the past month through the quotes of my children
L - "Is THAT our new house? Wow!"
As he got out of the car and gazed in awe at the beautiful house we'd pulled up in front of. We had to break it to him that actually, we'd rented the wee one across the road. Turn around, there it is. But, though smaller, you guys can have your own bedrooms. We enthused to the kids as they galloped through our rental home. We chose a place in Stockton, a suburb of Newcastle that is a five minute ferry ride from the downtown of the city, but feels miles away. There's a small country town feel here and already the community is welcoming us with smiles and Australian warmth. Both emotionally and environmentally. The day we moved in was tipping 40 degree's. The kids were over the moon to finally be settling down for a little while. And very enamoured at the prospect of their own rooms. With two bedrooms upstairs and two bedrooms down, Adelaide claimed her first solo room in the latter. The rest of us settled into the upstairs, where we cannily popped a bunk bed in the room of Lox. Sure enough, Adelaide only lasted a few weeks on her own before she began sleeping in Lachlan's room, upstairs with the rest of us.
A- "Because it's dark down there. And because I feel so far away from the love."
It's been a rocky transition for all of us, this attempting to settle down for a bit. Interestingly, I seem to be having the hardest time. With the heat. The uncertainty of jobs, cars, schools.
Deciding on where to send the kids for school caused me some sleepless nights, especially given that Lachlan effectively has now skipped Kindi and just begun school in Grade 1. We figured he was socially ready for that, but academically, a bit behind the eight ball. Or, more accurately, behind the Grade 1 academic norms in Australia. Finally, we decided to send them to Stockton Public School where he could be in a K/1 split and where the 3/4 teacher for Adelaide had charmed us with her smile. We bought the required uniforms and gently began preparing the kids. Each time we raised the topic, Lox would plead with us to change the subject. He claimed that talking about the first day of school would ruin the present day, in addition to being a day to dread in and of itself.
L - "Today, Mum, when I put on my school hat, I didn't feel scared!"
It's been a tough few weeks, but the kids have been utter champions. Though exhausted by each school day that is filled with the figurings and sussing out of this new situation, they have accepted the challenge. As they leave me in the morning, grimly determined to make it through another overwhelming day, my heart breaks at their perseverance. And because they didn't ask for this challenge, just had it thrust upon them by their liable-to-not-really-think-things-through parents.
A - "But WHEN will I stop being homesick? In a few days? Or weeks? Or MONTHS?"
And my heart breaks a little more. I shipped all our family photo-books over so we could have reminders of 'home' and our Yukon life while here in this other home of ours. Instead of being the reassuring reminder that I'd imagined it to be, Adelaide usually ends up quietly crying as she flips through their familiar pages.
So, it's not all bad. And there are so many interesting differences to observe between our Canada-life and Australia-life.
A - "MUM! It's so funny! Here, I put on my school shoes in the morning, and I don't take them off until I get home!"
In the absence of snow, we have no winter boots or 'indoor' shoes. You just wear your shoes all day. Inside and out. The world is a crazy place, I tell ya.
A - "Mum, NO-ONE in my class has leftovers for lunch. It's all just sandwiches. I want a sandwich for lunch."
Cheese and vegemite sandwiches it is!
A - "I hate that we have to shower every day here because we're sweaty and sticky. I hate showers."
We miss the infrequent bathing we could pursue in our frigid northern home.
L - "Will it ALWAYS be hot?"
Oh, my loves, it will be hot as long as it is cold in the Yukon. Many more months to go.
And so we continue to work on patience and acceptance. My children, modelling for me a growth mindset that I am envious of. The other day as I was complaining to Mountain Dad about the upheaval and uncertainty, he laughed and told me that what I'd just said should be my next blog post title,
"Dealing with moving countries is harder than dealing with cancer."
As I said, it's been a tough few weeks, but we hold onto moments like the following to remind us of why we're trying this.
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