Drowned Rats

Picture the scene.......Close your eyes........(erm...and read at the same time, cos you're so clever)

A "parking lot" and the school, two rugby fields dividing the two. Snuggle Bug in one arm (now three years heavy), an umbrella (that is constantly flipping inside out, thanks to the gale force winds) in the other hand and Madam Fluff tugging on my jersey, staying close, very close. Did I mention it is POURING with rain too? Changes the picture slightly, doesn't it? We sludge our way to the other end of what now seemed like three rugby fields, we manage to find shelter just before the heavens really opened. Thank goodness. The school bell rings. Pandemonium. A wave of mini umbrellas appears, children scattering everywhere, screeching and darting where ever they can to seek sanctuary from the down pour.

After 10 minutes, a brief calm before the next storm cues our dash back across the fields (now almost completely flooded) to our car, now parked in a puddle, I mean lake.......OK it was a huge puddle!

Four drowned rats sitting in the car, shivering and cold, our pants muddied and wet to just above the knees, dying to get home and change into something warm and dry and have a big old mug of some yummy warm hot chocolate.

Open your eyes and repeat after me.........

Never park on the other side of the rugby fields during a freak storm that will only last the exact amount of time it takes to fetch the kids from school.

Never trust an umbrella, they are evil.

Beware of masses of little people, bearing masses of little umbrella's, worse than evil.....life threatening!!!!

Never take your kids to school when it is raining....................

Happy Birthday Bug

Snuggle Bug did me proud, he partied hard and had a really jam packed birth-weekend, let alone birthday. Celebrations started on Saturday; while the girls were having their morning tea, the boys were all off to the waterfront for lunch and a boat trip. Sunday was spent with the family, opening lots of prezzies, having lunch and eating lots of cake. Monday was his birthday party, held at his little Nursery School, kindly provided and hosted by the ever lovely Aunty B. Festivities were brought to an end on Monday night with a scrumptious dinner treat at a restaurant. Phew. *I* was worn out by the end of it all and so was little Bug who didn't even make it home from the restaurant and promptly passed out in the car. Congrats little Bug, you did good. Happy, Happy, Birthday.

Anyone for Tea?

Saturday was a spectacular display of elderly (or should I rather say, slightly older ladies) behaving like giddy little school girls and just when the element of surprise could no longer be contained, the moment had arrived.

We shuttled all the girls of the one of the most famous hotels in Cape Town for one of the most famous tea's in the Mother City. We treated the girls to Morning Tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel. All of the old dears (and the younger ones) admitted to feeling like princesses as they were driven up the long imposing driveway lined with trees and escorted onto the veranda where we were treated to the widest selection of tea I have ever encountered. The fantastic buffet of cucumber, salmon and cream cheese sandwiches, muffins, scones and other sublime delicacies were enough to fill our eyes and more so our bellies to the point of absolute over indulgence. Their pamper boxes, filled with a selection of bath and beauty products also went down a treat. They were positively spoilt rotten and they loved every minute of it.

Have a look see for yourself.
The girls outside the hotel

At our table on the veranda

Digging into the pamper boxes

Digging into the yummy treats

One of the pamper boxes

It's raining, It's pouring

I guess this blog is one of the many things I have neglected over the course of the last week or so. You know the saying, it doesn't rain, it pours, well my life has, well, been pouring.

I'm trying to find one significant thing to write about but in truth the whole week has been one big significant conglomerate of happenings all of which do and don't lead up to this weekend and all of which have to be completed by this weekend. It's Snuggle Bug's birthday coming up and this is one of the times of the year that the family make their exodus from all over the country to.... my house.

Time wise it is the worst time, but memory wise, the best and to make those memories extra special, I have, of course, gone completely overboard and brought the world and a few neighbouring planets (thanks to school events) upon my shoulders. I am very excited about the weekend, as a belated Mother's Day gift, we have planned something extra special for the two grannies, two great grannies and a great aunt that have made a special effort to be here to share my Bug's birthday. More about that next week, not letting any cats out of any bags just yet (so Ma, if you're watching, sorry, you'll just have to wait and see!)

My four day chaos weekend;

• Sorting out details for Bug's party on Monday, with cakes and party packs for 25 children.
• Pulling a few strings and finalising the "Big Secret"......"Big Job" I can tell you.
• Preparing all the trimmings for the Sunday family get together here on Sunday with a full buffet, roasted and curry lunch, with cake, deserts and, and, and....lots of wine for me!
• Fetching and shuttling everybody from the airport and squeezing in their little shopping trips, coffee dates, chatting and catching up.
• My Granny is very frail and needs regular medi care and blood test at the local pathologist to check her blood and medication requirements. (her medication is adjusted according to her blood count)
• Madam fluff has cake sale today and guess who's class' turn it is to bring cake?...yup...you guessed it...her class.....send 50 baked goodies to school for cake sale.
• Helped Kade prepare for his school project due today. Technology week, learn about sunglasses and how they are made, design your own pair and bring materials to school to make your specs in class.
• Then there's the usual day to day must dos like waking up, getting everyone off to school, doing some admin, cleaning up the house, homework, after school activities....blah blah blah....you get the idea.

Please forgive me if you feel neglected, I know, you have been. I have been. The coffee has lost it's magic and I'm slowing dropping gears as my body becomes immune to the effects of the caffeine. But I promise I'll be back.....with all the news of the weekend........

Just a Mom

Just for Mother's Day today I found a little something that makes one stop and realise that "just being a housewife and Mom" is a pretty high profile job.

I am not sure who it was written by.

Happy Mother's Day to all you "career gals"

JUST A MOM?

A woman, renewing her driver's licence at the County Clerk 's office,
was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. 'What I mean is,' explained the recorder,
'do you have a job or are you just a ?' 'Of course I have a job,' snapped the woman. 'I'm a Mom.''We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation,
'housewife' covers it,'
Said the recorder emphatically. I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself
in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall.
The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised,
efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like,
'Official Interrogator' or 'Town Registrar.' 'What is your occupation?' she probed. What made me say it? I do not know.
The words simply popped out.
'I'm a Research Associate in the field of
Child Development and Human Relations.' The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and
looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words.
Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written,
in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire. 'Might I ask,' said the clerk with new interest,
'just what you do in your field?' Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice,
I heard myself reply,
'I have a continuing program of research,
(what mother doesn't)
In the laboratory and in the field,
(normally I would have said indoors and out).
I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family)
and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities,
(any mother care to disagree?)
and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).
But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers
and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.' There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she
completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career,
I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model,
(a 6 month old baby) in the child development program,
testing out a new vocal pattern.
I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy!
And I had gone on the official records as someone more
distinguished and indispensable to mankind than 'just another Mom.'
Motherhood! What a glorious career!
Especially when there's a title on the door. Does this make grandmothers
'Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations'
And great grandmothers
'Executive Senior Research Associates?'
I think so!!!
I also think it makes Aunts
' Associate Research Assistants.'

and so the day begins

I was really impressed with myself this morning, not because I woke up at 5am and was too afraid to go back to sleep in case I never woke up, but because I managed to get through the chaos of the morning on my own, without my jet-setter-now-travelling-as-we-type-husband. All the kids were fed (healthy breakfast food), dressed in the correct clothes, (right way around), teeth and hair brushed, faces washed and remnants of the sandman removed. Bags were packed, lunch boxes did have food in them, juice bottles were full...check!

The real winner; we were still on time. Yeeha. I can do this.

The kids stand waiting in their little queue at the front door for me to escort them out, huh, with me carrying all of the bags and sundry, as usual. Close the front door behind me. Were on our way.
Get to the car. No Keys. Crap. We're stranded in the space between. We can't get in the car because I'd forgotten to take the keys. We can't get back into the house to fetch them because the house keys are on the same bunch and I've just latched the door behind me. Crap.

I manage to pry open a window in my bedroom and squeeze Madam Fluff through the burglar bars and in search of the keys. She can't find them and begins to panic and cry because she is now locked in the house. Double Crap. Trying to calm her down through a large wooden door, while trying to silently calm myself down is a task to master and thankfully I did, well, I at least managed to calm her down enough to tell her where I thought the keys were. She finds them and begins to cry again; she cannot reach the latch to unlock the door. I breathe and tell her to breathe and so we're both breathing, at least something is happening! Eventually I calm her down enough to explain that she can pass the keys to me through the window. Finally I am in possession of the keys. Jubilation. I praise my now-very-proud-of herself-burglar-in-training-key-finding-daughter, we all pile into the car and we are on our way, just not quite on time anymore.

I manage to do some very cautious, of course, low level flying to the schools and actually manage to get Kade to the gate as the bell rings. More success. All kiddies got to school on time.

See, I told you I could manage without my hubby. No mess, no fuss.

Caffeine fixes welcome please

I am having one of those weeks where my feet just haven't seemed to touch the ground. They have lightly and briefly skimmed the surface once or twice but I don't think they have actually had a chance to make contact. One of my dear friends sent this to me on Facebook and I must admit the advice really does seem to be working; I am still doing really stupid things in my frenzy to get it all done, I am just doing them all faster and with more energy.