E's birthday ring

Look at mom's big boy;-) Photos taken at his birthday ring in class on Friday




Oh and I priced a good digital camera today......yikes, that is a little trip that will put me back a rand or two ;-)

In a circle

We are all gathered in Phil's backyard, celebrating our fifth birthday. All the extended family members are there. I am catching up with the brothers, the parents, Thersia's parents and old friends. Even Nikyle has fitted right in. It is slightly weird and my friend (since school), just shakes her head in disbelieve. I have to agree, it is a very strange set up and somehow it has gelled into an extended family, with brothers, sisters and three sets of grand parents. Cousins that used to be friends, and little sisters that are now stepmothers. It is just funny to be with the same people I have shared these celebrations with for the last 15 years, but everyone's roles are different.

The little man himself had a wonderful day and he kept thanking me for the nice party, the ice cream cake, all the presents and having his friends around. Elrich at five is a funny little boy that is full of practical jokes, has a temper that flares for the smallest of injustice (in his opinion) and knows how to changes the rules of every game to ensure he wins. From a slow talker he has grown into a confident little kid that can hold a conversation on most things and has a keen interest in all things mechanical, especially those with engines and the faster the better. His favourite past time is games, whether they are on the pc, play station, board games or cards, you can be sure he will be a keen participant in all of them. Balls and ballgames are still a firm favourite and it is fun watching him dribble and kick goalies at soccer practice. To my relief all the years of swimming classes has started to pay of and he dives into and swims around in the pool with confidence.

His eminent status as a big brother has raised his levels of importance to a point where he really do not need mom's assistance anymore ;-) Even though this year is exciting and I really enjoy sharing more experiences with my son, I do feel as if the baby years has just passed too quickly. Fortunately cuddles are still good and we love to snuggle up in bed to read stories or in front of the Tv to watch a favourite show

Psychotic psychedelic

A distorted reality
Of dreams
Fears
Memories
And future...fantasy?

Where does the reality begin
And the past end?
How to make sense
In a world of no(n)-sense*?

*Sense
An ability
To feel
Or not?

Family update then

Sad news is that my dad, who has been cancer free for ten years, must go for a colonoscopy next week as they have picked up some irregularities in his colon. It was always the area that we had to watch carefully. And his one heart valve is not working properly so we are just a bit worried about that enlarged chamber, the bloodpressure and now the additional tests. I can't even really think about it.

Meanwhile my kid has learned how to be sarcastic, chirping from the backseat on Sunday afternoon when we drove out of the airport. Gee thanks mom, thanks for driving out of here now, look it is dark outside and I asked you, I asked you, to not stay here until it is dark. I am hungry, we must stop at a restaurant to get something to eat. That got E and John into a big debate about restaurant food vs. food we have ready at home. And then we got caught in the roadworks and the little man fell asleep, still complaining about his tummy feeling hungry.

I cannot believe how much this kid has grown, all his clothes from the previous winter is too small for him. I will have to buy a whole new winter cupboard.

A year later

and I am ready to give John a flower in a handpainted vase with the following little message

Dear John
Lol, this is not a 'Dear John' letter
just a little note to say that
your patience, kindness and love
are teaching me to trust again
to believe in other people
to feel desires and fears
I thought would never surface again
Love
M

Now, the boy does not get an A for romance, but he does know how to take care of me and things in general. Like spending his whole Saturday morning putting four new tires on my 4x4 and taking the truck for a wheel alignment - 'because baby, for you I will killa da bull'

On love, boys and pink

Mom, you know what
I remember when I was a baby
You and daddy were loved
you lived together and you were loved

Boys wants to be cool
they are hero's and cool
Girls are princesses and wants to be loved

Mom, I want to sleep in your bed tonight
cause I love you and I want to be with you
One day when I am a daddy, you will be loved

Lots of daddies can ride bikes, but when they are old
they can't do it anymore.

As I am sitting in the far right lane in peak traffic this afternoon, E requests to go to 'our' pizza shop. A little place run by a mom and daughter team that have looked after me the last three years, like i am an adopted daughter. So I started to change lanes, keeping an eye on the minibus taxis (you have to live here to really understand what that means) and sneaking left into the turnoff way after the slipway. Just to be complimented from the back - Good job mom, that was really good. Good girl. Lol, maybe I have brainwashed my kid ;-p

My kid has just grown so tall all of a sudden, and matured. Things that were difficult only a short while ago are now done in passing. I find it hard to believe he will be five years old in another weeks time.

On waffles and more

E and me went for breakfast this morning at the Mugg and Beann, where he insisted on eating a waffle with syrup. My motherly need for proper nutrition could quite simply not allow that, so I tried to convince him that the french toast with cheese and maple syrup are almost the same.

But mom, if they are the same, then why can I not have the waffles with syrup? Uhmmm....why not? My response was the oldest negotiating trick in the book. Divert his attention and convince him based on the funky name of the kiddies breakfast.

This kid's ability to reason logically has left me searching for words more than once now, and believe me that is no mean feat ;-)

1984

No more privacy?

Come visit me in my little cottage ;-) Google earth images taken in the winter of 2007.

And no, those are not mysterious alien crop circles, it is arenas, for riding horses in. Last I heard, was that in the area I live in, there were more horses a square km than people and dogs combined.

A little gem

I found this tucked away in the pages of a book

You only make a decision once, thereafter you just manage it daily.

So true, once you have decided on something you do not have to make that decision again. Just manage your actions to be aligned to the decision. I think sometimes we think we need to make the same decision over and over, but we don't really.

My one orchid is flowering, it is a bit early for her to do that. I am very excited.