One of our local magazine - mostly just a gossip magazine lol - launched a "unite against crime" campaign. 

One part of the campaign is to sign a petition.  This would hopefully open the eyes of our Minister of Safety and Security - Charles Nqakula -   Not sure if all of you know about this but in a reply to people complaining about our crime rate he said:  "The whingers [complainers] can do one of two things. They can continue to whinge until they are blue in the face -- they can be as negative as they want to -- or they can simply leave this country,"

Mmm...okay then.  Anyway, maybe if he gets a petition from millions of South Africans, he will realize that if all of us had to leave, there would be no-one left in this country but criminals and himself.

Point being that I'm all for signing the petition, which I have done.  The second part of their campaign is wearing a black ribbon.  Now I'm not so sure about this.  I received my free ribbon with the magazine today.  Do I wear it?  Not 100 % sure what it would help for me wear it.  We are all sick and tired of the crime.  Will wearing a ribbon make people more aware of crime?  I mean if you read the newspaper you are more than aware of it.  It's not like I live anywhere near any political figure that would actually make a difference.  Also, wouldn't the mere fact that I wear it make me more of a target?  Kinda like: "oh she's sick of crime, let's show her what crime really is"

So for now I'm not wearing it but I have signed the petition.

One can only live in hope.

We got a letter from Quintus' school about three weeks ago, asking for parents who will be able to help coach the cricket.  We "wrongly" assumed that it would be for the Grade R kids (Quintus's age) - not a way out thing to assume, especially since the letter was in HIS suitcase, you know?  Also, we took it that more than one parent would actually volunteer to help.

Mmm...we assumed wrong.  Point one - It's for the Grade R - Grade 3!!! group.  ALSO, we are the ONLY people to have offered our help.  Yes, you see the problem here hey.  SSOOO many kids and one coach? (who btw is my Dad - gotta love that guy)  Also, we don't know enough about cricket to coach 9 year olds!?  They don't just do the basics at that age anymore.

Today, I get a phone call from a parent (please remember that the first practise will only on Wednesday!).  She wanted to find out more about the cricket and if it will be okay if her son comes to practise 25 minutes late.  I told her that it would indeed not be a problem at all.  She asked more questions and found out that we would be the only coaches (I'll be helping my dad).  She was less than happy and were upset with me! about this.  She was also not happy with the hours of the practise. She wanted it to be later.  Also she thought that it should be twice a week.  I'm like - we are only helping out!!!!  WE did not decide the hours.  The days either.  The school did!!!

Can you imagine how the parents are going to try and tell us what, where and when once it has actually started.  I honesty don't know if I feel up to this.  I don't want my dad to have to go through that.  We honestly thought it would only be for Quintus and the boys in his grade.  I don't know how the school thinks we should handle all those kids.

I want this. 

I have a fujifilm Finepix S6500.  It's a great camera.  Takes great pictures.  It is just too big.  I can't carry it with me.  I need to plan photos.   I miss having my camera with me all the time.  I don't like using my cellphone to take those "kodak moment" photos. 

Now who wants to buy it for me!?  Come on...you know you want to.  Don't let me stop you!!! lol

Yes, that is what I should get.  Wife of the year award.  Not only did we go for the night, we actually stayed the whole weekend.  Even though I only packed for the night.  Including the fact that there wasn't really enough space for all of us to sleep and Tommie and I made turns to sleep on the floor.  Yes, you read that right. 

Oh I could write a book about this weekend lol but before I tell you all about it, I have to say that as far as my visits with my in-laws go, this was probably one of the nicest ones.

We get there at night.  Zander likes to home at night.  He is also not too happy with too many people in his personal space at one time.  As soon as we got out of the car he started crying.  That sad, scared cry.  I greeted and said that I'm taking him to our room.  There he continued to pull his little lip and cry every now and then.  About 15 minutes later he seemed calmer and I went to the living room. Got there and he started crying again.  So I excused myself and went back to the room.  I could here my FIL say "This is just a lot of crap.  He just has to get used to this".  When he calmed down again about 5 minutes later, we went back out and even though he wasn't completely at ease, he did begin to relax and later went on to go sit with some other people.  See he just needed to feel safe.  That's why I removed him from the situation until he felt safe.  No need to say that it's all a lot of crap.

The best however.  It's time for Zander to bath.  Him and I love our bath time together.  My SIL has these HUGE baths, so I knew that he would love this just a bit more than usual.  We are both happily in the bath when my husband says his mom wants to see Zander bath.  I say NO I'm in the bath with him and then she comes into the bathroom.  Fucking hell!!!  Here I sit in the nude, with my MIL standing there, chatting away, totally oblivious of how totally uncomfortable and in all honestly humiliated I feel.  URGH.

The next morning (after a night of basically no sleep) the men leave early to go play there precious golf.   I think my MIL came into my room about 10 times (even though the door was closed).  I know she just wanted to help though.  I do appreciate the fact that she did her best to help me as much as possible with the kids.  Just give me some privacy!!!

All in all though, it was nice.  The kids had a total ball.  I hardly saw Quintus.  It was nice to just visit with the in-laws without having to rush anywhere.  The kids loved being with there grandparents all weekend long, which is something that I feel is very important.  Being close to your grandparents is such a blessing.

Some cute things the kids had to say this weekend:

• On the way there, Jason fell asleep.  All of a sudden he sits upright and says "bless you".  Only after this does he wake up and sneeze
• Zander got a bit tired of the car and it was dark outside, so he wanted to be home.  He was crying and truly unhappy.  However, he loves music, so I put the music on for him to hopefully calm down.  That's when Quintus told us to "put the music softer.  Zander wants to cry!"
• Jason got a big thorn in his foot when he walked outside.  So he is crying while I'm trying to help him.  My MIL gets there and wants to know if it hurts.  He said "It hurts and it is sore!" 
• Quintus loves girls.  No really.  Even as just a little toddler, he would look at girls with such dearness.  There was an older girl at the party.  I noticed that Quintus kept on following her.  Trying to spend as much time as possible with her.  When he was bathing, I said that the girl seemed really cute. He said, "yes she is cute AND she is pretty!"  Boy am I in for trouble with this one!
• Zander is now giving ME kisses.  But not just offering a kiss by moving his forward.  No, this one actually demands kisses from me.  He will put his hand on the side of my face, turn it towards him and kiss me slap bang on the lips.  Cute little boy this.
• The boys were being typical brothers on the way home.  Pushing, hitting, taking toys, pulling tongue (you all know).   So after a good and serious warning from us, they got quiet and realized that we are very serious.  I told them that they should be ashamed of themselves.  At least they HAVE brothers unlike their cousin Ockert who is an only child.  Quintus said that it must indeed not be nice when you have no-one to play with.  So a little while later, I hear him whisper to Jason "I really do love you a lot"   *sweet*

It is Tommie's nephew's birthday party this weekend.  We haven't been to his sister's house in two years.  They haven't been to ours in four.  It's not like we don't see them.  We see them at my in-laws.  We don't have anything in common though (except for my in-laws) so we keep the visits to a minimum.  Also we have WAY different ideas of raising kids, which makes it real difficult for me.  (they are the kind that doesn't really worry where their son is, what he does, as long as he doesn't bother them too much)  I worry about my kids all the time.  I want to know where they are.  Who they are with.  What they are doing.  You see the problem there right?

So when Tommie asked if we were going to the party, I said that we can by all means.  I just don't want to sleep over (they live 1,5 hours away).  He totally agreed with this, as he doesn't really get along with his sister either.

He phones me on Monday and wants to know if we can go on Friday already.  He wants to play golf with his dad and BIL the next day.  Although I was really not happy, I said it's okay.  It is his family after all.  As long as he was done by the time of the party.  I don't' know anyone there, except for my SIL and I don't really know her either.  Not my kind of situation.

Then I find out that they are booked to start at 6h45.  Yip.  That early.  Already that ticks me off.  Now I have to get ready in his SIL's house.  Get the kids ready.  By my own self.  Taking me way out of my comfort zone.  Again, I thought that he doesn't often play golf with his father and BIL, so I should just suck it up and let him enjoy himself. 

NOW I find out that he isn't even playing with his dad OR BIL!!!!!!!  It's a three ball and they were already fully booked.  So he is playing with two guys he doesn't know!!!!!!  So....in actual fact there is no need to sleep over there.  No need for him to play golf.  No need to wake us up before the crack of dawn to go play at 6h45.

I'm so not happy with this.  Bloody hell.

On a better note.  Here is Zander trying out the accounting profession this morning.  Not quite sure what the figure is that he got on the calculator but man it must have been bad! lol

WHAT. DID. I. DO!?  I must have done something serious wicked at some stage in my life.  Bad.  Bad to the bone bad.  It's the only thing I can think of.  There must be a reason why.  I cannot have TWO babies that sleep this badly, can I?  WHY do my babies start of sleeping well and then start sleeping worse as time goes by?  Obviously I'm doing something wrong!

I breastfeed and I co-sleep.  I know that many many moms out there think this is just wrong lol  I love it though. However, I also need to sleep.  I lost TWO YEARS of sleep with Jason and unfortunately I just don't have any in reserve to go through all of this with Zander again. 

Last night he woke up nine, 9, nege times before 3 am.  We were then awake, as in reading a book awake (while he just lay there, looking at me) then slept till 6 am.  Amazingly enough, I'm still awake and haven't done anything too much out of character.

So. Please.  How do I get my child to sleep?!?!  I do NOT mind waking up once or twice a night.  Honestly doesn't bother me in the least.  But 9 freaking times before 3 am is just too much. (this has been happening for a few weeks now...I'm not going all crazy because of one night)

Under no circumstances will I let my child CIO.  (Cry It Out, Daddy)  Like my dad says:  I'm a wimp and my kids win just because I pick them up when they cry lol (NO I don't want to start a long conversation about that too!) It's just a family joke.  Point being though, I won't let him cry.  How can one every let this lovely boy, CIO.

Here's my thinking.  I'll nurse him, put him in his cot when he is *almost* asleep.  With teddy.  He will wake up soon after that (lol) and I'll offer him a bottle of water (poor child has never had a bottle) so I'm sure he will refuse that.  I will love him till he is almost asleep and put him back into his cot. I'll repeat this for mmm say 20 times and then it will be morning.   So think of us, as we stay awake all night long.