Time....It is all about planning

Oh my...
I promised myself when I started this that I would make it a monthly routine to update.  Last I looked it is more than 2 years..FAIL.
What can I say....Kids grew up and LIFE just snowballed.

My daughter is now taller than me.  My son is now up to my eye level.  I am going to be the smallest (in height) of this little family.  Hence, I love my higher heels.  The whole size 10 of them with the wide front!!!! Yes, they give me corns and my Samoan calves feel a pull at the end of each day,  BUT I can still rock them....(will check back with my hips later!!!)

We are now a normal family.  Two working parents with busy, growing kids.  Winter is our busiest time with sports.  Balancing takes work and scheduling.  Something I thrive on as a Scientist.
Every day, School notices (if any) go on the table for mum to go through.  I sort the coming events and costs for schools, sports teams or music activities and when they happen.
Every week, Sunday evenings is the planning of the timetable: Whom, What, where, When?  There is the family diary as well as the white board.  (Kids miss the most obvious.)
Usually, we have a day off, from games/trainings/sports trips and we embrace this one evening.  This does not usually fall on a weekend but we make this a family time to just chill.
I start work early and in the car we have the chilly bag with food and all the gear they need for after school.  Dad is the home boss for the mornings and school drop offs.  I finish early and then I am in charge of the occurrences after school.  I have to say, it is the most stressful time...my unpaid job, yet the most fulfilling.  I know most parents with kids feel this.  Man, it is a hard job.  But, the positives are so tremendous.
The smiles.  The tales of their day (Good & Not so Good).  The disagreements (especially about mum dancing & singing, whilst driving). The likes and dislikes.  The latest apps, latest songs, books.....their library of knowledge is so vast and they love talking.
I may not come on often to write, but I do know I am blessed with the time and the planning with family and for family.
God Bless.

An aunty

Well, it has been a while but it has been busy.  What's new?  I am going to be an aunty 4 times this year.  To one in May, Twins in June and another in October, (as far as I am aware).  I am already an aunty.  Coming from a big family, one is blessed with many nieces and nephews.  One of the bonuses is my kids have so many brothers and sisters.  My kids are getting there in understanding the concept of family in the faaSamoa.  (It is a bit hard with a mum that calls everyone cousin).  It is such a different world for my two when meeting up with their cousins.  They are learning names and whom belongs to whom.
Here in Dunedin, we have aunty Sina and uncle John and aunty May with cousins Lilly, Jassie, Javana and JJ.  We have our family gathering once a month.  It is always a highlight.
As an absent aunty to my many nieces and nephews, I have appointed myself the book-keeper of family birthdays.  I am continuing my daddy's book.  It is quite a hilarious task, especially when the book-keeper has a memory lapse :-) or has not been informed and get corrected on FB!!!  I love it, what are families for but to help one along the way..LOL
I started out so I can keep up with all my nieces and nephews, and it has become the FAMILY book!!!  It is a real pleasure though.  For instance, in daddy's book, I had T1 as an Aquarius, but I have corrected the records for he is a Pisces baby.  It has also been identified, thus far, the darling buds of May definitely flourished on the family.  Percentages, I have to say there is an even number of boys to girls in the next generation.  We are blessed.

An aunt, well it is one that loves like a parent but acts more like a friend (I am told).  So, to all my nieces and nephews and the news ones to be, I may be far away in person but in prayer I hold you all close in my heart and aunty has a big heart xoxo.

Time?

As a parent there is never any time to just sit. Well, maybe after work when in front of the telly, having dinner and trying not to fall asleep, whilst listening to the readings (oops, scrap that).  We have 2 young ones.  When they wanted to get into sports, we decided 2 sports (summer/winter) is more than enough.  To our way of thinking, they are young.  They need time to do homework and time to be just kids and enjoy their toys.
Field hockey they love, so we are now expert hockey parents and have had to learn hockey rules and are still learning as they progress in their game.  We are always on the sideline, motivating (screaming) bag carriers and have met other parents in the same scenario.
Net-ball is the second winter sport.  Net-ball I can grasp the flow much easier than hockey.  Winter we are now in and we have a sport every night of the week.  So, we leave the house in darkness and we get home in darkness.  Now we are in the next phase, playing hockey/ netball is not enough, we have to go for representative teams.  Hence more times on the sports ground and more late nights....hence the calendar is busy and messy.
What about time for us?... Well to be honest, we have our time when we sit on the sideline and watch them.  It is quality time.  We see them look over every-time they get the ball for the thumbs-up.  We watch them with pride as they play their hearts out.  We watch avidly for a feedback.  Also, we get to meet other parents in the same boat (I believe it is an ark by now).  We are socialising!!  We laugh about the kids, we share where the chicken specials are, we discuss dinner menus, we expertly analyse the game and we people watch together.  Yes, with children, time for oneself tends to be non-existence.  But I cannot imagine having all the time in the world, but not blessed with children.
So we plan, and we compromise and we adjust with the "whatevers".   To top it of, yours truly cannot stop volunteering.  When something needs doing, my hand is the first up.  So what am I moaning about?  Nothing really.
It is not the amount time one has that matters, it is how one spends that time. I have made my choices!
Blessings.
xo

St Patrick's day 2012

I am married to a man hailed from the Emerald Isles.  My children therefore are part Samoan and part Irish (besides the Tongan, English and Portugese...from my side alone).  For this year, the sun shone beautifully in Dunedin.  We had a day off together, as a family.  A hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs on toast.  Then a family bike ride along the harbour.  Time to cool with some family household chores and lunch.  Then off we headed to the Octagon with all its patrons in green and loud Irish jigs in the background.  Family dinner, enjoying the view, enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying the company.  A Saint day for family and fun.
Who is St Patrick?  My children are well versed on this, he is the man whom chased the snakes out of Ireland and for this people celebrate.  Green is the colour of the Emerald Isles, hence this is the colour of the Saints day.  Apparently, there is a bit of Irish in all of us.  On this day, people of all denominations, ethnicities and backgrounds were in green and having a great time.  We saw Sr Pauline marching along and chatting with the young party-goers.  Sr Pauline in her fine Irish colours.  A proud and true County Kerry lass.
As the sun sets on another St Patrick celebration, I look at my children and say a prayer of thankfulness for the blessings they are.  Celebration is a gift.  Thanks St Paddy!!!

RWC 2011

It is exciting.  I like rugby, my hubby would disagree, I am mad about rugby.  It depends on whom is playing for the madness.  It has been a great educational activity for the family, this RWC.  We are learning the history of each country, the flags and for me, my kids are learning the Samoa National anthem.  I am so proud.  The kids have become passionate Manu supporters, behind the AB's and the Irish (we will get there).  The kids love the Siva tau.  They say it is less scary than the haka.  I am just enjoying seeing my Samoa on TV.  GO THE MANU!!!

Head cold

I am a real "virgin" in the bloggers world.  I am in bed with a head-cold.  Head cold is a term I never heard of growing up in Samoa, we always had the "flu"comprising of runny noses and headaches, body aches and the chills, OR when in need of some Samoan TLC.  I remember whenever a loved one had the "flu", they always came to Mama.

Mama had the touch and all the right remedies for the "flu".  They would have their beddings next to Mama.  Mama would be directing people about what needs to be done.  "Aumai ni lauti se ono ma se apa vai" she would say.  This done, Mama would sit and wet the lauti and fofo the head of the loved one with the 'flu".  The person with the "flu" got to sleep all day besides Mama and would have the best food!!!  Being beside Mama was the best place to be with a "flu".  The whole aiga was involved in the caring of the loved one with the "flu".  Looking back now, the boys had more "flu" days than us girls..that is another story!!!

For now, I am in bed with a head cold.  I do not have my Mama and I do not have my aiga to care for me.  At times like this I really miss my Mama and my family.  I have kissed the kids and sent them to school.  I have kissed my love and sent him off to earn.  Priorities!!!

Later, I will talk about my Mama but for now I am just feeling sorry for myself and missing her tremendously.

Ia manuia
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