Occasionally, a party appears on the doorstep

Every day is a party (or two) at our house. Yesterday morning, Anna and I made cupcakes and tidied the house for her fifth (or so) 5-year-old birthday party (which doesn't actually occur until next July). Just as we sat down to celebrate and sing, the yellow courier van pulled up the drive (talk about timing!) and a big brown parcel appeared on the doorstep.

Anna started shrieking and dancing and clapping, because she knew it must be one of the famous "parcels from Grandma-in-America." Really, these parcels are amazing. This parcel contained a whole array of new spring clothes for Anna, and her eyes got wider and wider as she unwrapped tissue paper filled with be-jeweled skirts, embroidered shirts, a hello kitty dress, and comfy sweatpants.

While Anna reveled in a fashion bonanza, I loved getting my new books and magazines. Mom sends us Your Big Backyard, a preschool magazine published by the National Wildlife Foundation. Anna loves the stories about Ricky Raccoon as well as the nature photos. We learned about bats and Anna practiced hanging upside down like a bat the rest of the day. I got 2 new books. I am really excited about Positive Disciple A-Z by Jane Nelson, Lynn Lott and Stephen Glenn and Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions.

But, the parcel party was so riveting that I saved the books for later and watched as Anna made her new clothes into outfits and tried them all on. Around dinner time, when I was weeding the asparagus bed, it was Christmas, and Anna decorated the house with a Christmas tree so that Santa could come and give her the new clothes again. Thanks, Mom, for spending time shopping the sales in America. We are so grateful and so blessed.

Our Labour Day

In New Zealand, Labour Weekend falls at the end of October, and it's a great time for trips to the beach and BBQs. This weekend, we celebrated by driving to a new beach. Living on an island means we are spoiled for choice, and the beaches are so diverse, with rocks and sand, penguins and seals, fish and tide pools, seagulls and oyster catchers. You name it, we have it. Except warm water.

Lack of swimming aside, this weekend we went to Motunau Beach in North Canterbury. In Maori, Motunau means "grassy island" or "our island," and it's a great place for fishing and fossil hunting. Motunau Island is also home to 5000 breeding pairs of little blue penguins. We didn't see penguins, but we did find lots of fossils and see some dolphins playing in the wake of a passing boat.

Personally, I loved the rocks and fossils- a nice mix of the Tertiary sediments that cover the basement rocks in Canterbury, like chalky limestone, greensand, sandstone, and mudstone. Anna loved the driftwood, and after a picnic lunch, we made an awesome driftwood house. Anna got right to work making us line our shoes up at the door, building a bedroom and kitchen, and constructing an outhouse (or as we say in NZ, longdrop). I love her domestic skills, and never cease to wonder where she learned them. She's also a fashion hound, and wanted to use the seagull feather and driftwood as props in her photo shoot of the beach and island. All and all, it was a great day, and we can't wait to visit again- unless we find another beach even more beautiful in the meantime.

It's Official

Putting the Kiwi in Kiwi Observer. I am now a New Zealand Citizen!! In a ceremony at the Christchurch Town Hall last night, over 180 people were granted citizenship. Most of the people were British or Korean along with 4 Americans, a few Europeans, several Indians, and many Pacific Islanders. The mood was joyous and celebratory, and the ceremony started with traditional songs and dances by Nga Tai E Rua. Following that, we took the New Zealand Citizenship Oath of Allegiance.

I swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of New Zealand, her heirs and successors, according to law, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of New Zealand and fulfil my duties as a New Zealand citizen. So help me God.

At first, I was a little dubious about swearing allegiance to the Queen. What would my revolutionary ancestors think? But then I thought about being a kiwi like Anna and James, and about how much I love New Zealand, and I decided that one good boat ride across an ocean deserves another. Like the pilgrims, I came here to live idealistically, in peace and pursuit of family values and very cool rocks (not Plymouth rock, Pacific plate rocks).

Afterwards, Mayor Bob Parker (called His Worship) shook everyone's hand and awarded the certificates. Anna sat on my lap whispering "secrets" (like "look at her shoes!") to me the whole program (2 hours!) and we admired the traditional formal dress of the different nationalities. A delightful reception with tea, coffee, mini sandwiches and strawberry shortcakes followed the ceremony.

A car full of happy kiwis then drove home to share the good news with Belle, who joined the celebration by wagging her tail and jumping up and down.

Observing

I never stop observing and hypothesizing, so this blog is mainly a spot for my observations. Because I am blessed with a beautiful family, scenic countries (America and New Zealand), a rewarding research project (experimental fault mechanics), a veggie and flower garden, and a cute dog, my interests are varied and extensive. Mostly, I talk about children, research, gardening and cooking. I also plan to devote some posts to my husband's interesting projects, like his recently acquired telescope mount. I'm not prone to polemics, and I like to consider lots of viewpoints and ideas, so please feel free to contribute anytime.