Weekend madness

What a weekend.  It was great and it was exhausting.  First off we went to my sister - in - law to be's kitchen tea.  Her bridesmaids did a great job, with the theme of "Desperate housewife". 

Here is a photo of the future Mr and Mrs.  My brother is covered in paint which is supposed to be mud.  He was the supposed to be the sexy gardener at the party.  We all had a good laugh.

After that we raced off to a friend's marriage celebration.  They got married a week ago in the Eastern Cape but then came up to Johannesburg to celebrate with family and friends here.  They hosted a lovely dinner although my kids were taking strain after the full day.  They were distracted by the great dane though which helped.  Two days later Seth is still talking about the "huge" dog.

And finally although Sunday was restful it was also tiring.  The kids swam for the first time.  We braaied outside and i dragged myself to gym. 

Now for a new week and a recommitment to my weigh less.  My weigh in is on Wednesday and although i was pretty good with all the functions, lots of little treats snuck in.....

Here is a skinnier week....

Al

Spring day assembly

It all started with this bunch of flowers that we quickly collected from our garden.  Thankful for the early spring blooms.

Then we found mom's old beach hat and stapled and pinned all the flowers on.  We added the SPRING lettering on after thanks to Mom's huge scrapbooking stash.  Gabby and I agreed that it looked pretty nifty!

And finally the hat was placed upon his head and the whole family declared that he looked great.  Despite my flu, i stopped into the spring assembly.  The grade ones were allowed to wear their spring hats and walk up onto the stage individually.  Gabby looked so at ease and did a wonderful turn on stage.  The school played the "Teddy bear's picnic" song and we all clapped in time.  The school hall looked wonderful, all decorated in flowers and butterflies.

Then i had to leave while he took his picnic blanket and lunch box for a picnic on the grounds.  Lucky boy!

And tonight we are all off to the Spring Disco!  I love this season.  This flu is not even getting me down!

Al

And slowly we come alive.....

Spring is here in the true sense of the word. If you doubt us, let Seth show you the new flowers on our Yesterday, today and Tomorrow.  (It probably has a fancier name but that is what we call it.)  He is also happy to show you one of our beautiful Jasmine bushes that are flowing dramatically over our front wall.

Our vegetable garden is also looking wonderful.  We have lettuce, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Spinach in the garden.  These are left over from Winter and we have just added loads of Basil plants, Strawberries, Tomatoes and parsley plants.  Just to remind us that these flavours lie in our future.

Although we have been struck by the flu, the sun is helping us cope.  We all feel more alive.

Some other news of what is happening in our lives:

• Gabriel has his Spring day event at school tomorrow.  We need to make his Spring hat tonight.  They will wear them into assembly at school and have a spring picnic afterwards.
• Seth is eagerly preparing for his school play next saturday.  He is a plane.  More then that i dont know.  It is under wraps.
• I have a kitchen tea this weekend and had much fun putting together a fun baking pack for my sister in law.  A baking book, silicone pans, a cooling rack, measuring spoons and jug, spatula, apron and tea towel.
• I am seeing an old friend on Saturday night who got married a week ago far away. She is stopping over for a few days and we will be seeing her and hubby for a meal.  She is also expecting and i have completed a crochet blanket for her.  I will force myself to take photos before it leaves my hands.

So despite the germs, we are well.  Very well!
Al

Winters dying gasps

This morning i woke up in a really good mood.  I think that this was due to two things:

1. Seth has slept the whole night in his bed and i had no nocturnal visitors.
2. I could hear the birds outside and the room was light even though it was 5:30am.

Bliss.  BLISS.  Perhaps it is cruel to be so ecstatic around the ending of a session but i am so glad to see winter go.  We celebrate the arrival of Spring on the 1st September, which i  know is not technically the arrival of spring.  But it is easier for me to just divide the year into four three month periods.

I feel so much more alive.  More motivated to eat better, live better.  Life is easier to celebrate in the summer sun.  My garden is a show of new green leaves and dark red buds.  The oak trees are covered in the newest, greenest of leaves.  I am gardening, painting, cleaning, throwing away.

Exhale!

School day blues...

On a summer day in 1994 i officially finished my school days.  Sure i went on to study further but my days of real school were over.  I was all of 17 and breathed a sighof relief.  Life went on merrily (love, marriage, kids) until my oldest son, started school in 2010.  I was excited.  Yay!  School days had become sepia coloured moments of joy, crystallised in my memory to a school annual addition of friends, concerts, favourite teachers etc.

I get all weepy as i kit my beloved out in his new green uniform.  He looks a treat.  I am even more nostaligic.  This is wonderful.  I cover books.  I pack lunch with little notes in.  This is fun.  I am going to be all that my mother was not.  Involved, active, encouraging.  I sign up for things frantically.  I join the PTA.  I meet my son's teacher.  Her name is Mrs Fischer.  She seems nice.  She is friendly and fun.  After two weeks she accosts me at the PTA tea table and tells me that my wonderful bright son, who was always a star, cannot cope, has ADHD and needs medication.  I almost drop my tea cup. I almost throw my tea cup at her.

I go into frantic mom mode.  I drive to the educational book shop and purchase a huge amount of material.  I practically home school the kid after hours.  He gets everything (except my anxiety thankfully).  He seem so be fine with the work.  Okay I pay a huge amount to have him assessed by the occupational therapist.  She says that he is 100%.  No problems.  Actually scores higher then average on most things.  ABSOLUTELY does not require any medication.  I approach Mrs Fischer with all my work.  She looks at me as if she does not know what i am talking about.  She has moved onto another kid she does not like and now likes my son.  She says sweetly that he is doing so well in class and concentrates well.  I want to kick her.  I smile sweetly.

I realise that she is as crazy as hell.  I collect his first report and she accosts me to tell me about her life which is falling apart.  She is divorcing her husband.  They have not had sex in four years.  He screams at her son.  She tells me all of this casually just because it says social worker as maternal occupation on Gabby's file.  She says that she thinks that she has been bewitched.  I smile and wave.  I realise that she is a bit unstable and needs a lot of ass kissing.  I am super friendly, agree to be the class mom. I donate copious amounts of food to the school feeding scheme that she is responible for.  Forget integrity.  It is officially time to schmooze and manipulate.  Through it all my son likes her.  I question him regularly, subtly.  He likes his teacher he says.

The school concert comes up.  She only selects four children from her class to take part.  Other grade one teachers let their whole classes take part.  Gabby is not one of the four.  He cries when he gets home.  I am so angry that she could not just let them all march on and sing "Twinkle, twinkle little star."  I decide not to volunteer to help at the concert.  I boycott.

The third term is nearly over and i cannot wait for December.  I really want this school year to end.  If Seth should go to this school, i will make sure that he does not land up in her class.  I dont think that my son will ever know how much maneouvring i had to do to keep the wheels turning this year.  A couple of other moms grabbed me at the school run the other morning and had a ventilation about her.  They felt that we should complain.  They all had their stories.  Their kids upset in class.  They had fought with her on many issues.  Things that were said to their kids.  I felt relieved that Gabby was spared most of this.  He actually does seem to be liked by her.  But she is still weird, freaky, crazy.

I am 13 weeks of school and counting....

Al

Celebrating G

There is a little boy who lives in my house called Gabriel.  I am his mom but after almost seven years i still struggle to get my head around the idea that i could have had anything to do with the making of someone so wonderful.  He is growing up everyday and i am so proud, heartsore, happy.  Today i am celebrating him just because he is himself.  Because isnt that the truest of gifts to celebrate someone not because of their doing but because of their true spirits.  The idea that you are enough just because you are you.  And you Gabriel, are enough, so very enough just because you are you.

Right now i am celebrating the fact that:

• I can finally spend time reading with you.  You love the goosebumps range and we lay under the covers and read a whole book yesterday.
• That you sit behind me on the couch and softly play with my hair, while telling me: "I am just taking the knots out mom.."
• That you are wise beyond your years and although sometimes you can boss your younger brother around, it always comes from a place of love and concern.
• That you tell me how you are going to live next door to me when you are married and visit me every day.  I dont quite believe you but i love the fact that you say it non the less!
• That you are growing into a little boy, going to school, making friends, learning to read, being wonderful.

Who knew all those years ago what a wonderful gift i was getting?  You are the magic wind in the sails of my life.....

Al

Limbo

I am in a weird space.  In limboland so to speak.  Its a weird stage of the year.  I can feel spring on a cellular level.  I can smell it in the air, i hear the birds in the morning and can feel myself waking up.  But it is still winter here and the nights are still chilly.  I cant pack away my jerseys or hang up my thick winter gown.  I cant really get into the taste of salads. 

The second half of the year is always a wonderfully busy time of the year for us:  Hallowen, Gabriel and Seth's birthday and then christmas.  We also always go away and have a wonderful summer beach holiday.  So from October life is crazy in a wonderful crazy way.  Right now the slog is still tangiable.  Nothing immediate to look forward to.  Everything is about work and getting through the daily steps of life.

Added to all this is my growing concern about Jason's father.  He has been very ill and has been in and out of ICU for the past month.  He has diabetes and it cannot seem to be controlled.  We all thought that he was getting better and then he was admitted to hospital again this weekend, this time with very low blood pressure and cardiac pain.  Jason and Gabriel will be flying down to spend the weekend with them but it is concerning.  Having experienced so much death in my life i dont want my husband to feel this pain and how to deal with this in terms of my children.  Especially Gabby who is older and aware of what is happening.  This will be his first experience of grief and pain.  I am aware that the death of a family member leaves ripples in a family that are never erased.  Future memories are lost forever.

So this is a sigh sort of time.  A getting by sort of time.  A thinking and planning for future fun sort of time.  I need to cope with the next three months and focus on the positives at the end of the tunnel.  Especially my months leave and the festive season.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.
Al