Thursday, May 17, 2012

New Super Power

Now I know that if you search back in my posts to January, you will unearth a pledge to get running, and keep running.  Well I think it happened once in ooh....January!
I have been feeling the pressure recently as my other half has stepped up his training and is signing up for half marathons left, right and centre.  He also corrupted School Dad A earlier this year, who is now out-running him.  Our neighbours are serious runners, the club types, our first introduction included comparison of running times, and he does crazy runs like 40k over sand dunes and is super fast.  Between all of these nutters they have been trying to convert me for the whole year we have lived here, and I have resisted.

Now, however I have been double crossed.  Recently one of my girlfriends, who I firmly believed would be my cake, chocolate and cocktails friend for years to come has, horror of horrors started running, and...she looks great for it.
She has been trying to co-erce me and one other into her madness.  So over coffee, she demonstrated across the living room (and dodging toddler toys) her jogging pace.  This act alone had us in giggles, but spurred me on to try a short circuit (the running kind, not the one in my brain) round our neighbourhood.  So I strapped the girls in (twice) and dusted of the new trainers, found yoga pants I didn't know I owned and borrowed something called a Garmin, looks like a watch to me, and off i trotted.

Turns out I have a new super power, I am an incredibly crappy runner!!  I know plenty of people who post their running times on Facebook, but I am not ready for the teasing that will follow that announcement, here is a much safer environment!  I ran 2, yes 2, kilometers and it took me 16 minutes.  It was fine, not fun, just fine.  I will probably do it again one day.

The neighbour has already suggested that in 4 weeks time I will be ready for a 5k race, I knew there was a reason I had avoided this activity!!!


Sunday, May 13, 2012

Vakantie Fun & Games


My boys have been on May Vacation for 2 weeks and I thought I would post about some of the boy-child fun and games I have been introduced/forced into this fortnight.

Days 1-3 were pretty much taken up with chores, outdoor play, bike and scooters round the local park etc.  However, on day 4 of the vacation I decided to brave a trip into town to the busy market and cheery breakfast with a friend and her wee one in a newly opened cafe.  Now I know bribery is not something that many parenting gurus will advocate but my two are pretty used to it now, so should they behave themselves they would be treated to their choice of toy from the toy shop, (budget restriction applied).  It is at this point I was introduced to the totally mysterious (read: seemingly pointless) boy-world of Bakugan.  For the uninitiated among you this is basically a Transformer-type alien but no bigger than a large marble, that you roll across the floor and when it comes into contact with one of the magnetic cards provided it springs into alien/monster/robot form.  This is supposed to happen in a battle environment, but my 4 year old is quite happy to roll and observe the transformation!
Later that week at the Queens day markets (biggest flea market ever) he picked up Top Trumps - Sports Cars from the son of a family friend, for the grand old price of 50 cents!  I can tell you now, I am bored of these damn cards already but am trying to hang onto the educational aspect of comparing the top speeds of cars as numerical reasoning.  I cannot wait for Godmother Yellow Hair to get out here, she is a demon Top Trumps player she can take over from here!
A medley of treat days followed, trips out to various indoor soft play climbing frames and trampolines, swimming at the wave pools. 
Todays activities have surpassed even my expectations.  Today we played hide and seek, I decided to get pretty creative about it.  I spent 10 minutes under a bath towel behind a door and another 10 minutes stood in the hallway in wellies with my coat over my head.  They walked past me several times, there is something to be said for hiding in plain sight.  I had to reveal myself after Child 1 shouted, "Mum, we've looked everywhere... I'm starting to get a bit worried about you now".

After all the treats and days out, it was todays game of Hide and Seek that got them running towards their father to tell him what a great hider mum is!  Score!!


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Mission completion,,,,

I have been sorting through the "incomplete" pile today, a task in itself I can tell you!

I have uncovered the following;
2 incomplete boys waistcoats made in anticipation of my sisters wedding in 2010, (we ended up getting one to fit from the hire shop to match the groomsmen).
1 incomplete halterneck summer dress

1 incomplete maxi length evening skirt from...OMG 2003!!!  (This one only got as far as being cut out)
Numerous alterations, hemming, missing buttons.

I left the room feeling quite hopeless.

But I have a plan...
Waistcoats I will probably abandon, no foreseeable use for them, and the boys are getting so big so quick.
Must hem summer halterneck, and as it is a little low cut probably fashion a little extra coverage.
Turn maxi skirt into a retro style dress, this will be the first time I have combined patterns, ie the existing skirt to a Retro bodice.  The skirt is just not something I would wear anymore, but completed as a dress it may just do for any weddings or partys that crop up!

Watch this space!!!


I will probably omit the bow...
I'm not a bow kinda girl!
     



Friday, May 4, 2012

The Spirit Of Ginger

 Recently I have been prompted by the spirit of Ginger to post about the freaky stuff he does, they are numerous!

Today he ate both ends of an Ikea pencil.

While I was busy in the Kitchen he had the TV on.  I invited him into the kitchen to try the offerings from the oven.  It was at this point I noticed his beige T-shirt, his chin and his cheeks has this general grey tinge about them.  This is not unusual, he spends most of his time looking like no one loves him, he is just one of those grubby kids you cannot keep clean (I do try, honest).

As I started picking little unidentified chunks from about his lips and from his tongue, I kept asking him what he had eaten..."Nothing" came the reply several times, even his big brother could shed no light on the matter.

I made my way to the last known sighting of the Ginger One (the Sofa) and found more unidentified chunks and a half chewed Ikea Pencil he had been using to design a Thank You card earlier.  Cut to me speedily Googling lead poisoning, the possible ill effects of eating pencils and the chances of me being found guilty of neglect!  I am pleased to announce there are none and that modern pencils are made from Graphite/Carbon, which in turn means my only admission needs to be on here!

No plans for this weekend, we might go for an all you can eat buffet at the Ikea Showroom!

Proost

Vicki

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Science or Magic???

There is something very special about fireworks, always has been.  We all know they signify a celebration or a party of some kind.  The Dutch love them and quite frankly on New Years Eve they go completely over board, to the point where I could have burst into tears and the next "bang".  They went from 10am -2am next morning,  that day alone could have turned me against fireworks forever.
Sunday night though was Queens Day Night (eve), we found out about our local town center hosting a fireworks display to celebrate the eve of Queens Day.
A quick Metro ride later and we were surrounded by drum beats and party atmosphere.  The display started at 10pm and for the next 10 minutes my 4 year old clung round my neck in sheer delight and awe.  It was one of those moments that as he gets older are getting rarer.  He is still little enough to be carried on my hip, which gave me the perfect view of the fireworks lighting up his face and sparkling in his eyes.
He hugged me tighter and tighter with each crescendo and couldn't help himself from shouting in my ear how pretty they were and asking how they went bang, we agreed on "magic" being the answer, it seemed wrong to explain their magnificence away with science.