This Is My Life

Ups: we had our first outing “nappyless” with keira yesterday, and didn’t have an accident! (she’s 21 months, potty training going really well. Hasn’t yet done a poo in the potty, but we’ve only just really started)

Both my parents are now out of hospital (mom had typhoid, my dad a degree of heart failure and excess red blood cells)

Forwards: Almost school holidays (no more fighting with Talia about going to school; my sister and niece are coming for the holidays)

Keira starts school next week – well she goes for 2 days to have a look

Talia has her “new” school introductory party

Downs: Talia has been losing her hair, looks like she may have a fungal infection.

Just noticed that I missed my 5 year blog birthday on 15th November. 5 years. hmmmmm

Driving away from garden shop, keira starts squirming and whining in her car seat. I ask talia what she’s doing as I can’t see Keira. The answer: ” holding on for dear life”.

How bad do my girls think my driving is?

I’m going to be flying up to JHB tomorrow for another lightning visit to my folks. My mom was hospitilised over the weekend due to severe gastro. To put it into perspective, she weighs only 31kg now (yeah, we know, seriously dangerously under-weight).  My dad has to go for scans as its suspected he’s having strokes. So while mom is in hospital, and my dad can’t drive, I need to be there. My poor sister has been carrying the “physical” weight of looking after my folks, we do the financial part. But she just can’t do both parents at the same time.

Talia’s not doing too well, had her at the dr’s last week for a physical checkup as I thought she was literally pulling out her hair with stress. Now its actually falling out in clumps. So I’m taking her off to the dermi next week. she’s now got a bald spot on her head.

On a lighter note, keira has learnt that things have colours. although the only colour she knows is blue. So everything is blue. Even if its green.

Been thinking about how small acts of kindness can have a huge impact on our lives and sometimes, even if they don’t impact your life, you still think about them 22 years later.

During my first week of high school, I got on the wrong bus and ended up going to town and not home. a girl, (think her name was Geraldine Percival) at the time in standard 8, helped me to get back to school. I was in tears, so scared. wish i could tell her that i still think of the incident and her kindness.

Another small act of kindness: Keira’s favourite comfort toy is a zebra. I tracked down the manufacturer who gave me the details of a shop who has stock. Unfortunately Utopia in Century City is quite far for me to drive to from Stellenbosch, but Guy there went beyond normal service and offered to post it to me. You can be cynical and say its a business and they do things like this for profit, but actually he could have just as easily told me to come in and fetch it.

Do you think about the acts of kindness other people do that impact you? Do you ever wish you could tell them years later that it meant something special to you. Or even if it didn’t at the time, that it has impacted you years later in a positive manner. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a site that is dedicated to acts of kindness, where you can post a special thank you, no matter how big or small, and they try and track down the people who did the act if you’ve lost contact? wouldn’t you like someone to get hold of you and say, “hey, do you remember doing XYZ, the person still thinks of you with fondness”. Wouldn’t that make you feel like a better person somehow?

Keira has been copying the big girls for months now, in that when they go to the loo, she follows, climbs on (nappy and all), hops off then washes her hands. She’s been going potty now before her bath for months as well. I haven’t wanted to start her properly due to cold weather and strange houses, but now that we’re getting settled and the weather is warming up, I think its time.

This morning started off really well. She hopped out of bed where she was snuggling with me, and went running to the bathroom. sat on her potty, did a wee and stood up and clapped (hmmm, i may be overdoing that part. I get a clap when I go wee too!).

I thought great, wee done, she can run around nappy-less for a while. Except she did a wee by her chair in the dining room. Hmm. Clean up mess and then think, ok, all done we’re safe. A few minutes later, she then wee’s in the lounge. Beginning to suspect she’s doing this in parts. Since its too cold to get her to go outside, try and encourage putting a nappy on. She didn’t want any part of that. Think maybe its all out anyway. Go into playroom. Hear an “ohoh”. Oh, look, another wee. Strongly encourage a new visit to potty and finally manage to get nappy on. A bit like closing the stable door.

Note to self: time to buy lots of paper towl. 

Down:

Seriously worried about my dad. It’s a long story (that involves mini strokes and alcoholism) and I’m not sure that its going to have a happy ending.

Up:

My mom’s tests came back negative for cancer, so she’s still in remission. The feeling in her throat is enlarged vocal cords caused by acid reflux. Easily sorted with a change in diet. As long as she stops smoking and drinking so much coffee. And actually eats food.

Down:

Facing your parents mortality is a crappy feeling. Feeling unable to support them emotionally / physically as you’re in a different town is even crappier.

Up:

Took talia to the doctor today, she’s perfectly healthy, her iron levels are just below normal so looking good although she has to stay on the iron supplements for a while longer. Dr suggests leaving her until December and seeing if extra love and patience and school holidays solves the stress problem. If not its off to a psychologist.

Forwards:

I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel wrt our home renovations. And we’re going for lunch with our builder and architect in the next week or so. Strange, all the stories of builders I’ve heard, never thought I’d still like ours at the end of the project.

Where has my baby of sunshine and light gone to? the one who would happily do the things I asked her to? play the games I suggest? where has this little person who threw such a tantrum at moms and tots today because she didn’t want to come inside / didn’t want to make a rooster / didn’t want to stop playing come from? at age 21 months, we’ve started our terrible twos.