The Shorties: Kid Stuff

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Primary among the things we seek in this walkabout is a sense of balance that we can impart to our children. Housing costs in our home town are spiraling into the stratosphere, and kids there are learning to expect a lot: a lot of toys, for example. We felt ourselves getting sucked in. Off balance. We had recently received the gift that is baby Clay Xavier, the X-man, and Mary had not yet returned to work. It was time to get some perspective. Given that we needed perspective on science/work and our lives at home, not to mention the current regime in White House, the time was right: we would pull up stakes and cast off mortgage, telephone and Masa Grill, and seek the renewal outside of the country. A sabbatical, except that I'm not a academic, I'm in industry, which meant walking away from my job. Moving overseas, we knew, would be difficult. We would miss family and friends, and even be forced to leave one of our family members, our aging dog Ayla, home. So after a time of sorting it all out, and that wasn't easy, off we went. _____________________________________________________________
Goofing Off with the Elliots, Cable Bay
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It has been fantastic. We've seen a lot of the South Island and had great times, begun to make friendships, and are right now are experiencing a bit of a rough winter spell. We have seen old friends from Auckland on a great summer holiday, and spent lots of time reading and playing with the kids. Although Estin and I had forged a deep bond immediately 7 years ago, I was more distant from Clay, primarily because of my preoccupation, and that disappointed. Slowly, over the past few months here, Clay and I have regained the lost time as the bond grows daily. That in itself is worth it all. In addition, becoming tenants again would free us of the need to watch over the house, landscape, etc. Without these responsibilities and without the network of friends and relatives we have at home, we would be together as a family more often, and have time to run around on weekends together. At the same time, we have removed the baby and his brother from the regular presence of cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and godparents, which is the hardest part about being here. It's so damn far away!
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One Happy Tramper

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Well, the shorties are thriving. Estin has met some challenges in school and done well with them and it's a particular joy to listen to his reading which has improved immensely this year. All the hours we spend together reading, no chore from my perspective, (more on that another time) have resulted in his requests for more and more. Clay has gone from Mr. Grouchy, waking several times a night to sleeping right through the night, Mr. Smiley, and that has enabled Mary to find a job and set herself up with a caregivers network that allows her work time and a wee bit of free time for exercise and meditation with the Surf Yogi. New Zealand puts a high priority on it's shorties, from the government on down to our employers. There are playgrounds and public toilets and kid-friendly campgrounds everywhere, and lots of activites for kids during school holidays.

When we are 80 years of age, we'll tell the stories, and hear new stories if we are lucky. And I hope we can say that we did right by our kids: we taught ourselves, and therefore them, that there is a way out when you are stuck--"son, have yourself a walkabout and see what's out there. Things might end up looking rosy out there or right back here, either way you get a good look around".

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