A few thoughts

I am reading a very interesting book called 'Rare Moments', by Jeanette Wilson, a medium who moved from the UK to NZ a few years back and published this book last year, following her first book, 'Medium Rare' which I have yet to read. It is fascinating stuff and extremely good for the soul - she doesn't believe in 'death' and says our loved ones who have 'passed on' are around us and often may appear to us in our dreams, to let us know they are alright. I love the thought of my Mum and grandparents being close by me; it's really comforting. Read this book yourself if you think I've lost the plot, and you decide... Jeanette is a very spiritual person but freely admits she was a sceptic for much of her life, until 10 years ago. She has recently published another book named after her TV series of 2005, called 'Dare To Believe'.

Lockie and I went to his 3-monthly checkup at the hospital today, and, after parking halfway up a curb [kerb?] in the parking lot, owing to the severe lack of parking spaces - like about 50 other cars incidentally - we were seen straight away and very thoroughly. We had the usual 5 other medical people in the room, along with the paediatrician, but Lockie is used to this and performed ably. I sometimes feel I should take notes as we are often there for a good 45 minutes and a lot is said and discussed. I have three tasks to complete over the next 3 months - get a stool sample from Lockie to be tested [my least favourite task!], keep a food diary for 3 days and send to the dietician to analyse [this is just a drag], and call the paediatrician after two weeks of Lockie being on a new course of antibiotics to tell him how it's going. Game on.

I think I'll have a Garage Sale. Not sure what I will be making cash for but there are a few options. I spent a couple of hours this morning clearing clothes and toys out of wardrobes in all the bedrooms, and put them in the garage [funnily enough]. Quite a 'cleansing' experience really. But I can see that I will have to lose Lockie on the day of the sale as he will not part easily with his old toys. I will have to rope in a few friends to help me.

Today I cuddled a sleeping newborn boy [birthweight was 8lb 14oz incidentally!] for nearly an hour - my neighbour's third child. He is 8 days old and as he dozed in my arms I briefly imagined I was holding my new niece instead. His mum didn't mind! Later when I was sorting stuff for the garage sale I took a few useful baby items over to her and they were well-received.

Whew this is getting long! Last thing to mention is that I took my car for a WOF today [it's been a BUSY DAY], and it failed because of one tyre needing replacing. Just gotta find the locking nut so they can remove the wheel now... My WOF ticket was so faded I didn't notice the date and see now it expired nearly 3 weeks ago...oops.

Water water water!

I took Lockie to the Karori Pool this morning and he had a great time. He practised doing somersaults underwater for ages. Bella and I didn't go in the water as she has a cold. The place was full of littlies and way more Dads than Mums in the pool. No harm done there for spectators like me!

We came home for lunch and Bella was just down for a nap when a friend turned up and offered to take Lockie swimming at J'Ville Pool with her granddaughter! He was keen so headed off with them for the afternoon and I had a nap myself :) Aaah, bliss. 

Funny faces

Bella and Lockie were making 'beds' on the lounge floor this evening. Lockie likes to sleep in his sleeping bag at night occasionally, although he rarely lasts more than an hour before slipping into his bed!

Another rainy bleak Wellington day. We went out for a bit, we got wet. End of story.  

Shock! Horror!

Once I reached page 200 of my book I discovered that the heroine [Anna] is actually a widow - she's 33 and was married for less than a year. So now I'm depressed. Marian Keyes does that though: she writes with a hilarious quirky Irish style and throws 'serious life issues' into every one of her books...but I still like her stuff anyway. Just not sure if it's really 'chick lit'.

'Tis raining and bleak this afternoon. Spent much of the morning sipping tea and chatting at a neighbour's house, with another neighbour who is awaiting the birth of her third child - she's a week off her due date. Our 3 littlies played together nicely [mostly]. Bella was thrilled to get her hands on a full-on wooden Thomas the Tank Engine set-up, although she pretty much demolished it. The owner [aged 3] was very good about it. He wants his Mum to have a baby girl so was very sweet to Bella.

Red in the morning

I took this photo around 7:20am today, as I wanted my family to see it too, only I was the first one up. Had to mix the pancake batter you see. We always have pancakes on Sunday mornings and I could mix them with my eyes closed - sometimes I nearly do.

This morning was Lockie's second time at soccer, and once more he excelled in enthusiasm and even kicked the ball a few times. I even nipped away for 20 minutes in the middle to go to the shops - don't worry, I put a team member's grandparents in the picture first, and I'd told Lockie I'd be doing this - he didn't notice I was gone anyway. I had to book a haircut for him as the shaggy dog look was getting beyond a joke. So we trotted down to the mall after soccer, and left a short while later for home, one of us looking very trim and tidy, and the other looking windblown and a bit scruffy [me]. Spent the rest of the day pottering around the house - Bella is so good at doing her own thing, which is lovely as I can do my own thing too, and we are each comfortable with that. She comes and goes from the room, often pushing a doll in a buggy, or in a shopping trolley, with a bag over her arm, waving goodbye as she passes through. Cute as.

I am reading the latest Marian Keyes novel ['Anybody Out There'] and I am worried I'll be unable to get through it before it's due back at the library. I waited several weeks to get it on reserve so cannot return it late as someone else will be waiting for it. In my defense, it is nearly 600 pages long and the fattest book I've read in a long while. BTW, its main character is called Anna. Nice.

Watched 'Narnia' again tonight on DVD with Fraz. Not as powerful on a TV screen but still a gorgeous movie. Lucy is so adorable. We borrowed it from new friends we have made. They are fresh to Wellington from New Plymouth so I'm going to help them find their feet in the area if I can. They have two boys and a baby on the way. The eldest boy is a week younger than Lockie. They've played together and may become friends hopefully. A pity they go to different schools though. 

Big Red Car

Here's Bella in her Big Red Car, checking out the stamp on her hand that she got at Story Time at the library this morning. Today a good friend gave us this Cozy Coupe car with its top missing and quite a bit of scuffing and fading, and she LOVES it. As I write this, Lockie is pushing her around the house endlessly - she hasn't figured out how to push it along herself, Flintstone-style. He really wants to drive it himself, but I am trying to convince him that he is just too big.

Fraz is away tonight in Auckland at a managers' conference, and he has given Lockie the role of 'Boss of the House'. Funnily enough, Lockie realised this was a thankless task only 5 minutes in and handed the power back to me... No, but seriously, I had a lovely Mothers' Day on Sunday, with chocolates and a tiny glass Guardian Angel from the kids, and a gorgeous dinner from Frazer. And Lockie and I hung out all morning at a special viewing of 'Narnia' at The Penthouse, and then picnic-lunched at Mt Vic Lookout, although we had to eat in the car as icy rain was falling at the time. A great day! 

WELCOME TO OUR WORLD

I wanted to be the first aunty to blog about my brand-new niece! She is a beautiful baby girl, named Elizabeth and she lives far away in sunny(?) London, and was born on 9 May. Hearty congrats to my awesome big sis and her lovely hubby and Elizabeth's big sis too. Have heard no details so am waiting in anticipation of them, as we mums must stick together in sharing our birth stories with each other!

Fraz's Bday Drama

What a man! Here's my Dad, perched high in the mountains of Nepal, looking quite comfortable in these snowy surroundings. This picture was taken on a recent trip there with a bunch of like-minded NZers. I have yet to hear all the stories but I'm looking forward to that. My Dad is awesome!

We are almost back to full health in our house and not a day too soon I say. A few boxes of tissues and several days later, Bella and I are nearly over our colds and coughs, and this week should hopefully be a 'normal' one, with me going to work and Bella to childcare, etc - unlike last week.

This morning I took Lockie along to his first session with the North Wellington Junior Soccer Club - he is in the Nursery Grade [!?] in a team called The Wolves, and was all kitted out with soccer boots [cleats!], shinpads [compulsory], and long thick socks to keep out the pre-winter chill. It was a drizzly morning with icy winds so it was with some trepidation that I went along. Contrary to my expectations Lockie had a great time and we parents had lots of laughs watching the kids gang up on the ball as they had a couple of 10-minute 'games', and a couple of sets of 'ball skills' [happy feet was a cute one]. Frazer had lit the fire at home so I was able to thaw out eventually. Not surprisingly, Lockie wasn't cold at all after all that racing around. I was delighted to find we can recoup all our costs for Lockie's sports from Breath4cf.

Yesterday some b****** broke into Frazer's car while he was at work, smashing a window and rifling through the glovebox. It was parked in a parking building in Lower Hutt, where he always parks. [This happened last year too, in a nearby caprpark.] What is it with the Hutt? Anyway, it's more a nuisance as nothing of value was taken, and insurance covers the smashed window. Ironically, it meant Fraz got home late from work, and this delayed his BIRTHDAY DINNER celebrations. What bad luck to have this happen on his birthday!

Cherub

Today I took a walk in my lunchbreak, through a park next to my work. It was sunny, but I could smell a familiar dampness emanating from the bush that signified that rain had recently fallen. The gravel crunched pleasingly under my sneakers and several tuis were warbling busily. I watched as one sang on, the cottonwool quivering beneath its beak, oblivious to my presence for a moment, before spying me and flitting to the safety of a further branch. To complete the tranquility, a hidden stream merrily babbled, as streams do. Felt quite meditative. I don't often do this without my children and it was refreshing to not speak to anyone.

It has been a while since I managed to get myself sorted to blog. I have celebrated our birthday since then, and my dear twin has spent 10 days here with me - oh what shopping we did do! Unfortunately for her, the last 5 days of her holiday Bella was ill with gastroenteritis and this consumed a lot of my time and energy [cleaning up all the vomit and poo...]. My twin was extremely good about that and just the most helpful person I could have asked for. A BIG THANK YOU!!! Now she has returned to the land of Oz and I am planning my trip to go visit her there later in the year. I have a few misgivings about leaving the kids alone with their Dad for a week though. Shall just have to get over it - what's the worst he can do??!?! [Don't answer that - I don't want to know!]

BTW, when I show Bella this photo of herself she calls it 'bubba' and looks quite bemused when I tell her it is herself! 

Counting down the days

Bella has survived her first week at daycare [all two days of it!] and I feel hopeful that she will be good from now on. Not that I don't expect angst from her at drop-off time of course. I'm sure she feels it is her duty to make me feel guilty at dumping her while I swan off on my own and do adult stuff.

Anyway I am hanging out to hang out with my Sydney sis - and she'll be flying in in only a few more days...yippee! Bella said her name quite clearly yesterday so that's cool. Bella is popping out all sorts of words now - she learned 'shadow' and now pipes up with this every time she spots her own one. So clever. I love the way toddlers have unique personalities - this never fails to fascinate and surprise me, cos they are so little and barely speaking [English that is] and yet they have so many little 'ways' already. Bella cocks her head to one side and raises her hands in a questioning gesture as if she requires an answer from me. People who don't know her often comment on how clever she is to be walking, etc, as if she is a lot younger than her 18 months. I know she's little, but not that little surely!?

Keeping Bell Happy

In a few days Bella will start officially at a local childcare centre, for two days a week [their minimum]. She has spent a few half-days there over the last week, to help settle her in, at which time she refused to eat the lunches they offered, nor sleep for very long. Not a promising start, but it can only get better, right?!? She was really pissed off with me when I left her each time, but was notably happier when I returned to collect her. Helps assuage my guilt at dumping her there and scurrying off to the gym... of course I'll be scurrying off to work instead this week.

In this photo she is clutching a bowl that she was banging with a spoon and nearby is her bucket which she fills with toys and carts around the house. She is nearly 18 months old now, and still has only 5 teeth...I look every day for more but no luck so far. A friend has pointed out [on more than one occasion] that she has quite large teeth, to which I reply that they fit her perfectly. When you think about it, a baby's teeth need to be a bit largish as they keep them for several years and a big 6-year-old with tiny teeth looks a bit odd. 

Sunday Fun Day

Lockie kindly let me photograph him on his brand new physio table. It's a massage table too, as the guy who made it mentioned when he dropped it off last week. That explains the face hole at one end [Lockie thinks it's pretty funny!]

He was real keen to have his physio for the first few days, and even wanted it more than twice a day. Of course, this hasn't lasted and he is back to moaning about it like normal. It folds up neatly and we leave it in the hall, although today Bella managed to pull it over on herself which gave her quite a fright. It's pretty heavy so I squeezed her limbs to feel for broken bones but luckily she was fine. Apparently babies are born with 300 bones, and by adulthood they only have 206. [Thanks to Libra for this handy info.]

Today Lockie's school had a fair ["Fun Day"] and he and I cruised down there and had a great time. He tried out several of the attractions - lucky dip, 10-pin bowling, merry-go-round, bouncy castle, gumboot toss, candle-dipping, jeeps [he drove and I helped and we both giggled a lot!], and tile smash - he knocked down all 4 plates and got several small prizes and was very very proud of himself. Later we had saussies from a BBQ and fudge from a sweet stall. All typical Kiwi school gala stuff and I only spent $20! Not that we came away with much, but it was loads of fun for both of us.

Later today Fraz took Lockie out for tea and they came home with "Maybe Tomorrow" single from Goldenhorse on CD. Lockie's school is learning this song and he sings it at home often. Now Fraz is going to teach him how to play it on his guitar. Gotta feeling Lockie is going to follow in his Dad's musical footsteps...  

Swashbuckler

Here's Lockie on his way to a friend's pirate birthday party today. The eye-patch was removed in the car a few minutes later, but the bandana stayed put for hours. He had a great time, and later in the day Frazer taught him another chord on his guitar, so that's 3 he can play now - enough for a tune! He looks so little behind his guitar, despite it being a half-size model.

Last night I went to see Bic Runga at MFC with my friend Judi. We got there a bit late and caught the last song from hilarious support act 'The Flight of the Conchords' and wished we could have seen more. But then Bic and her studio band came onstage and blew us away. She sang all the songs from her new album 'Birds', and many more familiar songs too, finishing with my favourite, "Drive". I can't say enough good things about Bic - she has such a unique, almost haunting voice and her songs are just beautiful. A multi-talented woman - she can even cut hair - namely my littlest sister's!

It was sunny today - this is noteworthy only because it's rained every day for the past week [at least] and everyone's been grumbling about Winter arriving early, etc. The rain is supposed to return tomorrow. Typical.

Morning After

I actually went out on St Patricks Day last night!!! This is rare for me and I had a groovy time on the sticky dancefloor of JJ Murphys with 2 friends whom I first met exactly 8 years ago, at a gig of Frazer's then band, Zoo Station. I don't see much of them these days but we'll always be friends. It was worth the half hour queue to get in and all the bright green clothes people seemed to feel obliged to wear. I actually forgot the occasion so was dressed more demurely [what an old fart!]
My boots were great though, and Bella loves them. Yawn, am a bit sleep deprived now. Hopefully I can get away with a quiet Saturday today.

I'm finding this blog thing more of a chore than I should, and I feel absurdly guilty about it. I mean, it's pretty self-indulgent to rattle on about my kids, my complaints, and books I read! But that's just the nature of it I guess. Once I do get around to it it's fun. And I occasionally get a comment from a friend about how much they enjoy reading it and this makes it all worthwhile.

BTW, I read a good book recently - The Children Of The Dust, can't remember the author. A woman I work with said she had studied it in 3rd form English, so I thought it might be worth a try. It's set over 55 years and chronicles several generations of Britons, starting with the nuclear war that all but destroyed the entire world. It's really hopeful at the end though. I couldn't help thinking that it would make a great mini-series....OMG I am a product of too much TV viewing... 

Guitar Man

Here's my boy - Mr Guitar Man! Well, Fraz has finally succumbed to pressure and bought his son a geetar. It's a half-size model and I forget the brand. Anyway, Frazer and Lockie have worked their way through 2 music theory books to get to the stage of actually handling a real live guitar, and Lockie is so proud of it! Not that this makes him any more likely to practise it, although he has told a friend of mine that he prefers to practise his guitar over watching Playhouse Disney channel on TV...yeah right. He's lost a couple of picks already down into the soundhole so it rattles a bit. [He won't accept help to get them out]. To those who are astute enough to notice, it's a left-handed model, because the poor kid takes after both his parents in that respect. It's a bloody bugger to get hold of decent left-handed electric guitars apparently, or so Fraz would tell it, and he should know, having played guitar for about 26 years now.

I like to think Bella may also be musical - she chimes in quite tunefully when I sing 'Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day'. And she too is handy with a guitar pick - when I can persuade her to keep it out of her mouth...

Today I took Bella over to the house of the new woman who will be minding her one day each week. She has a daughter a few weeks older [but several cm taller], and loads of lovely toys. Bella was interested in the place but only if I was in view. I sure hope it works out OK as Bella was so settled at the last caregiver's but that only lasted 6 months. I have put her name on the waiting list at a few childcare centres but at least two of them were reluctant to even put her name down - as if their current waiting list was miles long and I would never get a place! I insisted anyway. Apparently next year the Govt. has decreed that we can get 20 hours free childcare per week. Sounds good, but I've been advised to get Bella's name down at as many places as practical to ensure she gets a place somewhere. Hmmm. Seems quite political.

Lockie saw his paediatrician a couple of days ago and he has given him on a course of antibiotics [to kick a persistent cough] that requires me to wake him at 6am to take a pill, and for his teacher at school to administer two doses also - they've gotta be on an empty stomach which is actually quite hard to work out. It seems he normally eats a lot more frequently than fits the prescription needs. 3 weeks of this better be worth it...

At least the check-up was a good one. There's a new treatment for CF pioneered in Australia [hypertonic saline] that is being discussed at the next NZ CF Conference in Christchurch in May and Lockie's paediatrician is very interested in this subject and the possibility of good benefits for young CF sufferers like Lockie. Sounds good. 

Big Girl now

The smile on her face says it all - Bella loves her new stroller very much. She never used to look twice at the doll [bought for Lockie a few years back] but now it serves a purpose! After I took this photo she tried to climb into the stroller and suck on baby's head... Turned out she wanted a breastfeed. Easy mistake to make?

Bell has been unwell for over a week now, with nappy woes and a short temper being the main symptoms. Also, waking in the night has been a regular thing lately [yawn!], but the last couple of nights she's pulled it together and slept through. I dropped into the doctor's surgery with a poo sample for testing last Friday but it turned out it went missing [like who would possibly want to take it??!?!] so we did another one this morning. She's got a bit of upheaval coming up over the next couple of weeks as her Thursday caregiver is [sob sob] having to call it quits as her own work hours have changed. So it's the last day with Fiona this week, and next week a day with another friend, and then hopefully I can settle her in with yet another friend on a temporary basis until I can get a place sorted at a local childcare centre. It's enough to make me want to give up work but as Jo pointed out - I really do love going to work, so will persevere and hope for the best.

Yikes just noticed it's after 2 and Bella is still napping, so will need to wake her and shovel some lunch in before the school pickup... 

Peekaboo

Yesterday Lockie whispered to me [Bella was in the room too], that he didn't really like Bella at all. I said surely there was one thing he liked about her, but he couldn't think of a thing. What's that about I wonder - how long does the sibling jealousy thing continue? Despite this, he often tells me how cute she is and gives her kisses and hugs, so I'm not too worried. Personally I can't see a thing not to adore about this wee girl! She's been a bit unwell with a tummy bug lately, but is still chirpy and happy mostly [when she stopped vomiting!!]

Have just finished a rather riveting book, if not a grim and ghastly one: 'I Choose To Live' by Sabine Dardenne. She is the 22-year-old survivor of the Monster of Belgium, Marc Dutroux, who kidnapped her at age 12, and kept her as his sex slave in hideous conditions for 80 days, before her rescue. He had previously raped, tortured and murdered several other young girls, with the complicity and full knowledge of his wife... I vaguely remember the media stories about this case, back in 1996. Not a happy book obviously. Makes me want to lock up my children away from harm almost...lucky I'm not the paranoid sort. 

Gotta get a life...

I have learnt a valuable lesson about sending emails. Once you press that button to send one, it's gone and you cannot grab it back and change a word... yeah, I know this is obvious but I sure wished I could have done that last night when I inadvertently forwarded on a personal message that was just for me, to most members of my family. In the clear light of morning I hoped my sister would see the funny side of things and luckily for me, she did. I count myself very lucky that I am not in one of those dysfunctional families where grown adults send each other to Coventry like sulky pre-teens over silly misunderstandings or foolish mistakes. I know of several families like this and I can't understand them at all! Sure, we hurt the ones we love more than anyone else, but the power to forgive is a wonderful thing and who better to practise this skill on but our own flesh and blood?

OK, enough preaching! Last night I found myself watching 'Trading Spouses' on TV and I couldn't tear myself away! The Americans can really do it can't they. Two wives, with EXTREMELY opposite lifestyles were uprooted and swapped over for two weeks or so and boy was it weird to watch. These shows are so voyeuristic but if that's your bag you would have loved last night's viewing. [I've never watched it before, honest!] One woman was a hypnotherapist New Age spiritual-type person from Boston, and the other was a larger-than-life Louisianian OTT Christian-type who prayed aloud constantly and dry-retched violently over imagined smells and had 'bad feelings' about almost everything her new family did and said! She had to call on every member of the Deity and waddle away as fast as she could when brought into the presence of a confused psychic [?]. Wacko. Must tune in next week for the next exciting instalment. No, I mean it!

itch itch scratch

So I'm sitting here feeling so itchy I could scratch...but I don't cos that makes it worse! My mum-in-law suggested today I should cut back on supplements so I will stop taking Fish Oil capsules and multi-vites and see if it helps. I've never been allergic to anything so this is mega-frustrating. I should NOT be developing allergies in my mid-30s!!!!!

Here's Bella with her Bratz drink bottle, wearing jeans and sneakers [for the first time in her life!] and looking scarily grownup I reckon. She loved stomping around the house in these sneakers [hand-me-downs from a friend] and didn't want to take them off at bath-time even. She normally wears sandals or soft leather-soled shoes, so this is a big step-up for her.

I just love watching Bella and Lockie puddling around the house and just doing their thang - I am so lucky that I only work a few hours a week. I just don't know how those full-time working mums do it! When I think back to when Lockie was the same as age as Bella, I really don't remember much, so I am soaking the memories of Bella now deep into my brain - and taking lots of photos and a bit of video footage for luck. Hope it works, this childhood/babyhood thing is so fleeting really.

Really tired now...

Too tired to bother with a photo even. Yesterday I finally succumbed to the germs flying around our house and am now suffering a fully-fledged and disgusting common cold. Am feeling really grotty and exhausted - and today just seemed to drag on and on... brilliant sunny bright day and I certainly felt only like curling up in a ball and sleeping it away. Of course, with two kids to care for this just didn't happen. I nearly got a midday nap but Bella decided she would only take 1 hour herself, instead of her usual 2 hours, so that idea got stymied.

It was the perfect day to go see the 'Goldilocks' play outdoors at Khandallah Park this afternoon, but we didn't get there. A shame as I have been told it's great, and even interactive for the kiddywinkles. Not that Lockie has been into that kind of thing in the past but he's a big boy now. He came home on Friday with a special 'kapai' certificate that he had received in assembly at school, for 'trying hard at everything he does'. His teacher had mentioned that morning he would be getting it, and said he is a model student and very attentive. Chest swelled with pride at that comment! Bless his cotton socks I say.

Have been sorting loads more stuff for selling on TradeMe but have grown tired of loading them onto the website, and have stopped at 20 items [kids' clothes, and books], and have decided I may attempt to sell the rest of the clothes at the Ngaio Plunket Sale, which is coming up next month. I made about $50 at the sale last year and am sure I can do better this year. It's a great concept - I label the clothes with my price, and a code specific to me, and they sell on my behalf and a small percentage of the sales goes to Plunket. Then later I go collect my cheque and any items that didn't sell. So I don't even have to be there on the day, although there are so many bargains to be had that I'll be there for sure.

Yawn, now it is time to go to bed - alone, as Fraz is out gigging tonight. He better not wake me when he comes home in the middle of the night... Maybe if I wasn't still breastfeeding I could take some drugs for my fuggy head and actually feel better [or not I s'pose - those Codral-type drugs make my mouth horribly dry, from distant memory].