khuluma : family meeting

had a stroke of genius recently - with the help of the therapist - and have instated a "family round-table" on a monthly basis. All topics can be suggested by anyone, ie. Agenda is drawn up by all; You can only speak when you're holding the Lego, Abraham Lincoln (don't laugh); Keith keeps a note of all decisions made and agreed upon, ie. he is secretary and all items put forwarded are only tabled if there is 100% agreement.

Today we covered:
• being on time
• listening to instructions - once (penalties for repeating instructions)
• homework
• time on the computer/ iPad

Apparently there is more to discuss. Zack and Calvin wish to call another meeting a.s.a.p.

:-)

earning potential

We shop at a local grocery store - Sainsbury's. It's a huge chain in Britain. Our local shop has a community feel about it, beyond the soulless black plastic crates that mark Sainsbury's national fresh produce sections, and the awful silver shelving that is the same. We go in and out daily picking up a few items. Zack (now 6 3/4yrs) and Calvin (4 1/4yrs) used to be on first name terms with the security guard at the front door, until they changed staff. Today while we were packing our bags, the boys were running hither and thither collecting blue shopping baskets and stacking them up.
When we left, Zack piped up saying, "When I'm big, I want to be a Sainsbury's man. I want to do the packets."
Calvin chimed in saying, "When I'm big, I also want to be a Sainsbury's man. But I want to do the boxes."
Keith couldn't let it go, and so began a long discussion with Zack on earnings. What does he think a man at Sainsbury's earns ? etc.
Zack started off saying that he must work very hard if he wants to earn £500/day at Sainsbury's. Keith said he very much doubted that the man at Sainsbury's earned £500/day.
I wasn't privy to the rest of the conversation, chasing Calvin down the snowy pavement, but I bet it was interesting. I wonder what Zack thinks ?

Aware

This morning when we were getting ready to go to school, Calvin said to me "In August it is my birthday." I nearly fainted !! How did he know ? Who told him ? He is a genius !

This evening each boy had a chance to say prayers. Zack was silly about it, and then wailed when I said he'd forfeited his chance. Calvin on the other hand, leapt in with "Thank you for soldiers, marching. Thank you for soldiers at the palace. Thank you for August, my birthday party. etc. etc." Zack rallied, and managed to say "Thank you Jesus for ..." each of his friends by name. Bless their socks.

As I was turning the lights off, the phone rang and it was Keith's mum to say that David has passed away while at home in Plumtree, Zimbabwe. He was all of 68 years old, and feeling old but not unhealthy. It seems he died of a heart attack. They're having difficulty contacting his wife and the neighbours (who have a phone). Zack's immediate response was, "Does that mean they're not coming?"
Meaning, Granny & Grandpa.
"No, I said. They'll still come to visit us in England."
"And what about Tessie?" was the next question.
"Yes, I'm sure we'll see Tessie again soon."
"But dogs aren't allowed on planes."
Good point!, "Well," I said, "we'll have to see her next time we're in South Africa."

One man and his dog....

Last Saturday we took ourselves off up north to Bromsgrove (just south of Birmingham) to visit Frankie & Agnieszka and their new addition to the family - Jethro - a golden retriever. He is now 5 months old and full of bounce and lick.
The weather was glorious and the local playground was well frequented during Jethro's walks. We also popped into the café for ice cream. It was such a good break - far away from all the responsibilities and to-do lists. The only challenge was getting up at 6:40am most days with Calvin, sigh. But beyond that it was a special time with family.

we went to Cadbury's World on Monday. Sadly Keith missed it as he was back at work

Zack and Aga take on one another on the iPad

Calvin's potty-training continues unabated. He is doing mightily well and altho we have accidents here and there, he is in underpants all day, every day. Praise has worked really well with this little chap, and I regularly catch him saying, "I so clever", to himself. Delightful.
His vocabulary is excellent and he is making himself well understood. He is most definitely a two-year-old with lots of "no's". Strangely we are still getting to know him, as Zack is such a big personality and tends to take over. Having Tina (our housekeeper) away for a month was really a special time of one-to-one with Calvin and I think we both feel that we understand and know him better.
Hammy, the hamster, is still healthy and busy (at night). He has been 'downsized' from Chairman Mao's palace as he managed to chew a hole in the bottom of one of the panels. he is now in a smaller box with a wheel attached and he seems more settled and less intent on escape.

Calvin's first real word

He said it on the weekend and I thought it was just fluke, but this morning when I picked him up, I said, "Let's have some breakfast Calvin". And he looked at me, so I said, "lunch", and he said to me, "lunch". So there it is - Calvin's first word, other than "mummy, daddy, and nanny", is "lunch". I think he might also be on the verge of "'nana" (as in 'banana'), but we'll see.
My child is a genius !

vocal explosion

Zack is just talking, talking, talking. It's as if he's suddenly getting his mouth around all the things that he's been listening to for months. We've been making notes of the news words for a while, but in the last few days it's just exploded. Isn't language an amazing thing ? I was watching my friend Elly's little boy a few months agao and was astonished at how he mimicked her every word, and now Zack is doing it. Of course there's heaps of babbling going on, but for the rest it's great fun.

Favourite word is still 'car'. But that's how it goes with boys !

The Aside:
Coming back to London was a shock to the system. We had a few rough nights and Zack is becoming more and more head-strong. He bit me hard on Wednesday morning at our mum's group, because I wouldn't let him have a 4th biscuit. Lots of screaming and stamping of feet, and then when I confronted him and said "no", he bit me. I smacked him in front of all the mummies. Yesterday we were in Hyde Park, in a playground, and 2 mums came to blows because one's child was being picked on by another (with absent mum). Heaven help you if you raise your voice, let alone your hand to some kid who is pounding yours. What a crazy world we live in! Jackie was saying how strange it is that we are so involved in our children's lives (stimulating them, educating them, entertaining them), compared to our mums who chased us outside to play, and our grandparents who were even less involved (by all accounts - see ITV's new parenting series, Bringing Up Baby). There has definitely been a trend in the last 100 years towards tighter bonds with one's children. The down-side is tho', that we don't trust anyone with or near our kids. There are paedo's everywhere, we're told. Stranger Danger! etc. etc. It puts so much more strain on mums who are already collapsing under the load of domestic duties, and dad's under the strain of providing, supporting. Yadda Yadda. And there isn't always someone to listen to your ranting and moaning. Parenting is not an easy road. It's bloody hard work.