Homemade Play Dough and Other Adventures

Today was one of those days that I didn't feel like doing anything, had a million things to do and was feeling restless doing absolutely nothing.  JJ, AJ1 and I hit the Parnell Farmer's and Craft Market this morning and we were underwhelmed (I think we just LOVE the French Market so much it can't compare) and JJ had to go back to the hospital.  I had our newly acquired mini-van but Mamaw isn't feeling great (vomit fest continues!) and the gorgeous morning was quickly fading to a glum afternoon so I decided to stay home.

I have tons of crafty art projects pinned so I decided I would explore one AJ1 and I could do together (the other AJs were napping).  We decided on making homemade play dough from this recipe.  It turned out great even for this no-art, no-craft mamma!!  I would highly suggest it for a rainy day project, chances are, you have everything you need to make it right in your cupboard!!

The set up began...

All those jumbo sized things I purchased were put to good use 

Finished product.  Six colors in less than one hour all the while washing all the
utensils in between each color (I have limited kitchenware here -- one stock pot).

The testers

We did have one mis-hap when I had to go in and tend to the laundry and AJ1 decided that he would SMELL the blue food coloring.  We both have blue hands now.  Who needs to SMELL FOOD COLORING!  I had a glass of wine shortly after the play dough was finished!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Hi there!  Today was one of those days where I couldn't help but stop and be thankful for so many things in life.  As I write this Van Morrison is crooning Bang Masters from my living room, a fire is cozy in the fireplace,  the house smells of garlic as dinner is almost finished with my AJs and my JJ all around, so much to be thankful for.

Let's start out with the good.  Today I heard from a few different people.  Each of them from a different area or era of my life but they all said really nice things.  I needed that today.  I am so thankful for each of them and for so many others who have shaped me and I hold dear to my heart (chances are good if you are reading this you are counted in this number).  I have been so blessed with the right people at the right time.  Maybe I will expand on this another time.

The bad.  My family's oldest, dearest friends were effected by tragedy today, lost a member and have another injured in the hospital.  Life is so precious and we take it for granted so easily. It is hard to be away at times like this and we are praying for them.

The ugly.  We have to move again.  Not such a drastic move this time.  We are hoping to stay in Parnell but the owner of our house has decided to sell and is willing to let us out of our lease if we choose to leave earlier than January.  I just want to be settled as we can be so I am currently looking for a house again!

I decided that I would take this opportunity to share the bit of home we have had time to create here on Brighton Road, Parnell, Auckland.  Here are some photos of our humble abode (I warn you, these are not the best photos even I have taken so be prepared).

Three of my boys

My baby is growing up (and looking like a Cleaver, smiles)

Okay so this is a really bad photo but that is a parrot outside my kitchen window

AJ1 requested that I include this photo, Rosie.

AJ2 has taken to the smaller fridge. It's just the right size for him to get into (constantly)
I guess it will be even worse when I have teenage boys, right?

The view from our room

One of the boys beds.
Weird to only have one cot here and two twins, my babies are growing too fast.

We have so much closet space and so few belongings that we don't need any drawers!

Okay, for real, how cute is this?

Just about everyone has a cat door here...we do not however have a cat (in New Zealand)!

Our lodgey living room is so cozy for my fam.

Depending on how long we end up here, in this house, you may see photos of decorative items or the ten million crafts that I have pinned for the boys to do on rainy everyday, but given the fact that we only showed up with suitcases (even if it seemed like a trillion), I think we have done quite well in six weeks time settling in.  Of course we have a few other rooms but with the vomit fest that has been happening this week and the fact that I worked at the dining table all day, those were not ready to be photographed.

Cheers!

PS JJ has asked to do a guest post, think should let him?

Eight Million Miles Away

I do not have mad Google skills.  I have other skills but when I am asked to Google something, it seems that everyone else can find the answer while I am still sorting through the results.  I tell you this because I wanted to see how many miles it is between, Muncie, Indiana (where I was born) and Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand, where I live, but I can't.  I Googled it at one point and got the answer 8 million + which sometimes seems about right.  If your Google skills are amazing, please leave the number of miles in the comments so I can quote you  for the entire time I live here; "According to so and so, I'm from a place X amount of miles from here," or "Back home, X amount of miles away, we blah, blah, blah..." I know, I'm great at conversation, even the fake ones.

Whatevs, the point that I am making is that some things are different here.  Some things are called by different names.  Some things are totally and completely the same.

Recently on Facebook I posted a list of words that we hear in Auckland that we haven't ever used before (whether we have heard them or not).  Here are a few:

1.  Pram.  JJ had never heard of a pram before, funny man.  Now he loves to park in the "Parents with Prams" parking.

2.  Car bonnet, I always have to think about which end this is because I expect it to mean the roof of a car.

3.  Car boot.  Due to the fact that I think this should refer to the tires, I can remember that this is the trunk and then I know what the bonnet is too.

4.  Car park - I had a woman here tell me she had never heard of a driveway.

5.  Flying fox - not sure that this should even exist, its the crazy fun looking zip line my three year old went on  at the playground.

6.  Baby cot - first of all they have drop side cots here.  For Reals!  JJ thinks I am a safety nut when it comes to the kids but I am not placing my child in a death trap to sleep (no offense to the Kiwi but this freaks me out, I am pretty sure that my aggressive nature freaks out at least four Kiwi a day so we'll call it even).

7.  Flat white, long black, filter coffee etc, etc, etc...

8.  People mover - we can't find an Oldsmobile here that will fit three car seats across in the backseat and four grown men in the trunk so we have to become the proud owners of a mini van (ANY DAY NOW)!

9.  Cheers and no worries.  I have yet to hear anyone here say one of the "polite" words that are drilled into my Midwestern phyche.  Thank you, you're welcome, please, etc, etc, etc.  They are polite and helpful but with a different vocabulary.

10.  Muesli, porridge, custard, the food list could go on and on and on.  I grocery shop online and it takes about ten years each week - I like that though.

You can image my shock yesterday when, after a few short weeks here I was able to, with 100% confidence, walk up to the coffee counter and ask for two flat whites and a long black and hand them my eftpos card without reading the menu twenty five times.  When the clerk dropped my card on the hand-back, I looked at her, smiled and said, "No worries.".

Cheers!

Think, Think, Think!!

I had these visions of living in New Zealand the way I spent my time in Manhattan a few years ago...with a bucket list that would be filled with DAILY low-no cost things to explore and enjoy.  It is still my hope that New Zealand will turn out to be just that but in the meantime I have had to "settle in" here in a way that I never had to do for the summer in NYC.

So many of our days are filled with the mundane that I have shared a little of with you. I think having children definitely adds to this as well.  Scheduling my life here has proven to be much more difficult than I expected and I am still working on that aspect.  It seems that things take longer and the days move faster.  When I really sat and thought about this the other day I realized that it's because I am having to take time and analyze everything that goes on.

When I say this I mean I have to think more about the groceries that I buy (volume and weight conversions).  I have to think more about calling my friends and family at home (time conversion).  When I count the money in my purse I have to really look at the coins.  I don't have a proper desk yet so each time I sit down to work I have to get everything out and put everything away...Everything just seems to take more time.

Of course, as usual, I am putting a little pressure on myself to get past this entry period and get to the living of life that I am so fond of sharing with my children.  I have to keep reminding myself that although we are in a country that speaks English and is much like the United States in so many ways, I am still living in a foreign country and that it will take time to adjust to this.  We will get there and when we do I will share our antics with you.  In the meantime, thank you for hanging in there and reading about my wordy day to day happenings!

Just one (three) of the grocery mistakes I have made since we got here.  I probably won't have to purchase flour again in New Zealand -- EVER!!!

Things I Think I Will Miss (or Miss Already)

My friend and fellow expat over at Midwestern Berliners is on the countdown to heading back stateside (in fact almost all of my expat friends have made similar plans recently - uggh).  As part of this countdown, the most recent post was entitled Things We Miss.  I COMPLETELY enjoyed this.  Personally, I liked number three the best!

When I read this I began thinking about the things that I already know that I will come to miss.  I would like to document this list for now and see how it changes when it is our time to return to the states.  Here goes:

1.  Pampers.  I am not a cloth diaper mamma.  I wish I were but the truth be told between JJ's schedule, three babies in thirty-four months and working from home, I like the convenience of disposable diapers.  In fact, I love the way a new box of Pampers' Baby Dry smell when I open them up.  It speaks to all the new baby snuggles I love having with my AJs.  Personally, I think that Pampers should send me a years supply of size four Baby Dry for two babies and I will promote them to death here.  It's time for Pamper's to break into the New Zealand market (Huggies suck and I am so sick of changing wet sheets!).

2.  Unlimited data.  I work from home so I have to have internet access.  In New Zealand you only have an allotted amount each month.  You can double it if you find you are running close but it's still not unlimited.  If you use your portion and the doubled amount you end up with something reminiscent to dial-up from 1998.  We haven't had to double ours yet so it looks like we will be just fine BUT I still obsess.  Cell phone access is expensive and I miss my AT&T unlimited package (which unfortunately will not be waiting on me back in the states, it is no more).

As a side note, when we left the states I tried to talk AT&T into placing our contract on hold (I was month to month and could cancel at any time).  I offered to pay a premium (they actually have this program but will not let you use it for more than six months total).  They refused.  I could wax poetic as to why this was a bad business decision for them (and I did to the customer retention guy) but instead let's just say that I feel the opposite about AT&T that I do about Pampers Baby Dry.  Thank the Lord that the iPhone can be used with other carriers as this family will never use AT&T products again (even if they build that dang tower in Scottsville ;).

3.  Having access to online television.  We can't watch Hulu, Netflix or any online US networks.  I wasn't expecting this and have had moments of frustration surrounding it.  Although, if I could, it might eat up my broadband allotment and then I would have to obsess further!

4.  I almost didn't add this because there are so many family members and friends that I miss but hopefully they all know who they are, they are working on getting on Skype (or already are) and know that I would LOVE to have them here.  That being said, in the last week I have had serious pangs for three people.

Cari Kramer the babysitter.  I am fortunate enough to call Cari my friend as well but she is AMAZING with my children.  Like, literally amazing.  My kids LOVE some Ms. Cari time (and so does mamma).

I love both of these ladies equally.  My gal Courtney at Salon Cielo in C-ville and Missy Flick in my hometown of Muncie, IN.  I've only known Courtney for the three years that I was in Charlottesville but every time I walk into Missy's salon it's like a family reunion -- literally!  The last time I was there I saw Missy and two of my cousins.  In addition, I saw three other family members on her calendar for the same week!  I hate to have someone else mess with my hair!!

Only time will tell what I will add to this list.  I am doubting that Pampers takes me up on my offer so maybe I will just start potty training AJ3 at 11 months (soooo, not my parenting style).

I feel like AJ1 and AJ2 are camera hogs so here is AJ3 for a change.

Pilgrimage to Piha

It's been a rough week.  We've had illness and technical issues and attitudinal issues, blah, blah, blah...Work of all kinds has piled up and yesterday being Thursday (it is now 3:15 am Friday morning) I was convinced I was going to tackle it all and put my life back on track, then JJ came home at 3:45 pm and told me to stop what I was doing and come along (I'm a total sucker for random adventure)...

The next thing I know the two big AJs, JJ and I were headed into the Waitakere, through the sub-tropical forest and out onto Piha Beach.  It was just what I needed in ways that I could not have foreseen.  Here is what we found (and let me tell you, the AJs are lucky that I had not made this pilgrimage in my less responsible 20's because the waves and another way of life may have called me to stay)...

Someone had etched this into the sand and I couldn't find it any more appropriate

Now you may ask why I am up at almost 4 am bringing this beautiful information to you and the simple answer is that shortly after we arrived home, I stuck a bacon slathered meatloaf in the oven and had mashed potatoes on the stove (don't judge, it's winter here and I've been running 45 minutes a day) AJ2 kindly came into the kitchen (seriously kind as there is no carpet) and began vomiting the cup of milk he had on the way home.  I have been busy ever since.  Ahhh, the joys of being a mamma...I wouldn't trade it for a hippie commune in the Waitakere Ranges.

A Day in the Life Part II

Soo, I have been trying to post a link to follow me on Instagram on here but it seems to be taking my non-techie mind WAY too long so I decided to just jump back into typing up what's happening (which I can do most of the time).  I left you with the cliff hanger of our Saturday, my perfect day (I know, it was SO exciting) so here we go again...

I think I left you with lunch (om, nom, nom...) and super, super exciting after that, JJ fell completely, totally asleep on the couch.  He began to get cranky when I kept waking him up asking to go to the beach so I finally took the boys outside and played in the secret garden for an hour.  When the hour was up I began bugging the daylights out of JJ again and low and behold, he arose from the couch and took us over to the playground.

We are currently borrowing a car from the most generous of families (until hopefully this Saturday when with everyone's prayers we will find our dream car costing no more than $3500 -- this would make it the most expensive car I have ever paid for) so we had to be taken over in groups.  I took the two bigger AJs while JJ dropped us off and went back for Ma-maw and the little AJ.  I find that this situation just adds more quirk and since we didn't have far to go, it was fantastic!

The playground was INTENSE.  Auckland playgrounds seem to have the sole purpose of freaking out the mamma in the family from what I could tell.  There was this crazy rope thing that you could climb up to a two story "ship", swings that you could bash (as AJ1 says) into other swing riders in a circle, some sort of merry go round with tires that really reminded me more of a ride at a small town festival and the two story, no safety strap having disk, hanging from a second story zip line that my three year old just HAD TO GO DOWN.  He stood in line looking antsy so I was hoping he was chickening out but JJ informed me that "No, he just didn't want to wait!".  I am so in for it with three boys born within three years!

That's my boy

We decided to leave the playground and walk to the beach.  Actually, we just kind of followed JJ as if he were the Pied Piper and all walked at least two miles in the wind pushing umbrella strollers down to Mission Bay (I was a little worried about Ma-Maw but as usual she was a trooper).  I loved it!

Once we were in Mission Bay we had ice cream at Movenpick and played on the playground. When the time came for JJ to take the first batch of us all home he hoofed it back to the car and came back to pick up Ma-maw and the two smallest AJs. It was a great opportunity for AJ1 and I to have a few minutes together on the beach. It was cold by this time and the wind was blowing but we had fun digging in the sand, talking about gravity and finding seashells. AJ1 even did a few song and dance numbers for me while people looked at us like crazy Americans!

Finally, we came home, happily exhausted!