Next Week

Boys en route. Ferry Dock, Monday morning. 

I'm writing this on a Saturday evening. I usually write on a Sunday morning, but tomorrow we are spending the day packing to send off Tyler, James & Georgie back to South Africa, where the boys are undergoing assessments and orientation for their new schools.

William and I get to stay behind on the island to run the bakery for two weeks.

When you live on an island, even a semi-suburban one such as ours,  lists from the 'real world' ("off-island" as we say) can strike terror into the hearts of over- scheduled mothers such as I. "Bring sports equipment" says the list "such as cricket bats, hockey sticks etc". We don't have things like this. "Bring sleeping bags, pyjamas and slippers" the list continues. We don't have these either. "Bring costumes, towels and sunscreen". Phew - we have those, thank goodness.

Despite being a Girly-Girl, for some reason I have a deep love of reading about adventures and heroes. I'm a Everest Anorak, for example. Everyone rolls their eyes every time there is any documentary about climbers as I have to get out my National Geographic map of the mountains and follow it all - crevasse by crevasse. I've read every book there is about the South Pole and North Pole and every other adventure there is to be had. Tonight, serendipitously we watched the Bridge over the River Kwai - Top Gear style. I do love it all quite vicariously.

So I have every understanding that I'm sending my boys off on a big adventure. The boys are very excited and looking forward to it it too. My brain is crystal clear that this is the best thing to do but my heart is splintering  into a million shards at the thought of it all.