Kidless

After 26 years and seven months, we are (temporarily) kidless. But who's counting??

And just quietly, it's pretty bloody fantastic! Just don't tell the kids...

Sass headed off to boarding school (just for the year) and Elle's moved back to Canberra for uni.

Praise be the day!!!

Before she left, Elle was insisting I'd be lonely and miss nagging them. True, it's only been five days, but they have been very peaceful days and I haven't missed asking eight times across a 12-hour period for her to PLEASE empty the dishwasher, pick up after herself, wipe the bench after she's eaten and turn the lights off if she's not in the bedroom/bathroom/kitchen. (Is it possible to get the kids to pay the odd power bill? You know, just for the life-experience...)

Sass left - with nine huge bags of stuff - about 10 days ago. We'd been gathering, shopping, naming and checking that list a hundred times. As one mum said, every time you check, something else appears that you swear wasn't there before. When I say 'list', it went on for pages - more of a booklet really. Everything from sheets and towels, toiletries and textbooks, to hiking gear and stationery. There was stuff all over the place - and now it's all gone!!! Yay.

Elle was next. She had an absolute car-load of clothes, homewares, bedding, cushions, books, a large jute rug, a NutriBullet, leftover beer and wine from her 21st party and a few jars of pickled red cabbage she'd made. And that too is now all outta the house!!

Order has been restored.

Gary seems a little confused, but appears to be embracing the serenity.

 On her day of departure, Elle headed off before 6am and I had a summit to attend at 7am. But when I returned, the first thing I did wasn't to check my email - but to vacuum. I was so happy!!

Since then, I've mopped the floors, washed, polished and vacuumed my car (including the footprints on the passenger side window - I kid you not), rearranged the fridge, tidied the laundry - and everything is as I left it!! It's a miracle.

No one is using my debit card for things they 'feel like' at the supermarket, I've watched MAFS uninterrupted and can even go to the loo without someone insisting I look at something 'amazing' they've just found on the internet.

Perhaps I will get bored and lonely - but then again, maybe I won't!

The Countdown

There are just five days before Eleanor heads off to boarding school in the country for a year. She does come home for school holidays and mid-term weekends so it's not like we won't see her.

Don't be fooled by those girlish good-looks, she is the devil reincarnated.
And no, that's not me pulling her hair, it's my sister-in-law braiding.

Some parents are quite nervous about it. I went to boarding school from Year 7 so I have no problem with it! She'll have a ball. They ski, ride horses, hike and camp - what's not to like about that? It's one of the reasons I chose Lauriston.

Geoff was very unsure to start with, having her away. But as she's just turned 14 and is soooooo 14 (mothers of teenage girls will know exactly what I'm talking about!) he now agrees that the timing is perfect. While there, they have no mobile phones, no access to Facebook, Snap Chat, Instagram or any other online sites that aren't directly applicable to their studies. How refreshing!!!

I also have high expectations that our house will be tidy.... and staying that way for more than an hour.

And how does she feel? Well on January 1st last year, when we were in Laos, she woke up and announced 'I go to Howqua next year!' But now it's getting close and they don't know who's in their house of 12 until they get there (what an excellent strategy!) she is becoming a bit nervous.

But we have clashed so much these last couple of weeks, her sleeping in until at least 12 every day, not helping around the house, reading her books, etc, etc that she's even telling everyone that as the other mothers are shedding a tear as the bus pulls away on Wednesday morning, I'll be punching the air and high fiving everyone! We'll see.