Tagging the little ones.

Dressed up in our winter warmests to keep out the cold front that had arrived and with fold out chairs under arms we made our way to support Garren in his first Tag Rugby Festival this weekend gone.

I had to search good ol’ Wikipedia for a little insight into this form of Rugby. As, while watching, I noticed that the game just wasn’t what I was used to watching while standing on the side-line of the field. This was Tag Rugby, slightly different and it seems that our little ones are not yet at the Velcro wearing stage (thank goodness) or there may have been a few cold bare bottoms out for the world to see! These boys are quite the ruffians out there on the field. It was just a tap here and there with plenty of coaches on the field to guide them through the game. Garren loved it and I am sure I would love the world of Rugby just as much (for him) if I could wrap my simple brain around it. I have tried, for years, and I have almost given up and come to terms with the fact that I will just love rugby because my son plays the game.

We’re still pretty much in the thick of Rugby season, around these parts, with a tournament played either home side or at another school each week for the next couple of weeks. So there will be a few more frozen field side mornings to come. It’s time to bring out our winter woollens.

"Many things that are true feel like a cheat. Kingdoms get princes they deserve, farmers daughters’die for no reason, and sometimes witches merit saving. Quite often, actually. You’d be surprised.”

Later through the day we decided that it was certainly way too cold to venture out again and so we made the most of it and turned the rest of the afternoon and evening into movie time. The boys love it - snuggled inside - under blankets - in front of the Television. The one movie that stuck with me was “ A Monster Calls” and will most certainly be added it to my favourite list. It was unexpectedly darkly intense, so much so I almost sent Garren out to watch another movie in his room for fear of how it would turn out and how he would react to it emotionally. We shed a tear together and we spoke a few words once done and I am so glad that I let him watch it to the end. I do tend to forget that he is “almost 9 MOM” and that I really should be encouraging movies that have a real story line and to remember that they are far better than the usual mindless action and fluff that seems to fill our screens more and more these days.

I am the Mother who tries to protect her children from harm.. the type that fills our newspapers and social media and television screens.

But maybe there is more harm in said mindless movies without much ado about anything much?

I have just realised that it’s only a couple of weeks left of this school term and then we will have officially reached our midyear break. 

Where has this year gone?

Jolly Jumping

I’ve been slow this week in updates. There are like a gajillion moments I could share here or on Instagram but I just haven’t yet. It seems that it may just be that time of the year (I hope it is) and by the end of this month life may just calm itself to a slow and peaceful panic.

Josh is still very much in the throes of his school musical and in actual fact his first performance is tonight night. This will carry on through the rest of the week. Rob and his Mother, aided by Tristan and Garren, have kindly taken over the Danika scheduled evenings for me on Thursday so that I may head on out to school and watch it. I really can’t wait. As soon as the hype of the musical has died down he will be face-in-book again for mid-year exams. He did his 6 hour Art prac on Friday and I love his tea cup and can’t wait until it’s home so I can frame and mount it in the kitchen. 

Last weekend Rob assembled the Jolly Jumper, for Danika, in the lounge. In just one week I have noticed that he will have to raise the links as she is now way too low to the ground – she may just end up bouncing herself right out of the contraption if we don’t keep a stern eye her way. My eldest sister Tracey commented on a video I shared last weekend that I had one as a wee one and absolutely loved it. Apparently I screamed when I was taken out of it. It looks like our little flower may be heading in the same direction. 

Danika and I (minus a photo capturing gadget) meandered around the backyard on Saturday. Rob proudly pointed out the Shu Shu’s along our hedgerow - he has been guarding them and silently praying that the Monkeys won’t find. These have started growing home side so they will be safe from monkey hands, as they are petrified of Zeus. Rob sliced one up and fried it (just like fried chips) for our Friday evening Fish ‘n Chip. They’re delicious and sweet. Do you know Shu Shu’s – do you have a particular way of eating them? There is a bulging Strawberry almost ready to be picked too and little shoots of Swiss Chard have sprouted in the new bed. 

I completed another batch of soap. This one is made with Danika in mind. Chamomile + Rose Baby. Rose was the only scent and essential oil I could stomach throughout my pregnancy with her and it’s become my favourite fragrance since, even surpassing my love for Lavender (which has been for years). So I will be adding a few drops here and there to certain soap batches as I go along. It lathers up beautifully and smells so heavenly. Glycerine based with Aqueous, Chamomillia Flowers and Rose Essential Oil. I have also tried my hand at Hibiscus + Coconut Milk Soap. I’m not too sure that it looks pretty enough but it’s just as luxurious. Hibiscus is wonderful for anti-aging and eases skin eczema conditions too. I have plans to play more with Hibiscus Soap maybe adding a drop or two of essential oil to it, which do you think would pair nicely with Hibiscus?

I will get photos of them up soon and once they are ready I will add them to the shop. 

I have also put wool to needles again… (again no photo of proof it – I’ll get to that). I’ve started on a few Star Gnomes, I knit them up for our God Daughter a few years back and a few Mama’s out there went crazy for them. My fingers have now completely healed so I have plans to added a few to the shop soon too, they’re small and I need quick these days as there really isn’t much time to do much else. But for now, they’re keeping my fingers busy in the early hours of the morning before school in the parking lot while Garren reads lines from his school reader. 

https://youtu.be/uEHxjrL_GM0

Raining For Days

 

Happy Mother’s Day!

Belated, I know, but sent with much love to you, my special Tribu Mère.

I would have been on sooner to wish you but it has rained and rained and rained some more for days now. A welcome sight but at the same time that means there is no linking with those waves of internet connection in the sky that come and go and go and come again when there is the slightest form of any cloud cover. I gave up around late Saturday afternoon and lovingly embraced family time, thanks to the outside freezer front that blew in over the weekend. We even got some quality time in with Rob. It was way too cold for him to venture up to his workshop in the garage, and secretly (he will never admit it) I know he enjoyed the slow moving togetherness in the lounge watching movies and the perpetual buzz in the kitchen feeding us all. It never ceases to amaze how much more the boys can wolf down in weather such as this. On Sunday Rob treated us all to veggies stacked high on our plates for Mother’s Day Sunday Lunch. Someone else’s cooking always tastes a whole lot better than your own don’t you think?

I think we all may be overloaded in movie comatose states. So unlike us. Sometimes doing nothing at all is a good thing. I do miss garden time though. I should go out with a brolly and see how our new edible garden patch is faring. Rob and the boys worked very hard at getting in a new raised bed for us the weekend before. With fresh manure from the farm and borders made with thick bamboo from the bamboo thicket to the side of our home. We tried growing our wildlings there but those crazy monkeys ruined it all. We gave up the fight and after a few months of watching the sun and its movements over our home, we decided to plant another patch here. Just to keep us going for a little longer. Once you harvest your own home grown food – there really is nothing better. Is there?

 

 

So far we have planted Swiss Chard, Lettuce, Belle Tomatoes, Eggplant and Thyme (if my memory serves me correct – I do feel like I may have left out one!). And we have replanted the whispy leaves of creole onion seedlings from the seedling trays in too. Hold all those fingers and toes that they all haven’t drown in all the rain.

This week will be late nights every evening. Josh and his healed up toe will be attending the final rehearsals for their Musical opening next week. There are still ticket available for those who would like to see the show, though not for very much longer – best grab them quick. I am so looking forward to seeing this child of mine on stage.

The wind is howling again through the tips of Pine Tree tops, I don’t know how much longer there will be a connection. The wind was so bad that I woke with our bedroom doors creaking and banging and pulling at the hinges in the middle of the night. I fought with the doors that lead out into our backyard from my side of the bed, by this stage they had opened (luckily not breaking the yale lock), Rob eventually took over and got them all tightly locked up again. Needless to say that had me wide eyes for the rest of the night and today I am feeling it through scratchy eyes.

I do hope that you are all safe and my thoughts are with those that are in high risk areas and have already been evacuated to safety.

It is at times like this that I hold my dear ones even closer and realise a little more how blessed I truly am.

Winter Is Coming.

   

As I sit here and write this type this, I’m mentally preparing for the first cold front of the Season to sweep on in. I think they are predicting snow. Who has snow in May, In Africa? I don’t think that it will be anywhere close enough for us to venture out and find – they are saying it will fall Lesotho way and Drakensburg (a little more closer to home). But nevertheless _ SNOW_! I’ve been saying it for months now. “We haven’t had a proper Winter around these parts in years!” and “I feel that this year we’re in for a real Winter. Last year, while I was still pregnant with Danika, we took Garren to play in the snow that blanketed the mountains in Impendle. I wonder if we will be snow hunting a little closer to town this year? This may be the weekend we pull out the winter blankets and get those electric blankets on the beds. Winter is Coming!

We’ve had “Electricity Day” and Grade 3 Cake Sale keeping us rather busy. Garren kept on about Electricity day, and I just could not understand how Electricity Day corresponded with Book Day until on our way home an absolute exasperated Garren corrected me, saying NOT book day MOM – ELECTRICITY day! Light bulb moment to say the very least and - Rob and Garren decided to go with Centipede for the theme James and The Giant Peach. My only contribution to the dress up this year was maybe they should try stuffed pantyhose attached to the his shirt for arms. They decided it was a brilliant idea and off they went and managed to pull together a rather rustic African version of The Centipede. There was even a cigar to go with the whole look. I am utterly impressed and so proud with both Dad and Son.

I don’t know what I would do without the aid of Tristan these days. He has become such a great help in the kitchen whipping up the occasional supper and even monitoring a homework evening or two for me while I attend to the others. This year’s contribution to the Grade 3 cake sale was curtesy of Tristan’s baked vanilla muffins and whip chocolate frosting which Garren slathered on in heaps and sprinkled hundreds and thousands on to. Again so very proud – if I wasn’t so very proud I might begin to feel a little inadequate and have no purpose here anymore. But, I am going to rather go with… they are just so darn clever and becoming so independent and they are going to make such helpful wonderful husbands – one day!

Joshua sliced open his toe over the weekend which saw us at the medical centre for a couple of hours that day. Initially it was supposed have been stitched up, but then the Doctor on duty decided that it probably best to be glued because of the nail that was in the way. Well, after the last few evening of Play practise and running to various classrooms through the day at school, …. well-you-know … I am not going to go in to the gory details, so - we are off to the Doctor again! I am still trying to figure out just how he is going to jump and bump and grind to “American Idiot” alongside a bunch of hormonal teenage boys “moshing” on stage with one working foot? This could end up being a very interesting story. I personally hope it doesn’t.

On another note, a social note, I would just like to say thank you for all the love shown to my new page and blog and name change. I really feel so very blessed to have you always beside me in all my crazy wild scatter brain ideas and notions. You are all my Tribu Mère !!

I would also just like to - slyly insert a sticky note right here – say that I have signed out of my personal Facebook account. It’s been a long time in the making. As most of you know I have been on and off there for a while now. But I think, no.. wait I know, that this is the beginning of the end. Please don’t take offence it really has nothing to do with you as a person.. its me.. and it’s the ugliness that is allowed to be shared and the fact that some of this ugliness is shared to show awareness….? I am not too sure how this sharing is supposed to help in anyway. But, I know this is NOT something I wish to be part of. I live in a country divided and at war with itself and I can’t run away and hide from that. But what I can do is CHOOSE what I like to see and learn and grow from in my spare time.

My shares will continue on my new page Where Wildlings Grow on Facebook which will come from Instagram. (what a wonderful web)

Please feel free to Email me should you need to contact me or direct message me on Instagram.

And now tuning back to the bright and beautiful, where we will stay from now onwards!

We’re heading into the weekend. Do you have any special plans in the making?

Oh, and PS. - don’t forget to remember - Mother’s day on Sunday.

Oh and ppssss what do you think of the this lovely little logo that came in my mail today – thank you Frank!

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