And the days go by!

Things have been going very well here at Wriggly worms, much activity, enjoyment and fun. Hopefully learning something new every day, from the Ant to the autumn tree.

I have really been enjoy these kids so much, each one is unique in their own way. Little Carli is a little firecracker, she is not slow to speak her little mind, and she loves learning, as soon as I call them to come and sit on my knee to learn about something at the computer(yes this is our biggest learning resource) then she is there, keen to jump on and jump in! She loves painting even more now, and as soon as she comes in the door, she wants to know what we are painting today! This is unfortunately her last month with us, but we will enjoy it as much as we can!

Daniel loves Carli...he always kisses Sofia, and he always fights with his brother Nathan, but he enjoys their company! I think the boy in him has come out as he does not find painting so enjoyable as he used to when he was smaller, he kinda gives it a smear here and a smear there...and then he is done...and I get a very satisfied "klaar"....at time frustration for me, but enjoyment for him, so I usually just leave him there. As long as HE enjoys it. He still loves his writing and counting and reading so much, and will sit down with anyone who will sit with him for a minute...sometimes he scares me!

Sofi...she is just awesome, her happy squeals when I sit down to play with her, she is so good at baby gym now, she rolls, she loves stretching her arms, and her legs up and down, and she loves practicing her sitting! We do baby gym every day, and then she has a bath, which I reckon she loves even more! She splashes and giggles with much pleasure. And dont even start talking about eating...that must be her favorite new past time...esp butternut...she actually schmucks her little lips together when she eats.

Nathan has figured out that he can walk very fast with the walker, it is so cute, and he is so delighted with himself, looking around to see who can see him, and if he can get an applause from some interested bystander. Usually his very eager daddy. He is our delight, and I just enjoy him as he develops into a happy little boy, ready for more adventure. I find some mornings he loves being in the front line of being mischievous, he is younger than the older ones, but he loves "saying" what to do, and it is always touching the naughty line, but I love it....to see that I have a little leader...with his older brother always ready to follow...

That is our little school...my enjoyment, their pleasure....

We had a little visitor last week, Mister Xander Yntema, he joined us to learn about the Ant, and I think he loved it, this was the first time he painted, and one can see the concentration and enjoyment in his little face. To cute! Hope you come again soon Xander.

We are now one year old!!!

So, our dear little baby boy Nathan had his first birthday last week, and it was a wonderful day indeed! He just was Nathan, and awesome in every sense of the word! The day of his birthday was eventful enough to write an entire book about! Stress, rushing, baking, enjoying, loving, not sure what other words to use...but eventful. The evening was wonderful, Oupa and Ouma, Justin, Oom Jan, Tannie Kinny, Veronica and Adriaan came, and we enjoyed some lekka cake and watched Nathan as he had his first taste of real chocolate sweetness...it was so cute.

Nathan is such a sweet little boy...I just cannot believe we made a year with him already, the first year was hectic, loads of illnesses, reflux etc, but now he is crawling and just happy, he loves his brother, and his favorite past time is to bother Daniel as much as he can, be it taking his raisins off him, or putting his foot in the paper when Daniel tries to draw...

Time flies, and we need to enjoy and cherish every moment, I am always so scared I dont enjoy it to the full, and later on will say....why didnt I? Life is full of enjoyable moments, with each other, and just in life...and we must grasp every moment with both hands....

Here is to another wonderful year, with a wonderful little boy, who will grow and be an enjoyment to each one who meets him!

What a day!!

I reckon daycares goes through days where things are just tough, babies just cry, the house is a mess, and becoming a bigger mess as the day goes by. And the owner of the daycare feels that she is just not coping!! That does happen right...

I just started out this wonderful day of love being very tired, I mean, like bone - dry tired, I had no energy for the day! So that was a bad start. Then the boys were fine when they woke, but I just felt the house was a mess, and I had no energy to fix it. The kids came and seems like poor little Sofia was poorly! She just cried, mostly when I put her down, as sometimes I just had to, to take care of the other 3 kids, and sometimes when I held her, she just cried. So Nicole came to get her a bit earlier...I hope she is better now!

The boys, my boys just wanted my attention, so through the afternoon, trying to clean and take care of things, they just cried for me, I felt like a worthless mother, so I just gave them my time. I called hubby, who called someone, who arranged a domestic help for me, to do the cleaning...sjoe, what a load off me!! So she is coming....I cannot wait, and I hope she is great so that she can come every week, I cannot do this 4 kids alone and do the house and the laundry and the....and the....I am not some kind of SUPERWOMAN!! Even though I wish I were....

I ended up going to bed with beloved Jason at 8:30...and I feel so refreshed this morning...I think that is much needed at times...

So my question is: I am working part time and from home, with my own children around me, how does the mothers who work away from home do it, the house, the kids, giving enough attention, giving yourself enough time that you dont conk in after a week, and Hubby who is also needing that extra love? How do you all do it?

I realize more that my time is mine, but I have to be so balanced with it, to give each one a piece of it...little Carli, little Sofia, and my own two precious boys, my most precious possession, I suppose us moms are just fit to do so!

Well, here is to today...a better day than yesterday, less focusing on what is not important to what is..giving more time to relationships, and loving what you have more...

And most of all, Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of my faith!

Valentines day!

I began today being totally nervous, as Nathan was up a lot and I thought he was coming down with something, with a runny nose and constantly tugging at his left ear. I ended up giving him ponstan and a bottle of formula, he went down around 8 and slept for an hour, he woke up a new child, I reckon he was just tired, after being up the whole night, and the reason for being up...it is so hot here these days!! So all is well in Nathan country!

We had a wonderful day. Sofia came early, as mommy still had to feed her, and then when mommy left she just played under the playgym, for about 30 mins while I gave our boys breakfast and got Carli settled in for the day. She was just content to play and gurgle and the other kids would go and say hi to her and shake the playgym to get the toys moving, she loves that.

Carli had a bit of a fall today during arts and crafts, trying to get of the chair to fast, but ice pack and loads of cuddles later, she was all fine, and of course a 15 minutes Dora the explorer break(with mommies permission)...

Daniel and Nathan are doing better, it was to be honest, a bit of an adjustment for them to have 2 extra children in the house and having to share mommy, but at least they go home at some point during the day, and arent here for good like a new brother or sister does, they cope, and they do end up enjoying the friends, Nathan always checks out little Sofia, and Daniel and Carli gets on like a house on fire. I found them inside the play box but I could not find my camera again, to capture the moment...they are really cute together, Carli always says to Daniel "DOM NOU DANIEL", she says for "kom" - "dom" I think the "k" sound has not realized yet...that means Common now Daniel!!! So cute, they are great friends.

We did some Valentines day gift for the mommies and daddies, and the colour red and pink and the heart shape, one always has to bring in some learning into the fun!! Even Sofia gave her mommy one....(even though someone grown up did it - dont tell mommy Sophia)

It is weekend, I might come on again with some fun we had on the weekend with our boys!!!

Kisses everyone and have a good one!

Oh I almost forgot, Sofia had a whole teaspoon of rice cereal...and she loved it!!!

Wriggly worms daycare

I will try my best to post as often as I can, I managed to find my camera, after much sweating and worrying it was behind a photo frame on the book shelf!

It went well today. Carli is so cute, she tells Daniel off for me when he does stuff he should not, and she hangs around me and always helps me to clean up and do things, she likes to give Sofia her dummy when she is crying and it is always a bit concerning to her when she does cry...shame...

We had some fun, playing in the room, with the building blocks and also with the train set, and they even tried to get the normal matchbox cars to ride on the train tracks...it does not really work, they found out...Nathan loves following them around, and with Nathan, once drawing happends, we need to go onto the table, as he just wants to eat all the crayons and the paper...and the toddlers does get very mad when he gets to close...

Sofia is settling in, she is still getting used to sharing the attention with 3 other children, but she takes it in her stride and goes on. I am not to worried about her, mostly if she is around me and can watch what I am doing, she is very happy...she goes to bed in the red campcot..and loves it...well I think so, by the lying in it after she wakes and gurgling and chatting, that must be a good sign hey. Seems like she likes a nap every 2 hours, and she if she takes her bottle before her nap, she sleeps a bit longer...hehe, then she is more refreshed when she wakes...I love her little smiles and chatters...very cute...

Wriggly worms daycare

I was thinking to make a nice blog for the kids in our daycare...then their mommies can see every day what they have done, and also see some nice pictures.

Wriggly worms was started out of the idea that so many small babies have to go to big creches, with many children, very little individual care, and just have to fend for themselves from a very small age. It took a bit of patience before we had 2 children added to us, myself, Daniel and Nathan, but finally we are a little daycare, and Carli is 2 and a half and our little addition Sofia is just 5 months old. We love having both of them, and know that we will still have loads of fun together.

Both little ones arrive at 8:30am, and we then have a bit of free play in the house, settling each one and greeting everyone. Then at 9 we go out into the garden, where Sofia has her short nap, and Carli and Daniel plays with their motor bikes, and Nathan crawls around after the ball. We then go inside and if it is arts and crafts day we prepare and the two older children do their craft, Nathan goes to bed, Sofia has free play, I usually have a theme for the day, a colour and soon want to incorporate numbers and letters. I find a article and pictures on the computer and we have a small talk on the topic of the day. With Carli being able to talk so well already, she always tells her mommy what she learned during the day. Very clever. Then we have free play, either the kids swim outside, or they play in the room with all the toys, blocks, puzzles, playdough, Sofia has tummy time and some time with me and Nathan, we read a book or two together and then they have free play, and I have a - I think - well deserved coffee. By that time the older ones has their snack, and Sofia is ready for her second nap. After that I read with them, and Carli usually goes home by that time, Daniel goes for a nap, and then I have time with the two babies, where we just play, sing and have fun together.

I will try and post something every day on what we did, and some pictures, of the art, of them playing and being happy, and perhaps sometimes sad, as we are just human.

I hope you enjoy, including Sofia's Granny in the UK!!! The is specially for you!

(I will still get pics of Sofia, my camera was mysteriously missing the last few days)

Family time together

Every weekend happens so fast...it is Monday...then Saturday...not that any of us are complaining. It is great...on a Friday evening we always wonder what shall we do for Saturday. Usually we need to do a biweekly shop, or we just stay home, or we do fun things with the boys. Today we had loads of fun. We took Daniel to Kidz zoo, and he literally played his heart out, he mainly takes on the slide head first. Not scared at all. It was so much fun. Then he had a nap and we then did the garden, he thinks he can mow the lawn, but not yet Daniel, one day you gonna hate it, and baked some cookies(yeah, boys do enjoy baking!).

Last week we went to the Nature reserve, and Daniel had his first hike. What a big brave boy! He walked pretty far for a little boy. Firstly he was a bit unsure, but when he saw he could do it, there was no stopping him. We all got a bit of sun, and he played at the play gym.

I love family time together. It is really so special for the boys. I am home with them everyday, and I spend most of my time with them, but having time with daddy is just AWESOME!!! Nathan is constantly on the lookout for his dad. It is to cute. He is a bit ill right now..seems like the boys take turns, just a general cold I think, or maybe even some allergies, he just feels rotten.

We are a small little family and we enjoy each others company. I think daily we grow as parents and the boys are growing to become total sweet hearts. I am looking forward to many great family times together!