Laugh a little with me

"Netflix and chill. Because who can afford a TV licence and heating?" Aatif Nawaz

"You know when you're interrogating a fish? Don't bother with the holding the head under water bit." Seymour Mace

"If you are being chased by a pack of taxidermists, do not play dead." Olaf Falafel

It's the end of term and, to be honest, I could use a good laugh right about now. This term wasn't much longer than the others, but gosh it has felt it!

Having been such a hectic one, I wanted to take some time to reflect back on why it has been so overwhelming. After all, this year was supposed to be better than last. This was supposed to be the year when I achieved better balance, when I reached the end of the year without having suffered burn-out. So what happened?

Probably the biggest curve ball I've had this year has been my health. I had an op at the end of May (to repair a stomach valve that wasn't working - nothing too hectic), but that was quickly followed by glandular fever. Yeah. That. And it's left me with prolonged fatigue - which is not good for teachers. Of course, I didn't know I'd had it until I eventually went to the doc weeks later, trying to figure out why I was still so utterly exhausted and he gave me a blood test. In between that, I've been struggling with a rotator cuff problem, and could really only use one arm for several weeks.

So, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry! My plans of getting fit and trim this year started off well, but have died a slow death since the end of May. I'm trying not to feel disheartened by the fact, but working up the energy right now to get back on the horse, as it were, is proving impossible.

This year I was going to be more intentional about having creative outlets. And I did - I was very good about doing some painting, and I've done a lot (well, for me anyway!) of crocheting, and I've even blogged a few times this year. But again, dealing with my post-GF fatigue has meant the very last thing I felt I had energy for was being creative. Most days this term I have crawled home, into bed, and pretty much stayed there. But this past week I've started to feel a return of energy. I've started thinking about doing something creative again. Who knows, maybe I will have enough energy to start making Christmas presents.... (it is only 12 weeks away, after all!)... nah! Who am I kidding?

Something I did get right this term though, is that I stepped out of going to cell group and did something I've wanted to for years - I went to help facilitate a group on Alpha. (For those who have done Alpha before, you might enjoy seeing the new films... I really did!) I love my cell group, and I have missed them, but I have equally loved being involved in Alpha again. There is something refreshing about being at the front lines, as it were, of God's Kingdom.

At work, this term I have been faced with a lot of pressure in the area of being a grade head. I have dealt with more discipline situations than I care to think about. I think I've been to, or involved in, 8 or 9 discipline hearings of one sort or another, in about 3 weeks. And by the grace of God, and with the help of my incredible co-grade head, the deputy, and the principal, I have come through them strongly. I feel I can walk away from this term with my head held high at a job well done. But, man-alive!, it has been such an exhausting process.

Another really difficult journey for me this term has been around my purpose. Having been deeply hurt by situations and people at work, at the end of last year I was desperate to leave. However, when I truly surrendered my life and future to God, He made it abundantly clear to me that He has a plan for me where I am, and that where I am is where I am meant to be. Getting my head around His 'no' has not been easy; it is never easy to hear a 'no' to your prayers.

Yet, it has also been such a good process. So much has come from it - a peace and contentment in knowing I'm in the right place, a joy in knowing that I can hear from God (still something I battle with after two big life events back in the 2000's), an excitement for the future to see what God is going to do in and through me, a sense of wonder that God thinks my faith is mature enough to handle His 'no' (which is not to imply that if it weren't God would have said yes), a deep and abiding sense of God's love for me, and healing in some of the relationships and situations that were broken. I can truly say I am grateful for the struggle I have been through.

There is one who has stood by me through this term, who has supported me this term, and loved me through some tough times. To my incredible husband, without whose sacrificial love, service and support it would not be possible for me to do what I do, I want to say I am deeply deeply grateful, and that I love you. You are the best friend and husband any woman could wish for. You are the rock that keeps me anchored and the wind that lifts my sails.

Of course, if I start counting the people who have stood by me this year, I need to acknowledge my kids too. There is nothing like a hug from them when I get home from a very hard day, or at the start of what I know will be a trying day, to bring the sunshine back into my world and remind me that work is not all there is in life. And my parents... I still need them and their support and love, and they still faithfully give that to me. I am eternally grateful to them for their continued love and support.

There is a season for everything under heaven. Now is the season to celebrate, and laugh - and laugh deeply - because I have made it to the end of this term! I am more than exhausted, but I am alive. I have been hard-pressed, but I am not crushed. I have been surrounded by enemies, but I have fought clear. I have been wounded, but I have survived. And this is all thanks to my God, whose everlasting arms are underneath, who has forgiven me and carried me and fought for me and provided for me and loved me unconditionally through it all. To God be the glory - great things He has done!

I forgot my cell phone when I went to the toilet yesterday. We have 245 tiles.

More Blombos photos

Blombos

This collection of photos of some of my favourite people and my favourite place was taken back in the June/July hols.

4 weeks and counting

For the first time in ages, I feel like I've had some time for me - time to reflect, time to blog, time to read. You know that you're too busy when the thought of logging on and tapping out a quick post makes you want to stick your head down the loo and flush! Well - for me, at least.

Things have been incredibly tough of late - on all fronts: work-wise, financially, spiritually, personally. Unfortunately, when things become tough, and there's nothing I can do to alleviate the stress, it makes me withdraw from the world. When I can't fix things, I feel helpless, powerless, and as a result I retreat to my cave. Of course, retreating doesn't fix anything either - it just leaves you alone with your thoughts, which isn't very helpful either.

It's been good to have a break. Although it was a holiday at home, and there were chores to complete around the house, it was good to have time off to just do some of the things I enjoy - going to movies, gymming, spending time with my hubby, seeing my friends. The only thing I haven't done is walk on the beach, but there's still time tomorrow, if the weather cooperates. :)

During this time off I was also able to make a decision that I think means next year will be slightly easier (yes, next YEAR, not next month, or next term!)

Of course, the work is already piled up for next term, and I'm already dreading it. Hopefully though, I've had enough time off to be sufficiently pulled back from the edge that I'm not going to snap. I just keep reminding myself that it's only 4 weeks to go, and then we're into exams. Only 4 weeks.

Catan - still the best by far!

I love playing boardgames. I love the whole group gaming experience thing, despite being useless at strategy. As a child, I played Monopoly and Cluedo till even I was bored by them. As an adult, I've found it's rare to find a game that I really love - either they're too complicated, or too infantile, or just too embarrassing (and here I'm thinking of any game hat requires me to draw or act!).

And there's Catan. Aaaahhh!! What a brilliant game.

It requires a little bit of strategy, but because randomness is built into the game, even someone like me has a chance against those who have far greater skill (and here I'm thinking of those who like to play Age of Empires, or D&D, or the like, where strategy is EVERYTHING). The best part about it though, is that you can play an entire game in an hour. Perfect! Time is a precious commodity, and when you only get to start playing after the kids are in bed, and if you want to go to bed at a reasonable hour yourself (because you know those little mites will be up before the crack of dawn), then this is just what you need.

Last night, though, we were introduced to an extension game for Catan - Seafarers. Just when I thought Catan was perfect, I discover there's something even better! I've heard (from others) that some of the other extension packs aren't great - that they make the game long-winded - which is why I have avoided them. Then a friend raved about Seafarers, so we thought we'd give it a go. I'm so glad we did!

So - if you're looking for a good game for the holidays, that the whole family can play, that doesn't go on forever (like most), and that isn't one-sided (as only Monopoly can be!), then do yourself a favour and buy Catan. Learn it, and then buy the Seafarers extension pack! It will be the best value for money you've had in ages!

Day 1 down... only 43 more to go

That was the jist of my status earlier this evening. 43 days till what, you well may ask. Why, 43 schools days till the next holiday, of course!

This is the first time in a long time that I've started the term feeling so rubbish. And by long time, I mean, LOOOOONG time. Years. I'm not talking about my grief levels (they were obviously bad in 2007 when I started the 3rd term). I'm talking about just generally feeling rubbish. I'm sick. I'm tired. I need a holiday.

I know - you're thinking it, I know. Those blimming teachers, forever on holiday, and here she is whining about needing yet another one. (On a tangent, I once calculated that if I add in all the 'extra' unpaid hours I put in - which I feel are necessary to just get the job done properly - I actually only get about 21 days holiday in a year, and teaching is a HANG of a lot more energy demanding than most jobs.)

The fact is though, that I am seriously sleep deprived and my body is starting to pay the price. I'm sleep deprived, not because of lots of canoodelling, sadly. (In fact, I think I'm too tired to even want to canoodle at this point.) I'm sleep deprived because my son keeps waking us up at all hours. The little terror (he isn't really - he's an adorable angel most of the time and I love him to bits) doesn't suffer, because he gets to have a midday nap. But for those of us monkeys who actually have to work, there are no such pleasures.

I lost my voice today, not because I'm unaccustomed to teaching again (although that is true after 3 weeks of not using my voice in the same way). I lost my voice because I'm sick. And I'm sick because I'm tired. And I'm tired because I have a small child who doesn't sleep well.

And before you say that I should have slept on my holiday, let me ask you this - do YOU have small children? Do you KNOW what it's like being on "holiday" with small kids? You don't get to lie around in the sun for hours, reading books. Nor do you get to lie in front of the TV for hours, watching your favourite series that you just ripped off your friend's illegal copy bought. Look, I'm not saying that I didn't have fun on my holiday. I did. I'm not saying I didn't get to read books. I did. I'm just saying that being on holiday with small kids is exhausting because they need constant or frequent input from parents, and that unless you want to go to bed at 8pm every night, you're going to get tired. And in my case, sick.

Both of which I am.

Of course, I have no-one to blame but myself. I shouldn't have walked the kids to nursery in the mist. I know better. My lungs don't do mist at the best of times. I should have worn a face mask. I didn't. I was stupid, and now I'm paying for it. I KNOW all that. But self-blame isn't going to rectify this problem. So let's just move on, shall we?

What I need is just 5 days with no kids and no pets. 5 days to sleep late. 5 days to stay in bed and not have to get up for ANYTHING I don't want to. 5 days to live in my pj's if I want to, or walk around starkers if I want to, or even just walk on the beach without having to constantly be on my guard against the waves, strange dogs, or the kids throwing sand into each other's eyes or hitting each other with sticks. 5 days to recharge and heal.

What has me particularly worried at this stage is that when I lie down at night, my lungs bubble. That's not a good sign. The last time that happened to me, I wound up with bronchitis, pneumonia and pleurisy (and yes, pretty much all at the same time) and so sick that my doc warned me I would be dead in a matter of weeks if I didn't get some proper bed rest. (And that's not an exaggeration - he really did say that.) For weeks, I had to sleep sitting up because of the amount of fluid in my lungs. My lungs have never fully recovered from that episode of illness. It caused my asthma to recur, and it took me MONTHS to heal. I can't go through that again.

I need rest. Not just sleep. Proper. Rest.

And so I'm counting the school days until I can be on holiday again. Because next holiday I'm going to send the kids away. They're going to have sleepovers with any family member or friend I can organise to take them. It's only 43 school days. 9 weeks. I can make it till then, right? I hope so. (If my lungs get any worse, I might have to take some time off work if I even want to make it to the end of term.)

I hate feeling this way. I love my job. I love the kids I teach. I love the people I work with. It's one of the best jobs in the world.

But today, I'm feeling the need to count, because right at this point in time, all I want - all I need - is a proper holiday. Only 43 days to go.

The end of the road

Well, not really - just the end of the holidays, but it definitely feels like the end of a journey, and I feel travel weary! As my dear hubby keeps reminding me though - quality time with family is more important than ticking off items on my to-do list. He's right, but I'm a list kinda gal... so I'll make myself happy by creating a list of stuff we've done. :)

1) Bought a new (used) car (YAY!!!!!)
2) Sold my old car. (YAY!! We were worried that it wouldn't sell at all because it's an import.)
3) Nellie finally became confident riding her bike, so we rode around the neighbourhood a lot - the first time we've ever had Nellie riding on her bike while I read mine.
4) G put up some shelves in the office.
5) Nellie went to her first holiday club.
6) Nathan started at nursery 3 mornings a week.
7) We went to the Aquarium.
8) Nellie had a sleepover at Oupa's.
9) We cleaned up the garden a bit.
10) We went to see Kung Fu Panda 2.
11) We went to Kirstenbosch.
12) We put up some pictures on the wall.
13) We tidied up a few electrical items that were in the way.
14) We went to Simons Town for the day and saw penguins and baboons.
15) We had several playdates (Matt, Johari, Granny).
16) We went to the Baxter to see the 3 Little Pigs.
17) We went to two kiddies parties.
18) We went horse-riding.
19) Nellie has started to learn how to play the piano. (I'm teaching her, which is surprisingly good!)
20) G gave a few adult classes on Excel.
21) I worked on the family photo album.
22) We had a few people over for coffee/ supper.
23) We helped out at KidZone at church.
24) We helped with the church's clothing sorting project.
25) G started counselling.
26) G went to an Apple conference.
27) We read LOTS of books.
28) Nathan and I jumped on the trampoline a lot - he learnt to 'boingy, boingy' then ask Mommy to pick him up so he could watch the trucks and trains over the wall.
29) I've started doing Powerplate at gym regularly with a gym buddy. (Those 5.30am starts are a killer, but I'm loving the exercise!)
30) I prepped the majority of the course work for a professional growth course I'm delivering over the next few weeks.
31) I made a cargo mat for my new car so that my dogs & my kids bikes don't make my car filthy.
32) I bought a bike rack and new roof racks for my new car.

It was a good holiday. The best bit was NOT getting sick, which is the usual teacher's curse. Of course, since having walked the kids to nursery one cold misty morning this past week, my chest has been tight, a bit phlemy and it definitely feels like I'm incubating a cold. (Just in time for school. Oh joy!)

But it was a good holiday! And I thank God that we have the jobs we have so that we can have the time with our kids and at home that we have.

School holidays... we miss you!

Unlike most other teachers, I didn't have a holiday, or not really. The past 3 weeks or so have been so stressful. Initially it was just school related - end of term exam marking and report writing.

Then things escalated at home as our nanny went off sick for several days. I won't bore you with the details, suffice to say that she was told she'd had a stroke (at age 35!) and was suffering from high blood pressure. Fortunately, further tests revealed that she hadn't had a stroke, but she does have high bp.

This all transpired at the same time that Nathan went for emergency surgery to have grommets put in and his adenoids removed. (The surgeon said his adenoids were the size of plums....) I had to deal with most of this on my own, as Graeme was away with a school group doing a trail in the Umfolozi Game Reserve.

Graeme was back for 2 days (during which we both had some work to do on one day), then I headed off to Pretoria with the Cape Town Eskom Expo group. That means I had 3 days in a row of early mornings, late nights, stress and lots of time on my feet while I was judging and marking and doing other bits and pieces.

Today I had the kids for the morning, as G was at band practice, and then we had a braai with Nathan's friends' parents that we've been trying to organise for ages. While it was lovely to spend time with them, it was, never the less, an energy-consuming day. (Although, it probably only felt like that because I'm so tired.) And now, as I sit and contemplate tomorrow (and have just worked through about 2/3rds of my school inbox), I realise that I'm not prepared yet for tomorrow, or this week.

I feel like I've aged 5-10 years over the past few weeks. Sadly, the stress won't relent until the 16th Dec. So, somehow I've got to plow on till then. What I have gained through this time though, is a new-found respect for single parents who have more than one child. I think I could have coped a lot better if I only had just the one, but two has been.... trying.

Still, there has been a lot of joy and good in these weeks too. Nathan is feeling better, and so is sleeping MUCH better during the day (night time habits die hard, it seems), and is responding to instructions much better. Today he said a new word - bye bye. Nellie has decided (mostly) that she gets more attention if she's a helpful big sister than a whining pain, so has started to be truly helpful, loving and sweet towards her brother - long may that last!! Our nanny's bp is back down to normal (with a little help from medication) and she seems to be on the mend. G had a fabulous trip away with some close encounters with rhino and buffalo. The Cape Town Expo group got 9 bronze, 4 silver and 5 gold medals (out of 25 projects), as well as winning 2 best-in-category prizes, 3 special awards and having 4 people nominated for the international expos.

But I think that, for my birthday, I'd like a weekend away without the kids - just me and G. I'd like some time out to just walk, read, sleep and eat, without having any other demands on my energy or time. I think that I really need the time out if I'm going to avoid burn out. Anyone offering babysitting for a weekend in November?

Uploading....

We've had such a fun holiday, despite Nathan getting a virus, then bronchiolitis, and then tonsillitis! We went to Sedgefield, then on to PE, then back to Sedgefield, and then on to Oudtshoorn, and then back home. We stayed with friends that we hadn't seen in years, which was fantastic!

Rather than upload all the photos twice, I've put some of them on Nellie's blog, since this was her first PROPER holiday in SA. She had such fun - it was wonderful to see how excited she got by everything. The rest are below in other posts.

This holiday also saw quite a bit of jealousy from Nellie's side. With Nathan being sick, he got a lot of attention and holding, and she's found that very difficult. Poor mite. But she's been really good about it all. She didn't throw tantrums, or behave poorly (on the whole). I discussed with her how I wanted her to approach her jealousy. I asked her to tell me if she was feeling jealous, and to ask for what she wanted from me. She cottoned on to that very quickly - and as a result got far more attention from me than she probably would have done otherwise: "Mommy, I'm feeling jealous of Nathan - please can you play with me?" I am really proud of how maturely she's handled it all.

Nathan continues to be a joy to all, despite his sickness. Several times we're convinced he started signing, but as we then went away (which meant he couldn't watch his signing video) that has tailed off again. I'm hoping that as he starts watching again, he will start signing to us again. He now talks 19 to the dozen (all babble though), with quite serious intent too, and loves it when we repeat his babble back to him. In fact, he thinks we're hilarious. If you consider it from his side, he obviously thinks he's talking, and can't understand why we would want to babble... silly parents!

He's walking beautifully now, but can't pull himself back up if he's fallen down. He still needs to crawl across to something else to pull himself up. He's also discovered feeding himself and the joys of grated cheese, Flings, droe wors and drinking from a pull-cap juice bottle (you know, those small juices for kids you buy in the shops with the cap you pull up and push down?). Oh the joys!! He's been in 7th heaven!

Nellie, meanwhile, has discovered the joy of monkey bars and loves to show off. She's also discovered the joys of washing dishes (!!!) and grating cheese (well, we need all the help we can get with feeding Nathan!) and of playing with her brother. She loves nothing more than making him laugh. She's really growing up (but still my little baby).

Anyway, head across to Nellie's page to see some of our photos.

Happy holidays

Down the rabbit hole

No - I've not been to see the new Alice in Wonderland. However, when I first saw this creature in Sedgefield's Swartvlei lagoon, I thought I must have fallen down a rabbit hole. I'd never seen anything like it before.Doing a bit of research, it turns out that this is a Shaggy Sea Hare (Bursatella leachi) and is a fairly rare creature. Oddly though, there were hundreds of them in the river mouth. It would appear that their distribution pattern is shifting south, because they were first glimpsed in Plett in 2007, and this was their first appearance in Sedgies that my in-laws could remember.

They're fascinating little creatures - to me at least. They're about 10cm long, green, with black spots (you can't really see the spots unless you get up good and close) and these pink tassels. They filter out algae from sand and have an internal shell. They are thus very soft to the touch, and slightly slimy. I discovered afterwards that they usually release a purple or black ink when disturbed, so I guess I must have been pretty gentle with them. Some of them (not this species though) release sulphuric acid when disturbed! That's a definite "DO NOT DISTURB" sign, if you know what to look for.

One week left

The End Is Nigh.

No - not THAT end (although if you believe the movie "2012", we're all about to die anyway).

I mean the OTHER end. You know. The end of my "holiday" one.

And in this final week, rather than getting to spend oodles of time with my precious son (who, I might add, is growing daily in the cuteness scores), I will instead be spending time trying to:

a) get the back garden finished (weeding, planting, weeding, filling in holes the dogs have dug, weeding, oh - and more weeding!)
b) get the car fixed (it's got 2 leaks now...)
c) care for my sick husband (who now has my gastro bug - sorry Babes! I know how k** you feel and will do my best to keep the kids & dogs quiet and out of your hair)
d) write Christmas cards to post overseas (can you believe it's that time of the year again?!)
e) finish the planning for the matrics for 2010
f) get the electrical certificate for the house & finish the last few handyman jobs that are left over from our renovations
g) organise Janel's party (which is in about a month's time... eeek!)
h) do a handover with my colleague

And it's not as if I have hours and hours in which to do it. Nellie has swimming on Tues & Fri afternoons, play therapy on Wed (after which we rush back to nursery for Monkeynastix), and I have a coffee date with a new friend on Tues morning.

Right. So nothing too strenuous then.

Oh yes, and if there's time, I would like to plan my own birthday party (which is in 3.5 weeks time). I mean, it would be nice, for a change, to actually celebrate my life, as opposed to letting the moment slide by because I'm... oh, I don't know... TOO BUSY?!?!

Having a daughter who's birthday is so close to my own is rather a pain. I didn't organise that terribly well, did I? Especially as my primary love language is still presents. Yup. I reeeeally didn't plan that too well*.

Well then, I guess I'd better go and get my beauty sleep or I'll never survive this last week of "holiday", hadn't I?
_______________________________________

*Note to self for next child**: make sure the birthday is in March - far enough away from siblings and parents and Christmas for you to get decent presents.

** Note to readers: There is only a 0.02% chance of there BEING a next child. At least, those are the stats if it's biologically mine. Which it might not be. Or might not be if I'm still alive after G has read this and not killed me for even suggesting the idea of another child...

Oh yes, THAT's why teachers need holidays

Today I went back to work for Valedictory. The day started with breakfast at 7.20am, and ended with tea and biscuits & a viewing of the matric art* at around 12h00. Needless to say, after chatting to some of the kids & staff, I only left at around 13h00.

Nate was incredible. Given that there were well over 700 people there at one point, that there was a marimba band playing only 1 table away from us, and that roughly 200 people talked to him, he was remarkably calm by the end. Of course, his nap and feeding routine went out the window, and we're reaping that particular whirlwind as I type (so this will be short!).

It was amazing hearing all the speeches and seeing the kids one final time. They are an incredible bunch of kids and I will miss several of them. They certainly are more self-aware and more aware of what they're bidding farewell to than I was at their age! I certainly shed a tear (which is more than I've done for any other year group) or two during the proceedings.

However, what strikes me now is how tired I am. It's not just the early start. Rather, I'm suffering from the same thing Nate is - massive over-stimulation. One forgets so quickly how stressful it is just being in the same place as 800 kids. It's very different to being in an office complex with 800 adults - even with all the noise of computers, photocopy machines, telephones, etc. Kids make a LOUD noise! Passing in the corridors, during break times, at sports, during group work... there is a constant noise that is not mitigated by carpets and other soft furnishings. Schools have a lot of hard surfaces, and sound reflects easily off hard surfaces.

Before you factor in how exhausting teaching itself is, one already has higher stress levels because of the constant noise one must acclimatise to. Having been away for nearly 5 months, I've obviously lost my ability to physically tolerate a certain amount of noise. By that I don't mean to imply that I found the noise unpleasant today. I didn't. I just found it incredibly tiring.

Then, when one does factor in the teaching, the admin, the stress from silly government employees who are power hungry and therefore determined to make you realise that the sun shines out of their backsides, and low pay which leaves one in a constant state of moderate financial crisis, it's no wonder that teachers NEED a holiday every 3 months. It's either that or they'd lose their minds (or leave teaching, which many do choose to do).

I loved being back - I really have missed everyone - but oh boy! It's going to take some getting used to again, and while I do that, I'm going to be really, really tired. I just know it. Thank God it's only 6 weeks till holidays!
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*Another post to follow with some images of some of our top graphic artists.

Kleinmond weekend away

Holiday? What holiday?

This was supposed to be my last chance to REST before the baby arrives. Certainly, once he's here, there will be no rest. Once school is back next week there will be no rest either - too manic to get exams prepared, and then marked, before I go off on maternity leave. Sigh!

This week has been a whirlwind of activity. We've managed to choose the tiles for the bathroom and kitchen, the cupboard finishes for the kitchen and bedroom, buy all the bathroom and kitchen bits and pieces (sinks, basins, taps, mixers, shower doors, etc), meet up with contractors to get quotes for under carpet heating, meet with the cupboard man to discuss our plans for the kitchen (with the result that we're going to gut it completely... which was not part of the original plan!), and source some out of date tiles to fix part of the other bathroom.

In between this, we've also managed to do some gift & grocery shopping, meet with friends/ family for lunch, sort Graeme's scooter's service out, visit the vet, have an anniversary breakfast at Kirstenbosch, and get some reading in after Nellie's in bed. I'm shattered.

Tomorrow we're going to church, and then we have a friend's birthday party tea in the afternoon (yay!). Saturday we're helping our maid move into her new shack. Sunday is church, then family lunch, then other family tea. Monday we're taking the day off as a family and going to a kiddy petting farm near by (that also has a chocolate factory) (double yay!). Tuesday will be more house chores (meeting more contractors, etc) and some nappy business stuff. Then Wed it's back to work, and I already have a long list of things to do when I get there, not to mention 4 classes worth of work to mark or the exams I need to set, or all the PTA meetings that will take place in the following 5 school days. In addition, we're hoping to move house before I go on maternity leave. Hmm... I'm a lunatic, right?

So, with all that in mind, I think I'm going to head off to bed now.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel though - if all goes according to plan, then I will have 10 days of rest between finishing school and the induction. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Some photos

Here are just a few of the photos I took - because I'm still learning how to use my phone camera effectively, some didn't come out the way I hoped; others I took for my own pleasure and will mean nothing to anyone else, so I won't bother posting them here. Anyway, enjoy! (You have to click on the photo, and it will take you to the photo album.)

Christmas Holidays 2008

Can it really be over?

I can't believe that the holidays are nearly over. Graeme is back at work tomorrow, Nellie is back at school on Wed, and I will probably go in for at least a day later this week to do some filing before I officially start on Monday. Although we've had a fabulous time, I still feel really tired. (Having a child around does not make for a restful holiday! Plus, my nausea has continued unabated, which makes me tired in and of itself.)

My exciting news though is that I finally have my spanky new phone and I've been able to take some really lovely photos of the holiday with it. I'm looking forward to uploading them here to share with you guys.

We spent a week with my family on my brother's smallholding (termed, the Farm) for Christmas. After new year we then went up to Sedgefield to spend 10 days with the G's family (well, 5 days with the hordes, and a further 5 days just with G's folks). Both were really great times, and also very important times for Nellie, so I'm glad we went.

We had our 13 week scan and all is going well. We have another scan next week (I think). I'm not sure when we find out what the sex is, but when we can, we will. Nellie is getting to grips with the idea of the baby. For instance, she knows that the baby has to grow a lot before it will come out of Mommy's tummy, that we have to name the baby, and that she will have to share her things with the baby when it comes. Beyond that, whether she even begins to grasp how it will affect our lives, I'm not sure. I think being with Ariana on holiday was a good experience for her, because she got to ask lots of questions about babies in general - like why they cry so much and what they eat, and why they can't play properly. Of course, Ariana is already 6 months old, so I think she will still be rather shocked when she sees how helpless her sibling will be at birth!

We've had some fun and games with Discovery, but in the end everything has been sorted out. Of course, we would go through all this hassle the day before we were due to leave for our holiday, and while we were on holiday.

And so begins another year. Already I find myself thinking in terms of how many months I have left till maternity leave. The year is already broken up for me as 'before Baby' and 'after Baby'. In one sense, that's probably wise, as I'm not sure I have the energy to teach for a full year! (Then again, maybe that's more a factor of already being pregnant than a factor of how busy our holiday was.) I'm trying very hard not to contemplate what might go wrong, or the fact that I might have to teach a full year, rather than just a half year.

I'm sure this year will be easier - not studying, for one thing, will make things a lot easier. Having been at this job for a year though will also dramatically reduce the stress now at the start of the year (I hope). So all in all I'm really looking forward to this year. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things - although I'm not sure whether I should rejoice or weep that I have a Grade 8 tutor class (the babies of the school... who will want & need me to wipe their noses and give them permission to write in black rather than blue ink).

But back to photos. I'm going to upload a whole bunch (if I can get my phone to talk to the computer), and I'll put the link here, rather than post them all here I think. Anyway, we'll see.

Hope the new year delivers on its promises for you, and that you have the best year EVER!

Weekend away

Thanks to Neotel 'accidentally' damaging Telkom cables as they were installing their own, we have been internetless since the middle of the week. Of course, no sooner had Telkom fixed the problem (took them over 48hrs, and at first they kept saying there WAS no problem... like, uh, I can't use my phone, dude, because IT'S NOT WORKING and it WAS working while someone was in the middle of a phone call when it just suddenly STOPPED working, so like, we know that IT'S NOT WORKING...) than we went away for the weekend.

I've had withdrawal symptoms.

But on the up side, it forced me to figure out how to access twitter and facebook on my phone... and as a bonus, I figured out what MXit was all about, and I'm definitely going to get into that, methinks. WAY cheaper than texting people - it looks a lot like skype, except on your cell phone.

The ICT conference I went on was great - well worth giving up some holiday time. Not sure it was worth 3 whole days, but definitely worth at least 2.

We had a lovely weekend away. I actually got to read BOOKS... It's been so long since I read one that I'd nearly forgotten what they looked like. So instead of a week long holiday, I got 2 days. But it was nice while it lasted.

Nellie was as cute as always - see her blog for a cute little video of her. She's really into rhymes and songs at the moment. While walking along in a field, we spotted some bees, and she spontaneously burst out into song - one I'd never heard before... and one that (at first hearing, anyway) sounded distinctly rude! Hence, I had to capture it on video to be sure I'd heard right. But it's perfectly safe, and very cute.

Once again, I need to upload the video from the video recorder, then I'll post it here for you. We went to beautiful Retreat Centre near Riebeeck Kasteel (in the Swartland) - and had perfect weather. It was lovely to have an enforced rest.

Napier, or Napeer?

Thanks to loving family, we were able to take a weekend off to celebrate our anniversary. We stayed in Napier (no longer Na-peer, apparently), at a lovely retreat house called Marilee, run by a family friend, and partially paid for by Graeme's aunt.

Oupa and Ouma had Nellie for the weekend, so we were really able to relax and enjoy each other's company for a while. We had some fabulous meals out - most notably at a little pub called The Fox. It's a real little piece of England in SA. In many respects, it felt like home to us!

We took a day trip to explore the area a bit, as both of us had only ever really been in the area to go to Cape Aghulus. We had a meal in Bredasdorp, visited the candle factory there (where we bought ourselves an anniversary present of a candelabra statue) and then went on to try to visit the wine farms in the area (mostly around Elim). Sadly, they were all shut (Mon-Fri operations only).

Elim is an interesting place - not only does it have a lot of the 'the oldest' stuff in South Africa, but every person who lives there is an official member of the church (Moravian/ German) there!While in Elim though, we saw this cute little sign on the channel that runs to the mill. (If you can't read it, it says 'Blessed are the lowly'.)

All round, we had a lovely weekend.