GRANDPA AND GRANDKID
GRANDPA: go hide, your teacher is here because you bunked school today!
GRANDKID: grandpa you go hide……………. I told her you passed away
P.S. I’m so using this as my next excuse to get out of work on a Friday…
Month: April 2012
Really? This Really happened… Serious! For the record – I didn’t do it.
Yes, I know it’s only Thursday but in fact for all South African today is Friday. For the non – South Africans let me explain:
Friday 27 April 2012 – Freedom Day (Public Holiday)
Weekend
Monday 30 April 2012 – Normal working day (But I have taken leave and I guess more than 50% of the country has too)
Tuesday 1 May 2012 – Workers Day (Public Holiday)
So I will officially be back in the office on Wednesday 2 May 2012. So here’s to being South African. Cheers to the Long Long Weekend….
Ciao
SpiritedMama
P.S. I’m as excited as a 2yr old (I’m comparing my levels to Dudies). Tomorrow we’re going to Cape Town via train….. ****HappY Dance****
Why I’m taking to the streets
I decided that I just simply can’t afford to work anymore. Soon I won’t be able to afford the trip to work and back daily… So, I’ve decided that I’m taking to the street alongside a colleague with this sign board…..
P.S Credit for this note goes to my colleague who for now we’ll call “Smiley”
DO NOT WANT MONEY
DO NOT WANT FOOD
DO NOT WANT CLOTHES
I WILL ACCEPT FUEL OR
A PRELOADED E-TAG
Spirited Mama
Self proclaimed consumer watchdog and RIP Isabel Jones
I’m officially dubbing myself as the new consumer watchdog via my blog. I’ve wondered way too many times why I buy certain things. Maybe it’s because the ad was great/enticing/cunning/just a great ad/ whatever it may be I fell for it. Then I get to try *insert relevant product here* and voila it doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to. Or it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to. Many of you might be familiar with Isabel Jones and I must add that I was taken aback when I heard of her passing, RIP Isabel Jones. I thought “Who would tell me about “What not to buy” or “What is just a load of crap” etc. Somewhere< I actually thought that “I” could be a consumer watchdog. I don’t want to have a TV show, ok maybe later but just a few cameo appearances nothing major. > But I could definitely give you a couple of reviews that would shock the nation.
I hardly drink alcohol. I gave up smoking. But I do love shopping! I do love shopping! <for the record I don’t think shopping is a girls thing. My Dude gets more excited about a sale than me. I am not kidding.>
Shopping is my vice. Online/in person/ though an agent, doesn’t matter. <My friends think that I’m a groupon junkie – for the record I love groupon.>
Epic fail with some consumer products
1. Vacuum bags – this worked maybe for a week and then it popped in my cupboard, spilling items. You know the ones I’ talking about? The storage bags where you can store crap, use a vacuum to suck out the air and flattened it. Basically it gives you much needed space in your cupboards.
2. Manicure set – Woe is me – when I tried this battery operated thingy I thought that I was about to grind off my hand never mind my nail. I hardly have time to do nails so this was a way of getting an express mani. This thing is a serious hazard. I’m going to donate it to Dude – he can use it in the garage. Think of it as a mini grinder.
3. Potato peeler – that supposedly makes those yummy spirally potato stick things. I must admit I’ve never tried it because I don’t know how to assemble it and every time I try to assemble it the thing falls apart. We bought this product a good couple of years ago.
4. Russell Hobs Take two coffee maker – I loved the idea because it was coffee on the go. BUT I drink hot coffee. By the time you’re done brewing the coffee is not even warm it’s luke warm. Epic fail Russell Hobbs.
5. Pineware frying pan – Yesterday I bought a frying pan at PnP hyper. It was on special and I’ve been wanting to buy a smaller one as we have a big one but I want or rather need a smaller one. I assemble the knob to the lid and 1, 2, 3 it breaks. The knob. Now I have a frying pan lid with a screw attached but no knob. I have to go and exchange it today. Can I bill PnP for my fuel? It’s costing me an extra trip and no one is covering my fuel. So what I saved on the purchase price I’m spending on fuel.
Spirited Mama
You just can’t win. That’s enough ranting for one day. Just a quick question – Has anyone registered for E-tolling? It seems that no one is taking this seriously. But how can we when the fuel is higher, the food is more expensive and the electricity as well as the rates and taxes. I don’t think that I’m going to get a e-tag. Sorry Sanral. Government – you need to give back the Pension money…
Stacey at There’s a lionheart in our Bath tub! has made me a winner wena! (I’m not sure what it means but that’s what is said in South Africa).
When I saw my email yesterday it read “Hey there, You’ve won!” I was doing a happy dance and was bouncing up and down on my chair and then I thought “What if she made a mistake and the email was not for me”. “What if I’m not the winner?” Immediately, I emailed her to say thank you and just to put my heart at ease that I did in fact win the prize.
Stacey, thank you so much. I’ve embarked on a “Loving me Journey”. I’ve detoxed. Now I’m going to tone. And hopefully come end of April, I will be rocking my size 32 Levi’s down in Cape Town.
<Yes, last month I could wear them and then something happened. Not sure what. I keep reminding my Dude to not put my Levi’s in the tumble dryer, but he never listens…>
This is what I’ve won. Mama MioToning Serum!!!!! I’m so excited to try this. I feel like a 2yr old child who was just told that they could do something that they were always told not to do.
I absolutely love this quote! I’m happy to report that I embrace my mommy tattoos, as I like to call them, with all most of my heart. And not too long ago I was rocking my bikini, mommy tattoos and all, whilst on holiday. I think that my Dude found my confidence SeXy! 
I just looked at my calendar and realised that in 17/18 days we’re getting on a train to Cape Town. It’s so exciting!!!! Dudie who’s excited but I needed to remember this feeling that I have now before I see my mother and mother in law! Before they do what they do best and fck up my happy mood!>
We’ll be departing Park station on Friday 27 April at midday to arrive in Cape Town on Saturday, early afternoon. We’ll be taking the Red topless tour bus in Cape Town on Sunday to the Waterfront and hopefully ending it off with a sunset cruise in Hout Bay. Then we get to make memories with some family we haven’t seen in a while! And on Monday evening we’ll fly back to Gauteng. Dudie we planned this for you. We’re indulging You!>
P.S. I had a dream about confronting my mother and mother in law for disrespecting my parenting style with Dudie. They do this all the time and I’ve decided enough is enough. I don’t need to be liked by either of them!
Does your mother and or mother in law respect you as a parent? Or do they know best seeing as how they’ve raised grown kids.
I stole borrowed this picture from justbetweencousins and thought that this is exactly how I feel today. I have no ears. Today, I am deaf to the world, including Dudie and Dude!
Today, I choose NOT to hear anything
So Easter has come and gone and boy was it a busy jam packed four days. In South Africa, we celebrate Good Friday (it’s a public holiday), Easter Sunday and Easter Monday (another public holiday). Did I mention that Dude had to work all weekend, including Good Friday and Easter Monday….
<Dude has an awesome super important job and if it wasn’t for him and the other employees most of you would not see your relatives or go on holiday breaks etc. <Dude works mostly over all the important holidays, e.g. Easter/ Christmas/school holidays. I’ll tell you more about how we take family holidays during school terms on another day. For now, it works as Dudie is not bound to school terms yet. So we get to gallivant whilst everyone else is working.>
So I left work early (11:30am) on Thursday to collect the Dudie and we headed off to the shops for a few groceries and some chocolate bunnies. All goes well until we get to the shop and Dudie knods off as I enter the parking lot. <He obviously did not have nap time at school as they finished early.> I decide to put him in his pram and dash through the shop as I only need 1 or 2 items. Blah Blah Blah. I’m a shopaholic and I cannot do 5 minutes in a shop. I need at least 30 minutes! So whilst Dudie was having a shit fit about wanting to watch “Happy Feet” – I think the shops are out to get me, why would you put on a fucking movie for all the kids to go ape shit about – I was tempted to ask the security guard to just watch Dudie, in his pram, whilst I go through the isles – I got my items. I stacked items below, on top and behind this child and when we got to the check out counter you should have seen the amazement of the shop assistant – I had quite a few items to unpack – and they were all neatly stored in my son’s pram. So we headed home where I carefully transferred sleeping child to bed and low and behold he managed to sleep a full 15 minutes. OMG! I took it in my stride and remained calm. I let him climb the burglar bars in the lounge whilst I made sandwiches. We watched Happy feet – we’ve watched the 1st and 2nd one a gazillion times – and ate sweets and had milkshake and happy times. We also ate peanut butter straight from the jar with our special spoons.
I love spending time with Dudie.
BUT, I think I may have over done it – spending time with him. Right now, Dudie and I are sensitive towards each other. I need a time out. I now realise why some moms people have so much alcohol in their house!
Friday: Lunch with Friends
Saturday: Farmer’s market and shops. And when Dude came home, we went to play games at the mall. We even went out for Dinner, with a very trying toddler.
Sunday: Service of Light at Church (5:30am – Dudie woke at 5am and then I decided that we’re up so we might as well get going to church early)
Breakfast at church
Lunch at the Botanical Gardens
Monday: We slept late – Dudie & I. Albeit Dudie interrupted my sleep from midnight. We got up at 9am. That’s sleeping late to me>
Easter egg hunt and lunch with my cousin and her family. <I love how they love Dudie. How they soak him up.>
I have told Dude that I need a break. This child of mine drains me physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, etc. I love him but right now I need a break. I don’t want to talk. I want to sit here, browse the internet, blog, read blogs and eat my lunch. It’s cold in Gauteng, but still sunny. I’m looking forward to tonight , Dude will be making a fire and I hopefully get to curl up with a glass of wine and my book whilst Dude takes care of Dudie. A girl can dream…
What did you get up too?
Spirited Mama
P.S. Hats off to single parents. Oh, and we thank God daily for his school in our prayers. He even says “tank you for school”
I normally get up around 5am, but most days I sleep until 5:40am. If I do that disaster strikes, as then it becomes like those trolley dash competitions in my house. I literally fly through everything and on the trip to work; I get to second guess myself wondering if I locked everything.
Today was ok until I decided to get out of bed. I slept in Dudie’s bed as he woke up crying at 1am and I was not prepared to take him to our room. His room is so much warmer. So Dude comes to greet us before he leaves, and under my breath I mumbled “Do not wake This child”.
2yrold is no fun. For the record, I did not co-sleep. It was not my style. Some days I want to kick Dude out of our bed too. You, the parent, do not sleep properly. You get kicked and slapped (not intentionally – my child is a restless sleeper) and basically you feel more tired than you did before you went to bed.>
I get up, as quietly as I possibly could, but Dudie was up before my feet even touched the ground! I like the quiet time before he wakes. I get to shower, make coffee, pack the car, do what I need to do, and then wake Dudie and get him ready. When he wakes with me or before I’m ready for him – I’m screwed. So this is how it went down this morning;
5:20am Mama & Dudie get up. Mama wants to shower so I bribe the child with a DVD and some milk. Luckily before I got in the shower he tells me that he needs the toilet. <He has cried for the toilet before – and it’s not a pretty sight when I have to jump out the shower half soaped/face wash in my eyes as I have not rinsed yet.> Lightbulb moment, put child on toilet and I have a 5min shower. I pulled the door a bit so that the steam could escape but I could still supervise Dudie. Problem was that when I rinsed and decided to get out the shower the kid had disappeared. I found half a roll of toilet paper on the floor. The toilet was not flushed. And I’m damn sure he didn’t wash his hands. So I set off to find him, remember I’m dripping water all over the house. I find this child of mine in the kitchen getting chocolate out of the cupboard so that he can go sit in his room and watch his movie. We I, flush toilet, wash his hands, give him vitamins and decided stuff it, I’m going to get ready for today and Dudie will do what he does best. He will be a 2yr old.
30 mins later, I’m good to go and get Dudie ready. As we left, I spent 10mins looking for one of the dogs – who was hiding behind some shrubs in the garden. I thought she got out when Dude left but thought that it wasn’t possible as they never go out the gate. So I found her snuggled and still sleeping in the garden – next to her fkn kennel!
I was late but only a few minutes. It’s all good and I’ve decided that I am in no mood to work so I’m now shopping online. I’ve decide to take half day. So I’m picking up Dudie at 12:00 and then we’re going chocolate shopping. We I want need more Easter eggs. My Dude will be home sometime today – I’m doing the nah nah nah nah ‘cos I’ll be home way before him, well that’s depends on how long we’re shopping. He’s always home before me.
We’ll be attending mass at 7pm tonight. What will you be doing?
We’re spending the long weekend at home. Be safe everyone.
P.S. I hate being on the road when it’s holidays…