For the past two days the Down to Earth forum has been experiencing problems. Some people can get in, some can't, some can post, some can't. I am getting help to fix it this morning and hope to have it back working properly soon. Please be patient. I'm learning as I go with the forum and this is the first major problem we've had. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
I take every opportunity to walk away from the computer to move into real life and embrace it. I do a lot of writing on the computer and I have my blog, forum and forum maintenance as well as trying to keep up with all the emails that come my way. I enjoy my work but after spending the past 25 years earning a living staring into a computer screen, the breaks away from it are becoming more precious to me. I enjoy living life rather than just writing about it.
- - ♒ - - ♒ - -
I take every opportunity to walk away from the computer to move into real life and embrace it. I do a lot of writing on the computer and I have my blog, forum and forum maintenance as well as trying to keep up with all the emails that come my way. I enjoy my work but after spending the past 25 years earning a living staring into a computer screen, the breaks away from it are becoming more precious to me. I enjoy living life rather than just writing about it.
Shane, Sarndra and Alex arrived for a surprise visit on Thursday night. We had the pleasure of watching Alex run around, looking at the chooks, playing in the backyard and sitting at our table with Shane and Sarndra. It's the first time we've all been together for many months so we enjoyed catching up and just relaxing at home with them here.
On Saturday, Kerry, Sunny and Jamie joined us for lunch. There were two highchairs at the table and after lunch the boys cooled off in the little wading pool Hanno set up next to the sandpit. It was hot, the umbrella provided shade and both Jamie and Alex did what most kids do, they mucked around in the water and had a lot of fun. After a great couple of days together, they left yesterday morning to go back to Gladstone and I guess it will be a while before we see them again. I hope we'll have a few sessions on Skype in the coming months to watch as Alex grows up and starts to talk.
Jamie and Alex aren't quite at the stage of playing together yet. They watch each other, smile and scowl and share toys but they're still pretty wary of each other. One of the things I'm looking forward to in the future is when they can both stay here for a while, give their parents a little alone time and get to know each other. We have a great backyard for children to play in. I know that my boys would have loved this backyard when they were eight or ten but we came to live here when they were teenagers. They were a bit beyond swinging on vines and camping out under the stars then. Still, I have high hopes that Jamie and Alex will see the potential for adventure here and embrace real life in our backyard.
And now we're back to normal again, being a two person house after three lots of visitors in two weeks. We get up when we want to, make noise early in the morning, eat when we're hungry and sleep when we're tired. It's amazing to me how different it is with just the two of us here. After 20 years of being the four of us, two seems so natural now. But we both love getting those phone calls that say: is it okay if we visit?
And now we're back to normal again, being a two person house after three lots of visitors in two weeks. We get up when we want to, make noise early in the morning, eat when we're hungry and sleep when we're tired. It's amazing to me how different it is with just the two of us here. After 20 years of being the four of us, two seems so natural now. But we both love getting those phone calls that say: is it okay if we visit?
Posts
Growing up I only had one first cousin 12 years younger than me, so I love watching my own kids with their four cousins, all close in age. They don't live nearby but when they get together they're as thick as thieves! It's a very special relationship. It won't be long and your little ones will love each other's company!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you had all the family around! The photos are lovely!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that it is also nice to be just the two of you again for a bit - as my mum always says - she loves us all dearly but she also values a bit of time to herself :-) We all know though that her door is always open to us and I am sure your children know that too! Have a good start to your week! Kirsten x
Oh Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI so loved the pictures of your family!! What fun you all had being together - that's obvious.
I bet those two little boys will be very close as they grow older. My daughter and her cousin were only two days apart (more than your two little ones, of course) and they are still pretty close even though they are now mothers to their own children.
I had to laugh about your comments about you and Hanno going back to being the two of you. Jimmie (husband) and I laugh a lot about how we loved having our grands visit when they were young, but that we were usually so tired after they left that we would both just take a nap and not talk to each other until we recovered! Our grands thought that Papa and Nana were just toys for them to play with...their parents got a well-deserved rest, too. With seven grands, it was a big wonderful circus when they were all here with us.
Now that they are older, it's still wonderful to have them all with us and I'm so very proud to say that I believe they still love to be with Nana and Papa, even though they are teenagers.
I'm really enjoying watching your family continue to grow.
Diane in North Carolina
It's funny how quickly we adjust when we have to. My husband and I often say "What did we do before we had a baby?!" It's only been 13 months but I can't even remember what we did beforehand, this feels so normal now. We love visiting the grandparents too. It's funny how babies always end up doing a tour then deciding what to play with. And it's so nice for children to have strong relationships with other adults.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos of your little grandsons, so sweet!
And so true about stepping away from the computer and embracing life! I spend all day on the computer for work and then far too much time reading blogs ie reading about other people's lives instead of living my own. Really must change that and go for quality in my blog reading rather than quantity! Had a lovely weekend out and about in Melbourne with my beautiful daughter and that made me realise I do need to be more open to opportunities instead of sitting at the computer!
Judy xx
How beautiful are those babies?? I also had a wonderful weekend with my grandbabies, with the youngest one having a sleepover on Friday night. Aren't they all the most delightful little people? They bring such joy! But as you say, after so long, just the two of us seems so natural.
ReplyDeleteI find that, now I'm not working, days can go by before I do anything more than read my favourite blogs on the computer. Amazing how those emails pile up! Take all the breaks you need. It would be such a loss if you felt you needed to leave your wonderful blog. Reading it truly is the first thing I do in the morning and I gain such inspiration and comfort from it.
Don't worry, Diann. This blog and I are joined at the heart. I won't be leaving here for a long time. Enjoy your day. xx
DeleteOh, my Mum loves that too - the different sets of grandchildren getting to know each other under her eye!
ReplyDelete"Cousin" is such a funny relationship - it can be nothing or it can mean, so, so much. My son and niece, born eight weeks apart, just always so easy with each other. My niece, an only child, blossoming while she "takes care" of my younger daughters and experiences the frustrations and amusement of younger children.
My own "wee cousin", nine years my junior but over six foot tall now and almost 30 - I still feel the need to take care of him that way!
Enjoy your family and thank them for giving us the privilege of a gentle peek into your and their lives.
Karen
(Scotland)
Good morning Rhonda,what beautiful photo,s of the Family,your little Grand Children are beautiful,you are very blessed,thank you for sharing,x Carol.
ReplyDeleteMy children have a wonderful connection with their cousins. We live two hours away, so they only see each other every few weeks, sometimes months. As they are growing up it gets harder to get together, but when they do, they always seem to be able to pick up where they left off.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful memories your Grandsons will have growing up with amazing Grandparents.
ReplyDeleteYour home always looks so welcoming :)
Oh those 2 little boys have grown so much :-) I'm very impressed seeing Jamie using that cutlery so well!
ReplyDeleteMaria, Jamie learns very quickly everything connected to food. ;- )
DeleteWell, I know my two little ones would love your backyard, Rhonda, so I'm sure Jamie and Alex will treasure Gran's house :)And, wow, are they growing up! Little boys now.
ReplyDeleteI hear you about the "real life" vs online living. I just had a long chat with my teenage daughter about that very subject yesterday. We were talking about how different it was back in my day with no computers and certainly no Internet! "What did you do, Mum?" she asked. Funny how things can change so much from one generation to another.
Those of us who work online need to make an extra-special effort to un-plug - it's unhealthy otherwise, physically and mentally.
I have to say it is so heart-warming every time I come over here and see photos of your family together. You must be so happy that everyone is close by now
Hugs to you all.
xx
It's so important for young people to not get lost online. It's so appealing sometimes.
DeleteMegan, on the weekend I was thinking of the three of us having breakfast on the beach at Byron. What a lovely morning that was. That's almost a year ago now!
xx
oh i wish my mother and father (who live 5 mins away from us) were keen to take our children once in a while!!! we have lived near them for 2 years now and they have never once volunteered to mind the children... only when pressured... it's awful because we moved closer to them hoping that would happen, but alas it has not... they have become so used to it just being the 2 of them with their own hobbies they are reluctant to give their grandchildren much time :( they like short visits with the children (an hour or so where i am still doing the supervising) and for them to leave straight away afterwards...oh well, such is life... some people love being grandparents- some not so much! amy
ReplyDeleteAWWW Amy, all I can say is that your parents don't know what pleasure and joy they're missing out on. We, or should I say, Hanno, (I was asleep) looked after Alex on Saturday night. Shane put him to bed as normal with a story while Sarndra got ready to go out. When he was asleep, they both went out to the movies. They really enjoyed having the time together without the baby. Alex slept till about 11.20pm, woke because he was cold, Hanno gave him a bottle and he went straight back to sleep again. When mum and dad walked in at 11.30, he was fast asleep.
DeleteI hope your parents do some babysitting for you in the future.
So lovely to be able to have your grandchildren over once in a while. They look so cute in the pool, what great fun!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to be a granny!
That looks like so much fun !! You have such wonderful grandsons. I hope I will be someday blessed by having grandkids too ; )
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day.
Hugs from The Netherlands.
I've noticed a few glitches in the DTE forum. I figured it was a bug of some sort and that all would be sorted out in time. :)
ReplyDeleteThose boys are so precious! I'm glad you and Hanno got a lovely surprise visit! :)
Have a lovely day,
-Kristin
What great memories you are building!
ReplyDeleteOh, how wonderful! Those surprise calls and pop-ins are such a nice treat! Always come visit, I say! Every opportunity to be together is a great thing.
ReplyDeleteRemember when once upon a time family members would just drop in un-announced? We would go visit family over the weekend or at holiday times at the drop of a hat. Nowadays we check first to see if it is okay to visit. Funny how that has changed.
ReplyDelete