Tyler had his surgery today. I posted last month about his ongoing ear issues. After 2 1/2 years of glue ear, a second set of grommets was the next course of action (with a possible adenoidectomy thrown in as well).

We had to be at the hospital by 8am (rush hour traffic, anyone?) so we woke Tyler up at 7am. The first thing he said to me was, “better get up, don’t want to be late”. Bless!

Ethan had stayed the previous night at Nana & Grandad’s, so we didn’t have to worry about dropping him off this morning. We hit the road at 7.15am. Tyler was so happy as he settled himself into the car with his favourite toy and blankets!

When we arrived at the hospital, he was pretty excited to see this Christmas tree in the foyer, and immediately wanted his photo taken in front of it!

Unfortunately, Tyler was last on the list of little kids who were having day-stay surgery, so we knew he wouldn’t be heading into theatre until about 10am. We entered the children’s waiting room and were greeted by the sight of a bunch of grumpy-hungry-and-won’t-sit-still toddlers, and a couple of kids slightly younger than Tyler.

During our 2-hour wait, Tyler was an absolute trooper! Not ONCE did he complain about the waiting, or about being hungry or thirsty (he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since 6pm last night … Rob and I actually fasted too, in support). I almost couldn’t believe he was my child! Tyler is not always very patient when it comes to waiting for things, and he certainly likes his food! I expected a lot of complaining, but he absolutely proved me wrong.

While we waited, Tyler enjoyed playing with all the toys in the playroom, watching TV, and working on his alphabet.

We also met with the anaesthetist, Warren, and a nurse, Jenny. As we walked into the treatment room, Tyler said, “I’m so excited!” … talk about mind-blowing! He just didn’t have any nerves or worries at all, and had a smile on his face all morning.

Jenny weighed him, gave him some Pamol, put his hospital band on his wrist, and talked about what was going to happen to him. She showed him some photos of all the different steps along the way.

She also let him have a play with this guy, who was wearing a hospital gown, gas mask and had a lure in his hand:

Tyler chose a teddy bear to keep (he still treasures the ones he has from his previous surgeries, so really wanted a third one to add to his collection). He named him “Ben”.

Tyler also got to wear a really cool hospital gown with brightly coloured frogs all over it! Much spunkier than the plain blue gown Mummy had to wear (along with very sexy foot covers and showercap).

More waiting … but Tyler was happy colouring in, and reading his Kids Church memory verse cards with Daddy.

When it was time for Tyler to go down to the OR, he was allowed to choose his mode of transportation: walking, or wagon. Of course he chose the wagon! I pulled it along behind me, all the way into the OR.

We got into the OR, and Tyler climbed out of his “car”. I helped him up onto the operating table. He just lay there, perfectly calm and quiet, as the anaesthetist put the gas mask over his nose and mouth (this was the part Tyler was initially worried about when we first told him he would need surgery). I held his hand, and he started breathing in the gas. Unlike his previous surgeries, he didn’t fight it at all. Just breathed it in until his eyes fluttered closed. I kissed his cheek, and left. Unlike the last 2 times, I actually DID NOT CRY. I know it’s because Tyler coped so amazingly well, and I knew he wasn’t scared or worried.

Afterwards, Tyler’s surgeon came to see us and gave us some good news – he hadn’t had to remove Tyler’s adenoids. Yay! He’s going to see Tyler every year from now on, until things have completely resolved. Because of his age (most kids outgrow ear problems before the age of about 4), he’s a bit of a special case that needs closer monitoring. I’m really happy about that, because it means there won’t be huge periods of “waiting and watching”, like we have already endured.

Not long after that, it was time for us to go into the recovery room to see Tyler. The nurse who came to get us said, “he’s woken up beautifully” and then commented on how cute he was! He sure did look pretty adorable lying on his hospital bed with his little teddy bear, bright red bandage wrapped around the lure in his hand.

He was a little sleepy, but still extremely calm and relaxed. We moved out into the next room so he could sit in a La-Z-Boy chair and have something to eat and watch a DVD. Unfortunately he vomited soon after we moved him to his chair. Because he had undergone nasopharyngeal exploration under anaesthesia to look at his adenoids (ie. a tube being put up his nose and down his throat), he vomited up a lot of blood and gunk. But through it all, he never cried or complained.

He eventually felt well enough to have an ice block – “I LOVE these ones!” he exclaimed when the nurse brought it to him – followed by a little jelly, ice cream, a sandwich, chocolate fish and lemonade.

After about 45 minutes, we were able to go home. Unfortunately, he vomited again in the car. Thankfully, I was sitting in the back with him and he said “sick”, which gave me enough time to hold the bucket out for him. He never vomited at all after his previous surgeries, but one of the nurses said all the kids who had ear/nose/throat surgery this morning had been sick, so it was probably a reaction to the fentanyl formulation they used today.

After being sick, Tyler fell asleep in the car, and then stayed asleep on the couch for another couple of hours.

When he woke up, he wanted FOOD! Now he’s running and skipping around the house, completely back to normal.

I am BEYOND impressed with how well Tyler handled things today. He really surprised me with how mature, brave, patient and calm he was. I’m sure it was a result of the awesome prayer cover we’ve had … and perhaps my efforts to prepare him fully, by being honest, talking openly about his feelings, and getting library books about going to hospital and having an operation.

I’m really pleased that it’s all over now, and I’m hoping it will make a world of difference for him. He says he can hear things better already, but only time will tell. We have a postoperative check-up in about 3 weeks, and hopefully there won’t be anymore fluid behind his eardrum. And hopefully THIS time, when the grommets fall out, there won’t be any complications that drag on and on.

Thanks to everyone for your comments, emails, texts and prayers. They are so appreciated!

* I took heaps of photos this time. I didn’t take a single one when he had his other operations, and I really regret that now. Tyler and I are going to use these photos to make a special book about his exciting adventure.

Ethan got his end-of-year report on Friday. Tyler didn’t get one because he’s only been at school for 8 weeks. However, I had a little meeting with his teacher, who said Tyler is doing great, and that he is going “soar through Year 1 next year”. Sweet!

Anyway, back to Ethan. I’m really proud of his excellent report. Feel free to skip this post if you’re not interested. I don’t mind. But I want to document this here for future reference. I’m very proud of him, and this is MY turf, so I’m gonna share!

Ethan’s attitude was rated as “very good” (options were “very good”, “satisfactory” or “inconsistent”) for ALL sections of his report card: Reading, Written Language, Speaking & Listening, Viewing & Presenting, Numeracy, Topic Studies, Health & Physical Education, and The Arts.

Reading … his reading age is 8.5-9.5 years (he is 7.5 years old).

Written language … “Ethan is able to write about an interesting moment in time and his words are beginning to paint a picture, rather than tell a story. He is beginning to use more descriptive language to bring his stories to life.”

Maths … “Ethan enjoys and participates enthusiastically in all maths activities. He is beginning to chose the best strategy for solving addition and subtraction problems rather than doing them all the same way.”

The Arts … “Ethan enjoyed participating in our assembly item. It was lovely to see his confidence grow as he was able to show off his drumming skills.”

In the Essential Skills section (the most important section, in my opinion), Ethan scored ratings of “excellent” or “very good” for every single item:
-manages time effectively
-behaves in a self-controlled way
-shows perseverance
-sets and achieves goals for self
-works independently
-focuses on the task
-responsible for own learning
-takes task to completion
-seeks to learn more
-co-operates well in groups or team situations
-respects the rights and opinions of others
-is courteous
-responsible for personal belongings

Finally, his teacher’s general comments:

“Ethan is a quiet member of the class who often takes a keen interest in the work, especially in a small group. He has grown in confidence this year and this has enabled him to offer more of his own ideas in whole class discussions. He is a very keen sportsman and takes instruction well when he knows it will benefit him. He has developed good positive friendshps. He has taken a real interest in nurturing his plants this term and is eager to share the exciting developments as he watches them grow (hey, maybe there is hope for our home garden after all!).
He has a lovely sense of fun which has added to our class spirit this year. I have thoroughly enjoyed having him in M2 Cool and wish him all the best for year 4.”
~Mrs Osborne

Well done, Ethan! Daddy and I are really proud of you and know you have worked so hard at school this year. I’m so pleased that you have such a great attitude towards learning – don’t ever lose that!

One proud Mum, signing off.

Thoughts.

I have so many of them tumbling around inside my head, and a lot of the time they don’t make much sense. Sometimes they whisper to me, in the stillness. Sometimes they scream at me, in the craziness. But no matter what, they are always there.

Happiness, pride, disappointment, love, doubt, envy, excitement, anticipation, stress, guilt, anger, fatigue, confusion, surprise, pain, sadness, security, uncertainty, anxiety, elation, positivity, anguish, joy.

Usually I’m able to acknowledge them, balance them, deal with them. But there are moments where one particular thought crowds out everything else, and my vision gets blurred. Things become too hard.
And then there are moments where all my thoughts and feelings seem to contradict each other, fight against each other. Things don’t make sense.

I read this little inspiration today, and it spoke volumes to me. In the event that another person out there feels the way I do, feels overwhelmed with all the thoughts running through their head, I’m sharing it here:

Contradictions have always existed in the soul of man. But it is only when we prefer analysis to silence that they become a constant and insoluble problem. We are not meant to resolve all contradictions but to live with them and rise above them and see them in the light of exterior and objective values which make them trivial by comparison.
~ Thomas Merton

A little reminder for me to spend more time, in solitude, with God. A reminder for me to spend less time dwelling on and trying to analyse my thoughts and feelings, and more time in prayer, handing them over to the One who has everything under control.

Isaiah 30:15 – “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and trust shall be your strength.”

Because Tyler is our second child, we never had that one-on-one time with him that we had with Ethan for the first 2 years and 4 months of his life.

And now, we have to make an effort to carve out individual time with each child. We do a pretty good job of that, but very rarely are both Rob and I able to spend quality time with just ONE child. Usually one of us takes one of the boys out, which is great, but today was different.

Ethan has gone to a friend’s 8th birthday party/sleepover. So from 2pm this afternoon until 10am tomorrow morning, it’s just Rob, Tyler and I. Just the 3 of us.

We decided to spend the whole afternoon hanging out together, doing fun stuff as a trio. Here’s what we got up to:

1. We had pancakes, ice cream and milkshakes from the Waffle Station. YUMMO.

2. Tyler visited Santa at the mall. They were taking photos, but we didn’t want a photo. Tyler just wanted to say “hello”, so he went and sat on Santa’s knee and had a really long chat (there was no queue).

3. We went to the library and got new books out for Tyler.

4. We went to the supermarket and shopped for ingredients to make a “special” dinner. Tyler chose what he wanted to eat: American hotdogs, with salad. Followed by banana splits for dessert (with strawberries as well).

5. We visited a fabulous playground we don’t go to very often (it’s at one of the neighbouring beaches). Tyler loves it because there is a HUGE rope climbing frame. In between playing, we sat on the park bench and ate chips & dip.

6. We went for a drive to show Tyler one of the houses Daddy used to live in before we got married.

7. Rob and Tyler played a little Playstation.

8. Tyler wanted to eat dinner on the living room floor, so he helped lay a cloth on the floor and set the “table” with cutlery and napkins. We drank out of plastic wine glasses and Tyler did the whole “cheers!” thing.

Now Tyler is asleep and Rob has gone out to the driving range with my Dad. I’m going to curl up on the couch with my polar fleece blanket, next to the beautifully-lit Christmas tree, and read my book.

It was lovely spending time with Tyler on his own. I knew Ethan would be having a ball at the party, so I wanted to make sure Tyler had a really memorable day as well. I know he had a great day (because he told me), but more importantly, I hope he will remember that we wanted to make him feel special. We told him how great it was to hang out with him on his own, and I could see the pride and happiness in his eyes. That’s the stuff memories are made of.

* Photography by Tony Gatman

Here’s my Creative Team example for Scrap The Boys this month.

The December challenge is to create a layout using the words “Angel” or “Grinch” in the title.
Deadline: Thursday 31 December.

Sadly, this will be the last Scrap The Boys challenge. Susan Longman, who runs the blog, has decided not to continue in 2010 for personal reasons. I’ve been on the Creative Team since Susan took over, and have thoroughly enjoyed my role.

After finishing up on my Design Teams earlier in the year, and with the recent closure of The Sketch Book, I actually have ZERO scrapbooking responsibilities now that my Scrap The Boys gig is over. I’m not sure how I feel about that, to be honest. Sometimes I do feel quite “out of the loop”, but then again, I simply haven’t had time to scrap lately. As a bonus, I’ve saved a lot of money by not shopping for new scrapbooking supplies!

Who knows what 2010 will hold? Perhaps there will be new scrapbooking opportunities for me. Perhaps I will start getting involved in challenges on other sites. Or perhaps I will just continue to dabble in it as a personal hobby, when/if I feel like it. We’ll just have to wait and see!

Once again, my December calendar is almost completely covered with pen. Some squares are so full there is NO room to add anything else. Mind you, September, October and November were just as bad! I’m looking at November’s page and there is only ONE DAY with nothing written on it. Tuesday the 17th. I can’t remember anything about that day, but it must have been AWESOME.

I have had something on EVERY weekend since mid-September. And I have something on EVERY weekend for the rest of the year.

Busy, you say? Just a little.

I LOVE Christmas. It’s my favourite time of year. I love Christmas because of what it means to me. Every year, I am more and more amazed by the miracle of the Christmas story. And as my children get older, I enjoy watching them develop that same joy and gratitude. It’s wonderful to see them celebrating and understanding the true “Reason for the Season” (while still enjoying Santa Claus and everything else).

Today we will put up the Christmas tree, and I will fill the Advent Calendar with special treats for the boys.

Tomorrow is December. Let the crazy begin. Or should I say, let the crazy continue?!

During December I have 3 work functions (two for my company and one for Rob’s). A catch-up with the girls from coffee group. Our church Christmas Choir will be performing 7 (yes, SEVEN) times. Six of those performances are in ONE weekend! There are picnics, parties, discos, concerts and prizegivings. There are rehearsals, practices and meetings. Even a couple of birthdays.

Oh, and let’s not forget an operation for a little boy.

Yes, December will be BUSY. Just like every other December in the history of my adult life. Yes, my social calendar is full-to-overflowing, and I’m not sure WHEN I will actually get to do my Christmas shopping. But I’m happy. And I actually wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m not American, but last night I celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time. And it was great!

Some people think that NZ has picked up too many (commercialised) American holidays that aren’t relevant to us. But for me, Thanksgiving is a holiday that I am more than happy to “borrow” (Halloween I can live without).

Now I know Thanksgiving is traditionally a harvest festival, held in Autumn (aka Fall), and originally celebrated by the pilgrims and Native Americans who were thankful for making it through a harsh winter.

But regardless of the origins, history and traditions surrounding Thanksgiving, I wholeheartedly believe in the overall concept. I love the idea of setting aside a day to stop and be thankful for everything we have. That’s something anyone can do, whatever their ethnicity, wherever they live, and whatever their religious beliefs.

In the past I have often thought about how neat it would be to celebrate Thanksgiving, but it never seemed to happen. A few weeks ago at Home Group, we were talking about God’s provision as part of our bible study. The topic eventually turned to harvest celebrations, and then to Thanksgiving, and I got really excited! I suggested that we celebrate Thanksgiving together as a group. Everybody was in agreement, and we decided to have a pot-luck Thanksgiving dinner.

So last night, everybody came to our place for dinner, bringing food to share. We didn’t have all the “traditional” Thanksgiving fare (have you SEEN the price of turkeys lately?) but we did have a delicious “Kiwified” spread of roast chicken, ham, roast potato, pumpkin and kumara (sweet potato), salad and bread rolls …

… followed by pecan pie, apple crumble, lemon pudding and ice cream.

YUMMO.

Between courses, we spent a little time being thankful. I had made a whole lot of “autumn leaves” in various shades of brown, green, orange and red cardstock. I then punched holes in them and used small safety pins to attach them to a string across our dining room entrance way.

Everybody, including all the kids, picked a leaf and wrote what they were thankful for on it. We then hung them back up (and people could take them home at the end of the evening if they wished).

Here are our family’s leaves:

Tyler’s one (he wrote it all by himself, with Daddy helping to spell some of the words):

Ethan’s one:

One of the other kids, Teighan, gave me this lovely handmade card just before her family left. How sweet is she?!

It was such a wonderful night, and I’m fairly certain it will be an annual celebration for our Home Group. I would love to see it become a widely celebrated holiday here in NZ (obviously without the national holiday that goes with it in the States).

To finish, I’ll share my “leaf list” of things I am thankful for:

I am thankful for my husband, children, family and friends.
I am thankful for a good job, a nice house that we own.
I am thankful for good health and for the provision of our food and water.
I am thankful for Jesus!

A little while ago I wrote about finding my Grandad’s old diaries, and I included some excerpts from his first fortnight at sea.

Here are a few of his more interesting entries – some of them are quite funny. I imagine it would have been pretty entertaining at times, being on board the ship with all those other soldiers for weeks at a time.
I found it really interesting to read about their journey through the Panama canal. As I read and tried to imagine what it would have been like, it was almost like watching a movie set back in the early 1900’s.

Wednesday 16 January, 1918
8.30 Kit inspection, and you never saw such a mix up before. Very little room, and a lot of stuff to show. Worse than all, an idiot of a man to come and order how it was to be done. He began to go off at me. To the end, I began to argue the point. He left at that.

Thursday 17 January, 1918
After dinner I set to work and darned up quite a number of holes, which I had allowed beyond the limit, for the want of pluck to start.
Had a pillow fight tonight, could not stick to the pole for long.

Friday 18 January, 1918
5-45 wakened by bugle, had a little coffee and biscuits. Tip top morning, sea beautifully calm.
Had lecture on discipline, punishments, etc.
Then one of the Maoris gave us about half an hour trying to teach us a haka or war song. Very difficult to get into the run of it.

Tuesday 22 January, 1918
I watched the sun rise, it was very pretty. Came up very quickly, just like a large ball of fire. Also to see it set is really a beautiful sight just while in the tropics.
We passed by an Island today, a good size. Everyone was greatly excited to get a glimpse of land. I was hoping it was America.

Wednesday 23 January, 1918
Passed a steamer in the night. We are due to reach Panama tomorrow.
Sports on this afternoon. I went in the tug ‘o’ war for our company, but we struck more than our equal. Was able to hold them between 2-3 minutes.

Thursday 24 January, 1918
This morning first thing I saw at sea was a small steamer in the distance, “Portside”. We soon caught up and passed by, then on “Starboard” we saw the American coast, also another small steamer. It was quite a treat to see some life around us.
Spent an exciting afternoon passing Islands. Saw several whales.
Arrived at Balboa 4-50PM. Coming into wharf, a group of Negros awaiting to welcome us with cheers etc. Handed over magazines, newspapers, etc.
The islands coming in were beautifully picturesque. Maoris allowed off the boat to give a haka on wharf, no one else allowed off.

Friday 25 January, 1918
Left Balboa 6AM, entrance to Panama canal. We travelled slowly through. The scenery all the way was very beautiful, in fact beyond description. We passed through 5 locks in different places, in which we had to wait until there was water pumped in, in 2 of them. The others we had to let water out. Very large gates were swung across, leaving us in a dock. Then when the water is pumped in or let out, the gates in front are opened.
We saw immense dredges (floating) used in the canal at all times, also floating cranes, two on one, each lifting 300 tonnes.
There are men (Negros) working on the canal constantly. At each dock where we stopped, there were numbers of soldiers came to welcome us, and played music. Also Negros and white people brought fruit, papers, etc.

Saturday 26 January, 1918
Struck a rough sea as soon as we got past the break. Felt like staying in bed, but the sailors came along to wash down the decks, and if you don’t get out of their way, they will wash you down as well.

Monday 28 January, 1918
Passed 2 Islands today, thinking one to be Haiti. Saw in the distance two sailing vessels, full mast.
Wrote a letter home to my Darling.

Wednesday 30 January, 1918
Oh, the alarm last evening! Caused by someone tying his hammock over the whistle wire, and it did cause a stir! Some fellows playing cards got so excited they jumped over the table, left cards and money, and rushed about as though they were mad.

Thursday 31 January, 1918
This afternoon I pressed about 30 hats, for men in the N.Z.M.C. Used the electric iron at hospital.
Was in a stretcher competition this afternoon. Lost the prize by one point.

Friday 1 February, 1918
Rose about 6AM and oh, talk about cold on deck! Nearly froze the nose of one. Of course the sudden change made it worse coming out the “Gulf Stream”. Temperature dropped from 76 to 46 in 20 minutes, and got lower as we came along, until we found ourselves surrounded by floating ice. The surface of the water was quite covered and there’s no name for the cold. All had to put on plenty of clothes, and still felt cold.
We arrived at Norfolk at 6PM. This appears to be a naval port, for there are a number of large battle cruisers lying the harbour.
Our old boat is anchored just away from the wharf. There are lights all round, but ’tis too cold to go up on deck and look out. Expect to get leave tomorrow while the ship is coaling.

Saturday 2 February, 1918
Rose from slumber 6AM and oh, talk about cold! I went up on deck, and the air that met me nearly froze my nose.
The bay was covered with ice floating to sea, coming from the river “Delaware”. Some blocks of ice must have been 20ft square or more.
We drew anchor about 10AM and proceeded up the river. Did not go long when we got stuck in mud, so have been lying in the same position all day. We were all ready to go ashore, but couldn’t go.
Snow began to fall after dinner. Continued for 3 or 4 hours. There was about 3″ on the deck, and the boys had a great snow fight. I kept well out of sight, did not look too cheering.

Sunday 3 January, 1918
Arrangements were made for a barge to come over and take us ashore. We got over and marched from the wharf to the main street of Newport News (Virginia). Twas a dismal looking place, roads all frozen, and one had to look out or slip down. ‘Tis only a small place, population about 25,000.

Monday 4 February, 1918
Leave for all the boys, from 9AM til 11PM. Went ashore with Will about 10AM. Walked about the streets, most of the shops being closed on account of shortage of coal. Could not do any business worthwhile, except getting a few postcards. Fruit very dear.
After we had dinner, we took a tram car out to Onepoint, 10 miles from Newport News. We then went through the forts by permission of guard. Took us a good while to go right round, walking briskly. We saw the large 14″ guns placed at intervals. ‘Twas quite interesting.
One our way back we called at Hampton, a small town 5000 or so. Cleaner and brighter looking than N.P.N.

Tuesday 5 February, 1918
I did not like to get out of my hammock, twas so cold. The thermometer measured a temperature of 16, falling 2 points later, bringing us 19 or 20 points below freezing point. This being new to us NZs!
We have not had any leave today. One man not yet turned up from yesterday’s leave.

Next time I will include some diary entries from their last fortnight at sea, and their subsequent arrival in Britain. This diary just gets more and more interesting and exciting!

I’ve written a LOT in the past about our ongoing problems with Tyler’s ears. There are posts here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Phew!

Basically, here’s the history:
Tyler got his first set of grommets (tubes) in 2006, when he was 18 months old. One fell out after 9 months, and the second 9 months later. After the grommets fell out, he got a bad case of glue ear. Audiology tests showed some hearing loss on one side, but nothing to be overly concerned about. Our GP decided to adopt a “watch & wait” policy. So we watched and waited.

Over the following 2 years, Tyler continued to get the odd ear infection, and the fluid behind his eardrum remained. His right ear generated flat tymps at every single check-up. He also continued to fail all his hearing tests at Preschool and Kindy. The hearing difficulties became more of a concern once he started school. Obviously we didn’t want him to be disadvantaged in any way, so we asked for a referral to an ENT specialist.

Time to stop watching and waiting. Time to act.

This morning we had an appointment with ENT surgeon Nic Bodenstein, who put Tyler’s first set of grommets in. He told us that Tyler needs a second set of gromments, and also suggested that he may have a problem with his adenoids. During the consult, he noticed a few of the typical characteristics of children with adenoid problems (mouth breathing, downturned mouth, and shadows under the eyes). When he puts the grommets in, he will explore the nasopharynx and see if his adenoids are enlarged. If they are, he’ll perform an adenoidectomy while Tyler is already on the operating table. We have given consent for both procedures.

His surgery has been booked for 16 December. Tyler is a little nervous about it, because he can’t remember his previous operations (at the ages of 4 months and 18 months). Rob and I explained what would happen, and he got a little upset when we told him about the gas mask, but I’m sure he will be fine.

I’m hopeful that this surgery will bring an end to Tyler’s problems. It feels like we have been waiting for such a long time. His doctors felt things would improve as he grew, but he’s obviously one of those “special” cases.
Deep down I knew that he would probably need to have something else done, so it wasn’t really a shock or a surprise to have that confirmed today.

Thankfully, we have medical insurance which will cover 80% of the expenses. If we had chosen to get the operation done through the public health system, we would have to wait for months. At least we will have it all over and done with before Christmas and the school holidays, and Tyler will be able to start the new school year in 2010 without any hearing difficulties.
Sure, we will have to come up with a bit of cash to cover the shortfall, but it will be worth it. As a parent, I don’t mind paying for something that is going to help my child feel better and have a better quality of life.

We are hoping and praying that this will make all the difference for Tyler.

My Dad recently discovered a whole box of my Grandad’s (his Dad’s) diaries, and we’ve been enjoying reading them.

I’m currently reading Grandad’s 1918 diary, containing writings from when he was in WWI.

No, that’s not a typo. That does say “World War ONE”.

My Grandad was born in 1895. He was 60 when my Dad was born, which means he was 83 when I was born. Thankfully, he lived to be 93, so he was part of my life for 10 years.

July 1917. At the age of 22, and not long after he had married his first wife, Grandad’s name was drawn by ballot to serve in WWI. He had taken the oath of allegience when he joined the NZ Army as a young man, but refused to take the oath to bear arms because he didn’t want to kill anyone. Instead, he was enlisted to work as a Medical Officer in a British hospital, looking after NZ soldiers injured in the war.

On 31 December 1917, Grandad’s ship left the shores of NZ, bound for Great Britain. This journey took them almost 2 months.

He wrote in his 1918 diary from January to April, and then stopped (we don’t know why). Obviously, the war ended on 11 November of that year, so at most he would have served less than 12 months.

I want to record Grandad’s diary entries here on my blog, so they are preserved for future generations to read. I will do this in installments.

So … here are some of his entries during his first fortnight at sea:

Tuesday 1 January, 1918
Rose at 6AM.
Was obliged to go right up on deck and there to stay all day. Unable to take any food.
Will (a friend) waiting on me as though I was his wife. I was so ill I could not take much notice of his kindly help, although I appreciated it greatly.

Wednesday 2 January, 1918
Reveille 5AM. Hammocks to be rolled with blankets and placed in racks.
Physical drill on deck from 6 to 7AM.
I took courage and went below and had a little breakfast. Feeling a lot better.
9-45AM. Stretcher drill, fireman’s lift, etc. This was a bit sore on a weak stomach, and made me feel a little squeamish.

Thursday 3 January, 1918
Not well enough to write.

Friday 4 January, 1918
Same as Thursday.

Saturday 5 January, 1918
Rose 5-45AM. Went right up on deck.
6 to 7AM. Physical drill. Still feeling sea sick, didn’t attempt to go down for breakfast.
Gun practice on with 6″ gun astern. Threw out a target and had 3 shots at it, firing remarkably close but did not strike it.
At 4PM there was an alarm sounded, and men went nearly mad rushing after life belts. One had to be careful to not get downed and trampled on. When all got to the boats and rafts, the men were numbered and then dismissed.
False alarm, which is enough for me.

Sunday 6 January, 1918
Reveille as usual. Sea a little rough, still feeling crook. Reported sick and got a dose of medicine.
1st week at sea spent very miserably.

Monday 7 January, 1918
Better morning, sea a good deal more calm. The sea looks nice and blue, showing no white tips. Still, I enjoy a motor ride better than this trip.
Had a lesson (by one of the Sisters) on how to make a bed for patient. Also how to sponge patient.
The thought of 5 or 6 weeks on water is not a nice one.

Wednesday 9 January, 1918
Wakened by sailors washing down the deck at 5.20AM.
Had a good night’s rest, sleeping up on deck, getting plenty of fresh air, feeling very much better today, and getting some appetite.
Had some stretcher drills as well as lecture by Captain.
Sports this afternoon.

Thursday 10 January, 1918
Beautiful morning, after a very warm night. Came out very hot about 7-30AM.
Put in an hour and a half at bandaging.
No drill this afternoon. Tropical showers, heavy at times.

Saturday 12 January, 1918
Fine morning again. Sun hot but atmosphere nice and cool through breezes. Sea very calm. A few flying fish beginning to put in an appearance above water.
This day ends another week at sea, and takes us one more week nearer home, if not on earth.
Praise the Lord, it is one week nearer our heavenly home.

I was amazed to read about how sea sick he was, and how little he ate during his first few days at sea – it must have been hard for him! Later on, he doesn’t mention it as much, so I assume he eventually got used to it, or else the weather conditions improved a lot as they got further north!?

I feel so privileged to be able to read Grandad’s diaries. Reading them makes me happy, makes me feel closer to him, and makes me wish he were still here today. I miss him. I know he would have loved my boys, and they would have loved him. But I look forward to the day when I will see him again, in heaven.

Next time I will share some of the funny things that happened on the boat. The way Grandad wrote about some things really made me laugh!