School Stuff

MEGAN
Late last week was Megan's main Parent/Teacher evening for year 8....there is a day held in both the first and third term where we are able to meet with her tutor, but this is the only night of the year when we are able to make short appointments to see all or any of her subject teachers to discuss progress etc.

After receiving an exceptional report with all subject grades firmly on target for her year end mark and well within the above average range (and on target for her University Entrance) I was at a bit of a loss as to who to speak to....finally we decided on Spanish (as I am totally unable to help her with this subject so needed guidance), English (to see how her dyslexia is affecting her progress), Geography (the only subject her grade remained static in) and Science (her top mark but also the only subject her absences this term have affected).

It would seem that my daughter has won all her teachers squarely over and without exception they commented on what a polite, intelligent child she is and what an outstanding attitude and work ethic she has. Her Science mark is the highest in her class and one of the highest in her year and it all just reinforced for me what the right support can do for a child....the English education system may have failed many, but my Megs has def been one of the success stories.

NICHOLAS
Nicholas had his first day at nursery school today and I am now more sure than ever that I made the right decision with the school I chose. I collected a happy, relaxed little boy who had spent 3.5 hours playing and apart from a few tears when he realised I wasn't around he seemed to have had a lovely afternoon.

I was impressed with the thorough feedback I received from his key worker and he seemed already very comfortable with the adults in authority and happy to return on Wednesday morning. Such a HUGE relief!

Monday 21st March 2011

Spring has most definitely arrived in our corner of the world and after a very foggy morning the sky has cleared, the sun warmed and it couldn't be a more perfect day.

Nick and I had a very early morning appointement at the hospital for my 28 week sugar tolerance blood tests and then it was home to enjoy the sunny back garden with our two precious little girl cats.

It feels like Lunar and Titch have been in our lives much longer than 3 weeks and they have managed to creep into all our hearts bringing lots of joy and laughter to our home. Nick is absolutely enchanted with them and I must say they seem to be very fond of him as well. He does tend to drive them a little mad occassionaly when he insists on joining in in there games of catch but for the most part they are exceptionally tolerant and don't mind his advances at all.

Titch is still absolutely tiny and to be honest doesn't seem to have grown at all since she first came to live with us, but I have seldom seen a kitten with as much spirit and there is no quesion who is the dominant female in the house. She is complete fearless when it comes to our outside (supervised) forays and is always the one I have to go and find to bring inside long after Lunar has given up and stretched out on the sofa dreaming of hunting game in the Serengeti :0)

We have lots to be grateful for in our new home, but the extra dimension these two little poppets have added to our life here is def one of the greatest.

Saturday 19th March 2011

I woke up this morning feeling almost human for the first time in more than 10 days and that, together with the bright blue skies, had me itching to go out for a bit, stretch my legs and fill my poor lungs with fresh air.

Si and the children were very obliging and we soon agreed a stroll down the promenade in Eastbourne would be a nice way to pass the time and not put too much strain on my pelvis (and healing lungs) and would also give Nick the opportunity to sleep in his pram if needed (he started coughing a couple of days ago).

Eastbourne is a historical seaside town about 50mins further up the East Coast from us and is similar in size to Brighton. As we haven't visited it yet we decided that it was as good a place as any to start our "Summer Wonderings" and it was really nice to stroll along chatting to the children, catching up and just spending good old fashioned quality time together.

Ice cream on the beach was mandatory of course, and Si and I couldn't help having a laugh at the fact that the boys were in shorts (and jumpers), Megs and I were in light jumpers, we were eating ice cream on the beach and it was only 8.5 degrees (lol).

Couldn't help noticing how English we have become :0)

Tuesday 15th March 2011

The tide has turned and the antibiotics are working, I am still coughing horribly and due to a pulled muscle at the top of my abdomen it isn't the most wonderful experience, but at least my heart rate is coming down and I am starting to feel a little more like myself.

On a more interesting note, late last week I finally decided the time for procrastination had come to an end and I needed to secure Nicholas a nursery placement for the new academic year. I managed to find a place at a really nice little nursery not far from our home with space available immediately and Nick had his first settling in session there on Monday.....well last night I suddenly had a panic attack (not helping my heart rate lol) about the fact that my heart is with Montessori and was I just settling by putting Nick into the little school I had found.

Needless to say, breathless as I am, I was working the phones before 8am this morning and am DELIGHTED to say that I have secured Nick two afternoon sessions (from 1-6pm) a week starting immediately and moving to 1 afternoon and 2 morning sessions (8am - 1pm) from September at our local Montessori and I am OVER THE MOON.

Nursery or Preschool is a little different in the UK to what we have been used to in SA and I must say I was more than a little pleasantly surprised to find out that Nick's fees until he turns 3 are tax deductible and after he turns 3 the Government will pay for a maximum of 15 hours a week (term time only) with us only having to make up the difference if we choose to send him for longer sessions. The extra fees will still be tax deductible and at Si's current tax rate it almost halves the actual cost to our family of his education. I have always thought in SA if mobile phones and fuel are tax deductible as necessary to earn a living why on earth wasn't child care and was quite chuffed to find out it wasn't a completely illogical notion.

Feeling much better now that I know Nick has a spot at school as he is really really ready and will have his first settling in session there on Wednesday next week. Another major milestone achieved!

Saturday 12th March 2011

I think one of the hardest times for any family who have move away from their home and support network, be it to another city or across the world, is when illness strikes.

On Thursday I was hit by a horrendous chest infection and let me tell you between the coughing and high temps did I only cry for my mom....you see in my past reality it would have simply been a phone call down the hill and either one or both of my parents would have been at my side to watch Nicholas, collect Megs and or Phill from school, prepare our family meal, ferry me too and from doctors and just generally hold together all the threads of our life until Si was able to get in from work.

Sadly our current reality was rather more nightmarish and saw me crying down the phone to Si begging him to catch an earlier train home. Between the coughing fits I was able to dose fitfully on the couch whilst Nicholas alternated between watching telly and tormenting two rather lovely little girl cats. At 3 pm I dragged myself to the car to make the 15 min trip to collect Megs from school (Phill was with a friend for the evening) and it was only after we returned home and Megs could take full responsibility for Nick that I was able to literally crawl into my bed and hug my pillow until sleep finally arrived. Si on arriving home was faced with no food, groceries still in the car where I had left them, Phillip to collect from a friend and a very bored frustrated toddler....not a pretty idyllic picture to say the least.

Fortunately my man is able to log into his office from home and so we were blessed in that he could stay with me on Friday and keep an eye on Nick while I literally slept for 17 hours. Not being able to take any cough mixture, antibiotics or cold and flu caps really hit me hard this time and brought back into stark reality that although for the most part England is wonderful and I wouldn't consider living anywhere else, there are times when I long for the familiarity of my roots and the people who have always been there beside us when the going is tough.

Tuesday 8th March 2011

Meggie started the long process of correcting her teeth today with a 30 minute appointment at the St Faith's Sedation Clinic in East Grinstead. This morning was about removing her two remaining baby teeth and sorting out a root canal on one of her permanent teeth in preparation for her braces in April this year.

We have been on the NHS waiting list for the last 21 months whilst Megs "came of age" and now that she is nearly 13 all the work can begin....it will take approximately 5 years to complete the treatment and give her a Hollywood smile and I sometimes can't believe that because she is under 18 we won't have to pay a cent....approximately £12 000 of treatment if we were doing it privately. Si and I will need to pay for her implants after she turns 18 and her jaw stops growing in order to complete the treatment, but it will be so worth it and considering it is our only contribution we certainly aren't complaining.

Megs was born with 5 teeth missing from her jaw (7 if you include her Wisdom Teeth) and this coupled with very small teeth has meant that she has exceptionally wide gaps and feels very self concious when smiling. This hereditary condition comes from Si who is missing two teeth and has the same microdontitis but sadly Megan's condition was exhasabated by the number of antibiotics she received as a child for her habitual ear infections.

Monday 7th March 2011

As always my dh gave me the best birthday gift ever....time with three of my most precious friends in one of the most BEAUTIFUL cities in the world. As Beryldene mentioned last week, these three ladies symbolise the three most significant chapters in my life (Tanya = My Youth, Linda = Hillcrest and Kerry = England) and it was an absolute blessing to have time with them alone to celebrate my 38th year.

Kerry and I flew from Gatwick to Edinburgh on Friday afternoon where we met Tanya (train from Whitley Bay) and Linda (flight from Bristol) and to say it was instantly relaxed and easy is the understatement of the century....considering that these ladies, while all HUGELY significant in my life scarcely know each other, the atmosphere was intimate almost immediately and we were all giggling and laughing like little girls as we made our way out of the airport and onto our bus to the city.

Our accommodation for the first night was at the Travel Lodge in Princes Street (part of New Town) and was clean and adequate (especially for the cost) and PERFECTLY located for us to make our way out for dinner....we strolled the streets of New Town in perfect balmy weather, interchanging our walking companions along the way and all spending time chatting and either catching up or getting to know each other. Dinner was at Pizza Hut and before long (thanks to Linny) we were all swopping unknown facts about each other and literally becoming better friends by the minute. A drink (and rather embarrassing "Happy Birthday" song) in a stunning Edinburgh wine bar finished off the evening and all four where in bed and happily asleep before midnight....I am 6 months pregnant after all :0)

Saturday morning was a bit of a slow start and more chatting over bacon sarnies in a little baguette shop on Roses street before an open top bus tour around the city soaking up the history and admiring the magnificent architecture. The weather was AMAZINGLY warm for Edinburgh at this time of the year and we all enjoyed the beautiful flowers and warm sunshine as we explored the city. Sadly Tanya was only able to stay with us until 2pm on Saturday and then she had to catch the train home while we made our way to our accommodation for the second night at Travel Lodge, Central Edinburgh on Queen Mary Way just off the Royal Mile.

This change of hotel was necessitated by budget constraints but turned out to be WONDERFUL as it meant we had spent our first night in the vibrant New Town and our second strolling the ancient streets of the Royal Mile (the oldest part of the city) enjoying a completely different aspect of this fabulous city.

Sunday was more sightseeing, chatting and fellowship and all to quickly this very special 48 hours was drawing to a close....I have always considered myself exceptionally blessed with the women in my life and getting to spend such special and close time with these 3 inspirational ladies was the treat of a LIFETIME....THANK YOU girls (and husbands without whom all our children would have gone hungry)!