Spirited Mama

Living a SPIRITED life filled with wanderlust, emotions and everything in between

Month: December 2016

Goodbye 2016

By

On December 31, 2016

In Goals, New Years Eve

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Goodbye 2016

I loved you and hated you simultaneously. You pushed me to do things I wasn’t sure that I was capable of. BUT I did it. And I came out stronger, more centered, focused. And somewhat wiser.

2017 will see me taking some people with a pinch of salt, in small doses and limited quantities. I refuse to let others’ negativity consume me. I WILL be living MY life’s. Possibly my best life. Time to live intentionally but for ME. Cheers to 2016 but here is to welcoming 2017 with open arms.

2017

I will be completing my studies. God knows how fearful I was when I started as a fresh first year student in 2015.
Dudie will be starting Grade 2. This kid amazes us everyday. He is intelligent beyond his years, resilient and tougher than I give him credit for.

Dude wants to start studying again. We may even start brewing some life changing plans for our little family.

We will be welcoming our resident alien to our Spirited family. Less than 6 weeks to go now. #34weekspregnant

So cheers for now. Be safe wherever you may find yourselves tonight as we welcome 2017. We will be welcoming 2017 from the comfort of our home.

Enjoy the last day of 2016. Here’s to HEALTH, SUCCESS & HOPE! 

See you in 2017.

Spirited Mama

P.S. I don’t do New Years Resolutions as I think people are too pressured into making resolutions that may quite possibly not even be their own goals. I never conformed to the norms….so I like to do my own thing.

2016 the year that has been…

By

On December 19, 2016

In About me, emotions, Reflections

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(image sourced from google)

As I picked up my proverbial pen to start blogging again, I had a renewed sense of “me”. It was my calm. It was and is my outlet. It is my CANVAS.

This year has at times been trying. It’s been rough. It’s been busy. It’s been great too.

We have lost loved ones…and in turn gained new family members too. It is also the year that we found out that the Spirited family is growing.

As we prepare to create memories of the festivities for 2016, we also prepare for the imminent arrival of a New Year. A new CANVAS. A new baby. A renewed sense of “us”. 2016 is the last year that we are a family of three. We said goodbye to a stalwart in my family “MAMMA”. We have had way too many CANCER diagnoses amongst family and friends. I have gone back to working my half day JOB and frankly I think if I didn’t may have lost my sanity…

Slowly but surely I am accepting “me” for me. I am enough for me. I can only do so much. I too am only human. I found that I have sort of strayed away from God, not intentionally, but I just don’t think I purposely made a great effort to affirm my faith. I am working on restoring my faith. I am taking stock of life and counting my blessings, as we have been abundantly blessed. We have helped some family through trying times but I also think that it’s time to cut myself some slack and let it go. God will take care of it now as I cannot make them do what they need to do.

We had some great holidays and even managed a trip to Hong Kong this year. We are super proud of Dudie for completing Grade 1 this year. For all his achievements in academia and sports – this kid really did work hard.

So cheers to 2016 – the year that has been. You are etched in my soul. Looking forward to 2017! To less worrying and more time for making and creating memories…

Spirited Mama

This Christmas…

By

On December 14, 2016

In Christmas, Family

 

It’s starting to look like Christmas

It’s starting to look alot like CHRISTMAS in the Spirited Household. Albeit, we were 12 days late with putting up our tree…I am just happy that it is finally up. We are counting down the days to Christmas, only 11 more sleeps…For the past 7 years we have been home for Christmas. It all started when Dudie was baptised on Christmas Eve during the midnight mass, 24 December 2009. Granted he was too young to remember any of it but from that Christmas eve we have been attending midnight mass every year since. It is our very own tradition. And this year will be no different. Every alternate year we have family with us and this year was supposed to be “the family” Christmas.

This Christmas

Well, things changed during 2016 and even though we will share Christmas with two family members, it just won’t be the same because Mamma won’t be at our table… Mamma loved McDonalds and upon returning home from midnight mass Dude always used to buy McDonalds meals for everyone. We would open our gifts and eat McDonalds until 2am sometimes 3am. Even Dudie would be wide awake by the time we get home from mass.

We were toying with the idea of just dining out this year BUT for us Christmas is about the joy, the laughter, the togethernesss, all of us cramming into our little kitchen to cook amazing dishes to be served on Christmas day. We will spend ALL day cooking on the 24th of December, only to take an afternoon siesta so that we can be fresh and bright eyed for midnight mass. We generally only wake when the sun is high up in the sky and the room gets too hot to sleep in. We always skip out on breakfast as we just had McDonalds at 2am. Normally, we are ready to eat our festive feast by lunch time, which could range anywhere from 12pm onwards. Even our dogs sleep late on Christmas morning.

This Christmas will be different. But this Christmas we will remember the good times and encourage new traditions and memories and remember those whom once shared that table with us.

What are your Christmas traditions?

Spirited Mama

x

Who wants to be a Millionaire?

By

On December 13, 2016

In About me, Time out

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If PROCRASTINATING was a job I would be a millionaire. No kidding. I am AMAZING at it! I am also AMAZING at working under pressure and to strict deadlines. Today, my brain feels bleh, yet I have so many things that I can say or talk about. I am just not finding the right words to express myself.

I am trying to tidy up my office and get my admin on track because soon I will be going on maternity leave and I would really like to let to let the temp start on a clean fresh slate. And hopefully that temp will reciprocate…. when I am due to return to work.

I have loads of personal admin to sort out too. I still have to organise the resident alien’s nursery. I still haven’t packed our hospital bags @ 32 weeks pregnant (hyperventilating here…) I am having more and more Braxton hicks. And by golly some of it is getting intense. Also, we are doing minor revamps and touch ups at home. And just for the fun of it, we still haven’t figure out what we are doing for Christmas.

So just for today I am taking the day off. I am cutting myself some slack and pretending that I am a millionaire today! I can literally feel myself winding down as it is that time of the year to wind down, reflect on what has been, create some festive memories and start afresh with a renewed outlook on life.

Spirited Mama

Here’s to the Dads!!!

By

On December 12, 2016

In Male vs Female, Parenting

 

If you’re a Dad, congratulations

Kudos to YOU if you are a “hands-on or involved” Dad. It’s quite amazing to see that there are still guys out there who think their role is to implant you with their seed and VOILA they are ‘Father of the year’ because their job as “Dad” is done.

We really don’t show enough gratitude to the dads who really get involved and dirty their hands when it comes to raising their offspring. As a society, we are hell bent on naming and shaming dead beat dads BUT what about dead beat moms? Why is it shoved under a carpet or no one ever speaks about when the mom is a bad parent? There are so many bad/absent/uninvolved/negligent parents out there.

What Dads should know

Please don’t think that my life as a mom is all roses and moonshine BUT I really cannot imagine my life without my kids(yes I am already speaking of the resident alien as if he is here). Parenting is NOT easy. There is NO handbook. We parent by trial and error. What is good for one family might not necessarily be good for another. Everyone is different. Everyone has different parenting styles. BUT they day that we, Dude & I, became parents we made a commitment to Dudie – to always try our level best and to always be there for him! It’s taken 7 years to have another child. I do NOT take this commitment lightly.

For me being a parent is a LIFELONG commitment! You cannot unparent yourself. There is no return to sender, or 7 day exchange period. Please ensure that YOU are sure that YOU want to be a parent – for your child’s sake as well as yours… Spirited Mama

I am 31 weeks pregnant and counting. Dude is doing most of our housework and taking care of us, all whilst holding down his paying JOB too. Granted he is exhausted by 8pm every night BUT hey he is doing it without any complaints…perhaps silently or in his head but he is sure not complaining to us about it.

So today DUDE we SALUTE you for being an AWESOME husband and Dad. Thank You for taking care of us! We love you LOTS!

Spirited Mama

x

P.S. Anyone MAN can father a child but it takes a FATHER to raise his child!

What to expect during a “Brain EEG”

By

On December 9, 2016

In medical procedures, Pregnancy

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Have you ever had a brain EEG?

No, not a brain egg…but a brain EEG.

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test used to detect abnormalities related to electrical activity of the brain. This procedure tracks and records brain wave patterns. Small metal discs with thin wires (electrodes) are placed on the scalp, and then send signals to a computer to record the results. Normal electrical activity in the brain makes a recognizable pattern. Through an EEG, doctors can look for abnormal patterns that indicate seizures and other problems. http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/eeg.html

A few weeks ago I had one. I had the weirdest symptoms, we put it down to being pregnancy related, and my doctor decided to schedule an EEG. This was my first time and I had absolutely no idea what to expect, I didn’t have time to google prior to having the EEG. (I know that I shouldn’t google medical procedures BUT I just can’t help myself. I like to be prepared…Someday I will tell you about other medical procedures I had done – thankfully I only googled it AFTER the surgery otherwise they would have had to put me in a straight jacket to perform that surgery)

Do you remember that scene from the movie Hannibal – where the guy eats his own brain?

Well, that was the only thought I had whilst this EEG was performed. I wondered if the doctor could detect what I was thinking or feeling. Perhaps he did cos he just kept looking at me strangely. I felt as if the doctor was about to serve me a slice of my brain on a side plate. But alas, it is a painless exercise. All I felt was the cold gel in my hair and on my scalp and having dozens of electrodes stuck to my head everywhere.

It is quite fascinating and scary at the same time. What if they detect abnormalities? What if they find that I have lost some of my marbles? BUT I am happy to report that all is well and normal with my brain function. Albeit that it might not always seem that way, I can assure you my brain is functioning normally. Medical technology is so advanced, thankfully. So many conditions can be treated way before they become too serious.

Have you ever had a Brain EEG? What was the weirdest medical procedure you have ever had? If they could detect your thoughts – what would they find?

It’s Friday! Let’s take a moment to breathe and go bonkers ‘cos it’s the WEEKEND BABY!!!! Being 31 weeks pregnant just the thought of sleeping late, or rather lying in bed without getting up for work gets me excited.

Spirited Mama

Competition between siblings

By

On December 8, 2016

In Kids, Parenting

Siblings

I can’t believe how competitive Dudie is with the resident alien, who is still in utero. He is literally competing with his brother even though his brother is still very comfortable and snug in my ever growing belly. Last week I was spoilt with a surprise baby shower for the resident alien. A lovely gesture from some of my colleagues. and some even took the initiative to get Dudie a gift or two.

Do you have a baby shower for your second or third child?

When I fetched Dudie from school , I had the leftover cake in the car. By the time we got home Dudie had eaten the “Baby Noah” off of the cake, dug little holes into the cake and was ready to eat the pretty blue booties. I was slightly annoyed as it just felt as if he was jealous and acting out. (How pretty is this cake and it was SO delicious!)

cake

When he saw all the gifts the baby received his immediate response was “he is so lucky to get all these gifts”. He was fine when he realised he also got some gifts though.

Competition between siblings is real

What gets to me is that it seems that he expects to get something if the baby gets something. How can I change that mentality? How do I make him realise that if one gets the other doesn’t necessarily HAVE to get as well. (I actually know of people who buy birthday gifts for all their kids, even if it is just the one kid’s birthday.) I’m sorry that shit just won’t fly with me. Perhaps I need to give it some time. Consistency is key here. We have had numerous conversations about it and will continue with these conversations because frankly there is no need to be competitive. We love our children and strive to treat them both equally and fairly.

I get that Dudie is only 7 years old and suddenly he needs to share his whole world with someone else, his brother. This brother that he has been yearning for… It’s a HUGE adjustment for all of us as we will now be a family of four.

How do you deal with competition among siblings? How do you handle it? Any advice?

Spirited Mama

x

 

 

Having kids is expensive…

By

On December 7, 2016

In Finances, Kids

Are you prepared for having kids?

Nothing can prepare you for having kids. I mean you can prepare and save and do what you need  to do but, in my opinion, you will never have everything just right to prepare you for having kids. Dudie is 7 years old and we have a resident alien in utero, who is due to arrive in less than 9 weeks…

As we are wrapping up 2016 we are also preparing for our new journey of becoming a family of four… This is by far a very exciting time but also a bit nerve wrecking as I think – “I hope we can manage everything”. We have been faced with tougher decisions before and somehow when we put our minds to it we make it work. Dude and I make a mean team. We work for what we want out of life. And we work damn hard to achieve it!

Do you know that we have already paid Dudie’s re-enrolment fee for 2017 in October? We also had to pay for his stationery pack for 2017 in October. That I can still comprehend. What baffles me is that the resident alien is still in utero, we don’t even know when he will make his grand entrance aid his fee BUT we already paid his fee too secure his spot for 2017!!! When I completed the enrolment forms many questions were answered with TBA because frankly we don’t know his date of birth/identity number/vaccination schedule/allergies etc…

School fees, just a drop in the bottomless pit, of why kids are expensive

The resident alien’s fees are almost aligned to Dudie’s private school fees….pardon me they refer to themselves as an independent school. Soon we will have two kids in an independent school. It scares me. The cost their education. The cost of living.

I see people moving their kids to different schools because of the costs… What price tag do you put on you kids’ education? Life in general is expensive. For now we bite the bullet and have Dudie in an independent school and the resident alien in his over priced nursery school.

For now I am going to take a walk to the cafeteria and buy myself a treat…

Spirited Mama

Random Conversations with Dudie:

Dudie: Guys when I have to leave and buy like my own house…can I have the BMW please?

Dudie: My tummy doesn’t feel well.

Me: Why?

Dudie: Cos I ate 5 spoons of honey at home…

Put your best “leg” forward with Adriansa

By

On December 5, 2016

In Pregnancy, Reviews, Shopping

*sponsored*

A little while ago, I received some products to review. I don’t know about you but it has become more and more apparent and important for me to trust fellow human interactors to review products. I am NOT just going to splurge my hard earned cash on something just because…well ok we all have certain things that we buy just because. BUT there is definitely an increase in consumers needing trustworthy opinions and reviews.

I received a package from Adriansa

adriansa

AdrianSA

“Adrian South Africa was born out of the need to provide Women In South Africa and Africa with stylish leggings and stockings. The Factory Adrian Fabryka Rajstopy was established in 1984 in Poland. Currently the second largest manufacturer of high quality ladies hosiery in Poland and supplying global multinational brands Adrian has become a truly global brand. Created, Designed and Owned by Women. Adrian is the only women owned establishment manufacturing and employing mostly women in its manufacturing plants throughout the world. Our monthly production of tights, socks, leggings and hold ups exceeds 1 million pairs in all the latest fashionable patterns,colours and trends. Our Award winning products can be bought all over the world and now right here in South Africa. Adrian South Africa is a partnership between Adrian Fabryka Rajstopy Poland and Adrian South Africa ‘s CEO Mrs Nasrin Ebrahim Ismail in empowering South African Women.”

Adriansa has already featured in GLAMOUR guides, you can read the article here.

AdrianSA, not your average stockings

Now let me point out that this is not your conventional blackmail or bare beige stockings as we know it. This is fashionable and sexy indeed. These days pregnant women can be fashionable. The maternity leggings are really comfy and soft to the touch. What I love most is the “mamma pouch” as I call it. It supports my ever growing belly and it fits comfortably over my belly.

The Tania stockings (they all have individual names) – besides a fashionable pattern, has a reinforced crotch which is a bonus as I generally tug and pull on my stockings to get it to fit just right. A very interesting fact is that it is marked left and right, in the crotch to ensure you know which leg goes where. (Somehow this has always bothered me cos I never knew the front from the back or if I was wearing my stockings the right way around.)

CupofSox

Have you heard of the world famous CupofSox. Generally, I don’t buy such longs socks as I am currently 30 weeks pregnant and most socks just feel like it’s choking my legs. However, CupofSox are light weight, breathable and very comfortable around my legs. Guys these socks actually have a refreshing scent. The secret to keeping that scent is to store your socks in its cup after you have washed them. Did you see the pretty birds on them? Also, I think it constitutes a cool gift-so much better than your average pair of socks.

I also received the kit ray- it’s a bottle sock, which essentially is a bottle warmer. Now I am most excited to try this one out for the resident alien, but it seems Dudie has decided he will just help himself to this one. He uses it to keep his drinks warm😁

Also included was the Shapewear with anti-cellulite effect. If I wasn’t #30weekspregnant I would be wearing it right now…but I will most definitely be trying this once the baby is born. Who would want to try this Shapewear?

Adriansa has a fully functional online store, you can shop here. Did I mention that this product is endorsed by European standards… You will find the leggings, stockings, maternity wear, Shapewear as well as CupofSox but you will also find they are introducing some new products like Handel Street-the uber leather duffel bags.

It’s not all about women either. They have a mens range too – Meggings for men. Go on have a look, www.adriansa.co.za perhaps you could be your own “secret santa”….

Happy shopping.

Spirited Mama

Currently in Spiritville

By

On December 1, 2016

In Christmas, Currently

Currently update:

Last night Dudie received a certificate at his prize giving…drum roll..for MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS in Grade 1. Whoa! this kid only told us that we needed to attend and that he will be getting a certificate. No clue what for. Nada. He was mute about it. He is such a modest child. We are SUPER proud of him. Of course we had to celebrate and at his request for Sushi, we tried out the newly revamped Ocean Basket @MenlynPark. Wow, lovely. We will be back soon. We were a bit stuffed so we agreed that we could do a special dessert over the weekend.

The other night, I was getting so hot so I woke Dude in the wee hours of the morning to ask him to switch on the aircon. He happily obliged, switched the aircon on and went back to sleep. The next morning he says “WTF, why did you wake me to put the aircon on?” My response – The remote is on your side… He says he’s going to put a glass of water on my side and wake me during the night for a drink…

We are torn between slaving away behind the stove to cook Christmas lunch or whether to dine out this year. For us it is the preparation rather than the actual eating of the meal that is our festive spirit!

We only have 10 weeks left before we are a family of four.

Mom, Dad, Dudie and the resident alien. Need to give him a spirited name as he cannot be the resident alien forever.

Today is the 1st of December. Tonight we haul out the Christmas tree and transform our home into a festive place. We will be indulging in chocolate and of course Christmas carols. The countdown to Christmas has finally begun, even though I have not done any Christmas shopping. We have been very pre-occupied with the resident alien but even his nursery isn’t done. I haven’t bought everything that I need or want…

Oh, and I still haven’t packed our hospital bags.

My pet peeve for December – Dude wants to go away for an impromptu weekend. In December! He does this every year and every year I say well then YOU find a place to go to because people book a December getaway a year in advance. Any suggestions? Will have to be in Gauteng though as I don’t want to venture too far from my Doctor or hospital.

Here’s to 2016 Festivities!

Spirited Mama

 

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