May 2008 Archives

First Day Trip

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After the marathon trip to get here and 3 weeks in a hotel we haven't felt much like adventuring outside of the house, but today we finally dusted off our traveling hats again and took our first day trip from Wellington up the Kapiti Coast to Paraparaumu. Our primary goal was Lindale Centre and its Farm Walk, which came highly recommended from other parents who had made the trip.

We weren't disappointed, in either the weather (it was rainy and blustery all day in Wellington, but gorgeous only half an hour north of the city), the food (the cafe and ice cream were both excellent), the Farm Walk (Sophie asked for a pig before she went to bed last night, and to go back to the farm again today) or the other sights along the way (a contingent of the Western Bays Street Rod club arrived at the Centre just as we were finishing lunch, so we got to see their cars parked all in a row outside, as well as a glimpse of the Southwards Car Museum.)

All in all a fabulous finish to a great weekend, which included seeing Indy at the Embassy Friday night, Brandie's spa day at the East Day Spa in Wellington, yummy dinner at Nadinie and Sock's (thanks to Josie for that one), a work-related web-chat about The Hobbit and our first video-conference with my family back home. I was sad to see it end!

Welcome Ava!

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A big congratulations to Danny and Trina on the arrival of their beautiful little baby girl Ava! She was born in the wee hours of the morning on May 20th. She arrived weighing 7lbs 15oz and measuring 22 inches long. We can't wait to meet you Ava!

Why?

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I remember this being a joke amongst other parents but I've been experiencing it first hand the last couple of days.  What I'm talking about is at the end of every sentence you say to Josie, she asks "Why?".  What a curious little girl.  I heard her doing this to Jake yesterday morning and chuckled a bit as he went through various explanations, trying to work out the actual and most basic reasoning for each answer.

Jake: You have to put your shoes on.
Josie: Why?
Jake: Because if you go outside without your shoes on you could get an owie.
Josie: Why?
Jake: There could be something on the ground and you could step on it.
Josie: Why?
Jake: Because it might be sharp and poke your foot.
Josie: Why?
Jake: Just put your shoes on.

She started on me today, and it was all about going to the bathroom.  As I was explaining why we have to eat and then excrete, I wondered what would ever satisfy her questioning without just shutting her down?  Is there an answer she is looking for?  Could I ever come full circle in answering the reasons for things and we'd get back to where we started so she would understand the whole process?  I decided to let it go and time the question/answer session and see if we ever made it to the original point of discussion.  9 minutes later, after Josie using the bathroom, getting cleaned up, a fresh diaper and a snack, she became distracted by something else and stopped asking me.  Not really the result I was looking for but it was interesting to see that she would stay engaged for that long.  I doubt my patience or curiosity will last as long next time.

Josie: 2 Years

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Ok, this is delayed a bit but I have a great excuse.  :)

So, our littlest peanut is 2.  Someone asked me if it felt like 2 years and I had to be honest and say yes.  Josie is a dear, sweet little girl but she is fiercely independent which makes life interesting.  I've had more near heart attacks in the last year than I have in my entire life.

Here are some things she loves at the moment.
Food:
Apple juice
Cheerios
Triangle Cheese
Rice
Risotto
Beenana
Crackers
Peanut butter
Carrots
Butter Chicken (an Indian dish which makes mom happy because now we can all have Indian Take Away!)
Apple
Kiwi Fruit
Mandarins
Pork
She pretty much eats anything we put in front of her.  We are enjoying eating our meals together as a family and the girls are used to eating what we eat so it's easy.

Things she likes to say:
Sorry mommy, didn't mean to.
Do it mineself.
That not nice.
That a good idea?
Please play in the little house? (she wants to go out to the tree house in the yard)
I yuv you Sophie.
Any request followed with "right now".  It's lovely.
Key Yoda which is actually Kia Ora, the New Zealand greeting.
Party in the car.  This is a request to turn the music up loud, and dance and sing and act silly thanks to our relocation agent, Marilyn.
I'm Josiephine.

She loves singing and her current favorites are "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid, "It Ain't Me, Babe" by Johnny Cash, The Pepper Song (actually Jackson) by Johnny Cash, and The Tree Song (actually All I Want Is You) by Barry Lois Polisar from the Juno Soundtrack. 

Her favorite things to do are "push it da button" or push the button on any technological thing that you don't want her to touch. I swear to God this girl understands my computer better than I do.  Often if I can't hear her talking to her sister I'll come in to find that she has climbed up on the coffee table and is opening my laptop with a wicked grin on her face.  Remotes?  She eats em for breakfast.  Power buttons, cell phones, iPhones, Wii IR receptors (Sorry Steve)?  All in a days work.  She loves playing store and cook.  She likes to make me breakfast while in her new playhouse.  Often I get Beenanas, oatmeal, toast and eggs.  She also likes to take orders at her store and her favorite things to sell are water, hot dogs and ice cream.  Following and emulating her sister continues to be her favorite past time.  Anything Sophie does, Josie has to try.   Oh!  and she loves to swim.  We took her to the aquatic center last week and she followed a couple of 5 or 6 year olds around and copied everything they did, including diving under the water.  She wasn't phased by it at all.  She'll lay on her back, stand under a shower, crawl on her hands, put her face under.  She loves every minute of it!

She's been showing a fear (I know, hold the phone) of hairy things, spiders, certain stuffed animals, things that growl (like mom or dad pretending to be a lion).  She asks me to "just be mommy" when that happens and runs into my arms.

The biggest thing that I have to remind myself everyday is that she is only two.  I often forget how young she is.  It's a wonderful age and she is discovering and exploring more each day.  Our little sweet and sour baby!

48 Hours, Birthdays, Update

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This weekend is the 48 Hour Film Festival here in NZ, with less than 10 hours remaining things appear to be reaching a fever-pitch. I've seen lots of planning and coordinating going on and expect we'll see lots of people out on the town this weekend - good luck to everyone!

A big "Happy Birthday" shout out to Grandma Sue and Grandpa Denny, whose birthdays it was - I tried to post some video singing from the girls but had some difficulty without our setup at home. Very soon all that will be remedied, we hope.

On the home front, we're finally getting internet service today so we'll be seeing more posts from Brandie and she'll be able to reply to all those emails sitting in her inbox! I know she's been feeling disconnected from all her friends so be sure to send her an email to welcome her back online - have a good weekend everyone, we miss you!!

Happy Birthday Danny!

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We're celebrating it on his time zone, as it's actually tomorrow here already! Hope you have a great one, enjoy the Saranac for Chris & I along with spring in upstate New York - we miss it!

w00t!

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Apple's iPhone to be offered in NZ - NZ Herald

'In a surprise announcement to the UK Stock Exchange, Vodafone PLC has included New Zealand on a list of countries which will sell the much-lauded iPhone.'
Thanks for the heads-up, Chris!