The unexpected

It's not always posies and fresh vegetables round here. The last wee while we have had a few unexpected events occur. Mr. Fox's car was broken into and the ignition busted off/broken. It is rather amazing that car was not taken. The police suspect that culprit was disturbed.

Despite the cost and annoyance we mostly felt relief. Thank goodness the car was not actually stolen; for now we can repair instead of replace it.  We feel cross that we left it on the street as we normally park it up the driveway; this particular evening we were both shattered from a busy day and just forgot.  It has been a timely reminder to be vigilant with security.

This wee incident has made me ponder a great deal about how we react to situations. Mae watches our every move and has been mimicking our behaviour with brilliant accuracy. When we found the car had been broken into I was rather shocked that I didn't want launch into a hissy fit. Instead after the initial jolt I felt relief ... no-one was hurt, we still had the car and it was the least valuable of our two cars.

Hunting for tomatoes

Parenthood and the loss of my mother has changed me. Stuff that would have seemed world shaking before is put in perspective. For this I am so grateful. Our example to Mae that day could have been so different; Mr. Fox could have come inside angry and spiteful, I too could have been swept up in the unfairness of it all.  But gee life has taught us that things like cars/money aren't the important things. So instead I hope we were an example of resilience and somewhat flustered adaptability (most of the time anyway!).

We have sourced some parts for the car and it is being fixed up. It has cost us less than we imagined to be repaired. Unlike fixing the roof which seemed to swallow money! But in the end it balances out and we manage. Unexpected can be good too. Mr. Fox was offered a job opportunity to go to Israel. He had a couple of days to decide and about a week to get organised. It was with much excitement he said yes. Yes to an incredible adventure.

Handyman at work

It was rather a long ten days for us girls at home. We missed Toby very much. Parenting alone is manageable but infinitely more tiring and a whole lot harder. I take my hat off to all those Mums and Dads who are doing it solo. We were lucky to fill our days with friends and activities. A sweet pal from Dunedin stayed the night and it was fantastic to reconnect. We spent time with friends who are off on their own exciting travels. A warm afternoon at the viaduct with an old friend and her wee boy filled in an afternoon too. Mae suddenly started sleeping through the night and has continued to do so. Now that is a very welcome change....unexpected but wonderful. 

Exploring Silo Park