Interesting Facts: Well I Never ... No. 7

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month (or so ...) Ago.

1. You Can Edit the Display Name When You Tag Folks on Facebook

You know how Facebook added fairly recently the ability to tag folk in your status and comments? So that the person you're talking about gets a notification that you are. Talking about them that is. Well, I found out entirely by accident the other day that you can alter the name as it's displayed once you've added the link. Normally you start typing your mates name and then a suggested list comes up ("did you mean Aunty Maggie? or Annie May?"), you click on the one you want and the full name appears in your text. It can be amusing, leaving the full name in at times. I always feel like I'm addressing somebody as a Mum does when she's cross, using the full and even a middle name sometimes. "LOUISA JANE FISHER, GET DOWN THESE STAIRS!!!" kind of thing. If you'd rather address people on Facebook by first name only, put your cursor at the end of the link and Backspace to delete the surname. Ta da! Or go to the front of the link and press delete to lose the first name or names. Useful I suppose if you want to add a title and refer to someone very formally (Mr/Mrs/Sir/Lord/Her Majesty) or to add a nickname or family title, like 'Aunty' or 'Uncle'. Or, er "Bunnykins' or something.

Christmas Toy Review: Anything Broken Already?

My Boys Tallen (5) and Nate (2) were very lucky boys this year. They deserved to be spoilt a bit it has to be said, they haven't always been. But Hubby and I's Playground Business grew from strength to strength last year and thankfully looks like it will continue to do so.

It was great on Christmas Eve, wrapping done, to look at the pile of pressies under the tree and little bits still to be stuffed in stockings and imagine the whoops and smiles and cries of "Look what I Got!!" after years of struggling to get them anything much at all some years.

And I was so amazed that as of today, some two whole days later, most of their new toys are intact. Well, we are missing a few accessory type teeny things, but all in all the new batch of toys are doing well against the onslaught of two small but surprisingly destructive little fellas.

I thought I'd give you my review of their (er, and my) top favourites. You know, in case you have a Birthday coming up or something. And you have any money left after Christmas!

Christmas: Time for a Reshuffle. And Some Silly Pics

First things first. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Sorry, it's gone 10 p.m. here on Boxing Day night so I'm a leeetle late with my Christmas post. How was yours?

I do hope filled with fun and overeating and joy and peace and all that.

I was woken up at just after 5 a.m. on the day and one of the first thoughts that occurred to me, after I'd told Tallen with croaky morning voice and through half-open eyes how AWESOME I thought his stocking presents were, was "Hooray, I can start me a blog post before everyone else wakes up" That's okay, right?

I've been remiss of late. My posts have got fewer and fewer each month, the content has been (in my opinion) weaker and it's showing, in my mind, on my blog that I'm just too FREAKIN' BUSY HALF ALL THE TIME!!

Just the fact that that is as far as I got with this post yesterday, which I now continue on Boxing Day evening, pees me right off.

I don't like it, and I hereby declare/promise/swear on my life that things are going to be better in 2013. I shall focus. And I shall write more.

In my feeble attempt at a belated Christmas present to you all, here's a round up of news followed by some funny and cool Christmas pics. I know, I know. It's been done before on a Christmas post ...

Being a Parent is Tough: But Today I'm Having Fun!

** SPECIAL NOTE: I wrote this post months ago, wanted to post it over the weekend and then the completely mind numbingly atrocious shootings in Connecticut happened and like a lot of us, I didn't feel like being online or posting (or tweeting) much.

Today feels right, and with much love to all who were affected I give you:

Being a Parent is Tough, But Today I'm having Fun!

Photo Diary Time: Rhinos and Mini Gardens

I'm in a weird mood tonight - you ever get that? Something hormonal no doubt, makes me feel that for inexplicable reasons, I probably shouldn't operate heavy machinery, drive or make big, life altering decisions. In fact, any decisions.

Good time for a Photo post methinks!

So here it is, the pic-laden post that I promised and one I feel I owe to my blog as I haven't uploaded any photos from my camera or phone in ... ooo, months now.

Want to see *blink blink* with your EYES what we've been up to lately? ...

Huge Jungle Gyms: New House: Random Blah, Blah

Honestly? I'm sat here at 7:15 a.m. on a Sunday morning, partially distracted by the fact that I currently share the computer screen. I have the bottom half for writing and my freshly awakened boys, Tallen and Nate, have the top of the screen for viewing 'Ice Age 3'.

Hubby's having a much deserved lie in, everybody's happy. And you'll note I make sure to include myself in that happiness, oh yeah.

Point being, I sit here keen and eager like a beaver to write a post, the computer's just returned home after nearly three weeks away so you can imagine my excitement BUT just like a kid who's running off to play in the garden without suncreen or shoes on .... I'm underprepared.

As has more recently been the case with me, I sit here with no idea what I'm writing a post about. My High School English Teacher would be tutting at me.

WTF expect a random post then, let us just enjoy the fact that a NEW post is up! Ha Ha! Go on, laugh with me. Let's just wing it. It'll be fun.

New Business Ideas?: Where's Your Head at Woman!

Was that Basement Jaxx? I think it was. Video with monkeys. Whoever it was, I now have that tune as a kind of soundtrack to my blog post. In my head that is.

iPod's do that also, you ever thought this? Give us a kind of soundtrack to our daily lives when we're out walking or public transport-ing somewhere. You can even remove one ear piece when there's need for social interaction or conversation and you'll get a kind of fade out effect in your soundtrack, just like they use in the movies. Cooool.

And there, in the first two paragraphs of this blog post, lies my exact problem. Clear for all to see.

Where TF is my head at?

Feeling Broody? Laugh it Off

That's a bit of an odd title hey? Oh, hang on - I wrote that.

It'll all make sense in a paragraph or so! Actually, it won't make sense until the very end of this post. So keep reading y'awl.

Yes, you guessed it. This is another one of those posts that isn't really a post. It's just a means to send you off on a tangent of links, opening new tabs and windows all over the place but hopefully not annoying the hell out of you too much at the same time.

I know, I know.

The second I hit 'Publish' on this baby, I am writing a proper post. About something very, very interesting. And very, very important. Oh hell, I have no idea to be honest but as often stands me in good stead in life - I'll just make it up as I go along and hope for the best. *grinning earnestly at you*

Moving House is Stressful? Nah, Not The Weezafish Way!

I should have a Sub Heading "and Other Goings On" or something, this post is about all sorts really. 

It's all go in our lives, as mentioned in a previous post, two Birthdays and fifty cupcakes are just out of the way.
 

Well, we did find a tupperware with six cupcakes in it in the car on Sunday, one box that obviously didn't make it to school on Friday. There's still a few scraps of Toy Story wrapping paper lying around the place too and I think I saw a Birthday cake candle in the cats bowl just now.

But as we catch our breath, we're onto the next. Our lives are very busy and full right now and for a change we're loving all we're doing so we don't actually mind being busy at all! How cool crazy looney tunes is that?

The Best Kids Movies: According to My Two Year Old

I love movies, Hubby loves movies. I see the sense in not letting your kids watch movies all day long. I see the sense in not letting your kids do anything all day long to be honest, but I don’t see the sense in not letting them have their own movies, age appropriate, that they love to watch.

My two year old Nate, like most two year olds, is fickle and quick to change his likes and dislikes. By next month, things will be different but RIGHT NOW, these are his Top Five Kids Movies (from our aging home collection), based on how often he asks for them when it’s his turn to choose at movie time and probably has a lot to do with bright colours and funny little characters. He is only two.

I’ve listed the movie names in ‘Toddler Speak’ as Nate himself asks for them. Translations, when needed, in brackets.

In reverse order, naturally.

Two Birthdays, Two Links and Fifty Cup Cakes

Of the three men in my immediate family (Hubby and sons), two of them have Birthdays this month within three days of each other.

We are just a little bit Birthday crazy in the house right now and excitement is reaching levels usually reserved for Christmas Eve.

Eldest son, Tallen, will be turning five on Friday. In the UK this is the age kids start Primary School so it's a real milestone age to me, big boy now. Bless him, always my baby. And I say that in a balanced, non-smothering kind of way.

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Special mention at this stage of preparations must go to Tallens Aunty, who baked more than FIFTY chocolate cupcakes for his party at school. She's also helping me organise Hubbys Birthday surprise belatedly for next weekend ... sshhh he might be reading. I'll tell you later.

Despite the Birthday mayhem (you ever tried to hide fifty cupcakes from a five year old?) and as promised, I hereby go links crazy on your fine arses (see how British I am? Arrr-ses) and beg hope that you follow one or both for one of my latest Writes Elsewhere.

Before you roll your eyes, later this afternoon I'm also posting The Best Kids Movies Evvveeerrrr movies reviews, as chosen by two year old Nate. Although I may shorten the title so Google likes me more.

Writing on Other Sites: I've Been Moonlighting Again

Do you remember Moonlighting, that 80's TV show with Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd? The title of this post just got me reminiscing, I was a big fan. Oh yeah.

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They were Detectives, in case that isn't apparent from the picture.

And I digress.

See how I write? Just a constant babble really. A flow directly from my brain to the keyboard to my blog.


Hardly surpising then that I find I have 'excess thoughts' that end up on my PC without a home to go to. I mean, if I posted on WeezaFish as many times as I thought about posting on WeezaFish, well. Let's just say it would be hard to keep up. And you'd probably get bored or something.

Cats and Dogs and Hair EVERYWHERE!

At the risk of doing a bit of a boring post about pets, I'm going to do exactly that!

I hereby promise that my next post will be cool and edgy. And not about pets.

Remember the two cats we stumbled across in our back garden rescued, Black and Jetta? Now fully grown big boy cats both doing well and both very much at home with us now.

Jetta and his new 'brother'.

They also have a friend. We haven’t named him yet because we didn’t officially adopt him. He just joins them at every meal and eats whatever they leave him after they’ve done. Which wasn’t much, so we got him his own bowl … and suddenly we have three cats!

It seems a bit odd to us that there would be so many cats in need of a home and a good feeding in our area, we're wondering if this new cat is in fact a brother, from the original litter we rescued. His colouring's different to Black and Jettas, but very similar to their Mums.

And me not really a cat person. How did I end up with a 7kg bag of ‘Catmor’ in my kitchen cupboard FFS?!

Well I Never ... No. 6

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month (or so ...) Ago.

 

1. Vinegar can cure hiccoughs. 

 

I know this one to be true, not sure if it's one of those things that only works for some people and I've never tried it on the kids, although I don't see why ..

Anyhoo, when I get hiccoughs, I drop a teaspoon of vinegar down the back of my throat and swallow. Hiccoughs gone. Honest!

 

Back to Normal & Bye Bye Aunty Laura

Whatever the heck normal is, I think I may have forgotten.

Just after my sisters visit, like literally the morning after she departed, I was struck down with a very nasty Stomach Flu.

I ached from head to toe, my sinuses blocked so severly my head pounded all day and all night and for six or seven days I couldn't eat, move without hurting or do much of anything at all really.

I am better. Far from recovered as yet, but better.

I'm left with a nasty cough, very tense and sore stomach muscles (all that coughing) and I haven't got my appetite back yet. Which, for anyone who knows me and my love of food, is totally out of character. I'm having to tell myself every day to eat.

Oh, and the strong sinus meds I'm taking kind of ... well, trip me out!

It could be fun, Hubby says I should enjoy the trips, and they are kind of fun. I feel spaced out and a little fuzzy, prone to giggles and unnecessary grinning.

Hard to work though, I'm a bit worried I may do something silly in my 'airy fairy' head.

I decided to post instead, a wacky little post I can look back on later and laugh at! Good idea? Maybe not, but here goes anyway ....

Reading, Writing and Visitors from Overseas

Gee whiz it's been busy in our lives of late. And that busy-ness (not business) combined with my usual limited internet issues leaves not much space for blogworld. And I love Blogworld!

I know, it's not really a 'world' as such, just not sure how else to explain it. I love blogging, I love the blogs I read and the folks that write them. What would you call it? Blogworld ...?

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I have SO much reading to do. And it's not like when you were at school, with a pile of reading to do that you're not that interested in. I have SO much reading to do written by people who's writing I love man. So it's more like that feeling you get when you're into a good book, and can't find the time to sit down with it.

I need to buy myself some serious MB's, make myself a big mug of tea and find the time to sit down and read, read, read. I can't wait!

It will have to wait for now though ...

Real Love, not Perfect Love

I don't know about 'most folk' (whoever the heck they are ...) but my life's experiences of love and relationships, thus far, hasn't exactly been text book.

But then, there isn't a text book hey? I guess that's the point. But like a lot of young teenage girls all I knew about love at a young age was romantic fairy tales and rescued princesses. Real life can hit a bit hard after that.

If I ever have a daughter I will try and teach her to be strong, independent and in control of her life and body. I'll also tell her to expect to kiss a lot of frogs, maybe even marry one or two, before she finds her Prince. Nay, King. And when she finds him, don't expect a Perfect Love. Instead, look for a real love. Keeping it REAL people.

I remember my first experiences from the age of about 12 or 13, lots of snogging competitions (who can go on the longest without coming up for air) and all the usual teen exploratory stuff but I didn't even consider a relationship or anything like one until I was well into my thirties. I held on to my virginity until I was 18 and my solemn belief in 'true love' gave me an inner strength to hang on in there for the real thing.

And hang on I did.

Apologies for My Sporadic Blogging

As a Brit, I discovered the internet in the UK as it became popular in business in the 80’s. Pretty soon it was as widespread as we know and love it today, and I was quite happily online at home also. Using British Telecoms affordable Broadband options, it was never an issue to get online. In fact, when at home my PC was always online.

Here in SA they handle the internet a little differently. I have my suspicions that the Government are just trying to ensure that the masses don’t have free access to information. So good are the ANC Government here at confusing, befuddling and conning the people to keep themselves in power, despite how badly they run things. I think they worry that the internet may give all their voters the opportunity to see how it really is. And they don’t want that.

Internet is still something that’s controlled, limited and fairly expensive. Something easily accessible to the rich, but not for the everyday man.

Okay But Seriously, What if There WAS a Zombie Apocalypse?

Hubby and I love a good horror movie. Heck, we love a good movie full stop but I think a good horror tops our list.

Couple that with my love of Heat magazine, who ran an article in SA’s June edition entitled “A Daughters Despair: I Now Know Who my Father is Because His Face Was Eaten Off” possibly led us to have, one night last week, the ‘Zombie Apocalypse conversation’.

And if you’re frowning right now, wondering to what I refer, then you obviously haven’t read or seen the harrowing news stories about Ronald Poppo. Or Kujoe Bonsafo Agyei-Kodie. Or Jun Lin. And don’t follow those links if you are at all squeamish or easily shocked. No really, please don’t. And don’t say I didn’t warn you if you do.

Rather check out the awesome Katoninetales, written by the lovely and talented Kat who has a bit of a Zombie ‘thing’. Sure she’ll have a category on her blog that covers all you need to know As does the equally lovely and talented Nicki on her blog TheLoadedHandbag. See? Not just me ...

For those that don’t need that much gory detail, the idea of the Zombie Apocalypse is basically this; your government are testing mind altering drugs in a secret location near you. And this is happening right now! Drugs that turn normal people into people eating zombies. And some of them are escaping on to the streets … and it’s contagious, soon they’ll be Zombies everywhere. AAAHHHHHH!!! The Zombie Apocalypse is coming!!!!!!

Back To School and BACK UP BACK UP!!!!

This isn't one of my Memories of posts, rather a recollection of a couple of days I spent in April helping Hubby with one of our companys playground projects.

Spend two days hanging out in a school playground? Twist my immature child-at-heart arm why don't you.

You can check the project we were working on here and here on the company blog (get me, the 'company blog'. Snort) but we installed several playground pieces in December and April and I went along to photograph the finished project and ... oh yeah, there was some sewing required to a large stretch tent we installed over the sandpit. 

ADD/ADHD and Ritalin: Time to Admit Mistakes

This is a serious post, about a serious issue. It’s a big one too, I didn’t want to leave anything out. Sorry if you came to me for short and snappy humour today, try this older post of mine on a remotely similar subject instead!

But seriously ...

I read a very good article in ChildMag last month entitled 'Rethinking Ritalin'. I rate the quality of any piece of writing largely on the way it makes me feel and this article made me feel like writing this post, so it must have been good. You can read the whole piece here, and I recommend it, especially to parents but it opens;

A mother describes what is becoming an increasingly common scenario in homes across South Africa and the western world. "My son was in Grade 1 when the teacher called me in." Says Lynne, a Mum from Johannesburg (could be me, could be me ...). "She said he had concentration issues and couldn't focus to finish work, he was getting bored and walked about disrupting class." Lynne immediately braced herself for the three letter diagnosis currently handed down to an estimated one in ten children: ADD, or attention deficit disorder. Then when an Educational Psychologist confirmed it, she braced herself again for the most commonly prescribed solution: Ritalin. "Today every other child seems to be on it" Lynne sighs. "But everything I'd heard made me totally against it. I was afraid and confused."

PC Nicked? Perfect Time for a Guest Post!

I should have known.  There's an old saying about bad things happening in threes so when, after over four years of living crime free in South Africa, we were hit twice recently - I should have known a third hit was on the way hey?

Last Friday night, our home and office were robbed whilst we were out.

Those mofos took everything, every scrap of clothing including the dirty laundry!!

We are currently PC-less.  Not ideal for business OR Weezafish - I can read posts and comments with my phone, but that's about it.  But never fear!
Normal service will be resumed very soon, there's no way this family will ever let the bar stewards get us down.

And in the meantime, you lucky, lucky peeps, my truly wonderful bessie mate, the lovely Kate from over at http://donotbreakthedog.blogspot.co.uk/ has graciously agreed to post this for me AND add a Guest Post of her own.

You know those friends you feel lucky to have met?  That's Kate.  Her writing, whether just an email to me, or one of her blog posts or kids' stories, her writing inspires me to write better.

So I'll shut up now and let the woman speak . . .

I've Been Elsewhere

Doing another post for The Indie Chicks, yay! Go see, go see (please). It's a post about being charming, what could be nicer than that? Ahem ..

Blatantly pleading for comments? Why, yes ... I do believe I am.

I have another WeezaFish post on it's way later also, just so I don't feel like I've been cheating.

In blogging terms of course.

Hooray for the New South Africa!

Political? Me? Not normally on my blog. Should I comment? I'm a Brit living in South Africa, and I have lived here for over four years with my Joburger Hubby who has lived through and therefore understands his country and it's people far better than I ever could.

But Hubby doesn't blog, so it's my half arsed opinion you're reading ha!

Two things happened recently, both first time occurences for Hubby and I since we've been together and living here, but by no means (far from it) unusual situations for an average South African to find themselves in.

Firstly, we got pulled over in our vehicle by the police last week. Let us just say, to protect the innocent and yet make clear the story, that we had just called on an 'aquaintance' of ours to make a ... 'purchase'. The police vehicle followed us as we left, and pulled us over less than five minutes down the road.

These cops were on a mission, and they were following a set routine.

First, they ask Hubby to step out and they search him. Then they ask me to step out, there's three male officers all now out of their vehicle, one of them talking to Hubby, one of them searching the car and the other now telling me to "search myself" as he's not allowed by law to search a female.

Did We Learn Anything From The Recession?

I did some Economics reading in preparation for this post. That was a daft idea. A HA HA HA HA HA! Ahem.

Maybe a smaller house ..

I was looking for an explanation of the causes of our recent worldwide recession and I found this on Wiki, which I was doing okay with until it mentioned the 'Gaussian Copula Function'. I wondered what it was and if I come across a word I don't know in a book I'm reading, I'm the sort of person who stops reading and looks it up. So I followed the link for Gaussian Copulating whatever-it-was here ... and then somewhere about half way through the document, I think my brain fell out. Or exploded or something. I'm not entirely sure but it hurt, and I decided I'd done enough research. (Let me know if you do any better, I still want to know what it is.)

But as this is my blog, I'll just come up with my own half baked theories and carry on with the post regardless. What the heck, I tried to get better informed.

What's Your Kids Bedtime Routine?

WARNING!! Mummy post alert!

I'm intrigued. We have a bedtime routine in our house, does everyone else? I'm not sure where it came from, or if my siblings and I also had one, but pleased and possibly smug sounding to report - it's working well.

Both our boys had turned two, youngest Nate recently, when we decided it was time for them to have 'Big Beds'. And the move from cot to bed made it seem apparent that it was also the right time to get them used to going to sleep by themselves. 'Self Soothing' as my UK NHS mothers manual used to call it.

Are some of you shocked? Reading back to make sure I said age two? It's apparently possible for a newborn baby to learn to self soothe, and it's all about teaching them early the 'correct' sleep associations, meaning the things your baby associates with going to sleep and therefore perceives it needs to do so. 'Correct' sleep association tools would be a bottle of milk, a teddy bear, a blanket. 'Incorrect' sleep association tools are, er ... well Mummy and Daddy apparently. If you cuddle and rock your baby to sleep, then your baby will perceive that they need you to do so. I remember dire warnings from the midwife and in bold in the manual something like "the longer you leave teaching your child, the harder it will be. ROCK YOUR CHILD TO SLEEP AND MAKE A ROD FOR YOUR OWN BACK!!!"

Well I Never ... No.5

Did anyone notice I missed this post last month? Ssssshhhh. Can you believe I was struggling to think of three new things I'd learnt? Shocking. I should be a total sponge for new knowledge, learning new things every day. Had I really not learnt anything new in a month? Sheesh.

And then Hubby, as he so often does, came to the rescue. Over the years, I've learnt a shedload of interesting and useful knowledge from Hubby, he's a great source. In the space of a few days last week, he'd taught me three brand spanking new things so without further ado, and as an ode really to Hubby and his fountain of uncapped knowledge ...

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month Ago.

Get Me, I Did a Guest Post!!

Ah me, it's another link for that other WeezaFish who writes elsewhere.

Actually, it's all me wherever I'm writing. I like the idea of having an 'Alter Ego' blog where I swear lots and talk about my sex life too much, but I just don't have the attention to detail that I think that would require. Meaning I'd forget which blog was which, and end up sharing something I really didn't mean to on Facebook to my family. With hilarious consequences .....

They used to use those three words at the end of nearly every TV Guide review of a comedy show in the UK. "This week, Tom's car breaks down again and he gets in trouble with the law. With hilarious consequences".

I digress.

I did a Guest Post, yay! My first ever. Okay, first time asked too so call me a Guest Post Slut if you want, but I couldn't say no.

What's Going on Over at WeezaFish?

You nearly got a post then, but I realised in writing it last week that I was all inspired by my recent addition to the Indie Chicks family and it was really more of an Indie Chicks thing, so I sent it to them.

They posted it today, yay! Go see, go see. Comment if you please (not afraid to just ask for your comments me).

AND now the lovely Elle of Thisismommyhood has asked me too, would I post to her site A Nervous Tic Motion! Jeepers, it feels nice to be asked. Elle's another great writer I admire in blog world, and I love her 'other' site. And man she's nice, I call her Lady Elle. She is a Lady.

I sent her something today, I hope to be linking you to it on her site soon.

But I don't want anybody worrying that these new found writing outlets of mine are going to turn WeezaFish into a blog of links to other sites where my actual writing is. So here's a list, a sneak preview if you will, of my upcoming posts to WeezaFish. Indie Chicks, Elle you're very lovely and cool and all that but you can't have them. Listen to me, talking like I'm some big shot now. Snicker.

Memories of ... School (Part 2: High School/Secondary)

Could Have Been My School

My Secondary School (or High School) was in fact two different schools, as we moved as a family in my third year (? I think). Not that it matters, UK Secondary and Comprehensive Schools in the 80's were all pretty much the same. If you're a Brit, think Grange Hill with less drugs. If you're not a Brit, 'Grange Hill' was a kids TV show in the 80's about a .... UK Secondary School. If you were a kid in the 80's, you wished your school was like Grange Hill but your parents hoped and prayed it wasn't at all like that. Mine was a bit! I'm whistling the theme tune to Grange Hill now.

Burnt in My Memory: Walking the halls between classes trying to look cool and attractive at all costs and at all times. Because everyone's watching you, right? Not easy to achieve my ideal High School look of a cross between Boy George and 80's Madonna when my Mum was still responsible for most of my wardrobe. AND I had to work around that dumb uniform and stupid school rules about make up and hemlines.

The day I was given detention by my impossibly unforgiving French Teacher (also Head of Year) for ... ASKING A QUESTION. Yes, I was punished for my enquiring mind at school. She ordered me into the Store Cupboard at the back of the classroom, there was a small desk inside and a young chap in school uniform whom I didn't recognise. He looked at me as I walked in and said deadpan "I've been here for years".

Throw Your Hands Up at Me

"All the women, who are independent .. throw your hands up at me!"

(Hands in the air like you just don't care).

"My house, I bought it (I rent). My car, I bought it (I don't drive). My .. er ... la la, THROW YOUR HANDS UP AT ME!!"

No? Partying on my own here?

Ahem.

I've only been blogging for ... (let me just check) ... it'll be a year next month. Woo hoo! I'll let you know where the party's at. So, less than a year and the very cool and pretty awesome Chiara Mazzucco of Chiara Says contacts me and asks me if I would write a post for a new online magazine she's co-founded, The Indie Chicks which went live today. (Yay! Happy Going Live Day Indie Chicks! *CHINK*).

THEY'RE DRUGGING MY CHILD???!! Oh, no .. it's okay. False Alarm.

Four year old Tallen told a WHOPPA last night. Little tyke. On a serious and, very sadly for some, very real subject. It both amazed me, and made me giggle, how far as parents we had to take it to ensure we got to the truth of the matter.

Tallen's been poorly of late, there's a bug going around at school that seems to have hit him twice now. Lots of coughing and snot (always a joy) and he's not been sleeping well for a couple of nights bless him.

So it wasn't too surprising then that yesterday, for the second day in a row, the little chap came home from school looking way tired, like he was ready to drop. But he's still young enough to need a nap in the afternoon, he's poorly. I wasn't unduly concerned until Hubby commented on it.

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Hubby: "He looks drugged. Have you seen his eyes?"
Me: "I know! He looks exhausted shame, all bloodshot"

Hubby's still looking concerned.

Hubby: "You think they've given him something at school? To calm him down? That's the second day he's come home from school with eyes like that. It happens, you hear about it" (boys always want a conspiracy, so funny)
Me: "You mean like they've given him some medicine to dope him because he was being hectic at school or something and they couldn't handle it? But he's a good boy at school, only we experience the full Tallen Tantrum"

I'm Wicked and I'm Laaazy

No, not me. I can be lazy at times. I can be downright friggin' slothlike given half the chance but that's not what I'm posting about. This post is about tunes dude. And bad ones at that.

Hubby likes to mix. Most days he can be found in front of Virtual DJ on the pc for an hour or two in his 'After Dinner' slot. Mixing up a messed up shuffle suggested storm of several different genres of music for me and the kids to go crazy in the lounge to. Put your hands in the air like you just don't care! Ahem.

Come night time, when the kids have gone to bed he's a Trance boy at heart. But he knows I'm a Deep House girl and he loves me (*sigh*) so I'm lucky enough to get my own personal mixes from time to time. And it was listening to one such House mix the other night that we both noticed something.

House music producers are getting really lazy dude. I should rephrase that. SOME house music producers are getting really lazy.

Happy Birthday Natey!

My youngest son, little Natey Noodle turned two on Thursday. Here's a few pics for Mum (Hi Mum!) and to mark the occasion.

Early morning pressie opening.
Big brother Tallen keen to assist in any way he can.

Heard in My House .. Tallen Changed His Mind

** Can I just say, because it may help some readers, a Bakkie is a South African works vehicle, like a pick up truck without the hook thingy. And a Chappie is a sweet we get here that has interesting facts (Did You Know?) printed on the inside of the wrapper. That'll all make sense in a minute ...

Tallen (4) is enjoying his school holidays at the moment. Reminds me, must email the school and find out when he's due back, must be next week surely ... anyhoo.

Very luckily for Tallen, his Mummy and Daddy run a small (teeny really) playground company and a day at work with Daddy in the holidays amounts to a day of free play in a school playground. And he's the only kid there.

Problem is, Tallen also loves staying at home with me and his little brother and first thing in the morning, it's friggin' hard to get him to make a decision.

Memories of ... School (Part 1: Nursery & Primary School)

Earliest memories first, Nursery/Pre School. I remember little about the building but I do remember a large curtain, behind which sat a plump, smiley old lady who read stories all day.

Burnt in my Memory: Sitting on plump, smiley old ladys lap for story time.

Best Forgotten: Clinging to Dads leg so he couldn't leave me there.

Dramatic Performance: Just the tantrums when it was time for Dad to leave.

Stuff I Learnt: At Aged 3? Just that I miss my Mummy and Daddy I think.

I Got My Mojo Back

It may be a slightly tentative position but for now, at least, I have my mojo back. Don't go all Austin Powers on me, I'm not talking about my sex drive. More my energy.

I'm sleeping well again!! Yay!!

Not long back I was suffering from a severe lack of sleep and moreover, broken sleep. I blogged about it here and at the time I thought it had a lot to do with my kids (LOVE those little tykes) and their sleep patterns. I tried a few different things .. thanks for the tips, it all helped because in the end, a few good nights kip was all I needed to break the old routine.

My kids slept well most nights, I just had to stop myself waking up in the early hours to 'check on them'.

And now (I can hear a drumroll, is it just me?) I've broken the habit. Sleeping like a log most nights. Hoo-f*@king-rah I could kiss Celine Dion right now, I'm so happy.

I Wanna Girl!!

http://www.thesimpsons.com/

I can't help it.

Hubby knows and understands. But I feel the need to talk about it more than I think he feels the need to hear about it (!!) so I'm blogging this out to you because sometimes I just need to shout out.

"I WANT A GIRL!!!"

Ahem.

I was 37 when I had Tallen, now four, and I had Nate, almost two, when I was 39. For one of those inexplicable reasons, I figured somewhere between the two pregnancys odds would be that I'd end up with a son and a daughter.

Why would I think that?

I was so convinced, in fact, that my second pregnancy was a girl that Hubby and I chose a girls name (Macy) and I listened eagerly to all those pregnancy commentators amongst my friends and family who told me "it's a girl this time, I can tell". It wasn't helped by the fact that Hubby and I decided this time to say 'no' whenever we were asked if we wanted to know the sex, and I went through the entire pregnancy quietly convinced that it was different to my first. I felt different, the bump was different. It HAD to be a girl.

Grandmas House

My Grandma passed away last year. Aged 93, she was a true gem of a lady and a lovely, lovely Grandma. She'll be missed so much.

My siblings and I spent a lot of time with her in our school holidays, and just thinking about her a lot recently has brought back a flood of memories of happy times playing at Grandmas House in my childhood so I'd like to post the memories lest I forget them again.

http://www.visitmidsomer.com/

Grandma lived in the same house all her married life and remained there in her later years alone after Grandad died, having raised her three children - my Mum, and two Uncles - in the same house. It's one of those places that just seems to absorb, for me at least, all of the memories it creates. I can picture the house so clearly, every room, every detail, like I was there yesterday. I can almost smell its smells.

The house is in a small town in the UK called Wallingford, which I always remember as a great place for us to spend time in the Summer holidays. Hope it hasn't changed too much. It's a place steeped in history, a town started in the 9th Century that has a Castle, a river and a whole heap of child friendly attractions.

Normal Service Resuming Soon

I tried to be too clever you see, that's what happened.

I am trying to add Comment Luv to my blog, I ended up adding Intense Debate instead (intense, woo!) which I didn't want at all.

I've now deleted Intense Debate, and lost a few comments in doing so. Sorry if your comment has disappeared, it wasn't me I promise!

I shall struggle on in my attempts to add the luv to my comments, hopefully no more of your words will disappear whilst I do so.

Wish me luck!

You Definitely Cannot Eat Off My Kitchen Floor

** WARNING!! MUMMY POST ABOUT POO!! **

The nearly two year old, Natey Noodle, is potty training. At least he would be potty training, if it were up to me. But he's a strong willed little chap and, as it turns out, it's actually entirely up to him.

Nate's not a fan of the potty. He instead favours the running-around-naked-hoping-to-make-it-to-the-toilet-in-time method of training. And it was in this state that he announced to me earlier that he "had poo Mummy" as he ran passed me on his way to the bathroom. I followed in hot pursuit, and after much wriggling and some distraction ("look, my shampoo") we eventually scored with a peanut sized deposit in the bowl.

I Heart Blogging

I've had a love of writing and books since I was a kid. I know, you've heard this one before but stay with me please, that's the point really - that we're all hearing these voices, reading their stories.

bloglinkadvertising.com

English was my strongest subject at school and I went on to study English Literature for a while (er, so I dropped out after the first year) at college.

In my, ahem ... somewhat short college life, I joined a Creative Writing class which as it turned out, just meant involvement in the college Rag Mag, "The Grapevine". And this all sounds a lot more impressive (yes, really) than it actually was.

But those were the days my friend! Finding witty comment to make on college life, laid out alongside hilarious Far Side cartoons. Hanging out with the arty writer crowd and their interesting hair styles.

It was a bit of a flop really. Surprising ey? I only remember us printing one edition but the point was, I had fun.

Well I Never ... No. 4

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month Ago.

1. Google Image Search Match

When you're doing an image search in Google, see that little blue camera there? Did you think it was just for fun, like me? If you click on it, you can upload or otherwise select an image of your own and then ask Googles Image Search to find any matching or near matching images. Cool ey? Uses? Er, I dunno, but it's fun! I guess if you were a photographer, you could use it to check if your pics are being used elsewhere or if you had a pic and you wanted to find the original source. If it can't find an exact match, the near matches it suggests can be amusing. It's a Google search after all.

We Have Cats!

We do, and kind of by accident really. And in direct opposition to my bessie mates recent blog story about her dog, I'm really not a cat person.

Hubby also, in fact. We've both love dogs and have always had dogs as pets in our childhoods. We as a family had our own dog (Rizla) who very sadly died in an accident over a year ago now. We have been talking of late, having settled on the Old Ranch in Joburg, of trying again. A visit to the local Dogs Home, excited talk about buying a new kennel/bed/bowl. We'd decided our hearts had mended enough to fall in love again. True dog lovers.

ANYONE KNOW HOW TO DISABLE CAPTCHA??

That's it really, there's no post. I just want to disable it on the comments on my blog. Can anyone help please?

Captcha. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Who knew it would grow to annoy so much.

* UPDATE ... UPDATE ... *

I found out how! (thanks Kate, you led me in the right direction).

Anyone else interested? You need to be using the 'Old' Blogger Dashboard so if you're using the new, go to your options and select the 'Old Blogger Interface'.

Then just follow this ... and no more Captcha on your comments. Hoo-blimmin-rah.

"Yesterday It Was My Birthday ....

... I hung one more year on the line.
I should be depressed, my life's a mess.
But I'm having a good time" *

* Paul Simon, for those who don't know.

Actually, I'm not depressed and my life's not a mess, it's really quite cool and groovy right now. My house is a mess mind you. Oh, and my Birthday was last weekend, I just forgot to post on the day.

Is it the done thing to post on your Birthday? "Hi everyone, it's my Birthday!!" kind of thing. Hmm.

Stones 'R' Us

Africa, to me, has a penchant for stones. Is that the right word to use? It's more of an inherited appreciation I guess but since I've lived here I've met a lot of people who love stones and run businesses selling and making things out of them and by default, I've learnt to appreciate them more myself.

Diamonds, of course, I don't have to be taught to appreciate .....

About two thirds of the worlds diamonds come from Africa, there are diamond mines in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Tanzania and Sierra Leone.

But I don't want to focus on diamonds, I'd end up digressing into a serious issue post about Blood Diamonds and this was supposed to be a 'slice of family life' type affair.

Diamonds aside, Africa's beautiful ground is rich with all colours and kinds of stones and it's one of the largest producers of precious and semi precious stones in the world.

The Kids Wanna Say "Hi"

I think I need to relax my Privacy Settings a little, often something is heard or said in our house and followed by the comment "you should put that on your blog". They don't end up on here because I find it hard to put our conversations into type without including names and I've tended so far to keep my kids names and faces off the blog.

Hubby is just that, Hubby. He likes the anonymity. I think he imagines my blog to be more widely read, hopes people somewhere are wondering "who is that awesome sounding Hubby fella on WeezaFish's blog???" Maybe one day baby!

The kids up until now have been referred to by age only, the four-year-old and the nearly-two-year-old. Bit of a mouthful.

Childhood Re-Memories

Is rememory a word? You can remember, can you have a rememory? I could look it up, but I think I'll just claim it as my word for now. Until someone else says otherwise.

One of the things I love about being a Mum, is the chance it gives me to relive so many of my happy childhood memories.

Not only does it give me a shedload of warm, good feelings and an ability to share stuff with my kids, it helps me relate, as a Mum, to my parents more. They did all the same things with us.

http://www.angeldelightdesserts.co.uk/

I was making Instant Whip dessert the other evening and marvelling at the fact that it still smells the same as it did when I was a kid, and my four year old asked if he could run his fingers around the bowl when I'd done. "It's the first time he's ever run his fingers around a bowl" thinks I. And it made me giggle.

And it's not just the joy of eating 'kids' puddings all the time that makes me giggle. Although Jelly, Instant Whip, Apple Crumble and Ice Cream will always make me giggle more than Tiramisu or Passion Fruit Cheesecake. My taste buds enjoy Tiramisu and Passion Fruit Cheesecake, but they're grown up puddings, not for giggling at. Jelly just downright makes me smile. Making Jelly for my kids makes me smile.

Dinner in The Sky

Hubby and I saw a crane in the sky above our local Mall on the way home this evening and as we got closer I asked him "is that people sitting up there?".

He nodded, he'd been handed a flyer earlier and was fully up to speed with the latest dining experience to hit the streets of Joburg.

"Yup, it's people having dinner. There's a chef up there cooking for them."
"WTF? Dinner?? On a crane?!"
"Yeah, or breakfast or lunch depending on the time of day. I think dinner's more expensive though".

I pointed it out to my four year old, hoping to get a more excited reaction.

"See the people having dinner in the sky?" says I. But it was too high, I don't think he could really comprehend it and I was alone in my awe.

Thank You, Gruffalo

I remember the time my eldest son first got into a movie, he was about two, it was the deliciously fabulous My Neighbour Totoro.

Despite the fact that the movie's entirely in Japanese, he would sit in front of it totally entranced from start to finish, without so much as a peep. Now four, it's still one of his favourites.

Prior to that movie capturing him, only a 7 minute episode of Pocoyo could hold his attention to keep him still and quiet for any length of time.

Well I Never ... No. 3

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month Ago.

1. Smartphone Barcodes

Get me, being all Techy on my blog. And I’m nothing but a user really. I love Technology, but I don’t get passed the user stage. Shiny, blinky lights and “it can do WHAT??!! Show me how, show me how!” is where I’m at.

My dear friend Clare however, is a true Techy. She doesn’t just use and drool over blinky lighted gadgets and technology, she understands the workings. She can even make Techy. Oh yeah. She told me recently that often when she chats to folk, their eyes glaze over and she realises she’s lost them with her Techy talk. It’s happened to me often. I bow to her superior Techyness.

Imagine then, my possibly over enthused excitement when she showed me this;

It’s a QR (Quick Response) Barcode. Have we all seen these yet? Am I, in fact, over here in Africa, the last to know? They make getting URLs, location coordinates, any text or contact information onto a phone as easy as you like. With a barcode scanner app installed you can scan them with your Smartphone and it’ll wop the info straight into your phone. Go on, try it! (To find a scanner application, Google "QR Reader" and the model of your phone). This barcode leads to mine and Hubbys business site. How. Cool. Is. That. If not already, you’ll see them soon printed on advertising and business cards, on TV ads. Everywhere I’m sure. And just think – you may have seen it here first. Well, if you live in South Africa. Or the Outer Hebrides. Love you Clare. And all your Techyness.

UK Couple Visiting South Africa Eaten by Bug Loving Lions!

We have visitors. Again. Anyone who read my recent post will know that we are currently enjoying a fair plethora of visitors from Europe and we’re loving every minute of it.

Our current visitors are a couple we knew from the UK (Hubby and I moved out to South Africa from there four years ago). I worked with her in an office in Taunton, South West of the UK, and we’ve been firm friends ever since.

Still amazed, half way through their two week stay, that they’re here at all. The effort, not to mention the expense, of coming out here to see us is immense. I told my friend, “it’s a hell of a lot more effort than just meeting up in the local pub once a week” and she replied “you’ve been out here four years, once a week to the pub – once every four years out here, I think it equates to the same thing”. Love her.

I worry though, are they having a good time? What does the average UK dweller (not that I like to think of my friends as ‘average’ in any way) think or expect when travelling to South Africa for the first time?

The Time Has Come ...

... for our first born son, my little soldier, my baby boy ..... to fly the nest.

Well, okay. He's actually four and he's just finished his first week of Pre School, but it feels like he's leaving home or something.

Nah, I'm okay really. I surprised myself actually. I thought I'd be the one in tears as I waved him off that first day, but I managed to swallow the small lump in my throat and I've been fine since. Missing him, but wanting him to be there.

How's he?? Oh yeah, he's fine.

What Happened to My Sleep??

In my twenties, I was a good sleeper. A really good sleeper.

And in my thirties too. I remember Hubby and I enjoying many a lazy weekend lie in, relishing the lack of the weekday alarm clock which was the only thing capable of rousing me from my slumber in those happy, carefree, sleepeasy days.

*sigh*

Then I had children. And as we all know, that will seriously f*@k with your sleep patterns.

However ..... my two boys now sleep very well most of the time. And being little, they have this amazing ability of sleeping for eleven or twelve hours at night. Giving me plenty of time for a good nights kip most nights. Or so you'd think.