Tuesday, March 11, 2008
3 year old's don't normally say................
The youngest baby mad dog was having her medical today. The doctor asked me to help my little one remove her cardigan and sleeve of her shirt for her examination. Whilst doing this she pulled away from me and said "don't want a rabies shot today mummy". Doctor remarked "that's something you don't normally hear your average 3 year old coming out with!" Too right. Next she will be checking her airmiles balance.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside..........
OK, so after many deliberations with various friends and family, the baby Mad Dogs are being pulled out of school at May half term. We intend to set off to explore Cornwall and the West Country for a couple of weeks with two old school friends and their children staying in a gorgeous cottage by the sea.
We plan lots of surfing, picnics, visits to Padstow and Rick Steins to consume as much seafood as possible. There is much of Britain that we would still like the girls to see, so we shall take the opportunity to do so. Sans crowds, queuing the entire length of the M5 and all those naughty boys and girls from the Public schools who descend on Cornwall for their 'kiss me quick' version of a holiday. In the meantime I'm giving those girls a proper summer break.
Oh I do think Blighty looks her best in June! Strawberries, Pimms, mid-summer night, sailing and Wimbledon (I feel an early morning queue coming on for tickets). Poor Mr Mad Dog will be sitting with sweat dripping off his nose in India while his family swan around the country looking in rock-pools. However, I, have to pack the house, tie all the legal stuff up here and look after 3 children plus Gus the mad dog single handed. In addition, it could lash with rain, hail or worse for the whole month and an awful lot of monopoly get played. So I think we will be pegging rather level.
Mr Mad dog will return in June and we shall say our so-longs, farewells, auf wiedersehen's and goodbyes prior to a final jaunt in Europe en famille. We then plan to fly out to Chennai/Madras in early-mid July for the shock and awe process of initiation ready in time for School term beginning 4th August. So we have a plan. Well, we do today, 5th March 2008. Tomorrow? Who knows.
There seems to be no right time to go. But at least the girls would have had a summer break and get a chance to visit all their relatives in Scotland before departure.
I have also found a new home for my moggie Josie who, is simply too old to go globetrotting so will move in with my old school chum and her young family sometime soon in Windsor. A big weight off my mind. We will miss our mog terribly but my friends are real animal lovers and we know she will live out the rest of her days quite purrrfectly....
We plan lots of surfing, picnics, visits to Padstow and Rick Steins to consume as much seafood as possible. There is much of Britain that we would still like the girls to see, so we shall take the opportunity to do so. Sans crowds, queuing the entire length of the M5 and all those naughty boys and girls from the Public schools who descend on Cornwall for their 'kiss me quick' version of a holiday. In the meantime I'm giving those girls a proper summer break.
Oh I do think Blighty looks her best in June! Strawberries, Pimms, mid-summer night, sailing and Wimbledon (I feel an early morning queue coming on for tickets). Poor Mr Mad Dog will be sitting with sweat dripping off his nose in India while his family swan around the country looking in rock-pools. However, I, have to pack the house, tie all the legal stuff up here and look after 3 children plus Gus the mad dog single handed. In addition, it could lash with rain, hail or worse for the whole month and an awful lot of monopoly get played. So I think we will be pegging rather level.
Mr Mad dog will return in June and we shall say our so-longs, farewells, auf wiedersehen's and goodbyes prior to a final jaunt in Europe en famille. We then plan to fly out to Chennai/Madras in early-mid July for the shock and awe process of initiation ready in time for School term beginning 4th August. So we have a plan. Well, we do today, 5th March 2008. Tomorrow? Who knows.
There seems to be no right time to go. But at least the girls would have had a summer break and get a chance to visit all their relatives in Scotland before departure.
I have also found a new home for my moggie Josie who, is simply too old to go globetrotting so will move in with my old school chum and her young family sometime soon in Windsor. A big weight off my mind. We will miss our mog terribly but my friends are real animal lovers and we know she will live out the rest of her days quite purrrfectly....
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Caught between a rock and a hard place
Trying to decide the most appropriate time to make the move to Chennai is proving difficult. We will not have school places (due to being oversubscribed) until 4th August when the new term begins. The baby mad dogs school term breaks for the summer holidays on the 23rd July.
So, take them out a couple of weeks early?
Not so easy, in the case of the eldest mad dog. She is in year 6 primary which is the final year before moving onto (English) secondary school. In the final couple of months of the term, after finishing the SATS, they produce a musical and have lots of departure/goodbye events (they have all been together since they were 4). The final being their leaving party scheduled for the 25th July.
If we flew out on the 26th, this would give the girls the grand total of 8 days summer holidays, and usually my girls are burnt out and in desperate need of a few weeks of rest, beaches and sailing. (Mum is too).
But the other option of going in May when Mr Mad dog is up and running in India is equally galling. Trying to keep 3 mad dogs entertained in the hottest month of the year (40+ almost daily) with no school and most expats with kids departing on the next available plane after school breaks on the 6th June for 2 months is not an attractive proposition either.
Eldest mad dog will not want to leave once the rehearsals start for the 'show' so she has to be pulled out early enough that the impact will not hit too hard either. But in a nutshell, we feel caught between a rock and a hard place.
The process of moving to India is taking an age. We just want to get on with it. But I suppose this is what living in India will be like, waiting and keeping hold of my patience.
So, take them out a couple of weeks early?
Not so easy, in the case of the eldest mad dog. She is in year 6 primary which is the final year before moving onto (English) secondary school. In the final couple of months of the term, after finishing the SATS, they produce a musical and have lots of departure/goodbye events (they have all been together since they were 4). The final being their leaving party scheduled for the 25th July.
If we flew out on the 26th, this would give the girls the grand total of 8 days summer holidays, and usually my girls are burnt out and in desperate need of a few weeks of rest, beaches and sailing. (Mum is too).
But the other option of going in May when Mr Mad dog is up and running in India is equally galling. Trying to keep 3 mad dogs entertained in the hottest month of the year (40+ almost daily) with no school and most expats with kids departing on the next available plane after school breaks on the 6th June for 2 months is not an attractive proposition either.
Eldest mad dog will not want to leave once the rehearsals start for the 'show' so she has to be pulled out early enough that the impact will not hit too hard either. But in a nutshell, we feel caught between a rock and a hard place.
The process of moving to India is taking an age. We just want to get on with it. But I suppose this is what living in India will be like, waiting and keeping hold of my patience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
