It’s all change again in the Bavarian Sojourn house, as our youngest tiny person started Nursery very recently. A bittersweet moment in any mother’s life, as it’s the first snip in the apron strings really isn’t it? Especially when your child goes in happily without so much as a goodbye!!! Is this a third child thing I wonder? It’s kind of heartbreaking, but a relief at the same time…
He absolutely adores the place (if you happen to be looking for a decent international Nursery in the Cambridge area, I cannot recommend it enough. It’s a brand new addition to the school, the teachers are lovely, and they do all manner of great things like fly swat painting which to be honest I might be slight hesitant about at home). Because it’s so lovely, it has definitely helped with my sadness that he didn’t get to start his “school life” abroad like his older brother and sister. Bizarrely, one of his new friends has the same (slightly unusual) name as his big Brother’s close friend when he started Nursery life in Copenhagen.
Apart from the fact that I felt that he needed to be around more children his own age without me in tow (after an awkward incident where he sat on a little girl in toddler group recently (to be fair to him, this is probably down to the fact that he does this with his older brother and sister daily – if you are lying on the floor, you are “sitting on top of” material!) where, even though the child was completely fine, the precious mother overreacted and made me slightly paranoid that he’s not around children his own age as much as he could be!), we decided to put him in for a day or two a week so that I could begin to pack and get ready for our upcoming move without a tiny someone working closely behind me unpacking/un-sorting everything as I go along. I can only liken such parenthood situations to completing a full and arduous days work on a computer and it crashing just as you close it down each and every single day…
Yes, we are on the move again, as some of you might have guessed, it’s not really been a huge secret! We had never planned to stay in Cambridge long term anyway, it was just a new job necessity for Mr R for a while… As much as it’s a lovely place (if you can ignore the huge flag wielding tour groups!) there’s nothing quite so unsettling as moving back to your home country after a long stint abroad to somewhere miles and miles away from the friends and family that you so desperately missed, and further still to somewhere that you have little or no connection with…
The older two are looking forward to moving especially, at times it’s been hard to answer “why have we have moved back when we are more isolated here than we ever were abroad” type questions, especially with the amount of travelling Mr R does…
So Cambridge, whilst it’s been interesting to get to know you and this part of the country in particular (watch out for a flurry of last minute Cambridge/East Anglia posts before we leave, including a rather exciting foodie post coming up!), we will move to Winchester (somewhere a lot more familiar to us!) sometime in the middle of July. The house buying process in the UK has been as frustrating as it ever was (hence my lack of ability to post here regularly recently!), but we are looking forward to putting down a few roots in a house that we actually own after a really really long time. Mr R is also looking forward to getting a season ticket at his favourite football club, but his middle son has already told him he will be going alone as his team is still very much in Munich…
That’s not to say that we don’t have plans/motives to move abroad again (in fact that is our plan), but for a while at least it’s going to be lovely to feel like it’s been worth moving home to the friends and family on our doorstep, and to be able to put our mark on a property that actually belongs to us. It’s all interiors magazines round here at the moment, I can tell you!
Watch this space… x
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I don’t think it gets easier sending them off to play group for the first time. I cried with the first and more with the 2nd. Not sure what will happen when we send our 3rd off, but it’s great when they enjoy going. Good luck with the move. We’re looking to buy somewhere in the UK as a base too. Look forward to following you.
Thanks so much Lindsy, and good luck buying a UK base too! :)
I need to get back to regular blog reading- this one slipped right past me!! And we haven’t even got to Cambridge to meet up yet! I completely get the feeling of wanting your own space though- one of the drawbacks of our expat adventure has been the rental aspect- not that I’m complaining! And living in Bath, I completely get the whole ‘tour guide with the flag thing’ ;) Happy that you’ll finally have a place you can put your own stamp on, though: with your artistic eye, I’m sure you will make the new place a thing of beauty. Xx
Thank you so much… We will be here for the next 5 weeks at least if you can fit in a visit before then, if not then you will just both have to come to Winchester! :) xx
Having a house of your own sounds so exciting! You’ve got a lot to look forward by the sounds of it :)
Thanks Hannah! (:
It’s so nice when they are happy in nursery and make friends. Good luck with the move x
Thanks Jenni! (:
That nursery sounds fab although I am intrigued by fly swat painting. You will be quite close to me when you move, love Winchester – good luck xx
Fly swats, lots of paint, lots of mess (but fun by the sounds of things!) :D Thanks Kara! (: xx
Winchester is a lovely place we go visit around Christmas every year :)
I am looking forward to having it on my doorstep then! :D Thanks Bryanna! (:
Oh wow! It’s all change at your house at the moment. Starting nursery is such a milestone for us mums isn’t it. Good luck with the move.
Thanks Helen! (:
That is a big change for a little person – I remember when mine started, he just turned two. But he loved it and it did very good for him both with his communication and social communication issues.
I have noticed my little one’s speech coming on in leaps and bounds too in the few sessions that he’s done! :) He now says “yes” properly though, not “yesh” which I was a little sad about! :D x
You should be glad that your child is happy because it’s extremely frustrating for a mother to see the child crying when dropped at the nursery. My son took months to settle down
Thanks Fatima, I have two older children and my daughter especially was a complete nightmare, so yes, I am really grateful! :D x
Good luck with the move and all the changes involved! I’m sure in turns it’ll be exciting, daunting, tiring and brilliant. :)
Thanks so much! xx
Is he a Saints supporter? We live near Winchester and my mummy used to work there for years! It’s a great place to be x good luck with the move x
My husband is a Saints supporter, my son refuses to go with him though as he’s still very much an FC Bayern fan! :D Thank you! :) x
wow all change. Both lovely parts of the UK to be in though – good luck with the move :)
Thanks so much Rebecca! (:
OOh, so pleased to hear that you bought somewhere. I’m looking forward to reading all about it. And yes, that nursery step is bitter-sweet but more sweet than bitter imo.
Definitely more sweet than bitter! :D Thanks R! :) x
That is awesome that your son is in an international kindergarten! It is also nice that you’re moving to a house soon! Good luck with everything!
Thanks so much! (: x
Good luck on your new adventure. I hope you find the home of your dreams very soon xxx
Thank you Carolin! xxx
Oh, how exciting! Sounds like it will be a very positive move for you. Hope it all goes lovely and smoothly x
Thank you so much Mary! :) xx
Yay!! Can’t wait! How exciting!xx
Not long now! :) xx