I'm back!

Morning all from far & wide....I know I have been a hideous blogger of late!! Some days I find blogging such huge pressure, that I go into serious denial & pretend blogger doesn't exist. Do know how liberating it feels???? I do however realise that if I am not blogging, then I am not reading blogs either. So to all my wonderful bloggy buddies I have out there, please do not feel rejected or unloved....I am still around just a tad quiet.

My life has been rather busy of late....I have had so many projects to finish that I can almost scrap in my sleep. Then to add to my already long to-do, list my November Cocoa Daisy kit arrived finally, oooh! it is so late this month because it was caught by customs; I could tell by all their awful SARS tape all over the box. Someone had a fine time rummaging through the box, just in case there was something they could charge me duty for, don't they have more important things to do with their time, like catch real criminals??? hahaha! Anyways, I am just so glad it has finally arrived & as usual it is gorgeous. If you are keen to see what the other DT girls did with their kits, take a look here & if you would like to see what Stacy Julian did with her kit, take a look here. Everyones pages are amazing!!

Now to the serious stuff....do you like RAK's?? Well it is Cocoa Daisy's 2nd year birthday & Tricia is having a stack of RAK giveaway's over the next little while. This weeks one, is for Autumn leaves stamps, go & take a look here, leave a comment & Tricia will draw a winner on Saturday. Also we are having a L.O challenge contest, have a look here & take a stab at entering, you never know you might just win something yummy!

Our household not only has been filled with the sights & sounds of Spring, but also the sights & sounds of a ridiculously happy little boy with a new set of drums. As you know Maxi is musical, but here in Cape Town, it has been impossible to find a violin teacher willing to take on a 4yr old. So second place on Maxi's list of instruments, was drums....now these we could organize for him. We placed an order for this little kit (we were instructed that it had to be red ;o) from our local music store. It arrived yesterday evening to peals of joy from Max. His words to us were:

"Guys, I am so happy with my new drums, I could just cry!"

And of course the minute he opened his eyes this AM he jumped right onto the drums (which slept in his room last night)c & gave us a little impromptu concert of 'WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK
YOU'! Is this cute or what???

Well lovely ones, that's all for now. I must go & do some photography while the sun is out.
I'll blog soon, I promise.
Over & out!
XXX

Home alone.

I'm a bad blogger... I know!!! But when all I've have been doing all week is scrapping & playing Mama...there isn't much deep 'n meaningful to blog about. So here is a few bits 'n bobs!

I had a bit of a scrappy challenge this week, in that x2 different mags selected the same L.O for publication....yikes, huge dilemma! Thankfully one of the mags is happy to see some other options as a replacement....no pressure or anything!! :o) :o) I am almost finished & will be able to get them off to the editor by Monday! I hope they like them.

This pic is just because....my boys are so cute!

With Tersh being on being on mens church camp,it is just me & Maxi at home this weekend. All the guys at our church look forward to it each year....it is a 5 day testosterone laced affair, with much male bonding, eating & generally letting go of all inhibitions. They go Kloof diving, fishing, play rugby, hang out & spend quality time seeking God. T only made it up to Ceres on Friday...(a 3hr drive into the mountains), so it will only really be 3 days for him.

Maxi & I have made the most of our 'date' weekend though & chilled out together. We've been to the mall, bought x2 new DVD's...The Bee Movie & Peter Pan, ate hot chips, hit the toy super store to buy a present for a school friend & he helped me choose a new pair of coloured flip flop's. It's been great. This arvi we are heading to a 4yr olds, Power Ranger party....who knows what that will be about? Exciting stuff & tell you...hahahahaha!
A far cry from my life before kids hey; fashion shows, garment showings, textile fairs & tons of traveling. But as weird as it sounds, I wouldn't trade the life I have now for anything.

This is how Maxi passed the time last night while I cooked supper. Tummy art......the design: 'Beautiful flower garden'....according to His Nibs :o)

Doesn't come off though, I've tried everything....who would have know the lovely pen he is using, would have Tattoo quality ink inside hahaha! Well I am off now to rub shoulders & have polite conversation with the Mommies of Maxi's class mates...I am no good at small talk, so wish me luck.

Chat again in a couple of days.
Over & out.
KJ
x

Man down!

I put my back out yesterday....what a pain it is {literally haha!} I can't twist or bend forwards...eshhh! I feel like a geriatric.
So much for: "I'll just find the heat gun in the garage"....all I got from that little exercise a large pain in the back & no heat gun. I had to give up a rather great sounding coffee with mates this AM because of this, so here I sit feeling mighty sorry for myself, trying to squeeze out a blog post. {OK I'll get myself together & try not bore you to tears.}
I really wanted to try heating embossing...& to do that I needed T's heat gun. I mean why do we have all this art stuff lying around our scrap rooms, if we don't use it. At the time I bought the embossing powder, I thought I'd just use my hair dryer....NOOOOO~bad idea! {This I found out the hard way.}
Oh dear, another project shelved until further notice....well, at least until I find a heat gun somewhere...hey Jo, maybe Gumtree will have one :o)

On a more cheerful note...I baked choc chip cookies with Maxi after school yesterday & he is so patient in the kitchen. He carefully measures the ingredients, breaks eggs, pours milk...even chops chocolate; it is so sweet to watch & his effort was well worth it'...look at this delish plate of cookies!

If you want the recipe, let me know & I'll mail it to you.

Well that's all I can muster up folks...not very riveting was it?? Ok... I'm going to go now...I need a large glass of pepsi... to help me drown my sorrows :o)
Chat later!
XXX

P.S Don't forget about the scrap challenge...deadline is the 10th...tomorrow but I could stretch it until the end of the weekend if you need it?

It's cultural!

I took Max to the theater again on Friday morning, to see "The Just so Stories" by Rudyard Kipling.

He has been asking me repeatedly to go again, since the last school holidays when we went to 'The Ugly Duckling'. And I am not sure if you will remember...but our last experience of the theater was UGLY indeed....so I was apprehensive to say the least, about this little outing. Thankfully it was different theater company putting this story on, so there was a glimmer of hope that it would be worth the effort.

Well I am pleased to report it was MAGNIFICENT!! Not that the performance was something out of Hollywood...but rather that it was real, very well acted & had just enough child & adult humor included into the dialog, to have the starchiest of Moms twittering. Max got thoroughly involved throughout the show...shouting answers to the actors & laughing at everything. We both loved every minute of it...& if & when the theater puts another production on...we will be first in line for tickets.

It you are interested in reading Ruyard Kipling's 'Just so Stories....you can download a free e-book of them here:
 
These are some of the stories:

How the Whale Got His Throat
How the Camel Got His Hump
How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin
How the Leopard Got His Spots

We have also been making the most of the warmer Spring weather although we are still dealing with the effects of all the blasted rain.

These are some pic's I took of Max at the park....or should I say swamp!!
I really hope the water drains away soon...otherwise we are going to be seeing swarms of resident mosquitoes moving in to the neighborhood. Now when it comes to mozzies...or any biting bug for that matter...they LOVE me. Tersh can be lying next to me when a swarm hits & who will get bitten....ME...no-one else...me! Now it wouldn't bother me so much if in their vain attempts to drain my blood, I get to lose a coupla kilo's for the pain & itchiness. But I don't...I just end up mighty grumpy...covered in red spots & itchy like my life depends on it...I HATE mozzies with a passion!!

Well that's my contribution to the world of blogging today. I hope you are having as good a Monday as I've had?

Cheers until later.
KJ

:o)

A little while ago I discovered that I could get a regular supply of beautiful dark wood 12x12 frames to be able to showcase some of my L.O's. Well, my darling bloke put his handyman hat on & mounted some of them them on a wall for me. Initially when I was selecting the ones to hang, I was worried they would look too busy all together in a group but now that they are up, I am pleasantly surprised....they look amazing!

On the scrappy front...I did this little project for the Cocoa Daisy blog, using scraps from the last two months kit, an old CD & x1 jumbo photo...if you are keen to know how...pop over to their blog & take a squizz.

Cocoa Daisy's Sept kits are up for sale....they are really cool, bright & perfect for summer photo's. There are also loads of fantastic add-on's too, so if you are looking for something funky...head over to their shop & take a look-see.

In the spirit of Spring...which is what we are supposed to be experiencing right now....but aren't :o(....I bought a pair of cute, stripy pink pumps. I am not one for shopping much but when I saw these I just had to have them.....& the reasonable price of R49.99 (which is about $6.44) certainly helped in my speedy decision to buy them because when it comes to clothes & shoe, shopping I am a procrastinator of note~ hahaha!

This close up, doesn't actually do them any justice...now that I re-look this photo. In real life they are cute tiny size 5's, not nearly as HUGE as they look here!

Well on that note I must go & see to Max & his friend Joshua...they are eating dried guava roll on the trampoline, playing with dinosaurs. The incessant roaring, tells me they are still having fun together. At 4yrs (Max) & 5yrs (Joshua) old, they tire of each other so fast & get rough just as quickly. It is all about perfect timing with Max to ensure they get his permission to come & play again...if the memory of the play date is ugly, he tends to not want to have them over again.
Kids...you need a degree to raise them :o)

Have a great day guys!
XXX

So spoilt!

OK now I'm jumping for joy!! I have just gotten word that I have another 3 L.O's selected for publication by x2 different magazines.....WooHoo! I feel so spoilt.

*Happy dance time*

I'm a'shimmyin'.... I'm a'shimmyin'!

Well that's all for now guys, I just thought I'd quickly let you know, so you can do a little dance along with me from all your different parts of the globe.

Hugs*
KJ

PS: A little funny to end off with.....I am kissing Max good-bye for school when he pipes up...Mama...you must kiss me different because I really don't like lip-wet! Hahahahahaha...it really cracked me up...and the onslaught of 'yuk don't kiss me Mama' creeps closer.

Stories from the bowl...

OK...so I think I am very smart...I am posting this blog post from my new downloaded add-on for Firefox...called Scribefire. You can post from anywhere on the net using this preloaded widget...it is so cool & far more versatile than bloggers publisher.

Now let's hope it actually works~ hahaha!

I wanted to share with you x2 recent incidences I experienced with Maxi, that had me in stitches.

For all of you who don't know him...he is an outgoing, confident little act at the best of times & so when I heard him roaring at the top of his lungs from my bedroom...I knew it was probably going to be a Kodak moment. Armed with suitable equipment I went to investigate, I must say I knew he was good at imaginary games but this was the first time I'd ever seen him improvise just so well....

He had taken a large black board marker & covered himself in hair....note how even his belly button was all coloured in. He roared at me in monster language until I asked him to translate into English...where I was told he was a 'rock throwing monster from Mars'...so there you have it; an actor in the making...Lord help the Mama :o)

Below is a pic of the Mars monster mid roar.

The next incident was on Sunday while I was blogging & he was playing...I heard him 'drumming' as he usually does on anything near enough to be transformed into a drum kit; only this time it was the sooty fire grate. After the 'song' was finished, the responsible parent in me demanded he wash his filthy hands. I finished up what I was doing & headed to the bathroom to help him, where I was told he had already done it all by himself. I looked around & saw the basin was spotless...whipping around I asked where he had washed.....it didn't take much CSI to work it out...

He proudly explained: " I used the water in toilet bowl to wash my hands Mama...& I also washed my hair in there look!!" True as bob...his head was wet too.....the 'ICK' factor for me was completely overwhelming, hence I ran a bath immediately & tossed him into it.

Boys.....! can't live without knowing why they are so quiet!!
XX

So slow!

Is it just us or is your internet, seriously slow too? (talking about us SA-ians here). Even with the fastest ADSL line 'Helkom' has to offer....we crawl....we hang mid-download...we get sidetracked in cyberspace. Ag! I get so frustrated that I sometimes just walk away from my laptop, embarrassed by the wicked thoughts going through my head, about our ridiculous country where nothing works! I know I have so much to be grateful for & things out there in suburbs, not too far away from mine, are hugely worse...but it just gets to me sometimes. I got a taste of what satellite internet was like in Canada over December....oh my...it just flew! I want an internet connection like that...waaaaah! OK now I sound like an imbecile~ hahahahaha!

Other than twiddling my thumbs waiting for the internet...nothing too exciting happened today. I had housie/admin chores to do...usual boring stuff!

But just before I sign out...just because I can.....another pic of my boy!

Sometimes Maxi is just extra sweet...today was one of those days.
What's not to love in this cute face hey?

Over & out!
XXX

Nuffinc to say!

I am at a bit of a loss as what to blog about today! My day was mediocre, I didn't feel like scrapping & I have swollen ankles [water retention from the humidity] . The highlight I suppose was that I went to the dentist plus I have to go back on Thursday for a double appointment....I am clenching my jaws [again] & it is cracking my molars.......Nooooo! I'm not stressed, for some reason I just clench, it's a bad habit. Dumb I know!

Well now that you are all reeling from the overwhelmingly profound nature of what you have just read, I will leave you with this little snippet of a conversation between Max & the Mother of a little boy in his class @ school.

We were perusing the puzzle & games isle @ Toys R Us earlier today. We bumped into Jed & his Mother. Maxi started yakking to them as soon as he saw them. Shirley, being the Mum of a 4yr old boy acted suitably interested, in an attempt to quell the stream of conversation & questions preferably before this time next year.

Max~ Shirley look at this! {pointing at the box of a kiddies general knowledge game}
Shirley~ Oh, Max that's nice! {thinking she had gotten off lightly}
Max~ Shirley! Look at this! {emphatically}
Shirley~ I see Max! What is that? {realizing she couldn't get away so easily}
Max~ That is the Sydney Opera House in Australia, that is the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy & that is the Statue of Liberty, in that 'York city' {thank-fully he stopped there, as he couldn't remember the Eiffel Tower}
Shirley~ Wow! Max you clearly know alot more than I do! {looking shocked}

This is where I, now red-faced, sort of threw in there....."Ah! yes he seems to have quite a good memory"; grabbed Maxi by the hand, breezed something about having to dash & ducked! I hate situations like that....I hope she doesn't think I strap my poor child to earphones & teach him Natural history until midnight every night. He just has an interest in things like that so we read about them......fortunately he remembers most of what we read.

My child, doing what he likes best......talking about books he reads!

XX

[Ok...so I had something to say after all, haha!]

My turn!

Now it's my turn to post photo's of Maxi's first day @ school. He woke up with the sparrows....& demanded breakfast 'cos he wanted to go to school!!! The weary Mama...obliged even if only in body [Flip, I have got to get to bed earlier!!]...I don't know how I even managed to get the oats porridge on the go, through my 'I-wanna-sleep-blur'. It was the mug of super-strength, caffeine laced nectar that finally kick-started my old engine.

WAKE UP! IT'S TIME FOR SCHOOL!

Dressing Max was a breeze today....nothing like a bit of motivation!! Given half a chance my DS would run around all day buck naked...so needless to say, clothes other than PJ's, are always a fight TO GET ON! :o)
We headed out the door right on time...the mama had everything organised the day before.......can I ask a question??? Why is it, that even though my DS is only in play school, do I have to provide a box of tissues & x4 loo rolls along, with all sorts of other art equipment & the likes for him to take with him on his first day. Is it just me or am I the only one completely out of touch with things. And when did it become the responsibility of the parents to provide loo paper??? Seriously..........

THIS IS THE FACE OF A LITTLE BOY AMPED TO GET TO SCHOOL!!!

We deposited him off with his new teacher & my parting memory, was hearing him saying to her...'No thanks I don't to play in the yard...I am fine to stay here by my self & play with the cars'. Funny-bunny....a yarn full of old friends & new children to play with & he is content to rather play in the school room by himself. I expect this is the result of being an only child. At least he is comfy in his own skin......for which I am very grateful.

OK, BYE MAMA!

My independent cutie-pop, growing up much too fast for my liking.

XXX