Sinusitis

The past week has been a rollercoaster. Up and down, up and then down again. Being sick is never a blast, but having sinusitis is the worst. I hate having it when I am at home, with medicines and proper ability to actually rest, but here it is just ten steps worse. I am not ill enough to want to call in sick, but at the same time I cannot wait for the weekend just to be able to lie down and sleep for three weeks straight. 

An exceptionally ordinary day

Today was pretty much just like any other day.

7.00 - Up you go. It is a bright day and the sun is shining, that means you do not need an extra shirt on and you can carry your scarf instead of wearing it. You can also get out of bed on time for once cause it is not warmer in bed.

7.30 - At work, family is busy getting ready for the day and yours has only just begun. Make sure not to be in anyones way, which I am very good at and quite enjoy actually. Make sure things are tidy and everything is where it is supposed to be.

7.50 - Take youngster to school. He cannot be late and make sure he has brsuhed teeth, feed guinnea pigs and done his violin practise. I think we should also make sure all his things are in his bag and that he is wearing the right shoes. Oh, and the rain jacket must be taken.

8.40 - Back home after school run. Driving is fun and relaxing and the traffic jams are never the same bother as they are at home. Also iHeart Radio is really helping to entertain at the most tidious stop lights.

10.30 - You have a few hours to yourself. Do whatever you want, maybe get some lunch, or catch up on some reading? Wanna keep on ironing? That is fine, as long as you don't burn yourself, which has turned into a habit.

15.00 - Back on the horse, food needs to be taken care of for later and there might even be another washing machine to take care off. Also make sure to get into the car for a second school run on time, you never know how many of London's car drivers are going to be on the same road as you.

17.00 - Back home (hopefully - if not the traffic decides to move close to not at all). Time for homework; which you hopefully made sure was brought home before you leave school. Make sure to check twice cause you never know. Also, rain jacket must be taken home as well.

19.00 - Dinner is done and over with, as are you. Off for the night and perhaps you should try and manage some reading now? I mean since there is no ironing to steal your attention.

So yeah, like any other day.

Homebound (in two months)!

I never thought I'd be so excited about booking flight tickets to go back home. But I am over the moon about the fact that, I will not only get to go back home and see my family - but also surprise them; seeing as they have no idea I am coming back home - and I have no plans of telling them either.

It has always been the going away that brought me the great pleasure. And it was obviously only because I knew that I would be going back home, eventhough I kept telling myself that I wanted to get away. The fact that I had somewhere to go back to is settling and calming. I am not saying I want to leave London now to go back home, but after not having seen your family for a month, and knowing that you'll have to wait two more just makes me want to go home even more - if even only for a day or two. The planned visit will be brief and possibly just as teary as the one when I first left but it doesn't matter to me. Cause I know I will get to go back - both to London and Stockholm that is.

Am I a grown up now?

Me five years ago would have been panicking by now. Not going home in a week? Doing my own laudry? Shopping my own food? What do you mean I have to make my own bed? Past-me would have been pulling her hair, wondering how she could get out of the situations she didn't like and how she could get someone else to do whatever she felt was too much to ask of her. She would have gone out of her way to have someone else do the dirty work and possibly even tried to take the credit for someone elses hardwork. She would have complained (loudly) about having to get up at 6.30 every morning, and she would definitely have complained even louder (if possible) about waking up by herself before noon on weekends.

The present-me is quite enjoying it. I am really liking the fact that I can come and go as I want out of working hours. That I decide what I want to eat and buy to eat. That I am the one to make my plans for the weekends, rather than having to plan around everyone else's plans. Surely I had freedom back home as well - but this is so different. Cause there is literally no one here to tell me to do something out of work hours. And though that is freeing, it is also strangely unsetteling. Going back home after a year is going to be almost as big of a change as it was coming here. Am I scared about that? Yes.

Having talked to many other au-pairs, I realise that I ended up in the right family. The one thing that would make them better would be if they got a dog. Dad being allergic, makes that a no-go. But one can't have everything, right? I don't mind not having to walk a dog though, yet I have talked to Mum about spreading the word to her friends, that I wouldn't mind taking a fury four pawed adorable drooling dog for a walk every now and then.

Cause I do miss my dogs. A lot.

Who would have thought?

I never thought I'd actually enjoy doing dishes, washing, ironing, making dinners and go grocery shopping. However, I am. I think I was secretly made for being a housewife. Schoolr uns are brilliant; sitting in a car, listening to music while you can't move cause the streets are crammed with cars. I am enjoying it. 

I also never thought I'd feel as free as I am feeling now. Surely, I have stuff do yo, and I have places to be - but the time in between I can plan as I like; something I am not too spoiled with. I love the fact that I am bo longer even thinking "It is too early to get up," rather than bust getting out of bed and getting to work. Very settling. 

Lastly; I never would have thought I'd get to spend almost an entire month with my best friend again. That makes me happer than any of the mentions above. 

In a mere week, things has changed

I did not mean to let an entire week come between me and this next post. It just happened.

I am getting into routines, that is what got in the way. Basically getting up at 6.30 every morning and being back home at 8.30 doesn't really leave me any sparetime to do whatever - when I get back home I basically just want to sleep. But at least now that the youngest one is back at school, I have my midday off. So this week I've met up with a bunch of au-pairs (all from Sweden) for some lunch. I have also had a serious sitdown with a book for the first time in 6 weeks. I have had time (read: energy) to do some of my own laundry. It just feels like things are falling into place and I like having things to do non-stop - it leaves me feeling less homesick.

Alright, I am not missing home as much anymore. Now it is more about missing what I am missing out on. Talking to my family on Skype, I see that their way of behaving hasn't changed. But I am not sure if I have changed and going back there later on, I don't know - I just feel as if though they are moving on without me, when in fact I might be the one moving on. This makes no more sense written down than it did in my head. I just wish I could be around home, for the random and common things - which I didn't even think about before I left. I am getting lots of those random and common events here as well though.

I am making sure to press as much as I possibly can into the weekends. So this weekend I've already managed to spend some quality time with my girlfriend, I have babysat (which for the record is not really working cause the children are angels), I'm going to meet up with my 'long-time-no-see' best friend and after that there is an Au-Pair gathering to attend.

If the time tonight allows it, there will be pictures of the past 3 weeks. If time does not allow it, I will probably have to wait another three weeks cause I have three kids and a cello to do school runs with.

Five, is the magic number

The number five has been following me around lately. Five working days so far, also five days since I last wrote. Five hours sleep last night and five more days till I am planned to be reunited with my best friend here in London. Also did five rounds in the washing machine today and there were five of us for dinner. I guess I am grasping here, but the details keep popping out at me.

Anyway, enough of that. I feel that I am finally getting into the routines, leaving and picking up at school. Shopping, cooking, washing. It is all falling into place and the little ones are actually behaving really nicely. I will never get used to the idea that they are as polite as they are. I am driving on my own, which I thought was a bit further ahead in the future but I guess the parents found me a safe-enough driver to drive their children.

Tomorrow is the last day of the littlest one's summer vacation, and on Wednesday I start working regular times. Something I am looking forward to. In all fairness, the children have been angels - really - but I feel like I need a bit of me time and that time has lately only been the 5 minutes it takes for me to walk from the family until I fall asleep on my bed.

I am missing home a bit. Not so much specific people or dogs but more the familiarity of it all. And I guess that is something that I am going to have the hardest time letting go of for now. I am so used to, even when I am on the road for months at a time, that I will go back home soon enough and I am always the one to start counting down the days until I go back home. But a year is a long time to count down and I don't want to do that whilst I am here, in fear of me properly living my life instead of longing back to the life back home. If that makes sense. Though I would not decline a cuddle with my little Princess of a dog.

I have a few things planned for the week though. Might even pick up a book again. But one thing that will most definitely have to happen is washing some clothes (long overdue). Whohoo.

Coralls and fajitas

Okay. So today was a handful (that should be my opening line).

Starting off, I don't think I will be able to get used to getting up as early as 7AM after having had a job where I don't start working until 5PM and get off at midnight. Oh well. Whereas yesterday morning was a rather noisy affair, this morning went smooth. Even smooth enough for me to get som serious ironing done and then we, the youngest boy and I, headed off to the Natural History Museum. We went to the corall exhibition which was greatly appreciated and we even stopped by the mammoths and took a look at some seriosuly large birds.

During the first week I have been spending the entire days at the house, simply because the youngest boy doesn't start school until next week. We have been scheduling playdates and activities and today we even got started on making some chrystals from one of the chemical sets that he has. So whereas his older brother and sister are back at school, he still has a week left of summer vacation. None of them seem too bothered with it since the older ones are too keen on getting back to school to learn new things and meet up with their friends - which I can understand.

So after falling asleep on the tube (both of us), Mr. Youngster and I got back home and started off with dinner, fajitas. Something I'd never expect was that I'd really enjoy cooking. But I am having a blast in the kitchen and the food seems to go down really well with the kids. I'm looking forward to Friday cause then it is time for the Swedish meat-balls. Eventhough they've had them already with their previous Swedish au pairs, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve!

All in all, I am feeling super comfortable with the family and it already feels as if though I am a part of their house and family, as if though I've always been there. Although I do miss my family back home, this is without a doubt the best family I could be at.

Alrighty, signing off - tomorrow is the first driving session, without another adult that knows their way around in the car. If you see a blue Ford randomly drivning around without any apparent goal or purpose - that is me.