Happiness is… a Bunk Bed

Kade has been bugging us for a bunk bed FOREVER!

One of his friends got one about a year and a half a go and every time we would go over for a playdate ALL I would hear about was how cool Morgie’s bed is and “Morgie has a bunk bed”, “I had so much fun on Morgie’s bunk bed” and then would come the whining and pleading for a bunk bed of his own.

Look, I don’t blame the kid!  When I was little ALL I WANTED was a bunk bed.

We’ve been doing our research on bunk beds but holy moly guys, I am not sure if bunk beds these days are made of pure gold but gees louise they are EXPENSIVE!!!  Then you’ve got the added expense of the mattresses and new bedding.  It wasn’t looking so positive for our boy child to get his wish and I was bracing myself for another year of bunk bed whingeing…

Then an unexpected bonus payment happened and we did some more research found a reasonably priced (but well made) option and we bit the bullet and ordered the bed for Kade.  We told him it was his birthday present and that he would get it a bit early and then everyday since we’ve been asked “is it bunk bed day yet?”

Yesterday was bunk bed day!

He is SO chuffed with it.  He insisted on sleeping on the top bunk last night (my shattered nerves!) and even wanted Gemma to sleep on the bottom bunk. (she did not, she slept in her cot but we will soon transition her to his old “big bed” *sob*)

He is in love with his new (very cool) bedding and I am so happy that he’s happy.

There really is nothing quite like that joy you get when you are able to make your kids day.

Jonesing for a trip to Times Square?

Ever since I can remember there have been two places on my bucket list to visit before I die.  One is Russia (which I fell in love with after watching Doctor Zhivago in my early teens)  and the other is The Big Apple!

Growing up I was captivated by images of the Empire State building, the statue of Liberty, Times Square and of course Central Park.  We moved a lot owing to a father in the military but I mostly grew up in little dorpies and I longed to know what it felt like to live in a city.  A place that was noisy and busy and that never slept.

Then I hit my twenties and “Sex in the City” entered my realm.

Well.

My lust for New York City exploded!  I was working out in the bush at a game lodge and the girls and I used to meet in one of our staff lodges weekly to get our fix of the show and the city that captivated us.  Sitting on those couches stuffing our faces with ice cream and Oreo’s we would dream of having a brown stone like Carrie’s or giggle about being as bold as Samantha when it came to our sexuality!

If like me, going to New York has always been on your list of things to do in this life, but it seems like it’s a little out of reach (hello rand dollar exchange!) I have some excellent news for you… Oreo is giving 3 families the chance to win a once in a lifetime trip to New York!  You will explore all the the iconic landmarks (lucky fishes!), the parks, historic hoods and get to visit the birthplace of OREO – the OREO Factory!

It couldn’t be easier to enter…

Grab your (176g or 429g) box of OREO from your nearest store, text the last 5 digits of the barcode to 40185 or (armed with the self same barcode) enter online HERE

While you enter I will sit quietly and sneakily eat all the Oreo goodness that I got at the #jozimeetup and continue with my dreams of fulling this bucket list trip for myself one day!

I said what???

I used to fantasize about how amazing motherhood would be.  And it is amazing.  Literally everyday something happens with my kids that amazes me.

What I hadn’t expected was some of the things I would catch myself saying to those amazing creatures…

“Do not put your finger up the dogs bum!”

“No you cannot touch your own poo!”

“Do not eat the hadeda poo!”

“Stop putting stickers up your nose… and not in your ears either!”

“Stop drinking out of the dogs water bowl”

“Do not wee on your sister’s head!”

“Please do not fart in my face!”

“Don’t wipe that poo on your wall!!!”

Strangely enough you will notice that so many of the things I never thought I would have to say to my kids relate to their bodily functions…  Motherhood… totally glamorous hey?  That said I probably wouldn’t change a thing.  Probably… uuuuum, maybe just the finger in the dogs butt?

What is the weirdest thing you’ve had to say to your kid/s?

Shouty Mom

You would never guess it, but sometimes my kids can be REAL little assholes!

I love the way that they interact with each other (most of the time) but more often than not I feel like I am a referee in a wrestling match and lately all I feel like I am doing is SHOUTING, SCREAMING and throwing some epic adult type tantrums to get them to listen and calm the fudge down…

Seriously, they are driving me absolutely bonkers.  Kade will want to draw.  Gemma will be happily playing with something else but lo and behold she see’s him drawing and she will want that exact crayon/khoki he is using.  She will try and grab it from him, he will scream “noooooooo Gemma” she will start screaming (girls for the record have their own decibel level, God almighty, it can be positively ear bursting the levels she reaches), he’s screaming while clutching said drawing apparatus, she pinches/scratches/smacks to get her way, he starts crying and I am left pulling what little hair I have left out because they are making so much noise I cannot sort it out without screaming like a fishwife raising my voice.

Rinse, repeat.   Over and over and over.

PLEASE tell me I am not the only one who feels like ALL I do lately is scream my head off at my kids???

PLEASE tell me that it gets better??? And if it doesn’t get better send wine, LOADS of it because I truly think it is the only thing that will get me through this halfway sane…