Category: Uncategorized

A little confused?  Click here to see what this is all about.

I was meant to start this over the weekend, but I was procrastinating.  There.  The thing I hate about myself all done.  

I have literally made a career out of procrastinating lately and I’m trying to figure out if I’m

1. depressed
2. burnt out
3. tired
4. have really bad PMS
5. a mix of all of the above

It feels like on the surface I’m operating just fine, but underneath I want to hit the road screaming and not stop until I fall over the edge.  Which doesn’t make sense as I’ll obviously just end up back here once I’ve run around the world.  But at least I’ll be back here, because this is where I belong and I am actually quite happy here most days.  

I just need a time-out that lasts at least 80 times my age in minutes.  Clearly not on the cards for at least the next year though, but I’ll get over it.  

Ok people, move along, nothing here to see..

ps I’ll be back with the good stuff tomorrow

Hi All, you know how much I love a challenge and I found this on Megan Stow’s blog and thought it was awesome. If you decide to join in, please be so kind as to let her know so she can add your name to her list?

 

Below is a list spanning 30 days, each day asking a question or setting a topic which must be answered truthfully.  Not as easy as it seems but I’m pretty sure it will be quite therapeutic.

 

Day 01 -> Something you hate about yourself

Day 02 ->  Something you love about yourself

Day 03 -> Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 04 ->  Something you have to forgive someone for.
Day 05 ->  Something you hope to do in your life.
Day 06 ->  Something you hope you never have to do.
Day 07 -> Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Day 08 ->  Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.
Day 09 ->  Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.
Day 10 ->  Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.
Day 11 ->  Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Day 12 ->  Something you never get compliments on.
Day 13 ->  A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)
Day 14 ->  A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Day 15 ->  Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16 ->  Someone or something you definitely could live without.
Day 17 ->  A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Day 18 -> Your views on gay marriage.
Day 19 ->  What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Day 20 ->  Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21 -> (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Day 22 ->  Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.
Day 23 ->  Something you wish you had done in your life.
Day 24 ->  Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)
Day 25 ->  The reason you believe you’re still alive today.
Day 26 ->  Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
Day 27 ->  What’s the best thing going for you right now?
Day 28 -> What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Day 29 ->  Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.
Day 30 ->  A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself

 

Wish me luck!

Go ahead, after this post you might just.  

Recently there was a small tea-cup storm on twitter about Willow Smith’s “Whip my hair” video and then it came up at bookclub last night. 

So, off I went this morning to visit Google and see what all the hoo-haa is.

Well.  I can honestly say that I watched it with a mixture of shock and horror and there was a lot that went through my mind. When my eyes and ears stopped bleeding.

This is a (only just) 10 year old girl-child that could potentially be a role model to my 2 year old twin girls and, let’s face it, my 4 year old son.  Do I really want them to look at me with the same clear disdain and attitude that is portrayed in the video?  I get that her parents could see her as immensely talented and precocious, but seriously speaking, I am happy I am not parenting that child and early developed ego.

A couple of years ago everyone was Hannah Montana mad, but if this is the 2010 version of that we are all in big BIG trouble.

This little girl struck me as a flat-heeled and covered up version of Lady Gaga, with the same over the top dance routine and garish colours.

Is this what I want my children to associate with?  Should this be what they aspire to?  Is this the new cool?

In that case, I would rather be the Montessori Nerd Mom who refuses to let her kids wear cartoon character clothes to school.  I would rather have kids who aspire to be equally nerdy and on the outside of this far too soon grown-up version of a 10 year old.

Wooooosh.  That’s the sound of the days flying by until Christmas.  Scary stuff.

Saturday was as hectic as predicted and we spent a really relaxed day at home on Sunday and didn’t see anyone.  We all needed it!

Here is Mignon at the mini-golf on Saturday morning.  I should rather call it the walk-around-fake-grass-whilst-fishing-golf-balls-out-of-murky-water-and-protecting-shins-from-random-whacking-with-kiddy-golf-clubs-and-carrying-of-annoyed-toddlers.

My friend Sue had this awesome wine at the post-WP-got-a-fat-smack-rugby-game-braai.  I HAD to take a pic!  (see, even when not blogging I think of my fellow bloggers!)

Then, yesterday I was lucky enough to attend a Noeleen 3talk bookclub event at The Table Bay.  Here is Tannie Evita with her cookbook called Kossie Sikelela, the cover is a poster, very clever!  And I was lucky enough to win a copy of the book.  (ok, realistically speaking I jumped up and waved my hands so they pretty much didn’t have a choice, but hey)

The book is amazing, it’s filled with lovely photos of Tannie Evita and easy-to-follow recipes for the gastronomically challenged like me.  Thanks so much!! 

And lastly.  Cazpi took a lovely pic of Pieter Dirk Uys, but I happened to be in it and had the shock of my life, so I AM NOW ON A DIET.  I’m still deciding if I’ll share my progress, but enough is enough.  Sjoe. 

Never ever thought I would say this, but I am actually dreading a weekend.  OK, to be honest I’m dreading tomorrow.

Here’s what my day looks like so far:

09h00 – 11h00 -Kiddy golf with the school (taking all the kids)

12h00 -14h00 – Kiddy Party (taking just Daniel)

14h00 – 16h00 – Kiddy party (taking all the kids)

16h00 ’till goodness knows when – rugby and braai (at the same place as the last party)

Oh, and this afternoon there is a cheese and wine at the school.

On Sunday I think my children can watch TV until their eyes are square and if they are really good Husband and I will flip a coin who will feed them.  Maybe.

In reality we will probably be up at 06h30 on Sunday morning if this morning is anything to go by as both the girls were in bed with us at 05h45.  But that might be because Mignon fell out of her bed, poor thing!  And the puppy needed to wee at 04h00, but Husband did that run.

The most wonderful thing about having to buy the gifts for these parties (and other birthdays coming up soon) was my friend Chloe who told me about a Factory Toy Shop in Parow.  Wow. They have the most awesome stuff there!  I need to go back and do some serious bonding with that store!!

May everyone have a blessed weekend, catch you around!

The absolutely weirdest thing happened this morning.  I was taking clothes out for the girls and I had a whole thought process about their outfits.  It started with a little dress each, then a t-shirt, then matching pants and (shock and horror) matching shoes.

As I put the outfits out I thought omigod I just colour co-ordinated their outfits.  I am going to die and go to anal Mommy hell.  And then I thought hey they look so cool, whatever.

That entire little internal dialogue was more about my life-long perception about what I thought I should be (career woman) vs what I ended up being (mom and worker).  And I don’t mind one little bit.  I LOVE my life, I am happy in the now, I am the luckiest girl alive.  For the first time since I had kids it feels like I have balance and flexibility and positivity all rolled into one.

Here are the girls outside their school this morning with their outfits.  I tried getting their brother in, but as you can see he had other plans..

And lastly, Jules did this post on going away for a weekend with her hubby and I am on a mission to spend an entire weekend with my husband.  (Ok.  To be honest I want to spend an entire day in bed reading my book and only get up to drink coffee and eat food) We are worth it.  I just need to get my head around it as there is no way I can leave them with my Mom 24/7 for 2 days, but I think I’m almost there.  Oh, and scrape together some SA Ront to pay for the weekend away.

I wish I could be one of those people that forgets to eat and loses weight. I have been working at home for a while now and I often realise at 14h30 that I haven’t had lunch.  I then scavenge for something (peanuts and raisins/toast/dried fruit/roadkill) or pop by the shops and grab something small and usually a little deep fried.

Have I lost weight?  Not according to the Mom who asked me today if I am pregnant, after pointedly staring at my large stomach.  Also, funny enough, not according to the scale or my clothes.  Fuckit.  My metabolism just doesn’t work like that.

And I’m just so over diets, I really am.  I start off well, lose 5/6 kgs, feel great and then just stop for some stupid reason. And of course gain it all and more back within minutes. And I don’t crash diet, I go on proper eating plans.

BUT I can’t go on like this, so I’ll just have to get over myself and do what I need to do.  And all I want to do is make all those excuses that I have (work stress, children stress, no time for exercise, the list is loooong), but it’s time to put on those big girl (oh yes, they are very much big girl) panties, master that little voice that says I can eat that piece of toast/cake/crisps/pack of lemon creams and suck it up.

Sigh.

So, as of tomorrow, I will eat a proper breakfast, take an actual lunch break and just make better choices and stop eating crap.  We eat well in general, I just need to make sure that I stick to it during the day.

Stomach in, chest out.

Last night I had a blog post all mapped out in my head, but I got sidetracked by The Hangover, very funny!

We had Daniel’s ‘prize giving’ on Saturday for Kiddy Sports which he was very, very excited about.  Here he is with his BFF:

At this point I should add that we were very late as we were trying to buy U2 tickets.  Husband in the queue and me at home with the 3 children trying to buy online.  What a mess.  After some extended whining about it on twitter someone suggested the Computicket at Sanlam, so he was promptly dispatched there and walked straight in, bought his tickets, and walked out. 

We had hoped that our outing would mean the girls are nice and tired and would sleep in the afternoon.  Which they eventually did after 1.5 hrs of playing in their room.  They managed to strip all the bedding off and move the mattress of Mignon’s bed. There was much singing and dancing and jumping.  Hubby then took them to watch some TV and this is them, 45 seconds later.

The rest of the weekend was a lovely blur of friends, chatting and (too much) wine, but I am really grateful it’s Monday today!

The girls are still driving us nuts screeching at the poor puppy, we are at our wits’ end.  I don’t know how much longer I can cope with it, but the dog is staying. He sleeps between Daniel’s bed and Hubby’s side of our bed, sweet little thing! Any suggestions on what we can do to make it easier?  (Isabel is far worse than Mignon)

There has been a saga raging at Daniel’s school for a while now, mostly fuelled by some uhm let’s just say ‘interesting’ people. 

I have refrained from saying anything specific here because I just really didn’t want to give them the time of day.  But recently there have been articles in the Rapport that have walked a very thin line of biased reporting.  (this is besides not obtaining a statement from the school prior to it going to print).

Parents have been bullied and lied to by these so-called ‘activists’ and the ‘reporter’ in question. I get so enraged at these people for the unfairness of it all, but mostly of my powerlessness of making a stand and making a difference.  To me it smacks of people with an agenda that is more about themselves than actually about their children as they claim it to be.

Then, this morning, a friend sent me this link.  Go and have a read if you wish, but I really couldn’t have said it any better as I am probably too emotional about the whole thing.   

I dashed into Checkers at Willowbridge this afternoon and there was a whole isle of toys, right by the door. 

This was my favourite:

Any ideas what this was all about?