Our family's holiday traditions and reflections on 2011

As our family grows and changes together, we find our holiday traditions evolving as well.

This year, I added the tradition of new summer solstice pajamas to mark the longest day. I hope to have an annual tradition of new season pjs on summer and winter solstice each year (and a fun bonfire for winter solstice). The girls loved this first go!

We're still working out present opening for Christmas. Markus's family opens all presents on Christmas Eve; mine does one on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning. This year, we made a hybrid version and opened all on Christmas Eve but eagerly awaited one present each from Santa on Christmas morning.

Today is the last day of 2011. We have a nicely established New Year's Day tradition of enjoying Neujahrsbrezel for breakfast in the morning, but we haven't been marking the last day of the year. Spurred on by some reflection questions I found on a blog, I mentioned the idea of sitting together and talking about the year together. Ellie hopped on board with gusto, mentioning it again before breakfast and again before lunch. For instant gratification, I downloaded the pdf of the questions I found and we sat and answered them together as a family. It was a lovely exercise, one I hope to carry forward in years to come.

What was the single best thing that happened this past year?

M: My mom moving to her house in Hannover

J: Spending time with both grandparents on my last US visit

E: New Zealand because I like the long plane ride and I like the museum

What was the single most challenging thing that happened?

M: Maintaining good work morale

J: The international moving limbo began

E: Trying to catch Figaro with Papa

(Figaro is our canary. We often let him out to fly around the house, but he doesn't care for being recaptured each time.)

What was an unexpected joy this past year?

M: Being able to go on so many vacations (Albany, New Zealand, Bali, Rottnest, Bali)

J: Watching Ellie thrive in Middle Primary and her reading take off like a rocket

E: I wasn't expecting to go to my art class because I didn't know because you didn't tell me.

(and she really liked that art class)

What was an unexpected obstacle?

M: Not being able to participate in the October job round.

J: Ditto.

E: When I couldn't really ride the pushbike yet, I could go straight and around the curves but I tried to ride around the table and I couldn't.

Pick three words to describe 2011.

M: Exhausting. Brilliant family.

J: Full. Challenging. Changes!

E: Middle Primary. Reading. (Mama gave these words as samples and she wanted to use them)

Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2011 (don't ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you).

M: Stressed, stressed, stressed.

J: Knitting, yoga, scooter. (joking!)

Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2011 (again, without asking).

M: Thankful. Fun times.

J: Stressed. Holiday. Stressed.

What were the best books you read this year?

M: The Life of Pi. I Heard The Owl Call My Name. (rereads)

J: Buddhism for Mothers series. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

E: Hush, Little One. Disney Princess books. Poems. (these were sitting next to her chair when we answered questions today. Her big favorites not mentioned have been the Charlie and Lola books, Conni books in German, the Lost and Found picture books and the Rainbow Fairies series.)

S: Lost and Found books. Edward the Emu. Room on the Broom.

What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?

M: Work strain aged me by more than a year.

J: Stephanie started school and I had time alone during the day for the first time in more than six years (it was a harder adjustment than I thought it would be).

E: I went to Middle Primary and started reading.

In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?

M: Learning not to let others upset me.

J: Reading about Buddhist practices helped me to be more even, less reactive.

In what way(s) did you grow physically?

M: Midline expansion.

J: More frequent yoga was fantastic.

E: I can do handstands and cartwheels. I lost six baby teeth!

In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?

M: Letting my sister deal with certain things in her own way rather than trying to dictate

J: Spending time with my grandparents felt invaluable. I know I need to give the more, at least in terms of communication.

What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)?

M: I repaired the Bose dock. (man, did he love repairing the Bose dock)

J: The time I get with my family. Even when my stay-at-home status is trying, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

What was the best way you used your time this past year?

M: Morning sports, motorcycling to work, glorious weekends with my family.

J: More yoga. More reading about Buddhist applications to my life. Taking baby steps towards better balance for self. Having time during the week for errands and home jobs allowed me to relax and enjoy each weekend with family like a mini-holiday.

What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?

M: How to repair the Bose dock.

J: In terms of a skill, I learned basic piano and introductory music reading.

Questions we made up for 2012:

What do you most look forward to for 2012?

M: A new job. Seeing more extended family and friends again.

J: Seeing more extended family and friends again because we'll be closer (heck, almost anywhere will be closer!)

What would you want to do differently?

M: New job. Eat less sugar.

J: Talk less, listen more. Concentrate on what I want to build in my relationships with my children.

What would you like to do more of?

M: Teach my children more.

J: More date time with Markus when we're both awake. More exercise. More deliberate, healthy eating.

What would you like to learn?

M: Improve my sailing and motorcycle skills.

J: I'd like to read more non-fiction books, acquiring new information in that way.

Bay of Islands

Hi everyone! I saved the best New Zealand spot for last, and then I left you hanging. My apologies. I mentioned before that we came back with colds, specifically Ellie came back with a chesty cough. After several days of coughing in my face, it seems the germs successfully transferred. I lost my voice a couple of days ago and have since done my best to be useless once Markus comes home in the evenings. Nothing serious. Just a cold. In the meantime, I uploaded almost 200 photos from our trip to our flickr account for your viewing pleasure. I haven't added comments yet, but if you want more visuals from the trip than you are finding here, head over there and check it out!

Now, Bay of Islands!

As the person who booked and planned the trip, I was most keen on Bay of Islands. It's the area at the northern tip of the north island. It is "perpetual summer" there, though it's New Zealand summer so it's not too hot, not too cool. We were lucky on our first day because the hideous cold rain followed us from Auckland, but the first day it was crystal clear and absolutely breathtakingly beautiful! We drove out of the rain about 2 hours north of Auckland, and I started snapping away with the camera as we drove. The light was simply stunning!

To treat ourselves big time, we stayed in one of four holiday cottages on a 150-acre organic pastureland about 25 minutes from Kerikeri.

The Takou River runs through the property, and the owners (Anna and Ian Sizer) keep a boathouse filled with kayaks and assorted goodies available at any time. Of course, we had to get out in a canoe first-thing. The girls had never been in one, and it was pretty hilarious. It was low tide as we paddled upriver, meaning we got stuck on some rocks more than once. While stuck: Markus and I laughed as we pushed and pulled and scooted to free us; Ellie clutched the gunnels until her knuckles were white, screaming and wailing until her face was red as if we were going down on the Titanic; and Stephanie stood up from her post in my lap and grabbed hold of my paddle, calmly announcing that she would get us out, don't worry Mama. I wish I could have a video of it, because it makes me giggle just thinking about what a picture we must have made.

For lunch, we stopped at the Ake Ake Winery and enjoyed to a beautiful meal while the girls played happily in the grass and stones.

Later that afternoon, Markus couldn't resist another paddle, so he went for a solo kayak ride while the girls and I relaxed in the cottage. In her hallmark of comfort, Stephanie stripped bare the moment we stepped through the door. She hid under the table with the iPod for a while before joining Ellie on the fantastic fluffy yellow beanbag chair (it looked like a giant dandelion).

Markus got some incredible shots--some of my favorites of the trip--on the point-and-shoot camera he took along with him. We don't use PhotoShop, so what you see is what he saw. The light has a magical quality to it. Our assessment is Middle Earth is every bit as stunning as the movies portray it.

Of course, the rain started not long after sunset and lasted until we left. Good thing we maximized that first day! A highlight (despite the rain) was when we drove to a nice forest walk and checked out the ancient Kauri trees.

The rain was a bit of a bummer, but the Bay of Islands was our favorite spot nonetheless! We feel lucky we opted to stay there. It was a toss-up for a while. It meant a fourth place to stay, the most driving for our non-driving girls, and it wasn't on the beaten tourist track most people follow on their first visits to New Zealand. I'm so happy I was insistent, because it was beautiful! We can only imagine how fantastic summers there must be. Apparently, Aucklanders just sail up there and hang out. Lucky dogs.

Auckland - Waiheke Island

We have a distinct lack of enthusiasm for city travel with kids, so we opted for a short stay in Auckland. It was a transition from Nelson (direct flight) and a good starting point for the drive to the Bay of Islands. I didn't want to fly in and drive out immediately, so we stayed for two nights. We arrived on a beautiful sunny afternoon, but it was pouring cold rain by nightfall and rained until we drove two hours north, two days later.

The part of Auckland I most wanted to see wasn't Auckland at all; it was Waiheke Island. Waiheke Island is only about a 30 minute ferry ride out of Auckland. Ferries leave very regularly and are not expensive. The island has a population of around 4000 people year-round. That population explodes during the summer months because of the beaches and the fantastic wineries.

Once we arrived on the island, we hopped on a hop-on, hop-off touring bus/van that took us around the populated section of the island, pointing out various spots along the way. The driver recommended we eat lunch at Wild on Waiheke because it was the most kid-friendly. There was a playground and pizza oven. Done. The driver was a big fan of the fruit beers there, so we sampled the beers and wines on offer.

Of course, it was raining so Stephanie got soaked going down the playground slide (there was no stopping her). A man who worked there kindly offered to pop her clothes into their dryer along with the tea towels, so she was mostly dry by the time we left. From there, we visited an art gallery for the island local artists and then enjoyed seriously gourmet desserts at the Mudbrick Vineyard restaurant (the girls had ice cream sundaes).

As much as we love good food, we aren't gourmet people and are skeptical of artsy food. Markus didn't know what to make of his dessert (the latter one above), but he could not stop raving about the flavor. He still lists that as the highlight of our Auckland visit, so there you go. The wines at Mudbrick were outstanding. We brought two bottles home with us (one is already gone).

While we enjoyed our desserts, we enjoyed a little visitor who had flown in through the nearby open door. He's a fantail, probably related to the Willy Wagtail we have in Perth. He talked to us quite a bit and stayed atop the mirror near our seats almost the entire time we were there, much to the girls' delight.

Stephanie concentrated heavily on her ice cream. Not a drop was wasted, I assure you.

The next day, we stopped at the Auckland Zoo before driving out of town. Did I mention it was raining and cold? Okay then. Still, it was a really nice zoo. I wish we'd been able to enjoy it more. It was there that we saw the only kiwi bird of the trip. The conditions in his nocturnal house were so dark for his comfort that we only made out his silhouette, but I can say he was bigger than we expected him to be. The zoo also has two hand-reared cheetah brothers. They are so accustomed to people that they go for walks with the staff each morning before the zoo opens. When all other animals are in their indoor enclosures, the cats are let off their leads to run! I can't imagine what it would be like to see that, but I'm guessing I'd need clean pants afterwards. I'm just saying.

Since you know I have to talk about food...

Auckland itself provided the best restaurant for our family of the entire stay. Prego on Ponsonby was a hit with all of us, but most especially (and remarkably) with Ellie. She loved the garlic bread and the pizza. She couldn't get enough! Luckily, it was the first place we tried. We ate there again on our way out of town, and then again on our way back in days later. Food that goes over well with our non-eater should not be ignored.

For everyone else, I tell you not to miss the 20 minute pancake at Kokako in Parnell. Yes, it does take 20 minutes. YES, IT IS WORTH IT. Amazing. My normally polite and selfless husband stole my food. It was that good.

Week round-up and off we go!

It took all the restraint I could muster not to drive over to peek at Ellie before 12:30 on Friday, but I managed it. When I arrived to pick her up, she was fine, 100% fine, totally happy and herself. WHEW. I know I'm a worrywart and I should be more excited for her than nervous, but it's a mama-thing to fret. She did very well. She assured me that she even ate dinner although she didn't like the food (wish that happened at home!). Of course, exhaustion didn't take long to rear its ugly head. She walked into walls and cried. She colored, didn't like the outcome and cried. After dinner, she picked up a different color marker than she had intended and...CRIED like her heart was broken. We carried her to bed, and she slept quite well through the night. Poor kiddo. But she was one very proud kiddo, proud of her big accomplishment of making it through the night without us to brush her hair or brush her teeth or read her a story. We're proud of her too.

Next up: NEW ZEALAND! We are off to New Zealand tomorrow (HOORAY!) for two weeks! I think Markus and I have been itching to go to New Zealand since we first saw Lord of the Rings (gorgeous locations!), and now we are going! Ideally, we'd go when the girls are older, but we imagine that we will live much further away then. Relative to the US or Europe, New Zealand is right on our doorstep from Perth. Now that we are beyond diapers and daytime naps (ok, I still like daytime naps), we decided to just go!

Tomorrow night, we'll take a direct flight from Perth to Auckland, arriving in Auckland just before 6am their time. We'll fly on from there to Wellington, stopping over for a few days to check out the city. Then, we'll fly to the top end of the south island, spending a few days in and around Nelson and the Abel Tasman National Park. From there, we'll fly back to Auckland, hang out for a couple of days and then drive up to the Bay of Islands at the top end of the north island for four days. I am so excited!

If you know New Zealand, you know the south island is where it's at for action and adventure, but our reality with two young children is more observation and play. One very clued-up guide book suggested young families bypass the south island as not to tease the adults. We accept this wisdom and will try to limit ourselves to some form of reality around Nelson. As it is, this is the first holiday we've taken with the girls where we'll move them around so much. I tried to book accommodation carefully, always providing us with a kitchenette and sometimes with a nice little cottage so we can keep it simple when we want or need to do so. For now, I'm off to start organizing our packing. It will be quite the temperature change for us, and I'm guessing we will be quite cold after our record-hot Perth summer. Today is another debilitating 36 degrees. In New Zealand, the highest forecast is 18. Big change! Hooray! I'll post and share when I can.

Want a postcard?

Down Albany way

Last week, we disappeared down to Albany for a week. Thank goodness. It has been a record hot summer here in Perth, weeks of unrelenting heat and unforgiving Aussie sun. Albany is about a five hour drive to the south, which makes it significantly cooler. It was cool enough to cause Ellie to exclaim, "It's wintertime!" when we stepped out of the car (and by Perth standards, it nearly was). Albany experienced a bit of unseasonably strong wind and some rain, dropping the temperature from Perth by half. Good thing we packed our fleece jackets, pants and sneakers! We were actually cold sometimes. Amazing.




Our good friends and previous neighbors have been encouraging us to make a trip down to Albany for almost as long as we've known them. Alan is from there, and his family are mostly still there. His sister owns some vacation properties, and they set us up in a fantastic spot for the week. It's called Parkfarm, and it is beautiful. It's a free-standing house (four double beds in four bedrooms, two baths, big common spaces and a kitchen) with a wrap-around porch set on a big piece of property just outside of Albany.




Waking up each morning to the wind in the trees, looking out across fields and seeing no other houses (his sister's house is hidden by the trees) and instead seeing their pet emu, Enoch, some kangaroos in the distance and some cows and horses milling about...sooooo relaxing! A week down there was just what the doctor ordered. The girls couldn't have been happier. Markus and I wanted to explore the area, but they were happy just to stick around the house most of the day. There was a child's swing hanging from the porch rafters and a perfect-sized table and chairs with Play-doh toys set out and ready for us.




They also enjoyed meandering over to the family house and helping to collect eggs from the chooks.




About half of our trip down wasn't great weather, but we didn't mind too much. We simply enjoyed being away and keeping life simple for a week. Albany does have some fantastic pristine beaches that we weren't able to enjoy nearly as much as we would have liked, but the beach here at home is none too shabby. We did join Alan and the boys at Mutton Bird Beach one morning, and the kids had a blast paddling in the shallows and climbing on the rocks, despite the grey skies and cool temperatures.





Each day, we drove around the coastline to Middleton Beach and enjoyed early lunch at the Bay Merchant Cafe. Fantastic spot. I highly recommend it. They serve breakfast and lunch all day, meaning we could actually eat lunch when we like to (around 11am) and the sandwiches were inventive and excellent. We went so often that the owners introduced themselves. We're on a first name basis now. We also made a visit to Whale World, a museum about the now-defunct whaling industry and its base in Albany. The girls really liked exploring the whaling ship (especially Ellie, much to our surprise).





Along the way, we stopped to see two natural rock formations made by the sea, a natural bridge and a deep sheer drop cut into the bouldery coast over the ages.




On Sunday, we went to the Albany Boatshed food market and picked up some beautiful crabs (my first!) and some fresh produce to serve alongside it. Alan and Rosemarie and their boys joined us for dinner. They dug up some potatoes from the family garden just before coming over. That dinner was fabulous! There is nothing to compare to the taste of super-fresh food. I made three dipping choices for the crab, and we didn't use a single one. The crab was so fresh and wonderful just plain. Another night, Alan brought over some fresh marron and we had another big meal. Hooray for good food!





On our last full day, we drove 30 minutes over to Denmark to explore. Our first stop was the famous Greene's Pool swimming beach. Oh. My. Goodness. So beautiful! I had a touch of a headcold that day, but I wasn't going to pass a chance to swim there. It was crystal clear, shallow and well-protected from waves. A wonderful spot!






Then, we drove around and discovered The Lake House winery for lunch. It is very small and the lunch menu is limited to (expensive) sharing platters, but the quality was fantastic! The girls were happy too, and we were surprised to realize when we got back into the car that we spent nearly two and a half hours enjoying lunch there!




The drive back was long and not too fun, but the trip was completely worth it and very relaxing! Thanks again, Rosemarie and Alan, for enabling such a great vacation! If you would like to see more pics (just in case I didn't put nearly enough in this post), there are tons in our flickr pool if you click on the sidebar.