It really has been hard to get back into the swing of things since our amazing holiday in Nelson. So many times we’ve looked at the properties there and considered a move. We’ve been in Wellington for twelve year’s now and it is totally amazing, but something about returning from holiday and the change in the weather has totally thrown us. This happened last year when autumn came. For the first time I really struggled with winter blues and had such a yearning to be home in England (I still call it ‘home’).
Oh how I love the English countryside in the ripeness of spring… tip-toeing through the bluebell forests… (like my dear folks did the other week…):
Anyway, in all good self-analytical babble, this change of mind is probably because we’ve had two amazing summers in a row, which has been such a treat. Autumn came so suddenly, with a change in the clocks going back. As sudden as a light being switched off, the change in the seasons came and so a change in mood. Perhaps investing in a solar lamp and a prescription of Prozac would fix it all! Oh blimey, I do sound so gloomy – but really it’s not that bad! We have had plenty of sunshine between the storms. Life is good and the girls are thriving and becoming so independent and free. Perhaps the issue isn’t the weather, but me! As their lives are moving on, so must mine. Dan is so busy with the business, which is (touch wood) going great guns, despite the ever over-bearing presence of the recession. I am getting so much more time to myself and am adapting to that with the welcome opportunity to devour books and play music. I’m not in a position to work yet, with Sophie a year or so off school; but my time is coming – though I did think it might be a little delayed by the possibility of a pregnancy a week ago! We would have been so elated, but it wasn’t to be. I was over a week late and put it down to the holiday being so very relaxing that my bio-rhythms were thrown totally out of kilter!
Anyway, this past week has been one of playing nurse maid to first Charli and then Sophie. Nothing too onerous to deal with – just sleepy, feverish children, that were easy to care for and kept us all rugged up for the week. Between Charli recovering and Sophie falling ill, we did make the most of Wednesday and Thursday, when the sun came out in full glory. We had a fabulous time on the waterfront riding bikes and enjoying some thrills at the skateboard park at Waitangi Park.
This weekend has been easy going. I stayed home with Sophie on Saturday, whilst Dan took Charli to dance classes. Dan and I watched Twilight on Saturday night and I now have to read the books! I know it’s aimed at young adults – but I have quite a thing for a good vampire movie and though I’m in my mid-thirties it doesn’t stop me fantasizing a little of vampire romance! My cousin’s daughter is totally hooked and read all the books in a week, before getting her Mum hooked!
I’m also reading a Joanne Harris book – Holy Fools – which has kept my mind whirling in seventeenth century France. She is such an incredible writer and I’ve only read a couple of her novels – so can feel a real ‘Joanne Harris’ reading frenzy coming on! I read into the wee hours last night and just as I was ready for sleep a wild storm blew over. I have terrible trouble in sleeping through the wind and rain – total insomniac! I was lying awake at 2am, feeling so tired, but totally unable to sleep. I considered going downstairs to do some yoga and was dreaming of swimming (but of course the pool was closed – no sensible people swim at 2am in the morning!). Madness! I felt so tired today, but now, at 10pm my energy levels are high again.
We’ve had a very chilled Sunday. Fabulous lunch at Yum Char – the girls favourite – sipping green tea, trying all the unusual dishes and working out which end of chopstick to handle the food with! We popped down the Zoo late this afternoon, but neither of the girls were really in the mood – instead we spotted a giant rope swing in the town-belt and the girls had a blast on that. Sophie and I made a quick visit to see the Kiwi, but Charli and Dan chilled out in the cafe.
This evening, after a fabulous roast dinner (cooked by Dan), the girls had a wonderful bath together. I sat on the floor strumming some chords on the guitar, before ditching the strings for the African hand drum and beating out some tribal rhythms. After their bath, the girls danced around to the beat, grabbing percussion instruments and playing the odd tune on the piano. Charli is doing so well at reading music and playing basic pieces in the right hand.
Ah well, this unsettledness will soon pass, as all things do. Sometimes it’s easy to forget to live in the moment and spend too much time pondering on direction and the future. I know that when we focus on the now – like this evening with impromptu musical fun – we could be anywhere in the world and everything is perfect.
Feeling so much better after a good out-pouring! Dan’s singing away on Sing Star to Queen, girls are sleeping happily, the evening is calm and I’m off to read and cuddle up with hubbie (that is if I don’t beat him on Sing Star first!).
