Ethan » The Best Nest

The New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards celebrates annually the depth and range of talent our home-grown authors can offer kiwi readers.

Ethan devours books at a rate that is hard to keep up with, so we were so happy to receive a package containing novels for review from two of the finalists in the Junior Fiction section.

First on the reading list was Uncle Trev and His Whistling Bull by Jack Lasenby {with the most beautiful dust jacket I have ever seen on a paperback btw!}.

Ethan and I (and of late Dave has joined in) have been taking turns to read chapters from the book, each one a hilarious, stand-alone vignette detailing rural life in 1930′s New Zealand. The characters are rich in personality and gorgeously attractive to young readers. Ethan adores the wild story telling of Uncle Trev and the plucky precociousness of his neighbour Gotta Henry – we all know a character like this, a friend, relly or acquaintance that is forever asking if you’ve “gotta hammer mate?”. I think the familiarity of the tales and the characters they expand are what makes this book so endearing, Uncle Trev and his menagerie of animals, friends, family and others in the wider community could happily exist in any town, in any corner of New Zealand.

Ethan {8.5yrs} has been kept guessing and questioning as he is not sure of the credibility of Uncle Trev, some of his tales seemed to be a little tall – but they are so convincing! Who wouldn’t believe in a man-eating Kauri when it comes from such an esteemed story teller!
Our family has loved reading this book together, there are moments of pure hilarity told in a beautifully ‘kiwi’ way that is warm, recognisable and endearing to readers of all ages.

uncle-trev-and-his-whistling-bull

Image(s) via Booksellers NZ.

So, so much to do and so, little energy! Todays few pain free hours were spent yelling on the sidelines of E’s rugby game {I’m told this can induce labour so am vigorously practicing for the opportune moments coming in the next few weeks}.

Rugby

I haven’t done too much in the nursery over the last couple of weeks as I’m waiting for some prints to arrive, and then …….. I will frame and hang everything, and see what else Lil Hippo’s room needs before it is just right (I’m thinking what we need now are the boring essential-unmentionables like giant maxi-pads and nipple cream), can’t wait to go shopping for those!

But, I did hang the lovely fabric bunting I purchased form Crave a few months ago and I’m rapt with it! It’s bright and vibrant and matches the rest of the nursery in that it matches nothing. I think once I have finished there will be a couple of colours that tie everything together – at least that’s the plan!

The light in the morning can be stunning in our lounge. The happiness when these two are at peace with each other is equally as lovely.

Term 1 draws to a close on Friday and E has started the year as he means to continue; his touch team won the summer club module, he won the backstroke at Swimming Sports and came 2nd in his other events, he has volunteered to assist two special needs kids at school on a rostered basis and is performing at his usual high level both in the classroom and on the rugby field.

The only blemish marring a great 11 weeks at school has been girls. They have been doing his head in all term. Whispering, pointed looks, notes, interruptions of lunchtime rugby games and constant attention have just about driven my young man to distraction. He even booked himself in for not one but two sessions with the school guidance councillor to try and sort through the problems of one so handsome. My visit to his teacher stomped out the flames of passion for a week or two, but last Thursday one little madam took things to a whole new level.

E came home with his first love letter.

A masterpiece of colored pencil and spelling mistakes {E was very unimpressed with her literary failings!}, this three page devotional made Ethan rethink his previous annoyance with girls, he was quietly chuffed. She said he was funny, and so nice, and that she actually really did like him and she begged him not to show everyone at school the letter. He was practically beaming, amazed that someone had taken the time to write all of those nice things about him!

I listened and nodded and shut my mouth even when I wanted to suggest maybe he aim for someone in a higher spelling group. I was Silent Mama, just happy that he wanted to share this momentous occasion with me.

He arrived at school on Friday morning and was promptly told by said madam that it was all a fake! An elaborate ruse and she didn’t mean any of it. My heart broke all the way from Christchurch when Dave text me the news that afternoon. At least E was stoic and assured his Dad that he gave her the heave-ho as soon as he heard the news. At rugby practice that afternoon E sought the sage advice of his coach and older, wiser 9yo team mates who assured him that they had been there and that girls just suck.

A little less huss would cause a LOT less fuss in the classroom I’m sure. Isn’t 8 way too young for this kind of carry on from these girls? I’m trying to instill the Bro’s before Hoes ethos so he will be prepared for the next girl-sneak attack, too bad E is just so damn nice!

Do you remember that sporty guy at school? The one that was good at everything, who had the best gelled spike hair style and who was so cool he came across as mean 70% of the time? He could cut you to the quick with one withering look. These days he’s still really good at sports, probably has a Bieber-esque hair style, def wears fluoro boots and probably won’t invite you over to play.

E’s rugby team had a pre-season game last night against Cool Guy’s team. Throughout the week he hadn’t been too optimistic about the chances of a win, he was convinced Cool Guy had lightening pace and his team was stacked with 15 other Cool Guys who would run all over our boys. I hate that kind of talk. Anyone who knows me will be aware of my opinion that you don’t play to play well, you play to win. It’s fine if you don’t win, often you won’t, but you will never win unless you try, and if you lose you try harder next time.
I talked to E about believing in his team, about all the hard work they had done this pre-season, about this being their third season together and what that meant.
Cool Guys parting words to E at school yesterday afternoon were something delightful along the lines of “we are going to cane you so hard”. Sigh. E just suggested that it would be a fun game.

Cool Guys team went down. They were out-played and spent most of the game defending our try line.
It was awesome. E had the good grace and manners not to rub the fallen heroes nose in it and made sure to congratulate him on a good game afterward. I was very proud of his sportsmanship.

One of our team mums gave me a warning that I may have to pipe down on the sidelines this season as yelling at games started her labour twice last year! Ethan was rapt with this news and the imminent prospect of a quiet and un-embarrasing (HIS WORDS!) season ahead.

An eagerly anticipated annual event for the water-play-starved kids in our little town is the Scout Waterslide. The kids {and their parents and leaders} do an amazing job of using our community’s proximity to the river to create a super fun waterside that recycles all of the water back into the river thanks to a perfectly placed storm water drain!

Ironically, the day it was scheduled was the one day of the last 2 months where it was overcast and drizzly. The kids didn’t care. I even had to bust the umbrella out of the truck!

Once Ethan had slid ~~off~~ down the slide more times than I could count it was time to swim in the river. He surprised Dave and I both by setting off on a long distance swim across the river to a bank under the pylons where some older boys were having fun with the mud. He powered across without stopping, seeing him confidently tackle something I knew he was a bit scared of made all of those years of ~~$$$$~~ swimming lessons worth it.

Mostly it was just the best seeing kids being kids the old-fashioned way, enjoying their community and feeling like they belong somewhere, to something bigger than just their own family.