And so to Immigrate...SA will lose another nurse

Today my acceptance letter arrived from the New Zealand Nursing Council. I am officially allowed to apply to do the CAP ( Competency Assessment Programme, which is for overseas nurses wanting to practice in New Zealand). YAHOOOOOO!!!
My eldest, Jessica, is busy studying for Finals, her last year at school - tearjerker.
Watching her performing in her final drama practical this evening, I felt immensely proud. She tries her best in everything. Such an admirable quality.
It's October the 7th, and the year is drawing to a close. I can sigh a big sigh of relief today. One more step closer to Immigrating. God-Willing we will be there in the early New Year of 2014.
Will keep you posted.

Christmas Holidays..done and dusted..

And so the holidays are over...just like that.
Honestly, these have been the quickest five weeks all year, and the whole whirlwind of getting a Christmas tree, decorating it with the kids, sourcing the correct presents for everybody, with the tightest of budgets, cooking a three course Christmas lunch, preventing a verbal war break out, after they consumed a little too much of the Christmas punch,between two family members. Then, when the little ones went off to holiday with their father, ..a New Years Eve beach party...at the last minute. Those are usually the best one's anyway..and I took my 17 yr old along with me, totally unexpected and amazing fun, with my daughter. We only got home at around three thirty. I know it's not the done thing for a mother, but New Years Eve is only once a year anyway. My ex- neighbour, Dean,  had invited us, along with his oddly overly friendly mate, Billy, who kept buying jagermeisters for us all.
Something about the fresh beach breeze and the just so cool party vibe, or was it the poppers in the airconditioning system..?! but we danced the night away...and I've never felt younger, or freer :)

Tomorrow the kids go back to school, and we are busy covering school books, and labelling everything, pencils, and rubbers included..with their names. School rules : EVERYTHING MUST BE LABELLED!  Because some little kid will obviously steal your child's pencil if it is not labelled.. Where has all the trust gone? A 10 year old and a 12 year old are old enough to cover school books, am I right? Definitely wrong. Somehow I will have to empower my children more this year. I can't keep being the maid that does it all. Things must change this year.

Our Christmas tree is still up, and standing proudly, albeit looking a little browner than in the beginning of December, but I don't want to let the holiday spirit go, and so I won't.

Kevin and I went away for a really romantic weekend. We seem to be together again, and It seems to be going quite steadily along, he wants to lose 30 kg's this year, and I want to firm up a bit. Sounds so middle aged, that statement, like two old fogies new years resolutions.

Hmmm, well, what can one do but accept that time is passing, and all we can do is enjoy the moment.