Life with four children
Good evening y’all. What a week it has been. After much anticipation, my sister Lecia, her husband Ben, and their two children Kai and Paige have made it to Macksville. Jacinta, Genevieve and I enjoyed the long, energetic train ride down to Sydney for all eight hours. Cows, horses, sheep, a donkey, mountains, rivers, creeks, bridges, no seatbelts, toys, arts and crafts, snacks, mom’s full attention, strangers to enchant or annoy…what more can you ask? Our kind friend Dom picked us up at the station and took us back to spend the evening with his wife, two sweet daughters and a few close friends. The following day, we took our first “city train” to meet Lecia and family at the airport. They arrived at about 2pm, only six hours later than planned, but luckily we were aware of the change. They were exhausted, but relieved and happy to arrive. You can imagine our excitement to meet our new niece and see baby Kai much bigger, running and talking!
The next few days were spent replenishing their lost energy from the jetlag and travel, especially difficult for Kai who caught croup on their first night. We spent our days checking out the beautiful Sydney Harbor, running up and down the Opera House steps, climbing trees, exploring the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Taronga Zoo. The children were giddy to be together when they were all awake and in good moods. Jacinta was in awe of the big “house buildings.” She, Genevieve and Kai all took turns pressing “the button” in the lift (elevator). Although I was a bit put out by the newly broken seatbelt on the stroller, Genevieve was elated as it meant she never had to sit in the stroller and could escape at any given moment. Jacinta was a trooper walking her little legs off in the city, but she got a few turns in the pram. Lecia and her family stayed in a nice hotel overlooking the harbor. The girls and I stayed a short train ride away at our friends Annie and Bernie’s house. We had the best of both worlds, home cooked dinners at night and proximity to the harbor in the daytime and a tiny baby to admire in both places. Annie and Bernie have a five month old girl, smiley and sweet just like my niece Paige. The train rides each morning and night with the girls were memorable. Genevieve tried to climb everything and escape at every stop, while Jacinta swung from pole to pole chatting with kind older women during her less energetic moments.
Jacinta has become quite a home body. On our first night sleeping at Annie and Bernie’s I lay down with Jacinta to help her sleep. After a few minutes of silence she calmly said, “Mommy, I want to be in my bed, at home.” She understood what we’d miss out if we never left home, but we all feel those pangs of desire for familiarity and comfort. I guess they come as young as four. She excitedly told a lady on a city train, “We’re taking a REAL train home today, to my REAL home, Macksville. Well we took that train with Lecia, Ben, Kai and Paige and here we are, in Macksville. I can’t express the feeling of completion I have now that my sister has been in my home. It’s as if this life here couldn’t be fully real until my mom, dad or sister came for a visit.
The children are playing hard, inside and out. It’s lovely to see Kai exploring the places that my girls explore, throwing seed for the chickens, cooking in their outdoor kitchen, painting on the easel with Evie, playing their musical instruments. He is truly a little music man. He has even sparked our girls’ interest in the musical toy basket again. He fell asleep the other night with the red ukulele in one hand and the tambourine in the other. Kai and Evie fight for space and over toys but forget about their struggles as little people do. Tonight our tired Jacinta went into her room and found Kai playing in her bed. She kindly informed him that she needed to go to bed. When Jacinta is exhausted at the end of her day, she sometimes snaps easily but not at Kai. He happily jumped around and tried to play with her, but this girl needed to sleep. He finally did leave her to sleep, good thing. It has been a big week.
Yesterday we belatedly celebrated Jacinta’s birthday with her friends and Lecia, Ben, Kai and Paige. It was just after the Winter Solstice so we had a bonfire, hot chocolate, roasted American marshmallows, burnt sparklers, put a spotlight on the playground, played in the dark and in the tent and at well. My Aussie friends got to meet my sister and her family and that completes yet another circle for me. So all is well. It may get crazy with four small or tiny children, but it is a lucky occasion.
I get to cook for my sister, cuddle her tiny baby and stoke up the fire to keep her warm after she crashes on the couch. Keith wakes up and starts the fire for them each morning as they are rising earlier than us Henry’s. He and Mary have both rocked Paige to sleep and watched over Kai as he wanders around the veranda bouncing from toy to toy. Matt plays the guitar with Kai and makes him laugh. Lecia and Ben actually like Matt’s home brew beer! After he bad mouthed it so much, I am shocked.
Matt is getting close to finishing the book, and is working hard on it any chance he gets. I am working hard to keep everyone happy, well fed and clear the floor before anyone trips on the musical instruments and smashed banana. We all have our own occupations.
Hope you enjoy your occupation too!
Peace,
Shana
The next few days were spent replenishing their lost energy from the jetlag and travel, especially difficult for Kai who caught croup on their first night. We spent our days checking out the beautiful Sydney Harbor, running up and down the Opera House steps, climbing trees, exploring the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Taronga Zoo. The children were giddy to be together when they were all awake and in good moods. Jacinta was in awe of the big “house buildings.” She, Genevieve and Kai all took turns pressing “the button” in the lift (elevator). Although I was a bit put out by the newly broken seatbelt on the stroller, Genevieve was elated as it meant she never had to sit in the stroller and could escape at any given moment. Jacinta was a trooper walking her little legs off in the city, but she got a few turns in the pram. Lecia and her family stayed in a nice hotel overlooking the harbor. The girls and I stayed a short train ride away at our friends Annie and Bernie’s house. We had the best of both worlds, home cooked dinners at night and proximity to the harbor in the daytime and a tiny baby to admire in both places. Annie and Bernie have a five month old girl, smiley and sweet just like my niece Paige. The train rides each morning and night with the girls were memorable. Genevieve tried to climb everything and escape at every stop, while Jacinta swung from pole to pole chatting with kind older women during her less energetic moments.
Jacinta has become quite a home body. On our first night sleeping at Annie and Bernie’s I lay down with Jacinta to help her sleep. After a few minutes of silence she calmly said, “Mommy, I want to be in my bed, at home.” She understood what we’d miss out if we never left home, but we all feel those pangs of desire for familiarity and comfort. I guess they come as young as four. She excitedly told a lady on a city train, “We’re taking a REAL train home today, to my REAL home, Macksville. Well we took that train with Lecia, Ben, Kai and Paige and here we are, in Macksville. I can’t express the feeling of completion I have now that my sister has been in my home. It’s as if this life here couldn’t be fully real until my mom, dad or sister came for a visit.
The children are playing hard, inside and out. It’s lovely to see Kai exploring the places that my girls explore, throwing seed for the chickens, cooking in their outdoor kitchen, painting on the easel with Evie, playing their musical instruments. He is truly a little music man. He has even sparked our girls’ interest in the musical toy basket again. He fell asleep the other night with the red ukulele in one hand and the tambourine in the other. Kai and Evie fight for space and over toys but forget about their struggles as little people do. Tonight our tired Jacinta went into her room and found Kai playing in her bed. She kindly informed him that she needed to go to bed. When Jacinta is exhausted at the end of her day, she sometimes snaps easily but not at Kai. He happily jumped around and tried to play with her, but this girl needed to sleep. He finally did leave her to sleep, good thing. It has been a big week.
Yesterday we belatedly celebrated Jacinta’s birthday with her friends and Lecia, Ben, Kai and Paige. It was just after the Winter Solstice so we had a bonfire, hot chocolate, roasted American marshmallows, burnt sparklers, put a spotlight on the playground, played in the dark and in the tent and at well. My Aussie friends got to meet my sister and her family and that completes yet another circle for me. So all is well. It may get crazy with four small or tiny children, but it is a lucky occasion.
I get to cook for my sister, cuddle her tiny baby and stoke up the fire to keep her warm after she crashes on the couch. Keith wakes up and starts the fire for them each morning as they are rising earlier than us Henry’s. He and Mary have both rocked Paige to sleep and watched over Kai as he wanders around the veranda bouncing from toy to toy. Matt plays the guitar with Kai and makes him laugh. Lecia and Ben actually like Matt’s home brew beer! After he bad mouthed it so much, I am shocked.
Matt is getting close to finishing the book, and is working hard on it any chance he gets. I am working hard to keep everyone happy, well fed and clear the floor before anyone trips on the musical instruments and smashed banana. We all have our own occupations.
Hope you enjoy your occupation too!
Peace,
Shana
posted by Matt & Shana & Jacinta & Genevieve Henry at
10:34 PM
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