Joshua update – March 2009

Dear Family and friends

Josh is heading for 3 fast and furiously so it’s time for an update. When I was first writing this update I wrote “I’m awaiting the terrible two’s to kick in”…..well, in the last two weeks they arrived!  I was told by a special friend of mine that it’s Terrible Two’s, Tiresome Three’s and F@!&ing Four’s.  Yes, it was a obviously a very hard year for her to put it mildly J.  I received an email from a friend with a little girl, Jess, the same age as Josh.  Jackie’s introductory line was, “I have a child going very VERY cheap – free actually, I’ll even pay you to take her – you keen???. It was signed, “A frayed around the edges “Me”. To cut a very long story short, Jacky, myself and another friend with a similar problem brainstormed all our ideas of what we had learnt, what worked and what did’nt and came up with a battle plan!  We are now equipped with project “NOT NEGOTIABLE” and feel like we can win this war against our two year olds.

What wears both Steve and I out is Joshies incessant chatter.  Steve and I escape to secret spots in the house or garden after a few hours with Josh in absolute desperation for some peace and quiet.  We spent so much time trying to teach him to talk and now he won’t shut up! 

Unfortunately the afternoon nap is now history which is one part of his baby years I’ll sorely miss.  Luckily he’s tired by 7 and generally sleeps through….even in his own bed….most of the time.

Starting at Nursery School

 

 

This year Josh started play school!  A daunting thought for me. I planned tequila’s at 9:30am with fellow mom friends who shared my first school day concerns. First day arrived and I got up early, had everything packed and ready and waited eagerly for Josh to wake up.   Steve and I took him in and he was off, playing with the toys with hardly a look back to see where mom was. 

I phoned my friend Jacquie to see how her first drop off had gone.  Jess had sobbed her heart out and eventually had to be fetched from school distraught. She said, Jess will be fine, it’s my husband I’m concerned about – when we dropped Jess off he sobbed more!

First day at school

He’s been at Poppets Nursery School for 3 months now and we had a few rough days when he refused to go and sobbed when I left him there but they were very few.  When his girlfriend from next door joined his class in Feb he got into the school idea much quicker and is now enthusiastic to get going.

It’s been a struggle adjusting to a tighter shift in the morning.  Sometimes I have to wake him up several times before he gets out of bed and then we are horribly late.  Not being a very organised mom, it’s a mad rush to pack his snack packs, juice, nappies etc into his bag, dress him, feed him and get him to school by 8:30.  Yes, I hear alot of you laughing – 8:30! Most moms do this all by 7:30 or earlier and yet I can’t seem to get it all running smoothly.  My “super-mom” neighbour Caren and mother of Joshies girlfriend arrives spot on 8 to fetch the kids to share in taking the kids to school…her 2 daughters are dressed, fed and packed and she’s even blow dried her hair.  Josh and I greet her at the door in our PJ’s!

Birdie Heaven

Josh is loving hanging out with dad when he gets a chance.  On weekends with Steve working most Saturdays it’s usually time with mom and her friends but Sunday is dad time.  In the image above you will see a typical dad and son moment.  They went for a walk and found a dead bird.  Steve wrapped it up and told Josh they needed to bury it and send it to birdie heaven.  The two of them went into the garden, dug a hole and had a funeral service for the bird.  Josh ran back to the spot for days afterwards telling me they had sent the bird to heaven.  Great adventure.

Some of his cutest quotes recently:

Steve: don’t do that or I’ll smack your tail
Josh: but dad, I don’t have a tail!

Josh: Mom, I’m worried about you…..
This is said with such concern on his face it melts my heart

Josh: Dad, ask me the time
Steve: What’s the time Josh?
Josh: 20 past 7….(it’s ALWAYS that time)
Steve: thanks Josh
Josh: Mom, ask me the time
Caz: What’s the time Josh?
Josh: 20 past 7…
and on it goes……untill you think you may go insane

Caz: Josh, you WILL brush your teeth, it’s not negotiable!
Josh a bit later: Mom, please sleep in my bed
Caz: no Josh, you can sleep in your bed on your own
Josh: Mom, it’s not negotiabable! (spelling on purpose)

Steve using a power tool of sorts
Josh: Dad, can I use that
Steve: No, I’m busy with it
Josh: Dad! Sharing is caring!

My second haircut

I collect Josh at 12:30 from school and bring him home.  My new child minder Patience jumps right in and always has some game planned to ween him away from me.  She’s awesome and I’m blessed to have found a replacement to Gloria who’s been so perfect.  Gloria sends us SMS messages and misses Joshie terribly but has a new job in Bryanston and is happy.  Patience attends the same church as me and my close friend Cathy recommended her for the position.  When I introduced Josh to her the first day he pulled her around the house saying, “look, my new Gloria”.  Needless to say, they have bonded quickly which allows me the opportunity to head to my home office and get some work done.

We are blessed with awesome neighbours.  Caren who is mom to Aderley, Joshies girlfriend and her younger daughter Louisa who Josh has adopted as his little sister.  Our recent new neighbours are Heike and Uwe, parents to Timmy and Markie.  YAY, BOYS at last!  Mark is the same age as Josh and Tim is about 4 but is like a big brother to Josh and wrestles him often and well.  With all these kids and their childminders, we have a mini nursery school right here in the complex.  At about 2 they all head out into the common area or to someones home – rotated – and they all play together.  It’s noisy and wild but great fun.  Josh gets home filthy dirty, starving and exhausted by 5.  We have dinner – try fit in a bath or get a wipe down and he’s in bed by 7.

Josh and Chloe

Above is Josh and his cousin Chloe.  Wayne and Myrtle’s daughter.  The red heads of the family.  They get along so well when they see each other even though there is a large age gap.

A brief look at the rest of the family

Steve is working hard as usual with so many exciting opportunities opening up.  His office work has slowed down with the financial crisis in the property market but everything else is booming.  He recently created a talk called “Dead men have white collars” which covers a range of marketing techniques and using free software to create a brand and a business to recession proof yourself.  It’s full of really fascinating information and practical tips.  I’m the techi guru in our family and yet I’m learning so much about using technology for business in a whole new way.  The seminar is run for a full day at the Platinum offices and has been a great success.  I think he’s had 2 or 3 courses so far and each time the room is more crowded.  It’s a whole new business for him and he’s thriving.  Besides this huge venture, he is also still running African Long Distance – his riding academy.  With clients coming for private tuition from around the world – it’s been great fun and quite profitable as a small business.  Loads of other opportunities are opening up from here….but watch this blog and I’ll keep you posted.

On a more personal side, Steve’s committed to a 20 week course that he facilitates at the Krugersdorp prison

Birdie Heaven

My second haircut

Josh and Chloe