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!

Decided to do a little meme today … I won’t tag anybody, but if you want to play along, feel free!

Age :: 31
Current location :: office
Eye colour :: brown
Hair colour :: brown
Right, lefty or ambidextrous? :: righty, although I’ve always wanted to be ambidextrous.
Zodiac sign? :: I don’t believe in them.
Height? :: 5′7″
Describe …
Your heritage/nationality :: Pakeha
Your hair :: very thick
Your fears :: justified
Your perfect house :: warm, dry, comfortable, tidy, clean … and renovations finished!!!
What is/are …
Words you overuse :: awesome, man, far out
Phrases you overuse :: I always say “do you not” or “can you not” instead of “don’t you” or “can’t you” when asking a question.
Your first thought when you wake up :: What time is it?
Your greatest accomplishment :: Becoming a mum.
Something you want to do :: Travel around Canada & Europe with Rob.
This or that?
Pepsi or Coke :: Coke (Zero!)
Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera :: Christina
Chocolate or vanilla :: chocolate
Adidas or Nike :: no preference
Black or white :: in relation to clothing, black … otherwise no preference!
Notes or Coins :: notes (duh)
Burgers or hot dogs :: burgers
Egypt or France :: France
Rock or rap :: rock
Do you …
Smoke :: never
Cuss :: no
Sing well :: pretty good
Sing in the shower :: sometimes
Talk to yourself :: a little
Believe in yourself :: yes
Play an instrument :: yes
Want to go to college? :: I already did
Want to get married? :: done that
Want to have children? :: done that too
Get along with your parents :: yes
Get along with your siblings? :: yes
In the past month have you …
Travelled out of town :: yes, 3 times!
Drank alcohol :: yes
Smoked :: no
Been on stage :: yes
Gone skinny dipping :: no
Dyed your hair :: yes, but it didn’t look any different
Stolen anything :: no
Last time you cried :: this morning, while having a heart-to-heart with my best friend
Last movie seen :: Julie & Julia
Last movie rented :: can’t remember
Last book read :: I’m currently reading the latest Dan Brown novel
Last word you said :: okay?
Last time you laughed :: about 5 minutes ago
Last phone call :: to my friend
Last CD played :: Lenny Kravitz
Last song you listened to :: Spongebob Squarepants theme song
Last person you hugged :: Ethan
Last time you wore a skirt :: I wore a dress 2 weeks ago, does that count?
Sarcastic? :: at times
Last time you wished upon a star :: years ago
Spent quality time alone :: Saturday
How many languages do you speak? :: just the one, although I’m meant to be learning Swedish …
Ever been so hungry you felt like you could eat the person next to you? :: I’m a Weight Watchers Lifetime member, so of course I have!!

Today I wrote “LOVE” on my arm.

Today I wrote “LOVE” on my arm in support of the organisation To Write Love on Her Arms. TWLOHA is dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with problems such as depression, drug addiction, self-injury, and suicide.

Today, November 13, is National TWLOHA day.

I believe in this cause, because I can identify with every single one of those diseases. They have touched my life or the lives of people I love.
I have spoken in the past about my personal battle with depression. Depression has also affected family members and friends. There are people in my life who are addicted to drugs (alcohol included). I have witnessed a friend’s struggle with self-injury. When I was 13, my friend’s Dad committed suicide; his funeral was the saddest one I have ever been to.

I believe in the TWLOHA vision, which says this:

The vision is that we actually believe these things …

You were created to love and be loved. You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you’re part of a bigger story. You need to know that your life matters.

We live in a difficult world, a broken world. My friend Byron is very smart – he says that life is hard for most people most of the time. We believe that everyone can relate to pain, that all of us live with questions, and all of us get stuck in moments. You need to know that you’re not alone in the places you feel stuck.

We all wake to the human condition. We wake to mystery and beauty but also to tragedy and loss. Millions of people live with problems of pain. Millions of homes are filled with questions – moments and seasons and cycles that come as thieves and aim to stay. We know that pain is very real. It is our privilege to suggest that hope is real, and that help is real.

You need to know that rescue is possible, that freedom is possible, that God is still in the business of redemption. We’re seeing it happen. We’re seeing lives change as people get the help they need. People sitting across from a counselor for the first time. People stepping into treatment. In desperate moments, people calling a suicide hotline. We know that the first step to recovery is the hardest to take. We want to say here that it’s worth it, that your life is worth fighting for, that it’s possible to change.

Beyond treatment, we believe that community is essential, that people need other people, that we were never meant to do life alone.

The vision is that community and hope and help would replace secrets and silence.

The vision is people putting down guns and blades and bottles.

The vision is that we can reduce the suicide rate in America and around the world.

The vision is that we would learn what it means to love our friends, and that we would love ourselves enough to get the help we need.

The vision is better endings. The vision is the restoration of broken families and broken relationships. The vision is people finding life, finding freedom, finding love. The vision is graduation, a Super Bowl, a wedding, a child, a sunrise. The vision is people becoming incredible parents, people breaking cycles, making change.

The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead.

The vision is the possibility that we’re more loved than we’ll ever know.

The vision is hope, and hope is real.

Today, I wrote “LOVE” on my arm so that people would see it, ask about it, and decide to step up and do their part to help the millions of people in our world who are hurting. Sadly, there is still so much stigma attached to mental illness, addiction and self-injury. But causes like this one are helping to remove that stigma.

One of the things that helped me get through my depression was the fact that other people were willing to share their personal experiences with me. Just knowing that I wasn’t alone, that other people had been where I was, but had come out the other side, was a huge encouragement to me.

I’m here today, and healthy today, because people (and there are many of them) believed that my life was worth more. If my story can help just one other person, then I will have done my part.

Today I wrote “LOVE” on my arm. Did you?

I thought it would be interesting to see what MY children would say in response to those “Why God made Mums” questions.

So, I interviewed them (separately), and here’s the result …

WHY GOD MADE ME

Answers given by my delightful children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
Ethan: So they could have babies.
Tyler: So there can be enough babies.

How did God make mothers?
Ethan: He got some stone, and put skin over it? With eyes drawn on?
Tyler: Um …I don’t know.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
Ethan: Skin, blood … eyes, nose and a mouth. Oh, and ears.
Tyler: Love.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mum?
Ethan: Because he thought that we would be a good pair.
Tyler: Because this Mum’s special.

What kind of little girl was your Mum?
Ethan: Cheeky! And you didn’t eat your potatoes!
Tyler: Hannah.

What did Mum need to know about Dad before she married him?
Ethan: About what he does and stuff.
Tyler: That they were going to be married.

Why did your Mum marry your Dad?
Ethan: Because she thought he was good at building. And she thought he was cute.
Tyler: Because they loved each other.

Who’s the boss at your house?
Ethan: Daddy.
Tyler: Daddy.

What’s the difference between Mums & Dads?
Ethan: Dads are stronger.
Tyler: A Daddy is bigger than a Mum.

What does your Mum do in her spare time?
Ethan: Play with us.
Tyler: Work on the computer.

What would it take to make your Mum perfect?
Ethan: Give her more strength, and be able to hear better.
Tyler: Um …

If you could change one thing about your Mum, what would it be?
Ethan: To never growl at us.
Tyler: No more “kissing hand” when we say goodbye, only a high-five.

Don’t you just LOVE their answers to Q4? My heart melts!

This came in an email today, and I thought it was worth sharing.

WHY GOD MADE MUMS

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She’s the only one who knows where the sticky tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mum just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from mens’ bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mum?
1. We’re related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people’s Mums like me.

What kind of little girl was your Mum?
1. My Mum has always been my Mum and none of that other stuff.
2. I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mum need to know about Dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mum marry your Dad?
1. My Dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mum eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My Grandma says that Mum didn’t have her thinking cap on.

Who’s the boss at your house?
1. Mum doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because Dad’s such an idiot.
2. Mum. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mum is, but only because she has a lot more to do than Dad.

What’s the difference between Mums & Dads?
1. Mums work at work and work at home and Dads just work at work.
2. Mums know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but Mums have all the real power ‘cause that’s who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend’s.
4. Mums have magic; they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mum do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don’t have spare time.
2. To hear her talk, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mum perfect?
1. On the inside she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. You know her hair. I’d dye it, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mum, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I’d get rid of that.
2. I’d make my Mum smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Dear Ethan,

You are almost 7 1/2 years old. Today is not your birthday, it is just a day like any other day. But today I want to try and explain how I feel about you right now. It’s kinda hard, but I will give it my best shot.

You are growing up right before my eyes, in a way that I never anticipated before. Although your baby, toddler and preschool years went by quickly, as everyone said they would, it is only now that I feel you are growing up TOO quickly. Don’t worry, you’re not. You’re just being a regular 7-year-old kid. Obviously you’re growing at the same rate you always have, the same rate as every other kid. But to ME, it feels like you’re getting older so much faster.

There was a time where Daddy and I were the main influences in your life. We were the ones who fed and nurtured you as an infant. The ones who read you story after story after you discovered books in a huge way. The ones who taught you about the big, wide world. The ones who answered all of those incessant 3-year-old “why?” questions.

Now you are older, you have so many other influences and role models. Your brother. Your grandparents. Your aunties, uncles and cousins. Your teachers. Your friends. Other kids in the playground. Soon enough pop stars, actors and sportspeople will be added to that ever-growing list.

You have a pretty awesome brother. You have a wonderful extended family. You’ve had 3 amazing teachers since you started school. And so far, you have made stellar choices when it comes to friends. Aside from one small lapse of judgement a couple of months ago, which you have since rectified, you have befriended some of the most caring, kind and polite kids over the years. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of mates than the ones you have right now.

You are becoming your own person. You’ve got your own style. You’re discovering jokes that YOU think are funny, and then relaying them to us. You’re picking up sayings that we’ve never heard before. Thankfully, most of these jokes and sayings are really funny, and not at all inappropriate. We’re actually learning new material from YOU.

Still, I can’t help but want to protect you. Shield you from all the Bad Stuff that I know is out there. You haven’t encountered it yet, but one day you will; it’s inevitable. Just thinking about that ties my stomach into knots! Have we taught you well enough? Will you know that it’s okay to say “no” to things you don’t agree with? Will you have the courage to be strong and stand up for what you believe? How will you cope with peer pressure and other influences?

At the moment, peer pressure is not a huge deal. You are only 7. Your friends are GOOD kids. Right now, the worst kind of external influences (that are out of my control) are pretty mild. They relate to movies you might end up watching at a friend’s house, swear words you might hear in the school playground, or distasteful jokes you might pick up from a classmate. So far, you have displayed great judgement in all of these areas. Even at age 5, you said “no” to going to an M-rated movie (Spiderman 3) with a friend and his mum, because you knew it wasn’t something I would allow you to watch.

I know this kind of thing is only going to get harder – for BOTH of us – as you get older. Can I just wrap you in cotton wool and keep you home 24/7? Of course I can’t. You have to learn how to live in the real world, and going to school and having lots of external influences will ultimately help you to do that. You need to be exposed to different scenarios so you can learn how to cope with saying “no” or defending your beliefs, even when it’s uncool to do so. Your teenage and young adult years will bring more of the same, only turned up about, oh, ten thousand notches.

So … I promise NOT to shield you from everything. I promise to allow you to grow and learn. It’s hard for me to watch you changing. It’s hard for me to witness you becoming your own person instead of just my little boy, an extension of myself. But I must let you do it.

I’ll let you climb trees, ride your bike down steep hills, jump off high stuff, wrestle on the ground with your brother. I’ll let you do those things even though there’s a chance you could get hurt. And when you do, I’ll be there to bandage up your wounds and send you back out.
I’ll let you screw up every so often. I know there will be times where I, as the adult, will see a mistake coming. I’ll be tempted to step in and save your bacon. But I won’t. I’ll allow you to learn from your mistakes, suffer the consequences, and practice that thing called responsibility.

I won’t let you be a mollycoddled Mummy’s Boy. While you are still young, I will do things for you, because that’s my job. But I’m already giving you responsibilities around the house, and there’s a reason for that. When you’re older, I will make you cook meals, do housework, buy your own clothes, do the grocery shopping. Yes, that will be my gift to your future wife.

Until then, I will try to find the balance between protecting you, and letting you be independent. I know there will be some precarious teetering between the two, as I’m finding that balance, but I’ll do my best. At the very least, I’m determined not to topple over completely and land on my butt.

This thing called “growing up” won’t always be easy for you. I’ve been there myself, so I know. But you can rest assured that I’ll always be here for you. Anytime you DO want me to hold you, comfort you, protect you? I’ll be right here. Anytime you DO need me to tell you that everything will be alright? I’ll be right here.

Always.

Love, Mummy

Tyler has been at school for 3 weeks now, and he’s settling in nicely.

At our school, new entrants finish early (2pm instead of 3pm) for the first 2 weeks. Tyler was still finding the days quite long, so his teacher and I agreed that he could finish early for another week. Although it’s a bit of a hassle for me to walk down to school at 2pm and then again at 3pm, it’s better than having a tired, grumpy 5-year-old to deal with in the afternoon. Also, I’m getting a bit of extra exercise!

Tyler has fitted into his class so well, especially considering the other children have been at school for 2 or 3 months already. The kids are friendly, and have really made Tyler feel welcome.

Most of the boys (and a couple of the girls) in his class bring their scooters to school, and ride them on the court outside their classroom at lunch time. Tyler didn’t have a scooter, but on Monday we decided to get him one as he was really keen to join in. As it turns out, he’s a real natural. He’s been riding it to and from school, as well as at morning tea and lunch time. And in just 4 days, he has pretty much mastered it (although today he fell off 3 times and came home covered in plasters). But having the scooter is really helping him socially, as it means he can join in a fun activity that the other kids already do together.

On the learning side of things, he’s picked up quite a lot in 3 weeks. He has already learned a few words – I, can, am, look. But I’m not that interested in how much he learns this term, as he will have a whole year in Year 1 next year to consolidate everything. Instead, we are treating this term as an “introduction to school”, and just want him to have fun, make new friends and enjoy himself. So far, so good.

In about 3 weeks time we will have an interview with Tyler’s teacher to see how he is getting on. She’s already shown me examples of his writing, and has talked with me about some of the testing she has done with him. I’m pleased with his academic progress of course, but I’m more interested in how he interacts with other kids and how he behaves in the classroom. Mrs O’Connell seems to enjoy having Tyler around, which is a good sign. On his 3rd or 4th day, she told me that he was a “breath of fresh air in the classroom”, which made me very proud.

As a mum, I really wanted both my boys to have a positive start to school, and I think I can say we’ve achieved that!

Last night I decided to make meatloaf for dinner. It had been ages since I’d made it, so I decided to try a new recipe instead of my Auntie Lynne’s old faithful (which I still love). This is an Alison Holst recipe that I have modified slightly.

The verdict? A big “thumbs up” from everyone!

American Meatloaf

3/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 packet (~32g) soup mix (I used chicken & sweetcorn)
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 egg
500g minced beef or lamb (I used beef)

Topping:
2 rashers bacon
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 tsp brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.

Stir the breadcrumbs and soup mix together in a large bowl. Add the hot water and stir with a fork to mix. Add the sauce and egg and mix again, then add the minced meat.

Using your hands, mix the minced meat evenly through the other ingredients, then place into the loaf tin.

Cut the rind and fat off the bacon, and lay strips over the loaf. Mix the tomato paste, brown sugar and water together, and brush over the bacon.

Bake, uncovered, for 1 1/4 hours.

To serve, cut into thick slices and serve with gravy.

Serves 4