Sunday 18 July 2010

Ch ch ch changes

I looked at my life plan again yesterday morning, then put it in the shredder. That's the fifth time this week, and Week One of my Life Plan hasn't even started yet.

Life plans are crap, anyhow. Changes come upon us swift and unpredictable. One minute you're walking along tra la la and the next you're balanced in a canoe dangling chicken liver over the side. Hurry up, and catch that piranha! Your fellow diners are hungry back at camp! Don't ask me how that transformation takes place. All I know is that it happens in real life as well as in your unconscious.

Sudden change is common round here, which is why I tend no longer to make life plans. One day I was walking along all tra la la and then OHMYGOD what is that pregnancy? How did that happen? No one told me! Who knew these things?

Then everything started to go wrong, or right, depending on your point of view, when at the first scan the sonographer asked, Have you taken Clomid?

I never knew Clomid. Who is she? Some person I have been taking to places? Suddenly everyone is asking about Clomid, like I am an idiot, and I have been taking her places and leaving her there and she was my responsibility! At one point a young nurse comes in and shakes her head at me, like in pity at my outstretched body and stupid expression, as if she is saying You are so dumb, how are you going to cope with triplets?

Well that revelation brought about some more big changes round here. A complete reversal of Life Plan number 456. Now I am a stay-at-home mama. And you can see what that means in terms of lifestyle. Not surprising then that I have zero tolerance of the stay-at-home mama stereotype. You know, the one where we all stand around in 1950s pinnies, baking cakes, reigning supreme.

If triplets and a career change weren't enough of a turnabout from gadabout goodtime girl, there's our home educating decision to plunge us into the waters of change. Let's do that, head first with eyes closed! Now I tentatively plan only the day and week ahead merely to keep a grip on reality.

But on I go, through it all, weathering those changes. I keep my fortune cookie selection ready to hand: my favourites say Let not great ambition overshadow small success, and From little seeds grow big trees.

Early on I fastened onto one in particular, and that was Leave behind the life you planned and embrace the life you have. I don't know which Chinese meal that came from but, in the absence of religion, it has served me pretty well for several years and through various upheavals.

So when Dig, that absent husband I keep somewhere on the other side of the planet, calls me from Hong Kong today and says, OK I have signed a lease on a house. It has enough bedrooms for you and the children, so I'll book the flights for August, shall I? then yes, life just changed once more. Whether I can embrace it is another matter altogether.

13 comments:

Maire said...

Holding my breath for you!

Grit said...

maire, please breathe! the consequences will be disastrous!

i think this blog will come in handy for me. i can ramble on about how scared i am, and how much of life is a disaster, and how much of everyday is also an open road filled with discovery and adventure.

sharon said...

Hooray for changes! How long is the lease?

Maire said...

Lol, I am afraid I have had to! Wondering about the fields over there!

Kestrel said...

Wow Grit, what a huge life change!

HK is a stunning assault on your senses and filled with fantastic food. You are going to have an exceptional time.

Irene said...

What a big challenge, Grit. The worst of it will be packing up getting ready for the journey. Once you are there, you will be fine. You manage everywhere you go. It will be a huge educational experience and a big adventure and maybe you will see more of Dig.

Deb said...

Grit! Oh my goodness!

What an adventure! How long are you thinking you will stay?

There is an American who homeschools her daughter and lives in China. Obviously I have no idea where...but maybe she can give you pointers?

http://jimmiescollage.com/

R. Molder said...

Raising triplets in Hong Kong? Awesome!!! Haven't you explored the English country side enough already??? Time for a giant cultural change. But you will need to find someone new to rail against now that the English government cannot no longer affect your education decisions! Oh wait - is this a permanent move? Or temporary?

I'll be in HK around April '11 - see you then if you're still there!!!

Grit said...

hi sharon; we have a one-year lease with an option for two. i may not make it past two months, so we'll see.

there are mountains where dragons live, maire. i am looking forward to those, even though i will miss my english fields.

thank you kestrel. i hope so. i hope the children like it. they probably make the difference.

hi nora! thank you. i would like dig to have a more settled life, and if he can find it in hk, then that is good by me. having said that, he rang me up and told me that he's in canada now, so maybe he's continuing as normal.

hi deb! you are kind, thank you for the link. i don't know how long it will work out in reality. it's not sensible to go for under a month, so we'll take it one month at a time, maybe?!

rachel, you're brilliant, thank you. it would be superb to meet up with you in hk! we've started collecting materials for a playbag, and i promise we'll get that done before we go!

Jen said...

Wow grit! How exciting :). Love the chinese meal (lol) saying. So how do you pack up your life with kids and move across the world?

ummrashid said...

Found a HOUSE with ENOUGH bedrooms in HK! Isn't that amazing in itself?
There are country parks to explore, with monkeys and turtles, and the quieter islands.
And when you need to avoid the crowds the Chinese art gallery is calm, serene and was almost always empty in my experience.

MadameSmokinGun said...

OMG! Exciting and terrifying in equal measures. (The terrifying bit is the packing.)

A Modern Mother said...

Ah, just figured it out. You will be an expat?? Make sure you check out www.expatmums.com