Sunday 7 February 2010

Here comes some practical reality

I'll be honest. It's a shitty day. Tiger has broken the sound barrier with the screeching, possibly fuelled by emotional tension. Shark is now feverishly writing a novel to deflect any possible criticism that she does no writing at all, and Squirrel has thrown a towel over her desk to hide it. Then she had a big squeal and ran off. Maybe she thinks I'll follow through my threat from last week.

I think things are a little tense.

Thanks to the weeping, I'm not going anywhere sporting bullfrog eyes, and daddy Dig pushed off to the Indian restaurant to hunt down dinner. Without that lifeline, it's cereal again.

Maybe one way or another, we are starting to experience the collateral damage.

Just a couple of days ago, Dig sort of, maybe he did, yes he might have done, said OK, I agree. Those terms I can live with, so I may take that post in Hong Kong, just for the year. And because I want a husband then I'll follow and we'll all live happily and everything will be brilliant and no problem.

Only of course right now it is not all brilliant and no problem. It is a great big bomb that we have talked about and dropped, and forgive me, man seeking pigeon, because I might use my blog not to admire pigeons, but for some stream of consciousness typing, so that I can organise my hysteria, and in six months I might even look back and wonder what all the problems were about. Either because we never went anywhere and I am still sat at my office desk writing poopoopoo, or admitting I am so dreadfully, awfully homesick and am missing the English fields and a reenactment of the Battle of Bosworth.

But this blog exists to tell the life of the home educating family. How it is normal in a strange sort of way. So here are the pictures I took Thursday while Shark, Squirrel and Tiger listened for six hours 50 minutes straight to The Witch Trade by Michael Molloy, and drew and listened and made collage and drew and made books.



15 comments:

Michelle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michelle said...

I deleted the comment because I wrote it, then went to my email program and found your message. Wish I could delete the delete notification!

A year isn't so long. You'll be back before you know it. I think you won't want to come back. We'll miss you :-(.

Sam said...

Exciting, scary...exciting...scary!

What news! We moved a number of times because of my Dad's work, and it was always an upheaval. Never quite so far though ;-)

I imagine you'd have a wonderful time - I remember your posts on your last visit.

sharon said...

It's only one year and you can pop over from HK to visit Western Australia. We will be in the same time zone, so no jet-lag involved either!

sharon said...

PS We have fields - they may not always be very green but they are definitely fields ;-)

Moohaa said...

Huge change.. scary stuff. A year will give you time to miss home. There will be plenty to do while you're there. Lots of adventures to have.

I thought of a great project your girls might like. Ever heard of a paper bag scrapbook? If you go to YouTube and put it in the search there is tons of stuff on there. It is a lot easier than normal scrapbooks and it's pretty fun.

Anonymous said...

HK is virtually just around the corner from me in Singapore! Come and visit! You are welcome to the sofa bed. I may have room for the gritlets in the cupboard under the sink.

Potty Mummy said...

And of course you can always stop over in Moscow on your way there...

Thinking of you. It's a tricky time, making a decision like that. PM x

katyboo1 said...

Courage mon brave. It is as Sam so brilliantly put it exciting, scary...exciting...scary! But you are brave, and strong and there will be pritt stick and glitter and paint in HK, and maybe unicorns, and fabulous sea creatures and, all will be well. And if you get too homesick I will mail you tiny bags of English soil mixed with tomato sauce to cheer your days.

Grit said...

a year is not a long time, m. dig probably won't want to come back, that is true. he has spent too long wandering.

thanks, sam! when we move around, wherever we are seems like the right place to be. i'm not sure why.

we may well do that, sharon, and if dig is offered a gig over in perth, we'll certainly be there.

hi moohaa! thanks for the bag tip. that looks perfect.

mud, i would abandon the lot of them and come and live the single life for a weekend ;0)

thanks, pm. mostly, it is Tiger. mostly, because the only words she has so far uttered are 'I don't want to go! I don't want to go!' This is hard. Shark says she wants to go because we will live near the sea and she can study seathings. how can i please everybody, unless i chop myself into bits and scatter them worldwide?

katyboo, i want pickle on my soil, and homemade from english orchard apples picked in the late afternoon autumn sun. x

Kate said...

Further to Mud... HK is definitely on the way to New Zealand! Each Gritlet could actually have HER OWN ROOM if she wanted. And you and Dig would be in the cupboard. Nah, just joking, room for you all.

Kelly said...

We spent a year in Hong Kong when first married, no kids. Knew many people with kids there having a fab time. Food options--excellent!!!

Grit said...

katherine, i should warn you that tiger has NZ on her priority list ...!

kelly, a year in hk without kids? hmm.. now there's a thought... now idly thinking what boarding costs...

kelly said...

Don't go.

There, I said it.

Stay here and wonder what adventures you could have had and why it rains all Summer in England and how you could be roasting in HK goodness.

OK. Go.

Blimey, I'm having a hard time just deciding what to comment - don't envy you trying to make a real life decision x.

Grit said...

at least it's not a life or death decision kelly! (or at least i hope not). more, do i want a husband or not? do i think it will do the kids good? have i had enough of ed balls?!