I have a pocket full of change

My entire life is up in shambles at the moment. In both good ways, bad ways and sad ways. Everything is changing, my life is being redesigned and hopefully in a few months it will be flowing again with routine and structure. I like plans and schedules, not a huge fan of living in the moment, I need to plan the moments and always have full control or I go a bit dilly.

First big change my darling sister left for the big USA. Now if you have read this blog for any amount of time you'll now that she is a huge part of my life and my heart. It broke my heart to say goodbye and I often cry when i think of her but as sad as it is I am happy for her and so proud that she's brave enough to follow her dreams. She's off au pairing for a family with 10 children, crazy right.

I'm taking the leap and moving out of my parents home. I have lived on my own before but not since falling pregnant. Im scared to say the least but also super excited. On top of just moving out, im moving out with my boyfriend, we have discussed our future and what it holds and it's right for us regardless if peoples judgements.

Aiden is moving school's.  This decision made me toss and turn at night for weeks. I'm worried about too much change all in one go but I'm not happy with his current school so praying I made the right decusion and he takes to everything well.

It's all a lot right now but it's all finally coming together.

Who doesn't love a pretty label

Aiden started crèche a little while ago, the added on stress of packing his school bags and getting him ready in the morning was piled on and the great joy of labelling all his possessions took place. It wasn't necessarily the time of labelling his things, it's actually putting ink all over his beautiful clothes (even the cheap PEP ones) and his Tommee Tippee bottles, that got to me.

I had been looking to get labels made, as at the moment I have only labelled Aiden's worst clothes, that I probably didn't buy and I send him in the same outfits all the time just so I don't have to vandalize any more of his wardrobe.

The wonderful people over at Nametapes let me design my own labels and have given me a nice little gift of 50 labels. I'm so excited and can't wait to get them and nicely iron in Aiden's name and my phone number.
It's a really easy site to use and you can design your own, with what ever colour, fonts, little pictures and frames you want. They are really reasonably priced to, go have a look see, who does't love a pretty label.

                             

nametapes.co.za  Telephone 021 790 8785  info@nametapes.co.za 

Aiden's First Day at school

Very tired mommy and my monster child

Aidens morning face

I just dropped Aiden off at crèche. 

I cried like a baby. 

He didn't. 

I wanted to take him right back home.

He's going to realise what I've done at some point. 

They told me I have to try not lie next to him when I put him to sleep because they are about to do sleep training on him, so I know he's going to cry.

I don't have the car so I can only fetch him at 3pm.  

Nanny or the 'C' word

I have always been adamant that Aiden will be at home with a nanny till he is at least two years of age. I hated crèche when I was little; I used to hang on the gate screaming till my mom gave up and took me home. I was like that from horrible experiences of a few schools previous.

Aiden is used to attention, and spends the majority of his time with me, I'm worried about him being left in a cot all day, being left to scream and settle on his own, I'm scared they don't play outside or stimulate them, I am scared they force him to eat what he doesn't want to (I clearly remember green macaroni and someone saying if you don't eat it yourself I'll force it down your throat)

I have had a part-time nanny since February and boy has that been a disaster. She drives me mad and is practically useless; lazy doesn't even do her justice. I thought of getting a new one, I had one to think about on the side but the thought of getting yet another nanny who doesn't do her job and that I will constantly be moaning and explaining how I don't want my baby watching TV all day, or sitting in the laundry room while you talk to the domestic, just the thought makes me feel ill.

So the hunt for the perfect crèche took place, well I wouldn't say hunt. I already knew of a great school right down the road from my house but it's on the pricey side, kind of like double pricey. D was insistent I find a cheaper school (not going into that one) but I went to have a look, it's clean, friendly, lots of teachers everywhere, 1 teacher and 2 assistants to 7 babies and they give them breakfast, lunch and a snack, they have a book system that they write everything your baby does in the day, from pooping to how much ml's they drink. I would only be sending him 3 times a week, R1000.

I did proceed to look at cheaper crèche's in the area, I went to one, so we ring the bell, the gates open, we go through a little gate and encounter about 40 kids running wild in the playground, if you wanted to take 5 home you could just snatch them and walk right out, the little girl (teacher) watching them was too busy on her phone to notice. So we search for the office and any adult with an answer other than Ben10, all the way on the other side of the building. Dirty is all I can say. We walk into the office, lots of kids everywhere; some napping some picking their nose but nobody to help us.

We end up talking to a lady feeding the kids gloop and say can we find out about the crèche, oh she knows nothing and the lady in charge is MIA!

Screw this, I start walking out and notice a number of dangers like the fact that the top of the jungle gym is right next to and in line with the bob-wire on the wall. I keep walking. A little faster.

So pricey it might be, but safe and clean it is and the only place I will send Aiden.

He starts on Friday.

I already want to cry.

Buts it's what's best for both of us.

I can't work and look after him and I can't watch a nanny watch him all day.

So my little boy is going to school.

Nanny Woes

Maybe I watched Mary Poppins to much growing up, maybe I loved Nanny Mcphee a tiny but to much for my age, I'm not quite sure if I am expecting to much from my nanny but I am one step away from firing her.

A serious pet peeve of mine is laziness, especially when it comes to work. You show initiative naturally don't you, okay well at least do what is the minimum of what is expected in your job description if doing a little more is just to much to ask.

She comes in 3 times week, from 8am-3pm, R1200 per month, her job to look after Aiden, stimulate him, play with him, read to him, whatever makes my child happy and makes him progress the way he is supposed to. All things related to Aiden, keep his room clean, wash his clothes, pack away his clothes, feed him and do his bottles, I was going to add on doing my one bedroom flat as well but I think she might die from being over worked if I just suggest it.

The first few weeks the whole stimulating and playing with my child went well, I don't know if she got bored but she now sits with him in the laundry room so she can chat to our maid, my son has the most beautiful bedroom, we have a large garden which Aiden loves to sit in and she sits in the laundry room. That and while I type this she is sitting in the kitchen while the maid does the dishes and Aiden is just sitting there and I can hear her fat conversation from here, down the passage. 

She makes him sleep constantly.

She shakes a rattle in his face for an hour if she has to, that's if he is awake for that long or she is not mid conversation with the maid.

His room is covered in dust and spider webs.

I have reorganised his cupboard about 5 times in hopes she'll figure out one piece's with one pieces, shorts with shorts and so forth but no luck yet.

I have 12 bottles, my system is wash, sterilize and fill the bottles with boiling water, she has NEVER left this house and left me with 12 washed, sterilized and filled bottles, actually I'm lucky if I get one and she sometimes leaves 2.30 because Aiden is sleeping and won't wake up by 3pm.

Now if she did those few things I just complained about I would actually be happy, if I wasn't paying her to sit around and read magazines and have a social life I would be happy and if she showed a bit of initiative I would be ecstatic.

I hate firing people but I don't see anything really changing with this nanny, please Mary Poppins I need you.

Nanny Anyone

See Aiden's frown that because I tried to touch the computer and sneak some work in while bouncing 

him on my legs!