caleb loves soccer. i mean LOVES soccer.
this is his constantly repeated statement: "daddy. mummy. shoe-ies. outside. soccer. ball. baby ball caleb. big ball daddy/mummy. kick. goal. cones. pass. again! now! SOCCER!"
so awhile back i looked into signing him up to some little league (whereby parents and toddlers run about in some sort of fashion, kicking a ball together). but (a) location, (b) time and day, and (c) cost - put me off. because really - is there a need to spend 30 minutes in a car just driving somewhere to kick a ball? i don't think so.
so instead i wrote up a couple of signs and attached them to lamp posts. free soccer for toddlers. every saturday morning for 30 minutes starting at 9am. at our local (5 minutes walk) park.
so far there are three boys who have shown up every week. two others have come along once or twice. and other neighbours from the area have visited and given the kids icecreams / iceblocks as treats when training has finished!
it's fun and it's bringing people in our community together.
Monday 4 November 2013
Wednesday 16 October 2013
and a little voice told a story
this was the conversation i had the privilege of listening in on this morning:
"hello man*. man sleep? yes! sleep on table? no man! man sleep floor. yes! floor in my room. okay man. blanket. blanket on man. night night man! bye bye!"
30 seconds later.
"man wake? wake man! hello man! no blanket now. come on man. outside. yes outside man. there. outside. okay bye bye man! no? hello man. inside time."
*man = duplo figure
"hello man*. man sleep? yes! sleep on table? no man! man sleep floor. yes! floor in my room. okay man. blanket. blanket on man. night night man! bye bye!"
30 seconds later.
"man wake? wake man! hello man! no blanket now. come on man. outside. yes outside man. there. outside. okay bye bye man! no? hello man. inside time."
*man = duplo figure
Friday 27 September 2013
living below the line
this week a bunch of my friends (along with many many others all around the world) have given up their usual menu plan to live off NZD$2.25 a day and "live below the line".
the idea in a nutshell seems simple enough:
- spend 5 days experiencing the diet of so many hundreds of thousands of people around the world who live below the poverty line.
- raise money for worthy charities that are doing their best to do something about that line.
and in doing so bring awareness about how blessed we are and to challenge both our thoughts and actions for the future surrounding injustice in the world.
i will be honest and say that i thought about joining in this year - for about a milli-second. but i didn't do it. why?
it's not because of the food. i know i can give up food luxuries. i've been dairy-free for over a month now (not because i want to be, but because my son *potentially* needs me to be). and my favourite food is cheese. it's hard work. i thought maybe after a month it would have become easier. alas, no.
instead, it's entirely because of the exhaustion that i chose not to sign up. i remember reading comments from people who did it last year - that you feel tired. really tired. REALLY tired. and i just don't know if i can add any more tiredness onto my already fairly saturated tiredness week (think 6 month old who breastfeeds around the clock every two hours and 2 year old that... well is a 2 year old).
yet here we are at the end of the week and some of my friends who have taken up the challenge are parents. and some of the mums are even still breast-feeding. i have been astounded by their resourcefulness and recipes. i have been astounded at their willingness and dedication. but most of all i have been astounded at the community that has developed.
yes - i may not have experienced hunger and even more tiredness than usual this week. but i have experienced the strength that comes when we support each other publically, gather around each other with compassion, and listen to each other as we share deeper thoughts than we normally would.
this week i have watched - and seen. i have listened - and heard. i have hoped - and believed.
if you would like to donate - here are my friends and here is the organisation that we are supporting.
the idea in a nutshell seems simple enough:
- spend 5 days experiencing the diet of so many hundreds of thousands of people around the world who live below the poverty line.
- raise money for worthy charities that are doing their best to do something about that line.
and in doing so bring awareness about how blessed we are and to challenge both our thoughts and actions for the future surrounding injustice in the world.
i will be honest and say that i thought about joining in this year - for about a milli-second. but i didn't do it. why?
it's not because of the food. i know i can give up food luxuries. i've been dairy-free for over a month now (not because i want to be, but because my son *potentially* needs me to be). and my favourite food is cheese. it's hard work. i thought maybe after a month it would have become easier. alas, no.
instead, it's entirely because of the exhaustion that i chose not to sign up. i remember reading comments from people who did it last year - that you feel tired. really tired. REALLY tired. and i just don't know if i can add any more tiredness onto my already fairly saturated tiredness week (think 6 month old who breastfeeds around the clock every two hours and 2 year old that... well is a 2 year old).
yet here we are at the end of the week and some of my friends who have taken up the challenge are parents. and some of the mums are even still breast-feeding. i have been astounded by their resourcefulness and recipes. i have been astounded at their willingness and dedication. but most of all i have been astounded at the community that has developed.
yes - i may not have experienced hunger and even more tiredness than usual this week. but i have experienced the strength that comes when we support each other publically, gather around each other with compassion, and listen to each other as we share deeper thoughts than we normally would.
this week i have watched - and seen. i have listened - and heard. i have hoped - and believed.
if you would like to donate - here are my friends and here is the organisation that we are supporting.
Friday 13 September 2013
travelling lightly
the first time i jumped on a plane i was 15 months old. which technically means i was carried onto the plane as opposed to jumping... we flew to england and lived there for nine months. i didn't have much of a say (that i recall at least) in what luggage i was going to take.
however i was 9 years old when we next headed overseas - to live in canada for a year - and this was definitely an appropriate age to have an opinion in what went into my suitcase. i also remember, quite vividly, my father being very assertive and saying (to all of us) - "we are travelling lightly. ONE suitcase each. that's it." at the time air new zealand let each passenger have two bags - so taking one only would allow an extra bag to bring home (very smart really, a year of living overseas often does equate to an extra suitcase at the other end). thank goodness dad made that call though - because that extra bag was very handy for the canadian animal soft toy collection that migrated south at the end of the year.
travelling lightly.
it's a phrase that has stuck in my mind, and in my packing ability, as each trip has surfaced. people are amazed at how small my suitcase is, and that a pillow and a sleeping bag have somehow been squashed inside as well. eric likes to complain that i'm not playing fair because i can fit three singlets into one shoe. this may indeed be the case but i can still pack less items into a bag than he can... there is only one person i know of who can pack lighter than me... dad (carry on only for a three week jaunt around europe anyone?)
and so on our most recent overseas jaunt with a 4 month old and a 22 month old (both of whom had no baggage allowance) - i was determined to continue the trend. two suitcases went to canada. one for the kids. half of one for us. which meant on the return two soft toy monkeys, an owl, a squirrel, a bunch of duplo and an array of other toys could come back too.
and so on reflection, some things never change. soft toys do deserve prime luggage space.
however i was 9 years old when we next headed overseas - to live in canada for a year - and this was definitely an appropriate age to have an opinion in what went into my suitcase. i also remember, quite vividly, my father being very assertive and saying (to all of us) - "we are travelling lightly. ONE suitcase each. that's it." at the time air new zealand let each passenger have two bags - so taking one only would allow an extra bag to bring home (very smart really, a year of living overseas often does equate to an extra suitcase at the other end). thank goodness dad made that call though - because that extra bag was very handy for the canadian animal soft toy collection that migrated south at the end of the year.
travelling lightly.
it's a phrase that has stuck in my mind, and in my packing ability, as each trip has surfaced. people are amazed at how small my suitcase is, and that a pillow and a sleeping bag have somehow been squashed inside as well. eric likes to complain that i'm not playing fair because i can fit three singlets into one shoe. this may indeed be the case but i can still pack less items into a bag than he can... there is only one person i know of who can pack lighter than me... dad (carry on only for a three week jaunt around europe anyone?)
and so on our most recent overseas jaunt with a 4 month old and a 22 month old (both of whom had no baggage allowance) - i was determined to continue the trend. two suitcases went to canada. one for the kids. half of one for us. which meant on the return two soft toy monkeys, an owl, a squirrel, a bunch of duplo and an array of other toys could come back too.
and so on reflection, some things never change. soft toys do deserve prime luggage space.
Saturday 7 September 2013
sleep and dreams
sleep:
babies fight sleep
children resist sleep
teenagers rebel against sleep
adults crave sleep
or at least this is how it seems from my perspective. certainly in our little household this is all very true (i can even account for the teenager bit when we housed an international homestay student last year).
and i just don't quite understand why my children are not as passionate about sleep as i am.
i have been either pregnant and/or breastfeeding now for 35 months (and counting...). this has resulted in two main alterations in my life:
1: having children.
2: having (very) limited sleep.
dreams:
a sub clause on (2) is that i'm not dreaming as much as i used to.
i used to have such excellent dreams. my family could testify to that as i would often say, with much eagerness, "oh i had such a vivid dream last night let me tell you about it now in full detail without missing anything because it was all so interesting and bright and full of thought-provoking moments that really does require a full analysis and break down of events that i need to share with you all right now and might require a good 30 minutes of your time".
i am eagerly awaiting the time when both sleep and dreaming sink back into my life.
babies fight sleep
children resist sleep
teenagers rebel against sleep
adults crave sleep
or at least this is how it seems from my perspective. certainly in our little household this is all very true (i can even account for the teenager bit when we housed an international homestay student last year).
and i just don't quite understand why my children are not as passionate about sleep as i am.
i have been either pregnant and/or breastfeeding now for 35 months (and counting...). this has resulted in two main alterations in my life:
1: having children.
2: having (very) limited sleep.
dreams:
a sub clause on (2) is that i'm not dreaming as much as i used to.
i used to have such excellent dreams. my family could testify to that as i would often say, with much eagerness, "oh i had such a vivid dream last night let me tell you about it now in full detail without missing anything because it was all so interesting and bright and full of thought-provoking moments that really does require a full analysis and break down of events that i need to share with you all right now and might require a good 30 minutes of your time".
i am eagerly awaiting the time when both sleep and dreaming sink back into my life.
Tuesday 27 August 2013
theme song
should all blogs have a theme song?
if i take a moment to list off some theme songs that jump into my mind these are them. shall we all spend some moments reminiscing about the excellence of these catchy tunes.
macgyver (worthy of a fairly lengthy pause and a sigh of happiness please...)
mission impossible
mash
happy days
lois and clark
neighbours
what would you add?
BUT - as much as i LOVE macgyver and mission impossible - i just am not really so sure that either really fit in with my life and this blog.
so a theme for my blog. so far all i've come up with is something shortish (i'm short. my sentences are short. i don't use capital letters.). maybe i will see what my first ten posts happen to be about and decide then. good idea.
as an aside - this reminds me of the time in university when i was meant to be doing a geography lab but instead i had just discovered some little quiz site that you answered questions to and it told you what "flavour" you were in life.
i got peppermint...
if i take a moment to list off some theme songs that jump into my mind these are them. shall we all spend some moments reminiscing about the excellence of these catchy tunes.
macgyver (worthy of a fairly lengthy pause and a sigh of happiness please...)
mission impossible
mash
happy days
lois and clark
neighbours
what would you add?
BUT - as much as i LOVE macgyver and mission impossible - i just am not really so sure that either really fit in with my life and this blog.
so a theme for my blog. so far all i've come up with is something shortish (i'm short. my sentences are short. i don't use capital letters.). maybe i will see what my first ten posts happen to be about and decide then. good idea.
as an aside - this reminds me of the time in university when i was meant to be doing a geography lab but instead i had just discovered some little quiz site that you answered questions to and it told you what "flavour" you were in life.
i got peppermint...
Monday 26 August 2013
going dairy-free
i never, ever, thought i would one day make a conscious, well-thought out decision to go dairy-free.
there are two reasons for this.
1: i love milk.
2: i love cheese.
i could write lengthy paragraphs explaining and expressing my passion for both milk and cheese. i could. but i will try to keep it short. i like short sentences and short thoughts after all. i doubt i have gone a day in my life without milk. this is easy to predict because i haven't gone a day in my (solid-eating) life without cereal and let's be honest - cereal just doesn't taste the same without milk. once when i was living aboard i *ran out* of milk and had to have cornflakes with water. it wasn't an enjoyable moment for me. i went out and bought milk immediately afterwards. as for cheese - well, it's my staple. it's my go-to snack. in fact, i don't snack on anything really except for cheese.
*i didn't run out - i would NEVER run out of milk - my flatmate drank it*
anyway - today is day one of going dairy-free.
i'm not doing it for me. i'm doing it for my son.
there are two reasons for this.
1: i love milk.
2: i love cheese.
i could write lengthy paragraphs explaining and expressing my passion for both milk and cheese. i could. but i will try to keep it short. i like short sentences and short thoughts after all. i doubt i have gone a day in my life without milk. this is easy to predict because i haven't gone a day in my (solid-eating) life without cereal and let's be honest - cereal just doesn't taste the same without milk. once when i was living aboard i *ran out* of milk and had to have cornflakes with water. it wasn't an enjoyable moment for me. i went out and bought milk immediately afterwards. as for cheese - well, it's my staple. it's my go-to snack. in fact, i don't snack on anything really except for cheese.
*i didn't run out - i would NEVER run out of milk - my flatmate drank it*
anyway - today is day one of going dairy-free.
i'm not doing it for me. i'm doing it for my son.
Sunday 25 August 2013
thinking forward
it all began ten years ago to this very day (which was totally unplanned and therefore a rather amusing serendipitous surprise)
blogging that is.
me blogging at least. i have no idea when other people officially started to blog. probably long before that i imagine.
anyway, ten years ago in 2003 i was about to embark on a journey to europe and because it was pre-facebook days, i thought this might be a handy way to keep in touch with people back home. a chance to write some stories about where life was taking me.
i had a bunch of people that left comments. nowadays you get a little tab that tells you who (supposedly) likes you and who (supposedly) is viewing your page. this was pre-that. but people could leave comments to say they read and they cared and they were watching. and they did. though these seem to have long disappeared into cyber-space when i glance back.
anyway - to cut a long story short, you can find that very first post, written on the 25th august 2003 here the adventures of bex if you feel like walking down my memory lane. or if you have something really important to do and need a good procrastination tool.
i kept it up. blogging that is. off and on. it was pretty easy when i was in europe but gradually dwindled as the years passed by.
but then one day i had this thought that maybe i should try again. actually i had this thought a bunch of times as my most recent (recent is not actually recent though) posts mention. the problem is that to sign into my blog i needed to use my old email account that used my maiden name. now if you are anything like me, you will have a bunch of tabs open in firefox and one of those tabs will be your email account. and how incredibly frustrating it is to have to keep signing in and out every time i wanted to write a new post.
hence here we are. farewelling one set of adventures and beginning some new ones.
let's see where it takes us.
blogging that is.
me blogging at least. i have no idea when other people officially started to blog. probably long before that i imagine.
anyway, ten years ago in 2003 i was about to embark on a journey to europe and because it was pre-facebook days, i thought this might be a handy way to keep in touch with people back home. a chance to write some stories about where life was taking me.
i had a bunch of people that left comments. nowadays you get a little tab that tells you who (supposedly) likes you and who (supposedly) is viewing your page. this was pre-that. but people could leave comments to say they read and they cared and they were watching. and they did. though these seem to have long disappeared into cyber-space when i glance back.
anyway - to cut a long story short, you can find that very first post, written on the 25th august 2003 here the adventures of bex if you feel like walking down my memory lane. or if you have something really important to do and need a good procrastination tool.
i kept it up. blogging that is. off and on. it was pretty easy when i was in europe but gradually dwindled as the years passed by.
but then one day i had this thought that maybe i should try again. actually i had this thought a bunch of times as my most recent (recent is not actually recent though) posts mention. the problem is that to sign into my blog i needed to use my old email account that used my maiden name. now if you are anything like me, you will have a bunch of tabs open in firefox and one of those tabs will be your email account. and how incredibly frustrating it is to have to keep signing in and out every time i wanted to write a new post.
hence here we are. farewelling one set of adventures and beginning some new ones.
let's see where it takes us.
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