I’ve been in tears. I’ve just upset my two oldest daughters. With my husband, Dan, away I should be offering extra comfort – not choosing this time to pick battles and talk ‘big picture’ concerns. I suppose with him away I see the ‘holes’ more clearly – it’s easier for two people to smooth them […]
parenting
Lyrical Sunday | Between
This isn’t my usually thought out poem for Lyrical Sunday. I love the theme Cyndi has set, of ‘Between’ for ‘Lyrical Sunday’ – so many great possibilities came to mind. Unfortunately I feel terrible this morning. I tried to get out in the sunshine, but it was a disaster. I just need to let go […]
I hope she’s not thinking about me as much as I am about her
My beautiful, free spirited, energetic, bright young Sophie. I love you with all my heart, as I do Charlotte and Alice. You probably won’t understand the depth of my love for you until you are much, much older. But a parent will do anything for their child’s happiness. When you started school at the beginning […]
Children bring out our best & show us our worst
In the before children days a long, stressful stretch in the office was quickly remedied with a few drinks, a long lie in or a weekend away in the bush. Now life is a little different… Endless sleep deprivation. No chance of a lie in (in fact after eight years I’m not sure I know […]
Writer’s Workshop: Channelling the Energy
When the ‘boss’ and I our conceived our daughter, Sophie, I reckon a strong dose of my sister’s genes were thrown into the mix. And, unbeknown to Dan and I, there was going to be a strong contender in the house as to who was really ‘the boss’! Of course my husband and I harp […]
The ebb and flow of the tides…
I feel on my heart, like the gravitational pull of a full moon. Those early years with our children, side by side, are like two hearts knotted in a binding beat. Night and day our breath is shared. Learning, growing, getting to know the spirit that drives every conscious and unconscious thought. As our children […]
Random Happiness
Being in the moment, totally at one with nature. Free of the monkey mind chatter and internal dialog. No ego to feed; just simple happiness from living in the present and being consciously aware. Every breath drawn from the centre of the Universe. Every cell in the body soaking up the warmth of the sun […]
Ditch the straightening irons: Dreadlocks reign in a Southerly!
As I write there’s a mean southerly blowing and over dinner SJ asked me who was whistling. Erm, that’ll be Mr. Wind love, he’s a regular visitor to these parts! 🙂 It’s always at this time of year I question why I live in Wellington and start perusing real estate websites the world over. Just […]
Rain free Saturday!
News break: It didn’t rain on Saturday! Pitches across Wellington actually had players on them. Children danced on the side-lines, cheering on their sporting hero’s (in our case – Daddy O!)… Dan only played half a game (as there was such a surplus of players keen to actually get a game in) – but it […]
A little ray of sunshine
This week (and it’s only Tuesday) has been all smiles and no tears (except from Sophie when her bicycle helmet unfortunately caught her chin as the strap clicked shut – ouch!). Charli has been thriving at school and I’m so relieved to pick her up and see all smiles. Her teacher is so wonderful and […]
Top Family Time and an All Black’s Victory!
Settling into school life is not without emotion at Chez Lee and this weekend couldn’t have come fast enough. Charli was so tired and weepy on Friday pick-up; but she’s definitely enjoying 85% of school-life and on the whole she’s thriving. Nevertheless, I take the rough bits to heart and my health is suffering with […]
Little steps in a big, new environment!
Charli is well into her third week of school. She’s loving the school, her teacher and the environment. However, she’s extremely tired and quite emotional in the late afternoon. I’ve been really open with many parents and am reassured to hear that this is all very normal. I’ve heard stories of children taking a year […]
Beads Frustration!
Some toys are sent to test a parent and child’s powers of persistence, determination and patience. ‘Beados’ are just that test! Last week, my good friends Stephanie and Francis popped round (Stephanie used to nanny for me when Sophie was a baby and I really needed an extra pair of hands!). They very generously bought […]
What’s on your bedside table?
In my first year of motherhood my bedside table was stacked high with a wide selection of parenting books. The subjects of most interest at that time were sleep, health, breastfeeding and developmental milestones. My reading of parenting and child psychology books became a little obsessive. There was a time when the only other items […]