home

Something I have so far failed to mention.

We’re home. We. Are. Home.

We’ve got mixed views on being home. The good news is Astrid and Edith are both into the school we came home to get them into. We all miss our walks around the Heath. We all miss the villages in the area we lived in. There’s not really that much to walk to from here. Mt Albert shops anyone?

The cats are happy though. The kids adore the garden. I adore the garden. There’s no rhubarb yoghurt. But there is passionfruit yoghurt. Living here is without a doubt more expensive than London.

So I’m now working full time. And currently I’m lacking much motivation to do anything past that. I get home and cook, we give the girls a bath, put them to bed and then flop out. I miss making, creating, sewing and knitting. I’m half way through sewing a curtain and it’s taking forever because it’s just too hard. Really, it’s dead easy – four hems? Waaay too hard. It’s going to be a beautiful curtain though – vermillion cotton velvet from Trelise Cooper. It’s all pinned. Only two hems to go. Might finish it tonight.

One thing I am interested in though is the garden. So far I’ve planted four feijoas, four guavas, three redcurrants, three blueberries, two passionfruit, six pots of lettuce and a pile of heirloom tomatoes. I’ve also pruned and dug and weeded and cleared; put down bark and de-forested the carport.

In fact I had planned to not sew for a while in order to sort the garden. Really it’s one or the other for me. Both are so demanding. As is having a full time job and a mortgage to pay. Today I was saying to Kevin how it’s not really public knowledge just how expensive it is raising children. Anyone know how much daycare costs? Or a nanny? A lot.

So here we are, back in our beautiful oasis. Thinking about getting chooks and bees. And hinting like mad, Kevin, about the cheese making kit for Christmas.

Oh! And 44 times two lives…


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15 responses to “home”

  1. erin avatar

    i imagine it feels wonderful to be back. enjoy.

  2. Genevieve avatar
    Genevieve

    Hey Charlotte,

    Love the gardening it sounds just like me…one of my true passions….chooks even better have had them too wonderful….and there are such a lot a different breeds so wicked for kids.

    Was really interested in teh school you have chosen for your princess’s.

    Gen

  3. tiel avatar

    i think the hardest thing with a life raising children, is accepting the sacrifices you have to to make in order to have those extras.

    best of luck finding the balance.

    I tried a nanny once when Milena was about 2 and it didn’t work well for me for many reasons and found a daycare mum the best option instead of a daycare centre.

    rhubarb yoghurt sounds yum!

  4. suzy avatar

    Glad you’re home!

    I was talking to a friend in New York (an American, who I worked with in Tokyo) about what he calls “expatriate disease”, that even when you’re home you’re always thinking about the other place, missing the things from there that you can’t get here… but if you moved back (or somewhere else) then you’d be missing the things from here that you can’t get there. Sometimes I wish I’d never moved anywhere else, because then all my friends would be in one place and I wouldn’t have the constant elsewhere-ness. But, anyway, passionfruit yoghurt sounds like a good substitute for rhubarb.

  5. Lynne avatar
    Lynne

    You are such an eloquent writer Charlotte =) What school are the girls going too?

  6. Anja avatar

    I know that fatigue. I’m hoping it will fade along the way (new job, long commute, hard-working husband – we manage but we’re knackered). Good thing it’s the holidays soon!

  7. Vicki Jane avatar
    Vicki Jane

    Mt Albert shops… I so am feeling your pain. We are also in Mt Albert Though more at the St Lukes end. Know alot of people here. A friend said yesterday that Mt Albert is the new Grey Lynn. hmm

  8. Aidan Laura avatar

    Glad you are finally HOME home. Roaming gets hard and I’m glad you are able to put down “roots” again.

  9. fliss avatar

    Your home does look so inviting as does the sound of your garden. i guess it takes a while to settle in especially after living in london. Is Auckland really that more expensive to live in? WOW i would not have imagined it.
    Enjoy your garden and home 🙂

  10. melissa avatar

    i wouldn’t have thought nz to be more expensive than the UK either- but i’ve never lived in auckland.

    it must be so lovely to be home again! happy christmas to you and your family.

  11. Lindy avatar

    shocked that “there” is more expensive than London! Still it’s great that you’re finally home and that the girls will be attending your first choice school.

  12. di avatar

    Hope you did get a cheesemaking kit! Your garden excursions sound wonderful, although I know from experience how demanding. Definitely worth the efffor though. Bees would be amazing! Chooks a must (we suffer from lack of space and make do with the fact that Grannie has some). Best wishes for the new year xx

  13. kaylovesvintage avatar

    nice to have you back

    have a amazing 2010

  14. Zoe avatar

    Hi Charlotte

    it’s been a while since I stopped by. I hope you and your family are settling in well in NZ. We too have had a pretty major move and are now living in Adelaide. There’s been a lot of sorting out and getting settled – now that we have our furniture it feels a bit more like home.

    Looking forward to reading what I’ve missed the past few months!

    Zoe x

  15. mimi avatar
    mimi

    hello,

    i’ve been a fan of your website for ages and would love an update if you feel up to it. i’m in the uk and know london (and hampsted) well, but i love visting nz it’s a fantastic country. it would be great to know more about where you live there, i’m sure there is lot’s to learn.

    take care.

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