little bites of happy

Little boy hand picked flowers just for me. Although I can't actually have them, they have live in his schoolbag (?)

Little girl offerings to the printer gods

She finally "got" toddler ballet and utterly loves it. Yes this is actually one of her ballet moves... it's called the "crouch down and spring up"...

Ice creams on the beach together on a rare sunny Auckland November Saturday (note drip on the chin- he just lurves "dalilla" ice cream!!)

Putting dolly and lion to sleep and then sleeping on top of them- Plunket would have a heart attack!

Happy weekend friends!!!

tradition sweetness

This year we made the annual trip to the Christmas tree heaven shop with the cousins. It was chaotic and lots of fun. The idea is that each child gets to choose an ornament of their own. No boundaries, well, except the giant stuffed reindeer costing over $800....

This is the first year that Rupi has really understood the tradition. And he just loved it. While Blossom ran around the shop creating havoc he carefully selected his own ornament. Which was....

...an ENORMOUS lolly (sweet)! He truly is his mother's son as this is excatly what I would have chosen as a child! It dominates the whole one side of the tree and makes me giggle every time I look at it. All of his ornaments are carefully hung close to each other and he relates the story of each again and again.

This is Blossom's. I chose it for her as she was randomly selecting candles, lights, tinsel and carrying them all around the store. Bless.

I love this silly little tradition! It doesn't take away from the true meaning of Christmas and provides a great introduction into the Christmas season. Traditions bind family together and this one doesn't get much better!

2011  

2010

2009/ 2008

my crowning glory

“Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.

Isaiah 54: 1

We had a family shoot with these amazing photographers. They did my MIL's shoot and I loved their photos and they way they handled the kids, so booked them for my business shots and a family session.

They asked to use the kiddies as models last week (ummm yes!) and those photos are amazing. I can't wait to get copies of the images!

I highly recommend them and they have given me some vouchers to hand out to my clients or people like me. By that I mean, people who turn up on time and are polite. So if that's you, and of course it is, and you would use a voucher, say so in the comments and I will organise one for you x

spaceman delight

I think it's fair to say that Rupi had the best day of his life yesterday. Yeah, it was good. Which makes the stress and late nights and crazy cost and the advent of psycho woman emerging at times, well worth it.

It was good!

For his party we booked the YMCA party room. The horde of small boys (and occasional girl) also had the run of the whole auditorium with all the equipment for the whole party. A YMCA trainer played with them and tried to organize games. It was like herding cats and I felt sorry for her. She was young and had no idea about the combined testosterone levels of a bunch of small boys.

They emerged for afternoon tea and we played a few games and opened presents and it was easy. Ok, it wasn't easy and due to a lack of sleep (on Dida's part with the kiddies) and my pre party stress levels there were a few marital moments while hanging the bunting. Just keeping it real.... But once we got going and Dida drank a giant energy drink, all was well.

Anyway.

I did the requested "Spaceman" theme. Bunting, balloons and murals made the room look fabulous. The food was all dairy free and exactly the same as Blossom's party. I think I may have to mix it up a bit for Blossom's next party.

 The cake was a rocket and had part of it dairy free with american frosting for icing which is totally dairy free. We had sparkler coming out the bottom which the little boys adored. Dida tried to make a speech but Rupi got embarrassed and shouted him down. It was super funny!

One the way home Rupi said that it was a "wonnerful party" and that, my friends, is all we needed to hear! Love it.

The best day ever for the fourth time

Darling boy, you are 4 years old today! In fact just 4 years and half an hour ago, you were born and we became parents. The breakthrough arrived!

These last 4 years have been the happiest of our lives. You are such a joy, precious little man. You bring laughter and light and passion into our lives.

I am so proud to be your Mama. You delight me.

I pray that the year ahead is filled with the knowledge of the presence of God, blessing and peace.

I love you so much,

Love Mama

Third best day ever

Second best day ever

First best day ever

my ride

Even if you are only 3 years old and you don't have much to work with... the urge to pimp your ride and stand next to it with a thumbs-up sign, is deep rooted and part of your male DNA..

LOVE IT!

processing adoption

It's been a bit of a mystery about how to talk to Rupi about his adoption. I even got a book about talking to young children about adoption it but they didn't give any practical ideas. Just theory and stories. So we've just winged it a bit. We talk about how Rupi grew in Sweetpea's tummy and then came out of her tummy into Mama's arms. We have a life book for him that has lots of pictures and stories including everything Sweetpea ever sent us. We read it and talk about it, but we've been unsure as to how much he understands.

So we're driving to pre-school last week and talking. Rupi has just grasped the concept of someone being more than one thing. I am his mother and a sister and a girl and a daughter. We were talking about this and he asked about Dida so we named all his names (father/ brother/ son/ boy). He then asked about me then Cate, then paused...

Rupi: "What about Sweetpea, Mama?"

Me: (BIG pause, bigger breath) "Well Sweetpea is a girl and she's a sister and a daughter. And...she's your birth-mother because you grew in her tummy".

Rupi: "Uh... And what about J?"

Me: (Help me Jesus) "Well, he's a boy and a brother and a son. And he's your birth-father as he helped you get into Sweetpeas's tummy".

Rupi: "Oh ok, can we sing Wheels on the Bus now?"

The amazing thing about it all is that he asked about Sweetpea and J straight after us and before any of the other really close people in how life. And we've never put Sweetpea and J together and talked about them as a duo. They were never really a couple and he's never seen them together. I got to use the terms birth mother and birth father with him and it seemed to go well.

He's obviously processing things positively and I guess all we can do is answer honestly and keep talking!

made it

We made it. Through one long 11 week term without the nanny. It was tough and crazy but now we know that we can do it. The kiddies are tired and so are we but we made it.

Blossom is going through one crazy time of pants wetting at pre-school. She's fine at home but there she's Queen Wet-Pants. As you can imagine (being low on drama and analysis) I have tormented myself about this. Did we put her in too early? Is she being hurt? Is she scared of the toilets? On and on. The teachers put it down to her being too busy doing things and forgetting or not wanting to bother. For the sake of my sanity, I am agreeing. And buying more undies and leggings.

Rupi is having his own crisis. He likes to read about dinosaurs and loves anything that features a large man eating animal. All well and good until the middle of the night. Between nightmares about big teeth "getting him/ me/ Dida/ Blossom" and growing pains in his knees, sleep is scarce. So this week I had him in bed with me and Dida slept in Rupi's single bed (haha!). So when Rupi wakes I put an arm out and cuddle him. The shadows have disappeared from beneath his eyes but not sure of the long term viability of sleeping separately to my husband!

Still, these are minor blips and we made it. We made it to the school holidays! I still have next week to negotiate between work and kids but in the second week of the holidays we are going away for 4 nights. No internet, no computers, just us. And that will be bliss.

Happy school holidays!

P.S. Photos from Normanton Park, on the North Shore. This park is the bomb.

good life

Loving life right now. It's mental and insane and also wonderful. This is the "dream life" and I also know that a good life is not an easy life. So life is tough and a little bit overwhelming but also super good.

Work is exploding and I am tired. But I still have Wednesdays off and a little bit of Fridays. Tomorrow we do the zoo again and the kids are really excited.

This is my face- shattered or what? Hello watery eyes...

But then these faces make it all worth while! Better go and get Blossom who is asleep in the car (in the garage with the doors locked- stupid I am not)

And woohoo for SPRING around the corner. Two words 'Praise Jesus', I am not a happy camper in winter. It's starting to get much lighter in the morning and I can smell the warmer weather coming. Bring it on!

playing

This morning there was the kind of playing I have dreamed of. Extended, sweet and no-one cried. It was bliss.

It was a boat apparently with all their supplies on board including beanbags and blankets. They and their pet stuffed animals were taking refuge away from the circling sharks. Love it.

the backseat

My love of blogging is suffering as we settle into this new phase of our lives- the nanny-free phase. It's good, really good. We miss Mel, but this new phase is good for us.

The stretch comes in trying to fit work into it all. So I find myself working almost every night for a couple of hours. I don't mind in the least, but it does not leave any time for blogging. Poor blogging is firmly in the back seat!

[So is reading and commenting on my favorite blogs. I love you muchly, even through there's a silence from my end!]

Today on Adventure Wednesday we visited the museum. Auckland has an amazing museum with free entry for Auckland residents. Woop! The children's ages mean that most of the experience is way over their heads but they did love it all anyway.

There is an incredible "Weird and wonderful" kids area, full of stuffed animals (the real ones), insects, fish and so much more. Some of it was totally gross to me, like the glass box full of cockroaches, but it was fascinating for the kiddies.

I got busted big time by one of the security people. You can't take ANY food or drink into the actual museum and I bought a coffee just before we went in. I stuck it down in the stroller storage unit knowing I was being a very bad person. I was happily sneaking sips when I was busted and endured a lecture in front of a bunch of about 400 Korean students. The shame.

I also realized that I am going to have to get with the program and start learning what things are and how they work. A "big picture creative style" is not going to cut the mustard with kids. For now I can mumble an answer to "what is that?"/ "how does that work?"/ "what is that called?" or even better make something up that sounds kind of right...but sooner or later someone is going to call my bluff.

In my defense, it's actually a skill to sound as if you know what you are talking about even when you have no idea, and one that I have used to great effect over the years in my career. It gives you the wriggle room to find out what you need to know. Possibly won't work with kids????

it's not you, it's me

I am culling my reading list. I just can't read some blogs anymore. They are not good for my soul.

I love "warts and all" blogs. The ones that show the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. The real ones. I can't do the ones that show only the good. I end up comparing my life to their blog and feel all inferior and horrible.

I don't mean that we have to let it all hang out. Some of my favorite blogs are cooking blogs. But in-between the lines of the recipes and in the odd post you get a glimpse of them. Their triumphs and struggles, battles and emotions.

I know that there are some that don't like the "warts and all" blogs. People that like to read about only the good side of life and I think it's great that there are so many different types of blogs out there. It would be boring if we were all the same, wouldn't it?

So, for those whose blogs I choose not to read anymore, it's me not you. I don't blog for an audience but for a group of people I would be "in real life" friends with if we ever met. Friends I could have a coffee with, share a bar of chocolate with and laugh with. In short, with you. If you read this, you ARE a "warts and all" person and I appreciate you.

And... we had the second Adventure Wednesday today. We took my Mom along and rode a carousel. We caught a ferry to the city, walked for miles and ate delicious food. Then caught the ferry back again. Loved it!

 Long live Adventure Wednesdays!