Rat Race 2017 - Here we go!

According to the Urban Dictionary:

Rat Race is a term used to describe a frustrating, hard-to-break financial lifestyle. It is a lifestyle that is lived by countless people, oblivious to the very nature of it, to a degree that even when called upon, vehemently deny it.
To summarize the Rat Race, It involves subjecting one's self to a time-consuming job, saddling one's self with heavy mortgages/rents, bills, children, and liabilities, forcing the individual to continue busting his or her ass at that same job. The illusion that working at the same job will be better bars off alternatives.

I have been back at work from last week already, but things are only kicking in this week. The schools starts on Wednesday. The school clothes are ready, the books and pencils are marked and Little Miss is getting excited for a new beginning at a new school!

I do not feel despondent on this Monday, but the rat race phenomenon makes me question the way we are living. From paycheck to paycheck...

Maybe I will find the answer in this earth-shattering (for me! ;-)) 50th year of my life? The older I get, the less answers I have! (sic! I know!)

Are you ready for the new year and the new school year?

Here we go!

It's a Monday face

Life is difficult!

- She has to wear her pajamas for first day of vacation school during the holidays! (We had to assure her countless times that everybody is going to wear their pajamas!)
- She can't wear her slippers on it's own, because it scratches her!
- It was difficult to find the right socks to wear with the slippers, because most of her socks scratches her!
- When asked to smile at the camera, she told us that she does not feel very well!
- We could not get all her stuff in one bag to take to school. She is adamant that this bag should not be a school bag.
- When asked about what character she wants to be on Wednesday, we had a whole flood gate of tears, because her princess dress is too tight around the arms. We should go to the shops to get her a new outfit before Wednesday! (Most unlikely that that is going to happen!)
- The swim cap does not fit (it does!), and she is taking her toddler swimming cap today. (Luckily sorted yesterday already)


Mondays are difficult for a little girl!
Mondays are difficult for Mom and Dad with a little girl that struggles with a Monday!

Working Mother's Monday Blues

Miss the Little Miss today...
We had a whole weekend with her, and I always MISS her during the week!

We went to Skoobs, the ultimate bookish pleasure, at Montecasino yesterday. Dad spent some time with her in the children's book section.
We then all sat down with our books, and she paged through hers as well. Fetching new ones when she was finished with one...
She is a big girl already!

And today I miss her!

Luckily I have these questions to keep me occupied :-)
"Must we dance in the train?" (1-5-2013)
"Why do women have handbags and men don't? (1-5-2013)

Posted with Blogsy

May you have a wonderful week!

- May your Monday be a kick in the right direction!

- May your Monday be a goal accomplished!

- May your Monday be the start of a great week!

- May you be healthy!

- May you be happy!

- May you be loved!

Happy Monday!


We had a terrible Saturday night with the toddler and earache, but it seems we have beaten the bug! (Without having to go to the doctor... Yay!)

What's happening this week?

Ways to beat Mondays

It seems I am always complaining about Mondays:
It's a Blue Monday
Blue Mondays and a Goggatjie-break
What do you say on a Monday?
One Groundhog day please! #parentingfail do-over

But there are ways to beat the Monday Blues:

- Have your birthday on the bluest of days. It will not stay blue!
- Take a day's leave from work or the normal rat-race-running.
- Get a partner-in-crime to take a day off as well!
- Drop the kid/s at school.
- Go for a long and big breakfast at a favourite restaurant.
- Go shopping, uninterrupted!
- See a movie!
- Do a coffee/tea/cappuccino.
- Get a scenic view and enjoy!

I did all of those, except the last point yesterday!
(We did the scenic view on Saturday at Glen Afric)

It was my birthday, and Hubby also took leave to spent it with me!
We did a lot of inner gloating of seeing everybody rushing off to work...

It was a great way to spend a birthday and forget about adding another number.
(I'll think of adding it again on another birthday!
Who needs a new number every year, in any case? So overrated!)

Bring it on, Monday!
Powerwoman has got you covered! ;-)
Now I can do a few more of you!

One Groundhog day, please! #parentingfail do-over

I want a do-over day for yesterday.
A do-over parenting day!

This is what today looks like (photo on top by Dad), and all the blame needs to be placed in front of the parents...
(Sleeping in the car while waiting for the school gates to open this morning...)


It was such a lovely day outside yesterday, with a breakfast with friends and playing outside...

Ennis Nursery coffee shop

The warning sign only put a giggle on our faces...

And the wish on the food was an extra bonus!

"May you have the best that life can give you!"

What could have gone wrong?

We had to take the student back to Varsity.
That is a three hour trip, and we were exhausted last night.

We fell on the coach with you, snacked on junk, and did not stuck you in your normal routine of bath, story-time and bed!
We watched the Sunday night movie!

(Bad, bad parents!)

I so regretted it this morning when we tried to dress you while still sleeping
(That is not so unusual, but the tantrums that were accompanying it were an extra reminder!)

And all I could say: "I am so sorry, my little one!"

Today is one of those days I wish I could have stayed at home and do a goundhog day (such as in the movie!)
In the groundhog day I would have done everything the same (and enjoyed it even more!), but I would have stuck to your bed-time routines...
Even though you love to stay awake until the darkest hours...
Even though you love staying up with us...
Even though you are not always in a mood for a bath...
Even though you enjoy snacking on junk with us...
Even though you enjoy watching movies with us...

It is not that difficult? Is it? Is it?

Parenting fail!

Please tell me we are not the only ones slipping up every now and again?

                                                                             ______________

But!
Today I will be better! Even though I won't get yesterday again...
I will make my own groundhog day of better parenting!
I promise!

What do you say on a Monday?

When you have nothing to say?

When there is too much to say?

When it is a BLUE kind of Monday?

SOLUTION: You don't say anything!

A blogger paste a photo of her kid!

Photos by Tharien

It is a Blue Monday

I do not want to get up!

I do not want to start the week again!

I wish I can pull the blankets over my head again!

I do not want to navigate through the traffic for more than an hour!

I do not want to drop the sleeping toddler off at day care! (see photo of Toddler in car this morning)

I do not want to go to work!

I do not want to sit in a studio when the sun is bright and warm outside! (Especially since we had such a great weekend with the family and being outside!)

I feel a little lot blue!

It is Blue Monday!

I’m sorry, but some days I can’t do bright and breezy and “Life is good!” 

Most of the times I can pep talk myself out of the Blues, and “count all of my blessings!”

(I do not have much to complain about...)

I also know what I have to do to get out of it. 
Lauren’s blog post today about Achieving happiness also helped!

It helped to just start the day/week, and as it was moving along, the Blues disappeared with the busyness...

Do you get the BLUES some days?

Related post:
Blue Mondays and a Goggatjie break

- Authentic Parenting: Achieving happiness

Some Toddler stuff

Latest news in Toddlerville:

I love listening to the Toddler with her verbal skills at the moment.

She uses full sentences, such as "Mamma, het jy my bottel saamgebring?" (Mom, did you bring my bottle?)
I just want to eat her up when she uses the right words in the right context!
"By wie gaan ons kuier vandag?" (Who are we going to visit today?) - Yesterday morning preparing for the first day of the week
"Wat is verkeerd?" (What is wrong?)
"Voel jy sleg, Mamma?" (Do you feel sick, Mom?) - While I am panting exercising on the stationary bike.


Yesterday morning went off real smooth because she could take cupcakes to day care. They sell it for some extra money, and luckily Hubby got some in the shops the previous night. Not the same as the previous time when I had to make a plan with muffins when no cupcakes were left (Sunday night cupcake conundrum)...

The Toddler made her first stick figures on paper over the weekend. I definitely want to keep the evidence!



Potty training is going very slow, but over the weekend she announced that she was going on her own to the toilet, and proceeded to climb onto the big toilet. We were not allowed to help her...
Slowly, but surely! ( I hope!)

She had a nightmare about Bambi the other night, and woke up crying about Bambi's mother. We can only read the first part of Bambi, before it comes to the part in the story where the mother gets shot... She pages back in the book to the beginning when we read her the story now!
I think we can put the book away for a while! (I find it upsetting myself!)

What an adventure... enjoying the milestones with our Little O!

Please, please don't grow up so quickly!

But, we love seeing you reach another milestone!

(The constant ambivalent feelings... ;-) )

Monday secret

The Toddler was nowhere to be found this afternoon when I went to pick her up. She was not outside with the rest of the children...

I found her in her class, all on her own! Playing alone.

Sometimes it breaks a mother’s heart when they have to fend all by themselves. I don’t think anything bad or untoward happened, and I am not worried...

But she ran to me, and buried her face in my neck. She was extremely glad to see me on the Monday afternoon!

I wish I do not have to leave her there for so many hours every day!

She did not want to tell us what she was doing there, and the Teen joked that she had swallowed her tongue. Which she promptly stuck out of her mouth!

She’s growing up, and already she has a world I have no part off!





 
But, it is still the best part of my day as well: Picking up my daughter from day care!

Each and every day!




Photo: Patrick Pretorius Photography


Related post:


Ways to deal with the guilt of being a working mother

Tuesday catch up

It is never boring when you have a toddler in the house! Forget about planning!

I was on my way to work yesterday... Toddler was dressed already in the dark, still sleeping! When she woke up with a scream, just when I was about to leave, we found her with eyes glued together! A dreadful eye infection!

So I spent an unplanned Monday at the doctor and watching "kindertjies" (children's programmes on tv)!
(Not a bad thing for a Monday...)

Today I am still trying to catch up and getting back to the week!

I hope your week started on a better note?

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Blue Mondays and a Goggatjie-break

Monday is Monday and it is Blue!


I looked at the photo of Mieka doing her little gymnastics (Tiny Tumbles) on Saturday, and thought it s an apt visualization of the week. Still in the beginning of the tunnel (the week) and a little lot of blue around the edges...

We are all beginning to feel the end-of-the-year endness! (Yes, I am sure it’s a word!)

I blame it on my use of a second language. Sorry!

Monday is blue!

So it helped tons when we got home tonight and Mieka was occupied for half an hour. We got Mieka the DVD of Goggatjie over the weekend. One of those DVDs that you swore before the time you would never buy your child... Such as Barney and Teletubbies! I thought I would not do it to myself again! Guess what we have in our DVD collection? All of those, and more! (Sheepish smile)

Goggatjie is a man dressed in an insect suit, and singing and dancing totally irritating Afrikaans songs with little children. But it is the most brilliant hit with our toddler. She does not move, except when jiggling or jumping with the songs!

Now it scores big time with me as well! I don’t mind the irritation at all! Because just looking at the toddler and her enjoyment is a reward in itself! And the best of all: we get some 30 minutes of free time.

Daddy had to sit a second time with the toddler through Goggatjie tonight. They watched it on the bed. She fell down backwards, with her feet up in the air. He had to do the same, but had to sit up again as well. Sorry, Daddy! No rest for you! (Wicked smile)

But I had a Goggatjie-break tonight! Twice! (Monday is not so blue after all!)

Ring around the sun today

Ring around the sun -
photo taken in Auckland Park

The teen phoned me during her lunch break at school today.
“Ma, check out sun today! It’s got a ring around it! It’s caused by ice crystals and the clouds.”

I had to run out, and got a picture as well on my cell phone of the ring around the sun.

Her excitement about a natural phenomenon made me think about how we should get more excited about stuff like this! The more we as parents get excited about our natural world, the more we will inspire our children as well!

I love it! The teen thought of her mother to call to share in her wonderment!

In earlier times we could have thought it was the end of the world! Or aliens landing! (Wink smile)

Now we know it is a natural phenomenon, and we can appreciate it for all its natural beauty!

My Monday started bad with lots of traffic headaches. Especially after a great camping weekend! But the ring around the sun lifted my mood. It somehow connected me with the earth again.

How is your Monday?

Monday heart ache: missing the toddler

We had a three day weekend with the toddler, and today we miss her terribly. It was a good weekend of fun and sun and playing with the toddler. She was in such a good mood this morning; she started to play and wanted her dad to sit with her. Complaining when he wanted to finish with the breakfast…

We had to take her for an evening drive last night at nine to get her to sleep. It is usually a 20 minutes drive, and we make a detour at the local McDs. I am actually beginning to look forward to these drives. (It happens about once a week now.)

Hubby and I get time to talk, and there’s coffee as a reward. What is better than that! (Huge smile!)

Dries said that he thinks that Mieka is the best BEST that ever happened to him. Not even our wedding day can compare to when she was born. He said it somewhat apologetically! But I am totally with in accordance with him with regards the major live changing importance of a child in your life. Nothing compares! She is the centre of our universe!

(I have the teen as well in my life. I have the same feelings about her! I knew that is the way you feel, but it came as sort of surprise to Dries...)

She fell asleep in the car on the way to day care this morning. She kissed, hugged and waved “Bye, bye!” to her dad. I was very upset when she cried when the day care person had to take her from me… (I still am.)

Arrgh! Another week…

(Photo by Grandfather James last week at Kentucky)