Friday, August 31, 2007

Where were you?

I can not believe that it has been 10 years since the unfortunate death of Lady Diana.
I think it will always be one of those topics that people will always say 'Where were you when...?" just like 9/11.

So where was I 10 years ago....?

I was in England. It was a public holiday weekend and mum and I had some family friends visiting for the weekend.
I remember mum kept coming into my room really early in the morning, but I couldn't be bothered to turn over and see what she wanted, so I ignored her, although on about the 3rd visit I finally turned over and asked her what she wanted? (It was a public holiday so why did I need to wake up early?)
That is when she said "Lady Diana has died!"
So after informing me of what she knew, we woke our visitors up, mainly because Sky was hooked up in the room they were sleeping in and we needed to turn it on and see what was happening.
And that is pretty much how we spent the rest of the day, with the tv on watching the unfolding events as we learnt she was hurt, to she was critical to she had died, to when she would come back to England to whether Charles would go and fetch her!
You have to remember that England woke to this news, as it had all happened during the night. So spending the day was probably what most of England did that day.

The rest of that following week was quite a blur, so much news coverage, so much planning going on.
I actually worked on the day of the funeral and I was scrubbed in a case right up until the start of the funeral, but then I got to watch the last part and the procession up the motorway to her final resting place on the tv in the tea room.

The whole week was so surreal and something I will never forget, a little like 9/11 (I was in Hong Kong and London, but that is another story!)

So if you have 2 minutes, take the time to remember where you were, what you were doing and look at where you are now?

Me, in 10 years I have moved to New Zealand, had several different jobs within the same company, met Steve, brought a house and sold one too! Had my parents move to NZ and almost my brother (2 1/2 weeks till they get here) had 2 gorgeous sons, Ben, 4 next week and Alex 2 1/4 and now we are about to commence a new part of our family's journey by moving to Hamilton.
So compared to where I was 10 years ago and what I am doing now, a lot has happened.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

The House

You can read the whole story here, but in a nut shell it will tell you that

WE HAVE SOLD OUR HOUSE !!

Blogging

I have just been surfing back through my own blog!!
I have been blogging for just over 2 years now.
It is quite fun going back and seeing what I wrote, what pictures I put on there and what everyone looks like. This is particularly interesting as I started blogging when Alex was only 9 weeks old and he is now 2, so lots of changes in the pictures for the boys.
If you have your own blog, then take the time sometime to revisit it and see what was happening to you this time last year or even the year before.

You will have quite a laugh.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Miracles

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jar from its hiding place in the closet.
She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even.
The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.
Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing.
She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster.
No good.
Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!
"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question
"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick..and I want to buy a miracle."
"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.
"His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.
"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs?"

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"
" I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."
"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago .
"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly.
"And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."
"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man.
"A dollar and eleven cents.....the exact price of a miracle for little brothers."
He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."
That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery.

The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.
Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. "That surgery," her Mom whispered, "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"
Tess smiled.
She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.
A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.
I know you'll keep the ball moving!
Here it goes.
Throw it back to someone who means something to you!

A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end.
It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends.
But the treasure inside for you to see is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.
Today I pass the friendship ball to you.
Pass it on to someone who is a friend to you.

MY OATH TO YOU...
When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.
When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.
When you are worried.....I will give you hope.
When you are confused.....I will help you cope.
And when you are lost....And can't see the light, I shall be your beacon.....Shining ever so bright.

This is my oath.....I pledge till the end.
Why you may ask?

Because you're my friend.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Alex

Yesterday Alex managed to be very cute, not so cute and back to really cute, but hey that is the life of a typical 2 year old

He started off by being so cute sitting and reading to himself from his favourite book of the moment "Little Bear Lost"
You could hear him telling himself the story of how Little Bear was found in the picnic basket. So cute.
Unfortunately this didn't last too long....whilst cleaning for the open home, Alex decided to draw in pencil all over the wall (must be something in the water, as Ben did exactly the same thing at Daycare on Friday. That is another story and I will fill you in when I get the pictures!)








So we made him help us clean it off the wall.













Then later in the day, when he had woken from his afternoon nap, he snuggled up with daddy and ate a big plate of fruit. He just loves Kiwi fruit and grapes.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Independent Alex

The following is a Teacher story sent to us from Alex's Daycare.

A Learning and Teaching Story for Alex Trotter
Teacher: Glenda
Date: 23 August 2007

Alex you really impress me with your perseverance and independence.
For several days now I have noticed that when you get out of bed in the afternoon you sit on the mat and try very hard to put on your own socks and shoes.
This is a very complex business and I have known you to sit for at least ten minutes trying to get it right. I showed you how the heel part of the sock has to go around the back and you have nearly mastered that.
Next the shoes have a tongue inside them that make it hard to push your foot down inside. Luckily once we get that bit right you can do the Velcro fastening yourself. Today you even had them on the correct feet

Well done Alex. I love the way you don’t sit around expecting an adult to do everything for you. Most other two year olds would just wander off bare footed.

Teachers Response:
Alex is patient and keen to be responsible for himself.
He is showing a desire to be independent and keeps trying without showing frustration.
Keep encouraging and praising Alex for his efforts in self care.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Paul Potts

WOW
To anyone in England, I do realise that this is an old name to you, to everyone else around the world, this name is just beginning to mean something.
We found out about this guy here in NZ at the end of July, when they covered the promotion of his first album.
Suddenly on the tv screens you had Paul's first audition video being shown, the one where he walks on stage, in a wrinkled suit, very nervous and announced he would sing opera. The one where the judges just looked at each other as if to say 'oh great, 2 minutes of pain' and ended in tears, smiling at each other and nodding. The one where the judges tell him his days of selling mobile phones is numbered because he is about to become a megastar!

It gives me shivers just thinking about it. It was amazing, it can make me all choked up just watching it, and believe me I have watched it on the official website several times. On there you will find his semi final performance, his final performance and everything he has been doing since that magical week in June.


It is one of those feel good stories that everyone always wishes for, always hopes would happen to them and always makes them say 'they deserved it' when it happens to someone else.

Paul Potts, you deserved this. Well done.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Jokes

Now I like jokes just as much as the next guy, so to come across a blog site that just lists jokes is the best.
Sometimes I find them not so funny, but others days they really make me smile :)

Seeing as I think you should smile and laugh often, then this site is just what everyone needs.

Family Blogging

Seems I have started something within my own family. In the last week my little brother and my mother have both got into blogging, my brother in a serious way and my mum is just starting out.

So let me tell you a little about my family.
Well you have me, Kathryn, nearly 37 years old, Registered Nurse who lives in New Zealand after moving here, on my own just under 10 years ago. I am the partner of Steve, for almost 8 years now, wow where does the time go?
He is the one that has just secured a new job in Hamilton, about 1 1/2 hours south of Auckland, thus the reason why we are moving in October to Hamilton (you can check out our moving status here).
We met at work, of all places! And actually worked in the same department (Operating Theatres) for nearly 2 years before I finally agreed to go out with him, much to the happiness of the whole theatre department who were sick of us not actually getting our act together. Don't you just love doctors and nurses for match making!

We are lucky enough to have 2 lovely little rascals called Ben and Alex. Ben is just turning 4 and Alex is 2 1/4. You could never ask for 2 children so different, but then if they were the same life would be so boring!

Then you have my baby brother, Iain. He has just turned 35 and emigrates to New Zealand on 14th September with his wife Claire and their 2 little rascals Ellis(6) and Harvey(3)
They are going to be living in Rotorua, about an hour away from us in Hamilton, so I am sure we will get to see them often, especially as our boys are all about the same age, it will be so cool for the 4 cousins to get to know each other etc.
You can check out what Iain and crew are doing here.

Then you have our parents, who at present are in Dubai, UAE. They also live in Rotorua (emigrated out here in 2001) but are currently in Dubai for a little while. You can check out what they are up to here.

So that is us, at present.
My baby brother has actually challenged me to a "blog off" He is a head of me in the design stakes, but I think I am a head with hands down as I am keeping 2 blogs going at once and he only has 1.
Be interesting to see what he comes up with on his blog.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Spelling Test for Bloggers

Found this small spelling test on another blog I follow.

Go and have a look, only 15 questions on spelling. I got 2 wrong, which was good, especially as I always try to make sure everything is spelt correctly


Mingle2 - Free Online Dating

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Pictures

The middle of August in New Zealand is winter, and yes we have our fair share of crap weather, but then slipped into the middle of it all you get a day like today. The sky is so blue, the sun is warm and your spirit gets raised at least 200%.
This is what makes it so nice living here over the UK, you don't get days like this in the middle of winter in England. As our front deck gets all the sun all day, then it was silly not to have a bench or 2 out there to enjoy the sunshine with. We regularly have lunch out there. Show me a child that can resist bubbles. Ben and Alex love them, but then so does mummy.Ben decided to help me with the washing. How could I not let him help me hang things up? At least they were pegged up, I can work on the straightness another time(I know picky picky at least he is helping) This is what I like to see....a man on his knees working!

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Toilet Training

Our biggest fight with Ben at present is getting toilet training sorted. We have only been going at this since January!
He is dry during the day with the exception of #2's. Try as we might we can not get him to use the toilet or to even register with us that he needs to go or has even been.

So imagine our delight this morning when he came running through the house saying he needed to go toilet.
And that is exactly what he did, sat on the toilet and did his business.

Of course there were huge cheers, lots of Hi 5's and the promise of a big reward from the toy shop.

We are not going to mention it to him again, maybe if we just get on with things he will go again tomorrow all by himself? I do hope so, as at the rate we are going Alex is going to be ready to be trained and we won't have finished with Ben!
Whilst the Open Home was on we took the boys to the aformentioned toy shop. Ben is into Dora and Thomas the Train. Seeing as there was nothing little in the Thomas range that he needed, he came away with a Dora jigsaw puzzle as his big reward for todays efforts.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Mowing

When we got home from work today, Steve went and finished mowing the remaining little sections in the garden ready for the Open Home tomorrow.
He had a little helper in this project, one who seems to love the mower!

So there is Alex with his own little mower, assisting daddy to the best of his ability, just such a shame his mower doesn't actually cut anything! Would be so helpful if it did.
It was so funny watching him help daddy, as everytime Steve turned the mower off to empty the catcher bin, Alex would stop as well and turn the knob on his mower, at the same time as announcing to daddy 'I turn mower off too' then he would help empty the bin into the bag and then help put the catcher back on the mower.
He helped daddy do the whole lawn out the back.

New Word

Ben has a new word, well he gets them occassionally.
The new word of the moment is 'but'!
It is used in just about every conversation you have with him now, he always manages to answer you with 'but mum' or 'but I' or even 'but this'

His other favorite word at present is 'just'
You ask him to do something and you will be greated with 'I just' as in 'I just do this' or 'I just got to'

Sometimes it is cute, othertimes it is so annoying, but then that is the life with a 4 year old.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Blogging

Everynow and then when I have finished posting, I will click the button at the top of the blog page that says 'next blog'
I have found some wonderful blogs by doing this.

My favourite would have to be The McNulty Quads, a wonderful couple who had quads May 2006, 3 girls and a boy. Their whole story is on the blog, so if you have the time it is a wonderful read.
Through keeping up to date with what the McNulty's are up to I came across another blog of a couple in Texas who has just had quads, The Steece's, although these little darlings were only born Aug 1, 2007, so at present are only 2 weeks old.
They have 3 boys and a girl. Again their whole story is on the blog and if you have the time is lovely to read.

So the next time you have nothing to do (yea right!) why not use the 'next blog' button at the top of the page and see where it takes you and what you might find.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Brushing Teeth

It seems to have taken forever to get the boys to really be into brushing their teeth.

Now I do realise that this will be an ongoing battle for the rest of their born life, whilst they live at home. I will always be nagging them about it, well, until they get girlfriends and then I will be for ever complaining that I can't get anytime in the bathroom!
Anyway, we are still having trouble getting them to brush their teeth twice a day, but at least we seem to have conquered bedtimes.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Photographer

On Tuesday the photographer came to the house from the Real Estate Agent.
I had of course spent the last 2 days running around trying to make the place look nice. Now I didn't want the place to look perfect (impossible) but I at least wanted it to look nice and welcoming. Seeing as people would look at these pictures to decide if they wanted to attend the Open Home.

I got a little stressed as the man arrived, but then I lost it completely when Steve pointed out to me that I didn't want to go into the boys room?! In the 5 minutes before the man got there they had decided to play Hide & Seek in their room! Consequently mummy had a momentary breakdown, threw Alex out the door and just sobbed.
I recovered quite quickly, but I was still not a happy person, so I followed the photographer around the house making sure he got some good shots of our house.

On Friday they let us know that it was now listed on the website. It was really weird listening to someone else promote your house.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Sick Boy!!!

Late Saturday night I went and checked the boys before going to bed myself.
And what do I find....a little man (Alex) with a raging temperature, 39.5 deg. So a quick whip out of bed, strip him off, give him panadol and lots of juice.

An hour later the temperature hadn't broken but he was nicely asleep in his bed and in fact that is where he stayed until about 4am, when he came to find mummy.

He snuggled in with me and then about 6am he was running a temp again, back up there in the 39's, so more stripping off, more panadol, more juice and more sitting with him.

He stayed quite active during the day, even though his temp never came down below about 38.2 deg. He even took a really nice nap in the afternoon.

But when he woke up he was not a happy chappy, and for 2 hours was grizzly, moaning and crying. He already had a lovely cough, which the doctor had said was viral and would just have to do its course on its own, but I had a feeling something else was bubbling in there somewhere. So I eventually decided to take him to the emergency doctor.

Now every mother will tell you, you don't take your child to the emergency doctor at 5pm on a Sunday night. Worst time of the week to go, but in fact it was really not bad, only about 3 other people waiting and when we had finished there was no one waiting!

Wish I could have said the same for the Chemist, seems it was the only open Chemist in the area and so everyone was going there to get their scripts filled.

But with raging ear infections in both ears, we had to be there. Needed those antibiotics!

We dosed him up at 6 when we got home and we woke him up at midnight to get more into him, by 7am today he was a different person, thank god for the power of antibiotics. Luckily that meant he was fine to go to Daycare. What a cruel mother I am.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Sleeping

I can't say that we did anything really wild yesterday. Ben had an unexpected play date with his little friend Kaitlyn, but that was about all.
So after dinner, whilst watching the news, Ben snuggled with me and consequently fell a sleep.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Kindergarten

In New Zealand kids can go to Kindergarten sometime after they turn 3, now the age that they actually get to go can vary varstly between suburbs within one town, just by how many children in the area are registered for Kindy.
You can register children at 2, and so we did with Ben. We just have with Alex as well.

Now we always knew that the chances of Ben ever actually attending a Kindy in Auckland was very slim as I currently work 3 days a week and they like you to commit to at least 3 afternoons, usually between 12.15 and 2.45.
Thus the problem, because of the times and with me working, he was never going to go because it was not convenient, but with moving to Hamilton we are pretty sure that he will attend down there because I won't be working to begin with and therefore he won't be attending daycare, and I really want him to have something to do, mainly for my sanity, I don't think I will survive with both of them at home 24/7!

Well the Kindy that we have been registered at, has changed the age, due to huge numbers enrolling and Ben is still not in there yet, YET being the word.
Here we are, just under 10 weeks until we are all totally moved and now the Kindy have got in touch to say would we like Ben to go 3 afternoons a week? As of next week!
Talk about notice, they call on Friday and ask if I would like him to go on Tuesday.

Of course we have had to decline the position, but considering we have been waiting since January for a place, I just knew it would come up just as we moved!