A Work Trip

Last week I was away for work … for the entire week … with my boss.

When I was younger I use to think that travelling around for work would be fun … you get to see new places etc. This ISN’T how I feel about it now!!! I was away for 7 days … 7 days away from hubby and the kids!! I did not have fun.

I did learn an awful lot while I was away (which I suppose was the point) … and we learned alot about the work we are currently busy with and the direction we should be taking it, based on what is being done in Europe. So from a professional and academic standpoint it was a worthwhile trip. The plant tours were especially impressive … the environmental, health and safety standards are incredibly high and most of our local plants do not come close to those kinds of standards of operation. So it was quite impressive.

I missed home terribly though. I called every day via Whatsapp (how great is that functionality btw??) since there was free wi-fi at the conference and the hotel. It felt incredibly strange being away from home all by myself … every time I saw something interesting I would think about how I wished hubby was with me to share it. There wasn’t alot of time to do sight-seeing anyway … the days were full of work related things.

We landed in Jhb on Sunday morning …. which was Father’s day and the winter solstice and my birthday! I was so happy to be home and see my family that I started crying when I saw them. Hubby brought the kids to the airport and they were holding balloons and a card that Munchkin had written in and drawn a picture of me in. It was a wonderful homecoming 🙂

And even though it was my birthday the presents went from me to everyone else 🙂 All three of the kids loved their pressies … since I had asked them what they wanted and them actually managed to get it. There was a bit of a mishap with hubby’s Father’s day present though. I had ordered an item from Amazon.de since delivery is free when you’re in the country but DHL in Germany went on strike (I was actually quite surprised at this …. Germans going on strike!!). So just my luck, it was never delivered … which is super unusual for Amazon who are always extremely reliable. But I sent them an email and they are refunding my money. So I still need to sort hubby’s present but waiting for Amazon to refund me so I can replace it.

I am not enjoying the cold!!!

Going to Durbs next week …. really really hoping it’s nice and warm there!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch ….

Crikey! Has it really been 4 months since I’ve posted anything??? Sorry all for not commenting on your posts in the last while. I have been reading them … I get them via email … but I have not been good about commenting and staying in touch. I will try to fix that once again today though I imagine I won’t be able to comment on all the missed posts.

 So … during the last 4 months …

 Munchkin turned SIX!! (OMW … can you believe it?)

Munchkin

Sweetpea turned FOUR!!! (Again … yikes!!)

Sweetpea

Mister is completely potty-trained!! And the only reason I am bringing that up is because after SIX LOOOOONNNNNGGG years of nappies I honestly just need to celebrate the fact that there are no more nappies in the house … and that nappies are no longer on the shopping list or a part of my life … and that I don’t have to do poo-bums anymore!!

Mister

All 3 of them are recovering from being ill … Munchkin is still carrying her nagging cough but in general they are all on the mend and doing well!

 We managed to have 2 birthday parties last month (consecutive weekends) … a Barbie surfing party for Sweetpea and a Frozen party for Munchkin … much fun was had by all! This year was the first time we had separate parties for the girls … they are growing up!

 Hard to squeeze much detail into a single catch-up post so I’m gonna stick to the highlights and maybe do a separate post on some of the bigger issues that have come up.

 A really big and positive thing that has happened is that I managed to get my working hours adjusted. After much negotiation and discussion my working hours have been changed to 7am to 1pm for the majority of my time but I will be expected to work longer hours when my projects are actually running or have a client meeting etc. I can handle that! The hours that I am short each week I will put in unpaid leave for … so I will be taking a knock in my salary BUT I will get to fetch the kids from school and be there for them in the afternoons. This arrangement has really only taken effect this week but I cannot tell you the difference it makes already! The kids are thrilled that I’m home with them in the afternoons … I get to spend a lot more quality time with them … and now have the time to spend proper alone time with each of them separately which was really hard before. All I need to do is make sure I still deliver on everything I need to. My work load hasn’t changed; I just have 2 hours less in a day in which to get things done. I am really excited about this arrangement and am going to work hard to make it work!

 The early mornings are rough … especially cos it’s so dark now (and freezing today). I get up and get ready and then get Munchkin up and ready for school before I leave for work at around 6:20 and then FIL takes Munchkin to school and hubby takes Sweetpea. Sweetpea leaves home closer to 8 so there’s no big rush to get her out of the house before 7am like there is with Munchkin. Having my mum and hubby’s dad around is a huge help … especially now that FIL has taken over the morning drop-off (I got to work after 8 when I did Munchkin’s drop-off).  So now I get to work by 7am and can fetch them afterwards J

 Hubby is currently in Benin … again! This is his 4^th trip this year!

 I have been uhm-ing and ah-ing about LCHF (Banting) for months … I bought the book last year but still never actually tried it. Then hubby read “Good calories, bad calories” and “What really makes you fat” over the December break and he was converted! He started Banting in January. Just him … he just adapted the food that was prepared at home. After a month of him Banting I saw the difference it made to him … it was pretty amazing! He felt great, was loving what he was eating and was losing weight after he has pretty much given up on ever being able to lose the extra weight he has been carrying for so long. So I decided to give it a bash … I started in Feb (was thinking of you Runnermum 🙂 ) I am still going strong … I admit I struggled with sugar-bit i.e. the fact that I can’t have any because I’ve always been a sugar-fiend … but I now bake approved treats and make my own ice-cream so that part is not as bad as it was. I was actually really very pleasantly surprised at how quickly I settled into it and as long as I bake banting goodies at least once a week to take care of my sweet craving I don’t have the urge to cheat much! But the bit that really makes me not want to cheat is the outcome of it. I have lost almost 11kg now and don’t struggle with blood-sugar lows and afternoon sleepiness … my weight has stabilized over the last couple of weeks but I’m not trying to lose any more. The last time I weighed what I weigh now was before I had Munchkin! I am really happy with the LCHF lifestyle 🙂 Should have followed in your footsteps sooner RM!

 OK I think that’s enough for a first attempt catch-up. Will hopefully be more regular going forward.

 Stay warm everyone!

Munchkin goes to Grade R

So after all that hullabaloo last year about not getting into the school we wanted and then not knowing which school we were going to send her to, things settled down and we found a great school and she got a spot without all that “testing” stuff where a teacher takes your child away and tests them to decide whether or not they are good enough to go to that school.

Anyhoo … Munchkin has been beside herself with excitement about starting “big school” since last year already. She (just like Deb’s Jamie :-)) was counting sleeps until she got to go to this big school. So … the big day rolls around and hubby and I both take her to do the drop-off together for the first day. She remained happy and excited though the nerves did kick in once we actually got to her classroom.

There was already a little cubicle with her name on it waiting for her to put her bag and lunch goodies in. There was a desk with her name on it as well. Very organised. She was most impressed that they knew her name already 🙂

It has been a week now … school started on the 14th Jan. I do her drop-offs and hubby does Sweetpea. And while she is still very happy to go to school, she is still very unsure and feeling a bit insecure I think during those mornings when there is time to play outside before class starts at 7:30. Once she is in class she is happy and involved and engaged. But I think because she still doesn’t have any friends yet that the mornings are a little rough for her.

Some of the other kids have known each other since Grade RR (this school starts at Grade RR) and there are little groups of kiddies all over the playground in the morning. Munchkin isn’t really a part of these groups yet so she feels a little alone and left out … I am guessing.

It is soooooo hard to walk away from a child that is looking with you with big sad eyes saying “Don’t go mummy”. I know she will be fine … I know she will settle in and find a friend or friends … but until then it’s going to break my heart a little every morning to leave her … even though its only 20 mins or so and then class starts.

My little Munchkin ….

An Update

Things have started off with a bang in 2015.

That big project of mine that was supposed to have run in Nov/Dec 2014 was moved to Jan/Feb 2015! My furnace started up last week Friday and we are running until early Feb. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with me on call for it all and working stupid hours … this of course means I am tired and grumpy a lot of the time these days. But hey … it’s just 4 weeks and then things will settle back down into a normal routine.

The holidays were wonderful. Quiet … just lots of family time and little outings with the little ones.

Christmas was spent at my brother’s house were we ate too much and spent the rest of the time lounging in the pool. Ah the joys of a summertime Christmas J The kids had a blast of course. It was a very FROZEN Christmas on the present front with the girls getting a lot of Frozen related pressies … and even Mister got a talking Olaf which he adores.

2015 also marked the start of Munchkin’s big school life. She started Grade R at her new school on Wednesday. She already loves it there … but hasn’t really made any friends yet. I’m not too worried … I’m sure that will come in time.

Sweetpea now goes to her pre-school alone and has been coping wonderfully with it. She’s so comfortable there. After looong discussions hubby and I decided to keep Mister home until he’s closer to being 3. So he will start at pre-school with Sweetpea in Term 3.

All-in-all we are good but so busy it’s a little hard to breathe right now. I am so looking forward to Feb when I can just exhale and get things back to normal.

I am so sorry I haven’t been commenting on your posts for a while. I have been reading them on email though.

May 2015 bring you all love, peace and joy!!

Just a few pics of my lovelies …

Queen Elsa and Princess Anna

Little Mister …. yes he’s eating sprinkles with a spoon …

The 3 musketeers

ALL my lovelies …..

Happy New Year!!!

Wishing you all a blessed and joyful 2015!!

I wrote an entire post about our holidays and work stuff and lost it all when my laptop froze this morning! 😦 Even my laptop wishes it was still on holiday it seems.

Will try to write up something proper this afternoon.