I will see you when I am back.
Don't miss me too much
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Having a bad hair day? My Bug List for the week!
- "Drop and go" lane means "DROP AND GO" not get out the car and spend 6 minutes getting junior out of the car, adjusting uniforms, chatting, etc etc then waiting till they are almost in the classroom before driving off. There is parking if you wish!
- When you pay HUGE money for a hairdresser, and his assistant does all the work and only then does he appear, blow dries your hair, and cuts your fringe and makes it wonky so you need to sort it out with nail scissors at home!
- Son 1 who thinks it is OK to be rude to the mama because he gets too much homework - I dare you to talk to your teacher that way my boy!
- My kitten who likes to catch baby birds and torture them! BAD BAD Max!
- The Visa company who tells me I will be collecting my visa and passport AT THE AIRPORT just before I board an international flight - way to get the stress levels up
- My beloved dad who tries to be helpful but does not like to commit to time! It is hard to pick up the kids at 3ish! They (the school, oh and the kids) frown at that!
- Schools who plan things when I am going to be away so makes the planning for the trip more complicated! A field trip, a uniform change and a grade certificate assembly not to mention two grade 4 tests and a book report! EEK Good luck granny!
Is it Wine o'clock yet?
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Ciao Baby!
At last a reason to be thankful for the amount of overseas travel that the hubby does! The next trip to Italy includes ME - Thanks to Voyager miles and a birthday. But it leads to the crazies as I need a visa as I am a South African passport holder! So a few calls to my long suffering Travel Agent and throwing myself at her feet while in begging mode I get her to find me a Voyager flight which is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack! Mel, you are a star!
Now a Schengen Italian visa requires you book and pay for your flight, you need a trillion Euros worth of travel insurance, ALL hotels need to be booked, e-mail confirmation from the hotels is required:
as well as needing everything bar a blood test and my bra size - THEN you may apply to reserve a place to have your visa reviewed! And I have 24 hours to do it! But at least I will be the best guest - thank you Marco!
I am now an expert on the various cities in Italy that we are visiting, the proximity to landmarks and train stations (Oh yes I have to CARRY my own luggage - *GASP*) Hotels range from the flea pits we can afford, to the luxury we desire and about a bazzion in between - so I put a pin in the computer screen (which is never a good thing for the computer screen) and book us the lower-mid-range-pray-for-no-fleas-and-more-than-a-stodgy-roll-for-breakfast Hotel and pray. But I think HEY it's ITALY is there such a thing as a bad hotel? Dodgy, sure but bad? Anywhere in Italy is going to be wonderful (such an optimist!)
But I do these things along with finding passport photos that vaguely resemble me, to getting out my passport with a photo that is so hideous that I just hope that the immigration staff just think I REALLY need a holiday, to booking hopefully undodgy hotels, to getting a flight to.....the list goes on along with looking after the offspring, having the hubby overseas for the 27000th time this year, having some in-laws arriving and having my two kitties "fixed", baking for a cake sale, booking hair appointments and seeing a dear friend out from the USA - oh yes and having to organise the kids for the time we are away remember, I got the crazies and said to the hubby "Shoe! But this is stressful!!" to which he replied from the comfort of the 5 Star hotel in which ever city he was in at the time "Oh this is supposed to be fun, so relax!"
I may be speaking to him by the time we board for Turino!
Now a Schengen Italian visa requires you book and pay for your flight, you need a trillion Euros worth of travel insurance, ALL hotels need to be booked, e-mail confirmation from the hotels is required:
(DEAR SIRS/MADAMS I AM CONFIRM YOU WITH PLEASURE YOUR BOOKING RESERVATION OF 1 DOUBLE ROOM FROM FOR 2 NIGHTS AT THE RATE OF EUROS x PER NIGHT INCLUDED A RICH BUFFET BREAKFAST AND PARKING UNTIL AVAILABILITY.RESERVATION NO IS BEING XYZ IN OUR SYSTEM, RESERVATION IS BEING ABC
WE WAITING TO WELCOMING YOU AS OUR BEST GUEST WE REMAIN FOR THE MOMENT WITH OUR KINDEST REGARDS MARCO)as well as needing everything bar a blood test and my bra size - THEN you may apply to reserve a place to have your visa reviewed! And I have 24 hours to do it! But at least I will be the best guest - thank you Marco!
I am now an expert on the various cities in Italy that we are visiting, the proximity to landmarks and train stations (Oh yes I have to CARRY my own luggage - *GASP*) Hotels range from the flea pits we can afford, to the luxury we desire and about a bazzion in between - so I put a pin in the computer screen (which is never a good thing for the computer screen) and book us the lower-mid-range-pray-for-no-fleas-and-more-than-a-stodgy-roll-for-breakfast Hotel and pray. But I think HEY it's ITALY is there such a thing as a bad hotel? Dodgy, sure but bad? Anywhere in Italy is going to be wonderful (such an optimist!)
But I do these things along with finding passport photos that vaguely resemble me, to getting out my passport with a photo that is so hideous that I just hope that the immigration staff just think I REALLY need a holiday, to booking hopefully undodgy hotels, to getting a flight to.....the list goes on along with looking after the offspring, having the hubby overseas for the 27000th time this year, having some in-laws arriving and having my two kitties "fixed", baking for a cake sale, booking hair appointments and seeing a dear friend out from the USA - oh yes and having to organise the kids for the time we are away remember, I got the crazies and said to the hubby "Shoe! But this is stressful!!" to which he replied from the comfort of the 5 Star hotel in which ever city he was in at the time "Oh this is supposed to be fun, so relax!"
I may be speaking to him by the time we board for Turino!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Water water everywhere . . . . .
3 weeks ago:
"Hello, I would like to report a leaking water meter"
"blah blah blah - here is your reference and someone will attend to it within 48 hours"
2 weeks ago:
Ding Dong
"Hello Mrs W, this is your neighbour. Do you know you have a leak coming from your water meter?"
"Hello, I would like to report a leaking water meter"
"blah blah blah - here is your reference and someone will attend to it within 48 hours"
"I have a reference from last week"
"Ah yes I see they came out and repaired it then"
"Well I never did see them and it is still leaking, actually it is pouring out!"
"blah blah blah - take down your reference and someone will attend to it within 48 hours"
1 week ago:
"Hello, I would like to do a follow up report on my leaking water meter"
"According to the reference the plumber came out and they sad it was rain wate
"Well it must still be raining as it is still pouring out"
"blah blah blah - here is your reference and someone will attend to it within 48 hours. Can we confirm it is number 22?"
"No we are number 27!"
"Aahh well they have fixed number 22's water meter"
"There is no number 22 in our road!"
"blah blah blah - here is your reference and someone will attend to it within 48 hours"
Saturday night - 8pm
Ding Dong
"Who is it?"
"It's the Plumber - we have come to fix the pipes"
After the job was completed it was great to hear these words
"The water leading into your house has been contaminated by dirty groundwater and it is technically not fit for domestic consumption!"
FABULOUS!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Long Weekend Lunacy!
My Beloved hubby is away again! Ho Hum! For most of the Easter weekend it is me and the kids and sleep overs and outings and homework and for most of it my even more beloved domestic worker is on leave!
We have to do the 20 minute mad scramble Easter Egg hunt for the 7 year old who is firmly entrenched in the belief that Fluffy Bunnies bring us huge piles of chocolate - The almost 10 year old, who finally made me "tell him the truth", was a gem and did a sign, a letter from his Fluffiness and used half a bottle of baby powder to make Easter dust - do you know how far "Easter Dust" can spread around the house, especially with 2 kids and 2 crazy kittens? Far, very very far!
Leaving the hubby to pack for his long haul trip the kids and I trapes to church - we have to park so far away we might as well have walked there from home! and while we do the trek I have two voices in my ear! No, not my good side and my bad side, my kids whining about having to: a) go to church b) go to church so early c) got to church without eating their Easter eggs d) having to walk so far to church! NOT sure I have a priest in the making here!
On our arrival home we kiss the man and send him on his merry way - he hates the travel, but at this point I am envisioning him in the business class seat with good food, bubbly, a TV monitor with HIS OWN REMOTE THAT NO ONE TOUCHES, 12 hours to read his book , and no kids .... hmmm which would you choose?
My folks are coming for brunch! My dad is always on the kids' side (which all good grandparents should be) but to the point that I cannot even tell them to chew with their mouths closed without The Look and the clicking of the tongue so we have some tongue biting to do ahead of us! And yes those situations arose, and I bit my tongue as best I could, and we did not start the Great Family Feud of 2011 - that was started a few weeks ago but that is a whole different story!
Surviving the brunch I head out to the Country Club to do an Easter Egg hunt with my friend who is also flying solo at this time - so while all the kids hunter for still more chocolate we partook in a little G&T around the pool - such a fabulous idea! And back home to ours where we did a braai (BBQ) for the kids - we girls managed to cook on the braai, get out the dishes, pour our own drinks, make a salad, help the kids and wash up all on our own - men are you reading this?
Fast forward to today - HOMEWORK on a holiday is just so much fun. One book report and one report back for the class mascot (oh joy we got him for a whole week!) We are long weekended out, trying to do it without the co-parent, cannot find one pair of the 2769 pairs of scissors in my house, have a child who once it is written on paper declares it as "FINE" even when I suggest that he might improve on something, and one AR child who when he makes a mistake wants to beat himself with a cat 'o nine tails and so this has lead to many tears - mostly mine!
Thank heavens the district has decided that while many schools can take the next two days off as they are jammed between so many school holidays, ours are back at school tomorrow!
We have to do the 20 minute mad scramble Easter Egg hunt for the 7 year old who is firmly entrenched in the belief that Fluffy Bunnies bring us huge piles of chocolate - The almost 10 year old, who finally made me "tell him the truth", was a gem and did a sign, a letter from his Fluffiness and used half a bottle of baby powder to make Easter dust - do you know how far "Easter Dust" can spread around the house, especially with 2 kids and 2 crazy kittens? Far, very very far!
Leaving the hubby to pack for his long haul trip the kids and I trapes to church - we have to park so far away we might as well have walked there from home! and while we do the trek I have two voices in my ear! No, not my good side and my bad side, my kids whining about having to: a) go to church b) go to church so early c) got to church without eating their Easter eggs d) having to walk so far to church! NOT sure I have a priest in the making here!
On our arrival home we kiss the man and send him on his merry way - he hates the travel, but at this point I am envisioning him in the business class seat with good food, bubbly, a TV monitor with HIS OWN REMOTE THAT NO ONE TOUCHES, 12 hours to read his book , and no kids .... hmmm which would you choose?
My folks are coming for brunch! My dad is always on the kids' side (which all good grandparents should be) but to the point that I cannot even tell them to chew with their mouths closed without The Look and the clicking of the tongue so we have some tongue biting to do ahead of us! And yes those situations arose, and I bit my tongue as best I could, and we did not start the Great Family Feud of 2011 - that was started a few weeks ago but that is a whole different story!
Surviving the brunch I head out to the Country Club to do an Easter Egg hunt with my friend who is also flying solo at this time - so while all the kids hunter for still more chocolate we partook in a little G&T around the pool - such a fabulous idea! And back home to ours where we did a braai (BBQ) for the kids - we girls managed to cook on the braai, get out the dishes, pour our own drinks, make a salad, help the kids and wash up all on our own - men are you reading this?
Fast forward to today - HOMEWORK on a holiday is just so much fun. One book report and one report back for the class mascot (oh joy we got him for a whole week!) We are long weekended out, trying to do it without the co-parent, cannot find one pair of the 2769 pairs of scissors in my house, have a child who once it is written on paper declares it as "FINE" even when I suggest that he might improve on something, and one AR child who when he makes a mistake wants to beat himself with a cat 'o nine tails and so this has lead to many tears - mostly mine!
Thank heavens the district has decided that while many schools can take the next two days off as they are jammed between so many school holidays, ours are back at school tomorrow!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Why I get the crazies!
My husband travels. He travels a lot. He does not stay away for long periods of time but he travels every week. Every week! He goes to some fabulous destinations and some not so fabulous ones, but each trip takes him away from home and he lives out of hotel rooms and suitcases! Now I know there are jobs which takes people away (I have a friend whose husband is a commercial pilot) but they generally have some home time between - down days, leave, flight breaks - My poor man works under 3 different divisions who all want a piece of him! Sometimes at the same time. Sometimes the divisions conflict and he is the Piggy-In-The-Middle! (imagine flying for Delta, Virgin and SAA and they all want you to fly on Tuesday - to a different destination! NO arguments!) That explains why the travel is so tough - it comes with a whole lot of conflict - not to mention the work content.
So while he travels I stay at home and be mom, dad, manager, accountant, plumber, chef, teacher, driver ... all the mom stuff and all the dad stuff too! But single moms do that all the time I may hear you reply. And yes you would be right, but if I was a single mom I would not have a house with all the maintenance, 4 animals and have to juggle two different life styles in two different time zones. I would make all the decisions and would not have to wait for the right time to find out if we can (fill in the blank) as a family next weekend, book a holiday, accept an invitation etc etc. Blackberry and e-mails work, but wow what a way to run a marriage!
And we have boys - boys need a dad and yes,I hear the laments about bad dads and absent dads and dysfunctional dads and I feel your pain, but my kids have a wonderful dad who they miss the benefits of so often! And poor old dad never gets to relax or chill as he has to cram fatherhood into 48 hours a week. "Play cricket with me Dad, read to me Dad, let's swim Dad, why you reading your paper Dad, afternoon naps are b-o-r-i-n-g Dad, lets go surfing Dad, PLEASE don't go out Dad!" Maybe the 24 hour journeys are relaxing after all!
So I just do it!
But you know what, it does add to the crazy!
So while he travels I stay at home and be mom, dad, manager, accountant, plumber, chef, teacher, driver ... all the mom stuff and all the dad stuff too! But single moms do that all the time I may hear you reply. And yes you would be right, but if I was a single mom I would not have a house with all the maintenance, 4 animals and have to juggle two different life styles in two different time zones. I would make all the decisions and would not have to wait for the right time to find out if we can (fill in the blank) as a family next weekend, book a holiday, accept an invitation etc etc. Blackberry and e-mails work, but wow what a way to run a marriage!
And we have boys - boys need a dad and yes,I hear the laments about bad dads and absent dads and dysfunctional dads and I feel your pain, but my kids have a wonderful dad who they miss the benefits of so often! And poor old dad never gets to relax or chill as he has to cram fatherhood into 48 hours a week. "Play cricket with me Dad, read to me Dad, let's swim Dad, why you reading your paper Dad, afternoon naps are b-o-r-i-n-g Dad, lets go surfing Dad, PLEASE don't go out Dad!" Maybe the 24 hour journeys are relaxing after all!
So I just do it!
But you know what, it does add to the crazy!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Some Things I Love
I decided to remind myself of some of the things I love:
There are many more but these come to mind without thinking!
Life is not all crazy!
- My Blackberry and Berryfix (http://www.berryfix.co.za//) who fixed it for me when I worked out that a Blackberry and tiles do not good bed fellows make
- My iPad - need I say more
- Fresh flowers in my house which I do not buy often enough so I decided to use this link today http://www.mycitydeal.co.za/ and get R200 worth of flowers for R100
- Social media (too much sometimes)
- Sushi http://www.ctfm.co.za/home/
- Wine
- Sushi and wine with friends
- Movies that make me laugh till I cry http://www.justgowithit-movie.com/ http://itscomplicatedmovie.com//
- My Wine Club girls who have been with me through thick and thin for over 10 years
- The 10 minutes just after the kids have fallen asleep - all my time!
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