Wordless Wednesday #96 - Off she goes...

Heads up about the last year in school

Stuff to expect from your girl teen

• The boyfriend is more important than you!

• The friends are more important than you!

• Her life and time-table are more important than you. You are lucky when she ventures out of her room to come and talk to you. It really tells you that you have a relationship going when she comes to share some of her life with you.

• You will never find an open door.

• She loves to sleep! All the time! (Most probable position you will find her to be in behind the closed door.)

• She can’t wait for the year to pass for exciting times ahead next year at university! (She feels she’s in limbo right now)

• The matric dance (Prom) is the most important event happening in her life! Ever!

• The dress, (and heads-up!), the after-the-party party dress, are extremely important!

• The make-up and hair should be sorted before the day. (There should be trial runs before the time!)

• A cell phone is an attachment to her hand!

• Most come-back retort when asked why she did not do something: “I did not know I was supposed to do it!”

I am making the list tongue-in-cheek.

I really like my Teen and the person she is!

I love her optimism about life, and her excitement about her future! It is very infectious!

I love her I-am-going-to-change-the-world attitude!



You go, my Girl!

(Photo: Patrick Pretorius photography)

The Dress!

The final year matric dance dress seems to be quite a big deal! No, it is one of the focus points of this year!


It does not matter that it is only taking place at the end of September this year! No, it is a matter-of-urgency!

Since The Teen returned from her overseas tour it has been a constant discussion point. I had a “very urgent” talk very soon thereafter. “Should we not consider having this Dress made?” Only the choice of university (which is another story altogether) seems to be taking up some of her head space!

I think I am going to have to exercise some amount of patience / understanding / negotiating skills this year! I have given The Teen a budget with regards the Dress, but it seems her choice of Dress exceeds that budget. (I am not going to budge… I am not going to budge…) It is far more expensive than I would spend on any ball gown!

I have given The Speech: This is only one function! You are going to have to attend lots and lots of functions in years to come! You look extremely pretty in a very simple elegant design. So much more pretty than an elaborate Ball Gown! She agrees about the simple and elegant… (phew!)

I spent yesterday afternoon at two shops in the Mall where I think we are paying off that hefty rent bill a month. The dresses far far exceed our prize range… And it did not help that she found a near perfect dress! Luckily she agreed it was not a “Wow! Dress” (wipe sweat from brow)…

Any suggestions on how to not go crazy in searching for that perfect dress? I am Mrs Plain and Mrs Cheap (if I can get away with it!). I always believe it is not the most expensive that looks the most beautiful!

Image: Microsoft Clip Art: Princess

What does it mean to be a Mother?

What does it mean to be a Mother?


Answer: Going to boring prize-giving ceremonies.

Maxabella wrote such a beautiful post about the things she remembers about her own mother, and how she wants to be remembered by her children. It made me think about my mother and one thing that we could always count on was our parents attending our school events. Each and every event for each of us four!

Now I know what a big accomplishment that is! (Thanks Mom and Dad!) It says that you really really cared about us!

I was sitting last night at my daughter’s yearly certificate ceremony. It is by far the most boring event we have to go to as parents! It’s a very close second to Stork Parties! Having to sit through all 500 kids walking over the stage and getting their names and achievements all read one by one… Only to get excited about the three seconds that your child gets her moment-of-glory!

The Teen knows how I feel about it, but up until the baby I attended all of her events as well. The previous two years we left early because we had an excuse (2 month-old baby), and last year we did not attend at all! (The teen gave us off)  (Bad Mother)

This year its The Teen’s last year in High School, and she did really very well the previous year. She is in the top twenty of her grade, the first time in high school. We are so very proud of her! She worked for it! We made an effort to attend the function. The school is running the whole operation like a slick well-oiled machine, and we were out of there within an hour and a half. Not bad!

If she only remembers us sitting in the audience, my job of Mother has been done well! (Wink smile)

(Photo by Grandfather James on Sunday)