6th Wedding Anni ♥

Happy Anniversary to us! :-)

Today, 6 years ago, I married my best friend, the one I dream with, laugh with, love...

We went out for a special supper last night to celebrate, it was delicious and wonderful to relax together. I did miss my glass of vino though! ;-)

Interview with 3 year old Mia

I came across this idea on Pinterest, and really loved the concept.  I decided to start doing this interview from three years old, and then will do the questionnaire every year (or maybe even half year, don't know if I can wait a year each time!) and then put it in a file for Mia to have one day when she's bigger.

She understood each question that I asked, and all these answers are in exactly her own words, except the asterisks that I put in brackets here and there.

She enjoyed sitting seriously at a table with me, while I interviewed her!

2013 Yearly Interview with Mia Jill Viljoen – 3 years old

What is your favourite colour?  Red!

What is your favourite toy? Lamby. *(Soft toy from Doc McStuffins)

What is your favourite game to play? On the new tablet!

What is your favourite fruit? Blueberries

What’s your favourite tv program? Mickey Mouse

What’s your favourite thing to eat for lunch? Hot Dog

What is your favourite outfit? A ‘rokkie’

What makes you happy? Mommy!

What is your favourite snack? Marshmallows

What’s your favourite animal? A hippo, and a kitty cat too

Where is your favourite place to go? On holiday!

What’s your favourite song? Twinkle twinkle little star

What is your favourite book? Room on the Broom *(by Julia Donaldson)

Who is your best friend? Robin Hood!

What do you like to do with mommy? Play and sleep

What do you like to do with pappa? Eat ice-cream

Favourite thing to do outside? Pick ‘blommetjies’

Favourite drink? Juice

Where is your favourite holiday place? The ducky holiday! *(Pine Lake)

What do you like for breakfast? Marmite toast

What do you want to be when you grow up? A big sister!

What did you do on your birthday? Jump! Play with balloons!

Mia's 3rd Birthday in Pictures!

Mia Mooi, you are the luckiest three-year old in the world.  You had a whole weekend of birthday celebrations, filled with family and friends, balloons and cake, presents and fun!

Let me tell you all about it:

It is a birthday tradition, that on the morning of your birthday, you wake up to balloons in your room.  This year we did red and black balloons, to stick to your Minnie Mouse party theme. You loved it, you were quite in awe when you woke up, and mommy and pappa walked in singing happy birthday and taking photos of you!

 

Another birthday tradition, is that you get cupcakes for breakfast.  Three candles!

 

You chose your 'rokkie' that you wanted to wear. Oumi and Oupi arrived with more presents for you, what fun to tear the paper off and discover what's inside!

We had a birthday lunch with all the family that could come: Mia, Mommy, Pappa, Oumi and Oupi, Granny and Oupa, Tuppy and Briget, Aunty Boo, Maggie, Laurie and Tazzy were all there to sing happy birthday to you!

 
The jumping castle we hired for your birthday party was delivered early, and you could jump and play the whole weekend. Such fun!

 

Time for the Minnie Mouse party!

All the little friends got given mouse ear alice bands.

 

Birthday girl all dressed up!  You looked SO beautiful, everyone was ooh-ing and aa-ing over you!  It was a chilly day, but that didn't stop us from having lots of fun!

 

Yummy cupcakes that mommy made!

 

Looks so festive and jolly!  The jumping castle was a huge hit, all the friends loved it.

Mia Mooi and your handsome Pappa. ♥ 

 

We got you this life-size Minnie balloon, I was worried that you would be a bit scared of it, but oh no, you loved her!

Waiting for your party guests to start arriving, cutest lil hostess! 

 

Beautiful Minnie Mouse cake made by tannie Liezel! This was your birthday present from her!

 

Everyone sang to you and you blew your candles out so beautifully.

 

A kiss for Zara!

 

We had a little planting activity, where all the friends could each plant their own seedling, this was also lots of fun for everyone!

 

Mia Mouse and Mommy Mouse.

 

A hug for Imke!

 

Tannie Corrine came to visit and brought you a basket filled with dress-up goodies, what fun!

 

Three fingers!

 

Oumi was like a magic fairy, tidying, packing away, keeping everything in order!

 

Mommy and Pappa ♥

 

The lounge, after all the prezzies were opened!

All in all, your birthday was magical and happy and wonderful, just how I wanted it to be for you.  You had moments of being a bit overwhelmed by all the attention, but mostly you enjoyed yourself a lot.

You are a blessed, lucky, happy little three-year old! ♥ I love you so much.
xx

Happy 3rd Birthday, My Girl!

Mia Mooi,

Happy 3rd Birthday, my beautiful, precious, special little big girl!

You love telling us that you're a girl, and that's why this song, My Girl, by The Temptations seemed so fitting for you.

I love you to the moon and back, I love you so much, I love you forever!
Mommy
xx

"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day,
When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May,
I guess you'd say,
What can make me feel this way?

My girl,
Talkin' bout my girl!

I've got so much honey the bees made for me
I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees

I guess you'd say,
What can make me feel this way?

My girl,
Talkin' bout my girl!

I don't need no money, fortune or fame,
I've got all the riches baby, one person can claim,
I guess you'd say,
what can make me feel this way?

My girl,
Talkin' bout my girl!

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day,
With my girl."

36 Months Toddler Update!

I can't believe my baby girl is three years old, in two days' time!  I thought I should do one of these updates:

1.) How old today?  Mia Mooi is 3 years old in two sleepies! 

2.) New milestones/ talents/ achievements?  Potty training is going very well.  She's basically only on night time nappies - the last week she's been having her afternoon nap with no nappy on, and no accidents yet, touch wood!  She still sometimes asks for a nappy for a number 2 though.

She's started telling stories, "there was a little boy, and he picked a flower, and he put it in his hair, and then he was a princess!" Love it!! 

3.) Favourite toys & favourite things to do?  She loves it when I read to her.  She loves playing games on the tablet.  She enjoys sticker books.  Enjoys digging in the garden.  Tea parties and picnics!

4.) Current words?  Thousands.  She's putting sentences together beautifully, and can communicate exactly what she wants to say.  She's doing well in both English and Afrikaans.  She often asks what a word is in Afrikaans, so she's realising how to differentiate between the two.  Love it! 

5.) Favourite food and snacks?  Viennas, chicken, marmite toast, fish fingers, chocolate. 

6.) How is toddler sleeping at night?  Wow, the best.  She sleeps through.  Bed time is at around 8pm.  She wakes up around 7am.  Heaven! 

7.) Day naps?  She naps from about 14h00 until 16h00.  

8.) How many teeth - and how are teething issues going?  All 20 are here, thank goodness!

9.) Weight and length?  About 16kg, I must check her length!

10.) Clothing size and shoe size?  2-3 years clothes still fit, but only just-just, so definitely buying bigger sizes for next year.  Shoe size 7. 

11.) Recent toddler 'highs'?  The kisses she loves the give. How friendly she is to people in town. How much she loves her family. Cuddles and snuggles in bed in the morning.  Her singing, chatting, stories, questions. 

12.) Recent toddler 'lows'?  Hmm.  Some discipline issues - I'm way too soft, she has me wrapped around her little finger.  

13.) What are you looking forward to in the coming months?  Her birthday this weekend, and her birthday party on Monday!  Looking forward to our holiday in November, as well as a seaside holiday in January, yay! 

14.) How are mommy and daddy doing?  Really good, no complaints! Do wish we could spend more alone-time together sometimes, but guess we need to just manage our time better and make date-night a more common occurance!  We both really love this toddler stage, the interaction is so special.

 

8 Week Scan! ♥

This morning Wyn and I went for our 8 week scan.  It was done at the radiologists at Kloof hospital.  I've been nervously anticipating this appointment since it was made - just really needed reassurance that all is OK - and that's exactly what I got!

Lil BabyV² is in the right place, and measuring at 8w1d.

Is there anything more amazing than hearing a tiny foetus' heartbeat? Oh wow, it's like hearing a piece of heaven.  Heart rate was 158bmp.

Lil bean measures 16.6mm.  Cutie pie!

It all feels so much more 'real' to me now.  There's really a lil baby growing deep inside me, Mia's really going to be a big sister, I've really signed up for many sleepless nights and a truckload of nappies again, we're really going to be a completed family of four! Yay!!! ♥

xx

Birthday Countdown!

With 8 sleeps to go til Mia's 3rd birthday, excitement is running high in our house!  Everywhere we go, Mia invites random people to come to her birthday.  She's invited shop cashiers, bank tellers, and restaurant waiters.  Too funny and cute!

Some birthday-related events this week:

Mia received a birthday present in the post, all the way from Sweden!  Thanks so much for spoiling her, Birgitta!  Mia was so excited to see there was a package for her, before I could even tell her we must keep it til her birthday, she was tearing it open. ;-)

 

I made a "Birthday Countdown" for her, on the wall in her room. Each day she can remove one "sleepy", until we get to her birthday, and then there's two more "sleepies" to go til her Minnie Mouse party.

 

At Tots class this week, they all sang to Mia, she got a birthday crown to wear, and we took birthday cake with to share with all the friends.  So cute!

 

Eight sleepies to go! ♥

The search for the perfect preschool

I have been putting the task of finding a preschool off for quite a while.  I think I'm in denial that my baby girl is getting so big, so fast!  But, I have felt for a while that school will be beneficial for her once she's 3 years old.  She loves learning, and I think she'll start getting bored at home next year.

I found a great list of preschools in Centurion, on an estate agent website.  Find it here.

From that list, I made a list of 7 schools closest to where we live, and slowly but surely started phoning them.  Most of them said I could pop in at any time, some of them gave me a specific time that suited them, so as to not interfere with kids nap times or specific activities.

I took Mia with me to each school.  I wanted to show her the schools, and I wanted to really feel my instinct as well as her instinct and see her reaction to each school.

(Mia enjoyed viewing the schools, so much so that recently when we were in town and on our way home, she said, "aw, let's not go home, let's go look at another school!" Like it's just become something we "do", we "look at schools", LOL!)

I had a list of questions to ask each school.  It looked something like this:

• School starting and ending time
• Yearly fees
• Extra activities offered
• How many kids in a class?
• How many teachers/assistants in a class?
• How many kids in the school?
• Meals provided or not?
• Security measures of school
• Method of discipline
• What does an average school day include?
• Procedure when kids are sick
• School holiday info
• What must child take with to school

Also, things I wanted to take note of silently, were the following:

• Is the school tidy, well-kept, and bright?
• Are the classrooms big enough, enough space for all the kids, does it display their artwork?
• Is the play area enclosed, does it look safe? Is there enough grass?
• Are the staff friendly towards us?
• Do the kids look happy?
• Does the school look secure and safe, no hazards around?
• How is Mia reacting to the school?

The first school we looked at was quite overwhelming, as it was a big school - but really nice, well-kept, pretty classrooms, and I liked that they had three separate play areas, one for the babies, one for the toddlers, and one for the pre-school kids.  However, this school was quite expensive, as they only offered a full-day fee (I could collect her at lunch time - however still pay for full day...)  It's a bilingual school too, which was a plus, but the price put me off.  Marked as a 'maybe.'

The next school was a bit run-down - the manager who showed me around was boasting about how the school is more than 40 years old... But it looked it! The play area didn't look very safe to me either, lots of sandy slopes, and not enough grass, and rickety jungle gyms put me off.  Scratched off my list!

Then saw another one that the moment I drove up to it, I knew I was wasting my time, but as the people were expecting me, I didn't turn around on the spot.  Teeny tiny dark classrooms, no grassy area to play, and a huge veld all around the school. No thanks!!

Feeling a bit despondent, I stopped at an Afrikaans preschool and fell in love with it. Bright, roomy, grassy, friendly, happy. Bilingual classes. Only to be told they are full, they'll put me on a waiting list and contact me in November. Aw.

After that went to see an English school that came very highly recommended from some of my clients.  I was a bit put off at the way it's located on the corner of a very busy road, but once inside, the school really impressed me. Beautiful classrooms, friendly teachers, happy kids.  The owner told me, "we're not here to let the kids eat and sleep. We're here for them to learn!" in quite a strict tone, to which I replied, "well yes of course, that's what I want" - but left me wondering a bit as to how rigid the school is. Of course they must be learning, but also playing, eating and resting in between, I'm sure.  Marked this one as a 'maybe'.

Then contacted a Montessori school, they emailed me their prospectus but I decided to not go see them.

The last school on my list, was one also recommended by a client who's daughter goes there.  I knew by the sound of it I was going to like it.  When we walked in there, it was love at first sight, for both me and Mia.  It's a small school, only 24 kids in total, run from the owner's house, where she converted a whole area dedicated to the school.  Bilingual school, bright, tidy, happy-looking kids.  And best of all was Mia's reaction to this school!  She hugged this teacher, held her hand, explored the school a bit while I stood talking, went off into the play area by herself - gosh, I just felt at peace there!  More of a playschool set-up, than a rigid school set-up, I think it will suit Mia perfectly.

Unfortunately, this school also had a waiting list, and being such a small school, it really wasn't guaranteed that we would get a place.  I told the owner that we absolutely loved her school and will be hoping and praying to get a spot.

For a few days I was wondering what we should do... Enrol her in one of the "maybe" schools, or wait to hear from the two nice schools' waiting list outcome? 

Then, yesterday morning, the owner of the last school phoned.  She had triplets that were enrolled, cancel their application, opening up three places - giving Mia the 3rd and last gap available!  Oh my word, I was positively ecstatic, I think she could hear me jumping up and down in joy! I told her yes please of course, thank you, let me pay the deposit immediately, oh yay oh yippee!

The school is from 8h30 til 12h30.  There's an option to choose how many days per week we want to go, will still decide this.

Mia will start in January.  When I told her, she reacted to my tone of voice and also said, "yippee yay!"  I will take Mia for a short while in December one morning, just to refresh her memory, and then we will be able to talk about it and prepare her for January.

I'm so relieved about this, it's quite a big thing I was stressing about!  Love it when things work out for the best! Happy, happy, happy.

xx

* * I decided to not mention any specific names of the schools.  Obviously later I will talk about Mia's playgroup and its name, but for now decided to not mention them specifically, as everything above is my own personal opinion and not necessarily anybody else's.

Recent arts & crafts

Mia loves doing arts & crafts.  Whether it's painting, sticking, scribbling, or messing, it's always a hit.

Recently we have done the following:

 
I got together a bowl of dry pasta, rice and lentils, and printed two pages of shapes for her to stick the goodies onto.  She really enjoyed this.  I liked how she mostly grouped the types together and didn't just mix it all together, so cute. 

 
Some painting. I printed about 4 of the same flower picture, so that we can give to the grannies as well.  Super cute how she paints each flower a different colour, and also did the stems and leaves in green. Love seeing the progress as time goes by!

 
Making a card for Oupa's birthday.  Just some sticking and scribbling. :-)

Another one we did recently, but I didn't take any pics, was that I used the same sheet of shapes as the pasta picture, and printed a normal white one, and a coloured page, then I cut all the shapes out of the coloured page, for her to stick onto the white page.  She really enjoyed it, but it was almost too easy for her, she immediately identified where each shape should go.

Fun!
xx

So very blessed! Pregnant again!

I was planning on only sharing my news after my 8 week scan, but I just can't wait!

I found out two weeks ago, on the 19th of August.  It was more of a routine pregnancy test, really wasn't expecting to see a positive, especially as all the ovulation tests I had done earlier the month were negative... But yet, I got a positive!

The positive test was only on the ClearBlue digital pregnancy test - when I did a normal Clicks pregnancy test, it was negative...  I was feeling quite pessimistic! However, I went for blood tests early on Tuesday, and then again on Thursday.  Poor Wyn had to keep reassuring me, telling me not to stress so much, and he was being quite the optimist, shame!

When the nurse phoned on Thursday with the results, I was so sure she was going to tell me the count hadn't doubled... But, indeed, it had!  Hcg levels of 36 had gone up to 87.  Yay!!!

I have remained anxious, but last week decided to do another hpt to see whether my count was still going up.  (The ClearBlue digital test shows a 1-2, 2-3, or 3+, which indicates how many weeks since conception, according to the levels of hcg hormone.  Oooooh the relief when it said "3+"!

I am 6w1d pregnant today.  So I am officially past the point when the bleeding had occurred last time.

I reckon I can stop POAS (peeing on a stick) now!

We haven't told Mia yet.  Our first scan appointment is in less than 2 weeks, on the 17th of September.  I think we'll wait until then before telling her.

Due date is 29th April 2013.

So far been feeling good! Bit nauseous in the evenings, and today was first time I felt a bit nauseous in the morning, but some Marmite toast fixed me.  Tired - but manageable!

I feel very blessed, gosh, so lucky (and fertile!!!) to fall pregnant so soon again.  This is what I wanted and hoped for. ♥
xx

 

Recycling Effort :-)

The residential estate where we live, has launched a new recycling initiative, done through WastePlan. 

We all got a big blue dustbin delivered to each house. 

In it we can throw away the following recyclable waste products: paper, cardboard, magazines, clean plastic, rinsed plastic bottles, rinsed milk bottles, rinsed food tins, scrap metal, rinsed glass, and polystyrene like fruit punnets.  They collect it every week, and they do the sorting into different categories.

I'm quite keen to do my best to reduce our carbon footprint!
xx

Mia's Birthday Party Invitation

My sister is such a talented designer! 

Mia has specified that she wants a "red Minnie mouse party."

We're having a small party for family on her actual birthday which will be Saturday the 21st, and then the party with all the mommies and friends on the Monday morning.  (Tuesday the 24th is a public holiday, so lots of schools are closed on the Monday and people are making a long weekend of it.)

It's the first time we have her party at home, I hope it's going to work out, space is very limited...
Have booked a jumping castle, and am planning a "plant-a-seedling" activity for the kids.  Will do an arts-and-craft station.  And other than that they can eat cake! ;-)

The fun thing is that though I hired the jumping castle for the Monday, the supplier said they will bring it on the Friday already.  So Mia will have her very own jumping castle for her b'day weekend, yay!

xx

Nanny issues! *cry*

Oh gosh, have been through a stressful time, actually don't even know where to begin.

Last week Celia didn't come to work because she was sick.  High blood pressure, bronchitis, dizziness, tremors.

This week, on Tuesday, Celia and her daughter Salamina came here, so that they could talk to me and so that Salamina could do some cleaning, laundry, help look after Mia, etc.

They told me Celia is too sick to work.  The high blood pressure affects her eye sight and memory, apparently... not too sure about these symptoms!  But she looks bad, very ill, and sometimes couldn't even talk to me and would mumble to Salamina and then she would talk to me... 

Salamina offered to work in Celia's place.  I'm unsure about this, as she's not used to working, and Celia has told me on numerous occasions that Salamina doesn't like to work...  But, Mia is comfortable and happy to stay with Salamina, which is a big advantage, so I have decided to give her one month's trial period for the duration of September, and we can see how it goes.

Now, the biggest stressor comes in with the "retirement package" I offered Celia.  I didn't really know what to call it, as it's not really retirement as such, Celia is only 53.  I didn't retrench her, and she didn't resign.  So it's a tricky situation.

We offered her the following:
 - We will continue to pay off her outstanding electricity account, which we started doing for her a few months ago.  It's a total of R150 per month, and there's still about R2500 outstanding.
 - R1000 cash, either at once, or R500 over two months or R250 over four months.
 - I will continue to put airtime on her cell phone occasionally.

She was unhappy with this.  She says, "after six years, this is all I get?"  So I ask her what did she want, and she didn't specify, just talks about UIF and policies and crap. 

Now unfortunately I am in the wrong because I never registered her for UIF.  I tried a while ago, but I needed to supply MY UIF number in order to get one for her, and I don't have a UIF number, so I just left it...

I personally feel that it's a good deal we're offering her...  Especially as giving her more cash, but not paying her electricity bill wouldn't be beneficial for her, as she won't use the cash to pay her electricity.

She told me she's going to go to the labour department.

I am so distressed, shocked and infuriated, that this is the route she wants to take.

I told her to think carefully about what she wants to do, as no lawyer can tell us we have to pay her electricity bill, so I'm sure whatever other deal they suggest, it's going to be less than what we're offering her in total.

So now we wait.  I think Wyn will have to handle it all, I just get too emotional.

I feel sorry for her, and wish I could give her more, but we literally can't pay her more than that, and besides, if Salamina is going to work for us in her place, there will still be that income for their household, whereas if she's going to go the nasty route, I'll rather cut clean and not have Salamina work here...

I've been really upset the last couple of days, but then a friend gave me a good comparison just now.  "Worry is like a rocking chair.  It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere."  So true.  What will be will be.

And this way we learn the lesson the hard way, to make sure with any future employees that we do all the correct registrations, paperwork, etc...

xx

My Little Helper in the Salon!

Celia has been off sick this week, so Mia's had to come with me to the salon a couple of times while I see clients.

She's been so good!  I take her portable DVD-player with, then she sits quietly watching a programme.  Or she rearranges my nail polishes, or plays with my nail files.  Every now and then she'll come and squiz what I'm doing.  Sometimes she'll bring something to the client and say, "here, client!"

Whenever a client leaves, Mia hops up on the treatment bed and I must give her a "facial".  I rub some cream on, and she loves it.  Today, after doing this, she said, "OK, now mommy's turn!" And oooh what bliss having such tiny hands rubbing cream on my face!

I adored how she did it, complete with two hands following the same sequence, exactly how I do it.  Too special for words, I loved it.

What a precious lil helper I have! ♥

xx

We're making our own biltong!

About two weeks ago Wyn bought us a biltong maker!  It's a Mellerware Biltong King.  Got it for R300 from Kalahari, bargain!

At first we did some dried apple and dried strawberry to test it out, while we waited to get the proper spice from the inlaws - it worked well for the fruit, the strawberry was especially yummy.

Last week we started with biltong strips.  We got four flavours from Mom-in-law:  Original biltong, BBQ, Chili, and Coriander.

We bought 1kg of silverside steak at the butcher, Wyn cut off the excess fat and cut into strips, divided into four, so that we could try all four spices.  I was so impressed with Wyn.  Who knew he was such a pro at making biltong!

The biltong was ready after 3 nights!  So quick, woohoo!

One mistake we made, was that we used wire paperclips to hang the strips. (The hooks supplied are plastic, but weren't enough for all our strips.)  Big mistake!  That part of the biltong stick has a very horrible sharp metallic taste, oops.  Had to cut that piece off each one.  Nala didn't complain though!

Our favourite flavour was the chili one.  They all needed quite a bit of extra salt.
Our second batch we did only chili and bbq, with added salt, and they came out great!
We put our third batch in last night, we did chili again, hehe, and then coriander with extra salt and pepper.  Already impatient for them to be ready.

I'm stoked about this, because biltong is specifically the main snack the dietician recommended for me, and I'm trying really hard to stick to her plan.  Biltong sticks on tap - perfect! ;-)