Happy New Year!

Friday 1 January, 2010
Day 5

We considered going into Coffs Harbour for the fireworks on the jetty, but decided we would just have a quiet New Years Eve celebration here. We bought some sparklers for the kids, had a bonfire, watched the 9:00 Sydney fireworks show on TV, had some nibblies, and just hung out. It was really nice. Maya took a nap earlier in the day which was great because she then had plenty of steam.







I fell asleep with her around 10ish and missed the real party - the guys brought out the barbeque and some potatos for barbequed chips, yummmm.

But when Eli and Maya woke up at 6:30, I was glad I had had plenty of sleep. Knowing that everyone else had had a late night, I wanted to get Eli away as he tends to be loud in the morning. I put him on my back in the Ergo, and the three of us set off on a walk down the long gravel road. We were looking for wildlife but didn't spot much besides birds. There were a few big butterflies and a little mouse, and deafening cicadas in the background. Maya took her new mermaid, and we walked to where we could get to the river so "Shelly" (I think her name is currently "Pretty", but it was Shelly at the time) could spot some of her water friends. She didn't, but that was okay. We measured our walk later when I went into town with Michael (the internet cafe is still closed!! So we're still unable to sort out our wireless internet with 3!!) and had done 3 1/2 km. It's interesting how far kids will walk when it's for fun and not to reach a destination.

The sky cleared, the day was sunny, and in the afternoon we headed to the beach at Nambucca Heads. I am always surprised by just how much I love the ocean. I mean, I always know that I love going to the beach, but when I pull around that last bend and the ocean opens up wide in front of me, I always get an unexpected, exhilirated thrill. I had a hormonal headache all morning, so I was looking forward to submerging myself in the salt water. Of course, once we walked down onto the beach, the wind was blowing and the clouds had covered up the sun, but it's January so the ocean isn't freezing cold, and in we went. I had a lone dip before taking Eli with me, and then walked out deep with him until the waves were at our shoulders. I held him close in the water for a long time (until his shivers cued me to get him out) and we gently swayed with the waves. He was weightless and so easy to carry, and it was the longest milk-free cuddle we've had in a long time. I loved it.

Nate and Maya love the beach too. Maya isn't fussed about the water, but she'll play in the sand for hours. Growing up in Oregon, I know how it feels to just like to be near the ocean and not necessarily in it. Nate loves it all though, and spent some time swimming with Nick while I was back onshore with Eli.

It was sooo handy having the motorhome. The kids rinsed off in our own shower, dried off and got dressed inside, and we hadn't had to pack a bunch of stuff up to take with us in the car - it was already all there! I am so happy with the choice we made.

On the way back to the farm, Nate asked if we could leave tomorrow. I said we'd talk about it with Michael and Kathryn, who were sweetly not keen to have us leave. It's nice to feel wanted. Maya announced at dinner, out of the blue, "We're leaving tomorrow. Really we are." We talked to them though, and they are happy to stay one more day so that Nick has time to rearrange the motorhome a bit to make the beach stuff more accessible and put away the sleeping bags which we haven't needed yet (too warm, just sheets are fine). And so that Kathryn and I can go into Bellingen for a few hours which is just about 14 kilometres away.

Michael said to me, when I mentioned respecting the kids' wishes and leaving, with not a little sarcasm, "Gee, I wish I had a mum like you when I was a kid. My mum would just tell me to do what I was told." But shouldn't that be our goal as parents? To parent as we wish we had been, not just repeating the same patterns because that's what we know? To put a bit more thought into the thing? That's part of what this whole trip is about for me - for all of us to be equal partners in our lives. I don't want my kids growing up having been victims of a dictatorship. And that's my soapbox rant for the day.