Last month we thought we had our last student. Roani from Brazil.
the next day the girls (IE The MR) rearranged the bedrooms to make room for the baby (all 3 shared a room - and I will say Miss G was a bit sad that she now has her own room for a little while - that I almost want them all together again) House rearranging is so much fun
2 days later the international school rings asking me to please take an emergency student whose homestay family couldn't take her.... There were a few protests from the Girls (poor things) but after I gave them the guilt trip of: this girl has nowhere to go, no family to love her, shes all alone in a strange country and can't speak english... they all moved back to their old room and gave up their new room for her. What good girls
So now we are back to rearranging the rooms as we said Goodbye to our last student - Jinni
Me forcing Jinni to eat a Dagwood Dog - very Australian of me - hey I only eat these things once a year at THE EKKA - but since I will be giving birth that week, we splurged at a local fair - and I will say it was probably the best Dagwood Dog I have ever eaten!!
The last two days I have actually been counting the children, as I feel like someone is missing - It feels strange yet good, I feel liberated, yet that something is missing at the same time -
4 almost 5 years we have been fulltime Homestay family - with all the good and bad that comes with that. Mostly good .. but sometimes annoying..
So farewell to:
sharing my home.. (though I am sure one day we will go back to it.. I will miss the $425 I earn per fortnight without much effort - it might be sooner than later when I realise what living without that means :)
Girls living in a room wall to wall beds
gifts from overseas
The world views my children have learnt; their kindness to strangers; sitting and playing with someone who understands nothing they are saying and yet still the girls press on
How wonderful the world really is, and that most people are the same the world around
That our family is brave and strong enough to let virtual strangers live with us
But hello to:
running around in my underwear (I can join the girls :) LOL
Not expecting my front door to open any time of day or night
water free bathrooms
No constantly speaking in pidgin english (well I still have kids, so maybe)
Not having to cook wonderful meals each night.. the girls will be so happy to hear they can eat noodles, toast, boiled rice and other lazy dinners!!
Life ebbs and flows.. and for that I am grateful
2 comments:
You can force me to have a dagwood dog with you - love them:)
I'd miss the overseas presents the most if i were in your shoes. My mother in law bought some really cool present back from Japan - oh well:(
Usually when we kneel down for prayers at night we glance around to make sure everyone is there. It's when everyone is there and either my husband or I will say "Somebody's missing" and nobody is that we know I'll be having another baby soon. It's so strange to feel that feeling of "somebody's missing."
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