It’s no secret that I’ve been frustrated with our living situation here in Auckland. I have a “love”/”strong dislike” relationship with our apartment. Love the location, love the apartment itself. Strongly dislike the agencies that represent the landlord, the amount of time it takes to get repairs done, the rent we are paying (and the… Read More Frustrating
It’s Friday morning and Joe is asleep for his usual 9am-ish nap. Whew. Yesterday he didn’t go down till after 10am, which meant missing my postnatal boot camp. I’m all for getting out and helping Joe learn that he sometimes needs to adjust and adapt his schedule, but I’m also one for picking my battles. … Read More A Little Bit of News
I have a pretty straightforward email address, and I’m happy to say that I’ve had that address for nearly 8 years. No spamming. No lock-outs. No need to change. I guess you could say that I’m about as happy with it as one could possibly be with a free email account. The only thing that… Read More My Email Doppelganger(s)
Let’s play a little game called “Opposite Day”… Today, I actually remembered to eat breakfast. The courier service for our groceries delivered my order on time. It did not deliver my order 3 days late. The order of eggs was not entirely broken and dripping into the potatoes. I did not argue with the courier… Read More Opposite Day
Sometimes, I really want to write a “venting” post, one where I let it all out and just complain, complain, complain. A post where I seek justification for my hurt feelings and maybe a little commiseration when I share a negative experience. Usually, a negative experience brought on by someone else. I’ve written some of… Read More Sometimes…
Excited to go to the beach… Gorgeous view of Rangitoto in the distance… My wonderful husband My beach babies – Chris and Joe! Valerie, this one’s for you! My sweet baby – a sleepy end to a great day
It’s official: I told my boss today that I would come back from mat-leave on a casual (as needed) basis rather than on a regularly scheduled week. It wasn’t an easy decision. I batted around several possibilities with both Chris and my manager, but in the end, this option (doing casual) is the best one… Read More Casual
It’s Thursday night here in NZ. I’m stressed and tired, and part of me wants to have a worry-wart session where I think about a lot of things that are way off in the future and that are in my control. It’s really easy for me to worry. Please tell me that I’m not the… Read More Thankful Thursday
I do not have a gentle child. He loves to crawl and bang into things and beat his palms on the floor (or on me). He loves to grab and yank and drop and yell. He burps and passes gas and laughs at me when I say, “No”. I’m serious – if I say “no”,… Read More Duck Bites
I thought that I was being so smart. Daylight savings time is coming to an end here in New Zealand. I was already dreading the effect that turning the clock back 1 hour would have on Joe. I envisioned him waking up at 4am, ready and raring to face the day. No thanks. I decided… Read More The End of Daylight Savings Time
Dear Joseph, You’re 9 months old, baby! You are such a sweet, creative, smart, strong little boy. I’m so happy that you’re our son and that we have the privilege of raising you 🙂 Movement In addition to crawling everywhere and getting into everything, you’ve also started “cruising”, or moving around while standing and holding… Read More 9 Months
Today was a rough day. Joe has been fussy and out-of-sorts since Friday. No fever today, but definitely disgruntled and can now add “diffuse facial rash” to his list of complaints. Our normal daytime walks have been greatly abbreviated. I expected today’s walk to be no different but, thankfully, a little bit of grace came… Read More Appreciation and Breathing Room
I’ve updated my “About Me” page to include my real, full name. My blog life and personal life are overlapping so much that it no longer makes a whole lot of sense to keep the two separate. If you’d like, you can find me on Facebook as well. Either way, it’s nice to have it… Read More Going Public
I saw an article today that ranked the “best and worst” Girl Scout cookies in terms of how healthy they were. Naturally, the ones that I love {Samoas/Caramel Delites, Tagalongs, and Thin Mints} were not the healthiest options. Good thing I don’t have to worry about being tempted by them over here! I have set… Read More Postpartum Fitness and Girl Scout Cookies
I had 2 fun little things happen to me on the bus ride to the dentist yesterday. The first was that I got to read a letter from one of my sisters, Valerie. She sends the best letters and sometimes I put them aside so that I can read them in peace and quiet. And… Read More Start of a New School Year
Joe loves sitting his toy bin… Something about being surrounded by toys just thrills him! Don’t worry – the bin has a safety latch so it won’t slam down on him or pinch his little fingers. And he’s never in there without me right beside him. It’s so cute to watch him “talk” to his… Read More Joe in the Toy Bin
If you’re like me, then you’re often on the lookout for recipes that are filling, nutritious, easy to make, and easy on the pocketbook. Here’s one that satisfies all of those criteria, and it’s a cinch to modify based on taste. It can function as a side dish or, if you’re like us, work as… Read More Lentil Rice Supper
Let me preface this post by saying a few things: I don’t think that a woman is a better mother because she stays at home with her children or because she works outside of the home. I think that it’s entirely a case-by-case sort of thing. There are some women who would be much better… Read More Working Postpartum
I’m loving these MMM posts. Why? Because after I take the photos of our apartment, I think, “Hmm… I’d better clean that up!” and start to do chores. It’s motivation, but in a strange sort of way… In the meantime, here’s a look around our home: Dishes in the sink and by the sink. I’d… Read More Messy Mom Monday!
The first time I saw New Zealand was when we moved here nearly 2 years past. There was no pre-visit for me – I just got on a plane and followed Chris, all while hoping that the country was as lovely as it seemed in pictures. My view from the plane window that early morning… Read More The First Time I Saw New Zealand
