Ice Skating at Alberton City

Its was my afternoon off yesterday and I took Megan ice-skating to Alberton City. It was a blast!

When we got there she wanted to just watch for a while, we actually didn't know what to expect as we'd only read about it in our local paper. Turns out its a portable ice rink called Brand 'n-Ice but its not real ice is synthetic and plastic blocks that look like ice but has the same effect.

After watching for a while she said she'd like to try. I asked if I must go with her and she said "No, I'll go on my own". I figured she'd ask if she wanted me to join in her fun. She skated for almost two hours and made lots of friends and had loads of laughs, before we had a break and went to go and get a drink and chocolate doughnuts.

She wanted to go back after her snack and we stayed another hour before going home. Gosh, I haven't laughed so hard in ages. It was cracking me up watching all these little ones fall on their arses and throughly enjoy themselves. I will join in the fun next time.

She got the hang of it really quickly and by the end of the session she was doing spins and jumps!

Watching the action

Megan in Action

Falling is also fun
Break Time - Doughnut SnackChocolate face

Back on the rink

Girls Night In at Mandys

I had a blast! I danced until my bare feet were black, I sang karaoke on XBOX, best of all, I got to spend a great evening chatting and giggling with all my friends.

This "Girls Night in" date was set about 3 weeks ago. It was decided then that we needed to all get together to get drunk and disorderly because we hadn't done it in yonks. The wine was chilled, the shooter glasses stacked and Mandy converted her favourite vase into a "fishbowl" for us ladies.

She put in wine, bacardi, vodka, a couple of breezers and topped it all up with fruit juice and sprite. The fishbowl was put in the middle of the table and all of us ladies took turns to sucked it up through silicone tubes. It was wicked and soopa strong but it got us all giggling and ready to hit the dance floor and wiggle our arses.

But before we put on our favourite songs CDs on and ripped up Mandy's lounge floor, we turned off the lights and celebrated Earth Hour by tons of candles for the hour.

Huge Thanks to Mel because some of us were lucky enough to get the royal treatment from her hot pink GHD and she did our hair - just because she felt like it.

I got lovely curls for the evening and felt very glam.

My legs are aching today from all dancing and my body feels incredibly delicate from all the alcoholic beverages *eeek*.

The things us girls do to let our hair down....sjoe! it was worth the black feet

The fishbowl before the mix

The gals around the table... Half way thorugh the fishbowl
Natasha

Mickey

Gillian

Mandy, Mick and KK on the dance floor

Mel

Mandy and Janie

Mandy

Dianne kicking off the karaoke

Irene taking yet another suck on the fishbowl. Go Irene!

Oh the alcohol was flowing....

Go Ellen!

what my feet looked like when I got home after all the hours of dancing

Parents Evening on Wednesday

Unfortunately I couldn't go. I had swimming with KK. So, Riaan went and had to sit through an hour talk on Sexuality in Children by a guest speaker. (I guess he wasn't expecting that) before he could collect the girls' reports.

So when he got home, I got the synopsis on Sexuality and thoroughly educated on whats right and wrong with regards to our girls' sexuality.

Megan's report was as predictable as usual. Above average on everything and the only negative on her report was her poor appeteit but we've known that since she was a 2.6kg wee button. The teacher commented on her talkativeness (wonder where she gets that from) but that she's polite with good manners and a teasing sense of humour. She said that Megan doesn't always enjoy having to share toys and that she loves to tell her friends and teachers stories about her own experienced. The teacher actually mentioned to me this morning about her advanced and extensive vocabulary. Megan is making good progress this year in Grade R and is advance in all areas of development. She responds positively to encouragement, praise and affection. Megan seeks a lot of attention from her teacher and tries very hard to please.

Mum and Dad are VERY proud of their wee button.

Kaylin's was very different from Meg. But then again they are so very different little people. Her teacher said that she has settled in well to her new enviroment (from the "Baby School" to the "Big School" section) and her new class. She is often tearful to let mum go in the mornings but that it is a vast improvement from the beginning of the year. She used to tear the entire school down with her squeals.

The teacher mentioned that she loves to take part in the creative activities especially drawing and the she shies away from ball games. She also doesn't enjoy story time and sitting still. She's progressing well in recognising her name and all the different colours and shapes. Kaylin has her own clock and takes her time to eat and will not always settle for a nap or just lie down to relax. The overall remark was that KK has made her teacher very proud in settling in so well. Kaylin is very attached and fond of the assistant Annie and enjoys her time spent with her. Her teacher said she is looking forward to an action packed year filled with fun and learning with her small "package of dynamite".

Mum and Dad are VERY proud of their wee peanut.

I still can't get my head around that I made and gave birth to two such vastly different little girls.

Blog Till You Drop!

Step aside Facebook, Diggit, Bebo...blogging is my addiction.

My blog often gives me sleepless nights as I get an idea when I'm in bed at night half asleep (this is when I get my best thoughts, memories and ideas) and then by morning I've forgotten it. I get so cross with myself so I've started keeping a notepad and pen next to my bed at night in case I am lying there with thoughts and ideas...

Last night was a perfect example. I had clear recollections of living in Scotland and flashbacks of memories of family - what things looked like, how things smelled, what was said, etc. I knew if I went back to sleep, I'd forget all those thoughts and feelings so I got up at 2am this morning, went outside on the patio for a smoke and started writing. I went through two smokes and eventually got back to bed at 3:13am.

Silly or wot?

Anyway, this got me thinking...the blog of mine has taken lots of time and effort and that I share loads of stuff here and on my other Blog "A Daft Scots Lass". This site is my new creation since I started tracing ancesters and building my family tree. I've now gone back 18 generations and I'm addicted to that too. I can't wait to get my family tree up and running on an image so that I can share it with everyone. There are so many interesting people in my family (now and then) and so many stories to tell. I just can't file the information away quick enough. My way of filing it away (so that I can get some sleep at night) is to blog it.

So this is my daily dose of drivel for you...

Wikapedia has nothing on me...

So those of you who have NOT started blogging yet, shame on you!

Get a blog address and start blogging today...can't wait to see them all.

Don't forget to forward me the links on gillian@homemakers-sa.co.za so that I can follow you and read what you have to say too.

Girls' School Photos

Sorry about the quality. They are scan of the proofs.

will get the hard copies and calendar in a few weeks.

My girls are gorgeous!!!!

Survive the Credit Crunch

• DON'T waste money on expensive iPods. Simply think of your favourite tune and hum it. If you want to "switch tracks", simply think of another song you like and hum that instead.


• DON'T waste money on expensive paper shredders to avoid having your identity stolen. Simply place a few dog turds in the bin bags along with your old bank statements.


• SAVE money on expensive personalised car number plates by changing your name to match your existing plate. - Mr. KVL 741GP.


• DON'T waste money buying expensive binoculars; simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.


• SAVE electricity by turning off all the lights in your house and walking around wearing a miner's hat.


• HOUSEWIVES, the best way to get two bottles of washing-up liquid for the price of one is by putting one in your shopping trolley and the other in your coat pocket.


• OLD telephone directories make ideal personal address books, simply cross out the names and address of people you don't know.


• SAVE on booze by drinking cold tea instead of whisky. The following morning you can create the effects of a hangover by drinking a thimble-full of washing up liquid and banging your head repeatedly on the wall.


• SAVE a fortune on laundry bills. Give your dirty shirts to the hospice shop, they will wash and iron them and you can buy them back for fifty cents.


• CAN'T afford contact lenses? Simply cut out small circles of cling film and press them into your eyes.


• MAKE your own inexpensive mints by leaving blobs of toothpaste to dry on a window sill. Use striped toothpaste to make humbugs.


• SHOPPERS, when buying oranges, get more for your money by peeling them before taking them to the counter to be weighed.

Jarred's Walk for Life

I have gotten a nice little walking team together already!!!!

Lets Do Organic

For those of you who don’t know what organic means, organic gardening means not using any synthetic products, including pesticides and fertilizers. Ideally, organic gardening replenishes the resources as it makes use of them. Like feeding depleted soil with composted plants, or planting legumes to add nitrogen to an area that had been planted with heavy feeder. The bigger picture involves working in cooperation with nature, viewing your garden as a small part of all the natural system.

Lots of friends that I talk to on various forums are becoming more environment-conscious starting to recycle in their homes and seeking more organic food products. Not only that, people are saying that organic tastes much better and is better for our immune systems.

This got me looking for organic fruit and veg suppliers around the country…

If you live in the Cape Ganics will deliver superb certified organic food products to your doorstep. On top of all that, they offer a free recycling service. All you have to do is keep your veggie box and fill it with your old newspapers and when they deliver your next order of veggies they collect your paper for recycling.

So not only are you getting your weekly delicious fruit and veggies, you’re doing your bit for the environment too!

They offer various sizes of organic fruit and/or veggie boxes and you can literally choose what you want, instead of wasting items that your family does not eat – swap it for something else. They offer various other organic products including organic baby food, juices, dried fruit, even cleaning materials!

Check their website every Friday for weekly special offers and visit their recipes section for scrummy ideas for your newly purchased organic fruit and veggies.

Jo’burgers will be pleased to find out there are similar services here in Johannesburg visit Wensleydale or call them on 012-650-0064. The Organic Emporium also offers online shopping and delivery.

Durbanites can shop at Earth Mother or phone them for details on 031 202 1527.

Now you have no excuse for not getting your family eating their healthy dose of 2 fruit and 2 veggies a day!

Go Green and taste the difference for yourself!

The girls

The girlsMe at my desk

(I think Linda might be responsible for taking this shot on the sly)

DIY Tip of the Week

I love this cheap and cheerful idea. I think it would make a great make-over idea for a study or home office.

How to define your room with wallpaper composed of dictionary pages.

Tools and Materials :

- Wallpaper liner and wallpaper adhesive

- The Good Ol’ Faithful OXFORD Dictionary or download pages from the internet (the cheaper version)

- Decoupage medium (Glue, polyurethane, spray acrylic or other lacquers used as a sealer to protect the decorative items being added to an object).

- Paint tray

- Paintbrush

- Wallpaper smoother

How to:

1. Begin by applying a wallpaper liner to the wall. (A smooth surface, heavy weight paper like product that is a real time saver. It can be applied over wood paneling and textured walls to hide the grooves or texture. It also comes as embossed paper with a number of patterns from stucco-like to the old tin ceiling look which can be painted to provide a faux finish). Let this dry overnight. This makes it easier to remove the treatment when you're ready for a change.

2. Cut pages from your OXFORD Dictionary.

3. Pour decoupage medium into a small dish. Working one page at a time, place the page into a plastic tray and use a narrow paintbrush to coat the back with the medium. Tip: If you want to leave a book undamaged, consider photocopying or printing favourite passages—but test the print to make sure decoupage medium doesn't smear the ink.

4. Position the page on the wall, and press flat with a plastic-edge wallpaper smoother. This process removes wrinkles and extra medium. Work from top to bottom on the wall, overlapping the pages if desired.

5. Once you've pasted all the pages, brush or roll on a thin coat of decoupage medium to seal your project.

Voila! An interesting and educational wall paper.

Grandparents Day at School was a Wash Out!

Megan and Kaylin's school (Castillian) perform an annual mini-concert for Grand Parents and today was the day!

The school invite all the granny's and grandpa's to watch each class do a poem and song and afterwards they get to go their classroom, meet the teacher and the children present them with a special gift that the children have made. This year it was brightly coloured hand-painted shopping bags. The Grand parents loved them!

Afterward we invited them to enjoy some tea and cake and can take their grand children home for the afternoon. The first two classes got to say their poems and sing their songs with a sprinkling of rain thrown in. The the heavens opened and everyone got soaked to the bone. It was a freakish sudden thundershow that chilled everyone and put a damper on the entire day. I felt so sorry for all the old granny's and grandpas running around in the rain looking for cover.

All the eats and goodies got soaked wet and it was such a disaster! Its usually such a fun, relaxed and special day for the grand parents and the children getting to show off their school, their class, their school books, what they do on a day-to-day basis. This year it was chaos. What a disappointment. Pity we can't order the weather.

Potty Class was up first

Two to Three's Class

Some of the potties

Megan with her Ouma and Oupa

KK with her Ouma and Oupa

Teacher Natasha

Ouma and Oupa watching the show before the rain came down.

Lizzie

Ennie and KK in her class

KK and Ennie

The eats that got soaked!

Megan performing her H-A-P-P-Y song

Teacher Jessica's class