Uphill Journeys.

Mary and Joseph have begun their long and arduous journey to Bethlehem. Each morning, the children discover how much ground the Holy couple and their donkey covered while they slept. 

Sometimes, their journey is an uphill struggle, not unlike ours in our current season of life. The end of the school year teasingly beckons, sooo close yet lurking just beyond our grasp. We are all tired and ready to be done with the school year. 

The husband, at school, battles waves of unmotivation from students who are sick of lessons and learning.

At home, our little man is an emotional minefield of mostly happy peppered with sudden meltdowns and knee-jerk aggression that all but incapacitate everyone with earshot. It is so hard to be three and to have to understand why we have to come inside for dinner ("but I want to play outside"), or why we have to go to bed. That's a rundown of the needs and developmental stage of one child. Put all four together and it's... A lot. 

We are well and truly knackered by the end of the day, but still need (or want?) to reset the house for a new day. 

Uphill journey.

It's a sweat while we're in the thick of it, but perhaps there is hope for a beautiful view at the end of it.

Our nativity scene in the prayer room seems empty at the moment, calling out to be filled with more than just the sheep who inhabit it at the moment. The empty, hopeful stable is our hearts at Advent. We know joy awaits. 

Up Mt Wellington.

Turns out the trick to getting my offspring to go out on a walk with me anywhere is to not tell them where we're going until the very last minute.

Big boy, as volcanic peak comes into view: Mum, are we going to walk up Mt Wellington?

Me: ding ding!

He groans loudly, and I hear a few cheers from the back of the car. Big girl is excited and it's our little man's absolute favourite volcanic peak. 

Not only do we make it up to carpark level (pedestrian access only, no cars allowed up anymore), with him leading the way, but we also make it to the summit. 

It is a beautiful day and we enjoy the breeze and play a few rounds of I Spy. We consult Google and learn about scoria rock and that the Mount's last eruption was 10,000 years ago.

We meet a dog owner whose dog has lost its ball and my helpful children decide to help look for the ball. The ball is found and the owner lets us pet her border collie and our big boy throws a ball for it.

We are learning heaps being home and together. Our big girl learned to tie her own shoelaces in two days and now ties bows on everything. Our big boy made breakfast for his siblings.. Wraps with melted butter and cheese. That's him holding plates of grilled cheese.. Plain grilled cheese that they eat like cheese is going out of fashion.

I'm exhausted at the end of each day, more so this week as the husband has taken on more work at school, but it's priceless watching these guys grow, play and fight together. Well, the fighting, I could do with less of. Heh. 

Arrr!

These two spent the morning constructing a pirate ship out of boxes and popsicle sticks. 

Also, covid tests came back negative and the children were elated to be released back onto the street with their friends. 

Marathon Monday.

Coming hot on the heels of an exceptionally long Sunday, Monday was pretty painful. For the husband and I, that is. The children looked like they had a great time. Did some work in the morning, our big boy made a "photo printer" (where he gets his ideas I'll never know) out of a cardboard roll and an empty yoghurt container.

"Mum with a moustache" gave them a good laugh. 

We made pizza for lunch, and it was one pineapple chunk on the pizza, one into the mouth for our little lady. 

Pizza dough ended up on top of the fridge when our big boy decided he wanted to try his hand at spinning pizza bases instead of rolling them out. 🍕

You can probably imagine my immense relief when the husband walked in the door after school! Passing the baton on, tapping out!

Well, that doesn't really happen for us but it sure was nice to have reinforcements.

We did painting:

And ended the day with breakfast for dinner... Pikelets, sausages, broccoli.

We're still waiting on covid results soo all I can say is...Tuesday, be kind.

Weekend Blues.

We enjoyed a barbecue with neighbours over the weekend, and the weather has been lovely. Unfortunately, our big girl and little man woke up with a cold and sore throat respectively this morning so we are now waiting on covid test results (still not rapid testing for us here).

They were very brave for the nasal swabs. No tears. They had a maccas breakfast treat after, and having something nice to look forward to might have helped too.

Keeping our little man indoors was tricky though, and he was pretty cranky all day. Not the best company, really. By evening the husband and I escaped into the backyard and found solace in some garden work. Things got better at dinner and after, definitely.

I'm hoping results come back soon, and are negative. 

A piece of art done on a polystyrene board today. Apparently, there is a man, a treasure chest and a letterbox in that picture.

Back to School!

The older children were back in school today after three months of being away. They were up bright and early and we popped by a lovely bakery on the way for the children to take a pastry to school each to give their teachers. They were happy to get to school early enough to play with their friends. 

The younger ones and I went to the library, another first in three months. We were warmly greeted by the usual familiar faces there and brought back a bagful of new books.

The day passed quickly. I enjoyed having the focused hours with my youngest ones, but was also very happy to greet the older two at the end of the school day. They reported lots of play time, not so much work and lots of hand sanitising. We went to get ice cream to celebrate their first day back! 

This feels like a step towards normalcy, or at least a new normal.

Our little lady is a keen helper in the kitchen. We made coconut curry mince for dinner and she helped with cutting tofu. The tofu, needless to say, ended up in all shapes and sizes. The older ones were very appreciative of the meal because our littlest helped prepare it. :) 

Ambury Regional Park.

The husband was home today, and the weather was looking good, so we packed some lunch and drove to Ambury Regional Park.

The children got to hang out with chickens (they were thrilled to spot freshly laid eggs in a coop), lambs, and cows. They didn't like the minefield of poop so much, though.

The last time we visited was with Granny and Grandpa in 2017.

We stopped by the Strawberry Farm for fresh strawberry ice cream before heading home. It was a special day out on what's usually a work day for papa.

The husband harvested some french beans and watermelon radish, which went into dinner: Brown butter vegetable medley with rosemary. It was tasty and colourful. 

Meticulous planning and care go into the entire process, and even as he harvests now, the husband's already had to think about what to plant next. We are certainly enjoying the fruits of his hard work!

Tiger on the Street.

In school, the children practice lockdown drills. The teachers tell them to imagine that a tiger has escaped from the zoo and is in the school. They are taught to hide in class with curtains drawn and doors closed until it is safe. 

There was a domestic violence situation in one of our neighbours' homes today, and we were involved in helping one of the parties involved.

Our children were playing outside with friends at the time and we had to get all the children back home to safety when the situation looked like it was escalating. The police were called and they resolved the situation promptly.

The children and I were a little shaken. They were worried because they didn't know what had happened. They'd only heard shouting and then I'd called them inside. They relaxed when I explained the situation to them and told them they were safe. 

I'm glad the husband was home at the time, and that one of our neighbours was there to help and support. He was also kind enough to check in on us to see how we were doing after.

The house with the DV situation isn't on our street but one of the children there often plays with our children. We know they have problems but I think the general vibe on our street has been to support and keep an eye out when we can.

It was a sobering experience to witness and know that such realities exist within an arm's reach of our own. 

Saved By The Bell.

A staff member at the college the husband teaches at tested positive for covid on Friday. He'd been at school while infectious, having initially tested negative. As it happens, the husband spotted him sitting under a tree one day during break, and thought to go over to talk to him. At that moment, the bell rang and there was no time for him to do so.

"Saved by the bell" couldn't be more appropriate a phrase to describe this situation. It quite likely meant the difference between the husband being safe and him being classified a casual contact.

It's definitely made us more aware of how uncomfortably close covid can come, and how we need to start making more concrete plans should one of us need to isolate at home.

Our children will return to school from next week and be on site twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. With that, the risk of them being exposed to infection also naturally increases.

Plans are important, and so is getting vaccinated. Taken together, these would give us a good chance of getting through an infection or exposure event more smoothly.

That being said, just like a bell ringing at the right time, there is so much else that remains beyond our control. It is humbling and also comforting to remember that the Lord's hands cover us for everything else that we can't control. We are simply called to do our best, and go forth in peace. 

My Breakfast Bunch.

Our children's favourite place to have breakfast: perched on the kitchen counter.

I think it's batty but they think it's a hoot. Why not. They believe we have a tradition of the children having breakfast on the counter every time we move into a new home. :)

It was another beach day with different friends. They built a sand city and hunted for oysters on the rocks.

Papa had pizza waiting for us when we got home on our bike and scooters. It feels like the weekend! Almost there. 

Walking On Sunshine.

The children had a fantastic day out at the beach with friends.

This mother's heart is exhausted from late night food prep, a full day in the sun, and late night online supermarket shopping. Some days, it feels like the work never ends. 

Shoo, Fly!

We learned about the respiratory system this morning, and made a working model of our lungs.

The orange balloon represents the diaphragm. When the diaphragm contracts and moves downward (inhalation), air rushes into the "lungs" through the trachea and bronchi, filling them up. The opposite happens when the diaphragm relaxes during exhalation.

We got insect screens installed today for our ranch sliders and front door. We're very pleased with them as they'll keep the flies and mozzies out, and allow cool air in. They fold neatly into a cassette when not in use and are practically invisible. Summer here we come! 

The little lady and I were up late preparing food for our beach picnic lunch with friends tomorrow. She got up mid-sleep and naturally became my little taste-tester for sushi and chocolate chip cookies. :) 

Crush.

The older children on the street have been talking about crushes, and there had been speculation our big boy had a crush on a friend on the street.

With all that flying around, the husband and I thought it time to have a dinner discussion with the children.

This was the gist of the conversation... 

Q: What does it mean to have a crush on someone?

A: "To love someone and think you might marry them".

Q:  Going by what you all said, do you think a 1, 2, 3 year old can have a crush on someone? (There had been talk even our little lady had a "crush".) 

A: No...

Q: How old do you think it might be old enough to start thinking about getting married? 

A: 20! 16! 17! (big boy, big girl, little man, respectively) 

Q: Great, so... Do you think at 8, 6, and 3 years old (the little man was keen to be involved in the discussion), it's appropriate to be thinking about getting married, or having crushes? 

A: No...

As we chatted, they came up with all the answers. We finally came to a conclusion that this is a time for them to focus on building healthy friendships with everyone, boys and girls alike. It is possible to like and appreciate a person without having a crush on them. 

Phew. What strange and new territory this is, with our children getting info from outside influences ("crush" is not part of our home vocabulary) and navigating their own friendships. 

May we have the awareness to stay on top of things each step of the way, and the wisdom to guide our children as we learn with them.

When the day involves a giant inflatable T-Rex spraying water from its nose, you know it's been a great day. 

Our Village.

Our littlest has had puffy eyelids for the past few days and has not been entirely herself. After a couple of bumpy nights, she seems to be on the mend now.

It has been exhausting. It's been hard to function and the days have been long, but I'm grateful for our village, the community that is the lane we live on. A mum put out her sprinklers today and the children had a great time cooling off in its spray.

Yesterday, another neighbour bought fish and chips for the children on the lane for lunch. I was busy putting the little lady to bed then, but he got them sorted while another mum brought juice to share.

We have our differences, but with children as our shared priority, we have a common purpose in making our community thrive. 

The husband and I have just made an online order for a water dispenser and some plastic tumblers. We plan to set up a water station in our front yard so children can help themselves to water and stay hydrated while they spend the day outside with their friends. 

Almost 5 years ago when we first arrived in this new land, I wondered if we would find our village here. Who would have known that today, we would have our village just beyond our doorstep. 

It's also fellow mum-neighbours who capture precious moments like this. 

All Souls Day.

With no school or schedules to follow, All Souls Day was a different one this year. I've heard a little bit about plenery indulgences for souls in purgatory but don't fully understand it yet. I decided to visit a cemetery with the children and pray for the dead. We used to pass the Purewa Cemetery daily on the way to school and so it was a natural choice.

We wandered along the peaceful paths, examining the gravestones. We walked and prayed a decade of the Rosary and the Eternal Rest prayer.

Our little man was his usual boisterous self but he learned to walk carefully among the graves. 

Around us, native birds called out, and the occasional jogger or walker passed us.

At home, we made soul cakes for tea. In the past, children would go souling on All Souls Day to beg for soul cakes in exchange for prayers for the dead. If a household refused, it was believed that it would be cursed. Soul cakes truly are the original Trick-or-Treat treat.

Being in New Zealand has certainly pushed us to be more intentional about practising our faith and sharing it with our children. We are well aware that we are the best (and possibly only) people here for the job. Religion is quite out of fashion these days. 

Our little man, who often plays the fool during night prayer, now prays for our family while lying beside me at bedtime. This is obviously a result of listening to his older siblings pray the guardian angel prayer at bedtime on their own. I'm glad for the positive influence. :)

It has been a very blessed All Hallowtide; we've gone much deeper into faith and tradition than we thought we would.

And as the husband says, the tricky part is remembering all this and repeating it next year. 

Eternal rest grant unto our faithful departed O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace, Amen. 

All Saints Day

We started the day with a little bit of telly. We watched an animated recount of the miracle of Fatima on Formed, and learned more about the story of Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta.

Ever played a game of Bingo with candy? At afternoon tea, we played Saints Bingo with M&Ms, and the chocolate definitely upped the fun factor for the children. 

That's our little man scrutinising each Saint to find the right one. 

Dinner was a slightly special affair. We brought out a large bottle of beer and distributed plastic wine tumblers to all. The children were starting to panic, thinking we'd be serving them beer with dinner, until I revealed a chilled carton of Ribena. We made a toast to the Saints and tucked into the mac n cheese I'd prepared. It also turns out our big girl's biblical namesake has her feast day celebrated on 1 November, so it was a source of extra joy for us today. Extra lollies for everyone! 

We ended the day with the Litany of Saints. Read, not sung, because we can't remember the tune for some parts! (Granny, help!)

We've got a few special plans for All Souls' Day too. Lifting up our prayers for the faithful departed.