Phillip the diabilo king
He makes it look so easy and I can't even get it to spin on the string :0)
He makes it look so easy and I can't even get it to spin on the string :0)
Nick doing his best to copy his brother
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
My Boys
Megs is out with friends this afternoon and as it is a cold grey day again the boys and I have been inside entertaining ourselves.....check out my boys below playing with Phillip's diabilo.
Nick doing his best to copy his brother
Nick doing his best to copy his brother
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Sunday 7th March 2010
What a perfectly happy blissful day today has turned out to be, a wonderful, peaceful way to spend my birthday and in fact the whole weekend has been lovely - I have felt very spoilt and blessed.
On Saturday morning we took a drive out to Lancing (about 40mins away just beyond Brighton on the coast) to test drive a 3 year old Vauxhall Zafira that we are hoping to buy. In England the government gives anyone with a disability a fully paid for and maintained car every 3 years - these cars are known as motability vehicles and they are literally fully services and looked after at the government's expense, which of course makes them sought after once they are sold off at the end of the 3 years. To cut a long story short, we have our eye on a March 2007 Zafira with 15 000 miles (24 000kms) on the clock and with a little bit of luck tomorrow it will be ours.
After our exciting morning (I really fell in LOVE with the car) it was off to lunch in Crawley before heading home to prepare for the Viljoen's for dinner, as always it was a lovely evening and a wonderful way to celebrate my birthday.
This morning Megs had to leave early for a compulsory farm commitment so it was up with the sparrows for present opening (a wonderful digital photo frame from my dh) and then a Wii tournament between Phil and I. I had loads of phone calls and texts which made me feel incredibly special and as the weather was glorious we decided to hit the park for a couple of hours and enjoy the blue skies which we have missed for so long. Such a relaxed way to spend the day and then my gorgeous husband cleaned the WHOLE house for me when we got home (while I honed my wii skills lol) so that I wouldn't have anything to do during the week - a real blessing let me tell you.
Off to lunch with Catherine tomorrow and then I will put this years birthday behind me - a HUGE improvement on last years experience on the side of the M25 ;0)
On Saturday morning we took a drive out to Lancing (about 40mins away just beyond Brighton on the coast) to test drive a 3 year old Vauxhall Zafira that we are hoping to buy. In England the government gives anyone with a disability a fully paid for and maintained car every 3 years - these cars are known as motability vehicles and they are literally fully services and looked after at the government's expense, which of course makes them sought after once they are sold off at the end of the 3 years. To cut a long story short, we have our eye on a March 2007 Zafira with 15 000 miles (24 000kms) on the clock and with a little bit of luck tomorrow it will be ours.
After our exciting morning (I really fell in LOVE with the car) it was off to lunch in Crawley before heading home to prepare for the Viljoen's for dinner, as always it was a lovely evening and a wonderful way to celebrate my birthday.This morning Megs had to leave early for a compulsory farm commitment so it was up with the sparrows for present opening (a wonderful digital photo frame from my dh) and then a Wii tournament between Phil and I. I had loads of phone calls and texts which made me feel incredibly special and as the weather was glorious we decided to hit the park for a couple of hours and enjoy the blue skies which we have missed for so long. Such a relaxed way to spend the day and then my gorgeous husband cleaned the WHOLE house for me when we got home (while I honed my wii skills lol) so that I wouldn't have anything to do during the week - a real blessing let me tell you.
Nick Nick enjoying the neighbours friendly cat earlier today
In the park enjoying the sunshine
Off to lunch with Catherine tomorrow and then I will put this years birthday behind me - a HUGE improvement on last years experience on the side of the M25 ;0)
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Wednesday 3rd March 2010
Dinner at Zizzi's (my fav restaurant) in Haywards Heath kicked off my birthday celebrations for 2010 and I have to say it is already looking a WHOLE lot better than last year. Jess, Hils, Kirsty, Romy, Tanya and I met at 8pm for a lovely evening together and I was such a very spoilt girl, they clubbed together and bought me the most divine goodies from Cath Kidson.
and this beautiful bag
Such a happy happy evening!
Saturday we are off to choose our new car and the Viljoens are joining us for dinner and then Sunday (my actual birthday) will be a very lazy affair around the house before I am out to lunch again on Monday with Catherine....lovely to have so much to look forward to over my birthday and it has really added to my settled feeling :0)
Two coffee mugs like this
and this beautiful bag
Such a happy happy evening!Saturday we are off to choose our new car and the Viljoens are joining us for dinner and then Sunday (my actual birthday) will be a very lazy affair around the house before I am out to lunch again on Monday with Catherine....lovely to have so much to look forward to over my birthday and it has really added to my settled feeling :0)
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Tuesday 3rd March 2010
Happy Birthday my darling father for yesterday!
2010 has definitely started off with a bang and we have loads of wonderful things to look forward to including my mom's arrival on 16th, a weekend away with great friends in March and 10 days in Spain in August.
And as if that wasn't enough, do you remember the post where I said exciting stuff was happening, well yesterday it happened, my wonderful, clever, amazing husband survived 5 rounds of interviews to secure a new job with a very prestigious firm in the city.....he scored the HIGHEST result EVER in their technical test and managed to impress at every level.
I am so so proud of this man who NEVER gives up and continues to put the children and my needs before his own every single day - you so deserve this babe and it is going to be the beginning of wonderful things for you I just KNOW it!
2010 has definitely started off with a bang and we have loads of wonderful things to look forward to including my mom's arrival on 16th, a weekend away with great friends in March and 10 days in Spain in August.
And as if that wasn't enough, do you remember the post where I said exciting stuff was happening, well yesterday it happened, my wonderful, clever, amazing husband survived 5 rounds of interviews to secure a new job with a very prestigious firm in the city.....he scored the HIGHEST result EVER in their technical test and managed to impress at every level.
I am so so proud of this man who NEVER gives up and continues to put the children and my needs before his own every single day - you so deserve this babe and it is going to be the beginning of wonderful things for you I just KNOW it!
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Thursday 25th February 2010
End Week 6
Loss: 2.6lbs (1.2kgs)
Total Lost: 9.1lbs (4kgs)
To goal: .9.8lbs (4.5kgs)
At least I have made up for the disasterous week last week and a bit more so I am smiling - almost 1/2 way there and with 3 weeks till mom arrives I am hoping to try and lose another 5lbs.
Loss: 2.6lbs (1.2kgs)
Total Lost: 9.1lbs (4kgs)
To goal: .9.8lbs (4.5kgs)
At least I have made up for the disasterous week last week and a bit more so I am smiling - almost 1/2 way there and with 3 weeks till mom arrives I am hoping to try and lose another 5lbs.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Wednesday 24th February 2010
At a social gathering a little while ago someone asked me if I still felt like an immigrant or if I was starting to make England my home and if I was, why did I think we were successful when so many others have found the whole experience horrific......at the time I wasn't really sure of the answer but have spent a lot of time thinking about it since then and the following I think are our key factors - every experience is so so different and like I often say to my friend Linnie, I can only comment on my reality.
- We had pull factors for coming here and not push factors so there was no "bad" memory to fade and make us forget why we left in the first place
- Some of you have said it is our positive attitude, but like my mom said the last time she was here it has more to do with my bloody mindedness, I have done this and come hell or high water I will make it work.....have never been very good at going back on a decision once it is made and tend to kill myself making sure it works.
- I arrived with two of my best friends in all the world, Tanya and Linda already in the country so from day 1 I had a support group and someone to phone for a chat when things are hard and I was feeling lonely or lost, and trust me Linnie and I speak EVERY day, I simply cannot overrate the impact of this one, having a friendly voice can be a LIFE SAVER.
- I had a baby 8 weeks after arriving which (a) ensured that my mom arrived to support me just when the honeymoon period was ending and (b) it opened up the most amazing group of women to me and they have become very treasured friends and as we don't belong to any other groups like a church again this source of friendship can't be underestimated.
- My dh signed us up for broadband and special call rates to South Africa immediately and I literally ring home whenever I feel like it - sometimes 4 times in a day if things are going wrong and being able to chat to my parents at any time and about anything has helped me cope in some difficult situations. Also being able to ring up old friends for a good chinwag makes all the difference and at only 3p per minute it is money well spent.
- Fortunately my parents are financially stable and my mother has already visited twice and arrives again in 3 weeks - I am an only child and my relationship with my parents is very very close and having the ongoing contact with them is vital to my survival here.
- Material possessions are not of significant importance to me and this has been key when having to take hand me downs from people and drive an old jalopy - I am so grateful for everything we have and the fact that it didn't cost a fortune or have a label means absolutely NOTHING.
- Finally, and probably most significantly I did this with a man I ADORE. Simon and I have a marriage that really works and we compliment each other in almost every way, where I am weak he is a rock and where he is weary, I show no fear. We have pulled together through the entire process and adversity and difficulty has forged us together rather than driven us apart - we have nurtured our relationship through the whole process and work on supporting each other every single day.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Sunday 21st February 2010
Today I bought the children a Wii as a surprise and it really got me thinking.....
I remember hearing somewhere that it takes between 2 and 5 years to really settle in a country and as our second anniversary here approaches I am beginning to understand what that means - the first year of immigration is very exciting and there is basically an adventure of some kind every day, it is like one long lovely holiday and it is very easy to find the wonder in it all.
The second year is, in my opinion much much harder, missing family and friends becomes the first thing you think about in the morning and is often the last thing you think about before you close your eyes. Life settles down into routine and lots of the excitement passes, problems become evident and without support it can seem a bit like an uphill battle BUT if you can hold onto your pull factors and fight the sadness and frustration and keep seeking the joy, the third year seems to dawn like a beautiful morning filled with light and peace and happiness.
2010 has started wonderfully for Si and I and we really feel like we are finally finding our feet and are no longer bumbling along hoping not to make some kind of catastrophic mistake. We feel like we now understand the English and what it means to live here and our friendships are deepening all the time.
We are finding our feet financially and are able to afford some of the little luxuries that make life more bearable and suddenly items like the Wii which has been on the children's wish list for the last 20 months are not so far out of reach. I am not naive enough to think that all the hard times are gone, I am sure we will encounter lows during the next year, but right now they don't seem quite so scary and I really believe we can continue to overcome them.
I thank God every day for this journey, this adventure, for all its ups and downs and for EVERYTHING we have been through and learned along the way, it is the HARDEST thing I have ever done but has also brought me some of the greatest highs of my life and the sense of accomplishment almost 2 years in is AMAZING.
I remember hearing somewhere that it takes between 2 and 5 years to really settle in a country and as our second anniversary here approaches I am beginning to understand what that means - the first year of immigration is very exciting and there is basically an adventure of some kind every day, it is like one long lovely holiday and it is very easy to find the wonder in it all.
The second year is, in my opinion much much harder, missing family and friends becomes the first thing you think about in the morning and is often the last thing you think about before you close your eyes. Life settles down into routine and lots of the excitement passes, problems become evident and without support it can seem a bit like an uphill battle BUT if you can hold onto your pull factors and fight the sadness and frustration and keep seeking the joy, the third year seems to dawn like a beautiful morning filled with light and peace and happiness.
2010 has started wonderfully for Si and I and we really feel like we are finally finding our feet and are no longer bumbling along hoping not to make some kind of catastrophic mistake. We feel like we now understand the English and what it means to live here and our friendships are deepening all the time.
We are finding our feet financially and are able to afford some of the little luxuries that make life more bearable and suddenly items like the Wii which has been on the children's wish list for the last 20 months are not so far out of reach. I am not naive enough to think that all the hard times are gone, I am sure we will encounter lows during the next year, but right now they don't seem quite so scary and I really believe we can continue to overcome them.
I thank God every day for this journey, this adventure, for all its ups and downs and for EVERYTHING we have been through and learned along the way, it is the HARDEST thing I have ever done but has also brought me some of the greatest highs of my life and the sense of accomplishment almost 2 years in is AMAZING.
Saturday, 20 February 2010
Saturday 20th February 2010
Once again Simon and I have been BLOWN away by the miracle of Freecycle - today I collected a safeway 3 wheel pram in wonderful condition complete with rain cover and cosy-toes (essential in England in Winter) and a baby car seat (similar to a snug and safe) and it didn't cost me a cent - I am constantly amazed by this throw away society and can honestly say I have taken full advantage of some amazing stuff while we have been getting on our feet.
Decided to take the new lighter weight pram out for a "test drive" and enjoy the spring weather this afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed a cream tea at a gorgeous quintessential English tearoom in our village - on our walk I was DELIGHTED to see the first of the crocus pushing through, a sure sign that Summer is finally on the way, and not a moment to soon, it has been a very long, very cold and very grey winter this year.
Went round to Catherine's in the early evening for Si to help her put up a few shelves and the evening developed into an impromptu dinner with Chinese takeaway and a bottle of wine - often these unexpected evenings are the most enjoyable and tonight was no exception, despite the difference in age our kiddies all get on exceptionally well and Catherine is without a doubt one of my closest friends so it was great for our dh's to finally get some time together as well.
A good weekend so far - definitely a diamond!
Decided to take the new lighter weight pram out for a "test drive" and enjoy the spring weather this afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed a cream tea at a gorgeous quintessential English tearoom in our village - on our walk I was DELIGHTED to see the first of the crocus pushing through, a sure sign that Summer is finally on the way, and not a moment to soon, it has been a very long, very cold and very grey winter this year.
Went round to Catherine's in the early evening for Si to help her put up a few shelves and the evening developed into an impromptu dinner with Chinese takeaway and a bottle of wine - often these unexpected evenings are the most enjoyable and tonight was no exception, despite the difference in age our kiddies all get on exceptionally well and Catherine is without a doubt one of my closest friends so it was great for our dh's to finally get some time together as well.
A good weekend so far - definitely a diamond!
Friday, 19 February 2010
Friday 19th February 2010
Nicholas and I have been spending lots of time this week with his friends and their moms and the more time we spend together the more grateful I am for these girls in my life - they really have changed my reality in England and without them I sometimes wonder if I would ever have truly settled. Our friendships are growing beyond our babies and I can honestly say I now have a network of wonderful woman in my life that I am so grateful for.
Snack time - Max, George and Nick Nick
Received a letter from the Identity and Passport services today saying that Nicholas was not eligible for a British passport and let me tell you it was like my world came crashing down around me - I have been waiting 12 months exactly for his South African passport and the thought of more time groveling in the South African embassy in London was more that I could bear, specially considering we have plane tickets to Spain in August and the staff at South Africa House are so completely unfriendly, unhelpful and to be perfectly honest racist.
Spend an hour on the phone to my mom whilst she tried to console me and convince me that we could get things sorted when she arrives in 3 weeks time. On putting down the phone it rang again and the voice of an angel told me there had been some mistake and Nicholas is in fact entitled to British citizenship and his passport would be processed today and will arrive early next week - well more FLOODS of tears (only this time of joy) and utter utter relief - only 3 more of the family to go and we will all hold dual citizenship, no more South Africa House for the moment at least - shew, my hands are still shaking!
Growing up so fast - Mia, Max and Nick Nick
Snack time - Max, George and Nick Nick
Nick and his mate Max playing together
Received a letter from the Identity and Passport services today saying that Nicholas was not eligible for a British passport and let me tell you it was like my world came crashing down around me - I have been waiting 12 months exactly for his South African passport and the thought of more time groveling in the South African embassy in London was more that I could bear, specially considering we have plane tickets to Spain in August and the staff at South Africa House are so completely unfriendly, unhelpful and to be perfectly honest racist.
Spend an hour on the phone to my mom whilst she tried to console me and convince me that we could get things sorted when she arrives in 3 weeks time. On putting down the phone it rang again and the voice of an angel told me there had been some mistake and Nicholas is in fact entitled to British citizenship and his passport would be processed today and will arrive early next week - well more FLOODS of tears (only this time of joy) and utter utter relief - only 3 more of the family to go and we will all hold dual citizenship, no more South Africa House for the moment at least - shew, my hands are still shaking!
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Thursday 18th February 2010
End Week 5
Loss: +2.2lbs
Total Lost: 6.5lbs (3kgs)
To goal: 12.4lbs (5.6kgs)
An absolutely shocking week in everyway but in the interest of being totally accountable I climbed on the scale this morning - no surprises to be honest but am now motivated for the week going forward.
Loss: +2.2lbs
Total Lost: 6.5lbs (3kgs)
To goal: 12.4lbs (5.6kgs)
An absolutely shocking week in everyway but in the interest of being totally accountable I climbed on the scale this morning - no surprises to be honest but am now motivated for the week going forward.
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