How Did We End Up Here?

Would help I guess if you knew where 'here' was huh, not least find out why I'm so surprised at where we are and how we managed to arrive? 

Just read that back and managed to confuse myself; let's start again shall we.

For those who may not know, or those who've forgotten during the massive break I took from blogging, my family is Hubs, myself and our two boys now 12 and 9.

A half South African and half English family, we moved to the U.K. in 2015 for lots of reasons but our plan was to start our second business, having sold our playground business in Johannesburg, and we got the boys in school and set about making our plans a reality.

Best laid plans and all that so now we fast forward to just a few months ago and Hubs and I are at our wits end.

Guess Who's Back

Well I'll be. Not sure what I'll be, not a monkey's uncle that's for sure albeit the correct idiom to express my shock and surprise at the fact that ... I am blogging again! 

Bit like riding a bike, I'll wobble and bump my way back in - bear with me as I find my voice. Possibly a new one hey, as we have all grown and changed since I was last here. So much so, I find some of my earlier posts make me cringe! Although I do manage to resist the urge to edit them.

Positive Parenting: Saying Yes!

Since having my two boys, I have found myself becoming an advocate (in my own home and Social Media pages at least) of 'Positive Parenting'. Being that style of parenting that tries to focus on gentle guidance rather than punishment and critique.

Easy it certainly is not, but then no parenting - whatever your style, is. I've decided that my blog is another place, aside from my own home, that I can increase my advocacy so here's a light little starter post.

Falling in Love Again: Happy Valentines

I’ve just fallen in love. Really hard and so deeply and truly, it takes my breath away.

Settling In

Howzit all! (Like I have so many readers ...).

Another quick post done on my phone, to let you know that we are settling in nicely in the U.K. Actually been here one month today, which has flown by.

Yes, it's a bit colder than Africa but you know what? We've had blue sky and sun for over a week now so I have high hopes for Summer. Even unpacked my flip-flops, oh yes.

WeezaFish 2013: A Photo Review

Guys, I swear to you I have been sat here for the last hour deliberating over this post. Okay, to be fair I 'killed time' in between deliberating by catching up on some blog reading and Twittering a bit also. BUT STILL!

Isn't it the done thing? Doesn't EVERY SINGLE BLOGGER IN THE WORLD write a end of year review post? No?

I'm such a stubborn so-and-so. As soon as I felt I really should write a '2013 in Review' blog post, I of course didn't want to.

I convinced myself that I hadn't done enough post writing to MAKE a year review. Can you imagine? "So january we, er ... didn't seem to do that much ... MARCH there was a Birthday! April, May ...no, June the dog got sick"

But guess what? I almost managed to post once every month last year so that excuse wasn't going to work.

I sat down and imagined pretended that by saying 'NO!' to the Review Post I would be released instead to write other posts. Of great interest, importance and OMG-this-girl's-so-funny humour.

Then I chastised myself for acting like a kid with three hours Maths homework to do and came up with this brilliant (and very lazy) idea to use photo's. Please understand, the time I have just saved myself (and you dear readers) will allow us ALL to do much, much, MUCH more exciting and valid things.

Time to Leave South Africa?: For This Family, The Answer's a Mixed YES!!

I am guessing this will come as much as a shock to you *taps glass* lovely peeps out there as it did to the family and friends back home but .. have you heard? We're moving back to the UK at the end of January!!

I know man :)

Er ... yeah, we'll be on a plane but go with me.

It wasn't quite as shocking to us (obviously). We had in fact discussed the very same plan for many months, even off and on throughout our years out here but it's not the kind of discussion we felt we could share with the folks back home. My darling Mum would have heard, and got excited about, the possibility of us coming back many, many times over the last six years. So we felt it best to say nothing until a definite plan had been made.

Which it now has. Woo hoo!

Online Porn: Monitoring Our Kids

Well ... here I am. Over a month since my last post and I find myself inspired greatly to tackle a rather heavy subject this morning.

Over a month since my last post ... hang on, shouldn't I be posting pics of the kids and telling you all why I haven't posted in over a month? Isn't that the norm on WeezaFish??

It is, but then that doesn't help all the meatier posts I like to write that are backed up in my drafts folder right now.

THIS one here (which I will eventually get to, promise) has been lingering there for a while but then a story I read yesterday brought it bubbling and frothing right up to the forefront again, demanding to be finished.

In my head at least :)

We're Having a Smashing Time

That's a terrible pun, that title. Which you'll realise fully if you read on.

This is one of those 'OMG you won't believe what happened to us!' type posts. Although to be fair, it happened to Hubs and he gave me his blessing to make a post of it. "It would make a good post" says he.

It also fits perfectly with a want I had to try out my newly downloaded Blogger App. I often have better internet on my phone, so if I can master and make use of this app, we might just have a more frequent blogger here. Hooray!

Photo Diary Time: Where TF Have I been??!!

You know that feeling you get when you turn up late? And possibly last to arrive also, to something really important that you really should have been on time for?

That's how I feel now, as I sit down (at friggin' last) to write this post.

I mean, seriously, where TF have I been?

I'm not going to say simply 'busy' or 'out of internet scope' (as we are in our new home, apparently) but both have been factors to my absence. Still, I feel bad. My last post was at the end of January FFS so I'm going to try and catch you up quick with what I've been up to before getting myself settled down to some nice juicy blog post writing and reading *sips tea, stretches fingers like a pianist*

The quickest way I can think of to catch you up, is a PHOTO DIARY POST YAYYY! No? Just me then.

If Men and Women are Equal: Let Young Hearts Run Free

This post (right here) that I sit down to write, is inspired by others. I've read many posts recently that seem to ponder on the same subject, namely - what is the best way to have a happy and successful modern day loving relationship.

Clearly Made for Each Other

And I add the phrase 'Modern Day' because that seems to be part of the issue of confusion, that we feel that to evolve and better we must always change.

So where is the Loving Relationship now, in 2013?

I have read posts recently on Polygamy and Polyamory (former meaning married to many, latter meaning loving many) and Cheating being on the rise and even accepted and I have been intrigued by some of the comments and opinions.

(All darned good posts too btw if you have the time to read, by writers I know and love).

Especially intrigued, as I live in Africa where Polygamy is considered an outdated, sexist tradition currently being fought against by many African women.

Our President has five wives and at last count, twenty one children FFS!

Despite this, it would seem there is a growing thought elsewhere in the world that as we struggle so at times with fidelity and not wanting others outside of our relationships, we should consider the possibility that humans were not meant to mate for life.

Back to School: Ready or Not

Don't tell anyone, but speaking as a Mum of young boys, I'm not quite ready for 'Back to School'.

Anyone else with me? No? All you Mums out there over excited at the thought of getting your days back? Eagerly pushing your little bearers of over laden back-packs out the door? Uhuh.

I've packed their bags. Written their names on the labels of their new clothes and rinsed out their drinking bottles, which have been lingering in the back of a kitchen cupboard all Summer.

Our boys Pre school opens on Wednesday and it's my youngest boy Nate's first day. I am thus far definitely finding it harder than him. In fact, harder than when his older brother Tallen started and much harder than I thought it would be also.

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? ...

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.

lovetobeinthekitchen.blogspot.com

 

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.

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?!

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 ....

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.