Tuesday 30th December 2008

Only 2 days left of 2008 and what a year it has been....certainly one for the books for the Robertson family and I don't think we will ever have another one quite so eventful....a new baby and a new country all within 12 months, eish, scary when I think about it.

This afternoon we took the children swimming at the Aztec pools at one of our local gyms. You have to be very careful here what you take photos of and there is absolutely no photography allowed anywhere children can be found in swimming costumes....they are very concerned about child abuse and protecting children's rights and I must admit before I came here I never really gave it any thought, but now I am quite relieved to know that no weirdo can be shooting pics of my darling daughter for sick and perverted reasons.

Nic was dressed in a little swim suit Tanya gave him a while back and the whole family spent a very happy 2 hours swimming in the heated pool...bizaar to think that outside the temperature was only marginally above freezing and indoors it was lovely and warm and Megs and Phil had a ball sliding down the slides and actually being able to act like children....health and safety in this country can be a bit strict especially when it comes to swimming and the older two do feel it, so they were delighted today when we found an activity not unlike South Africa.

An early night tonight in preparation of New Years Eve tomorrow....am feeling quite excited about it. Now that we are through, and coped really well with Christmas I am feeling very very positive about the future.....oh and the fact that my folks are scheduled to be here in about 4 months certainly helps.

How my children have changed

Today I stumbled upon this photo of Megan and Phillip taken days before we left South Africa and I can't believe how much they have changed in the last 7 months....not only have they slimmed down and toned up but they seem much more mature confident children.

I think having the responsibility of being allowed to walk into the village on their own (or Megan at least) and being able to play outside in the streets has toughened them up somehow and they are now a bit more streetwise then they were before.....I know that this doesn't necessarily seem like a good thing, but I think it has done them good to get out from under the over protective "wrapped in cotton wool" environment that was their past and into this new huge world with loads to discover.

In some respects however we are paying the price, they are more "mouthy" then they would ever have dared be in South Africa and they are more willing to stop and chat with strangers which I have to watch constantly, just because people are generally nice and friendly and we are greeted by every person we pass when we walk doesn't mean that the world is not full of sick people and it is difficult to teach them how to distinguish between the two.

I am ever so grateful that I am able to be a stay-at-home mom (in the true sense of the word) as at least I am here when they return from school and have been able to meet and get to know their friends. I think in a country where public transport is so accessible to them, and the independence that that brings, as parents we have to be even more vigilant of what they are doing and who they are spending time with then in South Africa where we can rely on fences and gates to protect them.

All said, I love the people they are becoming and I am so thrilled to have been able to give them this life changing experience and to have opened up their lives as we have....they have coped amazingly well with all the changes and literally seem to be blossoming before my eyes.

Sunday 28th December 2008

Spent just about the entire day upstairs on my bed with Nicholas, reading my book and hiding from the icy cold weather....it is nice to have time off with nothing to do (yup the ironing got left again) Simon and Phil were playing with Phil's new games and Megs was engrossed in in her DS.

At about 3pm Si suddenly decided that we needed to get out, so layered up in a vast amount of clothing and protesting slightly (it was -1 outside and the frost was still thick on the ground from the night before) we set off for a stroll into town to feed the ducks on the pond and then down to the park for the children to burn off some pent up energy.

Turned out to be a lovely idea and we came home chilled and invigorated and longing for hot chocolate and the central heating.

Saturday 27th December 2008

Spent the morning ironing as I have basically done nothing since Si and the kids went on holiday and I decided I had better get on with it....4 hours and 4 back to back episodes of Gilmore Girls and I am about 3/4 of the way through so should finish tomorrow....which will teach me to leave it for so long.

Joined Kerry, Rob and friends for tenpin bowling and then a light supper at Pizza Hut which was lovely fun...Megan and Phil beat all the grownups in our team and are feeling as proud as punch with themselves. We are really beginning to feel like part of something here and our friendships are growing in depth and dimension which is awesome.....we certainly have been very blessed with the people who have been sent into our lives since we arrived here.

The Christmas Season

Now that Christmas is actually here I have to say that it is not nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be....I had a small melt down after speaking to my mom on Christmas Eve when the reality of what we were missing was very stark and a little more then I could manage - at that moment I decided that, apart from my parents, the only way to survive this first Christmas was to distance myself from all things South African for the next 48 hours...so for those of you who send texts and received no answer, it is because my mobile will be off until the morning of 27th December when Christmas is behind us and we are on our way to the new year.

Christmas eve was very different from what we are used to, dinner was a plate of saucy cheese and bacon chips (Megan's request) and then a walk down to Lindfield for Carols by Candlelight in one of the local churches....the service was lovely (even though we only recognised 2 of the carols) and a good reminder of what Christmas is all about - I like the children to be reminded that Christmas is about Jesus and not them, and although I want them to love their gifts and all the excitement it is also important to stop at times and celebrate our saviour. Once we returned home, I baked Si and I our traditional mince pies and we sat down to wrap presents before heading up to bed relatively early in anticipation of the dawn present unwrapping.

As expected the children where in our rooms bearing presents from Santa at a little after 6am and I am pleased to say that they were both delighted with their gifts and once again Santa had got it right. A brief conversation with my folks to wish them Happy Christmas before they left for the day at my Uncle and Aunt's farm and then it was downstairs for the rest of the unwrapping. For the first time this year I didn't bring out my camera and instead actually lived in the moment as opposed to just capturing it to document later, and I have to say it was great fun to be helping rip paper and put things together instead of just watching Simon do it through the lens. All the children (including Nicholas) seem very pleased with their presents and at around 7.30am Nic and I headed back upstairs for a little more sleep before leaving for Kerry and Rob's for lunch.

Lunch was perfect and this wonderful family opened up their home and their hearts to both the us and another South African couple here without family so that we could all have a happy day instead of sitting at home dwelling on what we have lost. Rob had decorated the cabin beautifully and the meal was out of this world....3 meats, 5 vegetables, roast potatoes to die for and 3 puddings including Peppermint Fridge Tart which was finished almost before it was put on the table......tasted just like home and it was wonderful to sit with other South African's and enjoy it.

Liesel and AJ

Rob and Kerry

The cabin where we enjoyed our Christmas lunch

Rob had decorated the whole room in gold and white, absolutely stunning and reminded me a little of mom's home

Donay, Zac, Phillip, Ben and Megs enjoying lunch together

Boys relaxing before lunch

Getting into the Christmas spirit

Nic enjoying his new Christmas present

In the Santa suit Kerry and Rob gave him for Christmas

After lunch the men all jumped in the Viljoens hot tub for a marinade and the girls killed time chatting and laughing until a game of Cranium finally ended a lovely day and we arrived home at around 9.30pm exhausted and happy.

Boxing day was another bitter sweet day with our thoughts turning often to Brett, Charlene and Tegan who have spent every boxing day with us for at least the last 10 years.....but again we made a determined effort and have enjoyed lazing around the house playing with Christmas presents, eating chocolate and watching one movie after another. We took the children out briefly to buy presents with their Christmas money from Granny and Papa (another new tradition that we have started....in England just about everything goes on sale of Boxing day and you can pick up the most amazing bargains). They are both thrilled with their purchases - Megs has two new DS lite games and Phil found himself 4 PSII games so all in all a good afternoon.

We have just finished our final meal of the festive season and during it each family member had the opportunity to talk about what they have loved and found hard over the past couple of days and although missing family and friends definitely came up, the general consensus seems to be it was a good one and the children are at peace. So for now I am just so relieved that we have all made it through Christmas in one piece and are still happy to be where we are not matter the cost.

Tomorrow we are off tenpin bowling with Kerry and Rob for Kerry's birthday and Si and the children still have another week on holidays so I am sure there are lots of happy memories still to come.

Tuesday 23rd December 2008

As many of you know I have often used the song "Some days are diamonds and Some days are stone" to describe our life here and as I sit tonight, a couple of days before Christmas and look back over the past 7 months I am thrilled to realise that we have had more diamonds then stones and today was another one.

Megan and I enjoyed a lovely walk into the village this morning to finally post some last minute Christmas cards and buy a present for a birthday party she was off to this afternoon - it was good to have some girl time as we are now outnumbered in our house 3 to 2 and some times the testosterone levels get a little bit too high (lol).

Megs spent the afternoon at a horse riding party and it was such a stunning idea, the 8 children where all given a 1 hour riding lesson and it was fantastic. Megs is totally hooked and it is definitely something I would like to get her involved in some time next year - her little pony "Tammy" was an absolute delight and she was even cantering by the end of the hour.....took me back to happy times spent riding with my aunt on their farm, and I could see the same love of horses developing in her before my eyes.

I was also blessed enough to experience another first today, and what a first it turned out to be.....my friend Catherine is one of the luckiest people I know and she wins just about every raffle she enters, anyhoo, she had won tickets to see the Nutcracker in Brighton at our school fair and chose me to go along with her. Now an evening at the ballet would not necessarily have been my first choice but I went along - a first - and I am so glad that I did, it turned out to be in a very fancy theater in Brighton, and was performed by the St Pietersburg Ballet Company (direct from Russia for only 5 performances) which was something to behold. The costumes where out of this world and I sat totally entranced while the troupe performed in the most effortless way, literally appearing to float across the stage....breathtaking!

We caught the train in and then walked down to the theater (about 15 minutes) and I love Brighton during the day but oh WOW it is fantastic at night, so vibrant and busy...I made Catherine walk back up to the station once the show had finished just so that I could experience being out on the streets for a little bit longer (she is now totally convinced that I am a mad South African lol). Si spent the evening with Kerry and Rob as we have not managed to get Nic to take a bottle successfully and I think he was a bit worried he was going to have a screaming baby for 5 hours, but Kerry came to the rescue and "mommied" my littlest for me for the evening and it was a great success.....once again, don't know what I would do without the Viljoen family.

Don't think I am going to be able to sleep tonight, am on such a high from an AWESOME evening....loving my life!!!!!

Monday 22nd December 2008

After a bit of a false start (Satnav took us to the wrong place...they are not infallible it would seem) we finally arrived at Seven Sister Country Park near Eastbourne. The park comprises of 280 hectares of chalk cliffs, meandering river valley and open chalk grassland and is named after the famous Seven Sisters that form part of the chalk cliffs on the Sussex Heritage Coast, one of Britain's finest unspoilt coastlines.

On arrival the weather was positively dismal but we decided to press on and enjoy the lovely picnic lunch I had packed before deciding whether or not to go for a walk or just call it a day and head home.....as the children had already been in the car for over an hour and it was another hour home Si and I decided there would be no harm in stretching our legs and as it wasn't actually raining we would be thoroughly British and not let a little mist get us down.

The children and Si were thrilled to find this old relic from WWII

My children really do love each other and I love moments like this when I can capture that feeling

Turned out to be the right decision and we had a wonderful afternoon traversing this beautiful park where the scenery is spectacular and it was a real novelty to stroll amongst the grazing sheep and eventually find ourselves on the beach surrounded by huge cliffs. Fantastic photo ops and I was once again totally happy shooting away at anything that would stand still long enough while the children played in the puddles and Si and Nic took a slow stroll along the path.

As the temp dropped the children resorted to the Santa Hats for warmth, couldn't resist the opportunity to get some Christmas shots

And then there were 3

Had an early dinner at the Golden Galleon a lovely authentic little pub overlooking the park, Simon and my food was divine, the children's was a bit of a dissapointment, but overall a worthwhile experience and it just seemed to round off an otherwise totally English day....one thing can certainly be said for our lives since arriving here, we are definitely no longer treading water, but rather really living our lives and seeing everything we can see.

Sunday 21st December 2008

Another very lazy weekend, Si and the children are now all on holiday and we used the weekend to really ease into a relaxed state of mind....Saturday afternoon Megs had Lydia round to hang while I sat and watched "How to lose a guy in 10 days" for about the 25th time, and I loved it all over again.

This morning Meg was out to visit Lydia and then this afternoon and evening she is out with Sophie, so she is on top of the world and loving the social whorl that her life has become since we have moved here. With a Megan sized hole in the house, my little Phillip didn't really know what to do with himself so I decided a walk was in order and it turned out to be a real treat.

The weather is warming up and it was around 10 degrees when we head out at around 3pm.....a slow stroll through town, a quick football game in the park (between me and Phil as Si is nursing a nasty cold) and then into the "Standup Inn" a little pub in the High street for a cider and guinness on the way home - I think Phillie enjoyed being an "only child" for a little bit (Nick slept all the way) and it was wonderful to have some good quality time with him. We are going to try and take a walk everyday during the holidays and plan on heading down to the Seven Sisters park near New Haven tomorrow.

Friday 19th December 2008

I did it, I made my way all the way into London on the train and back without hitch and with Nick and I still in one piece.....now to those of you living in England, particularly the ones who have been here a while, that probably doesn't seem like such a big deal, but trust me to someone who only caught her first train a couple of months ago, it was AMAZING and I felt incredibly powerful and it is like I have unleashed a monster as I am already planning my next adventure.

Today has done a couple of things for me in fact.....(1) restored my faith in human kindness - as Si was at work, I had Nick, his stroller, a nappy bag (and we all know how BIG those are) and a bag of presents to get on and off trains and more specifically up and down flights of stairs at the stations, and every time someone offered to help me carry the pram thus making the trip so much easier and reminding me that nice people do still exist in the world.....(2) reminded me that I can do ANYTHING I set my mind to and do it successfully, again I know this probably sounds crazy, but for me going into a strange suburb of a strange city completely on my own was totally daunting and coming out the other side unscathed has restored my belief in myself.....(3) allowed me to enjoy the privilege of living in a relatively safe country, and I am NOT South Africa bashing, it is simply that I was able to walk 5kms return trip from Wandsworth Town Station to the Riverfront completely on my own, without feeling threatened at any time, and although I was careful and I did watch my back, at no time did I find myself in anything even resembling a dangerous situation......(4) cemented my belief that a satnav is something you just have to own, and it can be set to "walking directions", admittedly I did get a few strange looks from the locals as the satnav (strategically placed on the roof of Nick's pram) told me to "turn right in 300m" - Si made an interesting observation tonight, he said that at least if it had been stolen by an enterprising thief I would have heard it ask him to politely "turn round when possible" (lol)......(5) I am living a dream, this really hit me today perhaps more so then ever before, when I found myself strolling through London with an electric blue sky and icy weather and I felt totally and completely alive

After dropping the presents with the concierge at Andrew's apartment, I took a lovely stroll along the Thames and then fed Nicholas in Wandsworth Park which was first opened in 1903 - nothing like a bit of history to round off the day.

OMG the English are fit....

I know I know, I have said this before, but today my trip home from clinic was another stark reminder of this fact, and I just have to capture it.....picture this.

As has become my tradition, a visit to the clinic is not complete without a visit to the village bakery as well, for a warm sausage roll and some kind of delish danish, now the weather has become too cold for eating by the pond (although this morning the mercury hit 6 degrees and it is positively balmy in comparison to what we have been experiencing) so on my way home I am standing in the queue outside the shop (yes the goodies here are so delish you queue all the way down the pavement for them) and I start chatting to this dear old English gentleman about Nicholas (cooing endearingly in his pram), the gentleman happens to mention, in conversation about his grandson, that he is 75 years old.....

Well we continue chatting until our turn arrives to be served and then it so happens that we are both walking home in the same direction...and this is where it just gets sad (or rather, pathetic in my case)....we head off together and before long I am positively jogging up the road next to him heaving and wheezing as I try to catch my breath, needless to say the old dear took pity on my and said his goodbyes and before I knew it all I could see was the soles of his feet as he strode off across the park, but the time I reached the corner he was out of sight, and I was positively exhausted! No wonder there are more people over 75 years old in this country then there are under 5....they are so damn fit I swear they live forever.

Dishwasher being fixed today, it has been a long two weeks without it and I am frantically wrapping Christmas presents for teachers and family and friends at home - oh and watching Gilmore Girls of course.

Wednesday 17th December 2008

A very quiet week so far, lots of lovely long conversations with family and friends both here and in South Africa which has been a special treat....it is really amazing what technology can do, I mean not even as long as 20 years ago I would have been relying on snail mail to stay in touch and now I can talk for free over the net or for a paltry 3 pence per minute on the land line - viva technology!!!!

The children are singing in their little school performance tonight, it is very sweet, the show belongs to the reception and year ones with the rest of the school providing "backing" music - it should be lovely and there will be spiced pimms and mince pies served afterwards and that is always a treat.....am becoming very fond of my mulled wine and spiced pimms (hic).

Clinic tomorrow and then up to London on my own on the train on Friday to drop off gifts for Andrew to take back to SA with him and then Simon and the children are off until 5th January....I am terribly excited, it will be phenomenal to have people around all the time and loads of family fun, it may be freezing outside, but we are still going to try and make the most of it.

Sunday 14th December 2008

I know I say this almost every week, but once again I simply can't believe that another weekend is upon us, or in this week's case already over. Not as busy a weekend as last, Friday night Phillip went to see Return to Africa with the Beavers and I ended up with two ladies popping in and staying for a cup of tea - it was lovely to have an impromptu visit and the house had a fantastic festive buzz in it all evening.

Saturday was the children's Christmas Fair at school and despite the pouring rain and icy weather it turned out to be a great success....I was in charge of the book stall which was right up my alley and Si kept me company for most of the afternoon while Phil hung with his mates and Meg manned her own stall in the Year 6 room. I was very very proud of my daughter, she had taken tremendous pride in her stall and decorated it with tinsel to make it look a bit more festive...by far the most "professional" booth in the hall and she managed to raise over 8 pounds which considering her game was 20 pence per go was no small feat.

Today we decorated our tree in the morning and Meg and I sat writing our Christmas cards together, things are starting to look up a little for the festive season and although we won't be home with family, our new friends have stepped up to the plate and invited us into their homes so it is Christmas Day with Kerry and Rob and New Year's Eve with Ligia and Rob....I am actually starting to look forward to it now and I am sure that once Si and I have wrapped all the presents and put them under the tree we will be right into the holiday spirit.

One more week until the children break up and Simon goes on leave which will be lovely - Si is on leave for the whole Christmas school holiday....only 2 weeks in this country (how weird is that) so we should get to spend some wonderful quality time together.

Thursday 11th December 2008

Today I decided to blow off clinic and head down to Brighton on my own on the train to fetch a couple of Christmas presents and to have a look around at a nice leisurely pace.

It was my first time on the train on my own and I have to confess to some butterflies in my stomach as I approached the platform, but before long I felt like a seasoned traveller and can honestly say I won't be driving again - the trip consists of 15 minutes of lovely scenery and Brighton Station is very clean and efficient so all in all a real pleasure and it reinforced my love of overland trains.

Taking a slow stroll through the lanes I was entranced by the tiny shops all beautifully decorated for Christmas, the air was filled with the scent of roasting garlic as there are literally hundreds of tiny restaurants scattered through the area. The air was icy and everyone was dressed up against the winter, but the air felt clean and crisp and I felt totally happy.

After finishing some shopping at Kath Kidson, such a stunning store, the draw of the sea became too strong and Nic and I headed down to the promenade for a stroll. As you can imagine on a week day morning in the middle of winter the beach was totally deserted and I soon found a bench to sit and enjoy the view while feeding Nicholas. It was a slightly surreal feeling I have to say, I am used to the power and passion of the Indian Ocean and I adore sitting for hours on the sand watching the surf and clearing my head....here I found myself sitting with my feet in pebbles watching water as flat as a millpond and it was strangely peaceful - it will of course NEVER replace my love of the sea as I have known it all my life, but I am able to see a unique beauty in this view of the ocean as well.

Santa Claus is in town....

I have taken to doing my weekly shopping on a Wednesday evenings now when Sainsburys is quieter and I can leave little Nicholas at home with his dad. Megs and I get to spend some quality girls time sourcing all the groceries for the family and the boys get some bonding time at home.

Well tonight we had just returned home, having driven past the FROZEN pond in the middle of the village, I am not joking, the ducks were all standing on the ice looking very confused...when as I turned into our lane there was the sound of loud Christmas music behind me and people running all over the estate....Santa had literally come to town.....and there he was in his "sleigh" collecting money for the Haywards Heath Lions - needless to say Megan was out of the car in a flash and it didn't take Phil long to realise that something was up and he was out to investigate....what a lovely moment, and it made me feel a little bit more like Christmas and I am now quite looking forward to dressing the Christmas tree this weekend.

What I know for sure since living in England

• -1 degree (which it is outside as I sit typing) is very very very very very cold
• 20 degrees (which is what my central heating is set at) feels like a balmy South African spring day and is really warm in comparison to outside
• You can't defrost your car with water too far before you plan to leave as it will be frozen over again in 10 minutes
• you really can slip and slide on frozen puddles
• I LOVE the cold - bizaar that, as I also LOVE the heat, but we are apparently having one of the coldest winters experienced in the last 10 years here and we are doing well
• The English NEVER stop talking about the weather
• You have to LOVE the country you are living in to survive, so find the positives and focus your energy on them
• You can LOVE two countries at the same time and feel equally passionate about them both....before this move I always used to say (and Linnie you will remember this conversation) if you are going - go - renounce your citizenship and get it over with.....well I am not too proud to say I eat my words, the fact that I love England doesn't make me love South Africa any less and I am a very passionate ambassador for our country (the one of our birth that is).
• There are problems EVERYWHERE you just have to choose the ones you can live with
• Being away from family is very very very hard, but you can survive it
• The English rugby team is rubbish - go Boks!!!!!!
• Strangers really are just friends you haven't made yet, I have met the most awesome people since I have been here and am starting to make some real friendships, it is a slow but rewarding process
• I am a very STRONG woman, now some of my dear friends are always telling me this, but it is only through this move that I have realised it....well strong, or stupid.....I mean I made it, I move countries at 6 months pregnant, had a preterm baby and survived WITHOUT postnatal depression.....viva la mind over matter!
• Never underestimate a child's ability to adapt to a situation, and LEARN from them, I am even starting to look at situations and think "how would Megan or Phillip react to this" and let me tell you it makes life much easier if you can adopt their willingness and ability to just go with the flow
• I have an incredible husband....he supports me in everything and really does complete me
• Something as trivial as the weather doesn't have to determine whether or not you are happy
• I have INCREDIBLE friends, they are some of the wisest, strongest and funniest women on the planet
• Immigration is a very different experience for everyone, and NO two are the same
• Life is what you make it, you can dwell and be miserable or you can find that happy moment and I think for me, someone who has spent time down there in the black hole for depression, both here and in South Africa, that that is the most important lesson I have learned, and it has CHANGED my life
• Your parents are with you every minute of every day no matter how far apart you are...the umbilical cord just stretches

Wow, I could just go on and on and on.....I have learned so much through this journey and I said to Si the other day, even if we fail and find England is not ultimately the place for us, nobody can take away from us what we have learned and experienced and I can honestly say that without this major move from our comfort zone and everything we know and love we would have missed out on a very special part of our lives.

Tuesday 9th December 2008

I have decided that if you are going to immigrate, you should probably have a baby at the same time.....it is simply the BEST way to make friends (lol). Seriously though, I am very grateful for the girls that I have met through my NCT class, we are becoming a group of friends and offer support and encouragement to each other, which really does help when you are so far away from home.

Last night we decided to meet up for the first time without the babies, and it was lovely to sit in a cocktail bar (no pub for us lol) and drink chilled white wine and just relax, we talked for hours and hours and have decided that it is definitely something we are going to do on a monthly basis. This morning the same group was off to baby rhyme time at the library and hot chocolate afterwards at the Cafe' Rouge and on Friday we are all off for a walk at Wakehurst Place, so lots on to keep me busy.

One of the girls is leaving for Cape Town tomorrow on a holiday and it was whilst sitting at the cafe' talking about South Africa that a post made by Caroline on her blog a couple of days ago really rang true. Caroline was commenting on the tragedy that in South Africa the victim is now so often blamed for the crime, you know the drill, someone is attacked in their home and the immediate reaction by most people who hear the story is "oh well she didn't have security" or "why did she open her door to a stranger after dark" or "they should never have been driving with their windows open, what where they thinking."

As is so often the case when discussing South Africa with "outsiders", the subject of the crime rate is inevitable and while I continue to be an ambassador for a beautiful country it was after relating the very sad story of the two deaths in Hillcrest recently and watching the reaction of the English people I was sitting with that I truly understood Caroline's comments - these women were not desensitised to the horrors of the crime and it never crossed their minds that in some way the victims could have been responsible for their attacks. At the same time I understand why many South Africans (and myself included) have taken the other attitude, because if we think that the victim was in some way responsible, then it means that we have some kind of control over whether or not we fall victim to the crime ourselves, and that makes day to day life bearable.

Such a conundrum, and not something I have any answer for, but at the risk of offending readers, I have to say that I am grateful to be living in a country where a murderer is caught and prosecuted and the horror of the story is spread over every newspaper and the family of the victim are supported and nurtured by their community. As many of you know we left South Africa not because of the crime, but for Simon's job opportunities and for future opportunities for the children, but it is since being here that I can look back and realise the stress that we were living under and I can honestly say that we may not have left due to crime, but it is probably the reason that we would never return.....and that makes me immeasurable sad.

Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th December 2008

Friday night carol singing was an absolute blast....unfortunately, as with all schools I have been involved in, it was the "usual few" that showed up, but we gave it our best and managed to raise about £100 for the school in a little over an hour, not bad for 5 kids and 5 moms......let me tell you it was an experience which I am glad I didn't have to do in Hillcrest where I actually know people.

Saturday Phil had a birthday party which Megs stayed at to keep the birthday boy's sister company and it gave Si and I the much needed opportunity to go shopping for Phil's christmas presents....fortunately he was far more inspired than I and we returned home fully laden and finished with regards to present buying yippppeeeeeeeee and it is not even the 10th of December, some sort of record in this family I am sure. The birthday party was followed by a quick stop at the Garden Center in Ditchling to show the family the decorations and lights and then home for early bed in preparation for our trip to London on Sunday.

Not a hysterical start on Sunday morning (which made a nice change) but by around 10.30 we were ready to leave for the station to go up to London for the day to visit the Science Museum and take the children skating on one of the many outdoor ice rinks around London.....I must say that is one of the things I love about where we live, we are totally out in the country, and yet only 45 minutes and 4 stops from Victoria Station (central London) by overland train so we really have the best of both worlds.

Now after our last tube experience when we took my mom up to the airport, I confess to some trepidation at another day in London "tube hopping", but I have to say that with our new (and very lightweight) stroller and two very seasoned train catching Robertson children the whole experience was a pleasure and I could once again sit back and enjoy the benefits of first world public transport. We started the trip at Buckingham Palace with a very civilised picnic in St James Park and then it was back in the tube and off to the Science Museum.

The Science museum was everything Si had hoped and he spent 4 very happy hours explaining the exhibits to the children....we only managed to cover 2 of the 5 floors so we will definitely be heading back up in the new year to see the rest and try and get to the Natural History Museum as well. For a country that has only just introduced Saturday banking and is very "olde worlde" in so many ways these museums are a sight to behold and it was wonderful to have our children "play" at science for so many hours, I really do believe they learned a lot from this adventure.

As the sun set we jumped on the tube to Leister Square as I was determined to show the children the main London Christmas lights as we were up in the city already.....unfortunately this didn't work very well as we had limited time (needed to get back for the ice skating) and no real idea of where we were going and what we were looking for, but it did mean a brief visit to Soho and a mac and chips at Piccadilly Circus before heading back to South Kensington for skating.

While I sat enjoying hot chocolate and bonding with my lovely cousin Andrew, Si, Meg and Phil loved the freedom of outdoor skating - I must say there was something magical about a ice rink outside under the Christmas lights and although they were almost frozen by the time they were finished I think it is a memory they will all carry with them for a long time. Skating finished it was back on the tube and then overland train home where we finally arrived at a very cold Haywards Heath station a little after 22h30.

Now this is where the fun really begins, remember the freezing temperatures, well Auntie Madge (aka the bus) was totally frozen over so Si and I bundled the children into the car under blankets (thanks for that suggestion Lin, I keep two blankets in my car permanently now) and started scraping the windows....15 mins later we were finally ready to go, but alas it would seem that as the children's breath had condensed on the inside of the car window it had frozen there as well so, amidst much laughter, we scraped the inside of the car as well and then it was finally home and straight to bed.

Another very successful Robertson family outing!