Jun 29 2012

Separation anxiety or tantrums?

This week has been particularly trying with Jack.

He screams ALL the time unless you are playing with him, allowing him to dig in the bin, eat a marble or playing in the pool.

He is fine if you allow him the above which is why I ruled out any form of illness – he eats, he sleeps, there is no temp or any other signs of him being sick – just the crying.

It is exhausting. He wants to be picked up and then you may not put him down – if you do all hell breaks loose and he actually makes his legs go wobbly so he can’t stand.

Josephine has been with us for almost year so she was around in the early days when Jack screamed and on Wednesday she said she had never heard him cry as much as he had that day!!!

Could it be seperation anxiety? He doesn’t seem to get too upset when I leave but gets VERY upset if David and I hold hands or hug or kiss – lol – he cried real tears over it last night.

Is it normal toddler behaviour? Do we ignore it? Punish him? What?

It is not so bad now but it is still there especially when we reprimand him or remove the bead from his mouth or life the bin where he can’t reach it :-/

Jun 28 2012

Things on Thursday

Gosh this week has flown by!

A few things you all need to know

I can DRIVE! Had my check up yesterday and I am good to go So I can drive and even have a bath now and then as opposed to a shower – not sure which news was better received.
I was back at work today – I have been working from home and helping where I can but today I drove to the house to help out with a Pamper Party – it was good
I am loosing faith in Pick n Pay After my home shopping debacle I decided to actually do shopping today. I was so disappointed there were so many empty shelves – not as in one or two items but as in EMPTY. I do our big shop at PnP because there is always a variety and I can choose different brands but that only works if there are other brands :-/
I am missing the kids – they have been gone for 4 days but I miss the chaos in the house.
I think Jack is going through seperation anxiety or something. If he isn’t in our arms or has our undivided attention he is screeeeeeeeching. I am actually going to do a post on it – I need to know if it is normal :-p
I found a really great deal on Daddy’s Deal for a nights accommodation so we splurged and just booked it for next week. I can’t wait – it includes a massage which I am desperate for.
I am reading one of the books Julia gave me and it is fascinating. It is about arranged marriages in India – I will do a proper post about it when I am done. (Thanks again for the books Julia)
I am slowly doing a house clean out. I did Cameron’s room yesterday and will do Kiara’s room over the weekend and then our room. We have SO much stuff we don’t use/need and so much rubbish.

What is happening in your world right now?

Jun 27 2012

Quick Chicken

This weeks recipe came about due to the fact that I can’t drive and the cupboards were bare so I had to make a plan with what I had.

I had chicken, mozarella cheese, ham and sundried tomatoes – and so my very own Stuffed Chicken breast dish was born

Ingredients

Chicken breasts – skinless and deboned

Mozarella Cheese

Sun-dried Tomatoes

Ham

Onions

Cut each chicken breast in the middle – not all the way through.

Stuff with the mozarella and tomatoes

Wrap the ham around and use a skewer/toothpick to keep in place.

Place in an oven proof dish with some chopped up onions, cover with tin foil and bake until the chicken is cooked.

I served it with roast potatoes and carrots.

David loved it And it really didn’t take that long to make at all.

Marcia has shared some of her recipes over here. Join in and share your winning recipes.

Jun 27 2012

Date Night

Last night David and I had date night

His mom came through to watch Jack and we went to dinner and a movie.

It has been months since we have done this mainly because we don’t have close by baby sitters but with it being our anniversary and all we decided to just do it and his mom was happy to come through from Joburg.

So off we went to dinner at The Heat Grill Room at Woodlands Boulevard and it was divine. I had lamb curry and David had lamb shanks – we both have enough left for lunch today It was a seriously indulgently delicious meal.

We decided to watch MIB 3 in 3D – I love a bit of action and enjoy both Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith but I could have done without the aliens and goo and animals in hands to be honest. It was a good movie – the 3D was great but I am not about to add it to my top 10 favourites.

What did stick with me though was one of the trailers for the animated movie Brave. The girl, who reminded me so much of Kiara, said “If you could change your fate – would you?”

So would you?

PS – I fixed the link for our wedding site yesterday – its working now!

Jun 26 2012

156 weeks! 1096 days! 26298 hours! 94670778 seconds!

Three years ago today David and I met at a tweet-up held at Molly’s in Fourways.

It was a fun evening – I have blogged about it before

I am not sure that either one of us knew the turn our lives would take after than encounter. It has been a 3 years jam packed with living and doing and being and this morning we were both “its ONLY been 3 years” – it feels like many many more.

We have managed to cram a whole lot of stuff into that 3 years which I think is why it feels like a lot longer.

We have bought a house, moved in, both bought new cars, had a baby, started a business, got engaged, are planning a wedding and each day we seem to add more to the list of things we are doing.

We have managed to survive all that life changing stuff in a very short time and have managed to come out smiling and happy

Every day I am grateful that he is the one I wake up to every morning. I can’t imagine spending forever with anyone else.

We are now back in wedding planning mode with the save the dates going out in the next two weeks I have set up a little website for the wedding if you want to take a peek.

Jun 25 2012

Cameron turns 10

We had Cameron’s party on Saturday and Julia was right – boys are easy.

It really was a good evening.

They made a noise, the played soccer, they played games, they had a pillow fight but by 12h22 the house was silent and they were all fast asleep.

What they didn’t do was eat. I handed out their party packs as soon as they arrived and yesterday when I was cleaning they were all pretty full (they had yum stuff in ok :-p) and we had 14 pizza bases and only used 5 and had almost a whole one uneaten. I only opened 3 packets of chips and even they weren’t finished. So we did over cater a bit

The cake was a hit but as soon as Cameron blew the candles out he shouted “BLOOD” and ripped Bart’s head off.

On Sunday on the way to the airport Cameron said about 4 times “Last night was so much fun”

My party commitments are now DONE for the year! It’s now downhill to Christmas!!!!!

Jun 22 2012

10 x 10 + 2 x 8 + 1 x 1

10 x 10 + 2 x 8 + 1 x 1 = The amount of kids in my house tomorrow night!

There will be 10 10 year old boys plus 2 8 year old girls plus a one year old.

I don’t know how it happened. One minute Cameron wanted to go ice skating and then I got preoccupied with the major surgery I was about to have and then had the major surgery and then had a first birthday to plan and then suddenly I found myself sitting on the couch enjoying my cup of tea when it hit me – I agreed to have TEN boys sleep over!

Yes you heard right TEN BOYS SLEEPING OVER.

I am in a calm panic – how bad can it be right?

My mother-in-law, who has raised 2 boys and their many friends, doubled the amount of food and drink I had bought so we should hopefully have enough for them to eat – she is still doubtful but what’s the worst that happens? They ask to go home because they are starving (win-win there).

We should have enough cushions and mattresses to make a bed big enough for them to all fit – it’s winter and they are still young enough to not mind sharing a bed :-p (Again what’s the worst that can happen? They want to go home because there is no space to sleep?)

They will watch DVD’s, play games and be shiny and happy and fall asleep at 22h00 and it will be great!!!!! Hey? It will.

Oh and in case that wasn’t enough for the weekend – we have the Fat Olive Market on tomorrow until 14h00 and the kids leave for Cape Town on Sunday at 13h00.

I am a firm believer in sucking the marrow out of life :-p

What are you up to this weekend?

Jun 20 2012

Jacks First Birthday

First Birthdays are always a big deal – more for the parents than for the child because they don’t ever remember it.

Being at home the last few weeks meant I had loads of time to prepare for Jacks party.

The theme was aeroplanes and after searching unsuccessfully for pictures to use as cupcake toppers etc I found, through a blog, this lady – i-Candy Party Printables. She was so great. She designed the theme we wanted in the colour we wanted and almost immediately I had cupcake wrappers and toppers, a banner, thank you cards, juice wrappers and more. It was SO awesome.

Every year I vow to outsource the cake but every year I end up making it. David decided he wanted to make Jacks cake this year (after I found a very nice one I was convinced Tanya could make easily). Anyway 2 days before the party when no cake was forthcoming from David I decided I better get a move on. Thankfully the cake we had decided on had a very nice tutorial so it really wasn’t too hard. The icing part sucks though and I did underestimate how much cake it needed. I was pretty chuffed with how it ended up though

After a last minute venue change and some help from my awesome friends everything was set up and it all went off really well. Jack got totally spoilt and had a ball. He stayed awake all day and spent all day being cute and chilled. It was such a lovely day.

Neither David nor I actually took one picture so I am eternally grateful to Natasha for taking these.

The Venue: Zita Park, Zita Street, Garstfontein
The Photos: Natasha Whiteley
The printables: i-Candy Party Printables
The propellors for the marshmallows: Tanya from Enchanted Cakes
The cake: Made by me but help from this site.

Jun 20 2012

10 year olds

You know when people say “it gets better” – they are LYING. They are just being kind and giving you false hope. Their intentions are right – don’t hate them when it doesn’t get better.

Cameron is my easy child. He slept through fairly easily eventually. He responds to all the standard forms of disciplines. He does well in school and sports. He has a healthy friendship circle and is well liked. He is the kid everyone wants.

And then he approached 10 and well the wheels are falling off.

He is impossible!

He is cheeky. He talks back, annoys his sister, doesn’t listen, thinks he knows better than me and so it goes.

When I moan at him he says “WHAT? I did nothing!” – EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Bedtime in our house is 19h00 – no they don’t have to go to sleep but they must be in bed then. At 20h00 I will ask him to please put off the computer and go to bed. He does put it off but then makes a noise with his marbles or lego or anything he can find.

The sulking! Oh sweet mango atchar the sulking!!!!!!!!! If I dare say no or explode and shout then he sulks like nothing I have ever seen before.

I am at my wits end with him and on Saturday we have 9 of his friends sleeping over. I don’t think there is enough alcohol in the world to help me get through that assault.

What age, so far for you, has been the worst?

Jun 19 2012

Another Pick n Pay fail

One of the worst things about this operation has been that I can not drive.

Add to that the fact that both Jack and Cameron had birthday parties within a week of each other and I have almost no support nearby.

So I have had to rely on online shopping. I have been battling to logon to Pick n Pays site and asked their twitter person to please get someone to call me to help me. Well a month later I just set up a new profile with David’s details. YES I could have called the call centre but I had been promised a call and none was forthcoming so I was not going to waste my money.

David had forgotten to get the stuff I needed so I was really hoping that I could get a same day delivery – no such luck with either Woolworths or Pick n Pay so I decided to buy from Woolies because they had an earlier slot open than Pick n Pay.

The whole process went smoothly. They called me to ask if I wanted substitutes, delivered on time. It was a great experience.

This Saturday is Cameron’s party and I needed more stuff than I did for Jacks and so Pick n Pay are the most economical option. Well it has been a NIGHTMARE.

Their site has categories that kept giving me errors saying nothing was in that category. The check out process is exhausting and their delivery slots are from 10h00 – 15h00 – so you can wait up to 6 hours for your order.

Just after 15h00 I called them to see where the order was. I was told that the order had been cancelled due to payment issues. The gentleman couldn’t tell me what the issue was just that their was an issue and unfortunately I wouldn’t be receiving my order today. He did say he would escalate it for me but basically I was given a big fat “shame for you”.

So I complain on twitter and get another phone call from a lady who has been well trained to say “I am so sorry” and “I understand”. She does say that it has happened to lots of people today – which tells me the problem is NOT on my side. She also confirmed that because THEY had changed delivery companies I wouldn’t be able to get the order today.

Neither people I spoke to were able to tell me if and when someone was going to call me to let me know the order wasn’t coming.

So in summary – they did NOTHING for me. NOTHING.

I had to call! I had to go back and place the order again! I have to now wait until Thursday to get my order because obviously all the slots tomorrow are booked.

Honestly I am disappointed and pissed off by this. I am brand loyal to Pick n Pay but get this kind of service?

There are certain items I purchased that I can not get at Woolies otherwise I would have ordered through them rather.