The week in a nutshell.....work work and more work.
I have desperately been trying to get on top of all my outstanding work before the move and as this weekend is a total write off due to final packing I really needed to get everything finished before the end of the today. Sent Nick off with Catherine for a couple of hours this morning and I am delighted to say mission accomplished and I was so thrilled and in such a holiday spirit as a result the family went out for dinner tonight to celebrate.
Now that I am up to date work wise I am starting to focus on the move (better late then never, considering we go on Monday) and I am feeling good about our decision and looking forward to setting up our new home before my sister-in-law and her partner arrive to stay with us at the beginning of May....it will be awsome to have family in our home and Jann and Rodney's visit is just the beginning of our run of visitors and we should be kept wonderfully busy until the end of August when my mom goes back to SA.
Friday, 24 April 2009
Monday, 20 April 2009
Proud Mother moment
Every now and then our children behave in such a way that makes it all the blood, sweat and tears worthwhile and all the lessons that we have tried to teach them seem to have paid off.....we had just such a moment with Phillip at Thorpe Park on Sunday.
Having just climbed off the Flying Fish, a relatively tame roller coaster suitable for children of all ages, I was busy feeding Nicholas and Phil was convincing his dad to take him on one of the EXTREME rides when suddenly Phil dashed off like a lunatic and ran up to a little boy who was taking a not inconsiderable amount of grief from his mom for being too scared to go on the rides - the little boy was sobbing his heart out and begging his mom not to force him while she screamed and shouted about the money she had spent on the ticket and how it was all now wasted.
To cut a long story short, my Phillip put his arm round this little boys shoulder, bent down to his height and began explaining to him how he had also been scared of the ride (noooooooooooot) and being brave didn't mean not feeling frightened, but rather feeling frightened and doing it anyway (I could so hear myself talking)....he even offered to go with the little boy and hold his hand.....this however didn't seem to be necessary and the little chap agreed to go with his mom, who by this stage was standing back with an amazed expression on her face. Needless to say he managed the ride and came tearing off with the biggest smile on his face to thank Phil - his mom was also smiling and thanked us for saving the day.
Well done my Phillip - you really are an AMAZING child!
Having just climbed off the Flying Fish, a relatively tame roller coaster suitable for children of all ages, I was busy feeding Nicholas and Phil was convincing his dad to take him on one of the EXTREME rides when suddenly Phil dashed off like a lunatic and ran up to a little boy who was taking a not inconsiderable amount of grief from his mom for being too scared to go on the rides - the little boy was sobbing his heart out and begging his mom not to force him while she screamed and shouted about the money she had spent on the ticket and how it was all now wasted.
To cut a long story short, my Phillip put his arm round this little boys shoulder, bent down to his height and began explaining to him how he had also been scared of the ride (noooooooooooot) and being brave didn't mean not feeling frightened, but rather feeling frightened and doing it anyway (I could so hear myself talking)....he even offered to go with the little boy and hold his hand.....this however didn't seem to be necessary and the little chap agreed to go with his mom, who by this stage was standing back with an amazed expression on her face. Needless to say he managed the ride and came tearing off with the biggest smile on his face to thank Phil - his mom was also smiling and thanked us for saving the day.
Well done my Phillip - you really are an AMAZING child!
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Sunday 19th April 2009
What a stunning stunning weekend......I was blessed enough to spend almost all day Saturday doing 6 back to back photoshoots for Tums 2 Tots and I LOVED every second of it - it is some of the hardest work I have ever done and I was physically and creatively exhausted at the end of it, but totally totally fulfilled. I am so grateful to my parents (for the financial support) and my dh (for uncomplainingly watching the children all day AND cooking the dinner when I got home) for this wonderful opportunity, it really is a dream come true.
I woke up early today to another perfect English spring morning and made a snap decision to gather the family up and head north to Thorpe Park for the day
Phillip has turned into a real thrill seeker and the bigger and faster the rides the better......Megs prefers to keep her feet planted firmly on solid ground so it was up to poor Simon to keep Philly company on the EXTREME rides - I still don't think he has totally recovered and had me in fits of laughter as he described their escapades.
I woke up early today to another perfect English spring morning and made a snap decision to gather the family up and head north to Thorpe Park for the day
Phillip has turned into a real thrill seeker and the bigger and faster the rides the better......Megs prefers to keep her feet planted firmly on solid ground so it was up to poor Simon to keep Philly company on the EXTREME rides - I still don't think he has totally recovered and had me in fits of laughter as he described their escapades.
My favourite story was when they went on the DOMINATOR, which is basically a huge shaft up which a set of seats is winched and then suspended for a random number of seconds before plunging back down in free fall, stopping only feet above the ground - my dh was positively grey when they landed and told me with much concern that he was sure his heart actually stopped for a moment up there.....it was so *(&*ing high, he then went on to explain how he literally couldn't breath the whole way down but wasn't too concerned because he had taken in so much oxygen hyperventilating on the way up.....poor man, he has asked me to invite my cuz along on our next trip to do these crazy rides with Phil in future (lol).
Such a fun fun family day and one that I will remember for a long time.
Saturday, 18 April 2009
What we will do for our children, scrapping vs blogging and a few more firsts
I am beset with a sick baby at the moment and as I sit having just wiped his snotty nose on the hem of my pj top in the absence of anything more suitable at hand I find myself marveling at just what we will do for our children that we would do for no one else (the above example included lol)......Don't know about the rest of you but I have been known to (1) eat their half chewed offerings of food (2) catch their vomit in my hands rather then have it end up on the floor/car etc (3) share my toothbrush with them when arriving on holiday and discovering they have left theirs at home (4) give up hours upon hours of sleep so that they may sleep well (5) give them my last bite of chocolate (think that may be the worst of all lol) and the list just goes on and on......
The reward for all this "unconditional" love is often whinny, sometimes grumpy, occasionally mouthy individuals who treat us like their personal servants - and you know what WE LOVE IT and WE LOVE THEM, there is simply nothing in the world to replace the act of parenthood and all of our actions are rewarded with one smile or a cuddle just before bed when their hair is brushed and smelling of fresh shampoo....so for me I am happy to go on doing the unmentionable things parents do and count myself grateful every single day for the miracle that are my three children.
Part of this thought process about children brought me to the chronicling of our lives together and just how important I have found my scrapbooking in the past.....that is until now and the discovery of blogging that is - as my friend B said the other day, blogging is the ultimate form of journaling and as a passionate believer in journaling I totally agree with her - no scrapbook could capture and convey our experiences over the last 9 months as this blog has and I intend having it printed and bound at the end of the year complete with all the photos and I really believe that I will have no need to scrap a page as a result......so it is not without sadness that I hang up my scrapbooking hat - will I scrap again? I really don't know, I just know that for now my "itch is being scratched" and although I am not quite ready to get rid of all my scrapping paraphernalia I certainly have no urgency to use them either and that I must be honest is something I just never thought would happen.
So in the interest of the above comment I need to detail a few more first since we have been in England
It is the first time I have eaten brussel sprouts and sweet potato (no not together) and enjoyed them
It is the first time that I have been able to live my dream and work with proper photographic studio equipment
It is the first time I have packed up an entire house totally on our own...there I go missing Rose again (lol)
It is the first time I have raised a baby without the continued support of family - and let me tell you that is no small feat....roll on mom's next visit.
The reward for all this "unconditional" love is often whinny, sometimes grumpy, occasionally mouthy individuals who treat us like their personal servants - and you know what WE LOVE IT and WE LOVE THEM, there is simply nothing in the world to replace the act of parenthood and all of our actions are rewarded with one smile or a cuddle just before bed when their hair is brushed and smelling of fresh shampoo....so for me I am happy to go on doing the unmentionable things parents do and count myself grateful every single day for the miracle that are my three children.
Part of this thought process about children brought me to the chronicling of our lives together and just how important I have found my scrapbooking in the past.....that is until now and the discovery of blogging that is - as my friend B said the other day, blogging is the ultimate form of journaling and as a passionate believer in journaling I totally agree with her - no scrapbook could capture and convey our experiences over the last 9 months as this blog has and I intend having it printed and bound at the end of the year complete with all the photos and I really believe that I will have no need to scrap a page as a result......so it is not without sadness that I hang up my scrapbooking hat - will I scrap again? I really don't know, I just know that for now my "itch is being scratched" and although I am not quite ready to get rid of all my scrapping paraphernalia I certainly have no urgency to use them either and that I must be honest is something I just never thought would happen.
So in the interest of the above comment I need to detail a few more first since we have been in England
It is the first time I have eaten brussel sprouts and sweet potato (no not together) and enjoyed them
It is the first time that I have been able to live my dream and work with proper photographic studio equipment
It is the first time I have packed up an entire house totally on our own...there I go missing Rose again (lol)
It is the first time I have raised a baby without the continued support of family - and let me tell you that is no small feat....roll on mom's next visit.
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Thursday 16th April 2009
Before living in England I have never truly understood the impact that the weather can have on a person.....certainly I had heard about the negative effects that the long northern hemisphere winters can have, but I had never seen it first hand, so I suppose to me it was the stuff of science fiction.
Now, watching my husband literally blossom back into the strong, positive man that I am used to I fully understand just how devastating the dark cold days can be and just what an impact they can have.....since November Simon has been in a negative frame of mind and there have been more then one occasion when I really thought he was going to throw in the towel and head back to South Africa - everything just seemed so hard for him, and all the challenges we were facing just seemed to be too much......as those of you who have been following this blog for a while will know he was not a happy man, and it was breaking my heart to see him so defeated.
However as the days have got longer and warmer so his natural spirit has returned and suddenly nothing seems insurmountable , he is filled with a much more positive attitude towards our life here and he is no longer talking in terms of when we think of returning to South Africa but rather in terms of if we ever, and trust me that is HUGE. All I can say is thank heavens the darkness only really last for 3 months and for the remainder of the year although it may not always be hot it is light from before 6am till way after 6pm......in our case definitely a blessing.
I on the other hand don't seem to have been so badly affected by the weather, yes I have loved watching the spring arrive and have found myself in a more "holiday" spirit as I watch the beautiful flowers blooming, but I can't ever say that I was really depressed during the winter, but then again I didn't have to ride my bike to the station in the pitch dark for three months so I guess I jolly well should have coped with the whole thing a bit better :-)
Yesterday we were able to spend a lovely hour in the park when Si returned from work and the children were still jumping on our neighbours trampoline well after 7.30pm (and it was light), today the older two are both out with friends so I think a little walk will be the order of the day for Si, Nick and I when Simon returns from work.....I am determined to spend as much time out of doors while we can in the hope that the memory will be enough to carry my dh through our next winter here.
Now, watching my husband literally blossom back into the strong, positive man that I am used to I fully understand just how devastating the dark cold days can be and just what an impact they can have.....since November Simon has been in a negative frame of mind and there have been more then one occasion when I really thought he was going to throw in the towel and head back to South Africa - everything just seemed so hard for him, and all the challenges we were facing just seemed to be too much......as those of you who have been following this blog for a while will know he was not a happy man, and it was breaking my heart to see him so defeated.
However as the days have got longer and warmer so his natural spirit has returned and suddenly nothing seems insurmountable , he is filled with a much more positive attitude towards our life here and he is no longer talking in terms of when we think of returning to South Africa but rather in terms of if we ever, and trust me that is HUGE. All I can say is thank heavens the darkness only really last for 3 months and for the remainder of the year although it may not always be hot it is light from before 6am till way after 6pm......in our case definitely a blessing.
I on the other hand don't seem to have been so badly affected by the weather, yes I have loved watching the spring arrive and have found myself in a more "holiday" spirit as I watch the beautiful flowers blooming, but I can't ever say that I was really depressed during the winter, but then again I didn't have to ride my bike to the station in the pitch dark for three months so I guess I jolly well should have coped with the whole thing a bit better :-)
Yesterday we were able to spend a lovely hour in the park when Si returned from work and the children were still jumping on our neighbours trampoline well after 7.30pm (and it was light), today the older two are both out with friends so I think a little walk will be the order of the day for Si, Nick and I when Simon returns from work.....I am determined to spend as much time out of doors while we can in the hope that the memory will be enough to carry my dh through our next winter here.
Monday, 13 April 2009
Monday 13th April 2009
The weather this morning finally cleared and Si and I decided to seize the opportunity, grab the children and head out for a walk followed by a lovely lunch at our new fav restaurant. It was stunning to stroll through the park and although the daffodiles have started to die now, the tulips are totally spectacular. I have never seen them growing before (only ever in a bunch) and as they are my all time favourite flowers you can imagine I simply couldn't resist photographing them.
Si and I never cease to be amazed by what happens to the English when the sun shines (although after this winter we do definitely understand it lol), and it felt like the whole world was out with us soaking up the sun and enjoying the warmth, there was a friendly holiday feel in the air and everyone seemed to be smiling and enjoying themselves.
Lunch at the Harvester in Haywards Heath was followed by a couple of hours in the parkgrounds surrounding the restaurant where Megs and Phil got to enjoy a ride on a real steam train and Nick and Phil spent some bonding time while their big sister sat making daisy chains in the sunshine.
A very relaxing afternoon and a promise of what summer has in store for us.....even Si had a smile on his face as he lay on the grass with his shirt off watching the children.
Sunday, 12 April 2009
Sunday 12th April 2009
If my long held belief that if something is tooooo difficult to achieve it is not meant to happen is true then our trip to London this long weekend was definitely not on the cards. Once again our plans were thwarted this morning, but this time by cold, grey damp weather and weather forcasts filled with doom and gloom of more miz to come and as London in the cold is not much fun at all and as it isn't going anywhere we decided to laugh the trip off and will head up again when the weather improves.
The children woke up before us this morning.....killer when you are supposed to be the easter bunny lol.......especially because poor Si didn't even know if I had remembered to buy eggs and was torn between disappointing his children and waking his poor exhausted wife from her much needed sleep. Fortunately Meg and Phil are now way past the age of actually believing in a rather large rabbit with a bad chocolate habit and were quite happy to wait for me to wake up before going through the motions of the egg hunt......Megs did inform me however that next year I am going to have to be WAY more organised as little Nicholas will be into the whole thing by then and my lax attitude from this year just won't do. Little does she know that I have every intention of turning her into the easter bunny from now on :-)
Simon and the children are now at movies and I am sitting quietly restoring my equilibrium after a week of holidays whilst Nick sleeps upstairs. It is always at moments like this that my mind travels fondly back to South Africa and what we would be doing at this precise moment and it is not without a heavy heart that I think of our annual holiday to Bazley and how much fun we always had and would be having right now - I have absolutely no doubt that with time we will create similar warm memories of holidays here but for now every holiday or significant event is a rather sad reminder of what we have left behind and just how far we still have to go before England becomes our true home.
The children woke up before us this morning.....killer when you are supposed to be the easter bunny lol.......especially because poor Si didn't even know if I had remembered to buy eggs and was torn between disappointing his children and waking his poor exhausted wife from her much needed sleep. Fortunately Meg and Phil are now way past the age of actually believing in a rather large rabbit with a bad chocolate habit and were quite happy to wait for me to wake up before going through the motions of the egg hunt......Megs did inform me however that next year I am going to have to be WAY more organised as little Nicholas will be into the whole thing by then and my lax attitude from this year just won't do. Little does she know that I have every intention of turning her into the easter bunny from now on :-)
Simon and the children are now at movies and I am sitting quietly restoring my equilibrium after a week of holidays whilst Nick sleeps upstairs. It is always at moments like this that my mind travels fondly back to South Africa and what we would be doing at this precise moment and it is not without a heavy heart that I think of our annual holiday to Bazley and how much fun we always had and would be having right now - I have absolutely no doubt that with time we will create similar warm memories of holidays here but for now every holiday or significant event is a rather sad reminder of what we have left behind and just how far we still have to go before England becomes our true home.
Friday, 10 April 2009
Friday 10th April 2009
We have achieved a phenomenal amount in one day and with all hands on deck I am sure that we will be ready to move long before we actually need to which is a HUGE relief. I have so enjoyed finally being able to give something back to freecycle and lots of our surplus items (yes we have already accumulated stuff we don't need) are being collected by fellow recyclers during the course of the afternoon.....really is an AMAZING concepts.
Looks like we are may have to postpone our overnight trip to London at this stage as the cost of train and bus fares is frighteningly expensive and we need to save EVERY penny to help us bridge the cost of the move......quite shocking the difference in the cost of traveling return on the same day and spreading it out over two days - almost doubled the cost....eish.....so looks like we are just going to go up for the day and try and achieve as much as possible in a slightly shorter time - no sunrise photos of the Thames (sigh) guess I am going to have to wait a bit longer for those.
Looks like we are may have to postpone our overnight trip to London at this stage as the cost of train and bus fares is frighteningly expensive and we need to save EVERY penny to help us bridge the cost of the move......quite shocking the difference in the cost of traveling return on the same day and spreading it out over two days - almost doubled the cost....eish.....so looks like we are just going to go up for the day and try and achieve as much as possible in a slightly shorter time - no sunrise photos of the Thames (sigh) guess I am going to have to wait a bit longer for those.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Thursday 9th April 2009
Today has been about admin, you know the kind when your "to do" list starts off with 12 items and ends up with 24, somehow each time you tick something off it has generated 2 more things to do......sigh.....never ending and not easy with all the children home and the weather having closed in meaning outside time is not an option.
However, I am determined to follow my friend Beryldene's inspirational blog and write down my "Ta Da" list allowing me to focus on what I HAVE achieved so far rather then on what still has to be done.
TA DA LIST
1. Scrap the Toyota
2. Organise the cleaners for the house
3. Update the Tums to Tots website
4. Finish photos from the last photo shoots
5. Complete the Pedal Studio Accounts
6. Pay council tax
7. Sort out council tax for new property
8. Admin relating to 1 Stoney Hill Lane
9. Send signed letter to Tracy
10. Confirm moving date with Leaders
11. Organise contents insurance for the new house
12. Set up phone line and broadband for new house
I am feeling better already.......thanks Bee :-).
As for the long weekend.....Si and I are focusing all our energies on initial packing tomorrow and Saturday and then we are off to London late on Saturday night for a lovely weekend in the Capital city.......should be lots of lovely photo ops as we are heading for the National History Museum for the day on Sunday followed by the Harry Potter walk of London on Sunday evening - I simply ADORE the London Walks which are basically tour guided walks around different areas in the city, and this one has been done especially with children in mind so should be lots of fun for them as well. Monday morning we intend a long stroll along the Thames and then off to watch the changing of the guards (Phil's request) before heading to Greenwich for the day and then finally home. Lots to look forward to and I am sure it will serve as the encouragement we need went the packing gets too much.
A wonderful, peaceful and safe Easter to all of you!
However, I am determined to follow my friend Beryldene's inspirational blog and write down my "Ta Da" list allowing me to focus on what I HAVE achieved so far rather then on what still has to be done.
TA DA LIST
1. Scrap the Toyota
2. Organise the cleaners for the house
3. Update the Tums to Tots website
4. Finish photos from the last photo shoots
5. Complete the Pedal Studio Accounts
6. Pay council tax
7. Sort out council tax for new property
8. Admin relating to 1 Stoney Hill Lane
9. Send signed letter to Tracy
10. Confirm moving date with Leaders
11. Organise contents insurance for the new house
12. Set up phone line and broadband for new house
I am feeling better already.......thanks Bee :-).
As for the long weekend.....Si and I are focusing all our energies on initial packing tomorrow and Saturday and then we are off to London late on Saturday night for a lovely weekend in the Capital city.......should be lots of lovely photo ops as we are heading for the National History Museum for the day on Sunday followed by the Harry Potter walk of London on Sunday evening - I simply ADORE the London Walks which are basically tour guided walks around different areas in the city, and this one has been done especially with children in mind so should be lots of fun for them as well. Monday morning we intend a long stroll along the Thames and then off to watch the changing of the guards (Phil's request) before heading to Greenwich for the day and then finally home. Lots to look forward to and I am sure it will serve as the encouragement we need went the packing gets too much.
A wonderful, peaceful and safe Easter to all of you!
Monday, 6 April 2009
Monday 6th April 2009
Today has been a strange one for me, the wind is a little less full in my sails and I am constantly too and froing (spelling??????) over my decision to move - I fell in love with the flat the moment I saw it, but I have been filled with dread at the thought that maybe we are only happy here because of where we live and this move will wreck everything.....stupid I know, but it is amazing and silly the things that we cling to when we are so far from everything that is safe and familiar.
We have also had a fantastic landlord so far and I guess the thought of changing is also unsettling me....I have heard some real horror stories about difficult landlords and the fact that our new one will literally be living next door has me a bit unnerved.
Fortunately I have had a bit of exciting news just when I needed it which has lifted my spirits considerably - my cuz will be away for the Easter weekend and we are going to go up to London for two days and crash at his on the night in between.....I absolutely ADORE London and have been dying to get some good sunrise photos of the Thames which Andrew's flat overlooks, so guess where I will be in the early hours of Easter Sunday morning. Yippeeee something so lovely to look forward to, am now counting the sleeps till the weekend!
We have also had a fantastic landlord so far and I guess the thought of changing is also unsettling me....I have heard some real horror stories about difficult landlords and the fact that our new one will literally be living next door has me a bit unnerved.
Fortunately I have had a bit of exciting news just when I needed it which has lifted my spirits considerably - my cuz will be away for the Easter weekend and we are going to go up to London for two days and crash at his on the night in between.....I absolutely ADORE London and have been dying to get some good sunrise photos of the Thames which Andrew's flat overlooks, so guess where I will be in the early hours of Easter Sunday morning. Yippeeee something so lovely to look forward to, am now counting the sleeps till the weekend!
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Sunday 5th April update
What a lovely lovey afternoon, the weather was perfect, the company stunning and the food delish!
Liesl with Nicholas (by far the most popular boy on the day lol)
Rob and AJ enjoying a beer
Serious "man talk" going on :-)
Rob with Nicholas
Liesl with Nicholas (by far the most popular boy on the day lol)
Rob and AJ enjoying a beer
Serious "man talk" going on :-)
Sunday 5th April 2009
I was expecting to wake up this morning feeling a little bit down as today was the day we were supposed to arrive in South Africa for our visit, seeing family and friends again, albeit for a short time, would I think have been food for the soul, but then again maybe not.....maybe being back in our comfort zone again so soon would have thrown us completely and destabilised us beyond return. So for whatever reason, and I believe there is a higher power at work here, our return was not in the cards and due to Nicholas's passport issues it will be 2010 before we once again set foot on South African soil and feel the burning heat of an African sun.
All that said, I have instead woken this morning surprisingly chipper and filled with the joys of spring.....and spring it most definitely is, hard to believe that on this day last year the English experienced one of the worst snow storms of their winter season......the weather is remaining in the mid to high teens and we have our first braai of the season planned for later today.....and so today has surprisingly turned out to be another diamond in my tennis bracelet of life!
The children are now on holiday for 2 weeks and we will be packing up our house in preparation for the move. We have had so many of our neighbours pop over to tell us how sorry they are that we are leaving that it has been great to feel that we have made such an impact on other's lives in such a short time. Aunty Madge (aka the bus) is being collected in the morning for her final journey to the scrap yard and I confess to feeling a little sad to see her go.........we really are starting to develop a "history" here as we are now onto our second car and about to move into our second home, nice to really be establishing that feeling of belonging.
All that said, I have instead woken this morning surprisingly chipper and filled with the joys of spring.....and spring it most definitely is, hard to believe that on this day last year the English experienced one of the worst snow storms of their winter season......the weather is remaining in the mid to high teens and we have our first braai of the season planned for later today.....and so today has surprisingly turned out to be another diamond in my tennis bracelet of life!
The children are now on holiday for 2 weeks and we will be packing up our house in preparation for the move. We have had so many of our neighbours pop over to tell us how sorry they are that we are leaving that it has been great to feel that we have made such an impact on other's lives in such a short time. Aunty Madge (aka the bus) is being collected in the morning for her final journey to the scrap yard and I confess to feeling a little sad to see her go.........we really are starting to develop a "history" here as we are now onto our second car and about to move into our second home, nice to really be establishing that feeling of belonging.
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