We finally got the feedback from the High School Program organization ... Cilli is going to be in Perth! :) In Cottesloe, Perth, to be exact. We've already googled it and looked at it on the map - even seen the house on Google View. Very cool. Not too far from the beach, just like she wanted.

And her best friend - who is also going to Australia - is also going to be in Perth.

I'm not so sure whether that is a good thing, because I'm worried that they will end up spending too much time talking German together, but maybe it's far enough apart so that they can't see each other too often. And Cilli's host family has three kids (13, 17 and 18 years old), so I'm sure they'll be happy to include Cilli in *their* teenage activities and claim so much of her time, that she won't have a chance to go off and be 'German' too often. ^___^

We'll be getting in touch with the host family this weekend by mail, and maybe by phone... I'm looking forward to seeing Cilli's reaction. :)

Poor kid - she's going to have to clean up her room this weekend! I'm not going to look at that mess for five months! >.> *And* my mother's Au Pair is going to stay with me for a few weeks, and Cilli's room will be free, so I'm putting her in there.

My daughter is not going to like this... *gg*

A little silliness with my daily dose of rain... And since it's green, and floating in a puddle of water, it seems to fit the weather... >.>

We had about 4 days of sunshine and warmth, and now we're back to cold and rain. >.< This is not shaping up to be a good summer... I'm *definitely* going to need that time out in Italy this year, just to soak up some warmth and sun.

19 more days before Cilli flies to Australia for her 5-month High School stay there. What a strange thought, not to see her for five months. True, we only see each other on the weekends and during school vacations, but still... She's really excited - I'm really conflicted. *gg* Of course I *wanted* her to do this - but now that it's happening, I'm turning into a real worry-wart. My baby, gone for five months... ;__; And when she comes back, she'll have grown, and matured, and turned 16, and probably become even more beautiful than she already is... *sigh*

I guess that's the destiny of parents - to have to let go at some point in time.

Thank the Gods that these days there's email and Skype and Facebook to keep in touch with each other. On the other hand, I remember when I was Au Pair in Paris, writing long, long letters to my folks, and always looking forward to getting the same. It was special, somehow.

*is contemplative*

It's the weather. It's making me think...