WHERE'S BEST TO LIVE IN NZ ETC :PART 6!!!

[AngryBeaver]

Wow! Part 6...got to be a record.

MN Towers, where's our prize?!

I could do with one with a padlock ATM Justabout! DD is taking 2 hours to settle at night. Not crying. Just up and down wanting attention. I'm getting tough this evening. I need a .

(Any advice anyone?)

We have similar - always the same two that mess on. We ask them to chose which wheelie bin they want to sleep in - the red one or the blue one? After about 20 minutes we then stick them on the doorstep and close the door telling them they can sleep outside (in the wheelie bin) or in their beds Works every time

Hello girls! It's the most gorgeous Spring day here at LAST - but we had a bit of snow yesterday and the skies have mostly been leaden as usual these past weeks - it feels like the longest winter on record!! Anyway, great to catch up with you all. Loved the wheelie bin vignette!
DS (9) is a nervous wreck right now (for no obvious reason - fear of intruders, 'is the door definitely locked', etc) and constantly pads down to let us know he's still not asleep - usually at a key moment in Downton Abbey series three (I am a woman obsessed, the last person in the UK to 'discover' DA)! I took him for the most lovely relaxing cranio-sacral session a week or so ago, which did seem to help for a few days, but he's up to his old tricks as of last night, sigh!
No news yet on the Auckland front but should hear soon, still also keen on Tauranga but still no jobs there - one day I am sure the right thing will turn up! Meanwhile, lots of love to you all xxx

Time the moment that you insert series one, episode one into your dvd player very carefully my friend...because the rest of life suddenly becomes unimportant and trivial in comparison to the addictive world of DA! I always wondered what all the fuss was about - not any more

I was going to download the first episode, now I'm scared!

It's been rainy and I left the laundry out last night by mistake and of course realized this morning I haven't got any way of dring clothes indoors. Our conaier will only be here on the 20th April, which means 30th before it will be delivered. SO, do I buy an inside clothes horse type thingy? Even though I have two in the container? Or do i white knuckle it and hope the weather clears long enough for laundry to dry?

I've gone off Downton Abbey, loved it at first but not so much now.

frik there will be plenty of dry days you can still hang washing out and it will still dry in a day even as the weather cools down in autumn. OTOH, clothes agrees are only $13 at the Warehouse so it wouldn't be a terrible idea to get one in case we get several days of rain at once...

clothes AIRERS of course, not agrees. What is it with autocorrect?

Ok, so bought a clothes horse dryer thing from warehouse, 20$ couldn't find a 13$ one whatshesaid. But actually, I feel fine about t because when my nice one arrives, this one can be relegated to the garage washroom for hanging beach stuff on.

We went kayaking on our new kayak yesterday!! It. Was. AWESOME. only casualty was DDs hat which blew into the sea and DH and I spent so much time buggering around trying to fish the bloody thing out with oars instead of getting out into the KNEE DEEP water, it disappeared. So, while I was at my sewing lesson last night (shove over Stella, there's totes not room for the two of us) DH took DD to buy a hat. The only store open was Kathmandu and while he was there they told him it was the start of their sale today, so guess where DH and I have been....... I can't bear to even think about how much we just spent....... But n our defense we have been in the ME for so long we literally don't even own a rain coat. We bloody do now though.

Which brings me to justas ie maker. Because we are also now really really over budget for this month and pie making sounds just the thing, especially as uber fussy DD likes pies. Although, DH just told me that buying a pie maker after we JUST had the we are so over budget talk, kind of defeats the object.....

Littlestkiwi - thanks, the safe T sleep looks like just the thing. And there's a special price for two of them, a mere $250

Frik - the kayaking sounds great! Must get round to it before the end of the summer, the kids loved it the last couple of years.

Justa- sympathies with your admin nightmare, I won't go on about my dealings with winz but they're not fun (still don't actually have the money they agree they owe me...)

Artful- have a look on trademe. I managed with one and you can only use them till your wee one learns to undo velcro. There are places that sell them new like this one:

www.trademe.co.nz/baby-gear/sleep-aids/safety-wraps/auction-573895204.htm

Frik- we ran out of money three days into this fortnights salary. Sob.

Well we are here. We arrived in Christchurch just over a week ago. Now the big hunt for somewhere to live starts. The girls love it here, so many parks. They are desperate to go to school, but can't until we find somewhere to live. We visited a school to see what NZ schools are like and was really impressed with what we saw.

We have a few houses to look at later on in the week really like the one we are looking at on Thursday.

Is there anyone in Christchurch or are you all on North Island?

I'm a lurker in North Canterbury. Welcome to Chch! Where are the houses you are looking at?

Yes it is!!!! Your sanity IS worth a dollar a throw!!!

Kmart here doesn't have the pie maker :-( but I did sit down to do the meal plan and will go do the meal plan shopping on Friday morning while DD is at kindy and DH goes to hit some golf balls.

Well done for delurking febes and welcome notfarmingatthemo, am with you on the parks. DD said to me today, mom, it's just so esksighting! So many! :-)

Littlest, we are both currently unemployed, and we did have a budget so we don't have to panic, but we haven't actually managed to STICK to the budget..... So now I am panicking

Hi to notformingatthemo. Glad you are settling in. We are away for a week over Easter and then the job hunt begins in earnest. Hoping to arrive end of Sept. Will watch your posts with interest.

@Febes we are looking mainly north Christchurch. Parklands, Burwood, Northwood, Belfast and as far north as Kaiapoi. I don't think we are very fussy. We want to rent.

Hi ulcombebird, get your dh to email mine he has found out some useful stuff re job. My dh started work monday and is enjoying it

Plenty of pie makers on trademe, I'm tempted...ds(16) keeps complaining I don't buy interesting enough pies - he can make his own then.

Justa, Friday is the one day I have help with the kids, am free from about 12, where are you meeting? I can bring the twins, or not.

Could have murdered ds(12) this morning - suddenly announced just as he was off to school he has water sports today - kayaking, paddle boarding, windsurfing, the lot - he didn't want to go and I had to run round finding all his togs etc. How brilliant is that compared to a day at school??? Kiwi kids are so lucky to have access to this stuff, and he doesn't appreciate it . Hopefully my younger ones will just think its normal as they grow up here, and be more natural water babies...

In Mairangi Bay? No problem. Will probably bring babies and little ds and someone else to chase him around while I relax . If you decide on an exact time let me know, looking forward to it!

I know it's been said before but I just had to buy dd two items of school uniform - $113 . I love NZ but I'll never get used to that.