The teenpad and why it is outside!

When I bought my house, my daughter was still in her last year at school, a crotchety eldest sister who was definitely not getting on with her brothers. So it was a big drawcard for my buying the house that the outside room, normally a servants quarters had been turned into a nicely tiled room with en-suite shower and toilet. Ideal for my eldest kids. Robynne stayed in that room for a couple of years and I used to go in there about once a month when she was on a sleepover and springclean. The room was very girly with a lot of knick-knacks and not a spare surface to put anything down. When she left home, Dael took up residence in the outside room and although he doesn't have as many belongings as his sister he is possibly the dirtier resident.

Anyway, last Friday night when the boys were at youth group for the evening, I decided that it was a good time to springclean as I hadn't been in there to clean for about 2 months. The only times I went in there was to get out a load of mugs (literally a laundry basket full) when I found I had nothing left in the kitchen or to rescue some of my towels lying in rapidly decaying heaps on his bedroom floor.

So I gathered the necessary supplies, bolstered my courage with a shot of vodka or two and entered the temple of disgust. Anybody who has teenage boys will know how their living area can begin to smell after only a short time!! I started with the bathroom. The toilet area was not to be touched until I had sprayed the general area with liberal amounts of bleach disinfectant while standing at a distance. I let that soak for a while and began wiping the basin and windowsill area. The shower curtain got the bleach treatment on both sides while I tackled the toilet. And so I continued. In between fetching more supplies from the main house or taking a load of laundry to the wash, I would down another shot of vodka.

While other naughty forties were enjoying an evening of fun and enjoyment, I was at home getting high on bleach fumes and cheap vodka. At about 9.30 pm, I got a phone call to fetch the boys and went off merrily and probably over the legal limit - luckily the roads were quiet! Dael was quite amused that I had to get tipsy to clean his room!

(P.S. I was sick to stomach in the morning - payback for my sins!)

Valentines Day for One!

Valentines Day has never been big in my life. As a little bookworm I used to see my two younger sisters getting the dates and the flowers and chocolates and I got used to not getting any myself. Even when I was married, the gift-giving was minimal. But now that I am older and wiser, I know that the best Valentines gifts.....Are Those That You Give Yourself!

I thinks I'll get myself an extra large chocolate and maybe something alcoholic. And maybe I'll tape my kids mouths shut for the day so that I can't hear their nagging about how bored they are!

Hope your Valentines Day is everything you wish it to be.

Lovies,

Momcat

Exhausted Friday!!

Got to work at 7.50am and I feel like I have done my whole day's work already. Friday is just one day too many - can't we have a 3-day weekend?

Got up at 5.30am (half an hour late!) and after a quick trip to the bathroom, entered the wreck that was my kitchen. I didn't have time to do my floor yesterday so it was really creepy this morning. The cats chased me into the kitchen and immediately started yowling for food (which wasn't cooked yet). Boiled the kettle for coffee and poured some milk down for the cats to shut them up. Decided I didn't have time to wash the dishes so just cleared the clean dishes and stacked the dirty lot ready for washing later. started wiping down the kitchen counters. Remembered that Bradley needed to get up early to rewrite his Biology assignment which I had written down last night (types of soil and uses and it took me about an hour and a half of brain drain to figure it all out). Put on a pot of rice and veg. peels to cook for the cats and a pot of meat porridge at the same time. Started tidying up the couch covers and collecting items for return to bedroom. Dropped items in bedroom and woke Bradley at the same time. He stirred and asked for Oats for breakfast which also need to be cooked. I dragged him out of bed and got him started. Finished cooking the meat porridge for the cats and started the pot of oats. Started sweeping out the living room. Went to wake Dael for work (he has an outside bedroom). Finished cooking the oats. Finished sweeping, sprayed disinfectant on the kitchen floor and mopped it. At the same time helped Bradley with the homework. Dished out the cats food. Put up the ironing board and ironed 2 shirts (boys) and a skirt (me) for the day. Put ironing board and iron away. Charge Bradley's cell phone so I can phone him later. Ran my bath water. Prepared lunches for the kids and me. Fed the fish. Cleaned the cat sandtray. Closed up the house. Went to bath and get dressed (10 mins. tops). Brushed teeth and moisturised face. Gathered handbag and lunch. Out the door.

Dael's morning routine : Make coffee and sit in the lounge smoking a cigarette and listening to music all the while messaging his contacts on Mxit. Then goes to shower and get dressed and meet me back in the house for any help I need gathering inside cats and kittens and locking the house.

Bradley's morning routine : Get up slowly and eat breakfast served by mom in bed (cos he's so slow) with squinty eyes, still half asleep. Roll over for another few minutes shuteye until mom throws ironed shirt on the bed and shouts at him to get up and get dressed. Float through and play with the kittens all the while getting dressed slowly. Pack his bag and lunch after being instructed by mom. Brush his teeth after being instructed by mom to do so. Fight with Dael and waste some more time. Eventually he is ready and tries to help by getting the kittens in.

I come to work to relax in my comfy chair in my quiet office and be served a large cup of coffee by Daisy, our office assistant.

Have a good Friday and roll on the weekend!

I've been a stranger but I'm back now.

After a week from hell and today's previous two attempts at posting getting lost, I don't think I can be accused of giving up too easily.

My week has included the following, in no particular order:

Dael getting his tongue pierced! He has been wanting to get this done since he was 16 and now since he is a man with money, he finally got what he wanted. What he didn't realise and I quote: "I didn't realise that getting my tongue pierced would hit me so hard". He couldn't eat properly. Even a plate of scrambled egg took him two hours to eat. His tongue was swollen. He has been taking pain killers and anti-inflammatories. As for me, one doesn't mess with one's tongue, dearie!!

My car's left front wheel tried to fall off! I kid you not. On the way to dropping Brad off at school, a loud banging noise was detected. I crawled my car to the garage and my daddy took me to work (thanks dad!). About two hours later, the jokers at the garage called to say "your car was beyond repair and we gave it away". Ha! I think I would have to pay someone to take it away! What's it going to cost? R2,500.00. Okay pull the other one. For that amount of money you will have to keep it for about two weeks! Anyway they tightened all the bolts and checked the other tires and for an amount of R228.00 I got my car back! Anyway I decided to go the whole hog and my jalopy also has two new tires and its wheel alignment done on dad's account (thanks dad!).

The boys were playing with rubber bands that Dael bought from work. "Pick them up cos the cats will eat them!" They didn't believe me, they didn't listen and this morning in the bathroom, I noticed Charlie, my big orange male chewing on something which turned out to be...a rubber band! So at 5am I was deep cleaning my living area and found rubber bands behind the couch, on shelves and even on my dish rack amongst the clean dishes. All off which went in the bin. But the damage could be done. My little orange female kitten (Flopsy) is sick today. She has been bringing up and is off her food. I hope she hasn't eaten one cos Dael is going to find something else to spend his hard-earned wages on - the vet! My cats are known for eating plastic bags (Kittykie) (previously wrapped around meat - understandable!) and thread with needle attached (Bitsy) which embedded itself in kitty's cheek and caused an abscess.

Phoned Robynne in Cape Town to catch up on her news which generally consists of boring work and busy social life. She informs me that the Twilight craze has caught up to her and she has read 2 books, is reading the 3rd and has ordered the 4th. She loves them! She hasn't been too well for some time and has been battling to throw off the flu. She lost her appetite and hasn't really eaten much for 2 weeks. Her boss (surrogate mom) bought her health shakes which she drinks for all 3 meals and at least is getting the vitamins and minerals she needs. She is also attending belly dancing lessons which she says give her a fantastic workout! So she should be the new slimline Robynne soon!

My sister (also in Cape Town) has been retrenched from her job where she has been for 5 years. She is understandably quite upset but is acting as if it isn't a big thing. She is trying to handle it on her own which is not a good idea because sometimes just talking about what is happening relieves stress. Someone you talk to might have a suggestion or an idea or might know someone who needs to employ someone. That person you confide in will not only help you to feel better but might have the solution to your problem.

My darling daughter!

I miss my daughter a lot and there's only so much you can fit into a short visit (Christmas) especially when said daughter really doesn't want to be there but just wants to go home. Its not like when you are actually living with or near your loved one and experiencing their day to day activities as they occur.

She is sometimes impatient and short-tempered with me as if I am a silly child who really doesn't get the message. I am simplistic person who really enjoys staying home and relaxing. She is going through the 'superior being' phase with places to go and people to see. I last spoke to her early last week and she was in a bit of a hurry so we didn't prolong the conversation. She updates me on her doings with the shortest of explanations. If I make a comment on her Facebook wall she accuses me of stalking her. However I did feel the need to send her an sms on Sunday just to say that I missed her and loved her and hoped she was having a good day. No reply but I didn't really expect it.

I got an email this morning to say that she had written on my Facebook wall - "Hi Mommy I miss you! Wanted my mom last night coz I was feeling sick :-( Have a lovely day, Love you"

Sometimes a bit of distance and silence makes the heart grow fonder. I will phone her later and find out what is wrong and what is happening and I remain hopeful that in time to come we will live closer together and maybe regain some of the close relationship we had when she was growing up.

I love you, my darling daughter.

XBox, budgeting, spiders and weed wacking!

Bradley loves computer and TV games but since our computer at home went on the fritz he hasn't been able to play and has been nagging for a PlayStation or Xbox for ever. I actually even bought him a PlayStation game last Christmas because his father promised the boys a PlayStation (which never materialised due to lack of funds). Anyway now that Dael is working, Bradley has figured out that if Dael saves all his wages for about two weeks he will be able to buy an Xbox or PlayStation. Dael's comment "Are you out of your mind?" Bradley will have to wait a little bit longer before that longed for prize is achieved (and then it will still belong to his brother). I anticipate a lot of threatening, bribery and arguing at this time.

Its also a wonder to behold how Dael is starting to budget his money to last the week. He has to buy any food or drink at work over and above any sandwiches I give him, extra phone time over and above his contract amount, his cigarettes and his entertainment. He gives me 10% of his weekly wage which works out to R50 out of R500. He has to start saving now as he wants a car eventually. We opened a bank account on Saturday so he has his own account and ATM card now. Once his money is paid straight into his own bank account instead of into my account we will see how dedicated his saving will be. His sister had managed to save up a deposit of R10,000 by the time she bought her own little Chevy Spark in Cape Town.

And on a little side subject of spiders which we have a myriad of since we live in a jungle (no we don't have to hack our way in and out yet), I don't kill the little creatures if I find them inside. I have an empty plastic container that I herd them into and then fling them to freedom in the long grass. However imagine my surprise when I opened the container after retrieving it from under my kitchen sink. As I popped the lid open, a spider sprang burst out of the container like a rocket. Luckily I was near the kitchen door and managed as a reflex to aim the container to outside as the spider sprang to freedom. I had caught it and in my absentmindedness forgotten to release it - days earlier. That spider must have been banging its head and priming itself for action to get out of the container for some time. Shame - sorry little hungry spider.

One memorable spider which I caught as it was running across the lounge from one couch to the other left me with an unforgettable memory. When I opened the container to let her out in the garden, about what seemed like a million little baby spiders were swarming around the inside of the container. She had released her babies. Shivers!!

Anyway, talking about my jungle. I actually got a couple of hours of daylight this weekend to myself in between shuttling my kids around, etc., to spend in the garden. I had bought new line for the electric weedeater and new garden gloves. I got Dael to load the line onto the machine and began my task. After having to repeat this task 3 times, he decided I needed a quick lesson on how to operate the weedeater (didn't offer to do it for me but I was grateful for small mercies!) Apparently because the grass is so long the line was getting too hot and actually melting off. "Don't be too gentle with the machine. Just swing it with wide swings. Start high and work your way lower as the grass gets shorter". He's a lot stronger than me so my swinging wasn't so fluid but the work went a lot better (good student Mommy) and by the time my line ran out again, so had my energy. Anyway I wasn't finished yet (no burning daylight for me!) so on went the gardening gloves and I spent the rest of the time cutting with my garden shears patches of tall weeks and alien species of plants. I managed to achieve two big piles of weeds before it got dark. So a good achievement. To be continued...