Departure and goodbye Saturday 25th Sept

Today was the final farewell.

It was midnight before we retired last night after she met with friends at Southbank.

W and J drove her to the airport.

As we were saying a family prayer, M was crying. It was so touching.

J hugged her. I really wanted a pic but I'm sure the girls wouldn't have appreciated it.

It will take me some time to not feel like I have to wonder where she is and what she is doing.

I gave her a long hug goodbye and lots of kisses. She said thank you I had a wonderful time.

I have washed the bedding, vacuumed the room, placed the draws in N and my room.

It will take me time to think what to do with the garage space.

This will be the end of the blog for a few weeks-waiting J's departure.

M spent the entire amount of money $1,000.

Youth conference

We are still waiting for Youth conference pics. Tallebudgera Beach School Burleigh

But here's what I can offer.

M's greatest achievement was to try surfing.

She said she can go home happy.

M and M shared a room with their own ensuite.

J didn't attend.

They loved the pool activity, the food, the circus tricks the high ropes and catapults and

walks on the beach and swimming in the river.

sizzler and despicable me- Tuesday 21st September

This is one day that didn't go to plan.

The girls had a farewell get-together at V's house picnic and games style.

They had eaten so much they didn't feel like eating at the suppossed farewell dinner at Sizzler.

That night we saw "Despicable Me". Very enjoyable.

Outback spectacular Friday 17th September

The girls enjoyed the show. Their team won the games. M was very impressed with her glowing glass.

Long time, no see!

We haven't seen much of M over the past week.
She stayed O/N with friends alot. J had exams so M just spent time with them leaving home

to catch the train when she felt like it.

The girls went to Dreamworld on Friday with school.

They have twigged onto the fact that I don't need to be around for them to get the local train

to the main train station and then they can catch the express from there.

Yesterday was spent at Wet n wild and Movieworld.

We went to the grandparents for a very late afternoon tea for a birthday celebration that ended

up being our dinner.

M didn't come to the sacrament presentation today.

I have seen her for all of a minute.

All she wants is to be with her friends.

Tonic for malady

J and M were home sick today. M2 and N recovering.

Tonic-a trip to the beach on such a warm day.

After work and a substantial afternoon tea they bundled into the car

and we had what is becoming a tradition of hitting the surf pre-sunset.

The current was strong.

Several Japanese men had set up their fishing rods. They had

no language skills so couldn't tell me what they were expecting to catch.

The water was warm.

Seeing the current was strong, paddling was our only pleasure.

Attempts were made at flying the kite, even after the sun had set.

Fun and fresh air was had by all.

Home to a late pumpkin soup garnished with copious amounts of garlic and homemade

bread rolls.

Spring, warm weather and flu

M was saying to me yesterday that she thought it strange that we get sick when it is so warm.

I told her that the virus has taken a while to get to us.

Lo and behold, evening arrangements tonight came to a grinding halt. I picked up J from South bank railway station only to find she had been miserable all day to the point of tears, she was so

unwell. I texted M to tell her we would be leaving early, and she said she was already at Central and could I pick her up. She caught the train to South bank and came down the ramp the same time that I drove into the car-park.

De-ja-vu. Girls asleep in the car on the long drive home.

M went to bed with a cup of tea, a drink of water, a bowel of fruit salad and 2 paracetamol that I had prepared for her.

J ditched the study and said she was going to rest her brain by reading the last book of "Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy".

Somehow, I soldier on.

Events coordinator

Ok I officially feel like an events co-ordinator.

I have been negotiating between M and her friends host families and her parents regarding

her outings.

Who, when, where, how long, why?

I believe a weekend of activity with her friends plus organising them for next week when our

girls have exams has got the all clear.

I have learnt that if you get your ears pierced anywhere but the lobe, you have to be 16 without

parents consent.

Swiss kids are back at school as of this week.

It's a little harder to contact boyfriends now.

Swiss cheese

I neglected to mention how ecstatic I was last week when I found Gruyere swiss cheese at the supermarket.

I also bought a soft cream cheese called Blanc Nuage (white cloud) from France. It reminds me a little of butter and sugar after they have been creamed with beaters. I really like it.

Gruyere is very expensive at $45/kg.

It has a unique taste that is nostalgic in quality.

I wonder what cheese my parents bought when I was little that brings back a taste from long ago.

These cheeses have been made from non-pasteurised dairy.

I have been using more cheese of this nature in my cooking, replacing meat.

We have had large potatoes baked in the oven with their skins on and openend and topped with either of these cheeses, avocado, corn, baked beans, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, boiled egg, sour cream..........so yummy!

We sat around our coffee table for our last helping and watched "The Man from Snowy River".

Fantastic movie with great music.

http://www.myownsweetthyme.com/2009/08/chocolate-train-in-montreux.html

the above site will give you insight into the cheese factory and town of Gruyere in Switzerland and provide some lovely recipes.

Goodbye to August....

It has been a tense week.

I am slow at negotiating when and how to address issues.

Tonight was the night.

The catalyst was a text message. "Can I come home late tonight?"

Response-"Not today."

When picking the girls up from the train station, I told M sorry for not allowing her to have a night out tonight but it was a busy night.

Roast chicken in the oven, FHE, stories to N, M home sick and needing attention.

I allowed myself the opportunity to talk with her about my concerns for her social life

and my expectations.

I spoke with the host mother of her friend she hangs out with.

I told her my concerns and ways we could curtail them ie early homecomings.

I have suggested they go to the Big Breakfast on the bridge near southbank this sunday seeing as neither likes to go to church.

She has resolved her loneliness during class time by watching DVD's in English.

Today she has been watching "Willow".

I took her and another Swiss girl Irina to Byron Bay on Saturday.

We visited the lighthouse, had fish and chips, the girls wandered the shops, and quickly dipped their feet in the ocean and squeaked their feet in the sand.

The migrating whales performed beautifully for us slapping their tales and spouting water.

We sent an email to M's school seeking information for J turns up in November.

I also received an email in French from a Bishop in Annemasse just across the Swiss/French border not far from where J will be staying. J suggested she may like to visit a French Ward.

The Bishop's are so on the ball there. As soon as they receive my letters, they write to me and discuss my needs with other Bishops. 3 Bishops are on task now. I wish I got that sort of response and attention here. I did a online translation of the French and got a giggle.

"Bus" was translated into "drunk".

"where she stays" was translated into "box."

M tells me the verb for drinking is similar to bus and although I live in a box, she doesn't.

Half-way

No photos.
It's is seriously hard at this point.
You know enough about eachother now.
M is homesick.
She realises how isolated she is, and that she has a few more weeks of it.
J can't spend time with her having fun in the afternoons, so its on Facebook she goes.
I offer things that might interest her but she turns them down.
Her parents rang on the weekend and they felt all things could be resolved by talking to her, but she doesn't offer any suggestions. She is just realising how hard it is.
She says it reminds her of her family's visit to California where you had to drive everywhere and were so car dependent.
Geneva is accessible and small. All activities can be reached in about half an hour by bus.
We both had a tear to shed on Monday night.
I gave her a hug, I hoped it helped.
She is bored at school too.
I don't think a I.B school should host exchange students.
The work is hard and intense enough for our own kids, net alone someone who has a language barrier.

The week that was..........

I can barely remember what has transpired this week.

Less involvement with the family.

We must have watched Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. That came about because of King Ludwig's castle in Bavaria. So beautiful and famous, yet M didn't know about it.

I think this week she had another afternoon with friends at South-bank.

There was some interesting arrangements with her Great-Aunt L, where she is staying for

the weekend. I am glad Aunt L is wise to the antics of 16 yo and managed things quite well.

There will be firmer expectations voiced upon her return on Monday.

M needs regular sleep at night, so I will give her a chance to turn her computer off by 10:30pm midweek and 11:00pm weekends. If that doesn't happen I have other ideas.

She also needs to be clear that making her own arrangements without telling me is not ok, especially for her safety and well-being.

I will ask her to share more of her talents with the family especially as N was so keen to have her guide him with guitar techniques.

I have to spend at least an extra half hour every day sometimes more taking care of M's affairs.

That doesn't include sight-seeing and extra pick ups from the train station.

Just a point of interest if you are toying with having an exchange student with you and are short on time.

I am grateful for a little catch up and having the opportunity to take care of my own children's needs for a couple of days.

Tell me why I don't like Mondays.......

Not good karma today.

Broken glass, cut fingers, rushed all day.....perfect dinner.

The school phoned me after their attempts to leave messages at various sources to say M had cut her finger deeply at school. As their early attempts to contact me failed, they took her to the doctor themselves to have the cut dressed.

Thank goodness for that.

Their initial response was for me to go and pick her up. (Oh yes, leave work, drive an hour to put a dressing on a wound!)

Magically, she is still alive!

I received a couple of emails from her mum and sent some pics to show she was happy and

having a good time. Mum and dad are off to see mum's sister in the South of France at

Saint Tropez.