Happy Mother's Day!!!

Allie was all excited about mother's day. Her teacher made all the Mums little hampers with flowers, biscuits, cards and four gift vouchers. She put in a lot of effort into it. The vouchers were for the following: "Coffee in bed", "Breakfast in bed", "I'll do anything you ask" and "A free back-rub".

I was feeling a bit ill the previous day, so I went to bed early. When I woke up there were coffee and biscuits ready for me. It was a lovely start to a not so lovely day.
I was still in bed when my head started itching. I thought it was another case of the head-lice (another long story), but as I started scratching, I felt little bumps on my head. Just then Jake came in and started joking about how I must go take a bath, for my face is breaking out. Not something I like to hear.

taking a hint, I went off to take a shower. As I got undressed, I noticed something in the mirror. My whole body was cover in small, red dots. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it wasn't head-lice, or pimples, or red-dots or mosquito-bites. It was full-blown very itchy Chicken Pox. It IS full-blown very itchy Chicken Pox!

What a mother's day present was that?

Now, Allie is staying with my sister while I am sick. I'm all alone. Jake will come stay with me from tomorrow.

That back-rub voucher seems like an excellent idea right now.

Hope you enjoyed your mother's day!

A lesson learned

Sometimes I just wish that people will stop staring at the fact that I got pregnant at 18 years old. Yes, I made a mistake when I was irresponsible when I slept with someone and got pregnant when I was so young. But, at least I learned a few things on the way.

Someone who got caught driving under the influence might learn that he/she mustn't do it again, or maybe just he/she mustn't get caught next time. Wow, what a lesson that must be.

Someone who failed a test might learn to study harder or party less next time.

What did I learn from my teenage pregnancy?

1. use better contraceptives next time.
2. how to handle criticism.
3. how to eat healthy (although my coffee addiction has come back since Allie was born).
4. how to be honest.
5. how to change a diaper.
6. how to make a bottle.
7. how to forgive myself.
8. how to apply time management (I started studying at the University of Johannesburg when Allie was 1 month old).
9. how to care for another person.
10. how to put another person's needs before my own.
11. how to love another human being, like you never thought possible.
12. how to get a child to eat broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
13. how to appreciate Disney Channel.
14. how to be patient when doing homework with a child.
15. how to be a mum.
16. how to be a dad.
17. ................
18. ..............
19. ................
20. ..............

I think that this list will go on and on for ever. I learn new things every day.

Yes, I made a mistake. But does every one learn from their mistakes as much as I did/do?

A day in a Single Mom's life

I woke up early this morning. while I waited for the kettle to boil, I packed away all the dishes I washed last night. I made some cereal for my princess and some oatmeal for myself. we had our breakfast, got dressed and brushed our teeth and hair. I started with the washing. The weather looked dodgy for a washing day, so I had to move quickly. I had some gardening to do, so I started with that while the first load was in the machine. I mowed the lawn, scrubbed the porch and swept the courtyard. By the time I was done with everything, even hanging the last load of washing, it was 1pm. I then helped my princess with her homework and also had a bit of time for Facebook. Now I'm starting dinner, after which I need to get Princess through a bath and in bed. Then I will do the ironing and then make lunch for the Princess for school tomorrow.
I now have a clean house, clean yard, clean clothes and a smart girl. I didn't even break one nail!!!

My baby Princess

After watching The Royal Wedding this weekend, my little girl is obsessed with fashion. She even wants to be a fashion designer now.
When we had to go to the mall this morning, she wanted to look her best - skinny jean, tight jersey, boots and perfect hair. Isn't it amazing how a little girl thinks that if she dresses up everyone will think that she is a grown up. I was almost afraid that my little six-year-old is getting too big too fast. You wouldn't believe how relieved I was when she still wanted to go play on the jungle-gym in the mall while I had my frozen cafe late. My little girl might look all grown up, but she is still my little playing princess. I don't think I have to worry for quite some time. Thank goodness!

Telling the Family

To tell the family that the goodie-two-shoes of the family is pregnant, is not the easiest job in the world..... or so I thought.
Of course my sister knew right away. She knew I was late, and I let her know about the test as soon as I took it, and then my brother also knew. And most definitely my best friends. But telling the rest of the world seemed very difficult.
I kept it quiet until I saw the doctor and was sure about everything. Then one night, my one cousin came over and I decided to practice my speech on her. I was trying to figure out how I was going to tell her, and I think my mom saw me struggling, so she broke the ice by saying to me, "So, are you going to tell her?" Now I had no choice. I thought about what I would say, but all that came out was, "I'm going to have a baby."
"Oh, I heard! Congratulations!"
I'm sorry, what? Here I was, struggling beyond reason to figure out how I am going to tell her, but she already knew, which meant that the rest of the family probably also knew, which meant I don't need to tell anyone. But. How!
I didn't know how to feel. Should I be happy that I don't need to practice some kind of speech? Or should I feel betrayed by whoever spread the news?
Turned out I felt betrayed.
I soon heard that sister-dear told her best friend who she tells everything. He told his friend, who is best friend with my cousin, who then told the rest of the family.
Even when I wanted to tell some of my other friends they already knew. At least they pretended not to know, but come on! I knew that I would be a bit more surprised when I find out that someone is pregnant. And, my sister later confessed, anyway.
Guess who is finding out last that I'm pregnant, next time when it happens?
I really don't want to be rude to her, but next time, I want to feel the joy of telling people I'm pregnant. Anyway, I don't think that would be in, at least, the next two years, but when it does, I am telling people when I want!

Clever Girl

Allie has not seen the thing for 3 years which means, the last time she saw him, she was 2 years old. Obviously she doesn't remember (she does remember seeing snow for the first time that year, but I guess the thing didn't make the same big impression on her). I almost never talk about him, but when I do and she's near, I refer to him as 'the thing' (in fact, I always refer to him as 'the thing, whether she's there or not), so she wouldn't even recognise his name.

When I took her to kindergarten the first day, I was nervous about the questions which would arise when all the other kids talk about their daddies. I decided to tell her about him when she asks, but I wasn't sure yet what to say. I spoke to her teacher about it so that she wouldn't ask her questions such as "What does your Daddy do?" and other things relating to her 'daddy'. She was just two at the time. She's been in the same kindergarten ever since, and every year she gets a new teacher. All the teachers knows about our situation, so I never had to tell each teacher our story. Still today she hasn't asked about her Dad.

I have to say that I think the fact that we stay with my parents never made her feel that she is missing a family member. When she started kindergarten, she started copying me and called my father 'Daddy' a few times. I guess when the other kids talked about their daddies, she figured that she also has one at home. She also goes to the mall and park with me and my boyfriend who she loves (and he absolutely adores her too, I might add). So, it's always the three of us, just like when she sees her friends with their parents. She and Jake gets along really well. He is very athletic (and I'm very NOT), so he teaches her all the ball skills and other sport stuff. She calls him Jakey. So I guess that between my Dad and Jake, she has enough father figures anyway.

This year, her new teacher probably forgot about our situation and asked the kids to draw a picture about 'Mommy and Daddy". When Allie told me, I was worried that it upset her because she wouldn't have known what to draw. I asked her what she drew and she gave me this look which I read as 'Duh, what type of question is that?' and she said to me, "Helooo! I drew you and Jakey!"

We never told her what a 'Daddy' is or what he is supposed to do. We also didn't tell her that Jake would one day be her daddy when we get married. I think she just figured on her own what a Daddy is supposed to do, and decided that Jake is just that. I must say, except that Jake doesn't live with us, he definitely acts as a daddy (and a real good one, I might add). I never asked him to do that, just like I didn't ask Allie to accept him as one. I guess they just 'clicked'.

Good Girl

Today, I'm back in the present.

Yesterday we went to see a concert with my family, my daughter included. We went to see the Harmonic Brass - Munich. It's a brass quintet with two trumpets, a french horn, a trombone and a tuba. They played a variety of songs and composers,including Bach, Bizet, Debussy, Webber and Luoiguy just to name a few. We sat in the second row and when these 5 musicians entered, they all looked at her. I wondered if they thought that their show might be ruined by a little girl who was forced to come. I just smiled at them, hoping that they could see in my eyes that I'm trying to say that she will be well behaved the whole time.
Naturally, she was. She loves music! When It was the Intermission, we went to buy one of their Cd's and had it autographed. All five of them greeted her, and I could see that they were amazed, just as some of the other audience members, that this little girl sat so still and watched the show.
The first time we took her to the theatre, she was 2 years old. We wanted to see a concert of Sergei Nakariakov, but we had no one to watch her, as we all wanted to go. We booked tickets on the balcony so that I could slip out with her when she started to get difficult. She didn't. She couldn't take her eyes off the trumpeter and the pianist. That was when I knew that she would love music like I do. We also went to see 'Swan Lake on Ice' and that, to her, was magic!
I want to see if I can take her to the theatre at least once a month. I think that some parents would be jealous if they saw how much my girl enjoys it while they have to worry about baby-sitters. I have the best little angel in the world! Lucky me!
I'm going to see which shows will be on soon!