What's red, yellow and stinky?!..............

hee hee.........I won't eat it all

Shame Mark's away...........but this blanket and remote will keep me snug and company for the evening.

xx

Our JAFFA anniversary!!!!!!!!!

So it has arrived. I can't quite believe it but we have officially been living in Auckland for.......ONE WHOLE YEAR.

A good opportunity to think back over the year and reflect on our achievements. In some aspects it feels like I've achieved very little. Being a stay at home mum is sometimes a bit like that. Endless things to do with little to show for it. Well, on the surface. But I know, looking at my kids that we have been successful in the transition because they are happy and thriving.

Here is where this blog has been an absolute god send. During the lowest times it became my best friend and sounding board. During the highs, another means of celebration. Sounds like I'm 'Jaz no mates' but when you relocate your family to a new city it can take a while to be considered a local. We are the new kids in the playground and anything that has helped keep us in touch with our South Island friends and family has been great!

This is also my 75th post on this blog. My goal this year was to achieve some at home goals and document them throughout the year. I reread back a few posts and I think I'm on track!

So......a recap of our relocation

It all started with a little baby and a big truck.

We then camped out in our newly purchased Rangiora rental property.

A lot of goodbyes.

A new temporary lodging in Albany, North Shore, where Phoebe met "stairs" for the first time.

The northern exploring began.

A new school with a magnificent view.

Another house, Stanmore Bay, (the fourth for 2009...eeek!)

Visitors have been and gone.......

Helping us do the touristy thing.

There have been highs......

....and some lows.

Barely holding up against the humidity some days :-)

Life's been a bit of a beach really............
Lots of beaches.

New friends :-)

......and some not so welcome.

If you want to see the other 100,000,00 things we got up to you'll have to go back through this blog. I think we have travelled a huge learning curve these past 12 months. Meeting new challenges has confirmed what we do and don't want out of life for sure!

Yesterday we had a our first Sunday officially off the real estate market for a very long time. We took a Sunday drive up to Puhoi and ate MASSIVE scones at the Puhoi Cottage. Yummo!

Then off to the Puhoi cheese factory, which of course like everything else in this world is now out of bounds because of health and safety standards and regulations. But there is a great shop at which you can taste some very GOOD cheese.

......so how will I celebrate my one year relocation anniversary?................I'll tell you later!

xx

Moving again....

Ok, so got my blog-mojo back again after a few weeks of packing, household crashing into illness, moving belongings and then unpacking.....again.

The most positive thing is heading into a weekend knowing that we will not receive any phone-calls from real estate agents and no open home to prepare for on Sunday. Fantastic!

The new house is built over FOUR levels. This means I can actually have all my furniture out, organise 'kid zones' and enjoy time at opposite ends of the house if we all feel the need. What a treat.

So here are a few photos, especially for the family down south who visited us at our last house and are intrigued to see where we have landed now.

The sun rising, looking out from my bedroom balcony.

A roomy kitchen, great for entertaining....hint.....hint. Book those flights!!!

Molly and Phoebe share a double room.

Lounge unpacked, just a few pictures to hang.

Dining room.......

Caitlin's room, which when visitors come to stay will be quickly converted to the guest room!!!

xx

Emergency Department Drama

Last night was certainly one to remember!

Yesterday, approx 3.30pm Phoebe was playing with a metal beater. ( I know, poor judgement. But all of my kids have played with kitchen utensils over the years. I'm rethinking the metal variety now, a big dose of mummy guilt later).

She slipped on the kitchen lino and preceded to plunge the beater inside her top lip producing an icky big cut.

One of those blood curdling screams and a whole lot of blood pouring from her mouth made us drop everything and rush down to the 24 hr medical centre for some advice on the gash.

A very bloody tea-towel (now in the fire) and a miserable consultation later we were instructed that stitches were needed. That meant a drive to Starship Childrens' Hospital. As they take my $20 and ACC form they mutter something under their breath informing me not to feed or offer Phoebe anything to drink as a general anesthetic will be needed to perform stitches on such a young patient. It was at this moment that I had that 'cold ball in my stomach' feeling as all the blood from my extremities rush towards it. Hospitals, stitches, anesthetic?? Eeeeek!

Back home, Mark and I quickly organised a baby sitter, threw some pizza money their way and off we went.

Traffic and a poorly designed map :-) had us arriving at the hospital at approx 5pm. Phoebe by this stage looked a bit swollen but smiling and enjoying the sudden change of plans.

5.15pm: Our initial consultation by the triage nurse resulted in her agreeing that YES a doctor need to see her, that YES general anesthetic was a real possibility, and she squeezed on some numbing cream and nifty tape across both her hands.

Unfortunately this is where time seemed to grind to a halt and at some point in the evening actually stand still. Those of you who have had to wait in an emergency department understand the priority or urgency of your ailment will determine your waiting time. I respect this because I want to know that if any of my children (or yours) are seriously ill or injured that they will become priority and receive immediate care.

6.00pm......

7.00pm.....

At this point I probably should mention my deep respect for all emergency department medical staff. I've had Phoebe here before and they are an amazing breed of human. They work extremely hard and demonstrate ooddles of care for the kids that come through Starship in droves.

When your child is ill they are your only focus, until you find yourself in a waiting room with a dozen ( or more) other parents and very upset children. The wards beyond , already chocka full with more.

8.00pm......

Over the next four hours we entertained Phoebe the best we could. She was exhausted, hungry and VERY thirsty. Considering she had just recovered from gastroenteritis, the latter really concerned me. October last year we watched her plummet into semi-conscious from dehydration and I was not prepared to go there again!

Just as I was about to inform the nurse that my toddler was literally begging for a drink and that maybe this indicated she really had waited too long. We got called in!!!!!!!!!!!

9.30pm: A listen to her lungs, check for a soft tummy, lifting her lip to view the entire cut and we were told it would heal on it's own.

................ ? ......................(stunned silence)........................ ? ...............................

You got it. A less than five minute consultation, six hours after the injury took place and we were going home WITHOUT stitches.

The crackers and water bottle quickly came out of the nappy bag, consumed by a very excited Phoebe. We whipped her into pjs and hit the motor way out of Auckland towards home.

9.50ish.baby asleep in car. Phew!

Phoebe slept the entire journey. Mark and I drove in stunned mullet silence that only an emergency department can conjure.

10.30 -11.00pm Mark and Jaz scoff sausages and bowls of lemon meringue pie before collapsing into bed.

The cut is turning ulcer white today. It was tricky to photograph because I didn't want to upset her, but I think you get the idea. It stretches up into her mouth up towards the gum.

It's Mothers' Day today. I have relaxed all day with my girls and Mark has cooked EVERYTHING!!! Phoebe is sore today, more than yesterday. The lip looks pretty grim. Turning into a large ulcer type wound. She woke this morning very weak and hungry and has been ultra-sensitive to EVERYTHING!!! But she is well and picking up as the day goes on.

On reflection Mark and I were reminded of how quickly things can change with children and how far we'd go for them despite the stress sometimes involved. I really hope all the children and parents I sat with last night got some sleep.

xx

Mother's Day dedication

Mother

Mum, mummy, mumma, ma, missus, old chook, old bird, maternal parent, mom, mommy, mam, mammy, maiter, oma.......................

Mother knows best

Mothers have eyes in the back or their heads

Mother in laws tongue

Mother f*****

Mummy's boy

Mother of all ........evil

Some Mothers do have 'em

Motherhood

Holy Mary Mother of God

Mother Earth

Birth Mother, Step Mother, Foster Mother, Adoptive Mother, Gandmother

Can you think of any others??

Yep, you got the idea. I'm thinking about mothers and the job they do. Big job really, in fact some say the most difficult job in the world. Unpaid even, bugger.

I agree, it is a big job, a great, big, important job. The more mothering I do the more I realise how important the role is.

When I first became a mother, blame lack of experience and maturity I soldiered on, returned to work, juggled thousand things just to prove myself. To whom I'm wondering now??

My one year old didn't care if the essay wasn't printed out on time for me receive my degree. Nor did she care if I had the correct clothes for my first teaching job and made every single meeting and deadline.

All she really wanted was her mum.

No regrets though. I loved both my family and my job. But I do remember heading to work, sick child at home, and having my boss send me back home to complete my FIRST JOB. Looking after my sick child. Thank goodness some employees understand the need for mothering.

I'm embarrassed now that I sometimes got the priorities a bit mixed up. Yeah I have loved every class of kids I've taught and always have strong loyalty to my colleagues but did I really think the educational system would fall to pieces if I took a day off work?

So then I had more children and now do the mothering full time. I still love the idea of teaching and love educational banter and the thousand coffees in one day consumed between the classroom and staff room. LOVE IT.

But.....................I am loving being a mum. I now appreciate the importance of unconditional love from a mum. My kids will appreciate this one day.

Jeepers, it's rewarding but what a job it is. It can be "mindnumbingly" boring if you don't mix it up. Maybe I'll mop BEFORE I sweep today!!!

So to all those mums, the kids that arrived to make them and the partners and family who support them. Have a fabulous Mother's Day!!

A sweater is what you put on when your mother is feeling cold!

(so true!!!)

xx