Despite some more ups and downs, we have thoroughly enjoyed our first winter. Having only ever experienced an evergreen environment, the children loved the beautiful autumn colours and mounds of crunchy leaves from the many deciduous trees planted about to break up the general eucalyptus haze. The city became briefly picturesque before the frosts came, turning the trees barren and the grass back to brown!
Temperatures gradually dropped to between -4 - 15C. Despite being cold, the weather was eerily calm, with none of the wild winter storms we were accustomed to in Wellington! Generally a frosty start would give way to a beautiful clear sunny day. The school children would still spend all their downtime locked outside the classroom, and assemblies continued outside even after the new expanded school hall opened. Washing could be dried on the line and the beagles would find somewhere to sunbathe, even if they did need an electric blanket in their outdoor bed.
Leah now loves her school and has a firm group of nice friends. She has a slightly older BFF (Best Friend Forever) who she looks up to a great deal. One day after school Leah announced that she no longer wanted her woolly "snugglies" (the comforters she has had since birth) or to suck her thumb, but she would like to get her ears pierced (done at a much younger age over here) and a pair of black shiny knee-high boots! Two life-long habits were instantly dropped, and yes she bravely faced her fear of needles and now sports some flower earrings to go with some calf-high boots we were able to settle on!
Leah has also lost her first tooth, and started using the free school bus at the gate to get to and from school. There are many extra-curricular activities on offer but Leah has settled on highland and irish dancing, and swimming for now. She is such an Aussie-phile, singing up loud and proud to "Advance Australia Fair", and insisting on saying "haitch" instead of 'h'.having sung it twice a week at school.
Fraser is also happy. Mainly because, having secured his place by being fulltime, we were able to drop his preschool hours back to the twenty hours of preschool he is accustomed to and that we are funded for (as per our entitlements at home). He now gets two days at home with Mum to do his favourite activities (War Memorial Museum and Cockington Green). He loves to help with the groceries, feed and walk the dogs, and collect the mail. He has graduated to riding his bike without training wheels, and is currently obsessed with aeroplanes.
Kent is settling into the routine of work. At times he is frustrated with the system, but given the redundancies at home...
I am enjoying some time to myself after a demanding couple of years! I have a number of little hobbies on the go and otherwise enjoy helping out at the school canteen. Thank you to all those who keep asking when I am going to get a job!!! Ha ha, that can be for next year when the children are both at school.
In May I was able to pop back home for Joan's last weekend on the farm, having sold it after 40 years. Unfortunately it was only for a few days (Kent doesn't have flexi-time, so Leah has to go into afterschool care if I am not there) so I wasn't able to catch up with anyone. The children and I will come home again sometime in July/August so we will try and catch up with more of you then.
The Farm
