And another year is done! I must be getting old because the years are speeding up L As I write this letter, Ross is working at Ulladulla, Jarrod is in the UK travelling with a mate from school, and Tim and Abi are in Japan on a school music tour. With only half the normal numbers under this roof, it is very strange and eerily quiet.
I joked in last year’s letter about all the new specialists I had added, and the end of 2016 brought me one more: an ophthalmologist! I ignored some blurry vision putting it down to a migraine caused by overdoing Christmas events and organisation, but by New Year’s Eve I was in the Eye Hospital having a detached retina repaired. The irony was that Ross was supposed to work that NYE and was to be stationed on the actual Harbour Bridge – instead he was at home with the children, and I was watching the fireworks only a couple of blocks from the action, through one good eye!! I spent most of the school hols on bedrest and no longer have the perfect vision I enjoyed.
The next two months saw us celebrate Tim getting his L plates when he turned 16, and Jarrod turning 18. Abi and I attended her first concert, Adele; Sam started an enrichment program at the local high school one day a week; and Belle gave up musical theatre to play soccer (much to Abi’s and my disappointment that she did not love netball as much as we did!). Isaac knuckled down to focus on school work (and making sure his hair looked good).
As first term wound up, I was called away from the school Easter Parade because a 4WD had hit Ross on his pushbike riding to work. He tore a hamstring and had surgery on a knuckle, but apart from that we were very thankful that all he suffered was a few cuts and bruises. Ironic episode no. 2: he ended up in the Sydney Hand Unit which shares a location with the Sydney Eye Hospital, and I waved to my ophthalmologist in the hallway as I waited for Ross to be discharged…. A second set of school holidays was then spent quietly at home while Ross had a turn on bedrest.
Term 2 allowed for an overnight trip to the Gold Coast for a conference, and we finished using the gift vouchers won on Family Feud last year by seeing ‘Kinky Boots’ in a private box at the Capitol Theatre, an experience I would happily repeat! As the mid-year school holidays came to a close, Belle attended a soccer match at our local oval with her team, fell off a rope swing, and badly broke her arm – our third school hols in an Emergency Department this year!! Between my own specialist appointment follow-ups, Ross’ recovery and the challenges a nine year old in a plaster cast must face, we learned to appreciate weeks that did not have a medical appointment in them.
We celebrated the Sept/October school holidays by taking a ten day trip to New Zealand, just the eight of us in a mini-bus travelling around the South Island. It was the first time we had taken the children there, and they loved it. And we all loved an injury-free, sickness-free holiday period!! Photos from the trip will be organised and uploaded once our technical support is available (ie. Jarrod returns from his trip).
This last school term has been quite a furious pace, and we look forward to slowing down over the Christmas break (and celebrating the new year far differently to last year!). Ross took on a second job doing major works and project managing at our place down at Ulladulla, so has spent many weeks away when not at the fire station. This has necessitated me spending more time at home and working more from home (….ok, and managing more coffee catch-ups and lunches close to home during school hours J).
Jarrod and Abi both like to tease me that they work more than me – Jarrod built up several tutoring clients over the year, which helped him save for his trip to the UK, and he managed to fit it around successfully completing first year Commerce/Law at Sydney Uni. Abi took on a nannying job on a Thursday, and two other afternoons/evenings at a local cafe, to earn money for her school trip to Japan. We ask the children to pay for half the trip costs, partly because it’s expensive and we have potentially many school trips to fund, and partly to make them appreciate the trip more when they have contributed to it. Tim earned his required amount through soccer refereeing and maths tutoring, but is now cutting back on his extra-curricular activities to focus on his HSC.
Isaac really enjoyed his last year of primary school and the responsibilities he had as a school leader (Parliamentarian). He was very pleased to be able to present Sam with his badge on Presentation Day as Sam was also voted in as a member of next year’s school parliament. Zac decided once the soccer season finished to try tennis comps this year, so his Saturdays (and ours!) are now spent running from tennis at 8am straight to baseball.
Sam had major disappointment recently as he tried out for a soccer representative team and missed out, but he is not giving up on his dream of playing in the English Premier League just yet. His fallback career is as an actor, as he still enjoys his acting classes. He was successful in a recent audition for a short film, which starts filming next Monday, so watch this space! J Belle is cruising along, although her wings were quite literally tied by the broken arm, which meant she had to give up dancing and a return to gymnastics. All three were also very devastated to lose their piano teacher to ill health in September, but all want to return to piano lessons next year to honour her.
The home renovations we intended did not start this year with everything else that happened, but we hope to rectify that next year. In the meantime, we just intend to rest our weary bodies (again, I am feeling old!).
As we laze around here and reflect on this season, we wish you a very happy Christmas, and a wonderful 2018.
