Topsy Turvy 2013

Jack, Tilly and I were all super excited at the beginning of the year knowing that Ayla was coming to bless us with her amazing teaching skills for 18 months. We had everything ready – a nice little  house, a school room and office and grand language learning plans to make the most of all the free time I would have. But things just haven’t worked out like we’ve planned.

It’s been almost a year now and we still haven’t been able to get a visa for Ayla – there’s no end in sight yet, we’re just still doing everything we can to sort it out. I think in addition to the usual end of year exhaustion that everyone is probably feeling with the end of term 4 in sight, I am feeling like I’ve spent the whole year pushing myself to the max trying to do an ok job of school and do language study and take care of the family and do all the other things that need to be done… all the while thinking “it’s just until Ayla arrives.” Let’s just say I am probably way more excited about school holidays coming up than the kids.

I don’t think teaching is really my thing. Even on a good day it’s such hard work and we have plenty of not so good days. But we’ve made it (almost) to the end of another year and I am so super proud of my crazy honkies! They have worked so incredibly hard, they’ve coped with the repeated disappointment of changed plans, they somehow manage to stay mostly on track while my brain is away doing a million and one things at a time, they really do love learning and they work their little guts out. They never (okay maybe once a month) complain about starting in the morning, they get themselves ready for the day without being asked and they always encourage me to do my best.

So, while we still don’t know what next year holds for us school wise… if it turns out we have to keep on going without Ayla for a while longer I really can’t complain. I’m so blessed to have these incredible kiddies to share the journey with.