Back to a new normal - Covid times update

It is going very well with this clan! 

It's 2021 and the Virus is still with us. But the numbers are coming down every day, and the roll-out of the vaccines has started in South Africa. We know of people who died, and people who is still in ICU with Covid... Our immediate family is all safe and still healthy! But we are all wearing our masks, and things are looking up! We are more than surviving this!

The schools opened with a bang. It was a whole month later than previous years, but it is back to every day school for all the students. It was quite shock to our systems. 🤯For some reason, we missed the memo about every day. We thought the schools would continue the same as last year. One day in, one day work at home...

Miss Fine loved it at home, and would have happily continued like this. Luckily, Grade 7 turns out to being a great year. Miss Fine enjoys being part of the seniors at school, and they had a two-day leadership workshop with fellow students this past weekend. She got sunburnt quite bad, because it was held outdoors, but they had a ball. Miss Fine signed up to everything that's happening again at school. There's netball and Revue. There's also Voortrekkers (scouts), which apparently is going to be a busy year for the Grade 7's. Hopefully camps can start again? They are doing it a bit differently (because Covid) this year, but thankfully things are opening up with enthusiasm. 

The peer group is now definitely the focus, and what they do and think and dress are the bomb. We do not get viewed by the same regard of reference. It's all okay.😉 I love this stage! 

I am constantly in awe of Miss Fine and her friends. They are such awesome and beautiful human beings. (I should tell them that more often.) They still get excited about life and things, and happily shares it with us. Of course she thinks she knows better, but it's okay. Sometimes, I really learn new things!😜

I am still not sure about my word for the year? "Survival" doesn't really cut it! I need a more positive focus!

I have a job interview tomorrow. Hold thumbs. It is stressful times. 😁

What's happening with you?

Month 8 of living during a pandemic

The title sounds a bit melodramatic? But this year has been taxing! Of course I can count all my blessings. But 2020 still sucks rocks! Now I smirk about my word for 2020. There is nothing to grab this year, Karen!

I am walking around with a feeling of existential dread. Constantly. 2020 has brought us ambivalent feelings about everything. Will we ever go back to how it was? The new way of living has become normal. Would we want to go back to the "previous normal"? It has also been good to not catch the normal winter germs, and not get sick this winter...

Miss Fine 2019 mid-year update

Miss Fine faces

The updates and shares are getting less. Miss Fine is coming into her own. She is a very opinionated tween who thinks she knows better already. It's really fine! We are expecting it, and welcoming it!

Mid-year exams - a balancing act

Rope walking

We are in the thick of Grade 5 exams. Miss Fine tells me each day that she did not prepare enough, and that she does not feel good about the upcoming papers. We try to help her as much as possible, but ultimately she is the one who needs to get the material into her head...

We are still trying to find the best way to learn, and help her learn. To find that perfect balance of help, but also letting her take over her studies independently. The underlying anxiety also doesn't help, but the best we can do for it is to prepare enough. (Although, there is never an enough for the highly strung...)

It's a Friday

On a Thursday

It's basically Friday today. Although on the calendar it says Thursday. It's Easter weekend and we are looking forward to it. Even Miss Fine said she couldn't wait. She has been picked up at school early by her dad.

I am out of the office in a few hours, and the weekend is here.

Of course we would have loved to go away. Travel anywhere would have been nice.

In the meantime we will be living our best lives at home, chilling and coach-surfing. My to-do list is as short as possible, but here goes:

Plans for an Easter Weekend at home 

- Chill with the family.

- Do an Easter egg hunt. (Although Miss Fine is 10, she still hinted that she would love to do one. We bought some provisions at CNA last week)

- Braai with the family.

- Watch some series, and some movies lined up. We are into If I hadn't met you and Russian Doll at the moment.

- Attend Paasfest tomorrow.

- Fix Miss Fine's blazer for school. She has Choir lined up for next week.

- Read The Good Professional by Don Turner, before BookTasters fire me for taking so long to read the books. I have a really good feeling about this one.

- Help Miss Fine with preparations for a speech.

- Make some Easter craft with Miss Fine. She has a How To project for school and decided on an Easter thingy to make. I wish the second season of The Derry Girls would become available soon.

- I have to do two reviews on the blog. I am really impressed with the AgeWell skincare range. After a month I can see a remarkable difference. The Baby Born Soft Touch also needs a write-up. She is super cute and cuddly! (They are both #gifts)

- Do absolutely nothing!


What are your plans for the long weekend?

What are you watching?

Time for a fringe, again

Miss Fringe

The end of the first semester is in sight! It's been a roller-coaster year of activities. Grade 5 is not a pushover, but Miss Fine has a handle on it all! She is anxious and worries about her projects and tests, but she mostly gets good marks.

I love how we can discuss anything with Miss Fine. I love her insights. This year has been great with regards the carversations. Miss Fine and I have to get to school earlier because of road closures and traffic, but it is richly rewarding with regards questions about life, relationships and growing up.

Miss Fine end-of-year question review

Miss Fine

It's been a year since the the previous questions to the nearly 9 year old. This week Miss Fine is celebrating her 10th birthday. We are so proud of her. She has done so well at school, and it seems she knows who she is and what she wants.

Mon asked her a few questions, and I wrote it down as is. Thank you for the honest answers. We learn more from you, than you from us.

Mid-year update - Miss Fine

"Sharp!"

Miss Fine had to take a back-step these past few months. It was only wedding stuff and preparations, and the whole budget went into it. The Wedding was the best party ever, and it was all worth it! Miss Fine had a ball of a time. She complained before the wedding that she would not know what to do with herself and that she would be bored. This was not the case. She was a perfect flower-girl, and she enjoyed manning the photo booth with her friends. She also danced the night away! Everybody commented on how confident and big she is.

The 21st of each month used to be my monthly update when she was small. This blog is all about keeping track about how she is growing into the person she has become. I did an update after the first Grade 4 exams, which went very well. We only had feedback from the teacher after the holidays. The teacher said that Miss Fine is her perfect example of kids that really do well, although they are so young for their grade. This validated our decision to put her in Grade 1 when we did. (This is what moms do: Worry about what you do and don't do, and each year we worry AGAIN!) "Phew!"

Grade 4 exams done and dusted

Miss Fine in choir

The holidays can not come soon enough. The first exams are done and dusted. The schools are closing for three weeks in winter this coming Friday. The children are extremely tired after a very busy semester and exams.

I am so proud of Miss Fine. She handled this semester with far less anxiety than I did. My own advice - to myself ;-) - on how to survive exams for moms helped me in stepping back. I am reminded again that it is better parenting when you are there to help, but not to do everything for them.

Miss Fine devised her own study method of compiling her work in very small booklets. It was in conjunction with art work, but it worked for her. She said the teacher also did not complain when she saw her making the booklets. She understood it was for study purposes. :-)

A study method that she likes
- summary compiled in a booklet.
That’s Geography for today’s #Grade4Exams#ThatsHowYouDoIt#MissFine#SmartStudy#StudyMethod #exams101#MomCanRelaxNow#SAMomBlogger https://t.co/RG7qEqFSHl pic.twitter.com/aVIlxZk3Qx

— Karen du Toit (@karentoittoit) June 8, 2018

The exam papers have been coming back for signatures, and it all looks good. I am so proud of you, Miss Fine. Not only did she do netball this semester, but she also took part in a choir musical which culminated in the final show this past weekend (see photo by Deb above). They have worked so hard for the show, and they enjoyed it so much!

Unfortunately we are still working, but we are looking forward to the upcoming wedding. Miss Fine is going to be the flower girl and I am going to be MOB - Mother of the Bride. We can't wait!

What are your plans for the school holidays?

Little Miss slaying the dragons

Transformers Animatronics at Emperor's Palace

The second quarter of the year is already full steam ahead. It seems Little Miss has settled nicely in at school. She is a Little Miss Independent because we drop her off and there she goes!

All the worries about friends and fitting in have been resolved. She's got friends, and she was even invited to her first party this weekend from a child at the new school. I was told that she has a nickname of "Cutie" (behind her back), but she has heard it and has told me previously that she does not like being called cute! (We think that "Cutie" is not so bad, and it could have been a lot worse! Now only to convince her!)

Revue outfit at school

We had a hectic week last week! The school put out seven concerts in five days! It meant driving up and down to school and getting dressed and prepped for Revue seven times. (Not even counting the practice runs the previous week!) I have a lot more respect for teachers everywhere! They worked their arses off very hard and they were still smiling at the end! We had to laugh when Little Miss told us she had a job of keeping her teacher awake in class, and another boy had to wipe the spit from her mouth when she fell asleep. They found that quite hilarious, but I am sure that is how the teacher really felt each day! School had to go on!

We are still struggling with clothes and melt-downs. Winter has started a a week ago, and Little Miss has had to adapt to her new winter clothes. Of course everything about the winter outfits are bothering her, and the shoes are too tight or too loose. We know why it is a fight to get her to put on her shoes (SPD), but unfortunately we have to find a way for her to handle it better! We are at least 20 minutes to half an hour later getting out of the house in the mornings.

I am contemplating of getting some help with the SPD? If only for us and how to help her?
Should we see an occupational therapist?

For the record! She is very opinionated! I always say that she has been born with all the wisdom on earth. She already KNOWS, when she sometimes most of the times does not know! Head-banging happens a lot! (Saying it with trepidation when thinking about the teenage years?)

Little Miss making flapjacks

Little Miss loves helping with baking and cooking, and I think we should definitely involve her more. She is always willing to lend us a hand in the kitchen! Thanks, Little Miss! I am looking forward to your gourmet dishes in future!

I am writing this down, Little Miss! Even looking back on the previous post, I can see how much you have changed and developed! We like you, and we love you!

It is great to have you in our lives! And we will slay the SPD dragons together!

Little Miss Independent - an update

Little Miss has grown so much in recent weeks! This year has been tough with changing schools and getting into the swing of a new school, with new rules and new friends. I am proud of her for the way she has handled the changes.

I am doing this update to remind us of  her specialness right now! This time and age passes too quickly as well, and I don't do enough updates!

- Little Miss seems to love maths more than languages, and the spelling is a pain. But she loves reading. One of the best things we are doing right now, is taking her regularly to the library, and letting her read in the evenings to us. She begs us to go to the library every two weeks, and starts reading in the car on our way home! She also picks her books from the Teenage Reading section, and not the beginner readers anymore!

- She still loves a few favourite outfits that she wears time-and-time again. I try to hide it in her cupboard, but she always finds it! The grey leggings and the crocodile t-shirt (size 3-4) is still the absolute bomb!

- She still struggles with making new friends, but somehow she manages to keep on telling us about a few girls at school that she plays with! For an introvert that's not too bad! She has not found a very special friend, but maybe it is a good thing if she plays in a bundle?

- She loves dancing at school. There's a free class every week, and she can't wait! I had her signed up for a dancing school in the beginning of the year, but it clashed with Voortrekkers. I need to find another dance lesson for next semester.

- She has decided not to do netball, or choir, and the drama is a pain! I told her to discontinue drama at the end of this semester. I think it is better to find her feat first and then decide what she wants to do!

- She loves doing my and her sister's hair, and doing make-up! I have batches of photos of hairstyles on my phone. (If I do a search for "dogs", the hairstyles also pops up. But it's not an indication of the classiness of the hairstyles. ;-) iOS needs to work on an upgrade in photo search!)

- She loves rollerskating right now! We have promised her an outing during the holidays!

Little Miss is becoming very independent. I see it in the mornings when she asks for an extra hug or kiss, but then running away without looking back! I feel that I should cherish her still sitting on my lap, and asking for us to lay with her in the evenings!

When it's gone, it's gone!

Thanks so much for the adventures with you, Little Miss!

We are looking forward to a weekend with the Voortrekkers and camping during the holidays! (#thingsyoudoforyourchildren) It will perhaps be our last, but we have an arsenal of Voortrekker stories already built up because of you!
Next time she says she will be ready to go on her own! Little Miss Independent!

Only 7 days left of being all alone at school!

Little Miss had a little breakdown last night!

She does not have friends at school, and the children do not want to play with her! She walks alone before school, and sits with her jersey pulled over her legs in the mornings. She has no friends in the mornings. She does not have friends who want to play with her at breaks, and she has to eat her food on her own. The ballet girls do not want to partner with her, and she’s the odd one out! (You saw that, Mom! Yes, I did!) This is what she told me again last night!

What can a mother (and father) do? We both wanted to console her last night! (Our hearts are breaking with her!)

Only to remind her that she has 7 days left of this school year! Next year is going to be better because it is going to be in a new school with new friends! (I really hope so!)

She is such a sensitive little person, and sometimes she goes into analysis paralysis! I do not always see a lonely girl when I go to fetch her at school, but if it is her perspective that nobody wants to play with her! That IS her life right now!

I am planning to use Cat’s advice next year, of identifying a strong girl and organising play dates from the start!

Only 7 days! This day included!
Maybe it is just this year that had enough?
You can do this, Little Miss!

The short break is already forgotten and a few thoughts

I had a lovely break of ten days, and I have been back for the second day at work.
Of course it was way too short, and I would have liked to be with Little Miss this week as well.
We did not go away as the budgets are too tight! But we did make the most of it!
(Slumping on the coach and catching up with comedies are not that bad...)

Little Miss also played mornings (I can't say sunrise, because she is such a late riser! Bonus!) until past sunset with the friends in the complex. (Definitely a perk of complex living!)

We also did a breakfast here and there, which is lovely if you want to get out of the house! (And cheaper than lunch or dinner eating out!)

Some thoughts from the break

1. How I wish I could spend more time with Little Miss. We don't see her when she is most alive and active for most part of the week. She is such an interesting little being, and getting more interesting each day!

2. I woke up the previous night with both her hands around my neck. I asked her what she was doing, and she said that she was trying to cool down. She had a bit of a fever. That was precious, and I know I will miss these bed-ventures! (Because we still stay with her in her bed until she falls asleep or when she calls to us at night!) (This is passing way too quickly!)

3. Little Miss brought back a stunning report card, and when we saw the teacher just before the break she had only good things to say! Her being small and young does not impact on her abilities and learning capabilities in class. I am sure the OT sessions from the previous year really helped!

4. I did not have a computer at work the previous week, and when I came back after another week, it was still down. I was interested in how much it bothered me. (Even during the break!) I was feeling demotivated, questioning my existence and wondering if the Universe is trying to tell me something! It is not nice not to be able to work, and I am loving being up and working again! (Can you believe it?!!)

5. It is strange having an Eldest going off to work and having to work around her schedules as well! I also love the fact that she is starting to earn her own living and also her enjoyment of driving around in her own car!

6. We still have Easter eggs left, and that did not help weighing in this morning... *sigh*


Back to work!

Did you have a nice break, and what did you do? (You can even tell me about your beach or bush adventures! ;-) Next time it will be us!)


Photo at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens on Monday. It was a lovely day for a short hike!

Little Miss - update

Grade 1 has flown by. We are only left with a few more days!

Little Miss has done very well in Grade 1. Of course I was worried about her doing Grade 1 while still very young, but given how well she has done and how well she has adjusted, I think we did the right thing!

She loves school!
She loves her friends!
We actually want to move her to a nearby school, but she does not want to budge! (It would make it much easier on us in the traffic!) I hope we can persuade her next year!

She has made new friends! That's a big one for us! She had the one friend that she loves, but who was always putting her down, and who influenced her moods. She is playing with new friends that are good to her, and she enjoys their company. She is even playing with friends in our complex where we stay, and can't wait to get home at night!

She does her own thing when friends are around, and disappears at playgrounds and parties! We are finally at the stage that we can drop her off at a party! (Yay!!)

I am still reading articles about the strong-willed child in trying to understand our Little Miss a bit better! She has very strong ideas, and she will defend it for dear life! There are some things to disagree about, but some things we have to examine our own thoughts about it.

(Sometimes we have outdated parental mechanisms that kicks in when confronted with a very opinionated little girl!)

She has done well in most of her extra-curricular activities as well this year! We will be continuing with the ballet and gymnastics, as well as tennis next year!

The CMaths has been a challenge, and maybe we can let it go... It's a struggle to get her to do the extra maths homework each week...


We love the Girl that is emerging, and the Personality that she is.
I am so glad that she is in our lives!

It is especially great to get little love notes from her, writing that she loves her Mom and Dad!


It is passing too fast!!

"You spoil me too much!"

Little Hoot: You spoil me too much!

Two months before she turns 6!

It has been a strange year! The year of Grade R that she could not wait for, and that turned into a bit of a bummer... Luckily the meeting with the teacher helped considerably!

It seems that Little Missy is becoming into her own right now. I suspect this will be the pattern for each year. (Maybe not!) Because she is younger, it is only at the end of the year that everything falls into place?

I have also been toying with the idea that she is also her own person, doing her own things at her own opportune time!
Because we try to measure them and place them in boxes (talking about school readiness tests), it should not define them. And I am not going to!

We have spoken with her about going to Grade One next year, and told her about doing Grade R again. She is in agreement (as far as a five year old is able to) that she wants to continue to Grade One.

She got the most brilliant report card last week! Enough said!
She is doing very well!

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They had their end of year ballet concert and certificate ceremony. It was as cute as always. She still wants to continue next year, and I think it is good for them to get the basics of dancing. We will see how far it goes! (I don't have a preference!)

Ballet is tiring

Ballerina

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The only thing that Little Missy is worried about now is her birthday party.
All the "planning" and the "talking" finally had to come to fruition! We could not forever promise an airy fairy party because she has her birthday in December and all her friends are on leave. We have made a booking end of November and invited a few friends.
Huge excitement in her life!

Now it is only the party packs for school that needs to be sorted! (Yes, we still need to do that as well?!)
You do not get anything past a nearly six year old girl!

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I gave Little Missy a Happy Meal toy yesterday, because I had ordered a McD Happy Meal just so she could get a toy.
The response: "We spoil her too much!"

Okay...

Preschooler update

Red mouth after eating sherbet

She is the cutest and the funniest and the most loving little girl ever!

But she is also the most moody and sulky and difficult little girl ever!

We are really having a battle of wills with a five-year old in our house. The tantrum-two's got nothing on this age! (With hindsight: It was a breeze!)

Some of the latest in the life of our preschooler:

- "Lucky!" is a word she uses quite often!

- Other children are "lucky" who share the same name! She is the only one with her name in her school. ("sigh" We thought it was a bonus!)

- Her older sister is "lucky" to go to university where her sister has lots of friends staying with her, when she is all on her own at home!

- She is hungry all the time, but not for the food on her plate. The hunger especially gets to her at 8 pm when it is bed-time and then she can't sleep before she has another bowl of All Bran flakes.

- She is growing very fast now, and all her clothes are falling of her bum, because they have disappeared. She is shooting up like a string. We had to go and buy new shoes (a number 9) last week as well, because none of the old shoes fit any more.

- She was looking forward to Gr R with so much excitement, but it turned into a bummer for the first part. The teacher is not very welcoming, and it seems like a lot of work. She is yearning back to the previous year, and tells us that she does not want to go to school. (We have booked the appointment with the teacher this week!)

- We find her happily playing with other children, and not only just with the one little girl she used to prefer to play with!

- She constantly tells me that I am fat. Not like the other mums... But that she still loves me! (Keeping me grounded! Thank you!)

- Sometimes she kisses us!

- Sometimes she doesn't want kiss us!

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Do you have the same experience with 5-year old's?

Update

It has been crazy here. I think everyone has the same experience, with all the end-of-the-year finals and stuff coming up.

We have only the Little One to sort, and we have to decide on which overlapping event to attend!

I have been busy working on a presentation, which kept me busy for a month (at least). I was cursing and stressing about having said yes, but it all went well in the end. 

It is sometimes necessary to accept some challenges! It helps to become not too complacent. Although you wonder about your own sanity, and why it is necessary to rattle your own complacent little box, while you are stressing out big-time!

I completed my first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) before that, and it also took up a lot of my time. I am definitely going to do more of these. It is free!

Little Missy is busy as well! She never stops practising the hand stands and roll-overs and ... Any kind of movement she thinks of doing next! She is moving up to the bigger class at gymnastics on Saturday, which is also going to be a change for her!

I have to conjure a different hairstyle for her each day! The previous week she had a tantrum about wanting curly hair. At six o'clock in the morning I had to make her hair curl! (Mothers can do anything!)

For the nerds/geeks here: I finally upgraded my iPad 2 to iOS 7, and I am loving it! I was contemplating chucking the thing, and all of a sudden it's got a new life! 

I am teling everybody I know about it, and somewhere someone must share my enthusiasm!?

Happy weekend!

Four and a half years

 I used to post each month on the 21st a monthly update, but the 21st days of each month are passing too quickly...
She's getting bigger! Too soon!

Little Missy is her own personality, and it is such a blessing to see her becoming her own person.

She still wants to be carried, and that's why we have to get a shopping cart.
(She is four; sometimes small, and sometimes big!)
15 kilograms are heavy, especially if she is all over the place.
Look there!
What's that?
Why are they wearing that?


She also does not want to sit in the chair, but at the back of the shopping cart, or standing on the front, holding.
Or being pulled like a roller-blader all over the shopping mall floors. (See the Vine above)
Anything, but walking...
Walking on her own needs creativity with racing from one shop to another, or seeing who gets where first!

I have a friend who still has to carry her 25 kilograms 4-year old! We consider ourselves lucky :D

Do you also struggle with getting them to walk on their own, or should I start worrying?

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?