Of Cats and Chickens

I love my cats.  They give me a great amount of pleasure and laughs.  Cats have very defined characters and I love the way they tell you what they want.  We have five cats.  Each one has its own personality.

There is Mommy Cat, who is a shy, gentle kitty that don't demand much.  She prefers my company and will wait for the bratlings to be in bed before coming to me for a cuddle.  She also "prays" regularly for whatever she needs.  Like when the food bowls are empty or the doors are closed.

Then there is Fluffy Cat.  She is extremely shy and prefers hiding in the trees, where she can leisurely eye the birds in the garden, without being disturbed by the dogs.  She is very vocal and always greats us when she comes in to eat or to complain if she got wet in the rain.  A beautiful black, fluffy cat that is everyones darling.

The third lady in the house is Grumpy Cat.  She had a fight with a car in her young days, and survived with a broken leg.  Needless to say, when it is cold, she is super grumpy.  Normally, she is a cuddle cat, who spends her days on either my bed or her favourite bratling's bed.  She is most days keen on a cuddle, but after one too many stroke, will attack you teeth and nails.  Girly Bratling is her nemesis and the two of them are forever in fights.  It is getting better though, now that Girly Bratling has realized she won't win the battles.

Our fourth cat is Garfield in the flesh.  He is a beautiful ginger cat that has more names than we can remember.  He mostly goes by Makkie or Blondie.  He is the easiest cat you can imagine.  You want to cuddle him, you just pick him up. As long as he can sleep in the house all day, have a full bowl of food and the occasional cuddle, he is content.  He too "prays" like his mother, but because he is normally very content, it is not too often.  This is one cat that the bratlings can totally smother with love and he won't complain.

Last but not the least, is probably the cat that is the biggest contradiction in personality you can think.  Our "Serial Killer"  is a beautiful big tubby cat.  At home he is as placid as you get them.  Loves the bratlings and allow Girly Bratling to do whatever she wants with him.  He loves his evening cuddles after dinner with the bratlings and usually sleeps with either of the two younger bratlings.  He has quite a story to tell and it is his story that I want to share with you.

I picked him up in the middle of the road as a tiny kitten.  Still too young to really be without a mother.  He arrived to a chaotic house and within the first 24 hours of his life with us, got into a fight with the dogs and tore a lung.  After another 24 hours of panic, this very wild little kitten was back home with no visible side effects of his fight with the dogs.

He soon became a darling little thing, and is now a very big brat, but adored by all, for he is so loving at home.  He loves cuddles and playing.  He comes in after his day of terrorizing the neighbourhood and tells us all he did.  He now greets the dogs by lovingly cuddling with them.  He playfully swats his adopted brother in greeting and then will curl himself around our legs while telling us about his day.

He loves where we live, for his hunting grounds are huge.  There are 3 "farms" around us, with lots of open space teeming with life of all kinds.  It is thanks to his over eager hunting skills that we now have ducks.  He took on a duckling, that he didn't manage to kill.  He did bring it into the house to proudly show us his success and now we have ducks. Quack survived and the neighbours didn't want him back.    He has since learned not to try and attack our ducks, for they bite back!

Sensibly, the duck farm started to lock their ducks up, so that they don't loose too many to the predators that rules the plains. (My killer cat, falcons, crows and cerval cats)  And so our serial killer, had to find new victims.  What better, than to chase and catch prey that is no challenge at all?

So he turned his focus onto the next farm, who have a very scatter brained chickens that can't protect their own chicks. It doesn't help that my neighbour refuse to lock them up at night.  So easy prey is on hand.  Only problem now is that this is causing friction between us and the neighbours, as he is literally killing them off faster than they can breed.

And here the problem of the day.  She feels I must lock my cat up until he becomes a house cat.  (Fat chance of that ever happening) And I feel, if it were my chickens, I would keep them safe, by building them a proper chicken run.

I hope to very soon have my own chickens, who will be bigger than the cat, so hopefully, he'll learn that chickens are only food if mom serves them up dead.

As for now, well, I wait for my neighbour to come and complain again.  What I will say, I don't know, but I hope that God will bless me that day with a angel in front of my mouth.  For if He doesn't guard my tongue, trouble is sure to follow.

Here's hoping God will bless us with a solution, that won't mean we have to get rid of our serial killer.  He is really just a cute and cuddly little pussy cat, that is driven by his natural instincts.

If you have any solutions to suggest, please let me know.

From little old me.

How did I land up homeschooling my kids?

This is a question we as homeschoolers are frequently asked.  Why do you do it? Or how did you start? What made you do it?  Well, for every one of us there is a different reason and driving force.

For us the driving force was God.  Literally.  I didn't really have a choice in the matter.  You see, once God has placed homeschooling in your path, you seldom manage to escape.  So what is our story?

It started off in a antenatal class before our first child was born.  They were telling us how to "child proof" your house.  I'll never forget the lady telling us that we must just think about what we did when we were kids and we will have a good idea of what to do to "child proof" our house.  Ja, wel!  (Yes, sure!) The big brat and I looked at each other and could read the answer in each other's eyes.  There will be no way to "child proof" our house!

On our way home, we started talking about what we were like as kids and came to the conclusion that no amount of child proofing our house will help.  And surely any teacher or school subjected to our kids will suffer.

You see, their mom was a terrorist in school.  I drove my teachers nuts.  Looking back at my kids short school careers, there must be some teachers out there still recuperating from having them in class. Not that they were naughty, they were actually very good, by my standards.  They are just different and as such a great  cause of many a distraction for other children.
 
OK, so back to the car.  It was there that the idea of homeschooling was planted.  We lived in a rather small town, and my soon to be born son was the only child in the village.  Homeschooling sounded attractive, but would I be able to pull it off?

Big Brat's main concern was the fact that I'm a scatter brain like you won't believe.  He works away most of the time, so who would check up on me?


Well, my life did not go according to plan.  The Big Bad Wolf came and he huffed and puffed and blew our dreams into smithereens. Before I knew it, we were back in the city. Big Bratling was off to school and Middle Bratling had made his appearance in our lives.  Money got tight and I started my own business.  Soon I never saw my kids, as they were either in school or busy with a multitude of after school activities.  Things started  spiraling out of control as we all run ourselves silly in the Rat Race.

Before I was ready, Big Bratling was ready for Grade One. Middle Bratling was in Pre-school learning to write and spell.  Now the wheels were coming loose nicely.

Big Brat and I decided that Big Bratling needs to attend a small school as once again our concerns of earlier was making its way into our minds.  My homeschooling friends all suggested homeschooling.  Big Brat and I was 100% sure that I would not cope, but it was tempting.

Once again Big Bratling needs to find a new school! By now Big Bratling was looking at attending his 5th school in 5 years.  And he is only 5 years old.  Not a great track record... We had to choose wisely, hmmm...

Never make decisions without God, I have subsequently learned. 

The only school we were happy with to send him to, closed its doors rather upruptly just before the start of the his Grade Two year, after almost 6 months of drama. The search for school number 6 was thrown upon us at the start of the new school year.  Needless to say, once again there was no school available that suited our principles.

We then went into partnership with some other parents who were in the same situation and tried to start our own school.  At the end of my patience with schools,  I then joked to my homeschooling buddies, that should this school too fail, I'll have to homeschool.  Well, God sure has a sense of humor.

Guess what happened?  End of Grade Two arrives and once again, we were looking for a new school.  At this point, my homeschool buddies reminded me of my joke at the beginning of the previous year.   So what are you going to do Lulu?

With absolutely no knowledge of homeschooling, no training in teaching and with a limited support basis, God threw me into the deep end.  We decided not to enroll Big Bratling into anymore schools, as 6 schools in 6 years, was enough.  He needed some stability in his life. 

Needless to say, if he gets to stay home, so does Middle Bratling.  He especially never wanted to attend school.  He was always nagging me to stay at home and do homeschooling. To top it of, we discovered that Girly Bratling was to make her entrance into our life.

Looking back, God spend the previous year or two preparing me for it.  Financially, we could afford it for me to close up shop.  We decided it was enough that the boys almost never saw Dad, for them to not see Mom, when it wasn't needed, was just stupid. So I wasn't working, and I spend some time helping out at the new little school we started, seeing what it takes to teach a small group of kids.  I loved being part of my kids lives again.

So there we were.  The beginning of Big Bratling's Grade Three year.  We had no knowledge of what homeschooling involves. We started off, totally scared out of our wits.  The kids and I did not know what to expect or do. 

Since then we have had almost 3 years of hid and run learning.  Some times school got off to a running start and we had great successes, and other times we wanted to hid away from the world, for we felt complete failures. Is it worth it?  You bet!  We love it.

So as to how I landed up homeschooling my kids?  Plainly put?  It is all God's doing.  This is what He wanted and He was going to make sure it happens.

As to why I am still homeschool?  Apart from it being really stupid to do something against God's Will? (Bible are full of examples of what happens if you do.)

Having lived this "lifestyle" for 3 years, I cannot for one moment imagine sending any of my kids away from me again.  Nor to let them be educated in things that I don't approve off, where I have no say in the matter.  I can't possibly expose my kids to the same false pressures pushed onto them in schools from teachers and peers alike.  No longer do they need to daily stand up to mockery for their faith or behavior. (I only heard about that horror stories later, when they had been home for a while and they commented how they are so glad they don't have that anymore.)  My kids were home, safe and sound.  The only bad influence is mom and dad's own sinful habits. 

But far more importantly, we are growing closer as a family, not further apart.  We are capable of experiencing  life together, learning new things together.  Yes, things still go haywire.  There are still sibling fights, but now it is because they are kids, not because they are stressed to the limit with everything that needs to be done in that few hours between school and sleep.

Everything becomes schoolwork and schoolwork becomes everyday living.  We learn as we live, and we live a full life, while we learn. Had my schooling been like this, I might have had a better school report at the end of the day.

Yes the formal part of school is a pain in the you know where for us all, but we deal with it as quickly as possible, so that we can be kids again as quickly as possible.  No longer do we need to spend more time than needed on academic issues.  My kids finally have time to be children again.  Something, most of kids now a days don't get. 

I'm still a scatter brain, but we manage just fine.  We found a program that compensates for my scatter brain, and the kids luckily got Big Brat's dissipline inbred in them.

Will we keep homeschooling?  YES.

Any other questions that needs to be asked?  I'll answer them as they come along.  For now, we want to get today's school behind us, so that we can go play in the garden.


From little old me.

God still does miracles.

I serve an AWESOME GOD! Last month He placed it on my heart to give money to churches other than just my church. The only thing was, that my church also needs the tithe we give each month to help pay the bills. Plus, we too have to live on a budget at the moment, there isn't really money spare.  So how could I possibly be obedient in this?

See my mistake?  I thought WE had to do it. For a moment I forgot that every Dollar earned by the big brat is actually God's.  It is only by grace that we receive money of any kind, and we are only stewards of God's money.  So I re-thought the situation.

We are paid in Dollars, but we live on Rands.  So our income is a bit flexible when it comes to currency converting.  The stronger the Dollar, the more money we get and the stronger the Rand the less we get.  (To put it simply)

Now, those of you in South Africa would have noticed a spectacular nose dive in the Rand value the last month.  I hope nobody lost out too much, but that was God's doing.  Remember He has power and authority over every thing.

My plan was simple, all we had to do was trust in the Lord and obey when the time arrives.  I made it plain to God, how much money we needed to deal with our expenses and to cover our church's tithe, then I promised that any money over and above that amount we will donate to another church in need. 

Truth be told, at that stage the Dollar was so weak and the Rand so strong, that we would barely make our own budget, with hopefully just enough to tithe.  So you see, the challenge was on.

Over the next 2-3 weeks, we watched in awe and amazement as the Dollar strengthens and the Rand go for a nose dive.  We cried with laughter as the financial analysts tried to make sense of it, and they just couldn't. They were looking at the markets and thinking up all sorts of reasons for this.  I felt like phoning in and telling them, this is GOD's work.  The Creator of all things, the Ruler of  ALL!  He had a mission and He will see it through.

Today I can proudly announce that God had made available for His suffering church the amount of R10 000!  It was paid over in obedience yesterday with much joy in our lives. None of this is our doing, ALL GLORY GOES TO GOD!!!

God has blessed us with so much, the least we could do was to give as much of it back to Him as what we could.  In being obedient, God's blessings just keeps us in awe of what a wonderful God we serve. 

God not only showed us how much He cares for us, and for His Church, but that the time for miracles has not end.  He showed that even the stronghold of Satan, the world's money markets, are at His mercy. 

God doesn't hate money, He just don't like the way we treat it.  Once you start treating money in a manner pleasing to God, He will bless you with more.  Don't believe me, read the Bible.  Jesus Himself told us the parable of the ten servants and the ten minas. 

What are you doing with your minas?  Are you investing in Heavenly treasures?
Or are you leaving God out of your finances?

In God we trust and built.

From little old me

I Live a Dream.

For some reason, I had quite a bit of people asking me, and polls asking public in general, what motivates me? Do I live my dreams?  Do I have a secret desire, not met by my current life?

This has made me think.  Why do I do what I do?  Why do I homeschool, when sending my kids to school should be such an easier option?  What is the real reason behind my homeschooling and being a house wife?
Don't I feel I miss something?

Truth be told, I did not plan to homeschool.  Yes, at one stage we did consider it, but that was while the big bratling was still a baby bratling and we lived out in the sticks.  At one stage, I did not even try to entertain the thought.  Just the mere idea of spending more time than needed in my kids company, was enough to drive me out the house.  You see, I suffered from depression, and could not face my responsibilities.

But, God send healing.  He took me on a long and sometimes excruciatingly painful path, but in the process, I found healing.  I can honestly say, that depression is no longer a demon in my life.  I've grown-up and learned to face my responsibilities, I have learned to face my troubles with God by my side.  That only in trusting Him, could I overcome my problems.  I learned to let go and let God.  It was not easy, it was not fun, but now, I have peace, for I know, no problem I face is to big for my God.

The biggest thing I realized after this time of healing was that I missed the cutest years of my two big bratlings lives, especially the middle one. I allowed Satan to steal that away from me.  I'm not making the same mistake this time round.  This time, I know what I have, and what I missed out on the first two times round.  I can't steal back that special moments lost, but I can make sure that I don't miss any more.

The homeschooling bit wasn't planned, as I previously said, but God had prepared me for it during this period of healing.  He placed in my life some wonderful homeschooling friends.  He literally closed the doors to good schools for my oldest bratling, forcing me to start homeschooling.  I was thrown into homeschooling, feet first into the deep end.  I had 1 month to get myself sorted, or so I thought.  I was adamant that it will be school at home, not homeschool.  Homeschool is too airy fairy!  Well, today I homeschool.  Academic work does get done, but we learn through play and life.  Man, did God know what He was doing or what? We love homeschool.  If only academics weren't needed.  ;)

I remember as a little girl, when the adults asked me what I wanted to be one day, my answer was always, "I want to be a mommy!"  I did not have to think twice about it.  As a teenager, I learned that, that is not an acceptable answer.  To be a housewife is an archive idea and should be banned.  My own mother, a housewife, told me off for not dreaming bigger.  God bless you with brains, so you must use it for something useful.  I was crushed... You mean that being a mommy is not useful?  It will have no merit, if I'm just a housewife?  You mean I must be super woman?  Have it all, the power, the job, the money, the kids, the husband, the dog?  I can't just be a happy, little woman at home, barefeet amongst her children and a farm full of animals, getting up to mischief with them?

I wanted to be there for my children.  See them grow up.  I wanted to bake mud cakes with them and secretly laugh at the naughtiness they get up to.  I could not wait to be a wife and mommy.  God blessed me with a husband who had the same ideas.  He too want the mother of his children too be there for his kids. 

Yes, life threw us some tough curve balls.  I had to work at one stage, but I managed to keep it to the mornings.  But I still had to send my very young babies out of the house for that time.  It broke my heart knowing someone else is teaching them the ABC and 123's.  We all hated the early morning rush to get them to school and for me to start my work.  It placed added pressure on my husband, when he felt incapable of giving me my dream, and his...

But, remember Who is in charge.  Yes, we did not always walk in obedience, but when we started to walk in obedience, the blessings started to flow in.  Soon, I was able to stop working, and even sooner than that, God place this wonderful blessing of homeschooling as part of our daily life.

He even blessed me with a third change to enjoy a little person, and this time He gave me my biggest wish, a little girl.  A princess for His Kingdom.  God, knowing my heart, have given me my every longing from childhood times.  Today, I am barefoot, getting up to mischief with my 3 beautiful bratlings.  I have the most amazing husband, and I look forward to growing old with my big brat, if it is God's will.  I enjoy every moment possible with him.  Our time together is super special to me, and I'll go to the end of the earth with him, if it is God's desire.

What motivates me?  My gratefulness to God, for giving me this special opportunity.  When the going gets tough, I remind myself how blessed I am, and then nothing looks like a problem.  I'm motivated by the love for my husband and kids.  Even my newly acquired 60year old brat.  They love me as I am, and I love them just one degree less than my love for God. 

I live my dream.  How can I not be motivated? 

Do I have certain secret desire not yet met by my current living?  Yes, I want more time and energy, to bake and create with my kids.  But I know, my girly bratling won't always be the toddling disaster on two legs.  The time will come soon, when I'll have less fires to put out and then I'll get the creative fires roaring.  Already, I'm getting more done than last year.

So yes, I'm blessed.  No, I don't lack anything.  There is no significant desires that makes me feel unsuccessful.  God has prospered me.  May I be a worthy steward of my minas.

Be blessed my good people.
From little old me.

Time to count the blessings.

Small blessings:
1.  The Springboks managed to win Wales in their first match, and we got to listen to the last 10 minutes of   the match on the radio after a wonderful morning at church. ;)  (That can probably count for two blessings.)
2.  There is two healthy new baby cockatiels in the avery. And more to come.
3.  I have at least one bratling back into normal school routine without too much hassles.

Big blessings:
1.  My girly bratling managed to escape getting chicken pox!  Thank you God!!!
2.  My stepdad's heart condition turned out to be something that can be managed with pills and he is doing much better.
3.  My friends who have had some major suffering with health problems in their household, have been blessed with some amazing healing from God. Things are starting to look up for them. 
4.  My other friends who have been struggling financially, have had some good news in that department. And God has started to provide for their needs. 
5.  There has been some great news and reasons for celebrations in our church when it comes to our church plant and some of our students that have moved on to their own churches.  Thank you God for blessing the work these people are doing for You.
6.  We thank the Lord for the safe arrival of yet another healthy baby for our friends and we await the safe delivery of another bundle of joy due any day now to some other dear friends of ours.
7.  I thank God for blessing me with the ability to serve Him at a time that would other wise have been wasted for me. This was a problem that was very heavy on my heart.
8.  I'm thankful that God blessed my adopted brat with safe travels and a good time this weekend.  I'm sure his gardian angels are looking forward to some rest tonight... Yes, this is a big blessing, for I don't think I can cope with disasters at the moment, and if you know him, disasters is something we expect at any time soon.

These are just some of the blessings in my life.  Now, before you leave your desk, write down your own little list of blessings and give thanks to God.  Start your week with a greatful heart and maybe, your Monday will not be so blue tomorrow.

Not much today, but just a little note to remind you all, God bless us everyday in little and big ways.
From little old me.

RUGBY WORLD CUP FEVER!!!

Now I know some of my friends don't have a clue what rugby is all about.  As a matter of fact my husband is one of them. But confession time once more.  I'm secretly a rugby fan.  Hard not be if you come from a family of avid rugby fans.  My dad's world came to a stand still with each rugby match played, and my one brother is showing the same symptoms. 

I don't get to follow rugby much, but I do like to listen to the matches as and when I can.  Wouldn't mind watching them, but you need someone to go with, which is not easy in this family.  Big brat don't like watching sport, the big bratling loves soccer and can't see why people think rugby is great and as for middle bratling and the bratling princess, they are still to young to take with.  My adopted brat, would not behave, so I'm not to sure if I should even consider it.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Middle bratling is starting to develop an idea that he might like rugby. 

Along comes Rugby World Cup fever!  What a great time to show my middle bratling what the sport is really like.  Only thing is, he needs to watch it to learn, but where to watch if you don't have a TV?  Going to the big screen restuarants, costs money and they certainly don't serve biltong and naartjies, official rugby season cuisine.

To top it all off, with it happening in New Zealand and we being in SA, the Boks, our national team will be playing in the morning.  Not a problem really, except it is the Boks first and probably most important match for the knock out phase is happing on a Sunday! Smack bang in church time! How inconvinient is that?  So, unfortunately, I'll miss it. (Wonder how empty church is going to be tomorrow?)

Yes, I love rugby.  I'm all excited about supporting the Boks giving it a go to be first team to successfully defend their title.  I would love to watch each of their matches, cheering them on. I would make every effort to watch them play in the finals, even if it means going to a smokey pub!

But I do draw lines to how far I will go.  If it is going to be a situation of rugby vs God, then sorry, rugby will have to wait.  If it means I have to disobey my husband, or neglect my family, then rugby will have to be the one to go without me.  If it means that I'll miss out on that important goal to attend my family or God, then so be it.

Yes, I love rugby.  It is in my blood, but I will not allow it to consume me, no matter how great the game that is to be played.  No game is greater than the race I run to return to my home with God.  No team more important than my team at home to whom I am the first mate.

So to my fellow rugby fans:  don't loose sight on what is important in this time.  To the rest of you:  keep your priorities straight.  And if you place God first, your family firmly second before anything else, the blessings coming your way, will astound you. 

And if we win the Rugby World Cup once more and make history, then that will be a great blessing to our nation too. 

GO BOKKE!!!

From Little old me 

PS:  I hope to at least catch some of the 2nd half in action...

Oh! The Woes of Returning to Normal Life!

I have to admit, I have been very bad at posting lately.  I blame it on jetlag.  For some reason, the last couple of weeks I just could not stay awake beyond 9pm and early mornings was a blur of getting back into the swing of school and everything. 

I love my holidays and trips, but I hate coming back.  Not that I don't absolutely love my house and to be home, it is the small issues that waits for your return that I hate. Especially those nasty surprises that costs you money.

And coming back mid term to all your childrens activities leaves a completely different taste.  Just when your kids are back in full swing, oops, it is school holidays again, and they fall out of swing again.  I love my kids martial arts teacher.  He only breaks up over the Silly Season in December/January.  I know that there will be no issues there.  But music is another story all together.  I'm surprised my kids teachers didn't say don't bother to come back for the term. 

My biggest frustration though is that the kids have no wish to go back to work!  Have you ever tried to motivate two boys to get back into school after a 9 week break?  It is pure hell.  I feel like a broken gramma phone the last two weeks.  "Do your work. Do your work. Do your work.  Are you done yet? Are you done yet? Are you done yet?  Finish up NOW! Finish up NOW!...."  Over and over again, day after day...
I know why they feel like it.  I do understand their feelings, but boys. we have to get back into school again.
And NO, you can't go on school holiday with the rest of the country!  You've just had an extended holiday!!!

As if dealing with the kids is not enough, the zoo decided to explode with more additions.  I have baby cockatails.  The ducks are breeding, and it seems like they finally managed to outwit the dogs, as Mrs. Quack is missing for most of the day and the dogs have not brought home any eggs. Anyone looking for either a cockatail or a duck?

My dogs managed to get themselves locked out today and in their attempt to get back in, chowed through the plastic mesh on the gate, that keeps the ducks in!  So that needs replacement prompto!  3 guesses who needs to deal with it?

The cats came home the other day riddled with fleas and ticks, thanks to the lovely field next door.  So it was de-flea-ing and deworming for all that needed to be done.

So between the zoo and the kids and broken' pcs and blocked up ponds and, and, and,  the only good thing that happened was the delivery of my wine. OK, I'm sure there were other things as well, just can't think of them.

So what blessing did I have the last couple of weeks?  Well, for one thing, better sleep.  Exhaution does that to you.  I managed to get some serious reorganisation done in areas that needed attention. And so far I managed to not get the flu doing the rounds in the house. Thank God for that, I don't think I could cope.  Now I just pray that my daughter manages to escape chicken pox, to which she was unwittingly expose to.  Her ears just got pierced and it would be a disaster if she develops chicken pox now.  At least that is one prayer, where all I can do is to trust in God. So there is my prayer and I'll let you know if God blessed me in answering this one too.

Now, I bit you all good night, as my eyes are struggling to focus.

From little old me to all you wonderful people out there.

Making lemonade from pc woes.

So last time I told you about my borrowed pc.  Wel, I just had the biggest, most frustrating fun you can have with a pc.  Turns out my adopted brat bought his pc, (ok, it is a notebook actually) in some Arabic country.  It seems to have a secret button on the key board, that when pushed, you start typing in Arabic.  Only problem, that normally happens when you are not looking at what you are pushing.  So you don't know how to avoid it in future!

Well, with the use of the emo kids faces on Skype, I got my message through to my technical support team and the big brat could guide me back into smooth sailing waters.  For now, I can type in normal English.

It was rather fun trying to do "Charades" via a computer screen. Ever had to explain yourself without the power of typing words that makes sense?  I had to explain what was happening this side, and I think all my husband could see was a lot of angry faces being pulled at him.  We couldn't talk using VOIP for he was in his office working.  I couldn't type without it being gibberish.  Well, he did great in reading my emotions.

Ever tried to fix a pc that is not yours?  I seem to start developing a niche for it in our house...  Just don't bring me yours.  I don't feel like quitting my day job as yet.  Let's just say that it has been an education. 

Luckily, my sense of  humor was tickled when I notice my words coming out in Arabic gibberish.  It helps when your kids think it is the funniest thing on earth when their mother exclaims: "WHAT IS GOING ON?!  I'M TYPING IN ARABIC!!!"  My sons were all rolling on the floor with myrth.  Todays kids.... No respect...

Anyway, why someone did think it will be cool to make a dual language keyboard, is beyond me. I can understand that they must love their language in written format.  It does look rather pretty, but I had no idea what I said.  Hope I didn't offend anyone.  On the other hand.  Maybe next time, my husband can just ask his Islamic collegue to read it to him.  Sure they might figure it out eventually.  : )

At least this learning curve is blessed with some giggles and not just a lot of frustration and temptation to use words that shows my not so ladylike attributes.  This time round the lemons are nice and sweet.  Just right for making lots of lemonade.

Well, with all that excitement behind us now.  I bit you all a good night.  May the lemons life throw at you this week all turn into lovely lemonade.
From Little old me.

   

Some more Ramblings.

Just when you think you can get back to normal, life will proof that 'normal' is a relative term. We arrived safely back home and all seemed fine, only to have my pc die on me.  Thankfully, I was blessed by a friend of mine, who have a spare pc available for me to use. 

(He is a real wonder in our lives.  Sometimes we wonder what we would do without him, and other times we wonder what to do with him.  But we love him just the same.  As a matter of fact, to my kids, he is their uncle, to my husband, a brother and to me, another child.  He is such a big part in our lives, that we had him move in with us.  So, if you hear me talk of my adopted brat (age 60 does not qualify him for bratling status)you know who it is.)

Well, after almost 3 days of struggling without my regular IT support on hand, I am now back online and ready to go.  God has blessed me with skills I know I dont have to get to this point.  I think my husband was doing some serious praying on the rig, to get me to this far.

The only problem I have now, is that I have so much to say to you all, about so many different subjects, that I don't know where to start...

Well, for one thing, who left the freezer door open?  Man!  It has been cold in Cape Town since we came back.  Note to self:  Next time you go on a tropical holiday, don't come back before winter isn't over!

I must confess I have been rather shocked by the temparature difference.  Coming from 31 degrees to 13 degrees was not pleasant.  The water in Malaysia was warmer than our weather!  And I couldn't even see the snow to make up for suffering the cold.

Now that the ice is broken, what else can I talk about that has been brewing in my mind?  How heavy a topic do I want to go for?  The life-universe-and-everything kind of topic, of which I have plenty, or the more life-is-funny type of topic?  Got plenty of those too...

Well, I think the one thing I learned this week is to respect my husband for what he does.  Fixing broken pc's and computers in general must be a pain in the butt.  Working on different keyboards, every time, a thousand times a day, must be a skill almost as impressive as playing a piano.  Not to mention all the different screen settings.  I forgot how nice I had my own pc set up. Going to hate having to find all the buttons to do it all over again.  Took me almost 3 years to get my pc the way I liked it...  Oh well, at least is the big brat blessed with the skill to do all this, for it brings home the bacon and I'm blessed to only have to suffer through it once in a blue moon.
Another thing that has me puzzled is why the month of August is so littered with birthdays?!  I mean really, what is it that caused this?  It is too early for good Christmas holiday results...  In my direct family I have 5 birthdays, not to mention uncles, aunt and cousins. Two of which are my own bratlings! I lost count of all my friends who have August birthdays... If it weren't for Facebook, I would have a hard time keeping track.  Although, galavanting as I did this month, I had to post a blanket birthday wish, as I missed most of their birthdays in anyway.  That sort of happens when you are on a tropical island with limited internet access.  Not that I complain about all of you!  You are each a blessing in my life.

You know what else bugs me?  How much clothes lands up in the washing basket over a weekend.  Don't the family realise that Monday is linen day.  Don't use up all the clothes in your cupboards please!  But for some reason, on Saturday and Sunday, the kids get more messy?  Am I the only one suffering from this?
Well, at least we are blessed with lots of clothes to wear, I maybe I should not complain too loudly.

Well, tomorrow we attempt to get life back to normal in our house.  Or as normal as possible.  Lets hope the fires will die down for a bit, so that I can have a smooth start.

Have a blessed week everyone.  Hopefully, I will soon be back to my normal, regular ramblings.
From Little old me.

Home Sweet Home

Well, there is nothing as nice as spending a month doing as little as possible on a tropical island, except coming home and sleeping in your own bed!!!  No other bed ever sleeps the same as your own bed.  It was bliss going to bed last night.  Curling up under the duvet and smelling home all around me. Had the first real sleep in weeks, but who cares about sleep if you are lazing about in anyway.

The zoo looks like it survived.  The only deaths was my old cockatial, who was probably older than we knew, and a goldfish that I expected to expire before we left already.  I have two nests in the avery with eggs, so how many babies are on the way there?! And my ducks and dogs are doing the nature thing. The ducks lay eggs where ever they think is safe and the dogs go hunting their nests down and eat up the eggs as fast as the ducks can lay it... Thanks for that bit of nature, don't know what I will do with millions of ducklings around.  Especially, since I'm not allowed to raise the ducks for the pot...  Pity really, they taste delicious.  I have a couple of good recipies to use.

The house is sparkling clean as my righthand had all her time to spend spring cleaning early.  All the cupboards are need and the toys sorted.  She must have really enjoyed the luxury of no interference. No kids getting in her way and messing up as she cleans. 

A further blessing is that my husband has traveled safely back to Brazil and only needs to return to his rig on Friday, giving him a couple of days to get over his jet lag. Apparently he had great seats on both flights there.  So glad he is getting some rest in.  11 hours time difference can kill you mentally.

The kids seems do be doing well.  Still going to bed earlier than normal, but not too bad.  Myself wish I can sleep for 24 hours...

But after the holiday we had, there is no reason for any complaints.  This was the best holiday ever.  A great time of relaxing and family time.  Doing a lot of things that is a once in a life time experience.  Seeing animals that even the local don't get to see often, made it an awesome experience for us all.  We can only say a big THANK YOU GOD!!!  He blessed us beyond our expectations and dreams.

The most amazing things was, as we asked for something, it happened.  I jokingly asked for a turtle to turn up on a dive and I ended up spending 5 minutes swimming with one!  My husband hopefully wished a flying squirrel to stay in one spot for photos and we got some amazing shots of this very shy animal. My son wished to see a flying gecko and we not only found one, but had the camera on hand to take photos as evidence.

The experiences we booked for in advance to enjoy in Singapore all went smoothly and left us buzzing for days afterwards.  If the middle bratling didn't have ears he would have been a hamburger all holiday long.  I don't think he will ever forget the month of his 8th birthday!  Swimming with dolphins, snorkeling in snorkeling paradise, seeing wild animals roam freely and to end it of, having breakfast with orangutans on you birthday, somehow leaves a lasting impression.  I think he was probably spoiled the most by God this time round.  And best of all was to see how genuinely thankful he is for every little thing he got to experience.

The oldest bratling got to experience simulated skydiving in a wind tunnel with the big brat and then got to experience scuba diving in paradise.  He felt all grown up afterwards.  Left mom with a big knot in the throat to see him getting so big.  I struggle to let go of him being my little, baby boy.  And this is just the beginning. He has quite an adventurous spirit.

As for Madam bratling:  Well, she got spoiled rotten by the locals and learned quite well to manipulate everyone around her with a full blown tantrum.  Being home has brought back reality and she is busy realizing that here we all ignore 2 year old tantrums, no matter how hard you throw yourself on the floor kicking and screaming.  Her vocabulary has grown amazingly and she now speaks sentences, only problem is that a couple of Malay words has sneaked into her speech.  So if she tells you "mak-ka-si", she is not swearing at you, she is just saying thank you in Malay. 

Now the big job of going through all the photos lays ahead.  I have to process this soon, or else it will become a mess.  Lets hope I get the time to do it all. 

I'm glad to be back home and back on my social network.  Missed you all in a small way.

From a cold Cape Town, I say goodnight everyone.

From Little Old Me...

From under my coconut tree

Hi All

Well, here I am.  Relaxing under my very own coconut tree.  The morning breeze is blowing softly in my hair, the husband has the 3 bratlings and I can just relax and contemplate how good life is.  God has truly blessed us with this break.

We had a wonderful, problem free travel to get here.  The smallest two bratlings slept for most of the big stretches and managed to behave during the small stretches. The big brats got little sleep, but we coped, because we had had time to catch up on everything.  The bags traveled safely, under God's protection from all the prayers it received.  And everything went smooth at all the check points.

Singapore was amazing and the boys were thoroughly spoiled as bratlings should be.  There was a 30 minute swim with dolphins, riding them, and kissing them.  Then there was the skydive experience in a wind tunnel, that had them buzzing for hours afterwards.  China Town and all its marvels had them open mouthed running from stand to stand.  Bugis street, the food centres, the backpackers, the speedy trains, too many other experiences to name, all overwhelmed our senses.  Then came the bus ride to Malaysia and the ferry ride on to the island of Tioman.

Everything went smoothly, and we arrived with more than enough time to find a  cabin or two for the family, pack off and go for our first snorkel in crystal clear waters.  I could here my marine dragon shouting from across the bay how "awesome" it is.  (As a matter of fact, everyone on the beach heard him!)

Yesterday, was the first day the big brats managed to escape the bratlings and went for our first scuba dives.  Two beautiful dives with many amazing sights to see.   Can't believe how many breathtaking creatures God hides under the water.  It is an awesome experience.  Seeing all these things, just makes me realise how much we don't know about God.

All I can say is that this life is truly blessed and we thank God or every moment we have.  Thank you  Lord for the rest we are receiving and the wonderful family time we are having.  Thank you, that you have deemed us worthy of this.

And so I say goodbye for now, my friends, as I return to the sun and the sea and the coconut trees.

From under my coconut tree, signing out is Little old me.

What an exhausting two days it has been.  And all of it was thanks to the stress of my internet connection malfunctioning.  I don't know about you, but it seems to me that my internet has become a big part of my life.  I'm not to sure if this is a good thing or not...

I found myself at a loss today and yesterday, because my main means of communication with my husband was gone.  I had to put off doing banking till the problem is solved and worst of all for me, though not for the kids, school was sunk today.  That is what happens if your school lesson is suppose to be online...  (and here I thought I was being clever!)

How is it that I got myself so suckered into this web?  I am shocked by my own addiction to the web.  I realize, that I have become caught in the community that isn't physical!  HELP!!!  This is not good.

And then my boys can't understand why I don't want them on the net?  Or on a cellphone of their own?  Nevermind the horrible stuff out there on the net!  It is a social addiction.  We become addicted to the social networks we build, the blogs we read, the-click-of-a-button fast information we can find.  I was horrified at the thought of having to enter a bank the other day, even though I had to deposit money into my own account!

And I always thought myself free of this addiction.  When have a tool became a bad habit?  Was it when it became a social group?  Was it the interaction that caught me?  I think so.  You see, I love being part of all my facebook friends lives.  For many of them, it is the only time we can catch up on what we are doing.

If it is not a bad addiction, then why did I feel like I was having withdrawal symptoms?

Well, tonight I'm saying goodbye to you all for a whole month.  I'm going away, and will have very limited internet access.  Even less than what I have now...

I hope you'll miss me, as I'm sure to miss you all.  Maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to send you all a postcard from Tioman...

Goodnight all.  I'll see you all soon again.

From little old me.

Lessons learned from a toddler

Yesterday, I got to spend some special time with my littlest monster.  She is almost 2 and has suddenly started to show an interest in wanting to know what everything is called.  So I thought it is time to sit down and do some floor work with her.

What to teach?  Where to begin?  So we started off with red.  She loves red and has shown that she knows there is a difference in colour out there.  So I thought it was an appropriate place to start.

We started of by finding all red toys, blocks, cars and anything else that is red.  We made a big pile on our mat and started to play.  Using both Afrikaans and English talking about each toy as we played with it.  Later we drew red lines and red circles on scrap paper, till I was seeing lines and circles.  But she just loved it.  She couldn't stop.  For the first time in weeks, she wasn't driving me insane, but was actually absorbed in her task.  (Obviously, she was getting bored with her own company, while mom was else where occupied.)

She was so proud of herself and her accomplishments. Her vocabulary grew exponentially to the exposure. It was difficult to stop this onslaught of greed to learn more.  What I tried to contain to an hour went on for the rest of the day.  We just found more to learn all time.

It is so precious to see this.  For me the greatest blessing of being a stay at home mom is to be there to see them learn.  I missed most of this when my boys were this age, because I listened to people who believe that children should be send of to school at an early age.  Looking back now, I am so saddened by the loss of this time with the boys.

It is amazing to watch how these little things just suck up knowledge.  The more you give them, the more they'll take on!  They are more absorbent than a ton of sponges! 

The sad part of watching them grow is that you know that soon not much will be new for them. There will soon not be a new thing to wow them with.  But for now, we explore the world through the eyes of a two year old and love it.

To me it is a blessing to once again see the world from a child's perspective.  To remember to stop and smell the flowers, because they are there to smell.  To have fun squishing mud through my toes and fingers, because it feels funny and makes us laugh.  To be amazed by the colourful rainbows in bubbles. To be fascinated by the sounds of pouring different things through a funnel.

It reminds me to look at the crows and sparrows that fly high in the sky and not see them as pests, but wonderfully created animals in God's Kingdom.  To look at the mountain and to remember that God created it to show us that He is a consent in our lives just like the mountains.  We might move away, but He is always there.  To look at the ocean and all the mystery it represents and know that God is even more mysterious, but is as easy accessible to us today as what the ocean is.  To know that if only we go looking, we will learn to understand Him, and find marvelous qualities there.

If you have a young child nearby, take him/her for a day to show you the world through their eyes. Take them into the garden or a park.  Somewhere close to nature and be reminded that we should look at God with that same inquiring mind and be awed by Him.  And where better to go find Him than in His creation. 

Have a blessed weekend all.
From little old me.

Being Multi Lingual is a Blessing

Language is one of humanity's main characteristics.  We can communicate with others by using a vast array of sounds and writings due to language.  There are more than 6500 spoken languages in this world. In India alone there are 365 recognized languages, not just dialects.

In the Bible we learn that languages were meant to split us up, to drive us apart.  For me, languages is the flavors of this world.  I can listen to the various music made by all the languages for ages. To me each language has its own song.  A rhythm, that when learned, helps you to communicate with a people other than your own. I call this rhythm a language's "sing-song".  You pick-up the "sing-song" and you'll learn the language.

In my family, we speak (at least) two languages to each other, but have a reason to learn a lot more.  My husband and I are Afrikaans speaking by birth.  When the kids came around we were already so involved in speaking English in our environment, that they got a dose of both.  To make life more interesting, we had Congolese tenants living on our property that spoke French and the boys picked some of that up.  Our full time domestic helper is Xhosa and teaches them Xhosa.  Dad works in Brazil, so he needs to learn Portuguese. And mom just like to learn phrases in as many languages as possible, especially from all the different countries we visit.  When we are on a role, we can really have fun with all the mixes of languages spoken between us all.

As for my kids, between the 3, my oldest is the most fluent in Afrikaans.  Since the middle one refused to speak it till recently, he has some catching up to do, but is getting on nicely. His Xhosa is far more superior than his brother's though. The last monster is still deciding which one she will favor, so she just uses them all.

One of the main reasons why I find languages so important to learn, is because of the respect you get when you talk to someone in their mother tongue. (Although, my poor kids probably won't know which one theirs is, for mom speaks a different tongue for every mood she has.  ;) )

I, myself, are quick to pick up a language and with a bit of effort, I can quickly learn enough to get my wishes known while traveling.  My husband struggle.  For him learning another language takes dedication and effort.  He struggles to remember what he learned yesterday, never mind about a year ago.  Funny, my kids are OK with picking up languages.  Not brilliant, but they don't struggle too much. 

If one of them would have struggled, it had to be the middle monster.  He only started talking at the age of 3!  The reason being, that he couldn't decide which language would be the easiest to communicate the most effective with.  That is why he choose English.  Until we started school and Afrikaans and Xhosa became part of his daily learning, he wasn't too keen on speaking it. I was worried that he might be one of those kids that you hear should be taught another language as it confuses them. (Not that I really believe that theory.)

Luckily, that doesn't seem to be the case.  He has developed a knack for learning languages.  Now he'll happily try to speak to me in Afrikaans and to my right-hand in Xhosa.   Every now and again he will remind himself of the Portuguese phrases he learned in Brazil or practice the Spanish he hears on some of their DVD's.  He is quick to get the pronunciation correct and remembers it well.  His biggest dream is to learn to speak Japanese.  Since we are off to Malaysia next week, he is putting in an effort to learn basic Malay phrases. Especially the one for "no chillies in my food please". 

My oldest has recently started to cotton on to the sing-song idea, and since then is picking various languages up far quicker than before.  Once he realized not to pronounce words in an English phonetic way, but in that languages own phonetic sounds, he is improving a lot.  Funny that, for I have thought that since he is so fluent in both English and Afrikaans, (and since he has been exposed to so big a variety of different sounding languages from a young age,) he would be able to sound languages easier.  He still struggles if he forgets not to sound words in English phonetics.  When I remind him of the unique sing-song of that language, he picks it up and remembers.  Currently, he is doing great in learning Malay phrases for the holiday.  Even though he struggles with it, he is still very keen in learning new languages and has a list of what he would like to learn.

Monster number 3 is diffidently a lot more verbal than her brothers, although she is not showing any signs as to what language she will consider as her primary one.  She learns the correct terms for everything around her in all three languages spoken as a family (Afrikaans, English and Xhosa) and seems to choose the one she finds the most comforting to say.  So with her, we have a whole new language developing, for she is a mixed-grill of vocabulary.  Would love to see what words she is going to bring back from our trip.

Things I have learned from my kids and our own experience is that for one, not everyone is gifted to learn languages quickly.  Two, it is not impossible to learn a new language, no matter what your age,  just as long as you have the motivation. Three, the more exposure you have at a young age, the more likely you are to pick-up on languages.  And Four, the more languages you speak, the more you can learn.  It is just to overcome that stumbling block of learning your second language.

As to how to teach your kids a new language?  Teach it to yourself with them.  Use it in the house.  Instead of using the home language phrase, use the new language phrase you learned today.  Make it fun.  We have tickle sessions where a certain phrase will make mom stop and anything else will have me tickling them.  Toss a beanbag, where the one who throws it says the phrase in your home language and the one who catches must repeat it in the new language.  (Obviously, limit the kids to learned phrases only.)

Start with basics:  Hello, Thank you, Please, Excuse me.  Naming myself, you, others, basic actions, basic needs. Think of questions you may ask when traveling in a foreign environment.

Most of all.  When it comes to learning a new language, learn to speak it first, Don't worrying about grammar and reading.  Just get communicating.  The grammar and reading will come later when you are fluent enough to hold a conversation.

And when everyone in the house has been blessed by being fluent in the new language, mom and dad will have to find a new language to learn.  Otherwise, you won't be able to give each other secret information in front of the kids anymore.  ;)

Enjoy communicating, whether in your own language or in a foreign one. 

Blessing to all of you from little old me.

Will Madiba Day work?

Well, happy birthday Madiba.  You deserve every extra day God has graced you with.  I hope that He will show you His true love for you this year.  You were a great statesman and leader to your people.  Your struggle to free your people from oppression is impressive, I grant you that.

Unfortunately, I don't see the reason to spend 67 minutes today doing something good for Madiba's sake.  It does not mean I don't want to do good.  It doesn't mean that I don't get the whole idea that the people out there is trying to make the world a better place.

It is just that when I do good it is for God and Christ.  Not for a mere human being.  93 or not, Madiba is only human.  My eternal happiness is not thanks to him. Not matter how much Madiba magic he uses.

Sure, the little effort people across the globe are putting in today, might make a difference to someone's life for one day.  Maybe it will improve their lives for a week or a year.  But will it actually make an everlasting difference?

How many of us are going to spend our 67minutes today for the eternal good of mankind?  Who of you are going out today and talk about the ultimate rescue from the biggest from of oppression?

So today, that is what I plan to do.  Today I will tell you not about Madiba magic, but of God's magic.  I want to tell you about an oppression that is the main problem of this world.  The reason why nothing good we do today will impact the world we live in.  I want to tell you of the one Man that did bring us the ultimate rescue.  A rescue that has eternal value.  The One Way to peace and no suffering.

You see, God created a good world.  He created man to live in peace and harmony with Him.  But Man wanted to be like God.  Man wanted the same powers as God and when temptation came, Man turned his back on God and seized the opportunity to try and be like God.  The only problem is, that humans can't be gods.  We can't have godly powers, for it destroys our souls.*

We became imperfect and we could no longer be in God's presence.  For even a glimpse of His glory will kill us.  No longer did we stand in relation with God.  War existed between us an God.  No matter what we do.  We will never be good again...

We faced a dark future, and the brokenness and pain we see in the world today is all because of this act of defiance. Our own rebellion has cause our own downfall.
We are under the oppression of our very own sinful nature.  We need to escape and overcome our own sinful self.

You see, even if you never disobeyed or disrespected your parents and other people older than you and placed in authority over you.  Even if you never committed murder, physical or in your mind. Even if you never had sex with anyone other than your wife or husband and never lusted after another.  Even if you never stole a minute of your life, not to mention anything that does not belong to you.  Even if you never told tiniest of white lies or any form of an untruth.  Even if you were never jealous and wanting something that is not yours to have.  Even then:  you sin. 

You see, in our current state of our nature, we are incapable of loving God the way He should be loved.  We are incapable of putting God first. We are incapable  not having idols.  We are incapable of respecting God's name.  We are incapable of even having 67 minutes set apart for God, never mind 24 hours.

So you see, we are doomed, by our own nature.  In every religion across the Globe, people fear their death, for with death comes judgement.  And deep inbedded in us, we know, we don't stand a chance.

But God is Good.  He knows we can't avoid damnation by ourselves.  He knows, that no matter how good we are, we will not be good enough.  So...

He had a plan from the beginning.  He allowed Himself to come down to earth as a Man, born from a young, virgin maiden, just like He said He would to the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 7:14)  He suffered in this life.  Living a life of an outcast, being sneered at, bullied, and even complotted against.  Eventually, He was brutally killed, in a shameful death on a cross.  Again this was prophesied by Isaiah and many others.  When He died, the earth shuddered, the sun hid its face away.  Nature was ashamed by the awful murder of its Creator.  Man's sinful nature seemed to have overcome God.

For three days, the earth held its breath.  Waiting...  And then, that glorious morning arrived!  Christ rose from the grave.  His resurrection was to symbolize, that His plan had worked.  He had faced God's wrath.  He become our sin.  He was killed in God's anger.  He has faced our punishment.  Death could not hold Him, for He is God.

He gave up His life, not just 67 years, to rescue us from our oppression.  He overcome, not by a warlike struggle, that harmed men, but by Godly Power. The only person hurt was Him.

And through Him we can stand in God's presence once more.  We are no-longer outcasts. No longer do we need to be God's number one enemy.  If we turn from our own sinful rebellion against God.  If we stop wanting to be our own god.  If we accept Jesus as our Lord and God, and face God with him on our side, we no longer need to fear judgement.

When each and every human being on this earth has turned to Christ and stand firm in Him, we won't need to suffer.  There won't be the need for 67 minutes drives for doing good.  We will all want to do good, all the time.  We will all love our neighbours as ourselves. When Christ rules every person on earth, we will have reached Heaven.

So I suggest, for today, spend you 67 minutes, on finding God's place in your life.  Give it to God and not Madiba.  Then you will do eternal good...

My God's Love enfold you today and bless you, now and for all eternity.

From little old me

PS: *(Don't confuse powers with character traits please.  Those, we can obtain and did have before our fall from Grace. But that is another rambling all on its own.)


John 3:16  "For God so loved the world tht H e gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Rom: 1:16 "I'm not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew and then for the Gentile"

Kids and Sport

I must say!  I am one very proud aunt.  My nephew (10years old) was chosen to represent South Africa in Australia next month in the Karate discipline.  Who would have thought that I would see one of my family members represent our country at the Commonwealth games!

It must be the blessings of the in-laws.  My husbands family also have a couple of green and gold carriers, for gymnastics.  Quite something.  But with all these top performers in the family, it makes me wonder if I'm doing something wrong.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm really chuffed with the achievements these kids have reached.  And at a very young age as well. Not something to be picky about.  I love that the kids had it in them to do it. And I appreciate the effort my sisters-in-law have put in to getting their kids to these levels.  BUT...

Truth be told, I'm glad it is not my kids.  It is nice to stand on the sideline and cheer on the troupes, but to face all that pressure?  I prefer the pressure I have thanks. ;) (OK, I'm a bit jealous as well, but only a little bit.)

I feel that if a child has the natural inclination to perform in athletics, he will get there.  You can either push it at a young age, or you can let them discover it for themselves as they grow older.  My kids have some great natural talent in some of activities, but they don't want to do the competitions. 

Does that make me a bad mother, for not pushing them into the competition?  I know that, when they do compete, they do well.  The problem is, they don't like loosing and will therefor rather not compete.  I understand that 100%. 

Anyways, shouldn't kids of this age, rather just have fun doing all the various activities?  Do we need to expose them to the cut-throat business of big competitions?  How many times do you hear the parents complain about the bitching and fighting amongst the parents at these competitions? It is scary what goes on behind the scenes.

If your child do compete, good on you!  I admire your nerves of steal.

For me and my kids?  We are happy and content in keeping active in a fun way. Doing something we love and are good at.  That is enough blessing for us for now.  And should we become competitive, we'll cross that bridge hopefully with style.

Remember, the idea of kiddies sport is FUN, not winning.  Even if winning does make it more fun. Be blessed by the fact that your child is healthy enough to do a sport.  Try not to live through your child, but let them make their choices.

And this is why I am so proud of my nephew.  He decided at an early age, this is what he wants, and he is going for it.  He is blessed by a wonderful mom and dad that support him 100% all the way there.  He is his own driving force, and I think he is going to make it big. 

And if your child choose differently, it doesn't make him a failure.  Just a person that is possibly content with who they are without having to proof themselves to anybody.  Maybe they are scared of loosing, but no amount of pressure will make it fun for them.

Don't assume, ask.  Be in contact with your child's feelings and help them to understand that no matter what their choice, you'll support their choice.

In this way, you can bless your child with a love for sport, not because of winning but because it is good, healthy fun.

Hope you all had a great sporting day!

From Little old me.

Lets be animated...

You know what I love about animated movies?  It is how the creators of these movies gives life to mundane, ordinary objects of our day to day life.  As you can probably tell, I just returned from my date with bratling # 2 and we went to watch 'Cars 2'. 

Can you imagine a world were normal things come to life?  Imagine walking into your kitchen and discovering that your pots and wooden spoons are arguing about the taste of your cooking.  Or hearing the plates in the dishwasher complaining that the water jets is not working as well as it should, and they are still soiled.

What about your clothes having a nice sing-a-long in the washing machine?  Or maybe it complains to the iron that it made a pleat in it, where no pleat should be.

Or what about the lounge furniture?  Maybe you have a couch that hates animals, and shoos them off all the time.  Or maybe you have a chair that loves the cuddle of a fury creature and that is why your cat always end up on it.

What stories will be told by all our gadgets? 

Cellphone:  "I just hate going to the movies!  I always gets turned off and can't watch what is happening! Is it my fault that I start ringing when I get exited?  I much rather stay at home!" 

Or the camera:  "Wait till I show you what the kids got up to today!  Honestly, they are going to give their mother gray hair with all their tricks!"

What will you PC or laptop have to say? "It is so boring...  All she ever does, is go to the same old boring sites.  Wish I can get hacked again.  Maybe I'll then get to meet some more fun computers to hang out with..."

Would the lady gadgets team up and form social clubs and support groups?  Would the male gadgets have to best each other, no matter what their job description is? 

I can just imagine it.  My cellphone, PC and camera, will have a good sit down and talk about how wonderful all the latest family news and photos were.  And what can be done to make me access more friends and family.  How can they work together to make sure my life is easier?  But then one would say something stupid and the other will get all huffed up and soon a cat fight breaks out.  Eventually, the timid one will apologize and call it quits.  Then all will be better. Or, maybe that is what happens when your gadget gives up the ghost.  It just had enough of all the other gadgets and their attitude towards it.

My husband's cellphone, notepad and camera would brag about who got used where and who did the best job in helping my husband in his various tasks. They will argue about who's job is the most important, and which one is the most needed.  Then they will start bragging about what each one can do and how they helped my husband in the last 24 hours. They will kick back and enjoy a good battle of mine is bigger than yours.

Sometimes, I'm rather glad my animals can't talk.  There is a couple of them, that I suspect will ramble my ears of my head.  And maybe I don't really want to know what my cats think.  Especially the one...  I have a sneaky suspicion he doesn't like the way things are run in this house. He can't see why he should not be the center of attention at all times.  His name should have been Garfield for all his attitude.

And if my car had to have a will of its own?  I can just imaging what she will do.  Maybe she will be able to better defend herself against the reckless shoppers that bang their doors open and harm her.  Ever notice how many marks your car have from parking lots at shopping centers?  Won't it be nice if your car could hit back?

Imagine how burglar proof your house can be! 

Ah well,  we don't live in animation.  So, I better go see what I'm going to make for supper on my own.  Can't just shout orders to the kitchen equipment...

Why don't you dream up some fun animation ideas up for the stuff in your house.  Can make for fun dinner conversation.

Enjoy your evening. 
From Little old me.

Goodbye Harry Potter.

To all my regular followers, I'm sorry for being so quiet the last couple of days, but life got a little hectic here.  My head had to content with rambling in my sleep, as there was no other time for it.  Unfortunitely, I now woke up with a headache from all the blocked ramblings that didn't make it to the blog.  ;)  At least all the activities that kept me from rambling was good fun, and nothing too horrible to cope with.

This week is date week.  Yesterday I took my oldest on his date with mom.  He is finally old enough to legally go watch Harry Potter on the big screen.  Here comes the big confession.  We are Harry Potter fans.  I have to confess that we first discovered the movies and then the books, but from book 4 onwards, we eagerly awaited the next book or the next movie to make their appearance.  I've read the books more times than I could care to count. 

Don't get me wrong.  I know there is bad in the books and the movies.  I know it is not all healthy and good fun.  If you wish to dwell deeper you can find some scary stuff. That is why I place limits on my kids access to it.  It is not off limits, but within limits.  What I feel they can't deal with I don't allow them, till I see they are at a point were they can deal with it.  But I'm not keeping it from them.  To do so would be counter productive in this household. 

Apart from the fact that I love it, I also know, that my kids are like me. The more you say no, the more they will want to do so and will do so behind my back if given the opportunity. So I rather expose them in a controlled why.  One were we discuss the good and the bad of the books.

Originally, I watched the first movie out of boredom on an airplane, 9 years ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed this magical world.  Then a couple of months later the second movie hit the circuit and once again I thought it would be a good escape from my depressed mood.  After that I bought the first book, and so my love relation with Harry Potter started.  I later tried to justify it, with the "I have to know what my kids will read one day" excuse, but truth be told:  I simply loved it myself.

So what make Harry Potter so popular?  Is it just good advertisement?  Or is the books really that good?  I must admit, like many Potter fans, I found the movies not nearly as good as the books, but I still liked watching them. But the books are amazingly well written.

Harry Potter is pure escapism.  J.K. Rowling manages to have you spellbound from the beginning till the end.  She abducts you into this mysterious world where everything makes perfect sense at the end of the day.  Where good always come out tops, but were the evil frustrates you to the point that you want to see it destroyed.

She creates reasonable explanations for baffling things in this world.  Why do you loose a key, or why are we depressed during raining weather?  Some times you wish it really was the explanation for that thing that drives you mad.

My husband hold out on the temptation till last year.  Calling it all sorts of names.  And then he finally sub come and started to read it.  He had to grudgingly admit to enjoying it. Actually finding it fascinating and spellbinding.

One negative about Harry Potter?  You struggle to escape his world to return to reality.  It is hard to come back from reading his story.  It is as if you have lost touch with a friend you really cared about. It keeps worrying at the back of your head.

So is Harry Potter a curse of a blessing?  Honestly?  I think he is both.  He is a blessing for millions of parents that struggled to get their kids to read.  He was a blessing for me when I was depressed or worried and needed an escape.  But he was a curse for me, because when I needed to focus, I still had him hanging in my head for days after finishing off the book...  He is a curse to those people, who wants to dwell in the darkness of the magical world, as he can be a foothold into it.

I don't think it is a healthy book to read if you are already inclined to paganism, for together with the Internet you can quickly get sucked into the occults.  I don't think parents should let their kids read it on their own, without knowing what goes on in the books and discussing the various aspects in the book with your child. Talk through the bad stuff, explain why it is evil and not something to wish you could do.  Explain why God wishes us to stay away from magic.

Harry Potter can be your stumbling block if you let it.  Or he can be just good entertainment, escapism, and an exciting story.  You must make up your mind which it will be...

For me, I'm sad to see the end of an era.  Yesterday I said a final goodbye to 3 of my all time favourite characters. But I'm also glad it has come to an end.  No more unanswered questions about what will happen next.  No more living in suspense. 

So, farewell all fellow Harry Potter fans.  It was a great fun, but now it is time to escape the magical world and return to the reality of our normal lives.

Hope you all have a magical day today. ;)
From little old me.

A Blessing of Bubbles

I just love bubbles.  As a matter of fact, I think the only reason why there is such a fight in the house over bubbles, is because I want to make the bubbles last as long as possible and my kids want it all now...

I love bubbles floating away in the wind.  Playing on the breaths of wind that stir the air.  For me, there is not a lot of things I enjoy more than parking off on the grass, bubble machine turning bubbles out and watching the entertainment you get from bubbles.

It is fun to watch the bratlings, trying to catch the bubbles.  To see them run and jump as they grasp the air in their attempts.  I enjoy to see the dogs in confusion, when they bite the bubble and all is gone. Even though that might seem mean,  they love it!

Or what about the wonder on the face of a baby, as they first discover bubbles.  Their little eyes following these rainbow rich orbs, floating passed them.  I can stare at a scene such as this for hours.

I'll never forget it, but some years ago, when my mood was as dark as the night, weighed down with worries. While I was rushing off somewhere, there in the middle of the busiest road in town, right on eye level, floated a whole stream of bubbles.  They just kept playing in that stream of air, until they actually went to far to watch.  It left me with a ray of sunshine in my heart.  For the rest of the day, my heart was upbeat and happy.

Bubbles are fascinating.  They are filled with colour, and yet they are translucent.  They are matter, for it takes a visible form, but yet you can't really catch it. And oh, the hours of entertainment it brings to young and old alike.

I have been to one or two weddings where bubbles were used instead of confetti or streamers and rose petals.  It was so lovely to watch the cascade of bubbles floating past a bride and groom, that looks as if they too, are floating on the air from happiness.  It looks like a million prayers of well wishes floating of to God's throne, to bless this couple.

What is more relaxing than a nice hot, deep, bubble bath?  One where you can sink into oblivion, with no interruptions?  Maybe a nightcap of some sort, in your hand, maybe a nice book. Soaking up the aroma and heat, in that small world that is your bathroom.

I love watching my youngest monster unwind in her own bubble bath, made with bubbles out of her favourite purple dinosaur's tummy.  She will roll in the water, catching bubbles, clapping bubbles all over the bathroom floor, while filling the house with her laughter.

And nothing gets the boys faster to the tub, than the promise that they can have a nice, long, play-bubble bath.  That means a nice deep and warm bath with loads of bubbles.  There is normally a fight for who goes first, for the first one gets the most bubbles.

And then I remember my own childhood.  How my brothers and I used to rub the soap onto our facecloths in patterns and then blow through the facecloth on the other side to make bubble patterns on our facecloths.  Use to keep us entertained for hours.

Do you remember all the funny hairdos you made with the bubbles?  And the beards and mustaches!  It was so funny, we even had to call mommy to come see.  And now, I have my own children doing it.  And I get to have all that fun all over again.

I think that when my time comes to go Home, you can scatter my ashes, while you are blowing me kisses of bubbles.  I would like that.  It can be the last bubble bath this body takes.

I hope you all will find a way to go blow some bubbles today and unwind.  Even if it is only through your facecloth in the shower, where no-one but you will see.

May the bubbles buoy up your soul today.
From Little old me.

What is Heaven?

What is your idea of heaven? What do most of us think heaven is about?  How often to you hear someone say, 'this was heaven'  or 'that was heavenly' or 'almost like heaven".  You may even say so yourself, many times over.

We use heaven and the Lord's name so quickly and easily.  We give normal humanly created things 'divine' status, without thinking twice.  Ice-cream, cake, and food of all sorts, often gets a divine status.  Maybe you think that heaven is going to be filled with an as-much-as-you-can-eat buffet?  Or maybe it was a piece of music, or art, or even a movie.  So, is heaven going to be a theater filled with cultural pieces to keep you from boredom?  Oh, the best I heard was a shopping center being called divine!  I mean really?  Can you imaging a mall in heaven?!

OK, I know there will be a feast in heaven so tick the food idea. I'm sure there will be music of some sort.  BUT SHOPPING?  What glory is there to God in a mall?!

So what is heaven going to be like?  I know some people will say that it is a place where you won't know your mother-in-law, for there will be no pain. Or other similar silly statements.  What about the pearly gates with a couple of angels or saints doing guard duty, judging you worthy of heaven or not?

Heaven is a subject of jokes for many people.  And believe me, I have laughed at my fair share of some.  It can be very funny, if you don't understand heaven.  If you look at heaven from a human perspective, you can think up some really funny scenarios.

But what is Heaven?  Why do so many people want to believe in Heaven?  What does it hold for us?

I think the idea of Heaven is for many people the hope they need to get through their suffering.  A place where they hope to meet up with loved ones that has passed on to the next life.  Maybe they hope it is a place where they will get their just reward for all the good things they have done. 

Is Heaven real?  Oh yes!  For sure it is real.  But Heaven is holy, it is divine and it is Godly.  It is not at all something we as normal humans can understand.  The Bible is very clear about Heaven in certain aspects. 

Heaven is God's dwelling.  If you enter heaven, you will stand 'face' to face with God.  We all know that, that is impossible to do now.  God's holiness will disintegrate you as you are now.  No-one can see God and live.  So Heaven is a scary place for a mere sinful human.  Unless you have a Shield that can protect you from God, you don't stand a chance.

Heaven is holy.  It is a place set apart for God.  We shouldn't take Heaven lightly, as it is declared holy by God for God.  So we should treat it as holy.  Just like the temple of old was holy, so Heaven is holy.  We can only enter it if we were ceremonially washed and cleansed.  Only after we have been atoned for our sins.

As for angels or saints passing judgement? God will be your judge.  Your acceptance into Heaven will only come if you pass Jesus' judgement on your kinsmanship to Him.  If you don't stand in relation to God, you won't enter.

Next time you think of Heaven, don't imagine a worldly view, but focus on the Godly view.  Don't take it lightly.  You cannot enter it on your own.  You won't see all your friends and family members there.  But you will see God and spend eternity with Him, if you enter by His Grace, in the presence of His Son, washed from sin by the blood of Jesus, atoned by the ultimate price of Christ's death on the Cross, having Jesus as your shield from God's wrath. Basically, if you stand firmly in Christ, I will see you there.

Then we can glorify God together.  We can bless Him with our prayers and songs of praise together with the angels and all the saints. We will be blessed in joining Him at the biggest wedding feast ever held.  This is Heaven. 

May God bless you all this week. May He give you a glimpse of Heaven as you find a song or prayer of praise rising to your lips.  May it come in thanks for all the blessing He gives you on a daily basis.

God bless you.

From Little old Blessed me.

 

Why is it that the sun brings us so must happiness?

Good morning world!  I hope you all are having a super day.  Here the sun is shining and they say, that regardless of the fact that right now it is 6 degrees Celsius out there, we are in for a hot day.  Would never say it is winter in Cape Town the way the weather has been this week.

At least it has put a lot of Capetonians in a much better mood.  Having the sun around does do that to us.  Which makes me wonder...

Why is it that everyone is in such a better mood when the sun shines?  What is it in us that makes happier in the sun? 

If it is raining for days nonstop, we all get depressed and angry at the world.  J.K. Rowling, created these monsters called 'dementors' in her books that breeds in mist and foul weather.  Their sole purpose is to suck all happiness from the humans nearby.  I can completely relate to that.  It is as if everyone goes mental and derailed of their faculties when the weather turns foul.  Even the smallest child sub-come to it.

When it is dark outside, many of us live in fear of one sort or the other, while waiting for the sun to come out again.  Either real fears for ones safety, or emotional fears about all our worries weighing us down.

And normally, the answers come when the sun is out.  The fears melt away to a point where you can deal with it. 

But, then there is the greatest darkness.  The one that binds you.  It blinds you to all normal light.  It throws you into a deep dark pit of depression, and like being kissed by a dementor, you are left soulless, living an existence with no joy, no hope, no love.  Just a big hole of nothingness left in your heart and mind.  There is almost no real cure for it. 

Doctors pump you full of drugs, that is suppose to help.  And sometimes it helps for a while, but soon that darkness is back.  It sneaks up on you and snare you into its claws one more time.  It becomes a vicious cycle of take drugs, feel better for a while and then you are back in the pit.  Take more drugs, feel better for a while and then you are back in the pit.  And this just keeps going on.

So is there a real cure?  Is there a way we can get out of this darkness forever?

I believe yes.  It worked for me, and for countless other people who also struggled. 

You see, there is a Greater Light.  One that no darkness, however great, can hide.
This Light will give you the joy, the hope, the love and the forgiveness you need to help you see the Light.  Once you walk in this Light, the darkness will try to overcome you and steel you away, but if you clang to the Light and hold onto His Word, you will never again be caught.  Jesus is the light, the way and the truth, no one can enter the Light if not through Jesus.  (Read John 14.)

This is why, we normal people feel happier when the sun shines.  It is God's reminder of the Bigger Light, His SON, that He has send into this world to safe us all from the darkness.

So today I want to bless you all, by praying that today and every other day here after, you will wander in the Light of God.  Never to be stolen away from His grace. 

If you need assistance in finding this Light, and you can't send me a personal message, speak to minister or a Christian friend nearby.  Or any person, that you know is a follower of Christ.  We will all be delighted to help you find the Light.

May the Joy of God, fill your day and weekend.

From Little old me.

Luggage! The Bane of Traveling!

I'm planning yet another holiday.  I know, life is tough for some of us.  This time I'm going with all 3 kids.  Now, normally, I'm not faced traveling with the kids.  I love dragging them of to go see new places.  This time is it is going to be a little bit more interesting, for two reasons:

Firstly, I'm traveling for almost 24hours, doing one stretch of 9 hour flying with a toddler, that refuses to sit still. Best of all?  The flight is while she is normally wide awake and we land at our destination at 5am in the morning!  Looks like mom and daughter are in for a interesting 48 hours.

The second thing that has my cage rattled, is that for the first time, I'm doing connection flights with booked in luggage.  I normally travel with only backpacks, but this time, the dive gear must go with.  Which leaves me with very little option but to take a big bag for the airplane's belly.  My 3 little backpacks just don't have enough space for it all...

This is actually my biggest worry.  You see, when it comes to trusting other people with my belongings, I just don't.  Not strangers at least.  Plus that with the great reputation that Johannesburg airport have for 'loosing' luggage, my confidence is almost 0%. 

It seems that this trip is going to be far different than any other trip we did before.  For one thing, we are going to spend a lot of time doing things with and for the kids.  The only luxury we are allowing ourselves is a bit of scuba diving, where the kids will have to deal with a foreign babysitter, that probably can't speak English. ;) But we promise we won't let it take up too much of our time.  We will still snorkel and play with them.

I must admit I enjoyed my holiday without the kidlings, but I know that it is far more fun to enjoy a holiday through the experience of a child.  We have quite a bit of exciting things lined up for all the kiddies and I can't wait to see their faces.  It will be worth of every complaint of boredom and hunger, and I bet there is going to be loads of those!
Another thing that is different is all the things that is going with.  Well, we've done the dive gear thing before, but that was before kids and with our own car.  This time we have a lot of luggage and a pram!  I'm starting to feel like a real mom...  My poor husband have to finally admit to being a family man!  No more mister Camel guy. 

How do normal people do it?  How do you manage to travel with loads of things and stay sane?  Do you actually have a holiday then?  Or is that why you all think I'm crazy to travel with my children? 

So, today I need your help.  I'm desperate for some advice on how to travel with  luggage that must be booked. I'm sure most of you have far more experience with that than I do.  Do I plastic wrap or not?  What is the best for locking it?  What type of bag do I take?  A big travelers bag with wheels or a suitcase with wheels?  (We are still staying in backpacker accommodation and roughing it up.)
Now, please bless me and our fellow travelers with some of your tips.  I anxiously await your ideas. Even if it is just:  'You are nuts Lulu! This can't be done.'  I love challenges like that.

May the sisterhood of traveling pants be with you all.

From Little old me.

Some Ramblings on Raising Kids.

OK, I'll confess, my last post was a seriously biased post!  Not all kids in the regular school system are brats and not all kids that are homeschooled are angels. Ask me, I regularly have to confess to having 3 bratlings.  And my kids have some lovely friends that are in normal schools with mommies and daddies that work.

So how do they do it?  How do you have well balanced kids when you are working and sending them to school? I think the magic lies in parent involvement.  If mom or dad makes time for their child on a daily basis. Talk about nothing and everything, show interest in the child's life. If you do this, then your children learn they too are important.

Find out what is going on at school.  Be the nosy, over involved mom.  Your child will love it at times, and hate it at times, but you will know what is going on.

Make sure that you make time to talk to your child about the important things in life.  Don't expect the church to tell your child about God.  You must teach your child about God.  If you don't know the truth, study it with you child and find the answer.  Teach your child to question all the "truths" out there, without having to go and try it all out. 

Can you imagine what will happen if your child decide to find out the truth about drugs by first having to try it out?

Don't expect the school to tell your child about creation, for they teach evolution.
It is easier to deny God than to understand the mystery that is God and His creation.

Sex education in school is more about how to avoid getting a STD than the true reason for it and why it should be sacred.  Remember, to the world out there sees sex as a recreation tool, not a beautiful thing to be shared between a husband and wife.

The schools are very secular,  so if you are not, you have to spend extra time teaching your child your values.  Not just the values, but also the reason behind the values.

Todays kids are not satisfied with a "because, this is the way it should be" reason.
Be prepared to back-up whatever value you teach your child.  They will need to defend themselves in the world out there, if they don't live the way their friends do.

If the parents build the foundation of their child life, it doesn't matter where they school.  Make sure your child can defend their views without fear. Help them to not just gain knowledge, but to apply it.  Remember, the power lies in  applied knowledge.

And then be there for them, when the system makes their live a misery.  Because the system don't like independent, well adjusted kids.  They don't make good slaves...

So, if you have ticked all these boxes, give yourself a pat on the back and bring the kids over for a playdate. ;)

Enjoy your day!

With love from little old me.