Sheep and moving to Tristan

It’s that time of the night again and Caitlin is once again on the phone to her dad – discussions again centering around the sheep, whether it will be a ‘girl’ sheep or not, and whether it is actually a good idea to dye the sheep pink (Caitlin is concerned that the sheep’s mother will be cross with it for dying its coat ….)

What these conversations are showing me though, is just how much my daughter misses her dad and just how important he is in her life.  I’ve been battling with the concept of allowing my child (whom no one can look after like me – with apologies to Erik :-)) to go so far away from me for more than 3 months.  Realising how much Caitlin misses her dad’s input into her life on a daily basis doesn’t make the decision any easier to swallow, but it does convince me that this is exactly what both of them need.

She is so excited at the idea of going to school on the island for a while and seeing her friend Ryan (who was born four weeks after her and with whom she was the greatest of friends when they were both babies).  I am comforted by the thought that she will be with her Muddish and Fardi (god mother and father on Tristan) and surrounded by the largest group of babysitters ever gathered together in one place.  The thought that she will have the experience of unprecedented freedom, of a welcome into every home and that she will come back to South Africa calling everyone ‘Tiddy’ or “Buddy’ makes me smile… I just wish I wasn’t going to miss her so very, very much!