September in Chiang Mai
Dear Friends,
It is hard to believe that we are heading towards the end of the year already.
The house is doing well by and large. I am the one struggling to keep up and take care of all that needs to be care of. I fall into bed exhausted and am asleep within seconds every night. This, of course, is wonderful and I thought I might share how my average day pans out as a slight diversion from previous newsletters.
I wake at about 5:30, shower then gather the previous day’s laundry from sundry still sleeping rooms and start the first load of the day. It is always a surprise to see who is sleeping where. The oldest kids have their own rooms, while all the others share over five further rooms or so. The children hate sleeping alone and I daily awaken to at least one of the very young ones curled up at the bottom of my bed. Many of the other rooms are empty with children huddled together wherever the first of them has fallen asleep. So much for all the money I have spent for beds and mattresses over the years. The floor and a duvet / pillow combination is the order of the day (Or should I say “night”?).
6:00 is rising time. Usually the youngest, Pon, is the hero of the moment. He rushes around the house shaking everyone into consciousness. He is absolutely oblivious to the complaints and vilification he receives. The kids take care of their morning ablutions while I prepare breakfast for 6:30. 7:00 sees them all leaving for school, except for Pon who stays close by me all day.
Now the work begins, First batch of laundry hung out to dry, second load in. Put away all the dishes from breakfast and last night’s supper. Clean the kitchen for the first time of the day. It is cleaned three times; morning , when the kids have their tea after school, and finally after the dinner clean up.
There are always things to be fixed and this comes next. Bicycles, the occasional toy, fans, light bulbs – you name it. Oh and the dogs need to be walked and brushed.
Now the first laundry load comes in from outside, the second load goes to the lines, and the final load gets thrown in the machine. Thank goodness the mornings are generally dry and sunny even during the monsoon season. This really helps to save money by not using the dryer.
Pon and I go around the house composing the days shopping list, often collecting watches that need new batteries, frequently school trousers that need zips replaced, and adding items from the children’s want lists – deodorant, a toothbrush, and endless underwear for some reason that I have never been able to fathom. Not to mention pens, erasers, and other school odds and ends.
(......to be continued.)
Dear Friends,
It is hard to believe that we are heading towards the end of the year already.
The house is doing well by and large. I am the one struggling to keep up and take care of all that needs to be care of. I fall into bed exhausted and am asleep within seconds every night. This, of course, is wonderful and I thought I might share how my average day pans out as a slight diversion from previous newsletters.
I wake at about 5:30, shower then gather the previous day’s laundry from sundry still sleeping rooms and start the first load of the day. It is always a surprise to see who is sleeping where. The oldest kids have their own rooms, while all the others share over five further rooms or so. The children hate sleeping alone and I daily awaken to at least one of the very young ones curled up at the bottom of my bed. Many of the other rooms are empty with children huddled together wherever the first of them has fallen asleep. So much for all the money I have spent for beds and mattresses over the years. The floor and a duvet / pillow combination is the order of the day (Or should I say “night”?).
6:00 is rising time. Usually the youngest, Pon, is the hero of the moment. He rushes around the house shaking everyone into consciousness. He is absolutely oblivious to the complaints and vilification he receives. The kids take care of their morning ablutions while I prepare breakfast for 6:30. 7:00 sees them all leaving for school, except for Pon who stays close by me all day.
Now the work begins, First batch of laundry hung out to dry, second load in. Put away all the dishes from breakfast and last night’s supper. Clean the kitchen for the first time of the day. It is cleaned three times; morning , when the kids have their tea after school, and finally after the dinner clean up.
There are always things to be fixed and this comes next. Bicycles, the occasional toy, fans, light bulbs – you name it. Oh and the dogs need to be walked and brushed.
Now the first laundry load comes in from outside, the second load goes to the lines, and the final load gets thrown in the machine. Thank goodness the mornings are generally dry and sunny even during the monsoon season. This really helps to save money by not using the dryer.
Pon and I go around the house composing the days shopping list, often collecting watches that need new batteries, frequently school trousers that need zips replaced, and adding items from the children’s want lists – deodorant, a toothbrush, and endless underwear for some reason that I have never been able to fathom. Not to mention pens, erasers, and other school odds and ends.
(......to be continued.)