Another Visit

The last week has been spent with family visiting from Australia.  We have been to Akaroa rocking on boats, Hanmer Springs wallowing in hot rock pools, and the Antarctica Centre watching penguins and riding in military style buggies! It has been a wonderful week and we were sad to see our our brother and sister and law, niece and nephew leave.

I have had gastroenteritis for 5 days so this afternoon am having a rest and cleaning the house while Sergeant is testing two new co-operative games at our friends house with the children.  

I am very fortunate to have made a few close friends in Christchurch who share similar conclusions in parenting and education, one of which was a nanny previously.  Whilst I have yet to find any research which states that mass childcare is beneficial to the development of a child in terms of social or emotional well-being, I have seen much evidence that if a child is bonded with alternative caregivers the experience can be positive so employment is restrained by the hours my friend can offer as a nanny and what flexibility the role offers.

While I love the theory of democratic schooling, if under-resourced both in terms of the input of fellow parents and in terms of support and actual resources, I prefer whole-life learning as a more holistic and nurturing education.  Subsequently I have been asked frequently if I would consider Sonic going to a “normal” school. I do not accept the social norm – children are natural learners and mainstream school does not work for millions of children, (certainly not my son) and learner centred education does; so I would rather support alternative means of education – let’s support a revolution!

 

 

Beach bums and amazing parks

Yesterday I had a wonderful uplifting day. We got the bus (easily) to  a park called Hagley Park. When we got off the bus, the bus driver got off before me and carried my pram and opened it for me, and said be careful when you cross the road when you come back.

The sun was baking hot, and so we were glad when we got to the playground that there were sprinklers with children running underneath and two free swimming pools to paddle in! It is still the school holidays and there was a free show for children in the park, so there were families everywhere. We met up with a lady and her 6-year-old twins.  Hopefully, we will meet soon in more comfortable circumstances as we seem to have a lot in common.  They own a farm and yoga studio, and I felt echo my aspirations for The Good Life dream!

I like not having a car, it encourages us to walk more. And honestly I feel that we need to be the change we want to see – and I believe environmentally, that means making sacrifices… BUT it is so challenging sometimes. And I really don’t want to be as isolated as I have been before.  We are considering saving up for or getting a small loan to buy a cheap car to use for emergencies and weekend camping trips.

Had a bloody awful day today.  Had nightmares for most of last night and woke up moody – not only because Movecorp have turned out to be very unprofessional and untruthful, after 8 weeks of thinking our shipment was on its way – turns out not left the UK.  Shame. I guess we cannot let the based things in life keep us down!

x x x

Rental housing and mediocre first impressions

On Friday our family was invited to DHs work drinks.   It was such a lovely day and I knew I was meant to be making a good first impression and mingling, but to be honest I was feeling very subdued. I did make a bit of chit-chat but I was completely overwhelmed with contentment. Being able to sit outside with a group of adults, in an environment that is suitable for children to run around, with a glass of white wine spritzer in hand, with a wonderful view and joyful friendly people around me isn’t an everyday experience.

Today we went to the Whole Life Learners group – it makes my week to meet people like this and the children are happy when we are there.  They sat in the sand digging with spoons, and Sonic Blue and his friends made a big assault course over the wooden benches using planks and old tyres.  It is truely wonderful to see what skills they use when just left alone to learn – team working, problem solving, architecture (ish?). Amazing! I can see it in myself too, if someone trys to tell me how to learn something I turn off, it discourages my creativity – whereas now I have the confidence to try and learn things off my own back, I love learning. And I know when it is time to get advice or support from someone more knowledgeable than me, when and only because I want to.   Talking of intrinsic motivation to learn, got to wait till April for our shipment so really missing my sewing machine…

On the walk to the bus we happened to look up a street to see some boxes of books out. We went to have a look and a woman came out of her driveway and said to me take it all! In NZ they seem to leave gifts out to share unwanted items, I love it! We manged to get some amazing books and toys to bring home, and the children were all very happy to play when they got home with their cars, dolls, and activity packs.

We are in the process of filling up the house. I have managed to find some good websites for buying items second-hand and there are also a few 2 dollar stores here filled with items for re-use. Seems so much better to encourage people to reuse and recycle with financial incentive, rather than encouraging a materialistic society by producing clothes and items cheaply through slave labour or environmentally damaging processes. Although I must say, sometimes I just want a something new that is cheap too.

We have a rental house now, it is light and airy with three bedrooms. The garden is a reasonable size but all concrete and poor soil, so my self-sufficiency dream will have to be put on hold a while longer. I have been reading a page called grow food, not lawns and had some great inspiration for how to grow things in old chests and such like.

First Times

Yesterday was DHs first day at his new work, and a first day for me being with the children without support for 7 weeks – back to real life.

I got busy for when DH got home, buying a cake and making his favourite meal – he came home stuffed! They brought in something like 12 pizzas for lunch, so my food is unwanted.  His work seems to be a very nurturing environment, with group lunches every Monday and early finishes on Friday for beers!

I got the bus for the first time in Christchurch, and it was terrible actually. Not so much the being on the bus but the walking in the rain.  The bus drivers were kind, and one actually heroic.  He saw us waiting in the rain and lifted our double pushchair onto the bus when it wouldn’t fit.  He took us to the passenger lounge at the metro station, so we could wait for the bus in the warmth 😉

The thing is that the girl with the curly hair is I guess still unsettled, and wanting to exert herself in any way she can, and thus I am having trouble getting from one place to another without her getting upset about not being able to walk on the road, or be cuddled by mummy in arms (slings – now – will not do apparently). I would love to be able to snuggle her all the way, but I have a big pushchair – that doesn’t even fit on buses – and it certainly doesn’t steer and push itself either. Great.  On the way back we got turned off two buses. Then I realise we have a puncture.  Next time – I am taking the single pushchair and a sling.

The group we went to today is absolutely lovely. It is a whole life learners group – and the women are all warm, friendly and supportive. They meet once or twice a week, so I am lucky to have found such a great group of people so quickly.