Christmas in New Zealand

Christmas in New Zealand is a very strange experience. As I've mentioned before, the whole shopping frenzy is nearly nonexistent. Christmas is not nearly as commercial and doesn't even really feel like it begins until about a week before. There is the occasional Tim Taylor-like decorated house but very few people put lights up. The Christmas sections in stores are very small and it doesn't start in October. "Merry Christmas" is not considered politically incorrect. In fact, you rarely even hear "Happy Holidays". Kaigan came back and brought with him Mikaylie's friend, Samantha. One night we went to the Festival of Lights in Pukekura Park where thousands of people sang Christmas carols, including those with "Jesus" in them without the squawking of the ACLU. Now don't be mislead. This is not a heavily Christian or religious country. Many people likely did not really know the Jesus of whom they sang, however, it was rather magical hearing the masses sing in unison. There was also an amazing fireworks show.

Christmas day was very low key. We were joined by our neighbor, Natalia, and her daughter, Jordan, for Christmas dinner and then we all went to the beach for a play and to watch the sunset. I love love loved having all my kiddies together and, much to some of their dismay, I made it a photo shoot.

I have to say, to me it really didn't feel like Christmas. We did have a lovely day. It just didn't feel like Christmas. Gazing at our Christmas tree, windows wide open with the sea breeze blowing in and the beautiful ocean in the background just does not bring on the chestnuts-roasting-on-an-open-fire kind of felling. In a way I suppose this was a good thing because I also didn't feel very sad for my family and friends or our "traditional Christmas". Of course I miss them but not any more than any other day. And spending the afternoon on the beach is lovely on any day! I don't think I could have handled my boy not being home, however.

Today was Boxing Day which is about as close as they come here to Black Friday, with lots of big sales. Stores, however have their regular business hours of 9 to 5 and NO ONE lines up at the door at the crack of dawn or earlier. Thursdays are "late days" and  many stores stay open to 9pm. And Sundays most stores close at 3. Grocery stores have longer hours but NONE are 24hour. So today, Mikaylie and I partook, though for only a little while, in the Boxing Day "madness". I have NEVER done Black Friday, but I'm fairly certain that hardcore Black Friday-ers would find Boxing Day quite lame. 

People in New Zealand really love and take advantage of their down time! Many businesses either shut down all together or drop down to minimal hours during the two weeks surrounding Christmas. Much will not pick up again until after the first of the year. This includes medical services. Billy basically has 2 weeks off with the exception of a couple of call days. No surgeries or clinics are scheduled and only emergencies and deliveries carry on as usual. And these 2 weeks do not count against his six weeks of vacation time that he gets per year!

On Christmas eve eve, we left Will and Graham with Natalia and the rest of us drove four and a half hours to Raglan where we went on a horse trek through bush and beach! (Don't worry, the boys were completely uninterested and had a lovely day with Natalia.) Nani got carsick on the curvy roads of NZ and had to sit up front. This put me in the "way back" with Brylie, knees under my chin! The horse ride was absolutely fantastic! We went to the same place Billy and I had gone last year. We frolicked in the surf and ran like the wind on the beach which was definitely the highlight of the day!

Now, not having gotten into the Christmas spirit in the first place, I'm quite ready to get my house back in order and get this tree out! It will have to wait a few more days, however, as I do not wish to waste any time in the last few days of Kaigan's stay on housekeeping. We may go spelunking tomorrow and if so, photos will follow...

Six weeks in a nutshell...

So much has gone on since my last post! Mom came for 2 weeks, during which we hosted a Thanksgiving dinner with over 30 people. Our Kiwi guests brought Kiwiana food and we provided our typical Thanksgiving dishes, including a fried turkey. Mom brought us a turkey frier from the States filled with candy for the kids along with many other items we're not able to get here.
Mom and I had lots of fun while she was here. We went on field trips with Graham and Nani, visited art galleries and even went on a road trip to Hawkes Bay where we stayed at a lovely B & B, enjoyed amazing fine dining and went on a wine tour.
Saying "goodbye" to Mom was really hard, especially not having plans to visit again anytime soon. Only counting down til Kaigan comes home made it bearable.
Having had our Thanksgiving celebration, it was time to prepare for Christmas. This is no easy task in the southern hemisphere with it being summer. I mean even in Louisiana cooler temps helped bring on the Christmas spirit. Decorating a Christmas tree when it's 70 degrees outside is just plain weird! The good thing about it not feeling like Christmas in America is not feeling the need to shop like an American. Stuffed stockings and one present under the tree per kid is all we're doing. Having downsized our house and purging all the excess crap we brought, makes minimal gifting even easier.
Another HUGE decision was made since my last post. After much prayer and consideration, Billy and I have decided it would be in their best interest to homeschool the boys. Will has struggled in school in many ways over the last decade. While moving here has taken some of the academic pressure off of him, other problems have intensified. As his peers mature without him and Will being so eager to be liked and fit in, he has been coaxed into more inappropriate behaviors. Basically he's being bullied and he doesn't even know it! Fearing this will only worsen the older he gets and knowing Will needs to learn more life skills that either aren't taught in school or were taught but need to be reviewed over and over, we've decided homeschooling was the best way to address Will's specific needs. At 13, his math skills are barely at a 2nd grade level. While we'll work on the traditional subjects, we'll also work on social skills, life skills and finding Will's fortes and interests that have yet to emerge.
Graham has delays as well, however, his are largely speech and motor delays that, with time and therapy, can be overcome. Graham could have probably stayed in school if they would have placed him in a class that was more appropriate for his level. Having started school a year late and where his birthday falls, he was placed 2 years ahead of where he left in the States. The years he skipped were crucial for handwriting and reading development and being so far behind in those areas, he couldn't possibly move on target with his class. In addition, Graham has also been a target of bullying. Being small, difficult to understand and quite happy to be a loner, he was frequently pushed around. This was aided by the fact that the kids here are much less supervised on the school playground than in the States. On the one hand, this teaches the kids independence and allows them to be kids, it also frees the bullies to bully. Graham began to avoid field trips and days with activities that provided less supervision such as when they'd be outside for long periods. He seemed to feel safer in the classroom where there was closer supervision in a smaller space. With Graham the goal is to catch him up in the next couple of years so that he can return to school more confident and capable and ready to reach his full potential.
I've been writing the application for exemption from school, ordering materials online and we've been preparing a small classroom in the house. I am nervous but the boys and I are excited too. And though Nani is a little jealous of the time I'll be spending with the boys, I think both girls will feel relieved from the responsibility each felt for their brothers at school. I've assured them that when they get home from school, it'll be girl time!
Another big event during the last 6 weeks was Billy and my trip to Australia. Billy had a conference in Melbourne so we left Mikaylie in charge (with the supervision of our wonderful neighbor, Natalia) and off we went. Our first impression was not great. We went to a shopping center/casino across from our hotel the first night in search of dinner and it was packed!!! Wall to wall people, all the restaurants booked and just plain chaos. We didn't realize how comfortable we've become living in small towns. The big city did little for us. We had hoped to do some shopping, as everyone raved about the incredible shopping in Melbourne but even the outlet mall was a huge disappointment with it's ridiculous prices. We did have a couple of lovely dinners and got a lot of walking in along the Yarra River. We also took a tour to see the 12 apostles and another to an animal sanctuary that was really awesome! Mikaylie, by the way, did an amazing job as mini mom, cooking nearly every night and requiring very little help from Natalia.
For now, we're counting down to Kaigan's arrival. He is bringing with him one of Mikaylie's bff's from Somerset. The kids here are on summer holiday now so we'll do some fun things and spend some time at the beach. And I'll be taking heaps of pics while all my kiddos are together!!!