Music is in the Air

It's always so nice to have both boys at home on the weekends. Singing, playing guitar, bantering, and being boys.

Big Bear left this morning for San Diego - he's purportedly wearing shorts and enjoying warmer weather. Little Bear - finally - started work this evening at a Greek restaurant, washing dishes. And tomorrow, Little Joe starts life as a computer geek at a post-secondary school! Best wishes to the boys Down Under, as they start their new school year!

1st Day of School !

Today, is the first day of school for 2009.

Last year, I wrote a poem about this occasion (I'll include it at the end for those who are interested)

This year, the summer break has been extra short and all my literary juices are still dry.

The first day of school always evokes such a tumble of emotions.

Not least of which, is that fact that here in the Southern Hemisphere, our students have to buy and name all their own stationery. This is a phenomenon that I don’t recall happening when my boys were at school in the Great White North. Please correct me if my memory fails me. But for us here, the first day of school means that in the preceding days leading up to this event, someone (usually Mom-The-Super-Stationery-Hunter) gets to go searching through all the “Back to School” sales, buying up large on !B5’s, 1B8’s, 2E8’s, and all manner of alpha-numeric variations of stationery available….jotters, and mathbooks, pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, sharpeners, folders, clear files etc etc etc. In our family, Dad usually gets the job of wrapping the exercise books with duraseal. It was quickly established, that if you wanted your books not to have immense air bubbles and wonky edges, you’d get in quick and ask Dad to seal your book. Mum is much better at whittling pencils and naming them. And then comes the task of sorting out which articles of uniform no longer fit, and which articles have moved on to places unknown. I am grateful for all the uniform benefactors who have provided so generously for my boys! However, they are pleased that finally, the school’s Physical Ed uniforms have been changed, and they are entitled to ask for a new PE strip. That never ceases to bring out the emotion of ‘amazement’ in me…..”How MUCH did you say that cost??!!!!”

Today, my boys (one more so than the other) were very excited to be starting the new school year. I now have one boy beginning in Secondary School! Imagine that! I’m now officially old! And I still have one that is straddling the Junior and Middle School. To make me feel youngish! There is a sadness to realise they are growing so quickly. But there is joy to see them embrace their learning, and developing into wonderful young men. There is the excitement of wondering what the year will hold, and there is the nervousness of the unknown. There is the aching gap of friends who have moved on to other schools, and yet the anticipation of new friendships and alliances. And there is the lovely reconnection of familiar friends and faces.

And today, we think of our many friends who have moved to new schools. Our thoughts are with you. For you, there may not be the warmth and thrill of reconnection, but we wish you all the best as you enter into a whole new adventure. Yours is the excitement of a totally fresh beginning and new vistas.

And to the rest of the world….be gentle on the parents of school age kids!


AN ODE TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Wild dreams of pencils, protractors, and pens,
Rulers and bags and crayons-in-10’s,
Felt tips in all their colourful array,
Swimming togs, sandals…….last minute dismay!

Books to be covered with contact and seal,
Clothes to be named from the head to the heel,
Jotters and refills, more glue sticks of course,
All fit in the school bag…with creative force!

Just when it looks like the bag’s gonna pop!
Everything comes to a breathtaking stop….
The nightmare is shredded by ear piercing squeals –
“Time to get up!” the alarm clock appeals.

You fling open eyelids, wipe sleep from your eyes,
Throw back the blankets and leap for the skies…
Who are you kidding! - You just curl up and hide…
Hoping the noise from your alarm will subside.

For today is The Day – the first day of school!
No more late brunches or trips to the pool;
No more wandering around in your cosy PJ’s;
No more sleep in’s or long lazy days.

No more leisurely reading of book after book;
No more fish on our line left to hook;
No more going for strolls in the park;
No more staying up late till well after dark.

No more break from the routine and drudge;
No more baking endless batches of fudge;
No more daydreaming as you lie in the sun;
Just timetabling, scheduling, places to run!

The first day of school…..it fills one with awe -
New teachers, new students, new carpet on floor.
We’re nervous, excited…the questions are there;
Will we be summonsed to the Principal’s lair?

Will there be bullies and will there be fights?
Will there be people who stand up for rights?
Will the work be too hard, or will it be fair?
Will there be someone who is willing to share?

Will the teachers be nice, or grumpy and tough?
Will we learn history, and division by half?
Will there be someone who’ll easily befriend?
Will it be long, till term comes to an end?

The excitement and chatter die down with the bell.
My heart skips a beat as my goodbyes I tell.
My eyes are all teary, as we part from each other
The first day of school is so hard… on The Mother!

He's back in Nouveau Zealandia

It's nice to have K back again after his whirlwind trip to Brizzie.
Here is a pic he took this morning from over there.
We spent a lot of time roaming this area not so many years ago.
The weather is pretty much always like this.
In fact, the state's slogan is : Beautiful one day, perfect the next!
It's pretty close to the truth too.
Our kids used to wake up and groan, "Awww....it's sunny AGAIN!"
And then when we went to the Great White North, people thought we were absolutely nuts when our kids got really excited about the rain.
We actually bought gumboots (galoshes/wellingtons) in our first week there......and then had to wait for 6 weeks before we could use it! It was an unseasonally dry year!! :-)

On the joys of camping...

This is the closest I have ever been, to hugging my shower and flush toilet!

We’re back again and I have been musing upon the tribulations versus the joys of camping. I have some pressing questions.

What makes a person want to go camping? Does it take a certain type of person, a particular genetic disposition, a psychological bent? Does the joy of the experience warrant all the extra preparation, both beforehand AND after the event? And what does the concept of “basic” mean to different people? Is there an innate desire to bond with nature or are some people just seriously deluded? And who invented the 3-minute shower, and were they bald, or how did they manage to wash hair, body, and get all the dirt and layers of gunk off themselves in that generous amount of time? For that matter, who invented the long drop toilet, and did they possess extraordinarily-gracious olfactory and visual sensorial talents….or for that matter, a very tough emotional fortitude?

But wait. I have more! As romantic as I perceive my concept of snow and wintry weather are, I wonder about those equally romantic notions of summer. What possesses a person who lives in a perfectly reasonable dwelling, to choose to habitate beneath a thin layer of canvas (albeit mixed with synthetic materials) in the heat of the summer, in uncomfortably close proximity with friendly and not so friendly wildlife, and with the ever present possibility of flooding below or drips from above? Further, when one’s only access to clean, non-sticky skin is a freezing cold stream or a temperamental shower of dubious length and temperature, why would one then go somewhere where one has to pile LAYERS of gloop into one’s pores? Have you thought about those layers? Moisturiser to keep that skin feeling a little less like sandpaper. Then sunblock (SPF 30 – 70+) to protect you from those harmful rays. And reapplications because you’ve gone ‘glowy’ or been for a swim. And don’t forget the essential layers of insect repellent…..and thereafter the layers of anti-itch cream, because those rural mozzies just love the taste of sweet, tender, city-dwelling skin. And then there are those layers of good wholesome dirt and summer-induced perspiration. Yummy.

Those and more, are just some of the thoughts which have occupied a little of my mind over the past 5 days. But I think I have waxed lyrical for long enough. Lest the above gives anyone fodder to accuse me of going soft in my old age, here are some of my other musings.
There is nothing quite like sitting beneath a star-laden sky on a clear summer’s night, with a warm light breeze rustling the tops of the trees. No haze from city lights to diffuse the inky blackness. Just a cheery glow of the lantern; the sweet scent of the forest and the night air, and one’s mug of hot chocolate. I love looking up into the heavens and wondering about the greater universe; about the God who created it; about the millions of years it has taken for that little flicker of light to reach my eyes. If you venture a little further into the bush, your canopy may become the pretty sparkling of the glow worms. (At this point, I choose not to think about the possibility of those wriggly things at the end of the pretty lights, falling into my hair…..). Then there is the realisation that you are far from the madding crowd and life’s pressures. It’s a wonderful feeling (mostly). No computers, often no cell phone coverage, nothing to charge the batteries anyway. And it’s even better if you are camping away with friends. You don’t feel guilty about putting the world to rights, through the wee small hours of the night….eating constantly and blaming the fresh outdoors for your healthy appetite….it’s all compulsory relaxation! And it is lovely just to have the time to explore, or to chat, or to do whatever! No agendas, no set routine, no demands on one’s day! And all the time in the world to muse upon matters of utmost importance, of course….!

For those who are interested, we camped at Wentworth Valley on the Coromandel Peninsula. The facilities were hardly lugubrious, but the setting was idyllic. Rolling hills, waterfalls, clear streams and pools, beautiful native bush. And the weather was incredible – sparkling waters, sunshine like you wouldn’t believe, and those beautiful, clear blue skies. We really have had the most perfect weather for all our holidaying. Thankfully, otherwise there might be more gripes to add to the list above! And whilst we were sufficiently in the wops to feel unhampered by civilisation, for those who needed to touch base with ‘life apart from nature’ (shops, cafes etc!), the seaside/surfing resort of Whangamata (complete with very hospitable friends, rather more satisfactory ablution facilities, and boat!) was not really so far away!

Perhaps the one question which still bothers me though, is, why on earth did Noah allow those 2 mosquitoes on board the Ark?

Photos from our foray into civilisation (aka Whangamata).

January Growth

Life around here kind of just continues on...

The snow has lingered for the past month, thawing, refreezing, and hanging out with us. Some places have none left, but our front yard is still mostly covered. Looking forward to seeing the last of it, but the weather man is calling for more tomororow! The past few days have been clear, cold, and frosty!

My parents were over yesterday and the boys posed with my mum. Little Bear was in a silly mood and donned these fake plastic glasses for a new look. He was thinking in particular of Garth from Wayne's World. Quite a role model.

Little Joe wrote his English 12 provincial exam today, as the first semester has ended. One more before he graduates from high school. And here's a new development: he is going to be leaving his school next week - for good - to attend the computer networking course that Big Bear teaches. Although this program is post secondary, it will provide him with the credits to complete high school. So suddenly, as of next Monday, he'll be done. And onto the next challenge in his life. The good thing is that he'll be able to graduate with his class.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's all happened so quickly! This means that I won't be driving to school with him anymore and that he'll be into a completely different scene.

My baby!

Gallivanting around the Nth Island (Pt1)

As promised, I am trying my best to post before we head away again tomorrow. I had hoped to post the complete (if summarised) rundown of our holiday in one hit, but have sadly come to the realisation that I was being utterly unrealistic! In fact, as I write, I have HOURS of work still to do to get ready for tomorrow’s departure. But I am taking a break to post or it will not happen. What this means, is that I think this holiday recount may take up more posts than I anticipated initially! My apologies. I will blog on the holiday until I reach the end, or until you get sick of it and tell me to STOP!

Anyway! We decided these holidays, that we needed to introduce the boys to their native land and some of the ‘kiwiana’ attached to it. I will try to summarise it all into a few memorable moments and photos.

~*~

We began our trip southwards, with a stop with our friends at their bach (use ‘crib’ in Australian, and ‘cabin’ in Canadian!) at Taupo.

Lake Taupo is NZ’s largest fresh water lake and is about the size of Singapore!

Memorable moments were being able to spend time again with good friends, K helping John with building the deck, going boating and fishing on the Lake (and I must advertise the fact that I think I caught the ONLY Rainbow Trout in the Lake! Oh, and this sort of fishing is for me - no horrible worms, all very clean! If I was a Rainbow Trout, I think I would've liked to have gobbled up my cute fluorescent pink fluffy glowbug with the boggly eyes too...) .....

clear, clear blue water .....

discovering pumice at the many beaches .....

spectacular views everywhere .....

beautiful sunsets .....

Twas such a lovely time.

From Taupo, we headed to Napier to spend time with the Grandies and Cuzzies.

The summer heat was amazing.

The boys became instantly tanned from spending time in and out of the water. If you like the sun, this is definitely where you need to come. Napier is the Art Deco City of NZ. Our time here was primarily to spend time with family and that was indeed a bonus.

And this is where I’ll have to leave you for today…..I looked at my photos from Napier and there are THOUSANDS I would love to post here…..unfortunately, I’ll have to pick some and resize them – a job that isn’t going to happen tonight with all that has yet to be done!

However, I will leave you with evidence of the fruit of some of my labours today – a picture of breakfast for one morning – a huge batch of homemade muesli a la Ange! And now I must tootle. As E put it so well today – “all this preparation for a few days of camping, is like the preparation it takes to go away and stay in a hotel for 2 weeks!” He’s right! And now you know why my idea of camping usually includes a lobby!!! Catch you when we return….