FIVETRIBE

It has been a ritual that each child gets a turn to go spend a day at Dad's work during school holidays. Of course, said child needs to be mature enough to sit still (either at or under the desk) for 8 hours while Dad actually works.... Rach has been able to do this since she was 3. She would pack all her toys, animals,blankets, books and a dvd player. It was the highlight of every school holiday for her! Soon Faith followed suit; in fact just last week she went along and actually fell asleep under the desk for a good part of the day. Today was Levi's turn. He had had a trial run last year where he went for a half day but we felt he was now old enough to do the 530am til 4pm haul. He did himself proud - watched 6 movies and generally arbed under the desk! Russ had a meeting in the next room and when he returned he found a very calm Levi lying a bit strangely and upon further inspection found that he had gotten his arm stuck between the desk leg and the cabinet....and just...

I felt his small body crawl in next to mine in the early hours and promptly heard his breathing easing back into peaceful sleep. A few hours later I hear the words 'HOORAY, IT'S TODAY' ! I turn to face him and find bright, sparkly little blue eyes boring into mine. Sporting his Stormers jacket from his McGregs grandparents 'Mom, its rugby day! It's stadium day! Pity its raining but IT'S TODAY!' Can't help but smile at the kind of enthusiasm first thing on a rainy, grey and cold Cape Town morning. So we are taking Levi to watch the Stormers vs Lions this evening. Poor Russ is all alone in his support of his home team (Lions) ....I have had to gently remind him that all his offspring were born in Cape Town and thus required to remain true to our Stormer boytjies!

My baby has lost his first tooth. I have pulled my first tooth. Momentous day for us both. Cant say I will be rushing out to do it again but pretty glad I did experience this rather revolting milestone at least once in my mothering stage. Levi is beside himself with joy - he is the first of his close mates to lose a tooth so this really makes him feel like the 'leader of the pack'. Of course I had to smile brightly and enthuse with him on this 'coming of age' thang but inside I was weeping, just a little.

So exciting watching him learn to read! Yesterday Levi decided was *the day*. He wanted to begin to learn to read. They have been doing some basic stuff at school but nothing major. We trotted on down to the library and took out a  handful of readers for him to begin getting acquainted with basic words. He flew through the Starter series but there is quite a jump to Level 2 and I am not sure how the school teaches them so I am hesitant to push on. In the meantime he is just so chuffed to be able to *read something*. I have also found some awesome iPad reader apps for him to play with including one that focuses on sight words using flashcards. She reads the words as they come up and then once he begins to learn them you switch off the narration and he reads them alone. Brilliant app! This is the sight that I awoke to this morning. Him sitting next to me with books piled on the pillow! Made my heart sing - we are *so* close to be able to all chill with our books on...

(from time to time The Man will post directly to this blog from his cellphone....very nifty. this is one of those posts...and I added the 'background') So cool to have Hooli chilling with me (posted from my iPhone) It has long been a tradition that the girls each get turns to go to work with The Man in the school holidays. They take books, drawing stuff, dvds and all sorts of bit to keep themselves busy. Generally little *homes* are made under the desk where many hours are spent while Dad works. Today Hooli got his turn. The Man had to go into the office, just for a couple of hours, so it made sense for Hooli's office debut to happen! Special times!

On Thursay afternoon Hooli asked to be baptised. He has been asking lots of interesting questions lately so I wasnt completely thrown by the request. He has always loved the JESUS movie, used to watch it over and over as a toddler so we eventually put it away as I felt the crucifixion scene was a bit gory for a lightie. Fast forward 2.5yrs and he is watching it again. He has been asking many questions around the story of Christ. Some have been tough - it is not easy to explain the mysteries of our journey. He asked me to explain what baptism meant and so I told him. I then asked The Man to explain it to him aswell. He was so beautifully receptive and insisted that he was ready to take the 'plunge' . The timing could not have been more perfect. The girls were at my sister. The Man was working from home so therefore available to do the dip. It was a casual yet utterly remarkable moment in our lives. I know some would probably frown upon the baptism of a youngster - I ch...

I grew up in a cricket-loving family. It did nothing for me. I had cricket-captain boyfriends. Not even they could persuade me to show up to a game. I have always HATED AND LOATHED it with a passion. Enter Hooli. That my boy in the white cap, loving his 'houding'! My son played his first match today. After 1 practise. I have been so fortunate in that the local mini cricket for the Gr 1 to Gr 3's has said that he can join their squad. This is soooo cool for him - I am really impressed that he has the courage to join in despite the fact that he is so much younger and obviously less experienced. He handles 'comments of (ahem) encouragement' from the older boys with grace and tries his best. Today he faced a spin bowler of note. At least 3yrs older than himself. He didnt get near the ball. Not once out of the 6 balls he faced. And yet - HE GLOWED. He truly loved being out there - he was nervous, mildly anxious but abundantly excited to be part of the action....

I have a confession to make. I am totally jealous of my mans relationship with my boy. Things have totally changed....I am primary care-giver. Toter of skateboards, giver of sustenance and finder of socks. Beyond that Dad is King. Recently Hooli asked me to please print a picture of him and his dad and put it in a frame for him. His reasoning was that *in case* dad died or something he felt it would be a good idea to have this picture. It took everything in me NOT to say : AND ME?? Your doting mother? This is a very tongue-in-cheek post but I do feel a sense of loss as I watch my boy adoration and obsession with his father. I do know this is totally natural and am eternally grateful for my man who is so involved! **************** PS  while lying with Hooli last night he did throw me a bone though... 'mom, even when I am mad at you I still love you okay?'  :-)  I'll take that and stow it with my heart-treasures.

"Mom, can I go outside and ride? Pleeeeeease?" "Um? (trying to think of reasons why not). Er.Hmm. Okay ." Why, you ask, am I so hesitant to let my son go and ride his bike? Why do his sisters regularly refuse to ride with him ?  (or lay down rules) Why do I daily regret the moment he learnt to ride? The answer is simple. He is a freaking maniac. That simple request (to ride his bike) consumes me with fear in an instant. Riding means: Pushing his bike up the hill and around the corner.  Then PEDALLING as fast as possible down the same hill, around the hairpin bend and then attempting to WHEELIE over the speed bumps. My shattered nerves. Literally. Cant he just watch tv. Like forever?

On waking Levi at 0630 this morning, he rolls over and looks at me through bleary eyes: "Mom? I feel like breakdancing. "      

My boytjie. What can I say? You bring so much life, laughter and relative mayhem to our lives. That twinkle in your eye and cheeky grin can turn any ordinary day into something pretty darn cool. You are such a blessing to us little mister. You cruise through this life with such energy. You endure being outnumbered by girls with ease and charm. You are not shy to compliment women on their *outfits* and then a moment later bust a move on your skateboard that leaves me pale. From riding your bike, to playing cricket, soccer, rugby, ping pong, skating, baseball - you name it - you do it. Balls, wheels and dangerous physical play is what you are about most of the time ... I have had to learn to unclench my jaw when watching you at play. I have lost count of the number of times I have yelled to your father to come and help me...and then asked (peeping through my fingers) Is there blood? (and usually there is!) I love the way you crawl into my bed early in the morning. The snuggle...

(circa 2009) What is it about little boys? I absolutely love and adore my girls but there is something truly unique about my affection for my son. 'Mom, when I grow up can I marry you?' and 'Mom, when I am big I will build my house next to yours so we can still be together okay?' I never want to forget these tender moments with him because I know all too well that these will be few and far between in the years to come. (circa 2011) My heart is tied to this little man. Bless him.

It has been a week. I am very very happy to have it behind me. Most of you are friends of mine on fb so you will know that Hooli's biopsy results came back clear. You can all imagine my relief. He is still at home with me even though he could go to school. He isnt really keen because everyone is treating him with kid-gloves and he isnt big on that. He wants to run around, climb trees, scale the climbing wall and play helicopter pilot in the big tree. Suffice to say the teacher isnt to keen on *any* of that before he has had his post-op consult. (and neither am I!) So we have taken to just arbing out at home. Literally just doing nothing but watching movies, playing endless games of Ludo and Uno, drawing and occasionally getting irritable with each other. ;-) The weather is glorious today so we are going to head to the beach and meet my sil and nieces. Tomorrow morning early we are going head out to Mcgregs - we are all in need of some r + r and luckily we dont have to go far (...

How often I have I heard of moms taking their kids in for tonsilectomies, adenoids, gromits and worse? Very very often. I have given them my sympathies - the type of sympathy you give someone when you have NOT been through it yourself. Hooli had some nodes/glands removed from his neck today. Turned out to be a couple in one spot that they took out under general anaesthetic. It was a loooong day. I fetched him from school at 1030 (bearing in mind nil by mouth from 0730). I then fetched my mom and we were at the hospital at 1130. We did all the admin stuff and then waited a good 90mins in reception. My son was an absolute gem. Not once did he complain of hunger, thirst or anything else. He just wanted it to be over. Oh, and he refused pointblank to wear any manky backless hospital gowns. I went in with him until they put him to sleep. That was EXTREMELY traumatic. They did not warn me that their little bodies fight the anaesthetic. It was like he was having a seizure. I was completely t...