A date with my Dad

Last night I went on a “date” with my Dad.

We went to see a live show at the local theatre. The show was an ANZAC Day tribute called “Now Is The Hour“. Basically it was 2 1/2 hours of singing; all songs from back in the war times. Most of the audience were from the *older* generation and knew all the songs. Dad knew some of them and I knew a couple.

Boy, there were some funny songs written back then! Like “I’m knitting a singlet for Cecil”, “Hanging out the washing on the Siegfried line”, I’m forever blowing bubbles” and “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition“. I had a few giggles during the show but when you think about it, the war times must have been really hard. It would have been only natural to write songs about life, as difficult as life was back then.

I had a really nice evening out with my Dad. We were the only ones in our family who wanted to see the show, but it was actually really nice to have that time together, just the 2 of us. We go out on “dates” every so often. And he does the same with my sister. Such a special thing for a father to do with his daughters, even when they’re all grown up!

Thanks Dad, I enjoyed my “date” with you! Love ya.

Ways to be Happy

I am generally a pretty happy person. I really do love my life. I’m happy with myself, who I am, and what I have achieved in life. I have accepted that I won’t ever look like a size 8 supermodel. Nor will I ever be able to work out the square root of 829 in my head. But that’s okay, because I’m HAPPY with my life.

As most of you know, I love lists. I found a list entitled “100 Ways To Be Happy”. It’s a great list. I thought I would pick out my favourites and share them with you all:

Never put yourself last.

Count your blessings every day.

Acknowledge your successes along with your downfalls.

Strive for progress, not perfection.

At least once a day sit and do nothing.

Don’t close your heart so tightly against life’s pain that you shut out life’s blessings.

Celebrate all your birthdays no matter how old you get.

Examine your life for limitations and ask yourself why you put them there.

Rejoice in other people’s triumphs.

Don’t wait for someone else to laugh or express joy.

Forgive yourself for any mistake you make, no matter how big or small.

Keep good company.

Do a kind deed for someone else.

Be patient.

Walk hand and hand with truth.

Make laughter and joy a greater part of your life than anger and grief.

Embrace solitude instead of running from it.

Be zealous, not jealous.

Forgive anyone you’ve been holding a grudge against.

Walk in others’ shoes before judging them.

Accept your fears, no matter how crazy they seem.

Don’t let other people’s opinions shape who you are.

Say a prayer.

Never attribute your accomplishments to luck or chance.

Know when to say no.

Look at the positive side of a negative situation.

Avoid seeking out other people for constant approval.

Accept the things you cannot change.

Shield yourself from bad influences.

Stand up for what you believe in.

Take responsibility for what you think, feel, and do.

Think of yourself as a survivor, not a victim.

Change your attitude and your whole life will change.

When your heart is at odds with your head, follow your heart.

Acknowledge your imperfections.

Work through your problems step by step and one day at a time.

Accept compliments from others so you can see the truth about yourself.

Tell someone you appreciate them.

Never live your life according to what is right for someone else.

Affirm all the good things about yourself.

ANZAC day

I don’t think it matters that I’m a day late posting this. I didn’t get on the computer at all yesterday … which is not a bad thing!

ANZAC Day (25 April) is observed in New Zealand as a day of commemoration for those who died in the service of their country and to honour returned servicemen and women. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

I’m so proud to be a Kiwi. I love living in this wonderful country, and I am forever indebted to those brave soldiers who fought to protect our nation.

I am looking forward to a time when Rob and I will be able to take our boys to a dawn service. At the moment I think Tyler is too little. He isn’t always very good at being still and quiet. You’d think that after being in church almost every Sunday of his life he would be better at it, but he’s still a work in progress LOL. I’m hoping that next year we’ll feel confident enough to take them both to a dawn service. I want my boys to grow up knowing what ANZAC day means, and understanding the significance of the day.

A Tribute to ANZAC Day

With their hair a little whiter,
their step not quite so sure
Still they march on proudly
as they did the year before.

Theirs were the hands that saved us,
their courage showed the way
Their lives they laid down for us,
that we may live today.

From Gallipoli’s rugged hillsides,
to the sands of Alamein
On rolling seas and in the skies,
those memories will remain.

Of airmen and the sailors,
of Lone Pine and Suvla Bay
The boys of the Dardenelles
are remembered on this day.

They fought their way through jungles,
their blood soaked desert sands
They still remember comrades
who rest in foreign lands.

They remember the siege of old Tobruk,
the mud of the Kokoda Trail
Some paying the supreme sacrifice
with courage that did not fail.

To the icy land of Korea,
the steamy jungles of Vietnam
And the heroic battle of Kapyong
and that epic victory at Long Tan.

Fathers, sons and brothers,
together they fought and died
That we may live in peace together,
while at home their mothers cried.

When that final bugle calls them
to cross that great divide
Those comrades will be waiting
when they reach the other side.

~ poem by Ken Bunker

LEST WE FORGET.

I’ve been tagged …

… by Tracy.

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

Okay, here goes:

1. I have a tattoo on my back which I designed myself. It has my boys’ birth flowers, their names and dates of birth.

2. It wouldn’t take much to get me drunk. I don’t know exactly how much, because I’ve never been drunk. But let’s just say I probably shouldn’t have more than a couple of glasses of chardonnay.

3. When I was 3, I knocked my 2 front teeth out and I had a gappy smile for 3 years. The song “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” was my song.

4. The first cassette tape I ever bought was Bily Joel’s Greatest Hits. I was about 12 years old. I used to listen to it in my room while I played elastics.
Yes, I grew up in the 80’s.

5. I have always wanted to be a Text Book Illustrator. Medical text books, to be specific. I thought it would be a great way to combine my Science degree with my love of art.

6. I am a crossword fantatic. I also love Sudoku and Kakuro.

7. When I get sick, I always self-diagnose myself and then go to my doctor to confirm it.

I’m tagging Jenn M, Donna, Julie, Lara, Robyn, Vicky and Lisa.

Update

How’s that for a catchy title? Man, I’m just so zapped right now I can’t even think up a fun title for my post. Oh well.

So what’s new?

My fun news for the day: I’m featured on a very cool new blog called Scrap The Boys. Check it out!
If you haven’t heard of it already, it is a blog featuring layouts by mums of boys. Aussie scrapbooker Sharryn Thomsen started this blog to inspire and encourage others, because the general consensus in the scrapbooking world is that girls are much easier to scrap than boys! In many ways I agree with this statement – there are so many gorgeous girly papers and embellishments out there, and decent “boyish” supplies have been hard to find. But things are definitely getting better, with more manufacturers getting on board and making stuff that is grungy, dirty and totally funky. And now that I’ve been scrapping for a few years, and 90% of my layouts are of my 2 boys, I feel comfortable in my style and my ability to “scrap the boys”.
Anyway, I’m stoked to be featured on this blog and have been getting tons of inspiration from the other awesome contributors as well.

I’ve been busy with Circle Journals. The first half of this round is almost up. I have really put my heart and soul into every single album. And to be honest, I have struggled to part with my finished pages! I have taken photos of them all, but in retrospect I wish I had taken the time to do copies of them for myself. At least I have the photos so I can always recreate them at a later date.

Only one month to go until I begin working from home full time!
I’m excited about it. There are things I’m really going to miss about the office, but an equal number of other things that I won’t miss at all. Like the traffic. The hour of driving each day. The “what shall I wear?” decisions. The office politics. The meetings. The constant distractions and interruptions that are inevitable when working in an open-plan office. Things like that.

This also means that my baby will be starting school in 6 weeks!! Gulp.
He’s back at Kindy today after the holidays, and really looking forward to seeing his friends again. It is a little sad to think he only has a few more weeks of Kindy. We’ll be back there again with Tyler of course, but probably not for another year or 18 months. So in some ways it is the end of an era. Ethan really loves it there and the teachers are lovely. But he knows he can walk over to the fence and say hello once he’s at school, as Kindy is right next door to the primary school.

On 1 May, Rob and I will celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. I know, eight years!
We’re going away for 5 days … without the kids! Mum and Dad will be looking after them. I’m not sure they know what they are getting themselves into! I know the boys will be perfectly happy there, but it will be the first time that both Rob and I have left them for more than 1 night at a time.
But we are really looking forward to our break. We are flying to Christchurch (using my airpoints from my trip to Canada last year), hiring a campervan and then driving down to Dunedin and Invercargill. For as long as we can remember, we have wanted to take a holiday in one of those campers! I’m also hoping to catch up with some of my scrapping buddies while we are down there.

I’m also looking forward to a scrapbooking weekend in June. We’ve found an awesome little bach at Tindalls Bay (just 5 min down the road from my house!) … I’m really looking forward to getting lots of scrapbooking done and of course meeting some of my online friends for the first time!
We still have 2 spots left so if anybody is keen, let me know! The weekend is June 8-9.

Hey, I didn’t know I had so much to say today.

The Interview

Angella has asked me Five Questions. They’re good ones, too. I will take the time now to explain that this is a game, of sorts. So if you would like to play, follow these instructions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you 5 questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
Sound good?

Okay, so here are my answers to Angella’s questions:

1. Assuming calories don’t count, what is your favourite – a salty or sweet treat?

This one is easy: SWEET.

I definitely have a sweet tooth. I love chocolate. I don’t care much for lollies, unless they are chocolate coated or have a chocolate centre. I’m not a huge fan of cookies or biscuits, unless they have chocolate in or on them. I would gladly skip dessert, unless it was some kind of chocolately concoction.

I inherited this love of chocolate from my mother. She has a fridge magnet which says “I’d give up chocolate, but I’m no quitter.” Amen to that!

2. If you could live anywhere in the world (other than where you are), where would it be?

I have to say that I would not want to live anywhere else. We live in one of the most beautiful places EVER. I dare you to look at these photos and tell me I’m wrong.

That’s right, I’m not.

But anyway, I will be a good girl and answer the question.
I think I would like to live in Italy. I know Rob would too. And to be honest, if I had to choose somewhere else to live, I’d kind of want the love of my life to be with me. Selfish, I know.

3. What do you do when nobody’s looking?

Sometimes I dance.
I’m not very good, which is why I don’t do it when people are looking. Except my kids, I will dance in front of them. In a few years they’re going to think I’m embarrassing, so what does it matter if they make the observation a little early?
Besides, how can anybody look good dancing to Crazy Frog?

Sometimes I pick my nose.

Sometimes I sneak chocolate.

Sometimes I colour in my kids’ colouring books.
This is not the same as colouring with my kids. This is doing it properly. This is being able to finish a page without somebody else “helping” or insisting that I use a green crayon for the zebra’s teeth. This is not going over the lines. Because when I colour with my kids, I have to go over the lines just a little bit otherwise they’d feel bad about how much better I am at it than them.

4. If you could go back in time, would you change anything you’ve done?

I really don’t think so. Not because I haven’t made mistakes or done stupid things, but because I firmly believe that all things happen for a reason. I have learned so much from those mistakes and I’m not sure I’d be a very good person today if I hadn’t had those opportunities to learn.
I’ve had some hard times in my life, too. But I wouldn’t try and change those either, because they have enabled me to grow. I am stronger because of those trials.

And to be honest, my life is pretty good. I’m more than happy with it! I have a God who loves me, a wonderful family, great friends, the best husband in the world, two gorgeous boys. I have a fantastic job, a nice house, a whole lot of precious memories. There is nothing in that list that I’d want to change.

5. Coke or Pepsi, diet or all sugar?

Through my life, I have pretty much run the gamut of cola choices and preferences.
Growing up, I always liked Coke (but we hardly ever had it. It was a treat in our house). When I was a teenager, Pespi became cool. All my friends switched, and I followed. Eventually I returned to my first love, Coke.

In my early twenties, I gained weight for the first time in my life and went to Weight Watchers to lose it. I realised that a glass of Coke was 2.5 points and that a glass of Diet Coke was 0 points. I decided to make the switch to Diet Coke. I actually didn’t like it, but I drank it anyway. Because I wanted needed the caffeine. One day I tried Diet Pespi, and realised I liked it better than Diet Coke. Even though I had previously liked Coke more than Pepsi. Weird.

Then one day, something amazing happened. Coke Zero was invented. And I can honestly say that I prefer it to Coke. I find Coke too sweet for me now, and wouldn’t ever choose it over the sugar-free version. Coke Zero is a guilt-free indulgence that a) helps me limit my calorie intake; b) satisfies my sweet tooth; and c) keeps my caffeine levels stable. Perfect.

Learning to spell

Ethan loves spelling. Ahhh, a boy after his mother’s heart.
For quite some time, he has been able to recognise all his letters (both lowercase and uppercase) and is getting really good at writing them all too.
And for the past few months we have gotten used to hearing “what does _ _ _ _ _ spell?” or “how do you spell ____?”

The latest game to play in the car is “I Spy“. Ethan loves it, and he’s very good at it. We’ve had a few laughs along the way because he can’t pronounce his ‘R’ or ‘TH’ sounds properly (they come out as ‘W’ and ‘F’, respectively). He’s getting better, but we’re not quite there yet. On the way home from Whangarei last weekend, Ethan was having his turn: “I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with W” (well, he didn’t actually say “double-u”, he said “wuh”. Or something similar. You get the picture). Rob and I tried guessing, but to no avail. Eventually he put an end to our misery. “It’s WOAD!”, he exclaimed triumphantly. Silly us!

On a side note … Tyler loves to copy his big brother, as little brothers do. So now we have Tyler *trying* to spell. According to Tyler everything is spelled “B-H-B-A”, much to Ethan’s disgust. He cannot stand to be wrong, that child. I wonder where he gets that from? Surely not me!

Anyway, we have been gently encouraging Ethan with his spelling and reading, but only because he has shown such a keen interest. We’ve let him develop his own curiousity about it, rather than forcing it on him and potentially making him upset, frustrated or resentful. He just has a natural interest and affinity for it, which I’m happy about! Especially because I was the same as a little girl.

Ethan is now able to recognise quite a few words in his books when we read to him at bedtime. He’s doing really well, right on track for starting school in less than 8 weeks! I actually can’t believe it is that close!!! But I feel confident knowing how much he enjoys learning. It gives me hope that he won’t feel too overwhelmed with the things he’ll be learning at school. Because the social and emotional aspects of starting school will be enough of an adjustment for him (and me!), without having to worry too much about the other stuff.

Ethan’s first ambulance experience

Don’t worry, it’s not what it sounds like!!

After church on Sunday, an elderly man (aged 94) in our congregation had a bad turn and fainted. We have a couple of registered nurses who rushed over to check on him, and decided to call an ambulance. The paramedics arrived within minutes, but by the time they got inside with their equipment, Mr Oram was alert again. They still spent a good 20-30 minutes talking to him and monitoring him to make sure he was okay.

Ethan and Mum were outside looking at the ambulance as the paramedics packed their things away and got ready to leave. But before they left, the male paramedic asked Ethan if he would like to look inside the ambulance and have some tests done!
So Ethan happily climbed in and lay on the stretcher. The paramedic did an ECG to record the electrical activity generated by Ethan’s heart. By this stage Rob and I had come over to see what was going on! It was a bit strange seeing our little guy lying there with 4 electrodes attached to his chest!! We even got to keep the printout! He also wore a finger pulse oximeter to measure his blood oxygen levels. Then he had his blood pressure taken. The paramedic explained what it all meant:

Blood is carried from your heart to all parts of your body. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood into your arteries. Blood pressure is at its highest when the heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure (the top number). When the heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure (the bottom number).

It was so cool how he explained it, never worrying about whether it was too complex or not, just talking to him like a normal person. I love it when adults do that with kids! Because I think kids are able to understand so much more than we give them credit for. Ethan was absolutely fascinated by everything and didn’t seem scared or frightened at all.

On the way home from church, Mum said something to Ethan about the ambulance being very interesting. Ethan said “Yes Nana, it really was. And I wasn’t very shy. Only just a very, very little bit at the beginning, but then I wasn’t!” Then they talked about how nice the man was to show him all the things, and that we were all very proud of Ethan for doing it.
Later on I told Ethan he was so lucky to have that experience, and if he ever needed to go in an ambulance one day he wouldn’t be afraid because he would know what to expect. And he agreed!

I think it is so cool that the paramedic took the time to show Ethan everything and explain it all to him. He was so willing to oblige, and he really seemed like he was enjoying himself. He didn’t seem in a hurry to get away. Obviously they didn’t have another emergency to go to! But it really does show how wonderful our paramedics are. They arrived promptly at the church to attend to Mr Oram, they were super friendly, they didn’t seem put out that their services weren’t really needed in the end, and then they took the time to do something special for a little boy who will remember it forever!

I only wish I had my camera with me because it would be SO cool to scrap this!

Gorgeous Georgia

Just wanted to share another photo from the weekend.
Here is my gorgeous niece, Georgia Rose. She’s such a doll!

In some ways spending time with her makes me feel a little sad that I won’t get to have a daughter of my own. I have 2 boys, 3 nephews and only 2 nieces. My other niece (Zoe) is 8 and although I enjoyed her baby years, I wasn’t a mum then and it definitely feels different once you’ve had your own kids.

Easter recap

We have had a very busy Easter weekend!

FRIDAY
On Friday morning, we headed up to Whangarei to visit Rob’s family, arriving just after 10am.
Ethan and Tyler loved spending time with their cousins Georgia and Brock, who are both 10 months old. Georgia loved every second of her “photo shoot” with the boys! She is such a smiley little girl and really loves cuddles & kisses (and my boys were happy to oblige).

Brock was a little less enthusiastic about his photo session. He didn’t cry, but seemed slightly bewildered by all the attention & fuss that the boys were making of him!

SATURDAY
We headed home again late Saturday afternoon.
On the way home we stopped at a waterfall just south of Waipu. Rob had been there once before during a stag weekend, and knew the boys would love it. And can you believe all 3 of my boys actually swam! Not for long, since the water was freezing! But it is a beautiful spot, about 6km off SH1 down a metal road, hidden away in the bush.

We’ll definitely go back in summer, as it would be wonderful to swim there on a really hot day.

SUNDAY
On Sunday when the boys woke up they did their very first Easter Egg Hunt!
But before the egg hunt, I overheard Ethan saying: “Now Tyler, we need to remember what Easter is really about. It’s when Jesus was dead for us and came back to life. It’s not all about Easter eggs, okay Tyler?” … I’m really stoked that he “gets it”!
They did love hunting for eggs though. You should have seen the complete delight and amazement on their faces after finding each egg! They were so excited and really got into it. Later that morning we went to church and enjoyed a special Easter Sunday service.

MONDAY
On Monday we took the kids to the Royal Easter Show, as we do every year. Mum, Dad and Leah came too, as they usually do.
The boys loved it and had lots of fun riding on the carnival rides (carousel, ferris wheel, giant slide, bouncy castle, etc) and looking around the farmyard pavillion. Tyler especially enjoyed getting “up close and personal” with the animals. He took a real liking for one particular cow who was happy to be fed straw for a looooong time! Tyler intently crouched down and fed her for ages!

Tyler also enjoyed posing for photos next to some giant pumpkins!

Ethan had a blast doing some Sand Wizard Art in the kid’s Fantasy Zone. He was so proud of his finished creation!

Other highlights included the “Over The Hedge” stage show and the Cadbury Creme Egg Eggstravaganza Circus.
There was actually a bit of a drama during the circus. Two guys were riding motorbikes inside a giant metal orb, with a girl standing in the middle. She was hit by one of the bikers, and then the other biker crashed. One of them was badly injured, and the show was stopped early. It was actually really frightening, but thankfully the boys didn’t realise what was happening and just thought it was supposed to end like that. I’m glad Ethan didn’t catch on otherwise he would have been upset (he’s pretty sensitive). Anyway, I just hope they’re okay.
But despite the accident, the circus had some amazingly talented performers. The kids loved it all.

Well, that just about sums up our weekend! Very busy but lots of fun. I hope you all had a great Easter too!