As many of you who have followed my blog this past year know, my eldest child and only daughter Megan was finally diagnosed as having moderate dyslexia earlier this year, after years and years of battling through the South African education system....well today the same little girl who has always found reading immeasurably difficult and struggled on in spite of it came home with her SATS results and what results they were.
Maths - upper 4
English - 4 (and that was the real shocker)
Science - 5
Considering her disadvantage and the fact that she effectively missed 18 months of education when we moved here, no one expected these kinds of results....Megan has pulled out all the stops since our arrival in England and has shown courage and determination in equal measures - her reading has improved amazingly as has her confidence in her ability and she now talks of becoming an Air Hostess with such excitement and passion I can't help but get caught up in her enthusiasm.
Well done my Megs you have made us very proud and more by the fact that your report was filled with praise for your attitude to your work and wonderful gentle and caring nature then by the results themselves...You are a total treasure in our lives and continue to be a reminder that with hard work we can all climb the highest mountains.
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Wednesday 15th July 2009
Yuk yuk yuk....I have bronchitis and am a very miserable little bunny - have seen the doctor and am on antibiotics, but my word I don't EVER remember coughing like this....definitely have a new empathy with those suffering from Asthma.
Finding myself sick with a chest infection amidst all the hype surrounding Swine flu has been a slightly alarming feeling, especially as one of the spouses of a teacher at Megan's school has a confirmed case of the flu and we have all received a letter detailing what we need to do if any of the family start exhibiting symptoms.
In the face of this letter (and another one from Phillip's school reminding us of how to deal with spreading the infection as the season prepares to change) I find myself very encouraged by the information provided by the government on the pandemic and heartened to know that there are sufficient antiviral drugs available to treat 1/2 the population should it be necessary, not to mention the fact that the UK is one of the first in line to obtain the vaccine which will be available in September.
Some may feel that all this attention and information adds to wide scale hype and drama over the flu, which at the end of the day is just flu, but I enjoy knowing that the structures are in place to deal with the estimated 10 000 new cases which will be confirmed daily come winter.
Finding myself sick with a chest infection amidst all the hype surrounding Swine flu has been a slightly alarming feeling, especially as one of the spouses of a teacher at Megan's school has a confirmed case of the flu and we have all received a letter detailing what we need to do if any of the family start exhibiting symptoms.
In the face of this letter (and another one from Phillip's school reminding us of how to deal with spreading the infection as the season prepares to change) I find myself very encouraged by the information provided by the government on the pandemic and heartened to know that there are sufficient antiviral drugs available to treat 1/2 the population should it be necessary, not to mention the fact that the UK is one of the first in line to obtain the vaccine which will be available in September.
Some may feel that all this attention and information adds to wide scale hype and drama over the flu, which at the end of the day is just flu, but I enjoy knowing that the structures are in place to deal with the estimated 10 000 new cases which will be confirmed daily come winter.
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Saturday 11 July 2009
I sound a bit like a broken record at moment, but I simply cannot believe that another week has flown...time just seems to be speeding past and the more I do to try and slow it down the worse it gets. Nicholas will be a year old in just a few weeks and yet it seems like just the other day I had found out I was pregnant and Si and I were planning our big move.
These are a few things I have learned in the last 12 months
Off to Cuckfield this morning for Tums 2 Tots, have 5 shoots booked and I am finally getting my family in to do a session so a lovely day ahead despite the cold dreary weather.
These are a few things I have learned in the last 12 months
- love between siblings is something totally unique and should never be underestimated
- having a baby in a foreign country is terrifying and challenging but also incredibly rewarding
- Children help us to make friends
- The hardest part of marriage is getting the partnership right, but when it works it is the ultimate experience
- We can live without our parents, but having them with us is the first prize
- Good friendships can overcome great distances
- You can live in a house but only certain places will become home, and I have now found mine in England....well for the foreseeable future at least
- Earning income and contributing to the family is as important to me as it always was
- there will ALWAYS be more washing, ironing and dusting so it is not so much a chore to be achieved but rather an ongoing process
Off to Cuckfield this morning for Tums 2 Tots, have 5 shoots booked and I am finally getting my family in to do a session so a lovely day ahead despite the cold dreary weather.
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Sunday 5th July 2009
Mom has been dying to go to a traditional English car boot sale, so today that was the mission and we managed to find a lovely one consisting of about 250 cars in Sayers Common about 30kms from home.
Mom, Megs and I set off nice and early for a girly morning and had a lovely time scratching around the stalls and discovering all kinds of treasures at ridiculously low prices - Mom was beside herself with a discovery of two stunning collectors Wedgwood plates for only £2 each and a cute little glass bell for 50p which she simply couldn't resist.
Megs came home with all kinds of goodies and Phil and Nick both scored even though they didn't come with us - Phil with Juggling balls and Nick with an adorable rocking horse which he simply LOVES. All I came home with was a nasty dose of sunburn, but that will teach me to go out in the English sun without sunblock....I really never learn lol.
Just going outside (7.15pm) to enjoy the last couple of hours of the sunshine and a good old SA braai for dinner.
Mom, Megs and I set off nice and early for a girly morning and had a lovely time scratching around the stalls and discovering all kinds of treasures at ridiculously low prices - Mom was beside herself with a discovery of two stunning collectors Wedgwood plates for only £2 each and a cute little glass bell for 50p which she simply couldn't resist.
Megs came home with all kinds of goodies and Phil and Nick both scored even though they didn't come with us - Phil with Juggling balls and Nick with an adorable rocking horse which he simply LOVES. All I came home with was a nasty dose of sunburn, but that will teach me to go out in the English sun without sunblock....I really never learn lol.
Just going outside (7.15pm) to enjoy the last couple of hours of the sunshine and a good old SA braai for dinner.
Saturday, 4 July 2009
Saturday 4th July 2009
I simply don't know where this year is going to....it seems like just the other day Mom and I were planning her trip in secret for Megan's birthday (January) and now we are already 2 weeks into her visit and time is just flying by.
We have had a stunning time so far....not really DOING anything in the traditional touristy sort of way, but Mom has helped me catch up on washing and finished my ironing and kept me company while I clean toilets and showers and watched Nick so I can shoot to the shop for milk, we have shopped for household essentials and put up picture hooks and little things around the house....things that I usually do on my own, and it has been MAGICAL having her here, I think in fact I may even be having more of a holiday then she is.
Now that Mom is here , I can honestly say that the toughest part of immigration for me has to have been doing EVERYTHING on my own and for myself with very little support. On Mom's last visit I had only been here 8 weeks so it wasn't as noticeable as I was still in the "honeymoon" phase of the experience and hadn't had a tiny baby as part of the equation.
In fact it was not until I was able to jump in the car and take something to Phillip at school without having to first wake Nick and put him in the car that I really realised just how on our own we have been....we are not unique in this, there are millions of people all over the world doing it on their own, but that doesn't make the experience any easier and it is just so nice to be able to chill and not be quite so capable, even if it is just for a little while.
We have had a stunning time so far....not really DOING anything in the traditional touristy sort of way, but Mom has helped me catch up on washing and finished my ironing and kept me company while I clean toilets and showers and watched Nick so I can shoot to the shop for milk, we have shopped for household essentials and put up picture hooks and little things around the house....things that I usually do on my own, and it has been MAGICAL having her here, I think in fact I may even be having more of a holiday then she is.
Now that Mom is here , I can honestly say that the toughest part of immigration for me has to have been doing EVERYTHING on my own and for myself with very little support. On Mom's last visit I had only been here 8 weeks so it wasn't as noticeable as I was still in the "honeymoon" phase of the experience and hadn't had a tiny baby as part of the equation.
In fact it was not until I was able to jump in the car and take something to Phillip at school without having to first wake Nick and put him in the car that I really realised just how on our own we have been....we are not unique in this, there are millions of people all over the world doing it on their own, but that doesn't make the experience any easier and it is just so nice to be able to chill and not be quite so capable, even if it is just for a little while.
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Tuesday 30th June 2009
Today was Phillip's much anticipated District Athletics Meeting and a very proud Simon took the day off in order to watch his son jump for the first time at this level.....the weather was magnificent and all the children from Phil's school looked very smart sitting under their gazebo surrounded by 7 other schools from West Sussex.
Phil was the only boy from his year representing the school in Long jump and I have to say he handled the pressure very well and the 3 older boys on the team were very good to him and encouraged him all the way. After 3 attempts he managed a very admirable 3rd overall, placing the school on the score board and although he didn't better his practice jumps he achieved well over 2 meters and made us very proud parents, especially considering that until he joined the school in March he had never seen a long jump pit let alone attempted a jump.
A very proud mommy moment and I am sure watching him today that there will be many more. Well done my boy!
Phil was the only boy from his year representing the school in Long jump and I have to say he handled the pressure very well and the 3 older boys on the team were very good to him and encouraged him all the way. After 3 attempts he managed a very admirable 3rd overall, placing the school on the score board and although he didn't better his practice jumps he achieved well over 2 meters and made us very proud parents, especially considering that until he joined the school in March he had never seen a long jump pit let alone attempted a jump.
A very proud mommy moment and I am sure watching him today that there will be many more. Well done my boy!
Monday, 29 June 2009
Monday 29th June 2009
The brilliant weather continues and according to Sky news we are in the middle of a heat wave with temperatures expecting to reach 32 degrees on Thursday - they are recommending we stay in doors and consume large volumes of water - bah humbug to that, the South African in me is still too strong and I am LOVING the heat and Nick is really enjoying crawling around in just a nappy eating icey fruit and drinking lots of water.
Mom and I are having a lovely relaxed time together catching up and have been doing some walking and enjoying the village....when mom is with me she simply cannot resist the little greengrocer in town and the house is once again full of fresh flowers and cherries the size of gobstoppers (delish).
Phillip is jumping in the district meet tomorrow and Si has taken the day off work to go and support him....looking forward to watching my boy and am hoping that the day goes well.
Mom and I are having a lovely relaxed time together catching up and have been doing some walking and enjoying the village....when mom is with me she simply cannot resist the little greengrocer in town and the house is once again full of fresh flowers and cherries the size of gobstoppers (delish).
Phillip is jumping in the district meet tomorrow and Si has taken the day off work to go and support him....looking forward to watching my boy and am hoping that the day goes well.
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Saturday 27th June 2009
Definitely a diamond of a day.....Megan's best friend in South Africa (Meggie Houghton) and her family are visiting England on a 3.5 week holiday and joined us for a ploughman's lunch in our garden. The weather was absolutely perfect and the Pimms flowed along with the laughter and friendship, a perfect way to spend a summer afternoon and one the whole family enjoyed immensely.
Thanks to my mom, Si and I were able to join Kerry, Rob, Liesel and AJ in Brighton for an evening clubbing....and what a blast we had. Brighton is a vibrant city which really comes alive at night and was totally filled with people celebrating their hen and stag nights. We ended up in a club reminiscent of ones I have seen on telly complete with different floors, chill rooms and over 200 mirror balls hanging from the roof. Fortunately the Brighton crowd is a bit older then that you would see in South Africa (probably due to the £10 per head entry and exhorbitant alchol prices)which added to a brilliant evening and something I can now tick off my bucket list.
Thanks to my mom, Si and I were able to join Kerry, Rob, Liesel and AJ in Brighton for an evening clubbing....and what a blast we had. Brighton is a vibrant city which really comes alive at night and was totally filled with people celebrating their hen and stag nights. We ended up in a club reminiscent of ones I have seen on telly complete with different floors, chill rooms and over 200 mirror balls hanging from the roof. Fortunately the Brighton crowd is a bit older then that you would see in South Africa (probably due to the £10 per head entry and exhorbitant alchol prices)which added to a brilliant evening and something I can now tick off my bucket list.
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Wednesday 24th June 2009
The weather is absolutely MAGNIFICENT at the moment and summer's like this make that long hard winter just a distant memory.....today I actually burnt sitting at Phillip's sports day and am now sporting a better tan then I did my last summer in South Africa, so who ever says the weather in England is shocking hasn't lived in my part of it.
Phil thoroughly enjoyed his sports day today and it reminded me so much of Waldorf in South Africa.....now for some that would be a negative, but I chose that system of education for my daughter and I believe in it whole heartedly so to now have both children in schools which are so similar is for me a total joy.
The spirit of the day was fantastic and the children where all having an absolute blast....yes there was an absence of strict uniform (they just had to wear any shirt in the colour of their house) and all the staff were relaxed and laughing, but there was no shortage of sportsmanship and team spirit and to watch all the houses supporting the children coming last and hugging the little girl with Down Syndrome who crossed the line a full minute after the rest of the children in her race brought tears to my eyes.
Mary leaves tomorrow so a final day of exploring the area before taking her up to the airport at 4pm for her long flight home.
Phil thoroughly enjoyed his sports day today and it reminded me so much of Waldorf in South Africa.....now for some that would be a negative, but I chose that system of education for my daughter and I believe in it whole heartedly so to now have both children in schools which are so similar is for me a total joy.
The spirit of the day was fantastic and the children where all having an absolute blast....yes there was an absence of strict uniform (they just had to wear any shirt in the colour of their house) and all the staff were relaxed and laughing, but there was no shortage of sportsmanship and team spirit and to watch all the houses supporting the children coming last and hugging the little girl with Down Syndrome who crossed the line a full minute after the rest of the children in her race brought tears to my eyes.
Mary leaves tomorrow so a final day of exploring the area before taking her up to the airport at 4pm for her long flight home.
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Tuesday 23rd June 2009
Can't believe my mom has already been here a week, in some respects it has gone so quickly (tooooo quickly) already and in other respects if feels as if she has been with us forever and we have all just fallen back into our old routines from her visit last year. Nicholas has loved getting to know his granny and now puts his arms out to her even when I am holding him and crawls over like a rocket to climb up on her lap whenever she gives the other two a hug....such a little character and bringing his gran so much joy.
Mary's trip is almost at an end now and we have kept very very busy (hence the lack of blog entries), she has had a lovely time and I think will go back with many special memories of England. We spent an awesome day in Brighton yesterday and Mary was as enchanted with the lanes as I am.....she will definitely be returning with lots of goodies in her bag to remind her of her trip and should spend some happy hours next week reminiscing.
Wonderful to be surrounded by family and friends and even better to know that I still have another 6 weeks to spend with my precious mom.
Mary's trip is almost at an end now and we have kept very very busy (hence the lack of blog entries), she has had a lovely time and I think will go back with many special memories of England. We spent an awesome day in Brighton yesterday and Mary was as enchanted with the lanes as I am.....she will definitely be returning with lots of goodies in her bag to remind her of her trip and should spend some happy hours next week reminiscing.
Wonderful to be surrounded by family and friends and even better to know that I still have another 6 weeks to spend with my precious mom.
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