Night at the Opera (house)

We had a skype last night with No.1 granddaughter (and her mum and dad) and were treated to a full rendition of one of the songs that she is singing with her school choir at the Sydney Opera House in the not too distant future. What great excitement, I do believe she is the first member of our family to have such an auspicious opportunity afforded her.

Now I'm not going to dwell on the pangs of disappointment I've felt at not being able to be there at the Opera House to see the real deal, I'm as blind as a bat and probably wouldn't be able to actually see her anyway. And I'll be there in spirit, absolutely willing the very best performance she can muster. A Gran just knows she'll be all right on the night.

I'll be looking forward to the next holidays in NZ when we can set the lounge up as a make-believe Opera House and listen to the whole 12 songs!

Did anybody Notice I was gone?

Haven't felt like blogging in absolute ages, but now I do, infact I've been trying to upload a video of Major (now aged 6 months) for the last week.

Everytime I get the upload happening, it just goes and goes and goes but never gets finished. Does anybody have any hints on what I might be doing wrong or perhaps could anybody give me a dummies step by step guide on how to upload a video clip from my pics.

Anyway instead of a really cute video here are some almost as cute photos, taken at his 0.5years celebration day.

Update on our Darling Little Major

Major is now 4 months old. He's a thriving, beautiful, big baby. At his 4 month check, he is right on the 87th percentile weight line for boys, but he's 2 lines above the 97th percentile for height, so I guess he is going to be one TALL man. We wonder if he'll be even taller than his uncles. Both my sons are over 6 foot 5 inches tall!
Anyway here are some recent pics...

Waiting to go to Church, see how blonde his hair is getting

He loves reading with Gran

But the best part of reading is in the tasting of the book!

His great grandmother, Nana Jarden, bought him this cutie, winter outfit

At last a smile, testing out the jolly jumper

This pic was taken three days ago

Another Month Flew By

As one gets older the days rush by faster, I still remember waiting to become a teenager, it was so embarrasing being 5foot 7inches tall at age 12. No matter how much I stooped all the kids around me still never reached even to my shoulders. And getting to 21, well that took an absolute age - I was old before I got there it took so long!

Then suddenly the years started to speed up, at 22 I was a mum, at 24 I was married. By 30 I had 3 children, by 40 I was raising them on my own, by 50 I was the most slender and fit that I'd ever been in my life - some things are just too good to last though, for the past three years I've been plagued with health problems and loosing the battle of the bulge.

But along all those fleeting years I've racked up some jolly fine experiences, experienced triumphs and tragedy and best of all I discovered who I am, why I'm here and where I'm going.

I've learnt what mothers love feels like. It's overpowering and all encompassing but yet, it's nothing compared to the absolute wonderment of grandmothers love and even that is miniscule compared to the love that our Creator has for us.

And all the while the days rush on by......

My Mum

Mum's Last Christmas 2006

My mum was the greatest hostess, she would welcome friends, family and strangers alike with open arms. All who entered her home would not be permitted to leave until they were filled with the most scrumptious repast, tales of life, laughter a-plenty and promises to return again soon. She could whip up a banquet from her humble pantry at any time of day or night for one person or for a crowd and all with seemingly no effort.

Mum played golf, as did most of her family and she had a store of humerous anecdotes to recount at any given opportunity. Like the time she and her sister were driving to Napier to play golf at Waiohiki when they either broke down or were pulled up for speeding (my memory of her stories is letting me down here). However by using their charm and alarm on the traffic officers who attended them, (actually I think they had broken down) the officers pulled out a tow rope and attached it to their car and towed them full speed to the golf course where Aunty Lil was competing in a very important match. The traffic officers even assisted by getting their golf clubs out of the car, assembling their trundlers (golf club carrying devices) and one of them ran with Aunty Lil's all the way out to the first tee to help her get underway on time!

Mum and her sisters had so many adventures and I used to love listening to her stories at any family gathering.

In her later life, I looked after mum, caring for her through illness and infirmity until she finally passed away. I was holding her hand when she died. I knew it was coming. The Spirit had awoken me in the early hours of that morning and said very clearly that this would be her last day. I was sad for me but I was glad for mum. All her suffering was finally over.

I was blessed to take her name through the Temple, to have her sealed to her parents, to my dad and to have myself sealed to them. Now I look forward to the day when when we meet again as an eternal family on the right hand of God.

We're a teeny bit famous

A while back there I posted "What's In A Name?" http://grandenny.blogspot.com/2009/03/whats-in-name.html

Well the saga is not quite over, last week Justine, Major and I were part of a feature that appeared on Campbell Live NZ TV3, highlighting our plight and disappointment at not being able to register Major as a first name for our wee darling.

The camera crew came with the pretty young reporter and all the lights, cameras, sound equip, it was all very exciting! Justine and I flew around the house in an absolute frenzy tidying and polishing before they arrived. The neighbours came out to stare when they spotted the TV vehicle outside. I rushed to my room to throw on a splash of makeup, hoping I would be able to think of intelligent sounding answers at the right moment.

Major was just too cute for words, smiling at the reporter, the camera-man, the couch, his feet, photos on the wall.... He was perfect actually. The reporter asked if she could hold him while they filmed her intro. Right on cue, he smiled and gurgled happily at the camera, the reporter fell in love with him and the producer was impressed. His mother beamed so smuggly, yes she really has produced the best behaved, cutest baby she knows.

All too soon the adventure was over and I had to rush back to work making sure I emailed and texted all my friends, relatives, casual acquaintances etc to invite them to tune in to watch it that night. They even let me go home early from work so I could catch the show. Right after it aired the phone ran red hot, everyone wanted to tell us they'd seen it and how great Justine came across, how cute Major was etc. The next day the feedback started; everybody has an opinion, some agreeing and sympathising with us, others saying it was a ridiculous name to call a child.

But that was last week and now it's this week and I've watched the interview almost as many times as I've watched Twilight!

Anyway if you'd like to see it this is the link http://www.3news.co.nz/Video/When-a-babys-name-is-a-Major-problem/tabid/367/articleID/101815/cat/84/Default.aspx#top

I'd just like to say, I know Major is an unusual name but it was my dad's name and I'm proud of my daughter for having enough love for her grandfather to want to name her son after him. To carry the name of a beloved ancestor is an honourable endowment. I believe it will give Major a sense of belonging and will reinforce the tenet that families can be together forever.

Visiting Teaching

While I was blog stalking I happened upon a visiting teaching blog with the most wonderful ideas for handouts. This delightful little treasure chest is my adaptation of an idea from the visiting teaching blog.
I glued 'jewels' to the lid of the teasure chest then filled it with treasure: scripture mastery cards, pencils, a note on how to study the scriptures taken from "Preach my Gospel" and finally a couple of quick scripture games for FHE, oh and an inspirational quote from Pres Kimball taken from the April VT message. I just loved these so much that I made extras for myself and my granddaughter.

Thankyou Visiting Teaching Blog, I was really excited to get out to deliver these with the message this month.

It's Been a While

Chas, Disa and Major

Gosh, this month has flown by, I've had a birthday, bought the TWILIGHT DVD, see earlier post here http://grandenny.blogspot.com/2009/01/confession-of-twilight-freak.html; watched the Twilight DVD including the deleted scenes and a few other random clips that were in the extra disc. I've somehow managed to pass a competency test at my new job and I'm not the 'newbie' any more infact I was even helping the new newbie with some tips the other day.

But the best thing of all is that I've been able to watch my adorable moko learn to smile and goo, almost manage to control his little hand and laugh with delight when he occasionally manages to get that hand up to his mouth and lick it like it's the tastiest icecream in the world. I've tried not to be concerned when I watch the water come flying out of his bath all over the carpet as he learns to kick his chubby wee legs and practises going hard til he's all worn out. I wasn't too squeemy when I changed his nappy and the poo was all the way up to his chest, all over his tummy and his kicking legs spread it all over the change table too. And I've adored looking at the photos from his latest playdate with Chas and Disa.

Daylight Saving Ends

Our littlest darling is 7 weeks old today. Check out how the end of daylight saving has confused his sleeping timetable. Much to our amusement tonight his mummy bathed, dressed and fed him without him waking up. I mean it is only an hour, but it sure has upset his body clock.
And it seems like all of a sudden he has lost his brand new baby look. His wee legs are getting little rolls on them and his nighties only reach to his knees, when he was new they came below his feet and now they're half mast. He's also smiling and talking.
When I look at him I marvel at the wonder of God's amazing plan for new life, at the blueprint so lovingly created to enable this tiny new bundle to grow in stature and wisdom; at the ability this baby has to enslave us with love for him, to make us respond to his every whimper.
I marvel that this tiny bundle can teach his adult mother how to put another's needs ahead of her own, how in 7 short weeks he's taught her things I've been trying to teach her most of her life. And, she's realised that life is okay without makeup and straightened hair. Life's better than okay actually. With a little darling like this in the home, life is a wee slice of heaven.

Daylight saving's end has just wrecked the wee poppet's schedule

Play Date

Major had his first big play date today with his girlfriend Disa and his older buddy Chas. Now how cute are these photos? I've been giggling at them ever since I got home from work. Apparently he slept through most of the date as did Chas but Disa was wide awake checking out her two sleepy suitors.

Disa: Eeny Meeny Miney Mo, Which way do I want to go?

Major: Can't a guy get any sleep around here?

Disa: You're the one that I want, oo hoo hoo

Major: Man I knew I was cute but I'm still pretty chuffed she picked me, oh well doesn't look like Chas is up to it anyway - that guy sure can sleep!

Like the sands through the hour glass, these are the days of our babies lives

What a Difference a Day Makes

I love that old song

'What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours

Brought the sun and the flowers, where there used to be rain'
Well I've just completed two days working with real people after 5 weeks training - practising on the crash test dummies, and what a difference a day makes!

Thursday was just awful, I wasn't looking forward to it and with good reason. The old nerves kicked in and I stared at my instruction sheet like it was a diagram of the surface of the moon. It just plumb didn't make any sense to me, there was nothing recognisable in it, despite the fact I had committed it all to memory the day before. Instant amnesia. Is this really me I wondered, I've always been so confident and assured, well mostly, okay sometimes I am.

But now it's Friday night and Ive managed another whole day and some people even said thankyou and sounded like they really meant it. In fact by this afternoon I was actually enjoying myself. I'm quite looking forward to next Monday.

Yes, what a difference a day makes, 24 little hours....

Ready Or Not Here I Come

Remember how I was ecstatic a couple of months back cause I got a new job.....

Well I've been in "training" for the past 5 weeks and now the powers that be have decided it's time to let us loose on the real people and this afternoon I had the exciting job of moving all my junk, oops I mean important work resources, out to my very new (make that almost new) desk. The previous occupant did leave a few reminders of his/her existence behind, including lots of old, yukky blue tack and a half filled salt shaker. But I'm not complaining . In no time at all I had my work station looking like it had been mine forever, oh well for quite a while anyway.

So tomorrow is "D" day, it won't be role plays or practice runs there will be real people relying on me to know stuff and advise them and I just want to say I've never felt so nervous before about doing a new job - EVER.

I'm heading off now to make something delicious for my new boss - to try to appease him in advance - for trying his patience, testing his resillience and pushing his ability to remain calm under pressure.

I'm looking forward to this time tomorrow night when those first day jitters will be all behind me, and I hope I'm still employed.