When the weather clears and warms in England it is truly glorious and we have had two such perfect days this week - yesterday we hit the beach (again) and once more it was a stunning experience.....I was saying to Simon, the trip down and back gives the children and I such a good forum for discussion that for that reason alone it is almost worth going once a week.
We chatted about absolutely everything from Megan's maturing body, to sex to life lessons and making friends and the children really opened up. I think the fact that I had nothing to concentrate on but them and the road with no stress or interruptions really helped open up those channels of communication....def one of those days when I came away feeling good about my job as a mother so far.
Today started with housework....yes always the dull thud of reality....and then Megs and a friend went off to a movies while Phil, Nick and I spent some time with Kerry and her kids. Kerry and I have been toying with an idea for a business together so it was fun to sit and chat and thrash around ideas - feels a bit like the early days of scrapkits.
Other then that not much, still trying to settle in to the house without mom, and find our feet in this our second year of immigration - it has already been so different from our first year and I think this is going to be the harder of the two.....we are no longer new in England and the time has come to really start living our English lives, the honeymoon is over and South Africa is becoming a lovely but slightly fuzzy memory.
While there is something settling about the routines that we are starting to form and the life we are starting to establish, any push factors are long forgotten and it is in this year I believe that Si and I are going to really have to hold on to our pull factors here in order to remain positive about our decision. I am not surprised that this is the year when so many otherwise successful immigrations fail - 15 months without seeing loved ones is a very long time and it is only getting longer. I am just grateful my mom has been to see us twice already or a very difficult situation would have become almost impossible.
That all said, I am certainly not dwelling on the difficulties and in my way am finding the positive and continuing to strive for and find happiness...think it is just important to document when things are hard to help keep the story real for future generations.....can't only write the happy stuff :-)
8 comments:
I'd say all in all you give the impression of being more happy v/s unhappy in the UK overall. Nowhere is perfect unfortunately but you know you have done the right thing & it certainly has been a stimulating year or so! Funny for us the first year was definitely the very hardest & thereafter it got easier & easier.
HI MY FRIEND.ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS TO LOOK AT YOUR TWO OLD CHILDRENS' FACES TO KNOW THAT YOU & SIMON MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE TO IMMIGRATE. NO MATTER WHERE ON LIVES THERE IS GOING TO BE UPS & DOWN BUT IT IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT THAT COUNTS.IF ANYBODY CAN MAKE A SUCCESS OF THIS, YOU DEFINATELY CAN.
KEEP YOUR CHIN UP & ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW VERY SPECIAL YOU ARE TO ME & A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE TOO.
LOVE & MISS YOU ALL VERY MUCH, MARY
You have always been very unbiased in your blogging with pros & cons & I really believe you will make it a good second, third year etc. Your family unit is strong & just your everyday lives are positive & happy ones - we do live "real" lives & there can't be "picture perfect happenings" everyday. However on saying that in the midst of doing housework to be able to pick up a laughing toddler or happy school children telling you about their day is just so special ....a hubby/dad coming home to share his day with all of you - its all special. So go forward into your life journey you never know where it'll take you or throw at you.( I believe God has a sense of humour when everything is going so well he says lets see how far they have come & throws something our way.)
hey my friend, you pulled at my heartstrings mentioning Scrapkits, I still miss you like crazy! Entering puberty girlfriend, Paige has started sex-ed, and that's becoming our daily conversation on the way home in the car, eish been hit with a couple of whammies, but feel grateful that she's comfortable talking to me about it!
You guys have to be commended on your positive attitude towards your new life - WELL DONE!
hang in there - remember life is all about choices and consequences
You are very positive and have a great relationship with your children and husband and you can only go from strength to strength. No matter where you live, it is what you make of it that will determine how happy or unhappy you are. Good luck with your new venture.
Hello - I know how you feel and am the same wanting to scrap LIFE instead of a fairytale - the second years feels worse than the first but as it goes on it gets better - I think it is the reality setting in! I am often in awe at the fact that I DO live the other side of the globe now! It seems so surreal sometimes. Just one converstation with my girls and I immediately know we did the right thing for the right reasons. I guess when I have live back HOME as I was born here for as long as I lived in SA I can truly say I am home - although I have to admit I do feel more at home here anyway. As friendships grow and mature and contacts seem to fade things are difficult but it is always so awesome to know we left such special people behind who are ALWAYS and WILL ALWAYS be such a big part of our lives. YOu go girl - you are doing sooooo well -like I said before it is amazing that our stories seem so similar! Come for a cuppa welsh tea and welsh cakes soon! Claire
GF - you have moved your whole life across the globe (well, part of it at least LOL!) and brought a new life into this world in the process - you're bound to have a few OMG moments! But hey, we all have those, no matter where we are in the world. I love that you keep it real by being honest - you know me - i always say, life's too short to pretend to be living it a certain way...
You guys have done an incredible job, and I sometimes say to DH when the going gets tough, sometimes we need to look back to move forward - it's a good reminder of how far we've come already!
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