Some More Amazing Kids Books

It is month two of our Kids Book Club subscription period and this month's bag was even better than month one. (If you missed out on our previous post on Kids Book Club, you an check it out here. In short, this is a subscription service where you get a bag full of awesome kids books each month). Here is last month's selection:

 

This time, Noodle was home when the courier came to drop off our package and she was beyond excited when I told her it was a package for her (last month she was at school when it arrived). I think getting a package was almost as exciting for her as the actual contents, as she is used to seeing packages being dropped off for the adults in the house but not especially for her. 

I told Noodle that she could only open the package that evening if she was well behaved all day and she kept her end of the deal. She was thrilled when she opened it and told me these are the best books ever, ever, ever. I even got smothered me with hugs and kisses!

This month, the carry bag has a Halloween theme, which can double up as a trick or treat bag for those who celebrate. 

I love the big hard cover book with the movable clock (especially handy for us as Noodle is currently learning how to tell time). The story goes through the different parts of the school day and shows a clock with the time of day on each page. The book is very interactive with various activities on each page, including number and letter recognition,counting,colours, basic geography and songs to sing. This is Noodle's new favourite book.

The second book is a colourful activity book with a clever shark crayon/ puzzle built into the cover. The activities are age appropriate and Noodle has enjoyed them so far.

As always, there are a couple of magazines included for mom (a month out of date but I am not complaining as I would not have read these otherwise).

 

If you would like to find out more about Kids Book Club, you can go to www.kidsbookclub.co.za and click on the relevant age category.

Have I Created a Monster?

This is the story of why I got yet another night of no sleep. It was close to 1 'o clock this morning and everyone was in bed. Squish had woken from his cot and settled into our bed some time before  and was lying in his usual position across my face (always super comfy for me of course). I was blissfully unaware of the parenting fail that was about to ensue.

So there I was, semi-asleep and minding my own business when I heard the ominous high pitched whine of a mosquito buzzing right in my ear. I switched on a nearby light and my worst fears were confirmed- my little boy's leg was covered in mosquito bites.

THIS - WAS - WAR!!!!!!!

Sure, we don't live in a malaria zone or anything (unlike a fair portion of South Africa), but once on of these suckers have a taste for your blood they are always back for more.

I looked around and spotted the culprit, settled on dear hubby A's back, about to take a swig of his blood.  So I did what any kind, altruistic human being would do and gave him a hard slap on his back. This whacked our mosquito friend off but unfortunately did not kill him (the mozzie I mean- despite having just slapped this poor man I genuinely harbor no ill feelings towards him). A wakes up momentarily, I tell him I was saving him from the deadly fate of the mosquito and then he rolls back to sleep.

I spotted him on the ceiling, just above the bed. Standing on the bed, I was still a centimetre too short to whack him with a issue. Then I spotted a soccer ball in the room (presumably left there by one of the kids that evening) and decided to throw i at the ceiling in attempt at catching the evil one. 

Miss. 

I try again, unsuccessfully.

I switched on the other lights. Squish woke up and sees mommy with a crazy look in her eyes throwing a soccer ball around. 

'Play soccer' he says.

'No, mommy is just trying to catch a mosquito that is trying to bite us'.

' Spidey bite us' he says.

'No... mos-kee-to'.

At this point A wakes up and asked what I am doing. 

'Just trying to catch that sucker'.

'Sucker', says Squish. 'Sucker, biter'. Squish points to various points on the wall and tells me that is where our villain is. 

'Daddy, daddy, the skeeto eat my fingers up' he tells dad.

'Oh no' I tell A. 'I think I have created a monster'. That was the worst thing I could have said to my imaginative toddler, who was recently introduced to monsters by his big sister. 

'Monster' says Squish, with a genuinely scared look in his eyes. 'Monster eat fingers.'

Oh no, my poor little boy has no clue what a mosquito is, I can only imagine what he is picturing in his mind. 

'No my baby. There is nothing to be afraid of. No monster. Just a tiny little mosquito'. 

'Monster-skeeto' he says (now holding on to me for dear life). 'Monster-skeeto eat fingers up'.

'No my baby, the mosquito won't eat your fingers up, now go back to sleep'. 

At this point, I can no longer spot the mosquito but still hear the buzzing. I give up the search, copiously marinate the entire family in mosquito repellent and cover us tightly with duvets (despite the current heatwave we are experiencing). Squish stays glued to me for the rest of the night, no doubt scarred for life by the monster-skeeto I have created. Let's hope no trauma counselling is needed after this one.

The Best Things About Being a Parent

In between all the tantrums, sibling rivalry and mess clean ups, it is sometimes hard to be levelheaded and remember why  being a parent is so worthwhile. 

Here is a reminder to you (and to myself, as we battle through a particularly challenging week with a pre-schooler who is being uncharacteristically defiant and a toddler who has learned the word no and the fine art of those rolling on the floor tantrums) as to why being a parent is such a rewarding experience and why, other than the fact that you are genetically programmed to do so, you love them so much.

THE LOVE AND AFFECTION

You will not experience love as unconditional and forgiving as when you become a parent (and this works both ways).  The hugs, kisses and cuddles cannot be compared. No currency can compare to the reward of watching them smile, laugh or say 'I love you'. 

THE FEELING OF BEING NEEDED


This little person is dependent on you for everything and there is a certain sense of fulfillment in being able to meet their physical and emotional needs. And for a fleeting moment in time, you will be the centre of their universes and they will believe that you are a superhero that can do anything and knows everything.

YOU HAVE AN EXCUSE TO RELIVE YOUR CHILDHOOD

When you have kids, you have a legitimate excuse to play games with them, watch cartoons, pop over at Milkylane or Wakaberry or go to theme parks. Without kids, you will just look like a weirdo doing these things. 

IT BUILDS CHARACTER

No single task in your lifetime will teach you as much about patience, commitment and selflessness as parenting. You will shift mountains for this little person and you will consider their best interests in every major decision that you make forever after. Also, as a role model for this little person, you will hopefully reflect on your own actions more and force yourself to improve on your own character.
 
YOU LEAVE A LEGACY

Everyone has that egocentric part of them that enjoys having a mini-me, a tiny person who resembles them in some  way. You have the chance to shape that little person's future and witness all the exciting firsts in their lives and you have bragging rights when they reach new milestones or achieve new things. Watching their personalities develop and watching them gain independence is rewarding in itself. 

If you are lucky, maybe they will even take care of you in your old age!  

THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU GET IT RIGHT

A large part of the parenting journey involves pondering as to whether you are in fact being a good parent or whether you are screwing them up for life. There is no feeling of satisfaction that compares to that moment when, suddenly, that moment comes when your child does something particularly kind, caring or smart all on their own. 

THEIR INNOCENCE

Being around little individuals who have not yet experienced negativity and who have not had their views jaded by life experience will remind you of all that is good and pure and innocent in this world and we can all do with a little more of that. Listening to their world views is a reminder of how simple things really could be. 

What are your favourite things about being a parent?What are the moments that make it all worthwhile? Please share here.

And the winner is....

Congratulations to the winner of the one month subscription to Kids Book Club.

The winner is...

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drumroll...

dramatic music...
 
Luchae Williams!!!

Congratulations Luchae- I hope your little one enjoys the books as much as we do!!!

What's that smell? Could it be your house? And How to Fix it...

I try to only blog about items received on blog drops if I think they would be of interest to my readers. I got a box of amazing smelling goodies from Ambipur the other day and with it came some tips which I thought are quite handy.(P.S. Their products smell amazing and eliminate rather than just masking odours!)

Ambi Pur recently asked South African women to comment on the worst odours in their houses and their attitudes towards smelly homes. What I found peculiar is how women from different places found different smells to be the smelliest and hardest to remove in their house. In South Africa, we rate toilet and nappy smells to be the worst (true in my home- the nappy bin has to be cleaned daily or it smells aweful), in the USA pet smells, while in India, the smell of Indian cooking seems to be the hardest to remove (I found this interesting or rather worrisome as I cook a lot of Indian food- do I have a smelly home?). Apparently 57 percent of women have avoided visiting someone because of the way their homes smell!

Here are some great tips from Ambipur for ensuring that your home smells great at all times:

• After cooking and eating, spray a little air freshener.  Apparently our noses become immune to odours after around fifteen minutes, so other people might still smell it even if you do not.
• If your child is sleeping away from home, spray their bed or pillow with a familiar smell so they feel at home.
• Use Ambi Pur Citrus & Morning Aerosol to eliminate the smell of cooking or pets.
• Before turning lights on put a little air freshener onto a cold light bulb and switch on to gently release the fragrance into the room.
• Pleasant smells can help your home feel friendly and welcoming so use air freshener in the hallway to welcome guests.
• Wipe feet of pets before they enter the home. 

Here are some of my tips for ensuring that your house smells fresh:

• Keep your house clean and do dishes and laundry straight away and empty all bins daily to avoid smells from developing in the first place (sounds obvious but I know many who do not follow these rules).
• An old Indian upcycling trick is to leave the used packages of fabric softeners under your car seat so that your car smells fresh.
• A drop of essential oil in your load of washing or even on the inside of a toilet roll holder will add a whiff of your favourite scent to your home. 
•  Keep old orange and lemon peels and keep in your kitchen close to the door. This will smell nice and also keep insects at bay. Also, mint and lavender planted close to your kitchen door smell nice and keep insects away(it also means these are close by should you wish to use them in the kitchen).

I am back!

Howdy strangers...

I realise that I have been super quiet. We went on an amazing overseas holiday (more about that later) and I took a short sabbatical from social media. 

So today I have returned to life as normal. We got back yesterday and just unpacked bags and caught up on sleep. Today's task is  replying to lots of emails and attending to many piles of washing (it seems like there is so much more laundry after you go away for a few days). Then, from tomorrow, it is business as usual.

It is pre-school holidays, so I have Noodle and Squish home with me causing mass destruction. We have decided to send Squish to school too for a few mornings a week once they re-open. He seems to want more stimulation and interaction with other children than he is getting at home so we want to give this a try! Although still a few months shy of two, he seems ready and we figured the transition may be easier if Noodle is there with him (this will not be the case next year as she moves on to grade R at a new school). 

There are some interesting stuff coming up on the blog soon, so watch this space! 

A Blog Quickie

Since I started blogging, I have been diligently posting three to four times a week. Then this September came and things got busy, really busy and I have only managed to squeeze in a few posts.

So this is just a quick catch up post from my side.  I have been working- a lot, but have finally met a deadline that has been taking up all my time. I did not realise how much time I had been spending on it until I told Noodle that I was done with it yesterday and she came and gave me a huge hug and said 'I am so happy because now you can do things with us again'. Guilty mommy moment- check.

As for Noodle and Squish, I am amazed at how they seem to have sprung up like little flowers this spring, literally and figuratively. They both needed entire new wardrobes since they both seemed to have major growth spurts (P.S. I have seen a lot of posts complaining about how inappropriate the stuff they have for kids in the clothing stores is at the moment and I must say I agree.) Noodle has matured a lot and starts big school (well grade R, in just a few months). Squish has shocked me with the amount he has learnt this month. Still a few months shy of two, he can count, knows the A, B, C song and the National Anthem. He also seems to have picked up the lyrics of a few popular songs on the radio.

We have just had heritage day on the same day as Eid ul Adha (what better way to celebrate heritage?). 

So, that's about it from my side. Sadly, I am going to be missing in action again for the next week again. The good news is that I can share a brand new face book page just for mommies where you can catch up with a bunch of really amazing South African Mommy bloggers and their posts all in one place. Check out Mommys ME Time on Facebook- you won't regret it.

Be back soon! 

P.S. It is not too late to enter our Kids Book Club Giveaway. Just scroll down to the page below this one.

Giveaway- Win a Kids Book Club Subscription!

It is no secret that I am a complete bookworm and that my kids are avid readers too. While Squish still enjoys the pictures more than the contents, Noodle loves listening to stories (and is starting to identify a few words in the books as well).

Every week, Noodle has 'book day' at school, when she needs to take a book to be read and shared with her friends and I often feel like I have been sending the same books over and over a few too many times. 

Given the above, I was very excited when I heard about what Kids Book Club has to offer. As a Kids Book Club subscriber, you get a special delivery directly to your door each month containing:

• two age appropriate books;
• magazines for mom and dad;
• downloadable colouring sheets (available from their website);
• a themed carry bag for your books.

Part of your subscription will go towards donation to the Bokamoso Educational Trust. Find out more at www.kidsbookclub.co.za

We just received our first delivery. I opted for a subscription for Noodle only as we are still building up our book collection for older kids but already have plenty of toddler books for Squish (but if you do take out subscriptions for more than one child this is discounted). I also know that he will be listening in when we read the books at bedtime, so they will both benefit from it.

This month's carrier bag has a 'spring' theme- perfect for this springy month! Obviously, what is in the bag is age dependent. The Waybaloo book is definitely up Noodle's alley as she is a fan of the television version. I think she said thank you about twenty times!!! This month, there is also a sticker activity book and a smaller story book, "Night Train Adventure" (a humorous tale about a family of cats and a clumsy hippo who go take an overnight train to their holiday destination) which we read last night and which both little ones enjoyed.

So I am sure you would love to get hold of some awesome Kids Book Club books for your kids, right? Well, you're in luck as we are giving away a one month subscription to Kids Book Club.  

All you have to do to enter is to comment below with the age of your child and what your favourite children's book of all time is. (We would love it if you would share this competition with your friends via Facebook and Twitter too, this is entirely optional though).

Please note that this competition is only open to individuals who reside within South Africa. The prize is sponsored by Kids Book Club, who will be solely responsible for delivery of the prize to the winner. The winner will be selected randomly using online digital software. The winner will be announced on 7 October 2015.

Good luck to all who enter!!!