General Updates

I was looking back over the 3 1/2 years that I've been writing this blog, and feeling thankful for all the wonderful experiences J and I have had, and all the things we've learned. We are so privileged to be living in NZ, and I think we do a pretty good job of staying cognizant of that, which is good. As I read, I noticed that I don't often write general updates about our lives, but rather focus in on individual experiences. I intend to continue that, as it is more fun, but I thought I'd give you a general update - about once every 3 1/2 years should be acceptable.

Jobs first:
J is a Senior Advisor for Veterinary Medicines for the government. It is a good job in many ways, but he continues to find it stressful. He works hard and feels that he is making a positive impact, but we are not certain that this is the best job for him long-term. He is interested in Animal Welfare career paths, but is open to exploring different directions that might suit him.

I (as you know) teach preschool at Victoria University of Wellington. I teach mostly children of faculty and staff at the university. It is a high-energy, emotionally challenging job, as all early childhood jobs are, and I love that. The expectations of teachers when it comes to programme planning, documentation of learning, and projects are very high. This is wonderful in that it pushes me to be constantly improving myself and in that it means we're giving the children our very best, but it can be exhausting. Fortunately, I work with wonderful teachers and get so much energy and motivation from my children. I am currently delighting in our nature-based programming journey, and continuing my love of teaching and learning Māori language and culture. In addition, I am mentoring two new teachers, an endeavour which I find invigorating and fulfilling.

And then other updates:
J and I have season passes to Mount Ruapehu to go snowboarding. Our first snowboarding weekend started out with lots of falls, but we got our balance back on the second day, and we're raring to go again. (Actually, we would be there this weekend if the forecast wasn't for gale force winds. Turned out for the best, though, because J has the flu, so we would have had to cancel anyway.) We're going to try to go as many times during the season (June-September) as we can.

I am continuing to spend a lot of my spare time reading, and I'm enjoying both my book clubs. My English one is with lovely older ladies who are mind-blowingly knowledgeable about literature, and we discuss a different genre every month. My French one is with a diverse group of Francophones, and we read a novel every month and then discuss it. They are often sadder than I'd like, but they're also new and often based, to varying degrees, on current events, so I'm learning a lot.

J and I have both gotten into audio books, and often listen to the same one, which is fun. He listens on the bus to work every day, and I listen during every moment of my day when my body is occupied and my brain is not (e.g. in the shower, while cooking, as I walk, while cleaning, etc.) We recommend audio books to anyone; they're a fantastic way to experience literature, as well as a helpful tool to integrate it into busy lives.

Our wonderful friends Christophe and Anaïs have a 12-week-old baby boy, and they are amazing enough to let me babysit him sometimes (like today), and I just can't get enough of this adorable little person! It makes me so very happy to spend time with a lovely little baby, and I love helping new parents get time for themselves, so it is a doubly rewarding experience. We're also enjoying getting together and playing board games with them, which is a special treat for game-obsessed me. Last time we played J's favourite game (7 Wonders), and we're hoping to play it again soon.

We have booked a visit back to the States in November, and are therefore avoiding any major trips in the meantime, as we need to save up annual leave (vacation time) for such a long trip. We're doing weekend things, rather than bigger trips, which fits in perfectly with the snowboarding excursions, which are our focus anyway.

We are both working hard to be healthy - we're cooking healthy food and finding healthy snack foods (that one's more for me, as J's not much of a snacker). I get lots of exercise biking to and from work, especially as there are an indecent number of massive hills on my daily commute. J walks up one of the bigger hills from the bus stop, and is doing bodyweight exercises at home. In addition, if how sore we were on Monday is any indication, snowboarding will also be a healthy practice.

I have continued to be plagued by intense lower back pain (which started when I was about 15), but am finally being proactive about dealing with it. I go to regular physiotherapy, and do exercises every day to strengthen my core, gluts, and legs, to take the pressure off my lower back. I am getting much stronger, and while the pain has not gone away, it is better, which is fantastic.

A new expansion of J's current favourite video game came out last week, and he's enjoying doing many apparently fantastic video game things that I don't understand, but have to admit are quite pretty.

I've just completed my five month intensive te reo Māori (Māori language) course, and am feeling so connected with the language, and thrilled with all the ways I can use it in daily interactions with my children. I still have so much to learn (and wish I could find an immersion situation), but I am well on my way and am more in love with the language than ever.

J has educated me on the value of afternoon naps, so we schedule in at least one per weekend if possible. I had no idea what I was missing!

Our 5th wedding anniversary was the 16th of June. Crazy to think that it's been five years! But then again, we've done so much since our wedding, I also wonder how we fit it into just five years. I also had the crazy thought that this means we've been married longer than any of my children have been alive! If our marriage were a child, it would be too old for preschool in NZ!

As a fun addition to this otherwise pictureless post, here are pictures of J and I when we were preschoolers ourselves:

Nature-Based Programmes on the South Island

Our visits to nature-based programmes on the South Island were incredibly inspiring for my entire team, and led us to make some important changes, as well as many little tweaks, to our own nature-based programme. They have gone extremely well in the month since we've been back, and we're only going to keep growing and improving from here. I will not go into the technical details of the programmes or the nitty-gritty of the changes we've made. I'd like this post to be a celebration of the children and teachers we met, and the amazing things they're doing and learning.

I do think you need a bit of context so that you know what I mean by "nature-based programme." In NZ, these programmes involve taking groups of children out into the natural world, hopefully fairly near their ECE centre, and spending time exploring, developing understandings of plants, animals, weather, etc., and making connections. We would like children to have an ecological identity, which means that part of their sense of self is their relationship with the earth and their connection to their special place within it. Being out in nature is also a healthy way to support children's natural curiosity, their ability to take and manage risks, and their resilience. In today's busy world, it is also providing them time and space to be at peace, to be present in unhurried moments, to marvel at nature's beauty, and to lay in the grass and watch the clouds. I could go on and on about the benefits, but I did promise context. So these programmes are outside, regardless of the weather, for between 2 and 5 hours per day. The children go once a week, in groups of 8 to 12, and spend the other days in the centre. (I also have pictures of their amazing centres, which constitute a big part of nature-based programming, but I'll save them for their own post). The teachers help the children to gain confidence in these spaces, and to take ownership in their own learning there. Then, as the children become increasingly capable and comfortable, the teachers step back, giving them time and space to explore their own ideas and theories, make connections, find quiet moments to enjoy, and use their whole bodies and minds.

Note: I got generous permission from each place we visited to post my pictures here. I will put which centre each picture came from, as a sort of reference/tribute to their amazing work.

These girls spent ages together building (and smashing) mud creations. Notice their pants - all the programmes (including ours) provide the children with waterproof pants, so that they can get as wet or muddy as their want, without worrying about getting cold or ruining clothes.

(Arrowtown Preschool - Cotter Ave)

This was with a group of 3-year-olds, and I was amazed by their resilience and confidence in solving their own problems. Just after I took this picture, the child higher in the tree tried to come down, and got his hood hooked on a branch, so he couldn't go any further. One of his teachers was close by (as was I), but he didn't call out. He didn't even seem worried, just focused. He moved around, shifting this way and that, twisting, lifting, and shaking. Every moment I thought he would ask for help, but he never did. After several minutes and a few moments in which real concern crossed his face, he got unhooked and climbed down with a big grin on his face. What a wonderful sense of empowerment he got from this!

(Arrowtown Preschool - Cotter Ave)

We happened to be there for this 3-year-old's first excursion with the programme. She seemed a bit daunted by some of the more enthusiastic risk takers, and did a lot of observing from the sidelines, which is appropriate in a new situation. Part way through the morning, she bravely ventured into a little glade with just enough room for a couple people. (It's hard to tell because of the frame of the picture, but just outside it on all sides is pretty thick growth). She found a mostly buried stump, on which she is balancing in this picture. It was rounded and tricky to balance on, and I am thinking that she was eager to challenge herself, but on her own terms, and in her own space.

(Arrowtown Preschool - Cotter Ave)

I spent some wonderful time looking for sparkly rocks with this 4-year-old. He went down to the river to wash one off, and then became fascinated with his shadow on the water. He moved all around, watching it move with him. While this was lovely in-and-of itself, what really struck me is that he didn't say anything to me about it. Children this age spend a lot of time saying, "Look at this!" "Watch me!" "Come see what I found!" This is a great thing about them, and something I like, but it is great to see them so profoundly absorbed with something that they need no external input or validation. Nature is great for that.

(Arrowtown Preschool - Durham St)

Each of these programmes brought various resources with them, or kept them on site in a shed. This boy had a plan from the time we arrived at this particular location. He found just the right stick, then asked for a "whittler," which is actually a sharp peeler. He used it to whittle all the bark off of his stick (you can see it on the mat), then asked for a "sword" (saw), and went to work sawing it in half. He knew that if he sawed about halfway through, then he could break it from there, and used this strategy again when he cut it into quarters. The pieces then fit comfortably into his pocket, and he went off to his next adventure. I talked to his teachers, and they said that they had watched him build confidence and skill with these tools, and that at this point, they don't feel like they need to supervise him closely, because they trust him with them. We have these tools at my programme, but need more time and practice to get to this level of trust with our children.

(Arrowtown Preschool - Durham St)

As the children spread out and explored various parts of this lovely bank between two rivers, one teacher sat with a few children and taught them some basic skills about building rock towers. She provided information about finding relatively flat ones, and some strategies for getting them to balance. After a while, she and the other children moved on, but this girl stayed and peacefully made her own rock towers for quite a while.

(Arrowtown Preschool - Durham St)

One of my favourite things we did was climb up a very steep hill, with the help of a rope. It was a challenging climb even for the teachers, especially with slippery, wet autumn leaves sliding about underfoot. Again, I was amazed by the children's confidence and resilience. There were a few tumbles, and some frustrations getting over the hardest parts, but the children weathered them well, and we all made it to the top! I wish we had a picture that better shows the steepness and the use of the rope, but none of us used our cameras much, as we were hanging on tight just like the children! It's great to see children getting to take on real challenges - not things that we have safety-proofed and then pretend are challenges, but real ones. The children know the difference and really rise to the occasion when it's the latter. And it was great to see the beautiful balance the teachers maintained between giving them support and encouragement, and giving them space to struggle and then eventually succeed on their own.

(Arrowtown Preschool - Durham St)

These children are on their "Jumping Rocks" learning balance and risk management. They had another big rock that they would jump to, but the forestry people took it out - a reminder for all of us nature-based programme teachers to be liaising as much as possible with the people who tend to our natural spaces. Anyway, it must have been even cooler before, but it was still a great climbing place.

(Fiordland Kindergarten)

It drizzled a lot of this day, but with proper rain gear, that didn't put anyone off at all. At the end of the morning, we had a fire, on which the children could warm up any of the food packed in their lunchboxes. Some parents had obviously intentionally packed things like cheese sandwiches, to be turned into grilled cheese over the fire. Then we had something called "damper" which I'd never heard of, but was delicious. Apparently it's a bit like scone dough, and then you wrap it around a stick, cook it, pull it off, and fill it with something delicious, like nutella or marshmallows or jam or honey. 

Building and using fires with children is a wonderful part of many nature-based programmes, and something that we'd really like to do in ours. It takes some time to build comfort in the organization and with the parents, and to get policies approved, but I think we could do it.

(Fiordland Kindergarten)

We actually had two fires during this particular morning, and I build one of them. It was hard to find dry kindling, and then it turned out that the matches were wet, so it was a rough start. I was frustrated to not be able to get it going right away, as I pride myself on being good at starting fires, but everyone was patient, and we got there eventually. We then used the tube canister to the right of me to boil water so we could have milo (healthy version of hot chocolate).

(Fiordland Kindergarten)

As I was building the fire, the children were eating morning tea (snack) and spending time in one of their favourite places, which they've named Pine Cone World. They visit Pine Cone World almost every time, and over the years, they've constructed some amazing things together. This ladder was my favourite.

(Fiordland Kindergarten)

They had also built this hut, which I quite liked. I found that these creations gave the children an even stronger sense of ownership in this natural place, because they'd put thought and effort into building something that stayed and became a part of it.

(Fiordland Kindergarten)

There is a beautiful lake in the reserve where this programme takes place. It wasn't very windy that day, and we spend some lovely time examining our reflections and noticing how they changed when the ripples did come by.

(Fiordland Kindergarten)

Ah, the glories of autumn. We buried each other in leaves, then all got big handfulls to throw into the air at the same time. It was fantastic. I hope I never forget the delight we all find in something as simple as a blanket of fallen leaves.

(Fiordland Kindergarten)

I could go on and on about spending time in nature with children, and all the endless benefits and joys thereof, but I realize that it is not everyone's passion, and so that is probably enough for one dose. I will be posting indoor environment photos at some point, so if, by any chance, you're still looking for more, rest assured that it is coming.

Zealandia with Mary and Jennifer

I know that I said that I would post about my nature-based programming visit to the South Island, and I will. However, some of the pictures that I'd like to share are still on my work computer, so I've elected to wait until next week to post about that.

I also said that we'd be snowboarding this weekend, and that has not happened either, due to J having a pulled muscle in his back. He is on the mend, and we're crossing our fingers for good weather and healthy backs for next weekend. Anyone who holds sway with healing musculature or Whakapapa weather, please put in a good word.

In the meantime, I'd like to share with you some pictures from a completely amazing day I spent at Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary with Mary and Jennifer. They are ECE faculty from Kansas State University who had come to NZ to present at the World Forum on Early Childhood Education in Auckland. I have known Mary all my life, in a variety of ways, and then she was my major professor throughout my undergraduate and masters studies at K-State, which was wonderful. Jennifer has joined the faculty since I left, but I met her last time I went to visit, and she and Mary work together, and it was great to get to know her better. They were able to come down to Wellington for three days before the forum in Auckland, and we spent the weekend doing amazing Wellington things, then had a whirlwind day on Monday meeting with Victoria University's ECE faculty and spending time in my centre and the other university centre location. More about the phenomenal brainstorming and sharing we did later.

Anyway, we did many fun things on Saturday, which was a beautifully sunny day. Then on Sunday it was overcast and a bit drizzly. I was disappointed at first, but then the people at Zealandia said it was perfect to come when it was a bit wet and had rained overnight, because that's when most of the birds were out. Great news! And it proved to be completely true, because we saw an amazing profusion of native birds, including many that I'd never seen in all the time I've been in NZ. I got pictures of some of them, but not all, so I've supplemented my own pictures with ones from the internet, so you can see all the birds (and a few other creatures).

I will skip over some things that I wrote about last time we went (about a year ago with Mom, for the night tour), so if you want to look back at that post, click here.

This picture of a Piwakawaka (Fantail) is actually one I took on the South Island, but we saw lots of them in Zealandia, and I'm deeply proud of having gotten this great shot, so I'm still using it. Piwakawaka love to flit around people and fan their beautiful tails at them. It's quite a wonderful display.

The Takahē, which I saw last time we went, are amazing birds with beautiful iridescent feathers.

Unlike last time, she was spreading her tiny, flightless wings as she groomed, It was pretty cool to see. They still definitely look like wings, although it's clear that she wouldn't be able to get off the ground.

All three of us were amazed by the dense tangles of vines throughout the native bush.

Zealandia has a very successful Kākā rehabilitation programme. The Kākā are even spreading out into Wellington, to some people's consternation, as they use their hooked beaks to pry at anything they can get ahold of, and can do damage to trees, houses, cars, etc. I still think it's amazing that these native parrots are making such a comeback, and I love seeing them around.

(Remember how one of them brought a present to me at home? Click here to read that post.)

They have several different types of Kākā feeders, all of which were swarming with Kākā. I particularly like this one, because I liked watching them stretch up to get the food, and also because it made me think of the world's biggest hummingbird feeder.

Also, hilariously, this Tūī was managing to get food out of the Kākā feeder as well. It was trickier, as Tūī are so much smaller, but this one managed it. A lot of people have Tūī feeders by their houses to attract them, and they are basically smaller versions of this.

We heard and saw many, many Tūī throughout our day. Tūī have two voice boxes, and so can make a wide variety of sounds, including guttural clicks and high, lilting notes. Click here to watch a video so you can hear some of its sounds. I couldn't find one where it was more like singing, but that's okay.

A little hard to see, due to effective camouflage, but this is a Kākāriki, which is a type of parakeet. Kākāriki simply means "green" in te reo Māori, and so is not the most creative name, but the bird is beautiful.

I couldn't resist this fern silhouette. I think I have always been a touch obsessed with ferns.

And to go with the view from below, here's a view from above. We climbed up a lookout tower, and although the view in general was lovely, I just couldn't get over the beauty of this fern!

This is the picture I managed to take of a Hihi, which I'm including only because I'm proud to have gotten one at all.

Here is the internet's picture, which is much more informative, not to mention impressive. Hihi (also known as Stitchbirds) are nationally endangered, but conservation efforts are going well.

We also saw Silvereyes (also known as Waxeyes), but they were a zillion times too fast for my photography skills, so we'll thank the internet again. Silvereyes are thought to have been blown over from Australia, which I find almost unfathomable, especially for such a teeny-tiny little bird. Their colours and distinctive white eye markings are beautiful.

This stately Tuatara had found one of the few places where a sunbeam had broken through the clouds, and was clearly very pleased with herself. As I've mentioned before, Tuatara have been largely unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs, which makes them pretty darn impressive.

At the recommendation of a volunteer, we ventured into this old mine. We were given hard hats (thank goodness, as I bumped my head twice) and red night-vision torches (flashlights), and went in to look for cave wētā.

(Note: This is also the last of my own personal pictures. The rest are supplied by the internet to show you things that we saw, but couldn't photograph.)

In the cave, in the red light of our torches, we saw three cave wētā like this one. They have much longer legs and smaller bodies than the other wētā I've seen in real life, which have mostly been tree wētā. They also jump, unlike other types, which apparently gave the family in there before us quite a fright!

As a bonus, we also saw some glow worms on the ceiling!

Zealandia also has Tree Wētā (Pūtangatanga) houses along the path, which you can open up to see if wētā are living in there. I checked lots of empty ones, but we finally found one. These are also the kind I often find in the Botanic Gardens with my children.

We spotted a Korimako (Bellbird) at the Hihi feeders. They're beautifully subtle and sleek.

These next two are confusing. This is a Riroriro (Grey Warbler), and I'm pretty sure we saw one flitting through the trees. However, it might have been...

... a Pōpokotea (Whitehead). I realize that they look quite different in these pictures, but I maintain that what we saw could meet the description of either. As we'd all have been thrilled to see either one, we'll just be happy.

They are also both similar to this lovely little fellow, the Toutouwai (North Island Robin). I have seen enough of these, though, to recognize them. I remember them especially strongly because I was shocked to discover that robins here do not have red breasts, as I am used to. They are also much smaller than my robin friends in Kansas.

Thanks to an observant small child and his thoughtful father, we got to see a Tīeke (Saddleback). They were actually extinct on the mainland for 80 years, but are now thriving. Pretty exciting, and definitely beautiful. Also, usually I'm all for sticking with Māori names, but I may deviate from that track for this one, because it really looks like a saddle! Can't you imagine a tiny gnome riding on it? (I was going to say fairy, but they already have wings, so why would they do that?)

Our original plan was to spend about two hours at Zealandia, and then go into town and take the ferry out to Matiu Island. But not long into our stroll, we made the wise decision to take our time, go slowly, admire everything, and not worry about getting anywhere else. I'm so glad we did, because we were there for a least five hours, and every minute of it was amazing. We were gloriously lucky to go on a day when barely anyone else was there, and all the birds were eager to be seen. It was so peaceful to walk through the stunningly lush bush, pointing out birds to each other, chatting quietly about all kinds of things, and stopping frequently to fully immerse ourselves in the sights and sounds of this amazing place.

I feel like I say this all the time, but if you come visit, I'll want to take you here! The list gets longer all the time, so if you come, make sure you have plenty of time for adventures! If you want to read more about Zealandia, click here for their website. 

Beauty in Queenstown and Arrowtown

The first week of May, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to the South Island with my teaching team to learn about nature-based programming in early childhood education from some of the best programmes in the country. My head teacher, Kylie, used to work at one of them, and had great connections with the others, as well as inside knowledge of all the places we saw, having lived there for many years. It was fabulous to have such a knowledgeable tour guide. I will write a post about the professional learning we did, but I'm devoting this post to the beauty of the places we visited. Being inspired by the beauty of the natural world is an intrinsic part of nature-based programmes, so being in such stunning places was a meaningful addition to our trip.

We flew from Wellington to Queenstown, and I spent the entire hour-long flight in raptures over the views out the window. I knew that the South Island was very mountainous, but I was amazed to see that almost every bit of it was covered in jagged peaks, some snowy and some not. I've never flown over so many mountains in my life!

Another new life acheivement, while we're at it, was that I went the furthest south I've ever been in my life. We went to Winton, which is near the bottom of the South Island, so that is pretty darn far south. Not a lot past it until you get to Antartica. 

This is Frankton Arm, a small stretch of water that connects to Lake Wakatipu. Frankton is where Kylie used to live, and it is something like a suburb of Queenstown (which is on the shores of Lake Wakatipu).

We stayed at a house in Arrowtown for two nights, and this was the view when we woke up. Queenstown and Arrowtown are surrounded by mountains, and the view in pretty much any direction is amazing, especially in combination with such interesting clouds and sun.

We were lucky to be there in autumn, so we got to see all the beautiful colours. Wellington does get colder in winter, but not enough that many trees take a lot of notice, so we don't get the fiery displays, and I do miss them.

We took a walk by a river, and I noticed that there were lots of stones with a greenish tinge (as well as many other colours). The South Island's Māori name is Te Waipounamu, which means greenstone (jade) waters. It was exciting to imagine that some of those green rocks could turn out to be precious jade.

We walked around Arrowtown for a bit. It has a quaint little downtown, and it was nice to poke around the little specialty shops. Also, I love the variety of colours on the hillside.

My favourite place, unsurprisingly, was The Remarkable Sweet Shop, named after a nearby mountain chain called The Remarkables. They had so many delicious things in there, and you could taste test all the fudge for free! I bought J two extra chocolatey kinds, although I preferred the fruity ones.

We drove up to a high lookout with these amazing views. It was frigidly cold up there in the piercing wind, but totally worth it to see the incredible topography. Queenstown is actually not in this picture but just over to the right. It was in dark shadow, as it apparently is quite a lot of the time. 

We went into Queenstown for a delicious dinner at Madam Woo, one of Kylie's favourite Queenstown restaurants. We walked along the lake for a while before dinner, and as the sun set, the light on the mountains was ethereal. 

When the sun descended a bit further, the light lingered on one single peak, which was glowingly brilliant.

Along with autumn colours, I had almost forgotten the delicate beauty of morning frost. I don't miss true cold at all, but there are things about it that I love, and the way frost forms on leaves is one of them.

This was an area where we spent time with one of the nature-based programmes, and it was such a perfect spot. Even though the day was quite cold, the sun warmed us up, and it was peaceful and serene.

I feel that I could post pictures indefinitely, because everything was so completely gorgeous, but I will stop there. J and I will be snowboarding all next weekend, but I will endeavour to get a post ready before we go. I am a bit daunted by the prospect of trying to fit all the amazingness of the nature-based programmes we saw into a blog post, but I will do my best.