What I Do All Day Long

Now I know many of you have been wondering what the heck it is I do all day long. Well you're probably not really wondering because you're probably not spending a lot of time thinking about it at all. But I know I keep scratching my head about how I can go from working nearly full time to now barely working, and still be so super busy. I've thought about just publishing my to do lists, which would probably make me feel like less of a slacker, but would probably be kind of boring.

There are/were lots of logistics to attend to - like figuring out health insurance. We have good solid Blue Cross Blue Shield which doesn't do us a lick of good here. So I looked into South African Health insurance. It seemed like a good idea - and then seemed like an exceptionally good idea when I learned that a private hospital here will not treat you unless you can show you have SA insurance or can pay a huge amount up front. They will stabilize you and then move you to a government hospital unless you show the goods - yikes. B, Gordon and Anne, and Marie - you'll be happy to know we now have SA hospital insurance (in addition to our useless blue cross blue shield - which we're keeping just in case).

Okay that was a digression. Other logistics - figuring out how phone contracts work here, registering family with state department, gym memberships, finding household help (worthy of a blog entry itself), getting us library cards, figuring out how to recycle and . . . yawn, yawn - but that was my life.

And as you might remember from earlier blogs, I spent inordinate amounts of time making sure the kids were properly kitted out for school and sport. And my goodness, the amount of time I spend cultivating and managing their social lives. Alexander in particular has a thriving social life (again, worthy of its own entry) - invites all the time, which is part because he just fits in, and part because Pridwin families and boys are really friendly. And I am inviting the kid's friends over all the time too to help Alexander solidify his friendships and Quince to develop hers. Can I put Social Secretary on my resume?

Added to thriving social lives are thriving extracurricular lives. Alexander had cricket and tennis lessons, and Quince had karate class. Fortunately all at their respective schools, but researching and signing up and coordination involved none-the-less. More on this in another blog perhaps.

As you also know from earlier blogs, there were days and days of house hunting. Landing the house brought on furniture research and shopping - (we finally bought beds this past weekend. Yay. We move in with a few sofas, a bed for each of us, and dining room table and chairs. And if all goes according to plan, we will have also purchased our dishwasher, washing machine and fridge by move-in time too.)

I think I may have mentioned somewhere along the way what an ordeal food shopping was - not knowing where anything in the store is, or even if they carried the particular item I wanted. Not to mention the on-going stress of food prices. Shopping used to be a 2 hour ordeal. Well, I have turned a corner on that - I now know my store well enough that I can make my lists in the order of the store aisles. What do you think of that exciting development???

To continue the housewife theme, for the first time in our married life, I am doing all the cooking and meal planning. I really feel like a 50's housewife when I look for new recipes to break up the routine - though I have Epicurious rather than Good Housekeeping. Truth be told, I can't say that I am gracefully embracing this part of the stay-at-home role as I never have pictured myself as the happy homemaker, and this seems the closest to it.

Okay - on a bit more exciting note: I've been a travel agent too - planned our half term trip to Mpumalanga, planned sister Quinces two-week visit here (yay - she'll be here in one week!!), planned our January holiday to Wilderness, and am soon to begin planning for Kate's visit in February - YIPPEEEE!!

Are you noticing how I am doing a lot of spending money, but not a whole lot of earning it? I sure am. I've told Bill he must get a second job!

(In fact, I have been doing a bit of work for YouthBuild International which has been great! Reminds me that I do know a little something beyond how to manage a schedule and cook up Moroccan Lemon Chicken. And helps me pay for a tennis lesson or two.)