Frog Blog

Update:
I am using Hands on Homeschooling age2 for my 3 yr old.

We are attending a few session with an occupational therapist. My Son has a bit of low muscle tone and she has really shown me in a direction I had not thought of taking…regarding abilities…I am slowly just doing things with him.

* We have started using a peg-board …Elijah must start off with making lines across and then one down and work from there…

* Children apparently need to “build” before they can draw.

* We are using “short” (broken) fat crayons and chalk to make lines and draw with. to get a three finger hold. as my son is just fist holding most of the time.

* We have a bulletin board with a few pictures for the week on it. Our memory Bible verse, A picture relating to the story of the week, 5 Apples as we are working on our counting.

* I am using TotSchool ideas – web address can be requested or just google it.
They have a tray system that is working really well for my son. Each acticity is on a tray for the day, and we just use the trays and do the activities throughout the day..better planning for me and better Idea for Elijah on what he will be doing.

* the OT (occupational therapist) recommended a Square box (size of about 10-15cm and preferably plastic) and put sandpaper in the bottom and sand on top – u can choose how much…Kids draw lines first then u make handprints with them, and draw faces and eyes…no wiping off…just shake box and viola – new area to draw

* Cut out pictures of magazines (sqaure-shape to start with) or print out from clipart or whatever…Cut in half and kids “build” puzzles…
start with 2 pieces then work up

* It has come to my attention (through OT homework) that my son doesn’t know how to tear properly…he “pulls” apart the page…so we are working on that and pasting “leaves” on trees etc…make other pictures too

This pregnancy is happening so fast that I can almost not keep up.

I had plans to write a pregnancy diary – this didn’t happen much at all. Every day I think of this little girl that will be coming into the world in the next 12 weeks. I have absolutely nothing ready for her arrival yet but I really want (NEED) to start soon. It is starting to affect my “planning/need to be perfect” streak.

A Final decision I made last night was to put both Kids in one room. I will be measuring beds and space today hopefully and then we will be using the other room as a play/school room.  If the beds fit in the one room. I have such plans to put pictures on the walls and just making the playroom look really nice. A reading corner (maybe with some beanbags) – craft tables and chairs, toy boxes…really looking froward to this now – I really hope the beds fit!

This weekend needs to be productive – we will see…

I have tried two approaches with Elijah and we are now attempting another one…

1. The first “idea” i had was to read stories and have “theme” weeks that i set out each week – the problem – i didnt have enough experience and then E was too young for most of the stuff i had attempted from getting it off the internet – so he wasn’t interested unless it was story time – we tried Loads of crafts
There are quite a few “free” curriculums which i think have great value except we dont have the library system overseas have and they are not very user-friendly for SA in my opinion

2. I then tried doing nothing except bedtime stories (that worked) but we got More SOCIAL – which hasn’t worked at all in my opinion

3. The “new” version is what we are starting as Elijah turns 3 now – Hands On Homeschooling – very well set out with a bit of effort in preparation time from Mommy and Daddy. As it is US based our seasons are different so we will be “changing” the themes around a bit

OK so I do know it is summer right now, but it is never too late to start. Actually the earlier I get this done the better.

Hubby made another bookshelf for our study as our old one was beginning to spill over onto every other surface in the room. This is great. It looks good and has loads of space! I am really impressed that Hubby is so handy! So the “Study” Spring clean started.

I am still busy trying to separate home-school stuff and stationary. The filing is waiting in a box – I need another file before I start but it doesn’t look too bad. Thankfully because I hate filing.
The other stuff just doesn’t really “fit” into any group – and I like groups! baby books, Christian books, programming and computer books, home-school books etc….So decisions need to be made.

The other problem is that I asked my domestic where a certain toy is that was Elijah’s that had disappeared for a while. She directed me to the Cat’s room…

Let me explain the Cat’s room. It is the new baby room. The room that I need ready for the beginning of July! The cat’s have ruled the room for many years now. I think Cats are clean animals but over time there are certain smells. The carpet needs replacing – hopefully in April, the walls needed to be  washed and the curtains will be replaced with lined curtains when I find out the sex of the baby.
The bed in that room was covered in plastic to protect it and that has been great but the bed has become a packing space for things i don’t want to think about or just be lazy to find a space. The new Domestic I have also used this room over the last few months to put away the things she thought unimportant but were actually important.

I emptied the toys into a plastic box for cleaning and sorting. And then I sorted other stuff into a rubbish bag for tomorrow’s removal.

So for now the room is sort of sorted, but the big furniture stuff etc needs to be moved. Magazines that have been collected need to be thrown away or given away. The library seems like the best choice but they are really too heavy for me to carry.

This morning the doctor told me to slow down and relax more. I need to take Panado for my ligaments that are stretching to extra proportions already…

I thought this nesting instinct thing was only supposed to happen at the end!

Elijah got given a Cars DVD for Christmas. And so it started…

Ok so I am hopefully not alone in this situation. There was a toy car chosen from the toy box for “Lighting McQueen”. He got a “Tow Mator” (old mcdonalds toy that His Uncle had too) and there was a red truck-trailer that he has that became “Mack” .  So there we have a few hours of play for the last few days.

It has been a joy to watch his imagination and memory at play. A real heart-sqeezing moment for mommy.

Then this morning we had to got to checkers and the “steering wheel” trolleys were no where to be seen. So it was a normal trolley that Big boy can now climb out of. So while I am in the condiments isle, Elijah jumps out and races off…so I follow and find him in the toy Isle (how does he remember where it is when we hardly go there???). My heart is beating and very stressed mommy picks him up and puts in back in. But there is a problem!

He has found a toy “McQueen” and is in the process of opening it up. Now part of Mommy wants to think how proud she is that her bog boy is practising such fine- motor skills. The other part of me is thinking “How the heck am I going to get it back on the shelf with no tantrum and no isle-attendants looking on.

Alas, there are two just a few meters away and one is already looking on with raised-eyes. This is worse than the sweets isle and the problems I always have there. I start looking for the shelf and a price…Just my luck, there is no more! I cant find one! Where did this one come from???

I start giving Elijah a lecture and a time out threat etc…the things mommies have to do.. you know the routine…

At the till I find out the price..not too bad, so we buy it…Now the problem is How am I going to break the news to Daddy…eish!

Ok so i stay in a more afrikaans town and I guess this is to be expected.

My son says a few afrikaans words – in the right time and place too…nee, totsiens etc…

I have been struggling to get him to say Thankyou in english for soooo long nowadn this morning Daddy gives him a chocolate and he says “DANKIE”

Oh I want to have a tantrum

Since the beginning of December, almost every day has been a challenge. Today has been no different.

This morning i woke up and thinking I was going to have a slow, take it easy, kind of day.Yes there were chores, Yes there were activities to attend, but it was all going to stay sane.

Although I am 14 1/2 weeks along my pregnancy, I still have not experienced the increase of energy that I was hoping for. So I trudge on. And hope today will be the day.

But my morning started with a phone call. A lovely chat kind of thing and well wishing. After a while I looked up at the clock to realise If i didn’t say goodbye right then i was going to be late taking my darling son to swimming. Rushing around, trying not to forget any important item needed for the trip, I head for the door. darling son wont be budged from the chair. He tells me “Elijah is tired”. I told him what rubbish, you had a great night sleep, kicking and hitting Mommy in her sleep. All the things he loves to do.

I then try to tell him teacher E has a slide remember? Elijah loves to slide,remember? Ok so he is out the door like a shot. I lock up and get to the car and realise keys are missing. Where would I have put them. back in the house, found them under the pillows of the unmade bed.

Back out the door and to swimming we go. After swimming Elijah wants to slide and a friend informs me the slide is missing. How did i miss it. Elijah goes out the change-room and stands dead still…knowing it was supposed to be there…it isn’t…thankfully he seems not to mind too much.

Off to the license department. For a boat trailer license. No queue..Yay…hand over the form…”Sorry, you need to go to Alberton to get this. ” …My mind is in two places…Keeping Elijah from running away from me and thinking of the 40 minute drive to a department I cant remember the directions to.

So I am doing some math and realise that the license needs to be paid by Monday. Tomorrow i cant go, then it is weekend and Monday the Gardener is at home so I only have today. Oh boy it is already 10.40am by that stage!

A call to my sister to organise directions. The drive begins…Elijah copes well, the music is blaring, until he sees the train. Once we had passed he wanted to go back..The tantrums start and I am trying to keep from screaming at him. I want to be a good mother – I think to myself. I am a good mother i tell myself in the rear-view mirror.

We arrive at my sisters and Elijah gets popped into her car while i go off to stand in a queue who knows how long. This is a Johannesburg licensing department, not like the little dorp where i stay. I start praying, “Please Lord, I really am impatient right now and I dont want to get into a fight with anyone. Please help me to stand here in a kind, loving and patient way. ”

The queue looks long. Oh boy. And the smell! I know my senses are heightened right now but I just dont know how i am not going to pass out. Well prayers are answered – the queue starts moving quickly. In 20 minutes I am out of there. Off to sister’s again and then the 40 minute trip home. It’s hot, but thankfully traffic is not too heavy and then the other blessing. Elijah falls asleep just before home. Yay – i can nap…oh no….

Nap time is not happening, Chores to get done! ASAP. Preperations for Sunday shcool need to get sorted and dinner needs to get cooked. What fun…

Then the printer doesn’t want to print my document! I need it by 5! What to do….

We have had a update on our Little Baby that should arrive in July.

Our scan showed a wonderful little GROWING baby. Unfortunately he/she was showing his/her bum and not the other way around. SO we count down to the 12th February with excitement for the next visit. And hope our little one will show some more

My new theory!

No depression is not caused by being unable to achieve goals.
No depression is not caused by not getting the recognition you deserve.
No depression is not caused by past hurts.

But all these are valid reasons for feeling depressed.

How does one make a normal person depressed? or when does a normal person become depressed?

A person locked up in a small cell with no windows, is bound to eventually  become depressed, no matter how perky their personality.  Many people with chronic debilitating illnesses  become depressed. A starving person is unable to do anything in their weakened state, they display classical symptoms of depression, but they are not incorrectly diagnosed as depressed but rather as staving.

The reason people get depressed  is that they are robbed of their freedom, they are unable to do what they want to do. They are physically unable to express their creativity.

My theory is that this inhibitance is the cause for most depression. Most depressed people are trapped in a cage in a sense, they then often feel they are worthlessness, which is a legitimate and valid conclusion, if I go one step further they may feel nothing as even emotion is robbed from them.

I hope it should be very clear that telling the depressed person to cheer up is just making things worse as they are still in that cage. One could give the depressed person medication to alter their legitimate feelings, this would probably make it much more bearable to the person, but it still only covers up the symptom. [Read more →]

Pregnancy can be very tiring in the beginning and I am sure again at the end. After a bit of a long trip to drop someone off at the airport (it was raining buckets) I got home and wanted to sleep. Eventually got to bed at 20.30 and was woken not even 2 hours later by a Little boy who was not a happy camper. Rolling on the bed. Tummy sore. Mom trying to keep her eyes open.

Eventually I put him in bed with us! What happens? The obvious of course…he throws up on the bed…Lovely. Got him cleaned up. He moaned a bit…gave him some meds. He goes to sleep…

Unfortunately being awake started up the heartburn again. I really didnt know I would suffer so early in the pregnancy. I laid awake. Tossed and turned and eventually fell asleep…

Only to be awoken  by a unhappy boy again. This is 4am! Took him to toilet. I could smell something was coming. NOTHING HAPPENS.
Off to bed agan…Little Boy sits up, and has a very runny poo in the underpants…thankfully not on my bed. But I rush to toilet and we clean up and blah blah. Unfortunately by this time Little Boy is very awake. So again so is mommy and the heartburn. Sometime after 6 and a few more toilet trips we are back in bed and Little boy…with some meds and love is asleep.

Mommy is not! Heartburn is not! Cats are hungry, bird is whistling (wishing he had a tune) and I suppose my day has started