Giving thanks...

It's the Thanksgiving weekend, and I know it's been quiet here, but we're here, and there are things to be thankful for:

• Family. Our little family here. Our family in other countries. 
• Friends back home and around the world - you are missed.
• Friends here, for making life here easier.
• Good health. Yes, sometimes it feels like a stretch, given the toll living overseas is having on Michael and I, but, for the most part, we do have our health.
• Not having debt. We have our HECS/HELP back in Australia and haven't made back what it cost to move, but we only owe our saving account. There is something nice about that.
• Tea. Preferably leaf tea, shared with at least one other person.

And thank you for reading, always, always thank you.

Also, thanks to Michael for setting up the timer for the first photo and for taking the photo of Jimmy making tea at the Discovery Center, way back when Grandma was visiting.

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a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: Porridge, with yoghurt and honey.

Showing off his appetite and appreciation for a hot breakfast. Michael took this lovely photo - I love it because it reminds me of a photo of a much younger Jimmy.

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a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: Enjoying having the energy to enjoy the weather.

Jimmy is back!!!! Running around, throwing things, stuffing food into his mouth, laughing, mucking about... He has recovered fully and come through this first week back at daycare. And the weather was lovely this weekend, so plenty of time was spent outside.

And when I say the weather was lovely, I mean it was warm out of the wind, and pleasant with the right clothing. Jimmy insisted on wearing sandals.

I insisted that Jimmy bring his sneakers with us when we went out on Sunday morning, just in case his feet became too cold. He wore his sandals the whole time. His feet were only a little cold.

All these lovely photos were taken by Michael.

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a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: Feeling better...

Daddy (Michael) took this one while Jimmy was enjoying some morning cartoons on the weekend. I love the light, the autumn leaves on the tree outside, but what I love most of all is that Jimmy was starting to feel better after a rough two weeks - I'll tell you about it sometime.

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a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: Eat the pumpkin!

Jimmy has been unwell, so he missed out on the Halloween party at his daycare, but on the 31st of October we tried to get him to wear his costume. Not happening. Not even when we convinced him to wear his caterpillar overalls so that he could be a caterpillar inside (and therefore eating) the pumpkin... Ah well, part of me is glad that we didn't go to the effort (and expense) of making what we really wanted to make for Jimmy's costume, while part of me is frustrated that we spent money on a costume that Jimmy will probably never wear for more than 5 seconds. At least the costume is big enough that it fits Daddy, right?

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a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: running around to stay warm...

I have no words for this photo, only that it was cold and we were outside and having fun. And his face... oh man... he's growing up so fast! Remember this? That blue beanie still fits too...

On the needles: a beanie...

Way back before Jimmy was even born, back when he was inside my belly, and my belly was huge, Michael and I went to the 2013 Peace Festival and I bought this beautiful skein of alpaca from a local spinner. My plan was to make something for our baby with it, only I was going to wait until the baby was born before I did anything - the soft, soft yarn required something special, something that would suit our baby.

It was still untouched back in April, 2014, so it should come as no surprise that the wool made its way across the Pacific Ocean with us (did I mention that I brought wool over here, so that I could work my way through it and be less tempted to buy (even more) wool?).

After lots of umming and ahing, and realising that I hadn't started on any knitted project for Jimmy's 2nd birthday, I wound the skein into a ball and turned the very, very soft alpaca into a beanie.

I may have made the pattern up as I went along...

I did start with a measurement of Jimmy's head, and I did work out how many stitches of 3x3 rib went into 10 cm (or was it an inch or 5? Meh...), so I wasn't flying completely by the seat of my pants... And I kept notes, so that if I ever want to make another one, I have something to work from.

The process was fun and the project small enough to work on in the heat of July and August (I'm a slow knitter, so what). And every time I picked up my needles to work on the beanie I thought of Jimmy, and how the beanie would keep his head warm when his other beanies were not quite big enough or too cozy. I also thought of an old friend and school teacher and I remembered our brief conversation that day at the Peace Festival, and how he was ill and I was reluctant to get too close but still had trouble hearing the few words he said because his throat was so sore due to a recent bout of laryngitis - he would have appreciated the problem solving involved in the making of this beanie...

And now the beanie is finished, and after a very brief evening when the beanie was needed, Jimmy refuses to wear it. I think the fluffy alpaca is a little too warm for the mild autumn fall we're having in Kansas. Ah well! It fits, it stretches, and I know there isn't a photo of it, but the beanie comes to a point and is tied in a knot, because I wasn't wasting any yarn, so it's something of a gumnut beanie. Too bad the reference is lost on Jimmy. Perhaps we should tell him it's an acorn, then he might wear it.

Over the weekend we...

Engaged in local autumn fall activities, starting with a pumpkin patch! And not just any pumpkin patch but a pumpkin patch palooza thanks to K-State peoples, Britts Farm, and our lovely friends and neighbours who drove us there and back again (and shared in the fun and excitement of it all).

Because this was intended for college/university students etc, the start was 7 pm. And yes, we managed to get on that haybale ride.

We did need to sign in and get wristbands. Jimmy included. He wasn't sure about the wristband thing to start with, but soon it was forgotten until we returned home.

It was pretty exciting (and a little bit on the cold side) and it was even more exciting when we noticed one of Jimmy's friends, N, and his family, were on the same haybale ride. (Also, because it was cold, N was wearing a coat, a very nice warm coat.)

The ride took us around the edge of the farm, past different crops, and ended by a cornfield and a cornfield maze (!!). When we started we could still see without torches, but we needed them by the end. We definitely needed torches before we finished and to help select a pumpkin. And by torches I mean torch apps on phones - who carries an actual torch when they're not camping?

Once we had our pumpkin we made our way to the bonfire, found N and his family (they snuck off to the easier maze, once we had relocated the entrance to the hard maze), made and ate our very first s'mores.

Yes folks, we made it through the last 18 months without a single one (we did have plenty of toasted marshmallows while on our road trip). The bonfire was the wrong type of fire for s'mores but they were pretty good - the cracker is not sweet, so the whole thing is (fairly) balanced, for a sweet...

We were given our marching orders by Jimmy, and we couldn't complain - the night was turning cold and we were all out of marshmallows. We may have stopped by the farm shop and looked at the available produce and decorative gourds. They were pretty cute, and these ones, as held by Michael, were small and curiously shaped. If we had the money to spend on pretty or curious things that can't be eaten or worn, we might have spent the $10 required to take a few home. It's ok, we already had a pumpkin to take home.

A sweet, round pumpkin no less. Jimmy was fairly protective of it but was also very keen to help Daddy carve it, but he was also keen to keep putting the stem back on...

Jimmy also helped with the first draft of the face, but Daddy stepped in and made something a little more carvable...

Our little Jack-o-Lantern takes pride of place on the table and Jimmy would like it to be illuminated for every meal, but we're sticking to evenings only, even though the mornings are getting darker and we are almost at the stage when we need a light on to eat breakfast... Winter is coming.

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Jimmy: Hugging the pumpkin before the carving began...

We may have gone to a pumpkin patch on Friday. It may have been Friday night. We did come home with this cute pumpkin and Michael did take this photo. There is a blogpost to come but this photo is pretty sweet - Jimmy enjoyed himself but we were all fairly tired on Saturday. It was well worth it.

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a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: Collecting earthworms with Daddy.

Why? Well... we found a turtle a few weekends ago, two now, and not just any turtle but an alligator snapping turtle. They are not endangered, but they are not to be taken lightly. Also they end up being huge, so, no we will not be keeping the turtle nor will we be passing it on to anyone other than the zoo, if they'll have it. Anyway... we found the turtle, newly hatched, and we decided that if it ate what we gave it, we would look after it until, well, we're not sure, perhaps over the winter, perhaps only another week. Perhaps we'll only keep it until Daddy and Jimmy can no longer find any worms outside our place.

Luna eclipse and blood moon...

As I may have mentioned last week, we were invited to celebrated the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival with some friends out at Frank Anneberg Park. It was extra special because there was to be a Luna eclipse and a blood moon!

Jimmy had fun running around, kicking a ball around, being chased by me or Daddy.

Sometimes it is very hard to take a photo of Jimmy - he moves so fast! 

We all played our parts helping to set up the lanterns that are crucial to celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival - they were sent to our friend M by her uncle all the way from Hong Kong.

My part was entertaining Jimmy. Jimmy's part was that of "the toddler" running around, making the most of being outside. We also all did a good job of eating the food everyone brought to share. Jimmy wasn't keen on our contribution, but he ate more than his/our (!) fair share of the noodles.

One the sun had set and the moon was lighting the sky and everyone had had their fill of dinner, M brought out two mooncakes (which she bought in New York City). Small but rich and perfect for sharing.

For anyone who hasn't had mooncake before, they are sweet but not Australian/USA style sweet, they are rich and yet they have an egg baked in the middle. Jimmy likes mooncake (Jimmy likes cake).

Yes, we used actual candles. Little ones, about the same size as candles that go on birthday cakes. We went through two per lantern. The lanterns were very pretty, were all safely out of Jimmy's reach, and once we were done at the park the lanterns were all packed up again.

Yes, Jimmy will do well in Hong Kong and China, probably Taiwan too, with his preference for noodles and mooncake. (Oh but he was a grub!)

It seemed like we had just finished eating when the main event started: the eclipse! As soon as we noticed the shadow starting to cover the moon, we quickly packed up and headed for Kansas State University where the Physics Department had telescopes set up to view the event.

I have never, never seen so many people on campus on a Sunday. Never. Lots of people were there, on the quad, sitting around and chatting, lining up on the new pedestrian mall to catch a glimpse through one of three telescopes! We lined up for the one with the shortest queue, although we did spend some time sitting on a grassy knoll watching the eclipse and the ensuing blood moon. It was pretty cool.

The novelty of the occasion was not lost on Jimmy, even though it was well past his bedtime. He had a great time looking at the moon, running around, walking down the mall, taking in the atmosphere. Jimmy is a little obsessed with the moon and I hope he remembers this eclipse.

When we went home, some time after 10 pm, the moon was still a dark red, and the campus was still buzzing. I think we were still buzzing too, because we didn't find our way to bed until nearly (or after 11 pm). All three of us (and probably half the population of Manhattan) were very tired on Monday, but it was soooo worth it. When it comes to celestial events, it usually is.

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a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: Go to the park. Go through a tunnel.

Jimmy's request of Daddy on Saturday morning. The weather has turned cool, so jumpers and hats or beanies are in order. Daddy travelled light - GoPro only - and off to the park, via the tunnels they went! And for 3 and a half hours I had the place to myself. I should have slept, seeing as I was still not feeling great, but some housework was done - also important when both parents are working.

Thanks for the photo (and rest) Michael! There is also a movie, I think the credit is all Jimmy's, but at 4 minutes it's a little big to be simply uploaded. When I work out how to get it up I will make sure to mention it.

Back to work: looking after myself...

I don't get enough sleep. I drink more coffee than I would like. I probably don't eat enough vegetables. I don't take the time to stretch or strengthen my muscles.

And I'm now working and Jimmy is still breastfeeding.

And I have a cold. It's not a bad one, the one I had while Grandma was here was worse, but I've still had to take time off work. There is a little of the changing seasons involved, putting another stress on my body, but it is the second cold I've had in a month and that's not cool.

So, what can I do? I can start by looking after me. As far as balancing my needs and my role as a mum, I think I have a fairly healthy balance (but I could still do with more sleep). Adding work into the mix has shaken things up and I need to rethink things.

Last week we started with Jimmy's night-time breastfeeding, mostly in response to two sleepless nights were I swear he spent more time feeding than sleeping and I don't sleep while he's breastfeeding, it just doesn't happen anymore. With Michael's help and support Jimmy is down to one night time feed, which happens around 3-4 am (I'm not including the bedtime breastfeeding or the first-thing-in-the-morning breastfeeding). The first few nights were rough, but now Jimmy is happy to have hugs when he wakes around midnight and he goes back to sleep. I'm calling it a win, but that 3-4 am breastfeed needs to go too... but it can wait a few more days.

Next on the list is my bedtime... I remember being good about sticking to a bedtime in highschool, but my parents might tell a different story. Whatever routine I had went out the window in the first few years of university and I just haven't managed to stick to a reasonable bedtime. It's always after 11 pm and it hasn't been working. Not for a very long time. Longer than I would like to admit. I went to bed a little after 10 pm last night, and it was good. A 10 pm bedtime is the dream, there is something magic about that number, at least in my head, and I'm beginning to think I really, really need to make it a priority and goal.

So, reducing Jimmy's night-time breastfeeding and going to bed earlier will help me get more sleep (and reduce my coffee intake somewhat). Now, for the veggies...

When I was at home, looking after Jimmy, we ate the same things, not always balanced but I think I was eating more as a stay-at-home-mum than I have been of late. There's point in the afternoons when I start getting sugar cravings, or protein cravings, and I'm hungry. I have been using coffee to fill this gap. Coffee with creamer... and it's a little gross. Tasty but gross. And when I get home and open the fridge, I see our jar of kimchi and all I can think about is hot rice, runny eggs, soy sauce, and kimchi. After eating about three bowls of rice, kimchi, and boiled eggs yesterday I think I have the craving quenched, but the combination now set to become my work afternoon tea.

Hopefully these steps (a little weaning, earlier to bed, a little more veg and protein) are what I need to start look after myself as the new normal stops needing the "new". A little more energy will make everything a little easier and get me out of bed early enough to do some stretches and see me through the afternoon slump.

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a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: More noodles! Arrrr!

We celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival and saw the Luna eclipse (!!!!!) with some friends. It was pot-luck. There were noodles and they were good and Jimmy probably ate half of them, opening up his mouth to receive said noodles when he was beyond feeding himself but still hungry.

Arrr! Thanks for taking the photo Michael!