Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

Happy Halloween Everyone! It was yesterday for us in NZ (today in the States) and we even managed to get Luca into his Turkey costume for a children's halloween party. Grandma Cassie mailed this over to us but we hadn't been able to get Luca to put it on....so we finally bribed him with a cupcake. The kid loves cupcakes....so while he was busy stuffing cupcake in his mouth, we were busy stuffing him in the turkey outfit. Checkout this photo - it's when he sees himeself in the mirror for the first time - so cute!
I figure we only have maybe one more year at most that we can dress him up as cute animals...soon it will be superheros and monsters. Our Halloween weekend started off by going to a children's party on Friday night. I joke that it was probably the best party of Luca's life. Lots of kids in costumes, decorations, flashing lights, smoke machines, and lots of yummy food. I knew it was time to go when he was dancing (jumping) on the couch to the music, bounced off the couch and hit his head on the hardwood floor. Ouch. Yep, it was 7:15pm and time to go to bed. It was a good party, and quite rare that someone was actually celebrating the holiday.
These fingers look so real and soooo disgusting. As if Sizzlers wern't gross enought on their own (sizzlers are like hotdogs...processed cheap meat)! I think I might steal this idea for next year - quite clever

In this photo is Thea with son Tom (he was born 2 days before Luca) and the hostess of the party Chelsea with Juliette (born 1 day after Luca). The reason their house was so decked out was because the following day they were having an adult Halloween Party.

We got a total of 2 trick or treaters the whole night. One came to our door at like 5pm and wasn't even dressed up so I told him we weren't participating sorry, no candy. I mean C'mon at least dress up! Then about 30 seconds later his brother came up to the door and was dressed up - but I couldn't give him candy when I denied his brother who was waiting in the driveway. So James and I ate all the candy ourselves because we never got any more trick or treaters and then we went to the party at about 8pm. Don't worry it was only a small bag :-) Not the super duper JUMBO sized ones you have to get in the States to accomodate your 300+ trick or treaters.

Four things that make trick or treating difficult in NZ

1. It doesn't get dark till later - so not the same effect

2. Because of #1 you don't know who is 'participating' b/c it's too light to have outside house lights turned on.

3. No orange carving pumpkins, so again you don't know who is 'participating'

4. The kids don't know you're supposed to actually tell a joke or do a trick for candy - they think you can just show up on someone's door and demand candy (sometimes not even in costume!)....someone really needs to teach this country the rules. ha ha

Luca stayed overnight at the beach with Oma and Pop while James and I went to the adult party. I was a pregnant penguin (Mom, remember that penguin towel thing we bought Luca? Well I wore that over my head with a bow tie, maternity white shirt and black pants...) James was that scary guy from the movie the Crow. We actually looked pretty decent for costumes thrown together quickly. Sorry no photos though....I couldn't find the camera. You'll just have to use your imagination!

Didn't stay at the party very long (what I can say we're kind of lame-o these days and not drinking alcohol doesn't help either) and came home early to watch a rented movie....and get this actually slept in till 9am the next morning. Haven't had a sleep in about 23 months!

This photo isn't Halloween related, but we finally got around to buying Luca a trike...he was outgrowing his digger truck thing.

Happy Halloween!!! This time next year we'll have two little kids to dress up - Yay!!! Okay, so I guess Halloween wasn't so bad in NZ after all....just different :-)

Outside

Before Luca was born, James and I used to go on lots of 'tramping' (aka hiking/backpacking) trips. It was cheap entertainment, and we got to explore some new places, and have lots of long discussions on the trail. NZ has an amazing network of trails and backcountry huts you can stay at for only a few dollars....it's fantastic. Oh, and did I mention no snakes or bears? (or lions, alligators, or rhinos) The most dangerous thing you'd come across would be a wild pig - which isn't dangerous at all....or possibly a hungry possum? I guess before continents spread apart the wild dangerous predator animals decided not to venture to NZ. Ha, that's not really true, b/c I'm sure there's a dinosaur fossils somewhere in NZ.

Love this photo!

So while we were pregnant with Luca we had all these visions of taking our kids on hiking trips, and when they were old enough we'd let them bring their friends and do easy overnight or multinight trips. We swore up and down we'd take him on hiking trips while he was young. Oh, the things you think you'll do.

We're taken him on a few trips, but we hope to do more. I sometimes feel like we don't get him outside enough....but now that the weather is getting better, we don't really have an excuse....so out we go!

We just bought a new to us baby backpack (more so for baby #2) and Luca loves it. We tested it out this weekend on a trail only mins from our house. It was so refreshing to actually get out of town and play in the forest. We played with ferns, pointed out waterfalls, touched trees, and wet moss, and had sword fights with sticks. It was such a fabulous day, and reminded us how much we want to be able to expose our kids to the outdoors. James carried Luca in the pack when the trail got too dangerous or he became too tired to walk. I got to carry the other baby :-)

Look at this cool swimming hole we found! Can't wait to take the kids back here if the weather ever gets warm enough!

Halloween Blues (comes with a warning)

I'll warn you, I'm not in a very good mood right now. Part homesick, part frustrated, part pregnant. If you are from NZ and don't want to hear me complain - close the browser now. If you are anti Halloween - close the browser now. LEAVE. This is my blog, and I don't even think that many people read it (or do they and they just lurk?) so I'm not afraid to say what I feel, when I feel like it. It's not very PC, and I don't care. Time to be honest.


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Okay you had your warning....if you keep reading this, don't get mad at me.


Halloween. What can I say? I love the holiday. The fond memories of apple picking and hayrides, and then after that season, it's pumpkin harvest time. Wandering up and down the isles of the pumpkin patch looking for the perfect pumpkin (or sometimes if Mom was too busy I think maybe we got our pumpkins from the grocery store? ....okay, lets just pretend we went to the pumpkin patch every year!) spending an evening carving the pumpkin...toasting the seeds. Planning out for weeks what the perfect halloween costume was going to be. The school halloween parties, the girl scout halloween parties, the youth group church parties, the dance class halloween parties....and not getting sick of ever dressing up. That's what Halloween is all about....letting yourself be someone different, being creative, having fun! A celebration that brings people together. Then on the actual night of Halloween (oh! to be so lucky if halloween fell on a weekend...woo-hoo!) I'd get all dressed up with my sister or young friends to go trick or treating from house to house - always accompianied by parents who would wait patiently on the sidewalk while we went up to the houses. The endless halloween jokes, comparing which houses had the coolest decorations, and walking around till we couldn't even carry our bags full of candy anymore. Getting home, comparing our 'loot' and having mom go through to pick out anything deemed 'unsafe' (candy not in wrappers, coins that we could choke on, you know the routine) and then eating enough candy to rot our teeth out before going to bed exhausted. If we limited ourselves to one or two small peices of day, that loot would last us until at least Thanksgiving! Who wouldn't love Halloween?





Halloween in NZ .... yeah, almost non exsistant. Okay, to give NZ a bit of credit it has been growing a bit over the past few years. Spotlight (the local craft store) has a bit of a selection of things that has been getting bigger each year. But no pumpkin patches, no city wide halloween parties, and the rare trick or treater might be seen. But rare.


I was at work today doing some web surfing....actually it was work related - I was looking up what other cities do for Christmas tree lighting ceremonies...and then I got distracted by the City of Chicago's city promotion website. (OMG....I so need to plan a trip to Chicago). Then I got distracted by their Chicagoween website. Chicago has this massive halloween celebration that lasts all month and there are heaps of great things to take kids to - most of it very low cost or free...harvest festivals, pumpkins in the park - sponsored by WAlgreens, dress up events...the list went on and on. It made me homesick. I want to give Luca all those cool things that I got to do for Halloween. I want to be the one taking cute family photos of us in the pumpkin patch. I want to be taking advantage of all these family friendly activities. I've viewed about 5 of my friends and family's 'pumpkin patch' photos this past week on facebook/blogsites etc. Yeah, they're cute.....But that should be me! I want to do that stuff!!!! (yes, I'm whining and complaining....annoyed? I told you to leave.)



After looking at the Chicago city website, I decieded to do a little investigation to see what Halloween activities happen in Palmerston North that I could possibly take Luca to. The anit- halloween parties outnumber the halloween parties about 10 to 1. People are so concerned about this evil holiday coming to NZ that they feel they need to offer alternatives - safe places for children to be, like churches.

I know, I know...I moved here so I need to adapt (and I pretty much do....but this, halloween thing has got me a bit down). I mentioned halloween a few weeks ago at work, and just about all the parents were against Halloween. They think it's an evil holiday that is unecessary in NZ. They think it's unsafe to let children go door to door. (C'mon...you live in NZ! and don't they understand that parents are suppose to accompany the the children?) I didn't even have the energy to argue against them. What's the point? I'm out numbered and it'd just sound like I was being a whiny American.

They have this funny thing in NZ about fencing off the front yards of houses....not all houses, but lots of houses. I guess it's safer for children and pets, but it creates a sense of closed offness from your neighboors and in general I prefer to look of open front yards...but again, another cultural difference.


During this Halloween discussion at work (where I remained mainly silent) one co-worker even said..."thank goodness I have a fence in my front yard. Everyone knows that's the #1 rule for school fundraisers and things like that....don't open any gates to get to the front door of someones house." First of all I didn't even know about that rule, but it does make sense I suppose...and second of all....she was boasting that b/c she had a front fence she was happy not to get any trick or treaters. Sad. Luckily none of my co-workers know about this blog....


Okay, so I'm bummed. Bummed to not be able to provide my children with some of the most incredible basic childhood expierences like halloween. I suppose you want to pass on to your children what you grew up doing and by living in NZ I can't exactly do that now can I. Okay, Okay, I'm not all full of sorrow. I realize that by living in NZ I can expose our kids to different things - things that James grew up doing (like Guy Forks day, chasing lamb in paddocks, christmas at the beach etc etc) things that are equally as cool. But still, it's not exactly cool crisp autumn evenings and halloween fun is it?


James says I need to just understand other people's point of views that they think Halloween is a holiday deep rooted in evil undertones. Okay, I understand but that's not what people are celebrating....it's like Christmas. Sadly, how many people do you think celebrate the real reason for Christmas? We all know the real meaning behind Christmas, but do you think that's what everyone is thinking about when they get together for christmas dinner - everyone? Christmas is also a time for family and friends to come together - to celebrate, to enjoy. In a way Halloween is the same way.


Okay now after all this complaining I do have to say that we've been invited to a halloween party - which is quite cool (and a bit rare) and Luca does have a halloween costume....thanks Grandma Cassie. The anti halloween attitudes have me a bit down, but I guess it's just me being homesick. And to be fair to everyone around me, I won't complain or mention halloween again. I haven't even told many people about this, b/c well...it's hard to understand if you never celebrated halloween to begin with. Poor James, he had to hear my venting about Halloween last night, but I won't even mention it again to him anymore. There we go....finished - Done, got that off my chest. Now back to being happy and pregnant :-)



Hopefully I'll be able to update with roof photos soon!

Baby talk

It's official. We have finally started to tell Luca about the new baby. I decieded it was pointless to even mention the new baby until I started to show - which, yep is now. Before we'd briefly mention baby things to Luca, but now we've broken out the library books and started talking about the fact that he's going to be a big brother, and "ouch - be careful not to jump on Mommy's tummy - there's a baby in there." Grandma Cassie sent us a stroller (in gender nuetral red) with baby, and Luca loves pushing it around the house. He calls it his baby, and sometimes will even put it to bed. But heaven forbid, don't give the baby his special night time sleepy friend, or else he'll really go off the rails. Not everything's for sharing...

Before dinner I sat down with Luca and looked at some photos of Grandma Cassie, Aunt Erin, and new baby Ethan. He seemed really interested in the photos, and everytime I asked him what Ethan was....he'd say "Ba-bu." He's almost saying Grandma Cassie too....well kind of.

The library is chock full with 'new baby' books for toddlers. One of our little adventures is our bi-weekly trip to the library. LOVE our local library, and I'm really looking forward to taking Luca to the mid week story sessions once I'm on maternity leave. Yeah, I'm not ashamed to admit that I take full advantage of these rate payer funded activities - gotta milk the good free stuff. Anyways back to the 'new baby' books...

I've resisted the urge the check them out, until now. The first one that we brought home is called "What's in Mummy's Tummy?" A lift the flap book that seriously has to be one of the cutest books ever, but after reading the book, and him giggling at the pictures of cakes, sunshines, and red balloons, and yes....a baby, I ask him if he wants a new baby in the house. He responds with "nooooooo!" - lets hope that changes in the next few months...ha ha

20 weeks!

We are about 20 weeks now, which equals halfway through the pregnancy. My tummy is definitly getting big now, and there are many pants that I already can't wear. Last week one of my projects was to box up some of the things that I won't be able to wear for the next 6-7 months and get out all the maternity clothes. I was quite nice to see those maternity clothes again - they bring back so many good memories from the first time round.

Luca in our new kitchen - he loves playing around the new house. I love the new wood smell.....

This pregnancy is much different - I can hardly believe that 20 weeks have gone by. The first pregnancy every single waking thought was focused on the baby.

What will it look like?

Am I eating okay?

What do I still need to buy?

Names, Names, Names...

Ouch...it's kicking :-)

Our life is going to change sooo much!

20 weeks, and I've barely even picked up a pregnancy book - last time I had probably read about 10 by now. I've only just started to think about names, and It's dawned on me that less than 20 weeks from now, we're going to have another little baby in the house. Yay!!!

Soon we'll have a roof! Wouldn't you know it's suppose to rain all week long.

We had our 20 week anatomy scan today. It all looked good, except they are asking that I return so they can take another look at the chambers of the heart. Nothing to lose sleep over (yet) but they just want to triple check everything. The baby is breech, but still has lots of time to turn, and no we couldn't tell what sex it is. The radiologist could tell but we asked her not to tell us. But....believe me, we both looked and couldn't see much. Does that mean it's a girl? Or does that mean we have no idea how to look at those scans....ha ha. Who knows?

Luca just loves to help me out in the kitchen. When the kids are older it's going to be a house rule that they have to plan and cook 1 meal a week for the family. I want them to grow up to be confident in the kitchen.

I've been scouring the internet to find good quality used baby gear that we'll need for #2. My latest obsession is trying to find a good double mountain buggy for walks into town from our new house. Those things brand new are about $800! I'm hoping to find a used one for around $250-300. There's a few cool hiking trails behind our house, so we got a baby backpack to carry the new baby around in while Luca goes on 'hikes' with me. We tested it out with Luca. He thought it was better than McDonald's playland. I raced up and down the hall with him on my back, giggling and squealing out of control.

And of course James had to give it a go to. Look how happy they both are....so cute. If the weather is nice this weekend, maybe we'll take Luca for hike. Oh, and good news....it's DAYLIGHT SAVINGS.....which means more light in the evenings and in the mornings. Thank Goodness!!!!

The Digital Age

Our exciting news of the weekend....we finally bought a new TV. I think we might be one of the last of many people I know to finally get a flat screen. We've been holding out for a few years because we couldn't justify the cost when we didn't even watch TV all that much. We knew we were going to get one for the new house b/c the TV is getting recessed into the wall above the fireplace, and there's no way our big clunker box would fit in that tiny tiny slot. Verdict...

We LOVE the new TV. Now that we're digital with the rest of the world, we get a few extra channels so that brings the grand total of watchable channels to 10 (we don't want to pay for the extra channels) - but when you consider that we'll never watch the chinese, maori, or preview channel....that brings us to 8! And...get this....we get this free children's channel with cartoons, and baby zoo stuff. So very cool.

The TV seems so much bigger than our old box. It's 42" (wierd how they measure TVs in new zealand by the inch when everything else is metric....) and I was almost concerned it was going to be too big for the new house. James thought I was silly to even ponder such a thought. ha ha

How come we waited so long to get this new TV?!

In other news we took Luca to his first rugby game. The Turbos (the minor league "grass roots" local team) were playing and we knew Luca would love all the crowd, noises, and yes...the hotdogs. Yum! The hotdogs are the things I look forward to the most about rugby games.

He was also quite fascinated by the mini wind turbine at the stadium. He loves ceiling fans, and things that go round and round.

And....we're still waiting to hear from Erin about the new baby. She's 1 week overdue today, and apparently getting quick sick of all the waiting. We can't wait to meet the newest member of the family!

An apple a day...

This week Luca woke up with a really high fever - so high that all our books recommended we take him straight to the hospital/Doctor. We were reluctant to go because they really can't do much except look in his ears, listen to his lungs, attempt to look in his throat, take his temp, look for spots, and then recommend giving him children's paracetomol. Can you tell we've been through this several times before?

Being safe rather than sorry, we were off to the ER at 11:30pm. We got out of there at 1:30am and were assigned with a very young doctor who I don't think had any expierence looking at children. He actually thought Luca was going to open his mouth up for him, and a nurse that tried to take his underarm temp. Yeah, right...try that with a screaming, wiggly sick baby. I felt like handing the Doc our high tech forhead thermometer (thanks Fran!) and saying, "here just use this." I'm not sure, but I think that perhaps the nurses have to supply their own thermometers which is why they all have the ultra cheap ones? It's gotta be the only answer.

Bless the NZ health system....where it's free to visit the ER, and get medical treatment, except for a tiny fee (waived for under 5 year olds). You just have to be patient, and wait, and wait....and wait....

Anyways they gave us antibiotics and told us to use paracetomol. Only problem is little man refuses to take either. He's just too smart (stubborn) for any of that business.
It's horrible. He used to actually like the taste of that bright pink parecetomol in the syringe....but a few months ago something happened, and now he won't let us near him with it. He spits it out everywhere (and the stuff stains carpet, clothes, and just about anything else it comes in contact with). In order to get him to take I have to physically hold him down while James holds his tongue. He gags, his eyes get as big as saucers, and it makes us feel like horrible parents, but how else do we give it to him? We've tried everything...mixing it with food, reverse psycology "no, none of this yummy pink stuff for Luca...it's only for mommy and daddy....", mixing it with liquids...nothing seems to work.

We should have told the pharmacists to perscribe us 2x as much medicine b/c he ends up spitting more than 1/2 of it out. We're hoping that baby #2 won't be so difficult when it comes to medicine, and praying that they figure out how to make a powdered non flavoured paracetomol that we can just sprinkle on his foods. Any pharmacists out there that can do this for us?

PS...my friend Toni took these photos of Luca - isn't she good?