Recently in Kid Wrangling Category

If you're anything like me, as the year winds down you spend the occasional moment looking back over the preceding months and reflect on what's been going on.

I have a lot to reflect on.

I don't think I could have predicted that at this point, one year since I upped stakes and left a reasonably secure job that I'd be able to say I've completed my Masters in less than a year, AND with a Distinction average (with 1.675 marks to spare!)

I didn't imagine that I'd have supported myself by my own efforts and some canny contracting and today paid off a credit card (taking my total cards down to one. Phew - getting out of debt in the GFC. Yay me.)

I didn't imagine for a second that I'd have spent one day a week as a nanny and LOVED it. It felt a little like a necessary evil in those first few weeks when I was terrified I'd end up destitute or when Missy spent that first hour of every day I was there SCREAMING. Happily, it has turned into the highlight of the week for me and will do so long into the New Year. Nannying 2009 culminated in a marriage proposal, and not my first from a member of the younger set.  I'm a huge hit with the under sixes - sigh, if I could just up the average age by about 30 years...

I never thought I'd find so little to blog about in a whole year.  I've been so remiss but I suspect that most of my writing energy was being expended on writing essays - and let's face it, you're likely to be not particularly interested in the kind of stuff I was turning out... maybe 2010 will be better for blogging.  I certainly need to do some design tweaking... this notebook look is so old skool.

I never thought I'd be able to successfully pull apart my Mac and put it back together (and have it work) without major incident.

I never thought I'd be in NZ twice in the year I was a student, nor that I'd be going also to Tasmania for a holiday in January but I did and I am, and I'm so grateful to be able to get to see the family and friends on the other ends of those plane rides.

I never thought at age 41 I'd have to prevail on other people's generosity when my circumstances looked impossible and when I didn't know where the next dollar was coming from.  At the same time I could not be more thankful that I have such close and generous friends who bought me groceries, meat parcels and coffee and who took me out for steak and tequila once in a blue moon.  Or, even better, gave me work so I could buy coffee for other people on occasion.

I never thought I'd be inquiring as to the possibility of further study next year, a research project that will upgrade my degree to Honours.  It's a nagging thought I can't shake... I must be insane, particularly given how excited I am by the thought of surveying Christian churches about their use of digital technologies...

Yep.

Insane.

I never thought that I'd be so happy to go to church on a Sunday nor that to get so happy I'd have to leave one church and take up with another.  This is such a bittersweet change and one that I never expected to occur, I still find it a bit bizarre.  I only know that given the paradigm shifts my faith and feelings have gone through this year and as hard as it is that there are people I see a lot less of now, it's still the right thing to have done.

Above all, I never thought that my life could be so rich with friends, relations, experiences, love and life, both IRL and here online.  To all of you, whether I know you in person or 'virtually'. Thank you for making this year an awesome one!  I hope yours has been as much an adventure for you.

Merry Christmas.

I've been a nanny many times in my life.  I've always said that I couldn't believe God gave me the empathy, love and understanding of kids if he didn't mean me to have any... Well, at age 40 you wonder if the kids thing is going to happen... I haven't ruled it out... but, you have to be a bit realistic... so maybe the having of it was all about the kids I've loved and looked after all these years... Oh, and for the nephews and niece... there's some big love, right there...

In any case, I started real nannying (as opposed to casual babysitting) in 1988 when I lived overseas for 3 years and carried it on back in NZ from 1991 (including 8 months of unemployment and casual babysitting) right through until 1995.  There's no question I'm good at it, but it isn't exactly an intellectually stimulating pastime (no disrespect intended to anyone involved in full-time domestic pursuits).  I thought maybe my life path might meander from nannying into childcare in formal centres but really didn't bond with that at all well...

When I quit NZ to come to Oz I was a full time student and for my 2nd year nannying was the perfect job... I got provided with a car and the hours really suited my study timetable but it wasn't the world's best job and I got to the end of that I decided I could earn more with less stress being a checkout chick... so I decided that I'd done the nannying thing for the last time...

Until 2009.

I know, I couldn't be more surprised either.

It has turned out perfectly that I met Liv when answering a posting on findababysitter. I interviewed for a casual connection, just evenings occasionally... but we hit it off and she offered me a day a week while I was waiting for Uni to start... it turned into 2 days during Feb and I really thought we'd turn it back into casual evening work once I knew my timetable... But the job has been going so well, even after a very difficult first month with the little miss battling stranger danger, that they really wanted to keep me... and truth is, I'm really happy to have the work I'd have had very definite rent payment issues without it!!

The kids are great, Mister, a 4year old boy and and Missy an 8month old girl, Mister summed up is feelings the other day by saying "Dee, you're the best babysitter in the WORLD."

Can't really say much more than that...

This little peach is my goddaughter.  I am so in love right now... wouldn't you just do anything to have eyes that brown and lashes that long??  And wouldn't you be powerless to refuse any request from a face that impish and delightful??

Yeah - me too!

Getting mail these days is any kind of highlight!!  Better still is getting mail like this... It's so gratifying to know that I am loved by kids who I really only see twice a year, if I'm lucky... but by the magic of Skype and the like, we're in touch... I'm merely the computer Auntie!!!

If you have relatives abroad and your kids are still young enough to bless family with stuff like this... do it.  It's so great to receive!  And it makes for interesting conversation around the paintings on the fridge!!