2015 round up

I cannot believe that I’m writing my catch up for 2015 already!

The years just seem to go by faster and faster and coupled with the goings on in this household this year, we barely blinked and it was already December!

Let’s do a rewind and look at our year.

January was a bit of a blur. Having a baby will do that to one. Ironically though it wasn’t the said baby that was the reason, but more the three infections I got after my Caesar which saw me spending most of January on  Antibiotics. That coupled with the chaos of finishing off the house that we started building in October 2015 made Jan the way it was.

February was much the same and then March was just pure CHAOS!! We finally got the keys though to our beautiful home at the end of March.  What followed was two manic weeks as I tried to get the house in some sort of order before going back to work.

The week before I was due to go back to work, I found my nanny sleeping with the Kat in the rocking chair. That’s not the problem…… Problem was that Kat (14 weeks old)  was propped on a pillow with no support and the nanny nearly dropped her, when I woke her.  So I had to scramble and get Kat into crèche before starting work again.

I subsequently went through two nannies , both of whom were useless but at the end of May we found the most amazing lady, without whom I’m not sure I would’ve gotten through this year. Kat just adores her and she has really become part of our family.

I was barely back at work when we went up to Hluhluwe for a weekend with friends. Kat hadn’t been well but really just had a chest which id been to the Dr for, and no real other symptoms. Thank heavens her brother spiked a temp with full blown tonsillitis which landed us at the ER on Sunday evening. I say thank heavens, because had we not gone I wouldn’t have had the Dr check Kat out and found out she has had full blown Bronchial Pneumonia! That landed us in hospital for a week and then followed by me on round 4 of antibiotics straight after.

So April was hard and so much harder being back at work than I expected. I thought it would be easier but all the time my heart just ached to be with my babies.

My wish was kinda granted, just not in the way I expected when work dropped the bombshell and announced they were retrenching me. It was the end to a very cr@ppy two years there and I must commend my boss who was very clever in how he got rid of me. He did it over a period of 7 months and yes I may sound a little bitter, which I am, only because he got away with his behaviour, but I will say this again and again, they did me THE HUGEST FAVOUR EVER!

So I had no choice but to follow my dream and go on my own. Yes, it was somewhat expedited (by about 10 years) but I have not looked back. And so Marketing Works was born. I now work for myself and get to spend the time with my babies that I so desperately wanted.

My business is thriving which is such an amazing blessing considering the challenges I have faced from a time perspective.  We’ve had  a really tough year with Dan , who has hardly slept and also put us through our paces. One of the changes we made in August was to bring him home after school instead of sending him to aftercare. It was the right move, but put immense pressure on me as working from home in the afternoons is practically impossible with him around. This meant many a late nights to catch up with work and has also resulted in me getting an office in the New Year, which I’m very excited about.

So watch this space. I foresee great things happenings for Marketing Works in 2016!!

On the work front for Daddy Abs. He has really carried a big load at his work and worked LONG  LONG hours.  This has seen him missing out on a lot of the kids’ lives and we can only hope that things will settle down for him in the New Year.

The year was not all doom and gloom and was interspersed with a few weekends away and also a trip to East London in July to see Daddy’s Abs’s folks.

In August I got to go away for the first time in 4 years! (for pleasure that is) Went to Cape Town for a girls weekend. I can CATEGORICALLY STATE IT WAS THE FRIKKING BEST TIME OF MY LIFE!!! Made me realise how in desperate need I am of me time. We had the most amazing time just me and my two girlfriends. Already planning 2016’s trip!

 

 

The Ginger turned 4 in September and has really grown as a little person and in character….lots of it!! As I mentioned it has not been the most pleasant year with him and he really has challenged us….well mostly me. This has left me feeling really sucky as a mom and a feeling like a huge failure in that department, but I think with the changes I’m putting in place next year, I’m hoping to be able to be more present and enjoy my time with him, not trying to always split myself into 20.  He also had a tonsillectomy shortly after his 4^th birthday. 10 days of hell, but hopefully we’re done with the constants chest infections, temps and miz boy!!

The Kat turned 1 last week! I know right???? Ridiculous! She is not walking or crawling…..she has totally missed the crawling memo and bum shuffles, it really is cute. She has been an absolute breeze and I’m still waiting for it to change. (I know wait till she’s 13!!) I have absolutely adored every minute with her and watching her learn and discover.

 

 

 

 

Other than that it’s been a long working year for us and culminated in an all nighter last night to finish off.  So finished is what we are!

Plans for next year?

Daddy Abs and I are in desperate need of some Adult time away from the Kids. So we’ve found ourselves two really nice babysitters who we are going to be making good use of. Frightening what a babysitter cost’s per hour, but it definitely is needed.

We have also sat down and planned our holidays for next year so that Daddy’s Abs can make the most of his measly 15 days. I super keen to get into camping. Still working on Daddy though.

Also I have big plans for finally getting fit. I’m still the size of a whale and I can no longer say I’ve just had a baby! So I’m going to get back onto the road more regularly and lose this weight!!

The ginger goes into his second year at a “seahorse’ into Grade 00. Its hard to believe that the year after that he’s in ‘big’ school.

Kat will stay at home with Busi and will go to a little crèche in about April and will hopefully get offered a spot as a ‘Turtle’at school with Daniel the following year. Will be nice to have both kids at one school.

So to sum it up:  It’s been a year of learning, new beginnings, building new friendships and finally binning the hurtful and toxic ones. I am very positive for a great 2016!  I think it’s going to be a great year for the Abdo’s

So without further ado on this Christmas eve…… A very merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. May this be a really blessed time with Family and friends and may the coming year be filled with all you hoped and dreamed off.

Mommy Abs

xx

Advertisement

Ginger turns 4

So on Thursday the ginger turned 4. And I know everyone says this: but I still distinctly remember the split second silence, followed by his piercing cry as he was born, like it was yesterday, so I can’t believe my baby is 4!!!

I don’t know who was more excited him or me but I couldn’t wait for this birthday this year and his emotion and passion when he opened presents just confirmed how much I adore this child and his zest for life.

His day was a full one filled with early morning opening of present, birthday rings at school, his literacy evening where he read out the Lion and the mouse and then topped off with a supper at Spur. There are a lot of pics but that’s because his face is priceless and really shows his day and I just couldn’t choose!!!

Of course the plane had to have breakfast with him

You know you’ve nailed the present when your son gives it a kiss!

When he realised what it was

Sometimes the box is just as much fun!

No more sleeps left!

   

On Saturday we also had a little party with a few of his friends. The theme was dinosaurs and of course as my husband said i totally overdid it……. but it wasn’t for me. Not only did I enjoy it and loved doing all the decor, I did it because I have a crappy birthdate where no one remembers and if they do they really couldn’t care about having a party just before new years. So I know how it feels to have kak birthday parties and I NEVER want Dan to feel like that. I never want his day to be anything short of amazing and I’ll work even harder for the Kat who has the 18th December for hers!!

So yes I went all out and will continue to do so cos to see the little guys face and enjoyment was just priceless and when he said to me that evening: Thank you mom for spoiling me today, it was all appreciation I needed.

So till next year… And thank goodness I have a year to recoup cos I’m pooped!!

Shut up and be grateful

This weekend was amazing!! I weeded my entire garden and as a result feel as tho my hamstrings may snap off from either my knees or my butt but I weeded!! It’s significant because it means I spent the entire day pottering around our home and not achieving much…. And it rocked!!!

It’s what we’ve yearned for, for so long, to just be able to spend time in our own place as a family….

Saturday evening we went to La Piazza. It’s a local Italian place that is literally on our doorstep. It’s ridiculously overpriced and really the pizzas ( which is the only thing we stick to after many disappointing meals there) are average…. You ask then why on earth do we go? Well it’s simple LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION. It’s close to home which means daddy Abs can have a beer or two and me some wine and we can walk home and don’t have to get behind the wheel. Also it had a cool jungle gym and play area for the ginger. So yah dropped a small fortune there but the best part was we were home early and in bed early…. Good thing as the kids pulled a pearler tag team effort on Saturday night. So we employed the divide and conquer. Daddy Abs ended up in the Gingers room (the two single beds have proven quite useful lately) and Kat and I wrestled until 4:30 when I fed her and then gave up trying to doze.
So I put her in front on her bears and she had a chat with them for an hour.

She’s super cute at the moment. Still as chilled as ever but also finding her voice and realising that he who shouts the loudest…… She is NOT happy on her back at the moment and just loves to sit. Unfortunately the tummy muscles need a little more work so we prop her up with pillows and she spends a good deal of time in the downward Kat position (see below 🙂

Daniel continues to grow and remain strong willed …..strong being the operative word! As infuriating as this age is , it is also so rewarding and the stuff that comes out of his mouth is just priceless!

Sunday was a special day as we celebrated my mom’s 70th. We just had a family lunch at home which my sister catered. It was really beautifully done. My aunt (mom’s sister) who also shares the same birthday 3 years apart was up for the week and it was so lovely to see mom so alive. I think it was just so nice for her to be out and about and “live” a little again. It’s been a tough year for us all , with mom taking the brunt of it.

The weekend was so good for me. It was a time for reflection….. I sorted a lot of thoughts out in my head. Which I mostly do when I run (which is not happening at the moment). I had a chat with a friend the other day who said to me in conversation : oh well when things settle down for you….. and I was hurt by it and angry, in a kind of defensive way….sort of because I felt we ddidn’tfit the bill….. But then I realised not only was she RIGHT but this IS our life. Our life IS hectic and its NOT going to change and you know what. I like our new life. I love my little family the chaotic way it is. Just made me realise again (this happens periodically) that we have spent so much time making friends since we moved here and that its time we actually concentrated on us as a family ,because in the end of the day ,friends change their views and grow their own ways and a change to family dynamic will not always fit in with their plans unless you’re going through the same phase at the same time. The one constant thought is your family and on that you can always rely. I’m still trying to box my friendship with my best friend of ten years and how it all went south. And there have been many moments when I’ve thought of picking up the phone, but its not out of stubbornness that I haven’t, its more out of where the hell does one start? And then I also realise that my friendship couldn’t have meant much. I didn’t even get an sms when my little girl of 4mths had pneumonia in hospital – I really do need to come to terms with the fact that she doesn’t care….it’s hard though.

With some me time came the opportunity to login into feedly and read all the many blogs I follow. And wow have I missed outa lot. I also got to the read the 1001 and web pages Id opened and never gotten round to reading. I read some really heart wrenching stuff, and stuff that made me really sad , but the saddest was of a couple that decided not to abort their Trisomy 13 child and rather carry him to term, knowing he wouldn’t survive many days….. They spent 5 days with him and documented those days. On the 5th Day they both fell asleep next to him only to wake and he was gone. I was beside myself!!! And I know I always say its relative and that your battles and trial you are going through , you are also entitles to moan and complain about. BUT HOLY CRAP, can you imagine that! And it made me catch a wake up! Its been a tough 12 months, yes, it’s also been a really challenging 2015 so far, yes, BUT it’s time to stop bloody complaining it’s time to SHUT UP and be GRATEFUL, no matter how big or small.

So on that note I’m going to start #shutupandbegrateful posts. Basically its going to be similar to my #100happydays I did last year but it will be something I’m grateful for every day. And it starts today. I’m going to post them on Instagram. Mainly cos it’s the easiest from my phone because I take most of my photos on my Iphone.

So here goes and this is an obvious one:

#1 I’m Super grateful for my healthy gorgeous family

#1: Sunday morning selfie – #shutupandbegrateful

 

Ablet’s arrival

No words will sum it up!!!

The guessing is over!!
We are very proud to announce the arrival of Katherine Marie Abdo. 3.7kgs

My heart is very full at this miracle that now lies in my arms.

Baby shower, baby’s room, Christmas tree all in the nick of time!!

So my shower was a surprise. Look it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out, I only had 5 weeks left, but I wasn’t quite sure if it was happening or not….and it did 🙂

The theme was Christmassy as my due date still remains fast on Christmas day!!

Kerry who organised it did the most amazing job. The decor was so sweet. She did these little favours with a candle in and asked everyone to light it on the day the Ablet arrives.

I was thoroughly spoilt and so was the Ablet. Having already had a baby I had loads of clothes and blankets and pretty much everything in that department so I asked for product. And boy was I spoilt!!! Amongst all the product I received pamper gifts for myself and a few pamper vouchers which have been put to good use on maternity leave 🙂

Can you believe tho that not a single photo was taken which is SO unlike me…. (still trying to get over this 😉 but I was given a maternity and Newborn shoot  from my friends and MIL as a present and today we got the maternity pics. They’re mostly lovely, except for a few whale like ones 😉

 

 

I started getting the room ready immediately after the shower….. It all started with the bribery braai on the Sunday where our dear friends Mel, Graham, Kerry, Marius were bribed with food and asked to come move the cot and compactum in to the room. So there is officially now NO ROOM AT THE ABDO INN!!!

Again and I remember this so clearly when I was getting Daniel’s room ready that this kids has got SO much clothing. I have 12 baby grows two of which still have the tags on and I feel sick about the excessiveness of it.

There are so many little kids out there that have nothing and mine has more than it could wear in a week AND I didn’t purchase a single one of the those baby grows!! I have however resolved my guilt and will be finding a orphanage when the Ablet has grown out of these to maybe make a difference to a baby that has less than us……

But and here’s the part that is totally freaking me out. I wrote the post up to here a MONTH AGO and the room is not done! Yes daddy’s bike is still in the room and a few odds and ends that I can’t move because they’re too heavy. I’m having this baby in three days and the room is not done!! Hoping tho that daddy Abs will sort this out tomorrow as it’s a public holiday. I do love that man but oh my frikking hat the man can procrastinate!!! Last time it was 36 weeks when the baby’s room was done but he sure has hit a record of T-3 sleeps!!!

So anyways on a completely different note I must share this with you….when I took out the clothes there were the familiar yellow “oops” stains from all over the clothes and especially the toweling nappies I used to use for burping Daniel. So I turned to google and of Oxy Clean (AND OVERSEAS PRODUCT) was top of the list. Great help there, being in South Africa!!! So next I called my mom and you won’t believe what she suggested!?!?!? Dishwashing powder….you know the stuff you put in your dishwasher?!?!? Well I remained a sceptic but man I’m IMPRESSED! It frikking works. Everything is snow white and now ready for baby, I’m super chuffed! Apparently it works really well on Red Wine stains and Spaghetti Bolognaise stains. If the stain is stubborn, make a paste and leave it on the stain for a few minutes, otherwise just soak in the bath for an hour with hot water and then wash as normal…..

Also got the Christmas tree up yesterday. Couldn’t find the decorations… Ah the joys of a rental where half your stuff is in boxes!!

I have to laugh…. although it still grates me that my life is so not I control I really have mellowed since I became a mom. I mean seriously, I am 39 weeks pregnant and it’s Christmas in a week and the room is not done and tree went up yesterday. That would’ve totally thrown me 3 years ago…. Ah how I’ve changed 🙂

 

 

You can’t take that away from me

It’s a frikkin privilege to be a mom!!
I had the best day with my ginger. Daddy Abs is away on business and I needed to get us out the house following a really bad night with the neighbour who played his music so loudly my windows vibrated till midnight. The police were called which put a stop to his shenanigans but it was pleasant and I didn’t want to be there today…. Any who…

So we headed to gateway shopping theatre and went to funtubbles. What a score, realised the two cards I had had a couple of R’s on them and so we hit the rides. We were there several months and this time was just so different and so grown up!!! . Daniel is sooooo my child. Unlike his daddy who gets motion sickness sitting in the back of a car!! So we hit the big rides this time and had such an amazing time. It was a good thing we went as the rides I was allowed on would not have been ok next month as most of the belts and bars sat snuggly on the Ablet belly. I am after all 7mths already!!

After the rides we hit ‘old macdonalds farm’ aka macdonalds for lunch. Then a trip to gateway would not be complete without riding “spirit”

So lots of fun was had and needless to say the ginger was lights out before we even got onto the freeway!

Got home to more loud music from the neighbour but he eventually stopped so managed to get some kip before packing up to come stay with my mom tonight (yes I’m a woes and quite frankly need sleep and not in the mood to fight upstairs again tonight)

Unfortunately had to work again tonight but the ginger stayed with mom. She misses him you know. Used to spend a lot of time with him before dad’s stroke….

I was back by 7:15pm and tucking my little guy into bed. He turns to me, takes my cheek in his hands and say: you know mom I really love you.

Afterall the kak I’ve been through this week, year….You can’t take that away from me. I get to be this special little boys mom!! How’s that for wicked!!

The ginger turns 3

It’s been a kak kak year this we know but it has also had its little pearls in between.

Take for example my Gingers 3^rd birthday on the Wednesdays 10^th September.

Nothing is greater and more rewarding in this life than watching your little boys face light up and his was lit so brightly!

It started with present opening in the morning before school. We bought a  police set which came with the cranky (which is a crane. He calls it cranky from cranky the crane in Thomas the tank engine series) stop signs, traffic cones, police car, helicopter. What a WIN!! Daddy Abs really exceeded himself as he chose it and it was just the best present ever!  He also go some presents from his uncle Matthew (his Godfather)

 

 

Then we headed to school and I was privileged to be able to attend his birthday ring. They sang songs and we has birthday cake again my little guy just absolutely in his element.

We ended off the day with a visit to spur with his girlfriend Lilly and her parents of course. We had the usual sparkler and ice cream for dessert and again his face was priceless! He’s never had the Spur birthday song. Watch this video how he puts his hands up to his face. What you cant hear him saying on the video:  is wow, mommy wow, for me? Priceless!!

The birthday boy lights out after an amazing day. To bed with 6 horses, a cranky, a ball of prestik and a cat figurine

What amazed me the most was his appreciation. ON more than one occasion he flung his arms around me and thanked me for his present, his birthday. I’ve said it more than once but I’ll say it again….this little boys zest for life is incredible and such a wake up a call to me so often , to embrace life to the fullest!!!

On Saturday we had a small party with a few friends. The Request was simple a jumping castle and a “spirit” cake (spirit named after the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron)

He was so spoilt and had such a blast. His ice cream cake was a hit and he was just simply delighted by the whole experience.

The theme was horses, so the party pack had to be horses!!

one last bit of fun on the jumping castle after everyone had left

Ice cream cake from Milky lane. It was only R300 and fed 20 adults and 7 kids and we still had left over! What a hit!!

     

SO till next year….then I’ll have TWO parties to plan!!!

31st May – A year

The 31st of May marked exactly one year since we packed up our lives, said goodbye to a decade of history and moved to Ballito to start our new chapter. It’s been a hard year filled with many challenges but at the same time it’s been a blessed one.

Without a doubt our move here has been a good one and for the better of our family. I love this little village and have tried to explain it to “outsiders” what makes Ballito so special but I really don’t think you “get it” until to live here. Let me try explain:

• The weather here is superb pretty much all year! – we spent more time on the beach in June last year than we did in the previous decade! And what a way for a kid to grow up.
• Fish eagle – the call of Africa! I wake up most mornings and hear our resident eagle shouting a “hello”
• Still coastal…….. still small
• Guys wear slops to evening dinner’s….There are no airs and graces. There is a LOT of money in Ballito and people that we very well off but it is not thrown in your face and talked about at every opportunity and people are just down to earth. There is no keeping up with the Jones’s. It one of the things I just dont miss at all!
• And Community…. this is the biggie that I can’t explain I really don’t think you get to fully experience it until you live here permanently. People just stick up for you and look after you here.
• And hand in hand with that comes the friends we have made. In a short year we have made really solid friends and people I can really count on to be there when times are tough and that says a lot for the type of place Ballito is.

Here’s a video that sums up the place I now love to call HOME.

How not to spend a weekend

We were planning a trip to JHB for two birthday parties and seeing as they were on the same weekend we thought it would be ideal to go back to our old home and see some friends.

We ummed and aahhhed about whether it was a good idea but figured that 1. The ginger probably has something viral and would turn the corner 2. We lived in Johannesburg for 9 years and had a good network for medical practitioners should the need arise.

It arose!!

It was a nice weekend in that we got to see most of our friends but it was super shit in that we didn’t sleep a wink and poor Daniel spiked and continues to spike temperatures as we are driving home. He now has an awful cold poor little guy. We also ended up at fourways life on sat morning when Daniel spiked yet another 40.5 (4th day running). No one seems to be concerned that we cannot seem to keep his temp down unless he’s medicated?!? Fortunately have an ENT appointment for a checkup and hope that he’ ll be able to help .

But yip been a challenging weekend and daddy Abs and I are kinda running on empty.

On a more positive not tho this was the first time I could sit in the back seat of the car with the ginger and not had to put my feet in the ground! It amazing how quickly things change. In October when we went away for the weekend it look liked we were packing for a week but this time there we’re no magpies, one bottle and no camp cot and I managed to pack all Daniel’s stuff in one small tog bag 🙂

Also I love road trips as I get to dabble in all thing junk food. As result I feel horrid but still enjoyed every morsel of my tempo chocolate, solero ice lolly, macdonalds breakfast and steers burger. No prizes for guessing who is back on diet tomorrow.

How was your weekend? Is it me or does it seem like everyone is having a rough February? Me thinks maybe it’s time for a tweede nuwe jaar party (second new year)

5yr Anniversary

5 years ago I married my true best friend. Cheesy I know but it’s true!
No it hasn’t always been a walk in the park and no I’d be lying if I said : never a cross word has been spoken.
When I look back however on the past 5 years together, I truly can say though that through thick and thin I have married the one person who has always got my back and with who I truly couldn’t live without!

The ginger has recently gotten his paws on our wedding DVD. And loves watching it because he knows all the characters! 🙂

It’s quite a mind trip watching your son watch a day in your life where he was just a twinkle in his mommy’s eyes. It also been really nice to catch snippets of the day. On the video the videographer asks me what I love about Rich and answered: ‘He has the most beautiful eyes and the kindest heart.’

And that’s still true today. 5 years down…and what a journey it has been. Here’s to the next 10 times 5!!!