Cooling off together
We got home after the pick up and dashed for our cozzie wozzies and jumped straight into the cool water pit we call our pool.
Japie and Alet get married
Gioia made her first public speech at their wedding. This was a most delighful surprise.
Dance mouse
...Gioia thought she was going to watch a mouse dance for her, it took some convincing that she was the one who was going to do the dancing. She loved it, and wanted to take off her owl t-shirt for a mouse t-shirt.
Bushed
No, I don't drug my kids into camotose naps, but judging by this picture I spiked missy's fruit loops. This is after a most taxing playdate.
Finally...I get highlights
I have not seen the inside of a hair salon (or any other salon for that matter) since September. Isla is such a good chilled out baby, so she kept me company while Karen did me and the world a favour, bleached my grassy roots.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
...and I shall name you Chewy
I’m in denial about the fact that my Gioia has moved from being the victim to the biter. While I was high lighting my all too natural dark roots my kid-link was chewing her way through her friends quota. Bean’s amazing teacher broke the news to me gently and swiftly, but no matter which way you tell it the monkey bit three friends today, one in the face. What’s the protocol for this, do I call each mom up and apologise profusely for the nasty incident...this week...and if it happens again next week will they even take my call? I left the school with a oh so heavy heart and told Gioia firmly that when we got home I will be giving her a hiding and I will be taking away all 3 her princess dresses and all 6 pairs of her high heel shoes. The books say that when you discipline not to do it in anger, this is rare as most times discipline is in response to a incident and is done out of anger, but this time I had the drive home to calm down. I sent Gioia to her room while I went to my shoe cupboard to select my weapon of choice, as I try to remind myself that hands are for loving. Deciding on a shoe was easy, I decided to avoid the reliable green cross sole as the point is not to maim or disfigure, instead I went for the spongy magenta garden flip flop, discipline with style? Three light swots on her cheeky bum and a 3 minute time out in the corner and it was all over. I made her repeat the following mantra, teeth for food not for friends...teeth for food not for friends.
Thumb vs dummy
I have to shut my mouth now or I will be branded a hypocrit! You see, I had very strong rather verbal opinions about the shameful face distorting dummy. We were raised without one and Gioia is a thumb sucker so I never dreamed I would allow a pacifier to be placed into the mouth of one of my babes...till this weekend that is, and I did the placing. Isla is so content and she hardly ever fusses, but she seems to be on a constant search for something to suck between her amazingly beautiful baby lips. I give her my pinky finger some nights to help her sleep, but I do tend to loose focus and then she chokes as I tickle her throat, by accident. To cut a silly story short, I thought to try a dummy, just to see if it would make even the slightest difference and low and behold it turned out to be her off switch and every mommy needs to find their babies volume control and off switch.
High Tea scones
Gioia was given a private baking lesson by Jody, author of six ingredient suppers. Together, and under the watchful eye of Isla, they made heart shaped scones. The family was then served the tasty treats on their arrival back from church by Gioia in her little apron.
Doctor doctor
Eish, the Bean has been unwell. She had a UTI, her first ever, and she clocked 40 degrees on the thermometer, a first aswell. She is not fond of a doctor as she had to have blood drawn for a blood grouping and that was rather traumatic as the nurse only found a suitable vein on her third attempt. Giving her meds is probably the hardest thing I have to do as a parent, and this load of foul tasting anti biotics has her running laps around the deck table in a lame attempt to put distance between herself and the syringe in my pimp hand. I play along and give her a 5 minute head start. Either way it ends with me pinning her to the floor and force feeding her the yucky medicine, 1 slow ml at a time.
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| Water dispenser was emptied by Gioia while we waited for our surname to be called |
Waterbaby
It has been hot cubed here in Jacaranda city. The new pool at our new house is certainly a new marvel, we wollow in it like fat pygmy hippos all day. After her funtastic pool party she has made it her mission to become an independent swim star, so she practices as often as she can with her hello kitty wings. 8 week old Islakins, who doesn't complain about the heat, or anything else for that matter, has been taking heat related knocks. Her skin in the little creases around her neck seems to glow brighter shades of crimson as the sun moves across the sky, and in a moment of sympathetic stupidity I decided to strip her of her nappy and allow the little madam to kick up her teeny heels in the shallow end. I'm sure there is no law that prohibits spuddies to dip, it just didnt feel right to expose her new little body to the severely chlorinated pool. I was most relieved when she did not infact melt away as I gently swayed her from side to side between the cool blue ripples. Here is the first photo of her first swim.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Woodland creatures Party for Bean
Gioia-the-Bean turned 3. I threw her a fun pool party with a woodland creatures theme. The owl was of course the lead character and all the beautiful little children got the cutest T-shirts as souvenirs with the little icon. I love party planning, it takes up all my time and fills my head. See the results below.
Quick read and a cuddle
Gioia has taken to big sisterhood like a fish to water. She has to date only embraced the responsibility that comes with her new title. Here I captured her reading a book to little I-pod, then singing her a lullaby, then giving her a big love. Isla responded by falling fast asleep, giving Bean a genuine feeling of accomplishment and a job well done. Proud of my girlies, such darlings they are.
Blink Ogies goes to Bester Birds
Gioia and her little school visited Bester Birds on her birthday. Isla and I went along for the outing, it was Isla's first official mini zoo visit and she was so well behaved. Gioia scraped her knee so I had to carry her for most of the morning, but luckily Jeanelle was happy to throw Isla-pod over her tanned shoulders.
Just a little trim
''Mommy, I want to cut my hair long, like Tangled..." I wished it worked that way.
Garden path fairy dance
I CAN multi-task...here is the proof
In this photo I am doing more than just the obvious... feeding Gioia and burping Isla, I'm also planning lunch in my head, all the while conversing with my husband who is sitting across the table.
Dress up, Gioia's favourite hobby
From every angle
My monkey noodle striking some serious poses, I don't know what brought this on but I'm happy I got it on 'memory stick'.
Isla gets her Sotho name
Gioia was nicknamed by the staff in Kroonstad as Nthabiseng which means first born, and Friday morning Isla was christened Palesa Rose...I forget the translation for this name, but I am quite sure it means cutie-tootie-monkey-pie!
