!!!! Fifi's Finally Forty !!!!

Boy oh boy .... when I was 16 I thought THIRTY was really old. Now that I have hit the BIG 4-0 I feel wiser and more fulfilled than ever before. I certainly don't feel forty and as long as I can avoid looking in the mirror or paging through old photo albums I will continue to feel 30.(hehe) Here's a bit of good news for all us forty-something-ers ..... they say that "Forty is the new thirty!"

I didn't do anything major on my special day although I had toyed with the idea of having a big bash. I even come up with a theme. The theme of the party would be to come dressed as anything beginning with 'F'. (because my name is Fifi) I even had my dress sorted .... I would be the "Fat lady" and end the evening with a song .... 'cause the show ain't over til the Fat Lady sings! Needless to say I chickened out so Fifi the Fat Lady didn't get her Fifteen minutes of Fame! hehe

MrGee congratulated me with a ..... "Mmm Fifi, well done for making it to forty!" ...... I'm was not too sure how to take that one ??..... so I took it as a joke ..... ;)

I was spoilt rotten.... MrGee and the kids got me Coco Chanel's 'Madamoiselle' parfum and Tiery Mugler's 'Angel' parfum, ( yip, fragrances are my absolute best!) And......... a ....... clarinet ! I am so excited to learn this instrument. I've booked lessons from January but for now MrGee and the kids are being very gracious about the hideous sounds emulating from my 'new baby'.

I'm having a big family luncheon at my house this Saturday. I can't wait to spend the afternoon with the people I love the most ..... my dear family!

(This post is a bit late ..... my birthday was on the 18th!)

"Get outta my face!"

WizzKid would never be so rude .... but the look just says it all!

Never before has any item of clothes or accessory meant SO much to WizzKid. Yip, this "hap"(which we aptly named) is a cross between a cap and a hat....... and it looks really cool. BUT besides looking cool, it covers a multitude of sins ...... that being unruly, wild, unbrushed hair!!
! SON, FOR THE LOVE OF LASAGNA KEEP THE HAP ON !

The F- word !!!!

mmm..... lately I have had writer's block. It is so frustrating because I am desperate to blog and capture our memories but I feel I have nothing of significance to write about! Even my camera is in sulk mode as she has been neglected big time! WHY ? ...... Could I be going through a 'mid-blog' crisis? Is the 'bloggeymoon' period over? (I hope not) ...... nevertheless friends bear with me..... although I am extremely f-r-u-s-t-r-a-t-e-d, I will keep at it ... hoping that my mojo will return sooner than later!!!!

Zee loves bath time......NOT!

Can't you just see how much our 'drowned rat' loves his weekly bath ?

But we love him a whole lot more when he is "good and clean and fresh tra-la-la!"

Almost done ..........

WizzKid has completed 4 out of his 6 exams. He writes them at home with me adjudicating. I am NOT allowed to have any communication with him, and I cannot look at the finished paper. Once completed I have to seal it immediately in a brown envelope and post it off to the British International College in Johannesburg who in turn posts it to Cambridge, England. It is marked and sent back to S.Africa.

(taking a break)
My oh my ...... this has been hard as I have SO wanted to take a quick peek at his completed papers. Tomorrow he writes his biggie ..... it is Computer Studies & IT. He is in Grade 8 but because of his high aptitude in this subject they have allowed him to write the Grade 10/11 exam(IGCSE/O level) . It is so complicated and way over my head ..... thankfully, MrGee has stepped in and tested him.

!!! Vasbyt seun !!!
("hang in there son")

Awww I love her ........

Out of the blue Miss Tanzi said, "I think I need a sleeping chart so that I sleep all the night in my bed!" My heart felt like it had been struck by an arrow .... not one from cupid's quiver!!!! My little 'princess of wonderland' didn't need to sleep in our bed anymore?? When did she grow up ..... how DARE she grow up!(hehe)
So I obliged, and with a heavy heart I made her a reward chart .......

(Seven boxes need to be filled with a sticker, and then she gets the reward on the right.)
-
Emotionally I tucked my 'big girl' in bed.

GUESS WHO SNEAKED INTO MY BED A FEW HOURS LATER ?
Needless to say the chart remains void of any stickers ........... Yay!

My blog turns four!

When I posted my first entry in Oct 2005 I was totally unaware of the adventure that was about to unfold in my life ......... it all happened one evening as I searched the internet for homeschooling advice. I was directed to a blog at homeschoolblogger.com. I signed up that night not quite knowing the reason why I wanted or needed a blog!! My first post EVER ... One Giant Leap!

Initially I saw blogging as a tool for gleaming ideas from other creative homeschooling moms. Then......... I experienced the excitement of meeting other ladies from all over the world. As I got more confident, I started to tweak my template(play around with the html code) and had fun creating new effects on my blog.

In the last two years I have been more selective about what I blog on. I've tried to make it less about me and my opinion, and have focused more on creating memories. When the kids have flown the nest, I will still have all those beautiful memories to treasure. When I sit with my grandchildren, I will be able to share with them the fun times their parents had as youngsters.

(PS .... thank you to all my wonderful blogging gals who visit and comment ..... I would really love to enjoy a cuppa tea/coffee with you at a real table! This virtual table is great but to actually meet you would be SO much better!)

Say hello to Zee !

I have been wanting a "Zee" for a couple of months now. Zee is a six week old Yorkshire terrier. (apparently!)

Zee got his name from the kink in his tail that is in the shape of a 'Z'.

Isn't he cute ....... he is my baby ...... the fourth child I always wanted!

We've had him for 0ne complete day and I am already exhausted ..... he kept me up most of last night!!!

I'm a child of the King

Once I was clothed in the rags of my sin,
Wretched and poor, lost and lonely within.
But with wondrous compassion, the King of all kings,

In pity and love, took me under His wings.

Oh, yes, oh yes, I'm a child of the King
His royal blood now flows in my veins.
And I who was wretched and poor now can sing
Praise God, praise God, I'm a child of the King.

Now I'm a child with a Heavenly home,
My Holy Father has made me His own.
And I'm cleansed by His blood, and I'm clothed in His love,
And some day I'll sing with the angels above.

(an old hymn)

Headlines Please!

I LOVE to talk and get into deep conversation .... the deeper the conversation the better!! On the other hand MrGee releases very little information voluntarily and I generally have to D-R-A-W it out of him! (I'm sure we're not alone in this department?)
A couple of years ago I was in deep conversation/rambling on about something when MrGee said " Can I have the headlines please?" Since then it's become a family joke!!
With all that in mind, I've decided to write a 'HEADLINES PLEASE' post every second or so week!
So here goes ................

ALGEBRA FREAKS MOM OUT.
WizzKid has exams in 2 weeks so we are plowing through revision Maths.

FOR GET IT ... THE CAT STAYS.
I don't give a flying fig what the body corporate feels, I will NOT let them bully me into getting rid of Tiggy-Pooh .

5 YEAR OLD SETS NEW RECORD.
Miss Tanzi changes her clothes at least 4 times a day! When she has a friend over that makes it 8 soiled outfits! (urrrggghh!)

! A HIP HOP A HIPPITY HOP !
WizzKid and CoolDude went to their first hip-hop class. Their faces beamed with joy as they tried to master the all-new moves! They loved it!

That's this weeks Headlines Update!

Tanzalina- Ballerina .......

Life Skills .....

This has become a common sight at our house ...... a load of boxes sitting at our front door ..... ready for dispatch.

My entrepreneurial sons have set up a business on Bid-or-Buy (the South African equivalent of ebay.) They are doing SOOOOO well and making some good moola. In this country of ours, we NEED to teach our kids to be leaders in business and to be their own boss!
Keep at it boys , you are learning some great life skills!

Not a good report ......

MrGee got some bad news about his kidneys last week. They have shrunk by 2 cm. This is not a good report. He has been put onto the waiting list for a kidney transplant and the hospital has booked him in for a talk on what is about to unfold. As you may know MrGee found out in March 2007 that he was in renal failure. It came as a shock and since then he has had to watch his diet, bring his cholesterol down, go onto blood pressure pills and up his cardio to prevent heart disease.

Please pray when you feel to .....

Wordless Wednesday - - - - WizzKids 76 pg Computer Studies Project is finished!

CoolDude turns ELEVEN !!!

CoolDude was DESPERATE for a bearded dragon for his birthday. Of course I was not that keen 'cause I don't shack-up well with reptiles or rodents. He was adamant that a bearded dragon would be the present of his dreams until .......... he stayed over at Thomas' house one night.

Thomas has two of these creatures. CoolDude came home the next day with his mind made up . He definitely DID NOT want a bearded dragon for his birthday present. " Mom Thomas' room stinks, and the whole night they kept scratching on the glass. I couldn't sleep at all!"

So the wise boy settled for a more sensible gift .... a 'super-dooper-graphics-card-thingy' which in the words of CoolDude, "Makes every other graphics card look pitifully sad!"

Cooldudes loves......

• to cook and bake
  
• red .... because Ferrari's are red!
  
• his sister dearly ... and is VERY protective over her
• music .... the loud and fast genre
• friends .... he is very social
• to make us laugh .... particularly when he does his funny leprechaun dance!
• expensive and smart cars ... he is the car guru!
• strategy computer games
• his six pack ..... and is very proud of it! hehe
• competitive swimming
• action movies .... Will Smith is his favourite actor.
  

We love you CoolDude ..... you are a very special boy !

!!Happy B-Day!!

Our 'Princess of Wonderland' is FIVE... yikes!

Still feeling traumatized from Miss Tanzi's fourth Birthday party(it bucketed down) , I decided to down scale this years celebration and to have her party at school, during school time. Nevertheless it was still a very special time where she was acknowledged and honoured by her peers. I could see she enjoyed being Queen amidst her subjects!!

They sang a few songs, did a beautiful worship dance to Jesus, and they played a round of musical chairs ...........

Then they did the cake ........ of course it was a princess castle .... just what Miss Tanzi had asked for. She kept her eye on Conner most of the time!!



~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TANZI-PANZI ~

Wahoooo ... It arrived !

I honestly squealed with delight when I saw this pink envelope sitting on the kitchen counter. I knew immediately what it was , and that it was for ME! The envelope was decorated with pretty stickers so I opened it carefully not to ruin it's look. What encouraging words written by a very special friend.

Just three months short of my 40th and I eventually get my first pen pal!
Thank you Jerelene ... I look forward to writing back and I'm excited about getting to know you better.

( I have a pen-pal, I have a pen-pal.)

Reaching out ...... ?

We own the old manor house within a small complex. The land surrounding the manor house was sub-divided into 13 plots and thirteen smaller homes were built. It is an ideal situation for our family as we feel less vulnerable then we would if we were living on a free holding. With MrGee being away every week, and with the crime in our country ,we feel it's the safer option.

The unfortunate part is ..... the thirteen houses that surround us are mainly owned by older, retired couples who feel that the complex should be run like a retirement village. PICKLES! ....... they can be PEDANTIC!
Do you remember when we felt obliged(or rather manipulated) into getting rid of Tiggy-Pooh? Well we couldn't go through with it. So, much to the horror of some of our neighbours, Tiggy is still with us.

One of the neighbours is particularly painful. They live in No 6. A couple of days ago Miss Tanzi came to me with a collection of things and asked me to pen some words to her papers.

The top picture says .... "No. 6 Dear People This letter is for you. from Tanna Gibbons"
The last piece of paper had two holes cut for eyes, and I had to write on it ....... " This is a mask for your eyes." Included in the collection was a 5c coin. Her instruction was to put these in No.6's post box.
Could this be her way of reaching out and trying to soften the ol' boogers? And the mask ? Perhaps a disguise to cover their shameful behaviour?(lol)

She cracks me up!

What's going on .......

This post is going to be a hotchpotch of our news.

• MrGee has managed to cut down his time away from the family during the week. He stays away for only one night a week now.
• Miss Tanzi wants us to move to the USA because the Jonas brothers live there!
• CoolDude has just had two blood vessels cauterized in his nose ..... good-bye to bloody noses at last.
• WizzKid is excelling in his IGCSE Computer Studies.
• I am back into my exercise program ...... Hallelujah!!!
• The boys use the word "RANDOM" way too often in a sentence!
• I overheard Miss Tanzi ask a friend "Do you know what gon@ds are?"
• The boys and I are learning about India, it's intriguing people, Hinduism, and their strange and shocking practices.
• We are reading "William Carey- Obliged to Go." - brilliant!!!
• Our family has been visiting another church for the past three weeks. It's a new Covenant Church called Glenridge and we are LOVING it!
• I have itchy fingers and desperate to do another room makeover ..... I'm sure MrGee will give me the go ahead soon.
• Miss Tanzi wants to be a Dolphin trainer and a water ballet dancer!
• Nelly, our domestic helper, has been off for 9 weeks now. I saw her yesterday, and I can see she is on the mend!
• CoolDude has decided NOT to get a bearded dragon for his 11th Birthday. (Wahooooo .... I don't do reptiles) He wants a certain graphics card for his computer.

So that's a small taste of what's happening in our happy corner.

xx

The smiles say it all.

The boys swimming club had there annual awards evening. Look what they achieved ....

WizzKid and Cooldude are extremely committed to their swimming. At the moment WizzKid swims a minimum of 12 hours per week and CoolDude swims about 6 hours each week.When they get rewarded like this , it makes it all worth while!!!!

Well done my handsome boys!

xx