42 months multiplied with cute

The Toddler went past her 42 months mark last week.

She is  such an energy ball of movement and a constant jabbering stream of cute sayings.

It is as if we can hear her brain out loud trying to make sense of the world.

Her fantasy world is also increasing daily with the things she comes up with...

Friends are becoming very important to her. She has a friend at school whom she absolutely adores, and she comes back to tells us that Jade says this and that... Or Jade says that is how it is supposed to be!
It seems that Jade calls the shots, and what Jade says goes!
I am trying to tell her that not what everything Jade says is the truth, and that she should think herself  to determine whether something is true...
She gets very upset when Jade tells her that she is still too small/a baby, when in fact they both are the same height and age!

I am not exactly sure how to deal with this appropriately, and to learn her how to not place a person on a pedestal! Any ideas?

I told her about the "Talk to the hand!" comeback, but I don't think she understands it or uses it...(Maybe it is also not such a good idea!)

Why are they sometimes so centred on one person, and not seeing all the other lovely children to interact with?

She came to work with me on Monday, and although it was extremely difficult to get anything done, I am missing her in my office...

A colleague relayed that she also had fun listening to the commentary going on.
They had the following exchange:
"Mieka, I love your hat! Can I have it?"
"No, you are too big! You must grow small again to be able to wear the hat!...
(some thinking) But then you must get a mother again!"


Please time, don't let it go by so quickly!

The first feedback in Grade RR

We had our feedback session with the Little Missy's teacher the previous week.
(Before I forget, I am writing down the important points.)

It seems that most of my fears of her being so young are unfounded. Her birthday is in December which makes her a bit younger than most of her classmates. But her teacher believes that it is better to keep them with their age group, and that she does not perceive any problems of our Little Missy not going to Grade R.

Grade R is of course the final goal for Little Missy!
She thinks that she will arrive when she gets to Grade R.

She must be able to do the following: 
(Which apparently is not yet fully mastered)

- She needs to start helping with small tasks.
- She needs to be able to pack her own suitcase.
- She should be able to listen to the teacher.
- She must exercise her cutting skills.
- And: We have a whole list of stuff to exercise at home. (Which was handed out to all the parents)
(Wow! So small, and so many things to do and know already!)

The teacher tells us that she has a bit of a smart mouth on her:
- She retorted when she used a very bad swearword: "It's not me, it is my voice!"
- She was hitting another child, and when reprimanded: "I am not hitting her, I am giving her a hiding!"

The tantrums are also used very selectively, and also more than we expected.
(*sigh* We know! We still see it at home, but thought that it was more under wraps at school!)

She also has a best best friend, and even in the first week the teacher told me that they were very close. The friend calls the shots, and Little Missy follows.
Jade knows best! She knows everything!
The teacher has them seated at different tables, and she has a rule that they can't help or stand next to each other when they get an assignment.
The teacher overheard her once when she was waiting for Jade, and Jade kept on doing her own thing: "Jade I love you so much! Please come!"

Little Missy says that Jade just wants to play with her and no one else, but we see Jade playing with many other friends.

Always tough on the little ones when they focus on someone and don't see the other friends waiting on the side! (I see other friends hanging around when I go to fetch her in the afternoons...)
I will keep on telling her that it is good to have more than one friend!

I don't think boys have so many issues with friends?

Interview with the Preschooler

Little Missy passed her 56 month mark yesterday. She is four years and eight months.

I was trying to keeping this interview for her birthday, but I can ask it again on her birthday, can't I?

1. Who is your favourite person in the whole world?
     Dad

2. What is your favourite colour?
    Red

3. What's your favourite television show?
     Doc McStuffins

4. What's your favourite outfit?
    Beautiful dresses

5. What sport do you like best?
    Cycling

6. What song do you love?
    (I missed this question. Next time...)

7. What's your favourite cereal?
    Brown cereal (All Bran Flakes)

8. Who is your best friend?
     The boy she just played with at McDs
     What about Jade? Yes, Jade

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
    Grade R

10. What is your favourite book?
       Cinderella

11. What are you really good at?
       Tying a knot

12. Where do you wish you could go on vacation?
      Swimming pool

13. What is your best memory?
      McDonalds

14. What would you buy if you had R 1000?
       A doll for my child

15. What vegetable do you hate the most?
       All the vegetables

16. If you could have a wish, what would it be?
      I want a child

17. What is your favourite flavour of ice cream?
      Rainbow

18. Who is your biggest hero?
      Spiderman

19. What do you like to do best with your friends?
      Camping and swimming

20. What do you hope you'll get to do before your next birthday?
      Get a Barbie doll


This was shared by Rattle and Mum who lent it from In The Corner.

(Photo: Patrick Pretorius)

Interview with the Toddler

This afternoon

What is your name?
Mieka


What are you going to do now?
Huh? What?

Are you going to school?
I am going to school.

What is the name of your teacher?
The Owl Teacher (She is in the Owl class)

What is the name of your friend?
Jade

Why are you sad?
The man is sad (we were busy watching Idols)

Are you sad?
No

Do you have a grandfather and a grandmother?
Yes

What are their names?
"Oupa" and "Ouma"

What are you going to be when you are grown up?
Big!
I am "Big" already!

What job is your father doing?
School (?)

What job is your mother doing?
She works

What does she work?
'n Little flower (?)

Where is your sister?
Sister is at university

What is your most favourite toy?
Penguins (?)

Who do you like the most: Mom or Dad?
Arnia (her sister)

What is the name of your school?
Big school

Where do you stay?
On earth


(Translated from Afrikaans)

I got the idea from Supermom Melany who interviews her boys every now and then.

We love Arctic Justice - WIN tickets

Arctic Justice in cinemas from 24 January 2020

Going to a cinema to see your favourite movie is still a great outing! Especially for the family. We saw Arctic Justice (see also Arctic Dogs or Polar Squad in other parts of the world) at Cedar Square yesterday morning. It is a sweet movie, with a number of life lessons thrown in the mix. The director is Aaron Woodley, with a great cast including Jeremy Renner, Heidi Klum, James Franco and John Cleese.

We have two tickets up for grabs for a reader of this blog. See below.

View this post on Instagram

Arctic ice - such a cool awesome movie with great lessons: “Be true to yourself!” #ArcticIce #hosted Swifty and his ragtag group of friends must band together to fight an epic battle. It’s only when Swifty embraces his natural abilities that he is able to save Taigasville—and the Arctic—from utter destruction. #MoviesToSee #MoviesForThrWholeFamily #ThingsToDoWithTheFamy #SterKinekor #EmpireEntertainment

A post shared by Karen Du Toit (@karentoittoit) on Jan 26, 2020 at 2:51am PST

Mommy taxi melt-downs

Last week was the final straw in my daily rejection episodes with the Toddler...

She had a total fit again when I went to pick her up, screaming angrily at me, and even hitting me.
I tried (again) to reason with her, and finally just let her vent!
She said stuff like I have a "black heart" and that she is not my child any more!

All this time with a colleague as well in the car, feeling very ashamed of letting things get out of control!

But that was the final straw!

When I got home I told her dad that that was the last time she had done this!

We told her that she cannot continue doing this. If she does it once more, she will be returned to the after-care, and we will only go to fetch her just before they close. Her dad focused on more on how she hurts me with her behaviour, and it seems that it made an impact. We also told her that it is not possible for her dad to go and fetch her most of the afternoons.
Which we have told her many times...

It seems that the reason for her behaviour is that her special friend Jade at school has a dad who comes to pick her up...

So far it seems that our talk has worked, and I will carry out my threat to leave her there!

How would you handle it?

I am so sorry I did not buy you the Bratz doll when you were small

To my dear Eldest!

I am so sorry that I did not buy the Bratz doll when you were young!
(You wanted it, because your friends had one!) I don't know what I was thinking, but it's not the same I am thinking right now!

I already bought a Bratz Cloe for Little Miss, and the other day I got a Bratz Jade delivered!  (I was way more excited than Little Miss!)
They are super cute! Why did I think 15 years back they were not pretty?

It's just one of the many parenting mistakes I now know that I have made with the eldest!
There are so many!

I am sorry for everything that I did wrong with you! 

I did it with the best of intentions. (And with the knowledge I had at the time.)

The Littlest is getting to grow up with a lot less of "parenting" I did with you.
(But as we go along we are definitely saying we are doing it wrong now as well.)

Unfortunately we can't do it over!


I heard the surprise in your voice when you reminded me that I did not want to buy you the doll...
I can only say sorry!