Yes, my "baby" is four.  It feels like just yesterday, when I held him in my arms for the first time. I so clearly remember holding your little warm, soft foot in my hand as they took our first photo together.  At that moment I thought I would never forget how that little foot felt and four years on I still remember.

I love this little boy with all my heart.  I love how he thinks I'm the most gorgeous mom ever.  That I'm as pretty as a dwarf?  Yes, so he says.  I love that he has such a way with girls.  A charmer most definitely.  I love how strong willed he is.  Okay, not always but I know that this will help him fight his battles as he gets older.  That it will help him not to succumb to peer pressure so easily.  I love his humor.  How he can get me to laugh when I should not.  Happy birthday to my middle son.  The one who binds his older brother to his younger brother.

Little Jay wanted a Cars picnic.  This guy loves a picnic.  So we went to his favourite vacation resort and had a picnic.  My folks and my eldest brother with his family joined us.  Jason was super excited about his cake.  He wanted a Cars cake and couldn't wait to see it.  He loved it.  The kids all had a lovely time, with their picnic under the trees.  I thought it was so sweet that Jason wanted fruit at the picnic too lol  Didn't think he would ask for that!  (it was of course left untouched)

When everyone left on Sunday, he got so upset.  He had thought that everyone would stay there for his birthday.  I felt so sad for him. 

This morning when he woke up, we brought him a cupcake with four candles in (we always do this for the birthday guy).  We opened gifts and went to Wimpy for breakfast.  On the way I picked some white flowers and put them around his plate (continuing my mom's tradition)  After going back and having our last swim, we headed back home.

Happy birthday Jay - you are a baby no more - you are now four.

More common in children.  You wake up screaming, terrified.  Even when your eyes are open you will most likely still scream and feel terrified for a long time afterwards.  Not to be mistaken as nightmares... this is worse.  It is associated with high levels of stress.

I used to suffer from this quite a bit when I was younger.  Then for about 10 years I haven't had it at all.  Now I have had two in the last two months.  Last night was particularly bad.  I screamed so loudly and so much that Quintus came running into our room, wanting to know whats wrong.  Even I couldn't wake up and stop screaming.  Tommie calmly tried to wake me and after a while I did.  I was petrified.  Scared.  Unable to fall asleep again.  About an hour later I did manage to...hoping I would have another.

While night terrors are absolutely frightening, it also made me realize that should something happen, should someone break into our house, Quintus would come running.  I wouldn't want him ti.  I would want him and his brothers to hide.

My cousin and her husband was attacked in their home a while back.  While they were being terrorized....stabbed....hit, their boys were hiding in their room.  They didn't come out and this protected, kept them safe from the idiots.  I would want my children to do that.

So now I have the unpleasant task of explaining that sometimes our home...their safe haven is not as safe.  That should I scream, they should hide.  Or do I say nothing and hope that nothing ever happens to our family.  I'll take this weekend to think about it.

Yes, we are going away for the weekend.  Today.  Coming back Monday.  I have so been looking forward to this weekend away.  It is also Jason's' birthday on Monday.  He is having a Cars picnic at Klein-Kariba.  That's what he wants, that's what he'll get.

Have a great weekend everyone.  I might update from there, as the resort has an internet cafe, but I'm not promising anything!

Zander's shirt says it all:

I was so tired last night but still forced my own self to do some work.  By 10 pm I was just too tired to concentrate and decided to call it a night.  I fell asleep almost immediately.  At 11 pm the phone rings.  I nearly had heart failure! It's the security company of our brand new alarm system, that wants us to plug the alarm in.  Now let me recap first.  They installed it on Monday and by last night we were still waiting for someone to explain the thing to us.  So I told the lady that it is plugged in (as it was).  She goes "oh, ok" and puts the phone down.  I go right back to sleep.

At 2 am we get woken up by Jason who had wet his bed.  He even brought clean pj's with.  Tommie got him dressed up and put him in bed.   Zander wakes up to nurse and we are back to sleep.

At 4 am the darn alarm starts beeping.  Beeping.   Beeping.   Beeping.  At 4:20 am and just bbbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeps.  We phone the alarm company, who tells us to phone one of their technicians.  We wake the guy up and he gives us this list of things to do that doesn't work.  The alarm is still beeping in our ears.  Thankfully the sirens didn't go off, so at least our neighbours could sleep in peace.  After about 10 minutes on the phone, the technician tells us to pull it out of the wall and cut the red wire. Uhm...ok.  We do and it shuts up.  By 5 am we try to sleep again.   5:30 am Tommie puts on the TV and 6 am Tommie's phone alarm goes off.

So yes, even though it's believed that "sleep is for the weak", the strong still has to sleep.

I have finally gotten myself motivated to start running again.  Well at this stage it is probably more walking than running but it's a start right?  I'm following the couch-to-5k program.  (For the third time)  It is SO easy.  No really.  Trust me.  Before you know it, you are fit and enjoying it.  I must say, I have forgotten just how much I love running.  It is such a great way to clear your mind, work of stress and just be. 

I started on Sunday.  That didn't go so well.  See, Quintus wanted to run with me.  So I figured he is not too unfit, maybe he can do this.  If he gets tired, he could always just wait for Tommie to catch up to him (Tommie walked with Zander and Jay)  Well, Quintus lasted for 3,5 minutes.  See me running, struggling for breath and begging him to rather wait for Tommie lol  I finally convince him to wait, when I turn around and see Jay running (he is like WAY behind me) calling my name.  boy oh boy.

Tonight went much better.  I put Quintus on his bicycle, same with Jason.  Jason was to stay with Tommie and Zander though, while Quintus rode with me.  It was nice having Quintus' company.  It's also a lovely way to get the family moving.  I have been telling myself that I must do this for a long time now.  I'm glad I have finally started.  Once I get my butt moving, I know I'll keep up with it.

I'm hoping to work it up so that I can do a 10 km run.  I know for any runner out there, that is not far lol but that is my target.  I know that within two months I will easily do a 5 km.  Hopefully there will be a race in our area in another four months or so.  I need a goal to work towards! 

I'm one lucky woman.  I have a house full of men who think I'm the sun, the moon and the most beautiful woman to have ever walked the face of the earth.  My husband also carries me on his hands.

I woke up this morning (like I do every Monday) with him already gone.  He leaves just after 5 am on a Monday.  Just like every other Monday, my coffee cup is taken out with everything mixed just as I like it.  I just need to boil the water (again, as he boils it when he leaves) and pour it in.  The boys bags are packed for school and their breakfast is on the counter, just needs milk.  Their clothes are on our bed. 

This while he is the one leaving early.  He is the one who has to wake up at the crack of dawn.  I don't know many other men who would do that.  Even though Mondays are crazy for me (getting all three little guys ready in time to drop Quintus of at school is not easy), Tommie makes it SO easy on me.  I love that guy a lot!

I'm also an extremely lucky woman as my dad has celebrated yet another birthday.  May he have many many more.  Happy happy happy birthday Daddy! 

We have this tradition in our home, where we put flowers around the plate of the birthday guy/girl.  We went to eat at our local nursery today and my mom secretly organized with the owner to put flowers around my dad's plate.  I thought that was so special.