Gardening leave

Enjoying a jagertee in Salzburg where it was bitterly cold.

It seems that Mama J and I live parallel lives. We both managed our own businesses then gave birth to boys both just weeks apart and managed to do it again 18 months later. Our husbands both quit their jobs at the same time and we put our work on hold to go travelling for a couple of months - at the same time.

I'll leave Mama J to tell you about her exciting adventure in South America, one that I'm really envious of. We've just been visiting family. Not nearly as exciting.

The reason for our travels is that Mr M accepted a job at a new company. As is customary in Europe he has to take 3 month "gardening leave" betweeen jobs so that he doesn't pass on any company secrets. He wanted to go straight to Europe to snowboard and be with his family but I managed to convince him to spend 2 weeks in Australia visiting my family.

Australia was wonderful and we both wished we'd spent more time there depsite the 23 hour flights. The weather was amazing although a little hot for me now at +30C. It was hectic seeing all my family from Sydney to Brisbane and everywhere in between. For me the highlights were spending time with my mother and father and Master R getting to know them better. Also staying at my grandparents farm and seeing Master R's face when he saw the hundreds of chickens! It was wonderful to take him to the beach most days and splash about in the ocean. Little Master T loved being naked most of the time.

Now we're in Austria where it's freezing cold at-10C. We're having a great time here too teaching Master R how to ski, well walk in the skis anyway. If I'm honest I've had a bit much of snowboarding. A couple hours a day 3 times a week is enough for me not all day everyday that Mr M expects. We've also decided to renovate the kitchen and bathrooms so alas, it's really not a holiday at all.

After a holiday it's always nice to get home to a bit of routine. I haven't really felt at home in London since leaving NYC earlier last year. I was secretly hoping that Mr M would get a job in Switzerland. It didn't work out so I'm determined to give London another chance this year. We're going to find a house to buy and I'll get to make it home. Perhaps that's just what I need to call it home sweet home.

A wonderful weekend with Mama V and family

Mama N and Mr M in the kitchen.

Mama V, Master K and Mr A at the farm.

Mama V and Mama N (looking MASSIVE) at the farm.

Chunky Master R and long lean Master K playing ball in our backyard.

Last weekend we had the pleasure of hosting Mama V, Mr A and Master K. Having not seen Master K since February I couldn't believe how tall he is! Such a little sweetie.

Master K and Master R played so well together. On Saturday morning they taught each other some great dance moves and thought it was hilarious. So did we! They were so funny jumping around everywhere, throwing themselves on the ground and then laughing uncontrollably. Master K is the only older friend Master R has played with recently who hasn't beat him up so he appreciated that.

Saturday night Mr M wanted to cook his famous lamb roast for our guests. I think they enjoyed it. He followed up with BBQ 4 course breakfast the following morning. It took so long to eat that we only had a little time to show them our local hangouts and take the boys to the farm. Both Master K and Master R loved chasing the chooks (Australian for chickens) and watching the enormous pigs snore in their sty.

All too soon it was time to leave and Mr A was getting anxious about getting to the airport on time. Once they'd left the house seems so empty and quiet. Master R was exhausted and slept for 4.5 hours! He was asking for Master K when he woke up. We really do want more friends to come and visit please!

My wonderful MIL

Oh yes you read the title correctly. My mother in law really is wonderful, and the FIL too. If I say anything bad about them again please cyber slap me!

We made a last minute decision to actually take a holiday and fly, yes fly at 32 weeks pregnant (!!?!!), to Munich and then drive the 130kms to our apartment in Austria. I was really apprehensive about the whole thing but the doctor signed off on it and the airline allows you to fly up to 36 weeks with a doctor's letter. So off we went. It's only a 1.5hr flight and Master R had his own seat on the plane and was really good the whole way. Same for the car drive into Munich to see Oma and Opa.

After spoiling Master R with lovely presents, Oma and Opa took us to a biergarten for lunch. I stupidly ordered fish and then had to reorder when it arrived and I discovered it was raw fish. My German doesn't extend that far and no one thought there was anything wrong with a pregnant woman eating raw fish! But I reordered and tried not to make a fuss.

There was a summer fair in the park and the grandparents took Master R on his first merry-go-round ride. I thought he'd be scared because it was really fast but he loved it and kept begging for more. Being grandparents they kept giving in and I think he went on it 7 times in total and cried when we had to leave.

The real suprise was when we arrived at our apartment just 130kms away. Knowing that I have OCD when it comes to being clean and tidy Oma had completely cleaned the apartment. I mean completely. There was not a single speck of dust anywhere and no item of furniture or trinket (and there are lots of them) was out of place. The best thing is that they had moved anything that Master R could get at and stored it in their room. It was truly amazing.

It's more amazing given the fact that Opa is currently recovering from surgery for advanced cancer. It's been a tough couple of months and we didn't know how much longer we'd have him with us. It turns out that he's responded really well to treatment and is likely to have more healthy years with us. It touches me that despite the pain he's going through they both made such an effort to have the apartment perfect for us. So much so that they made our bed, bought new artwork to replace the items we didn't like, shopped and filled the fridge so we wouldn't have to worry about food the first few days, bought toys for Master R, filled the terraces with beautiful plants and flowers (as you can see in the picture above), insisted that they wouldn't stay with us even though they'd love to spend all day with Master R, the list goes on.

I am eternally greatful and appreciate having a MIL who is as OCD as me about things being just so. As a result I will not complain when they drink too much, try to take over the parenting, paint our walls canary yellow, decorate the whole apartment to their cluttered taste, put numerous holes in the walls to hang their gaudy artwork, wash my clothes and sheets in so much fabric softener that it gives me rashes in "sensitive" places, dictate when, where and how things will happen, constantly point out any changes in my weight or the regrowth of my hair, order so many knitted items that I'd have to knit for a year to complete them, hmmm really my list is insignificant compared to the beautiful things they have done for us. I wish I had the level of German possible to tell them I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. Right now though they have to be satisfied with vielen dank, alles is perfeckt!

Goodbye New York, hello London

Close to Wagner Park, Battery Park, New York City. Source: http://www.nyc-architecture.com/

Source: BBC London

On Valentine's Day 2009 I said my teary farewell to Battery Park, NYC, my beautiful river front apartment, the cold, crisp days and boarded a plane for London, UK. While I fell in love with Battery Park and the conveniences of New York living, it was saying goodbye to my mama friends that was the hardest.

Mr N and I arrived in NY in June 2007. I soon discovered that I was pregnant. Giving birth to my son Master R in February 2008 opened my life to a whole new circle of friends. I joined HRPMamas eager to meet other mums but only expecting to make acquaintances.

The whole process was a bit like dating. After trying a few different groups, I found the mamas in the financial district and it just clicked. Like any new relationship it took a while to form, but soon we were truly friends - driven together initially for the need to socialise with someone other than our newborns and overworked husbands/partners.

Together us mums and our babes spent many a summer afternoon spread out on rugs under the tree in Wagner Park. It was one of the best summers of my life. Real bonds of friendship and joint experiences were formed - not to mention lots of chocolate milkshakes and cupcakes!

My transatlantic move and being torn away from these wonderful friends sparked the idea to start a blog. It's a way for us to keep in touch, but also a way to "reach out" (see I did learn some American?) to other mothers and share the many ups and some downs of being a mum/mom.

Mama N mother of Master R