Today . . .

It was a quiet day at home today, but still some of us were busier than others. Least productive: The Minnow. Most productive: Rocky. The Squidd and I were somewhere in between.

Thankful

According to our friend down the street (who is also a kiwi), turkeys are sold out around Canterbury. Having never actually seen turkeys or even turkey cold cuts for sale anywhere (not at the butcher, not at the grocery store, not at the specialty shops), this surprises me. Rocky and I are now left to conclude one of two things:

1) That there are more Americans in Chch than we realized, or
2) That the kiwis are adopting our holiday because it is really a kick-ass holiday.

I suppose it could also be a combination of the two things. But because of our diet, it doesn't really matter in the end that turkeys are nowhere to be found in the greater Chch area.

Turkey or not, I really do love Thanksgiving. I love the "more the merrier" attitude that pervades this holiday. I love that it's not about gifts or things but about getting together with family and friends and taking stock of the things for which we are grateful. Among many, many other things, this year I am thankful for these:

1) My family, both near and far. I love you so much.
2) Far-away friends who work hard to keep in touch and nearby friends who make the absence of family so much easier to bear. I love you guys so much, too.
3) A preschooler who sleeps like a rock most nights and wakes up with a smile on his face every day
4) An infant who's learning to put herself to sleep and only wakes briefly at night for a quick feed
5) A spouse who shares equally in the parenting of our kids and is just as adept at making dinner and changing diapers as he is writing equations and identifying rocks
6) A warm, weather-tight home that wasn't damaged by any of the thousands of earthquakes we've experienced over the past few years
7) Our health and the wonderful, affordable healthcare we receive here. We don't carry health insurance, yet we paid nothing for the birth of The Minnow. The Minnow and The Squidd receive all of their healthcare free, and Rocky and I pay roughly $30 to see our family doctor. Anything related to an accident, whether car crash or blowing out a knee playing rugby, is completely covered by the government.
8) The money to afford high-quality food and the time necessary to prepare it

We'll be celebrating with some of our favorite friends a day late in New Zealand, which means we'll be celebrating the same time as everyone in the States. We'll be thinking of you.  Happy Thanksgiving!

My Dad Is Home!

It Takes a Village

For the last 9 days I have been solo-parenting as Rocky is away for work. It's been hard. Really hard. And for the first time since moving here I felt every single one of the miles stretching between me and the support system my family provides. But into the void left by far-distant parents and siblings, a grand party of friends stepped in. They took The Squidd to school and picked him up. They invited us over for dinner. They came by to play with The Squidd and hold The Minnow. They hosted slumber parties and dropped food off.

It's said that it takes a village to raise a child, and these friends have shown themselves to be true villagers living alongside our young family. So while I still do miss the proximity of my blood relations, it was such a gift to realize how terrific our little community of friends is and to feel so well looked after. I am ever so grateful to them for helping me make it through these long days with my sanity and good spirits mostly intact.

Tomorrow Rocky returns. Hallelujah!