The magic of Father Christmas

The fantasy and magic of Christmas time! I believe in adding fantasy and magic to the lives of our kids! They love the stories of a Christmas Father, with reindeer, and bringing the presents from the North Pole.

(On that note: How cute is the Portable North Pole videos from Father Christmas that you can personalize each year? For free! (Although there are cooler options when you upgrade.) There are also the birthday video that comes once a year!) We watch them every year!

I can remember my own excitement as a little kid at Christmas time!

I do not want to take this special time away from her. Little Miss has already told us that she knows that it is us who brings the presents! She is nearly 8 years, and it seems this year is the turning point! Some kids at school have also voiced their opinions... But she still gets excited about putting up the Christmas Tree, and musing about her presents!

I saw a video of a pastor in America shouting to kids at a mall that Father Christmas is not real! *Sigh*

I do not think of it as telling lies, but as adding excitement and fun into her life. She will be able to separate the myths from the truths in years to come! How boring would life be without these family traditions?

(It is also not difficult at all to add religion into the mix when you explain the reason why we are celebrating this time!)

I was reminded about the seriousness of her beliefs in a Tooth Mouse when she dislodged one of her final teeth last week. She immediately went to put the tooth in a shoe and kept on checking up on it through the evening. The Tooth Mouse was very tardy, because when she checked up the next morning, the tooth was still there! The Tooth Mouse had a lot of explaining to do (in a letter) about helping Father Christmas at this time of year...

I personally love the magic of Christmas time!
This is the best week of the year building up to Christmas Day!

Enjoy!
Peace!
Happy families!

Wordless Wednesday #266 - Letter to the Tooth Mouse

Lief vir jou
(Love you)

The Tooth Mouse came to fetch tooth number 8 while camping

She asked the teacher to pull tooth number 8. (We can't be trusted, it seems!)
She said the teacher just touched it, and it came loose.

So we went camping with the tooth, hoping that the Tooth Mouse would find it there.

Tooth number 8
Could not get the phone camera to focus on the teeth
Notice the cute bag the teacher uses for the teeth (the children choose the stickers)

The first night she put the teeth in a shoe next to her sleeping bag, and when she woke it, there was a R50 note with a letter from the Tooth Mouse. (It seems he was under the impression it is the last of the teeth she is going to loose, and gave a little bit more than the usual R10.)
There was also a R30 in one of the other tents of the friends we were camping with. He must have gotten lost at some point during the night while searching for her teeth...
Little Miss was very impressed, and was telling everybody at camp about her riches and the letter.
R80 ($6.756) is a bit steep, but it is all going into the "plane fund" (our upcoming overseas trip, as she calls it!).

A reminder to all parents: Google says they replace all of their 20 primary teeth with 28-32 permanent ones. This keeps going until they are about 13 years old.
How come I don't remember the bigger teeth coming out?

The next night she decided to sent a letter to the Tooth Mouse as well, and put some cheese on a plate with the letter (see first photo). It was of course all gone in the morning. She was a bit lot upset that he took the paper plate with him, and we had some convincing to do. (One of the many strange things she gets upset about...)

For now the Tooth Mouse is going strong in our house!

Related posts:

- Adventures with a Tooth Mouse

- Great excitement over a loose tooth!

A weekend of recovering

As much as I thought the previous time that Home Affairs was a breeze when we applied for our passports, as much my mind has been changed completely!

We were there on Saturday at half past seven, and the queue was a queue ... was A QUEUE!.
It took ages to get in there as they do not let everybody go into the building all at once. (Which makes sense!)

We had to be there with Little Miss as her thumb print is required again when picking up the passports. She was hungry (of course!) for three whining hours long. The breakfast bars only went as far as breakfast bars could go.

We finally got our passports, but it was an epic!

We did not do anything much the rest of the weekend!

Earth Hour 2015

We switched off the lights on Saturday at 20:30, and got very sleepy with the dark of the dark hour! Earth Hour is always something we enjoy doing with the children.

In final news: Little Miss pulled her seventh teeth yesterday. It is the first one that she managed to dislodge herself, and she was very proud.

The Tooth Mouse was also very eager, and she got R15 (a note and a R5 coin, nogals), while she was in the bath. The note stated that he was very impressed with the quality of her teeth!

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Little Miss is attending Vacation School during the holidays. She is still eager to go to school while they are keeping them busy. With an extra payment from the parents (of course!), but it helps as we are busy saving leave for the longer vacations coming up!


What are you doing with the kids during the school holidays?

Grade 1 - Here we come!

Grade One learner

There is big excitement in our midst. Tomorrow is the Big Day! Tomorrow is the start of a new chapter in the life of Little Miss.

She is going to Grade 1.

We walked this morning past her new class. She could already check it out because the after-care at school had organised two days of holiday care at school this week. It was a good idea to get her familiar with the new after-care, before everything is a new blur tomorrow.

Hubby seems to be more apprehensive about this huge stepping stone. He loves her going into the new phase, but also mourns the end of her being a toddler and a preschooler. His little girl is not as little ...

I do not have the same apprehension, because I love each new phase of her. Maybe also because I went through these stages previously, I am not that upset any more...

But The Student told me I would pinch a tear tomorrow. She says: "You always do!" (I won't! I won't!)

As expected, Little Miss got the go-ahead from the occupational therapist as well as the vision therapist. Not that we would have kept her behind, but we feel more at ease that she will cope this year! I am glad that we took her for the sessions!

She is also going to school without any front teeth. She lost two more teeth and the count is now up to six! She is a true "haasbek", an Afrikaans word for all the front teeth missing!

She practised the whole day on Sunday to jump rope, and by yesterday she was jumping ten counts in a row. She could not understand her sore legs, and told me we had to go to the doctor... (Another accomplishment ticked off!)

The whole family is going with her tomorrow for the first day! We can't wait to see her in full school attire! (Expect a photo!)

 The bag, the clothes, the stationary... everything is ready!

You go, Little Miss! We are sharing your excitement!


Picture taken by Dad yesterday at the OT

Teeth adventures - Number 4

Crisis again! Tooth number four went missing!

These "adventures" with teeth are keeping us busy, it seems!

Little Miss lets them hang and wiggle in her mouth, but won't let us come near them, or try to loosen them up.

Tooth number 4 was still there when Little Miss brushed her teeth on Tuesday night, but she discovered the open space (on top, right hand side) in her mouth while reading a book to her and her friend.

It was a total melt-down situation!
It was traumatic!

Luckily the situation was brought under control by promising to write to the Tooth Mouse, and telling him about the situation. He would definitely find the tooth where it had gone missing!

Big Sister wrote the letter, and it was placed in the slipper.
(Letter to the tooth mouse here: Babysitting two girls)

On Wednesday there was a letter back from the Tooth Mouse with a R10 paper note.
He wrote that he had found it! Jay!

Tooth number 3

Tooth number 3 hanging by a thread

Tooth number three kept us busy until half past nine last night.
She did not want anyone touching it, but simultaneously asking us to help her with the tooth...
There was a lot of crying, some screaming, and lots of tissues used trying to pull the teeth by herself!

In the end she trusted her Dad to pull it with a piece of floss!

She is very proud about this gap today!

She was also surprised today that the Tooth Mouse used her own ribbon to tie around the message.

But luckily we did not have the same adventures with the Tooth Mouse than we did with tooth number two. The tooth was put in a slipper next to the bed, and the money and the message were neatly tucked into it this morning!

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It was a busy weekend, and Little Miss had her end-of-year gymnastic championships, two parties, and a family gathering that left all of us exhausted. (I will try to put up the blog posts this week!)

Great excitement about a loose tooth!

Little Missy is extremely excited!

She has been telling me non-stop since picking her up today that her bottom front tooth ‎is loose. That is the same tooth that started to hurt yesterday and for which I had made an appointment at the dentist for tomorrow. 

I had to feel for 101 times that the tooth is getting more wiggly by the second! 

"I do not care‎ that your hand is dirty, Mom! Feel the tooth!"

I had to phone her dad immediately to tell him the news. 

But her Big Sister must not be told... She wants to surprise her with the gap in her mouth! (Be warned, Sister‎!)

Third try at the dentist

We went for a third check-up at the dentist, after we found a dentist for the Toddler to go back to.

We had more than six months to prepare, and Mieka assured us that this time she would definitely sit in the chair.

But, she was not convinced at all when we got in the dentist office that she should sit, or open her mouth at all... Hiding behind my legs.

Again Chantelle assured us that it was normal behaviour, and that we can't expect them before they are five to actually have a successful dentist appointment.

Fingers in the mouth (feeling insecure)

She was more keen to sit in the chair after she watched the dentist work in her dad's mouth.

Fingers...

And she loved riding up and down in the chair.

Chantelle got a quick peek in her mouth, and said we could leave until next time! Her teeth does not seem to have any problems.

Luckily by now we are brushing mornings and nights, especially after a little girl told Mieka that her breath was smelly in the mornings... (That was before we brushed in the mornings because she was still sleeping when we put her in the car.)

Now I brush a sleepy girl's teeth, and she does not complain!

For now all are on track!

The Toddler has found a dentist to go back to

I made an appointment at another dentist, after the previous time when I had the traumatic dentist experience.
It was now the Toddler's second visit to a dentist...

The first time she had to sit on my lap, and she allowed the dentist to look at her teeth. This time around she was still not willing to sit in the chair, OR open her mouth!

But Chantelle, the dentist, was not phased at all...

She had a whole story prepared for toddlers like her.
She showed Mieka the chair and how it goes up and down.
She gave Mieka a pair of gloves to put on.
She used the small mirrors to show Mieka how she looks into people's mouths.
She showed Mieka how to brush her teeth and move her arms in a circle while doing it.
She showed Mieka a green fluffy monster-like toy which resembles the plaque that eats away on our teeth. (Mieka loved holding it!)
She showed her the "elephant" that sucks up all the water in her mouth, and how its sips from the cup.
She showed us the tiny toothbrush that she uses, and practised some brushing on her hands.

Mieka was totally impressed, and opened her mouth for a little bit when prompted by the reward of a small toy.
Chantelle could quickly check that there was no major issues, and reassured me that we could try again in 6 month's time... She said that she believes a visit to a dentist should not be traumatic at all! (Thank you!)

In  the meantime I need to ensure that we brush her teeth in the mornings. (Gasp! Yes, she's has only been brushing once a day...) We had been neglecting it because Mieka still sleeps when we have to leave.

This morning I tried, and a sleepy head was willing to open her mouth and let me brush...
It seems the dentist has made an impression!

Bingo! We have found a dentist!

This week I’m grateful for... my family

I am linking up with Maxabella and her I’m grateful for.

It is Sunday already, but I m so glad my family is all back at home again. The Teen is back from her Paris and London tour, and Hubby is back from his Namibia conference. I missed them!

Nothing than a missing family member to make us realise how important they are in our lives!

How lucky we are to be a family! Our lives are enriched beyond our wildest expectations. We are able to share our lives and tours... We know that when we share our photos, the members of our family actually want to see what we have been up to! (wink smile)

I love my family!

Post Traumatic Dentist Syndrome

Today I had first hand experience of why people are afraid of the dentist. I was traumatized for 45 minutes, and it felt like hours and hours of hell...

It was the toddler’s first visit to the dentist. She did not want to sit on that big chair on her own, but it was okay when she sat on my lap. The dentist had a quick look in her mouth, and that was it. She pulled her lips in that unhappy grimace... He said that her teeth are skew and that she would probably need braces when she is older. (Poor girl, as I have been through a whole brace history with the Teen, I am definitely not looking forward to doing it again. But that’s worries for later...)

Her dad was there, and she could go home with him. Sigh of relief that her first meeting with a dentist was not as traumatic as my visit today!

I am never going to that dentist again. Mental note! I am never going to the dentist again!!

That’s when my torture started. I was only expecting a quick check-up and clean, but the doctor said he noticed two teeth that needed fixing. The next moment that needle was in his hand, and he was in my mouth, the sharp sting of the needle, and him pressing against my cheek bone with his finger... I presume it was to lessen the sting of the needle, but that needle was in my mouth for a very long time.

Then he proceeded to fix the other tooth without any anesthetics. He told me that I should tell him when it gets too uncomfortable, and then he would also numb the other side of my mouth. The thought of another needle in the other side of my mouth made me agree with him...

It was torture:
The one side of my face was numb. There was a hand, and cotton balls, and a sucking instrument, AND another instrument which smelt like steel burning in my mouth. The glare of the lights above my eyes was blinding me, and because I had to close my eyes very tightly, my contact lenses started to act up, and tears were running down my cheeks. Do you think it bothered the dentist in any way? No, no indication of that! He and his assistant were discussing her previous employers who apparently treated her very badly...

“Listen here, you torturers, I am writhing in pain here!” No, I did not say it! Why do we suck it up?

After he had finished with my teeth, the cleaning started. The torture had no end to it...They have a water-spraying instrument, but I am sure it is faulty. My whole face was sprayed, and later I was even grateful when they put a towel over my face! That last fluoride treatment is still making me feel nauseous as I am writing here.

I only got my face back four hours later. In that time I tried to eat some pizza, but it did not taste like anything... And I LOVE pizza! It means I missed a whole yummylicious pizza experience as well!

Up until now I was not afraid of the dentist, and I believed one should go on a regular basis.
My beliefs have been shattered! The dentist is THE DEVIL! I am never going to the dentist again...

I will take my toddler to a dentist, but also definitely not to this one again! My face has been violated, and I have been traumatized forever!

I am now suffering from PTDS – Post Traumatic Dentist Syndrome! (Powerwoman got a beating today!)

17 months - toddler update

Drums: Dum-Dum-Dum-Ta-Dum! The toddler is 17 months today!


Quick update: (Why it is SOOOO nice that they actually grow up!)

- The sleeping is going better and better. We have more and more nights where Mieka sleeps until 5/6 in the mornings. (Ta-Dum! Our sleep deprived nights are getting fewer and further in between!)

- She has 12 teeth. We discovered an extra four in her mouth about two weeks back. Big bonus – we did not notice teething-relate niggles! (It was probably those few many nights we did not sleep through... Who knows?)

- The breastfeeding is working well. I am planning to continue until the two year milestone, or until Mieka decides to quit. I read somewhere (on KellyMom?) that when you wait for the toddlers to wean themselves it is usually between 3-4 years of age. (Gulp!) We’ll see! I did not expect it to last as long, but it is one of the most rewarding experiences ever. And the bonus – it is very good for them! (Pat on back! You go, Powerwoman!)

- Mieka got her MMR injection on Wednesday. She was two months overdue. She had a runny nose the whole time. I was also a bit apprehensive because of the link between MMR and autism, and because a lot of babies get sick after the injection. The teen got measles from the injection 15 years back! A doctor convinced me that it is better to get the injection sooner than later... (Thumbs crossed.)

- Mieka “told” me her first story this week. I was breastfeeding her, and she started to poke her eye, and saying something like “seer” (sore). I eventually deduced from that that she got sand in her eyes at day care.

- It is going very well at day care and the new class. She enjoys the activities and singing, and we can see the difference at home. (The “lights” are brighter!) She swings and rolls her arms while “singing”, and loves-loves building puzzles and blocks and sketching.

- She prefers spending time on our hips (big back-breaker at the moment (literally)): She gets us to take her finger, and as soon as she gets us up, she wants to be picked up while she directs us in the direction she wants to go! When she does not want to be put down, she folds in her legs, and no ways is it possible to get her to stand... (This too will pass.)

Oh, we love this little girl! She is a big pleasure in our lives! And she is growing up... Very quickly! (Big smile!)

The first 3 teeth

Got it! The 1st 3 milk teeth! It is very difficult to get Mieka to open her mouth and sit still at the same time. This photo is an accomplishment of my photographic skills.... NOT!

Day Care punishment

The woman looking after Mieka at the crèche had been fired. She was seen giving a baby a hiding. They have closed circuit television, and she was caught red-handed. My first thought was that she was caught having a smoke near a baby, or that she had left the babies on their own. This would have been worse as well. I am thankful that the crèche management reacted immediately.
But, Horrors! I can’t imagine what possesses a person to hit a baby. There is never a reason. What if she had hit Mieka as well? I hate the thought! The thought that we have to trust other people to look after our babies. Damn that I have to work! Do other people feel the same as me? Or am I just feeling down? The working mother’s guilt kicking in again?

Mieka has got her second tooth. They are coming in one after the other, because we can see them in the gums, all shiny. Luckily it did not affect her very badly. You always hear the scary stories about teeth and babies getting sick. She only has a runny nose, and the sleeping has been going better this week. Margot, it seems we are not going to need the sleep training. (Thumbs crossed!) We are also noticing that she is pivoting on her behind, and sometimes gets on her one knee when she want to reach out to something or someone. Maybe the crawling thing is still going to happen? Self-talk: RELAX, Karen, and enjoy the baby!