I was just about to begin my report of the past two weeks when Ella dashed down the stairs past me. “Don’t worry Dad, I’m not going to ask you any questions” she panted as she sprinted into the kitchen. No more than five seconds later she raced back past me on her way up the stairs. Pausing, she stared at me and in all sincerity reassured me “I love you Daddy, and I always will.” I don’t think there’s anything better.
While the past fortnight has been extremely busy, it has also been rather dull. My days have consisted of writing a report of my most recent study. Perhaps a brief overview will not be too much of an imposition: I am interested in the concept of people having a “calling” in life, and specifically whether or not people can feel ‘called’ to be parents. I interviewed parents to ask them how they would describe ‘calling’ and what their experiences of calling may be, whether in their own lives or in the lives of others. Previous researchers have only ever examined calling in the vocational context, so this is quite a new idea to be examining it in the parental domain.
My participants’ responses suggest that calling in parenthood can and does exist. The core components they identified were that called parents see the role as a central part of their identity, sense great meaning in the role, sacrifice significantly, have parenting always on their mind, felt and remain drawn to do their best in the role, and are passionate about being parents. These results are consistent with the concept of calling in other roles and seem to be valuable in both research and applied directions. In particular the idea of calling is linked to optimal outcomes in other domains and so we anticipate that more research will yield similar results in family life. This will make this research very useful for practitioners and those who develop interventions for parents in need. Finally some success with my PhD.
The report is essentially finished now, and I hope to submit it in the coming week or two. If I can see it published that will be a significant and positive outcome.
On Australia Day we spent considerable time with Tim and Kesh again. They visited us for Family Home Evening the night previous and we ate Chickos. Lots of it! Then on Tuesday we ventured south to Gerringong where they stayed. We took the children to the beach and swam, before returning to their accommodation for barbequed lamb chops, leftover Chickos, and more.
The following day, Wednesday the 27th Jan, I had a special errand to run for the University. Grant applications were due in Canberra – a 3 hour drive. Several million dollars worth of grants were being applied for by our department and to ensure they arrived safely and on time I was given a hire car and paid to drive to Canberra and back to deliver them. I took three small passengers with me: Chanel, Abbie, and Ella. We met our friends, the Thayer family, and visited Questacon – the National Science Centre – for the day! Given that it was the last day of NSW school holidays the place was almost empty. The children barely had to line up for anything, and played for hours. It was a wonderful treat.
Chanel and Abbie started school on Thursday. Chanel is now a Grade 5 girl while Abbie moved into Grade 2. They have had a stellar start to the school year and things are going very well for them.
Friday night was a superb night at the velodrome. Chanel had the race of her life, hanging onto the back of the older, faster girls as they raced. She managed to ride further, faster, and longer than ever before and was so overwhelmed by the experience that she burst into tears when she finally stopped after the race. She was ecstatic about her effort and loved telling everyone how hard she had worked.
Saturday we enjoyed time in the pool during the morning. I had a bike race during the afternoon, called cyclocross. It’s a race over all kinds of terrain and obstacles requiring the riders to dismount, carry their bikes on their shoulders, and essentially ride their hearts out. We had a tremendous time. I finished 8th in a field of just under 20 riders, which I was pleased with given that I don’t have the type of bike-handling skills and experience many of the other riders had. It was a hard race. That night my legs were so sore I could barely climb the stairs to bed. Exhaustion!
Sunday was quiet at church. It is such an important part of my week and I love being there. We had Verna and her two daughters over for a pancake and ice-cream lunch. Sweet, sticky, and completely, delectably, delicious.
Monday Feb 1 was Ella’s first day of kindergarten. Our 3rd daughter is now at big school! We were extremely nervous. Ella has always required a lot of her teachers and has obviously had some special needs over the years. To say that this week has been successful for Ella is to understate just how wonderful it really has been! Ella loves school. She loves her teachers. She is developing friendships. We are so grateful that the transition to school has been so successful.
Abbie recommenced piano lessons this week and is delighted to be back there. We are hopeful that her progress will be exciting to watch over the year. And Chanel swam in her swimming carnival for school on Friday. She enjoyed her day and swam well, winning the 50m butterfly and breaststroke for her age, as well as placing second in the 50m backstroke and freestyle. In addition she placed third in the 100m freestyle, which was also against girls a year older than her. As if that is not enough, she will also represent her school at the district swimming carnival in all four of the 50m events and the 200m individual medley. Chanel is feeling pretty good about her efforts.
Saturday I went for an early bike ride, leaving home shortly before 5.30am. It was wet, windy, and pouring rain at various times, but I still snuck in around 110kms AND returned home 20 minutes early. What a guy! My daddy-daughter date was with Abbie. We visited the RSPCA to find a pet puppy but there were none available. Then we visited the Wollongong Science Centre (part of the deal when we bought our annual pass to Questacon). It was such a treat. Lots of fun.
Saturday night brought with it the highlight of the week though I think. Not only did we have one of my favourite meals for dinner – wraps – but we were treated to a puppet show by Abbie and Ella. They hid behind the lounge and held the puppets up above the top. They then re-enacted the story of the Little Red Hen from memory. I didn’t even know they knew it! They giggled infectiously and soon our whole family was laughing out loud with delight. And they told the whole story! It was the best puppet show I’ve ever seen in our family. Then the children put on their favourite CD of kids songs and danced and jumped around the lounge room with complete and absolute vigour. It was such a treat to watch and laugh with them.
Sunday was testimony meeting. It was a refreshingly good meeting, perhaps as much because of who didn’t speak as who did. With only five minutes to go our Stake President rose and commenced his “testimony”. It lasted approximately 20 minutes. After around 15 minutes Chanel looked up at me and asked, “Is he going to talk about everything?” It was very funny, but hard to sit through. By that time the children throughout the chapel knew it was beyond our regular meeting time, and were eager to be out the door. So his testimony really pushed a few buttons. But he is a good man, and had an important message. The afternoon was restful. I accidentally fell asleep for nearly three hours. Yikes. I knew I was tired, but did not expect that!
So now dinner is about to be eaten. Steak with chilli and basil – YUM! The children are happily ensconced in their activities and are anxiously awaiting another chapter or two of Enid Blyton’s “Enchanted Wood.” Our family is blessed beyond all deserving, and we are deeply grateful.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Progress
Two weeks condensed into one entry today. I didn’t write last week as it was so uneventful. On Monday the 11th of Jan (2 weeks ago) Kylie’s sister, Adele, and their family of five packed up and left after a little over a week with us. They only stayed two days longer than Kylie’s parents, but it was still great to have them stay with us. We had a full house – and some very tired and restless children – but it was a terrific week and a delight to spend time with Kylie’s family. I’m actually starting to like them (haha…).
The remainder of the week we pretty much settled back into a fairly quiet routine. The children played with friends and spent time in the pool. I began to put in some longer hours at uni again.
A highlight of the working week was meeting with my supervisors. I have been consistently frustrated with a lack of interaction and direction from my primary supervisor. In our meeting I expressed the following: this is the final year of my PhD; I intend to complete this year; it’s in all of our interests for me to be successfully concluded before Christmas; I need from him genuine and clear action items on a weekly basis with follow up; and from now on, weekly meetings please (to keep me accountable and working hard). The response… “Ok”. That tells me one thing: 2010 GAME ON! I am very motivated and have heaps of work to do as a result of this meeting and my 2010 goal to complete my PhD and be called Dr. Coulson by Christmas.
On the weekend we took the children to a beautiful beach south of Shellharbour called Killalea. Spectacular scenery, and a perfect (albeit windy) afternoon. We played in the surf for hours, with the children catching countless waves on their boogie boards. They were delighted. Kylie was on the sand with Annie, perhaps a little uncomfortable, but willing to go through it because of the joy the children experienced. Wonderful!
Kylie has had increasing difficulties with veins in her legs as we enter the third trimester of pregnancy number five. She is now wearing compression stockings and has been ordered to stay off her feet where possible. The stockings are hot, thick, and white; hardly summer apparel. But we have a pool and are making the most of it to make Kylie more comfortable.
Chanel flew back into Sydney on Friday after a wonderful week in Brisbane. She’s becoming quite the frequent flyer and deals with it quite well. Her time in Brisbane was spent at Wet ‘n Wild and Sea World Theme Parks, visiting with friends and relatives, and generally being spoilt. And she clearly had a ball!
Saturday and Sunday we also enjoyed lengthy visits from Tim and his new wife, Kesh. It was terrific to spend time with them. Marriage has already made a definite impact on Tim, his temperament, and his desire to be around us. We really really enjoyed their company and hope we get to see more of them!
Annie seems to have decided that church is too hard to sit through. She consistently expresses a need to visit the ladies room throughout the meeting, and we have to believe her because it would not be pretty if we didn’t give her the benefit of the doubt. Thus church has become less than uplifting for me as I typically make at least four or five trips outside with her.
Monday of this week we waved goodbye to Abbie as she went to Canberra for some time with the Thayer family. Abbie stayed with her best friend, Elissa, after mum dropped her off down there. (Mum had some Especially For Youth workshops to teach). I fasted Monday in preparation for my first (and hopefully last) colonoscopy.
Tuesday I went into the hospital. My experience there was uncomfortable and I hope not to require another visit like that. The doctor confirmed what I already knew – everything’s fine. I’ve had to teach myself how to keep it that way, but have things under control now.
Wednesday I was back at work, and the Thayer family arrived to stay a few days. The week remained quite busy with my work schedule, so I spent Thursday and Friday ensconced in the air-conditioned cool of my office working hard on new projects thanks to a freshly invigorated and focused supervisor. Meanwhile the children played with the Thayer family and utilised the pool and the spectacular beaches we have. It was a great week for the family.
Friday night was something of a revelation for me. I received an email from Church offices in Sydney inviting me to participate in a major charity ride from Melbourne to Sydney with many politicians and other "opinion leaders". It is scheduled for April in the week preceding our new baby’s birth. I immediately began planning how I could participate despite the inevitable clash of priorities. Frantic phone calls were made to Kylie’s mum and sister to check their availability in aiding us for babysitting. Then I went to watch the racing at the velodrome. (I didn’t race as the 40 degree night previous had meant I didn’t sleep… too tired to race). I mentioned the ride to some friends. They indicated that my priorities needed adjusting. I spent some time alone, contemplating. They were right. I asked myself “How did I get to this?” before finally returning home to Kylie and apologising. I’m not going to Melbourne for the ride in April. It was hard to pull out, but it feels good to have made the right choice.
Saturday I was still struggling with tiredness. Sluggish after late hot nights. I spent time in the morning playing in the pool with the children. Then watched a live stage of the Tour Down Under at a friend’s house. Tidied the yard with my new mower (second hand from Dad), and ate good food with the family. Collapsed, exhausted at 10pm.
Sunday turned out to be a real highlight of the week. We woke late and stumbled into church just in time. The children were almost perfect during the sacrament meeting which was a pleasant surprise. I taught the Young Men about having the Holy Ghost with us today in priesthood meeting. It was a wonderful experience and everyone enjoyed it so much we actually went about fifteen minutes over time. The boys stayed without complaining and even participated! After a brief discussion of the doctrine three questions guided our conversation… How can I recognise the promptings of the Spirit?, What can keep me from receiving promptings? And when have I been warned, prompted, or inspired by the Spirit? There was enough to fill an afternoon rather than 30 minutes!
The afternoon was spent eating pancakes, writing letters to good friends serving missions, and then playing in the park around the corner. We arrived home in time to eat a delicious dinner with Tim and Kesh. They popped in for another visit before spending time in Gerringong. As I reflect on the week I’m delighted with the progress, decisions, and wonderful times that have blessed my life and our family.
The remainder of the week we pretty much settled back into a fairly quiet routine. The children played with friends and spent time in the pool. I began to put in some longer hours at uni again.
A highlight of the working week was meeting with my supervisors. I have been consistently frustrated with a lack of interaction and direction from my primary supervisor. In our meeting I expressed the following: this is the final year of my PhD; I intend to complete this year; it’s in all of our interests for me to be successfully concluded before Christmas; I need from him genuine and clear action items on a weekly basis with follow up; and from now on, weekly meetings please (to keep me accountable and working hard). The response… “Ok”. That tells me one thing: 2010 GAME ON! I am very motivated and have heaps of work to do as a result of this meeting and my 2010 goal to complete my PhD and be called Dr. Coulson by Christmas.
On the weekend we took the children to a beautiful beach south of Shellharbour called Killalea. Spectacular scenery, and a perfect (albeit windy) afternoon. We played in the surf for hours, with the children catching countless waves on their boogie boards. They were delighted. Kylie was on the sand with Annie, perhaps a little uncomfortable, but willing to go through it because of the joy the children experienced. Wonderful!
Kylie has had increasing difficulties with veins in her legs as we enter the third trimester of pregnancy number five. She is now wearing compression stockings and has been ordered to stay off her feet where possible. The stockings are hot, thick, and white; hardly summer apparel. But we have a pool and are making the most of it to make Kylie more comfortable.
Chanel flew back into Sydney on Friday after a wonderful week in Brisbane. She’s becoming quite the frequent flyer and deals with it quite well. Her time in Brisbane was spent at Wet ‘n Wild and Sea World Theme Parks, visiting with friends and relatives, and generally being spoilt. And she clearly had a ball!
Saturday and Sunday we also enjoyed lengthy visits from Tim and his new wife, Kesh. It was terrific to spend time with them. Marriage has already made a definite impact on Tim, his temperament, and his desire to be around us. We really really enjoyed their company and hope we get to see more of them!
Annie seems to have decided that church is too hard to sit through. She consistently expresses a need to visit the ladies room throughout the meeting, and we have to believe her because it would not be pretty if we didn’t give her the benefit of the doubt. Thus church has become less than uplifting for me as I typically make at least four or five trips outside with her.
Monday of this week we waved goodbye to Abbie as she went to Canberra for some time with the Thayer family. Abbie stayed with her best friend, Elissa, after mum dropped her off down there. (Mum had some Especially For Youth workshops to teach). I fasted Monday in preparation for my first (and hopefully last) colonoscopy.
Tuesday I went into the hospital. My experience there was uncomfortable and I hope not to require another visit like that. The doctor confirmed what I already knew – everything’s fine. I’ve had to teach myself how to keep it that way, but have things under control now.
Wednesday I was back at work, and the Thayer family arrived to stay a few days. The week remained quite busy with my work schedule, so I spent Thursday and Friday ensconced in the air-conditioned cool of my office working hard on new projects thanks to a freshly invigorated and focused supervisor. Meanwhile the children played with the Thayer family and utilised the pool and the spectacular beaches we have. It was a great week for the family.
Friday night was something of a revelation for me. I received an email from Church offices in Sydney inviting me to participate in a major charity ride from Melbourne to Sydney with many politicians and other "opinion leaders". It is scheduled for April in the week preceding our new baby’s birth. I immediately began planning how I could participate despite the inevitable clash of priorities. Frantic phone calls were made to Kylie’s mum and sister to check their availability in aiding us for babysitting. Then I went to watch the racing at the velodrome. (I didn’t race as the 40 degree night previous had meant I didn’t sleep… too tired to race). I mentioned the ride to some friends. They indicated that my priorities needed adjusting. I spent some time alone, contemplating. They were right. I asked myself “How did I get to this?” before finally returning home to Kylie and apologising. I’m not going to Melbourne for the ride in April. It was hard to pull out, but it feels good to have made the right choice.
Saturday I was still struggling with tiredness. Sluggish after late hot nights. I spent time in the morning playing in the pool with the children. Then watched a live stage of the Tour Down Under at a friend’s house. Tidied the yard with my new mower (second hand from Dad), and ate good food with the family. Collapsed, exhausted at 10pm.
Sunday turned out to be a real highlight of the week. We woke late and stumbled into church just in time. The children were almost perfect during the sacrament meeting which was a pleasant surprise. I taught the Young Men about having the Holy Ghost with us today in priesthood meeting. It was a wonderful experience and everyone enjoyed it so much we actually went about fifteen minutes over time. The boys stayed without complaining and even participated! After a brief discussion of the doctrine three questions guided our conversation… How can I recognise the promptings of the Spirit?, What can keep me from receiving promptings? And when have I been warned, prompted, or inspired by the Spirit? There was enough to fill an afternoon rather than 30 minutes!
The afternoon was spent eating pancakes, writing letters to good friends serving missions, and then playing in the park around the corner. We arrived home in time to eat a delicious dinner with Tim and Kesh. They popped in for another visit before spending time in Gerringong. As I reflect on the week I’m delighted with the progress, decisions, and wonderful times that have blessed my life and our family.
Monday, 11 January 2010
Family Reunion
I realised that in my last update of the past few months I failed to highlight one of the most exciting things that we’ve experienced in our family ever. I spent the best part of 2009 working part time on organising a visit to Australia by one of my favourite LDS singers/performers: Kenneth Cope. In early November he arrived! We had him stay at our house between performances, and spent lots of time with him. For his final two performances we packed out the Macarthur Stake Centre with about 500 people and 800 people. He did such an amazing job, and his performances were inspiring in every way. While there were loads of things I wish we’d done differently, I was so happy to be able to arrange his visit and see it come to fruition. The feedback from the many members who attended was terrific, and I hope to arrange another visit from another artist in the coming year or two.
Now onto more current news… The past week has seen me torn between priorities. Kylie’s parents arrived on Monday to spend the week with us. Her two sisters also came with their husbands and children. This meant a wonderful time with family, along with an extra 6 adults and 4 children in the house. One of Kylie’s sisters stayed with her husband and son at a friend’s house which lessened the bedding requirements, however we were pleased to be able to see them spending time at our home consistently through the week as well.
Monday was, quite simply, a recovery day. Chanel began her week earlier than most. She now swims at 6am each Monday, so that meant an early start to the day. Shortly after we got home from swimming the extended family arrivals commenced. We did very little other than reacquaint ourselves, swim in the pool, eat good food, and rest during the remainder of the day. Kylie’s tortillas were manna from heaven at meal time.
Tuesday I set a new personal best time riding up Macquarie Pass. I rode it in 28 minutes, 30 seconds. It hurt. But it felt great. I took more than one minute off my previous best time. Kylie took her sisters and mum to Berry for some “girls” time. Chanel went for the ride too and felt very grown up.
Wednesday was the best day of the week! Ella Rose turned 6 and we arranged a party at the beach. We were there early enough to secure a picnic shelter. Mum and Dad brought Jaxson, Paris, Phoenix, and Logan down (as well as a giant ham that we’ll be eating for the next two months!), and Tim and Kesh joined us as well. We ate good food, swam in the ocean, played in the sand, and had a wonderful morning with family and friends. Ella was at her best, delighted by the thoughtful gifts she received, and thrilled by the kind attention showered on her. We finally dragged ourselves away from the beach two hours later than we’d planned, sandy, sun-kissed, and sleepy.
Thursday I had to return to work. Too many things have been piling up and deadlines are getting closer. This means I had to leave the family to enjoy their activities without me. I was disappointed, and struggled for motivation, but got a good start on the long list of things to complete. Kylie and the rest of the troops caught the train to Kiama. It was a big adventure for the kids, and despite some tired toddlers, they all seemed to thoroughly enjoy being in such a wonderful place. That evening we enjoyed long conversations together. It felt good.
Friday I convinced Kylie’s sister Adele, and her husband Ystyn, to stay for a few more days (without needing to try to hard). They had planned on returning to Brisbane Friday night. But sights needed to be seen on the weekend and they were happy to stay a little longer. I worked at uni again, the children played, and everyone else relaxed as much as possible. Friday night track racing was on, and Chanel and I gave it our very best! I love riding my bike. The extended family thought velodrome racing was brilliant.
Saturday saw us ditching all plans for sightseeing. Instead we stayed home, swam in the pool, ate, and relaxed. Kylie’s parents commenced their 14 hour drive home around lunch time. Chanel went with them to spend a week holidaying with friends and family in sunny QLD. We already miss our baby girl so much!
Sunday was quiet too. Church in the morning was a personal highlight for me. The sacrament brought a peace that was refreshing and renewing. Everyone left church after the first hour except Abbie and I. Lots of tired children do not a happy Sunday School make! We enjoyed being together all afternoon before a superb BBQ dinner and a drive to the beach. We walked and played for a couple of hours before we returned home at 9pm, exhausted, but deeply satisfied.
Now onto more current news… The past week has seen me torn between priorities. Kylie’s parents arrived on Monday to spend the week with us. Her two sisters also came with their husbands and children. This meant a wonderful time with family, along with an extra 6 adults and 4 children in the house. One of Kylie’s sisters stayed with her husband and son at a friend’s house which lessened the bedding requirements, however we were pleased to be able to see them spending time at our home consistently through the week as well.
Monday was, quite simply, a recovery day. Chanel began her week earlier than most. She now swims at 6am each Monday, so that meant an early start to the day. Shortly after we got home from swimming the extended family arrivals commenced. We did very little other than reacquaint ourselves, swim in the pool, eat good food, and rest during the remainder of the day. Kylie’s tortillas were manna from heaven at meal time.
Tuesday I set a new personal best time riding up Macquarie Pass. I rode it in 28 minutes, 30 seconds. It hurt. But it felt great. I took more than one minute off my previous best time. Kylie took her sisters and mum to Berry for some “girls” time. Chanel went for the ride too and felt very grown up.
Wednesday was the best day of the week! Ella Rose turned 6 and we arranged a party at the beach. We were there early enough to secure a picnic shelter. Mum and Dad brought Jaxson, Paris, Phoenix, and Logan down (as well as a giant ham that we’ll be eating for the next two months!), and Tim and Kesh joined us as well. We ate good food, swam in the ocean, played in the sand, and had a wonderful morning with family and friends. Ella was at her best, delighted by the thoughtful gifts she received, and thrilled by the kind attention showered on her. We finally dragged ourselves away from the beach two hours later than we’d planned, sandy, sun-kissed, and sleepy.
Thursday I had to return to work. Too many things have been piling up and deadlines are getting closer. This means I had to leave the family to enjoy their activities without me. I was disappointed, and struggled for motivation, but got a good start on the long list of things to complete. Kylie and the rest of the troops caught the train to Kiama. It was a big adventure for the kids, and despite some tired toddlers, they all seemed to thoroughly enjoy being in such a wonderful place. That evening we enjoyed long conversations together. It felt good.
Friday I convinced Kylie’s sister Adele, and her husband Ystyn, to stay for a few more days (without needing to try to hard). They had planned on returning to Brisbane Friday night. But sights needed to be seen on the weekend and they were happy to stay a little longer. I worked at uni again, the children played, and everyone else relaxed as much as possible. Friday night track racing was on, and Chanel and I gave it our very best! I love riding my bike. The extended family thought velodrome racing was brilliant.
Saturday saw us ditching all plans for sightseeing. Instead we stayed home, swam in the pool, ate, and relaxed. Kylie’s parents commenced their 14 hour drive home around lunch time. Chanel went with them to spend a week holidaying with friends and family in sunny QLD. We already miss our baby girl so much!
Sunday was quiet too. Church in the morning was a personal highlight for me. The sacrament brought a peace that was refreshing and renewing. Everyone left church after the first hour except Abbie and I. Lots of tired children do not a happy Sunday School make! We enjoyed being together all afternoon before a superb BBQ dinner and a drive to the beach. We walked and played for a couple of hours before we returned home at 9pm, exhausted, but deeply satisfied.
Monday, 4 January 2010
Tim's Wedding
This is a link to a slideshow to the wedding of my little brother, Tim, and his wife Kesh.
The pics are genuinely some of the best I've seen. Looks like something out of some high end magazine.
Next time I'm in Brisbane I'm going to have saved enough to have this photographer do a shoot for my family.
2009 Wrap
Sunday 3rd January, 2010
The New Year has begun. And with our family finally being settled in our new home it’s time to reacquaint myself with my journalistic weekly reviews and reinvigorate a habit that has fallen idly to the side in the past couple of months while I’ve been overly occupied with everything else!
It’s 4am as I write this update. Sleep is not being my friend tonight. I’ve been awake a little over an hour contemplating two of my favourite topics: parenting, and cycling.
Rather than try to catch things up for the past few months (September was the last time I wrote), and in the interest of brevity, I’ll highlight a few high points from the year, and review the week that has been.
In late October we determined to buy a home. I had tired of renting, and we were out of patience with a landlord who failed to maintain the home we lived in. Endless reminders to him about work that he was required to do to keep his house in order proved fruitless. We negotiated to buy the house from him but he didn’t want this to occur until June/July 2010. We inspected a house the following day and unexpectedly fell for it. This was a house we wanted for ourselves. So the negotiation on our rental was ceased and we bought our new home. The move occurred in early December. We had ample help from friends at church, and things went extremely well.
Our new home is quite large, with 5 bedrooms. There are also 3 bathrooms, although we will be converting one into a laundry when we commence renovations. The home has 2 kitchens (about 30 years old), which will also go in the renovations. We enjoy the double garage with all of its storage capacity! And I love my workbench. But the biggest and most enjoyable highlight of the home is the swimming pool. The children are in there at least 5 times a day, and relish the opportunity to play in the water.
One of the unexpected but welcome changes required as a result of a new home was the need to send the children to a new school. Nareena Hills Primary School is just around the corner from our home. While nervous about the change, we opted to move the children during term 4 so that the Christmas holiday would not involve any nervous waiting for them. Relationships have already been established in a very positive way, and we are delighted with the new school and the way in which it deals with things.
Ella ran away from the school on her orientation day during December. This led to meetings with the school, and we were impressed with their efforts to understand Ella and her needs. We are confident that, while challenging for her, Ella will be well looked after at this school – particularly compared with the old school the children were attending. The attention we’ve received has been remarkable in comparison to what we previously experienced. We are delighted with the new school, and the children appear to be too.
The only other major family event of recent times occurred during the past week. My little brother, Timothy James, finally married his sweetheart, Keshia Vinson. It was a lovely celebration of their love and commitment. The temple wedding ceremony was at 9am. Photos were taken before we made our way into Darlinghurst and Oxford St to eat at their favourite pizza shop – Love Supreme. I was invited to MC the reception. It’s not a task that I enjoy, but I agreed… it was for my brother! They did things a lot like Kylie and I. The reception was only just over 2 hours long, and very informal. No reserved seating, just lots of friends together, mingling and enjoying pizza. Their wedding cake was a giant Rocky Road! And it was wonderful.
As I consider 2009 for our family, it has been a rocky road of sorts too – one with sweet parts on occasion, but plenty of bumps too, and they weren’t all chocolate coated!
For me, my PhD has been a challenge. Things have not gone particularly well. Yet I’m optimistic about 2010. I’ve learned an awful lot about research, and know my area better than I would have thought (and probably better than most people in Australia). Progress has been slow, almost non-existent. But the progress that has been made has been important. My cycling has become a great outlet for me, and I have found renewed vigour in working with the Young Men at church after some challenges. But I’m probably more tired than I was last year. And I feel that my children deserve more of me. This will need to be remedied in 2010.
Kylie is an inspiration, but pregnancy is tiring her out. We are delighted, though, with the thought of a precious baby coming into our home. We eagerly await April. Questions about more children will not be answered for some time. Kylie is also anticipating the opportunity to renovate our new home and add her inspired touch. I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes!
Chanel has had a difficult year but we are confident things will improve. Riding has been an on-again and off-again pursuit for her. We are not sure how likely it is that she’ll continue, but for now she is back into it. Her swimming is now at two days each week in squad and we are delighted with her progress. She is also very excited to swim. Mondays we’re at the pool at 6am in addition to her Thursday afternoon swim. We are hopeful that her academic interests will improve in 2010 after a poor two years at her previous school.
Abbie is a joy, and loves school and piano. We have so much to be grateful for with this little girl. We are looking forward to her increasing emotional maturity as I’m sure she’ll be even more delightful as she learns to regulate herself a little better and develops greater independence.
Ella Rose completed her final year of preschool in December. She’s off to big school for 2010. This represents a massive milestone for our precious Energetic Ella. We are praying for a good friend for her. Ella has no children her age at church with whom she can be best friends. This is difficult for her. The other children have always enjoyed special relationships with at least one church friend. Additionally, because of the nature of preschool, Ella has not really formed any close relationships with children there. And few, if any, of her preschool buddies will be attending the same school as Ella. So we are hopeful that 2010 will be the year Ella gets a great friend.
And Annie is simply a delight. We wish we could share Annie with everyone. They would smile in their hearts for the entire day after a few short minutes with her. Absolutely amazing!
Last Friday was Christmas Day. We shared a wonderful morning together as a family. Then we drove to Gosford via Auburn. It was a treat to share some time with Nan and Pop, but as always time was getting away on us and we had to race to Gosford. One day I’m going to pull up at Cardigan St without having to be somewhere else in a hurry. Mum and Dad’s place was a hive of activity. And while it was nice to be with family, we determined that our own growing family will no longer travel for Christmas. We will have Christmas celebrations with extended family before or after the holiday instead. Our children need our traditions, and we’re our own family now. We arrived home from Gosford at midnight and slept in on Boxing Day.
Since then we’ve enjoyed a week off. The university has been closed. I’ve been at home. We’ve read books, swam in the pool, eaten good food, visited the beach, and I’ve done a lot of riding. We’ve discussed the future, dealt with some frightening issues raised by Centrelink (the government agency that assists us with income while I’m a student), and made plans for the New Year. And we’ve made preparations for the first full week of January where we expect to make room for Kylie’s entire family to visit… parents, sisters, and their husbands and children.
Finally – as I conclude this week’s update – Sunday has come and gone again. I love Sunday. I often don’t get as much out of it as I would like due to the children and their desire for more activity and less quiet, but I still love Sunday. I visited with four families from church this afternoon and enjoyed uplifting conversations. Kylie cooked corned beef that left me feeling deeply grateful for cows – it tasted sooo good. The children are in bed, sleeping peacefully and I’ve just returned from a friend’s home where I enjoyed a late evening lemon meringue after an unexpected invitation. Savouring the delights has only made them better again.
The New Year has begun. And with our family finally being settled in our new home it’s time to reacquaint myself with my journalistic weekly reviews and reinvigorate a habit that has fallen idly to the side in the past couple of months while I’ve been overly occupied with everything else!
It’s 4am as I write this update. Sleep is not being my friend tonight. I’ve been awake a little over an hour contemplating two of my favourite topics: parenting, and cycling.
Rather than try to catch things up for the past few months (September was the last time I wrote), and in the interest of brevity, I’ll highlight a few high points from the year, and review the week that has been.
In late October we determined to buy a home. I had tired of renting, and we were out of patience with a landlord who failed to maintain the home we lived in. Endless reminders to him about work that he was required to do to keep his house in order proved fruitless. We negotiated to buy the house from him but he didn’t want this to occur until June/July 2010. We inspected a house the following day and unexpectedly fell for it. This was a house we wanted for ourselves. So the negotiation on our rental was ceased and we bought our new home. The move occurred in early December. We had ample help from friends at church, and things went extremely well.
Our new home is quite large, with 5 bedrooms. There are also 3 bathrooms, although we will be converting one into a laundry when we commence renovations. The home has 2 kitchens (about 30 years old), which will also go in the renovations. We enjoy the double garage with all of its storage capacity! And I love my workbench. But the biggest and most enjoyable highlight of the home is the swimming pool. The children are in there at least 5 times a day, and relish the opportunity to play in the water.
One of the unexpected but welcome changes required as a result of a new home was the need to send the children to a new school. Nareena Hills Primary School is just around the corner from our home. While nervous about the change, we opted to move the children during term 4 so that the Christmas holiday would not involve any nervous waiting for them. Relationships have already been established in a very positive way, and we are delighted with the new school and the way in which it deals with things.
Ella ran away from the school on her orientation day during December. This led to meetings with the school, and we were impressed with their efforts to understand Ella and her needs. We are confident that, while challenging for her, Ella will be well looked after at this school – particularly compared with the old school the children were attending. The attention we’ve received has been remarkable in comparison to what we previously experienced. We are delighted with the new school, and the children appear to be too.
The only other major family event of recent times occurred during the past week. My little brother, Timothy James, finally married his sweetheart, Keshia Vinson. It was a lovely celebration of their love and commitment. The temple wedding ceremony was at 9am. Photos were taken before we made our way into Darlinghurst and Oxford St to eat at their favourite pizza shop – Love Supreme. I was invited to MC the reception. It’s not a task that I enjoy, but I agreed… it was for my brother! They did things a lot like Kylie and I. The reception was only just over 2 hours long, and very informal. No reserved seating, just lots of friends together, mingling and enjoying pizza. Their wedding cake was a giant Rocky Road! And it was wonderful.
As I consider 2009 for our family, it has been a rocky road of sorts too – one with sweet parts on occasion, but plenty of bumps too, and they weren’t all chocolate coated!
For me, my PhD has been a challenge. Things have not gone particularly well. Yet I’m optimistic about 2010. I’ve learned an awful lot about research, and know my area better than I would have thought (and probably better than most people in Australia). Progress has been slow, almost non-existent. But the progress that has been made has been important. My cycling has become a great outlet for me, and I have found renewed vigour in working with the Young Men at church after some challenges. But I’m probably more tired than I was last year. And I feel that my children deserve more of me. This will need to be remedied in 2010.
Kylie is an inspiration, but pregnancy is tiring her out. We are delighted, though, with the thought of a precious baby coming into our home. We eagerly await April. Questions about more children will not be answered for some time. Kylie is also anticipating the opportunity to renovate our new home and add her inspired touch. I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes!
Chanel has had a difficult year but we are confident things will improve. Riding has been an on-again and off-again pursuit for her. We are not sure how likely it is that she’ll continue, but for now she is back into it. Her swimming is now at two days each week in squad and we are delighted with her progress. She is also very excited to swim. Mondays we’re at the pool at 6am in addition to her Thursday afternoon swim. We are hopeful that her academic interests will improve in 2010 after a poor two years at her previous school.
Abbie is a joy, and loves school and piano. We have so much to be grateful for with this little girl. We are looking forward to her increasing emotional maturity as I’m sure she’ll be even more delightful as she learns to regulate herself a little better and develops greater independence.
Ella Rose completed her final year of preschool in December. She’s off to big school for 2010. This represents a massive milestone for our precious Energetic Ella. We are praying for a good friend for her. Ella has no children her age at church with whom she can be best friends. This is difficult for her. The other children have always enjoyed special relationships with at least one church friend. Additionally, because of the nature of preschool, Ella has not really formed any close relationships with children there. And few, if any, of her preschool buddies will be attending the same school as Ella. So we are hopeful that 2010 will be the year Ella gets a great friend.
And Annie is simply a delight. We wish we could share Annie with everyone. They would smile in their hearts for the entire day after a few short minutes with her. Absolutely amazing!
Last Friday was Christmas Day. We shared a wonderful morning together as a family. Then we drove to Gosford via Auburn. It was a treat to share some time with Nan and Pop, but as always time was getting away on us and we had to race to Gosford. One day I’m going to pull up at Cardigan St without having to be somewhere else in a hurry. Mum and Dad’s place was a hive of activity. And while it was nice to be with family, we determined that our own growing family will no longer travel for Christmas. We will have Christmas celebrations with extended family before or after the holiday instead. Our children need our traditions, and we’re our own family now. We arrived home from Gosford at midnight and slept in on Boxing Day.
Since then we’ve enjoyed a week off. The university has been closed. I’ve been at home. We’ve read books, swam in the pool, eaten good food, visited the beach, and I’ve done a lot of riding. We’ve discussed the future, dealt with some frightening issues raised by Centrelink (the government agency that assists us with income while I’m a student), and made plans for the New Year. And we’ve made preparations for the first full week of January where we expect to make room for Kylie’s entire family to visit… parents, sisters, and their husbands and children.
Finally – as I conclude this week’s update – Sunday has come and gone again. I love Sunday. I often don’t get as much out of it as I would like due to the children and their desire for more activity and less quiet, but I still love Sunday. I visited with four families from church this afternoon and enjoyed uplifting conversations. Kylie cooked corned beef that left me feeling deeply grateful for cows – it tasted sooo good. The children are in bed, sleeping peacefully and I’ve just returned from a friend’s home where I enjoyed a late evening lemon meringue after an unexpected invitation. Savouring the delights has only made them better again.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Overdue update - the family profile
My Sundays are getting busier and I’m getting tireder. This means that by Sunday evening I’m less interested in reporting on my week and more interested in sleeping. Here’s an update from the past couple of weeks…
Kylie is going mostly well. Pregnancy makes her tired and sick, but we’ll be at 12 weeks by the end of this week so things should start to improve. Kylie assures me that this will be our last baby. She really doesn’t want to go through the sickness and pain again. But she’s said that before so we’ll have to wait and see. We’re so excited to be having another baby. And it feels as though we’re coming out of the worst of it. Kylie has energy and enthusiasm returning to her veins and even got out for a bike ride yesterday.
We visited Canberra last weekend. Abbie’s best friend, Elissa Thayer, turned seven. It’s a long way to go for a birthday party, but it was worth the trip. We ate dinner that cost far too much (never again) at a Spanish restaurant (never again), and stayed at a hotel that had no soundproofing (never again). But time with friends and family was thoroughly enjoyable, even if all the travel knocked Kylie around. We were glad we made the effort.
Chanel is growing up so fast. Our big girl will be ten years old in a matter of weeks. We are so proud of the way that she is growing. Chanel pushes us consistently with her unceasing pleas for “more”, be it time with friends, treats, play time, expenses, or whatever. Chanel also drives us crazy with her treatment of her sisters. Yet Chanel delights us with her enthusiasm and courage to do what is right, even when friends make other choices. Chanel is warm and affectionate with everyone in the family and has a wonderful social intelligence.
Chanel’s favourite quote at the moment is “and you always were.” Lately she’s called me a bully when we play or do chores. I deny it. She re-confirms that I am indeed a bully, and “you always were.” We always laugh at that. She’s doing well enough at school although we’d like to see better results. Our concern is more with the teaching than with Chanel’s performance though. Her teacher is not a particularly motivating soul. I also think it’s unlikely that Chanel will continue to have involvement in cycling beyond summer and track. She loves to explore and try new things. I’m not sure what the next new thing will be, but we’ll find out in autumn. I expect it will be netball or soccer.
Last week after the absolute worst dust storm I’ve ever experienced I came home from school and invited Chanel and Ella (Abbie was swimming) to earn some pocket money for the school holidays by doorknocking the neighbourhood and asking people if we could wash cars. Chanel was enthusiastic and did all the “sales”. She also washed with all her might. Together the three of us earned $60 in just two hours. Chanel has a great work ethic, especially when she knows she’ll receive a fair reward.
Abbie May is a little heart warmer. She is so soft and quiet, and loves to sing at the top of her lungs. It’s beautiful, although her singing can be hard on the ears. Abbie sings through her nose, and it sounds nasal! Kylie and I bask in Abbie’s enthusiasm for music, but we try to do our basking with our fingers in our ears. It’s amusing and charming and gratifying all at once. Of course, Abbie tries us too, as all children do their parents. She is the “dobber” in the family and is known to whine for extended periods, particularly when asked to do something she doesn’t want to. And Abbie has domestic blindness, like me. She struggles to find household items that are right in front of her.
Despite Abbie’s humanness and fallibility, we are besotted with our soon-to-be-seven year-old. Abbie has become a committed Girl Guide and approaches Wednesday evenings with glee. She savours her time at Guides and expounds on her experiences enchantingly when we collect her. Abbie’s first ever Guides camp is coming up in a few weeks, staying overnight at Moss Vale or Bowral I think. We’re nervous, Abbie’s excited.
Abbie is having a terrific time in class at school and has a focused and motivated teacher. Her reading is off the charts, and she does well in other subjects too. At the moment Abbie’s favourite saying is “Oh come on Dad” with a hint of a smile, and a delightful demand, when she wants something I say she cannot have. It’s so cute, and done in such fun.
Ella… I always smile and shake my head when I think about that girl and what to write. Her character is over the top in so many ways. She loves to be affectionate with us, and has ants in her pants when it’s bed time. Then, she falls asleep instantly when I sing her a lullaby each night. Ella’s enthusiasm for play is a great strength for her, and also a problem. She’ll disappear without a sound and we’ll spend 30 minutes looking for her. She’ll have walked up the road to a friend’s house, or down the road to a friend’s house. They’re all close by, but too far for a five year-old on her own. She’s simply so independent. We’re fortunate to live in a quiet and safe street with lots of good families.
Ella is looking forward to being finished with kindy and going to big school next year. Her speech has improved dramatically and her swimming is going very well. She has a genuinely funny sense of humour and makes us laugh a lot. And Ella wears us out, doesn’t like to listen when asked to do anything contrary to her desires, and generally raises our blood pressure. We love her to bits.
Annie is still our precious baby girl. She’s just over 25 months old. She has completely trained herself to use the potty and abhors nappies except when going to bed. We have the occasional accident, but very infrequently. Her personality is perfect, her smile is full of love, and her cuddles are heavenly. We love all of our children, but I don’t think any of them have been as lovable and as loving as our Annie Grace. She walks around the house knowing that she has all of us wrapped around her fingers, yet she doesn’t wield her power unfairly. Instead she uses it for cuddles and kisses and getting her hair done or shoes put on. I have no words for how we adore our Annie Grace.
So that’s the update on our family after a while where I’ve shared little. We’re far from perfect, particularly Kylie and I (particularly me), but we sure do love each other a lot, and love to spend time together.
Generally things at uni are picking up. I’m about to begin interviewing participants for the next round of my data collection. I hope to interview around 20 people over the next couple of weeks. From these interviews I’m hoping to get some terrific information that will be useful for my PhD. My honours student, Jo, has also had excellent success with the project we have been working on. We’re investigating compassionate love and resilience, and the results are looking promising. More on that in weeks to come.
My bike riding is all-consuming! I’m still entirely obsessed by it and am riding as much as possible. I seem to be getting around 300km a week in on the bike now. Racing season is over, but I’m organising a track bike so I can ride the velodrome too. This will mean that Friday nights will be busy.
I’ll write again briefly on Sunday, but there won’t be much to add as this week is looking fairly quiet.
Hoping that this letter finds all of our dear ones well.
Kylie is going mostly well. Pregnancy makes her tired and sick, but we’ll be at 12 weeks by the end of this week so things should start to improve. Kylie assures me that this will be our last baby. She really doesn’t want to go through the sickness and pain again. But she’s said that before so we’ll have to wait and see. We’re so excited to be having another baby. And it feels as though we’re coming out of the worst of it. Kylie has energy and enthusiasm returning to her veins and even got out for a bike ride yesterday.
We visited Canberra last weekend. Abbie’s best friend, Elissa Thayer, turned seven. It’s a long way to go for a birthday party, but it was worth the trip. We ate dinner that cost far too much (never again) at a Spanish restaurant (never again), and stayed at a hotel that had no soundproofing (never again). But time with friends and family was thoroughly enjoyable, even if all the travel knocked Kylie around. We were glad we made the effort.
Chanel is growing up so fast. Our big girl will be ten years old in a matter of weeks. We are so proud of the way that she is growing. Chanel pushes us consistently with her unceasing pleas for “more”, be it time with friends, treats, play time, expenses, or whatever. Chanel also drives us crazy with her treatment of her sisters. Yet Chanel delights us with her enthusiasm and courage to do what is right, even when friends make other choices. Chanel is warm and affectionate with everyone in the family and has a wonderful social intelligence.
Chanel’s favourite quote at the moment is “and you always were.” Lately she’s called me a bully when we play or do chores. I deny it. She re-confirms that I am indeed a bully, and “you always were.” We always laugh at that. She’s doing well enough at school although we’d like to see better results. Our concern is more with the teaching than with Chanel’s performance though. Her teacher is not a particularly motivating soul. I also think it’s unlikely that Chanel will continue to have involvement in cycling beyond summer and track. She loves to explore and try new things. I’m not sure what the next new thing will be, but we’ll find out in autumn. I expect it will be netball or soccer.
Last week after the absolute worst dust storm I’ve ever experienced I came home from school and invited Chanel and Ella (Abbie was swimming) to earn some pocket money for the school holidays by doorknocking the neighbourhood and asking people if we could wash cars. Chanel was enthusiastic and did all the “sales”. She also washed with all her might. Together the three of us earned $60 in just two hours. Chanel has a great work ethic, especially when she knows she’ll receive a fair reward.
Abbie May is a little heart warmer. She is so soft and quiet, and loves to sing at the top of her lungs. It’s beautiful, although her singing can be hard on the ears. Abbie sings through her nose, and it sounds nasal! Kylie and I bask in Abbie’s enthusiasm for music, but we try to do our basking with our fingers in our ears. It’s amusing and charming and gratifying all at once. Of course, Abbie tries us too, as all children do their parents. She is the “dobber” in the family and is known to whine for extended periods, particularly when asked to do something she doesn’t want to. And Abbie has domestic blindness, like me. She struggles to find household items that are right in front of her.
Despite Abbie’s humanness and fallibility, we are besotted with our soon-to-be-seven year-old. Abbie has become a committed Girl Guide and approaches Wednesday evenings with glee. She savours her time at Guides and expounds on her experiences enchantingly when we collect her. Abbie’s first ever Guides camp is coming up in a few weeks, staying overnight at Moss Vale or Bowral I think. We’re nervous, Abbie’s excited.
Abbie is having a terrific time in class at school and has a focused and motivated teacher. Her reading is off the charts, and she does well in other subjects too. At the moment Abbie’s favourite saying is “Oh come on Dad” with a hint of a smile, and a delightful demand, when she wants something I say she cannot have. It’s so cute, and done in such fun.
Ella… I always smile and shake my head when I think about that girl and what to write. Her character is over the top in so many ways. She loves to be affectionate with us, and has ants in her pants when it’s bed time. Then, she falls asleep instantly when I sing her a lullaby each night. Ella’s enthusiasm for play is a great strength for her, and also a problem. She’ll disappear without a sound and we’ll spend 30 minutes looking for her. She’ll have walked up the road to a friend’s house, or down the road to a friend’s house. They’re all close by, but too far for a five year-old on her own. She’s simply so independent. We’re fortunate to live in a quiet and safe street with lots of good families.
Ella is looking forward to being finished with kindy and going to big school next year. Her speech has improved dramatically and her swimming is going very well. She has a genuinely funny sense of humour and makes us laugh a lot. And Ella wears us out, doesn’t like to listen when asked to do anything contrary to her desires, and generally raises our blood pressure. We love her to bits.
Annie is still our precious baby girl. She’s just over 25 months old. She has completely trained herself to use the potty and abhors nappies except when going to bed. We have the occasional accident, but very infrequently. Her personality is perfect, her smile is full of love, and her cuddles are heavenly. We love all of our children, but I don’t think any of them have been as lovable and as loving as our Annie Grace. She walks around the house knowing that she has all of us wrapped around her fingers, yet she doesn’t wield her power unfairly. Instead she uses it for cuddles and kisses and getting her hair done or shoes put on. I have no words for how we adore our Annie Grace.
So that’s the update on our family after a while where I’ve shared little. We’re far from perfect, particularly Kylie and I (particularly me), but we sure do love each other a lot, and love to spend time together.
Generally things at uni are picking up. I’m about to begin interviewing participants for the next round of my data collection. I hope to interview around 20 people over the next couple of weeks. From these interviews I’m hoping to get some terrific information that will be useful for my PhD. My honours student, Jo, has also had excellent success with the project we have been working on. We’re investigating compassionate love and resilience, and the results are looking promising. More on that in weeks to come.
My bike riding is all-consuming! I’m still entirely obsessed by it and am riding as much as possible. I seem to be getting around 300km a week in on the bike now. Racing season is over, but I’m organising a track bike so I can ride the velodrome too. This will mean that Friday nights will be busy.
I’ll write again briefly on Sunday, but there won’t be much to add as this week is looking fairly quiet.
Hoping that this letter finds all of our dear ones well.
Monday, 10 August 2009
Photos August 2009
Ella Rose at the Wollongong Ward country hoe-down. Ella is 5 and a half in this photo.
Annie Grace, aged 23 months, at the bike track waiting for her dad to finish his race.
Chanel, aged 9, just after she finished her 18km race.
Annie Grace, aged 23 months, at the bike track waiting for her dad to finish his race.
Chanel, aged 9, just after she finished her 18km race.
Abbie May, aged 6, at the park on holidays in Gosford.
Abbie May, aged 6, with her favourite cousin Phoenix - on holidays in Gosford.
Eight of the ten cousins in the park. From the back: Ella and Chanel, Logan and Jet, Paris and Phoenix, Teanu and Abbie.
Chanel, Abbie, Ella, and Annie petting the newborn kids at a friend's farm in Dapto.
Abbie May, aged 6, with her favourite cousin Phoenix - on holidays in Gosford.
Eight of the ten cousins in the park. From the back: Ella and Chanel, Logan and Jet, Paris and Phoenix, Teanu and Abbie.
Chanel, Abbie, Ella, and Annie petting the newborn kids at a friend's farm in Dapto.
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