Settling in or setting off?

Will we stay or will we go now?

This week has been a week of settling in for Rangimarie.  She started with her childcare with a young woman down the road.  It went really well - exceeding all my expectations.  Rangimarie seemed very happy to be left there.  There was no crying and she seemed content and animated when I picked her up.  I think she had fun.  Having only one other child her age and lots of attention from her carer and other family members who were visiting probably helped.

I haven't felt like I have had a lot of breathing room yet as she hasn't done her full two-and-a-half hour sessions yet but hopefully this week I will feel like I have enough time to achieve some things.

This week it seems we are pretty set on moving to California as soon as we can secure a job.  I'm going to apply for visas when I get back from Australia.

So coming up next weekend I have a noho marae (weekend retreat) for my weaving class and then the following weekend I'm taking the kids to Australia for a week to visit my Mum.  The start of our traveling rainbows adventure.

What a week!

We found a really sweet young woman to take care of Rangimarie for 10 hours each week.  She lives just down the road and has a baby who is around the same age so hopefully they will be good little friends. I'm really excited to have time for myself, even if I mainly end up doing the washing.

So then the paperwork began.  There were all the forms to fill in for the agency that supports the educator.  Then there were all the bureaucratic hurdles to get a subsidy.  It felt insurmountable but I finally filled in all the forms, collected the 10 or so documents needed to prove my identity and then waited in line to get it all verified. We haven't heard back yet but all going well we will qualify for a decent subsidy.  I love New Zealand and the welfare state.

Then there was a horrific housefire in a neighbouring suburb and one of Manaaki's classmates was killed in the blaze along with her grandmother.  It still rips me apart.  She was the sweetest little girl and her grandmother did a lot for the school. The tangi was on Friday night and I took Manaaki to the first bit and all the kids ran about like crazy until it got later and later and so most parents took their kids home and then we came back.  In the end we were there until about 2am.  It felt good to just sit with people and take the time and then listen to the welcome and sing with each other.  It puts everything in stark relief.  Life is so precious and fleeting.

Our travel plans are very fluid .  One minute we plan to drive through every state.  The next we think a home base and shorter trips will suit everyone better.  There are some job prospects that are looking good but nothing definite yet.  In the meantime I have plans for the garden.  It has been a beautiful crisp day and I managed to weed a little round the front.  We have a magnolia in our garden that takes my breath away at this time of year.  Photos don't really do it justice but here is one anyway.