Category: Spawn

There’s so much more to it than I ever thought possible.

First day of school, 2015

Archimedes and Aubrey should have started preschool yesterday.

Not looking for sympathy or a shoulder to cry on. I just miss them, and I like to talk about them, and if everything was different, this page would be plastered with pictures of two little boys with mini backpacks and new lunch boxes.

Instead, yesterday Squish and I went to the osteopath (I have injured my sacroiliac joint), then went to Mahadeo, the huge Indian spice shop here in Auckland. 

And tonight we’re making dal tadka.

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2015/01/14/dal-fry-dal-tadka/

Happy Birthday Inigo

Mark and Inigo playing minecraft as Gandalf and Bilbo

Darling Squishy, 

Today, you are SEVEN!  I feel so lucky to have had you around for seven whole years.  You have always been beautiful, and funny, and sweet, but now you are also becoming compassionate, and creative and profound.  Every day with you is an adventure, you keep me on my toes mentally, and every day I have to work harder to keep up with your left of field ideas and lateral problem solving.

You are everything a parent could want of a child, and I am so blessed to be part of growing you into the wonderful adult you are going to become.  As I have watched you grow over the years, I have often thought about the saying that a child of seven is pretty much a small version of the adult they are going to become. And I’ve wondered about who you will be at seven, and if my efforts to support and guide you will have been “enough”.

And today, I can say with confidence that you are perfect.  If you grown into a man that is as thoughtful and caring and creative as the boy that you are now, I will be thrilled.  Thrilled to know you and love you, knowing that you have survived and thrived under my imperfect parenting.

And lucky for each and every day that I have you in my life.

Walking

Mark and Inigo walked to school this morning for the first time from the new house.  

Mark writes, “About 35 minute walk. It was good. Had a great chat. He told me that walking to school is a good idea, because the gas from cars and busses makes the world hotter. He also suggested we should build a big space ship. If the world gets wrecked (or the Sun blows up), we can all get on board and fly away to find another planet with oxygen. Or wait for another planet to form. He’s aware it will take a long while, and need lots of people to work on it – particularly scientists and builders. I pointed out that it might be useful to some level of agreement from politicians. We decided that it would be good if we avoided wrecking the planet in the first place, but this plan should still be put into place to prepare for the Sun blowing up.The proposed plan for this is that we tell Jason Price, who is the representative of all scientists. The scientists then warn the politicians of the danger, and suggest what needs to be done. (We remain hopeful that some day politicians may actually listen to scientists). The politicians can decide where to build this big spaceship, and tell the builders to built it.”

Living in NZ has been mostly great.  We miss our family and friends, and great Middle Eastern food, but all three of us have found things we absolutely adore about living in NZ.  Mark is doing challenging and interesting work, and living a short walk from work has been great for us spending time together as a family.  Mark gets to see Inigo both in the morning, and in the evening – in Sydney he was usually asleep by the time Mark got home from work.

Mark has also found a new choir to sing with, an octet that has paid gigs, and they are flying him down to Wellington for a gig next month.  Exciting stuff.

Inigo has two rocking schools.  Freemans Bay School is a lovely city school with loads of green space, a kitchen garden, the freedom to go barefoot and climb trees, and the ability to just be him, without the pressure to conform to anybody elses idea of “normal”.  The school is very child centered, and Squishy is loving the freedom and personal power he gets from taking responsibility and ownership of his learning process.  It’s not perfect, but he is a much, much happier wee beastie when Monday morning rolls around each week than he ever was about going to school in Sydney.

And then there is One Day School.  A place where kids get to explore a new topic each week, with the freedom to apply their own initiative and resources however they see fit.  Where the kids are guided and encouraged to explore the topic through their own eyes and methods. I can’t speak highly enough about what this experience has meant for Squish.  He was already a great thinker, but he is gaining so much confidence and passion for learning, that he is wanting to do homework so that he can have more time at school for his projects.

I have withdrawn from university again this semester because the exam period fell exactly in the middle of when Mark’s contract here ended, and the uncertainty about where we would be living was very damaging to my ability to focus on study.  So I have thrown myself face first into the Auckland (and greater New Zealand) fibre scene.

I have joined Creative Fibre, and attended lots of different groups.  I have learned bobbin lace, and loom weaving, and supported spindling, and how to use a hackle, a drum carder, and now I have even bought a double treadle spinning wheel.  And last month I taught my first class – “Unravelling Ravelry”.  Some of you may laugh at the thought of me teaching Ravelry (yes, you Emily!), but i have come a long way, and the process of putting together the class notes taught me a lot.  The class went brilliantly, and I am happy to say that the owner of the yarn shop has asked me back to teach two new classes. Learn to Knit, and Continental Kntiing both coming up.

Our tenure in NZ ends in about six weeks, and we have not yet reached an agreement with Mark’s employers that will enable us to stay here long term.

The stress, of course, is huge.  On the upside, Mark and I have weathered some pretty rough storms in the past, and we are very lucky that we are able to communicate effectively and present a united front.  We’ll get through this, and will be thrilled at the outcome.  If we have to come back to Sydney, we get to have Summer and Christmas with our loved ones, Squish will be able to go back to choir and piano lessons, I’ll get back on track with uni, and Mark’s job will carry on, and I’m sure he will find another choir.

And if we end up staying here, you can look forward to lots of pictures of our travels around this lovely country, and more fibery adventures, and the joy of packing up a three bedroom cluttered house to move into a tiny two bedroom apartment.  Joy!

So, on RUOK day, how are YOU doing?  If your glass is only half full, can I help you top it up a little?