello to any of them! He couldn't quite manage to hold the animal food in the palm of his hand so they could eat out of it - instead he kept picking up small pieces and trying to shove it into their mouths! He had such a great time running around and chasing them all. Poor animals!
Mum got the boys a Spiderman cap each - only $5! They are really cool, I'll have to post some pics of them.
Unfortunately we didn't get the see the Circus this year - the 11.30, 12.30 and 1.30 shows were all booked out by the time we went to get our tickets.

Next year the Easter Show is going to be really fun - because Ethan will be even more confident (he is getting better & better all the time) and Tyler will be old enough to do so many more things. And I know he will not be scared of anything!