The Birth of a New Term!

A new term has started. We’re half way through the academic year here in New Zealand. The alarm clock was set for 7am on Monday morning. The petrol tank in the car was filled. The name labels ironed, stitched and stuck on boxes, shoes, bags and clothes. The mileage on the clock has already increased. The taxi driving duties have commenced. Lunch boxes are dutifully packed each day.

Charlotte’s started a new school. A school with a uniform (that cost a ridiculous sum and we are trying not to think of the romantic holiday for two in Fiji we could have bought instead). Our days of romantic get-aways will have to wait… and wait some more. We are in the years of parental sacrifice. It’s amazing what you’d never think you’d give up until you’re faced with the unconditional love of a child to care for, nurture and help to guide on the long journey from babyhood, through the toddler years and the junior school years, to teenagers, young adults and beyond.

The notice board in our kitchen has all the week’s activities marked in ink. The children feature prominently. This week Dan has two small mentions – Beervana on Friday night and a game of soccer on Saturday afternoon. I commented to my oldest two that perhaps Mummy really ought to appear somewhere. It’s not that I don’t have anything to do… but cleaning, cooking, washing, taxi driving, bag packing, organising etc. don’t feature highly on the white-board – they just happen. The girls faces looked momentarily compassionate. I penned in ‘Mummy goes for a jog or a swim’ on Sunday. We shall see…

Sophie and Alice are in my sole care for the majority of the day (and night).

Sophie is enjoying home-schooling (if we could afford it, she’d probably enjoy Charlotte’s new school too, but we can’t).  Until we win Lotto or make our millions (power of positive thinking and the law of attraction and all that ‘The Secret‘ suggests; Ask. Believe. Receive.), we’re feeding her mind, nurturing her heart and taking her for a large dose of physical exercise every day (and she’s a much better catch at frisbee than I am!). We spend a few hours of every day reading, writing, doing maths. She’s a keen learner and a joy to teach. We work well together.

Alice is playing well alongside our activities and we usually manage to find a way to include her. And we schedule in toddler time for her too (in between running her big sisters to their individual hobbies).

A new term, a new school and back to school at home too!

The beginnings of new friendships will be born, new ideas ignited and interests discovered. As parents we will watch as the children that were born to us grow and develop in ways that will surprise, delight, entertain and, occasionally, test us.

We’re only half way into the first week of term 3. It’s early days, but everyone is upbeat, positive and smiling so far.

Our children were born to learn. Born to smile, to toddle, to walk and talk.

With love, care, time and individual attention to their characters we will hopefully guide them through the journey into adulthood with that innate lust for learning intact and strong for ever more.

Here’s to a great term!

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Linking up to ‘The Gallery’ where the theme is ‘Birth’

Please visit to see what other people have written about and
photographed in their interpretation of the theme.