Friday 20 August 2010

Mummy Duties 24/7





*** I will be posting a layout a day over the weekend for anyone that wants to take a peek!***


It's been a "whooooooooooaaaa...hold on!!!" week here & this is my first time back on the computer in days. Very unusually I have been required in my utmost capacity by everyone simultaneously!! Aside from work I am on an exterior repainting mission & have chosen "Jessy's Blue" by Plascon - much to my family's horror! Apparently it is very unconventional to paint your house blue!? Well, since they raised their concerns {after I came home with all the paint!} I have had a look around & they are right in that it is certainly uncommon.

When we lived in Zimbabwe our house was white with dark green window frames & doors & a solid green splash panel all around the perimeter, with a dark green wall. I loved it - for nearly 2 decades - but eventually tired of it. The kids used to call it "Green Home" so when we had to emigrate to South Africa I told them that we would live by the sea in "Blue Home". So far I am delighted with my colour choice, just disappointed with their reaction! So what do you think? Can my whole house be blue?? If not, why not??? {It is a lovely kinda dusty cornflower blue BTW...not too dark, not too light...}

Cami is fast asleep with a raging fever. 2 nights in a row I have been severely sleep-deprived on nursing duty as she has been vomiting on the hour, every hour. She has been fighting the flu for a couple of weeks but the nausea came about very quickly when she was at the top of the stairs {which we then had to spend hours cleaning - eeeeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuw!!!} With an outbreak of meningitis here we were all concerned but the doctor's opinion is that it's a virus & can only be treated symptomatically.

We have been on a kitten hunt for months, in order to fulfill Reilly's dream of owning a playful "boy" kitten called "Chives". Finally Chives has arrived... Not the best timing with all that is going on here at the moment! He is 12 weeks old so bigger than we would have liked but the vet was going to put him down if he couldn't be homed & he has a lovely glossy coat & is so friendly & playful. When we fatten him up I think he will indeed be a lovely, big strong boy ;-D

Pandemonium reigns here in Durban, on the school front {& throughout South Africa} at the moment as government teachers are striking for a higher wage & negotiations between unions & government are deadlocked. Violence is ensuing & schools have now officially closed until further notice. While I am not overly concerned about junior schools for high school students they are on a very tight schedule & can't afford to miss anything in their syllabus or they will be back to school during their 5 day holiday at the end of September, and none of us want that!

Jack has been rehearsing for his school musical for weeks - which started this week - and now he has a terrible cough! On top of rehearsals every afternoon & shows every night he is also a finalist in a local singing competition & has to perform again very soon so we have been working together on song selection & downloading instrumental backing tracks. When he is singing I just feel like the proudest mother in the whole world! Hopefully he will be placed as the prizes are awesome, but realistically the competition is very stiff & he is battling with his voice at the moment due to the cough.

Chelsea is having to be ferried back & forth to secret locations, in her civvies, to carry on with her schooling program as she starts writing her trials/mocks on Monday & it is not deemed safe to be @ school or even to be found studying under a teacher anywhere - including private homes as some of these locations have been stormed, property destroyed & kids of all ages beaten up! It's concerning but at this stage if we keep these kids away from their teachers they will all have to repeat their final year & that has to be avoided at all costs.

So that's where I've been folks, holding the fort @ home & PA to 4 kiddies all in need of their mum's undivided attention right now! No scrapbooking for me this week but I have been on a major studio sorting mission & running back & forth to "The Plastic Shop" for what seems like a never-ending selection of containers to house all my stash in! Things are looking slick, slick, slick & pictures will follow shortly! Next step is to print out PLENTY of labels for everything & hopefully next week I will be able to paint the walls with the Granny Smith Green I have chosen.

Happy Weekend Blog people ;-D




9 comments:

Diana said...

My house is blue... and I love it and people often ask us for the exact colour... .
Sounds hectic and dramatic, especially the teachers' strike!

tania said...

the blue sounds great for me helen!! i always like something that stands out,really:) you are busy!!hope the cough and the fever of the kiddos clear up.i MUST email you;)

Stefanie said...

Wow, I did notice that you'd gone quiet and that Tania is looking for another TUT partner. So sorry to hear all the school strike goings on. Our kids (private school) have everything as normal.
Terrible goings on and I am sure that they striked/struck? last year just before the matrics were writing mocks as well.
Don't they realize how bad this is for the whole country?

Ella Swan said...

Had a wee angsty moment there about the blue but am now over it thanks to all your positive comments! Diana it was thanks to your positive influence that I decided to REALLY get to the nitty-gritty sorting of my scrapspace! {when you told me about all your spring-cleaning ;-D}Stef I long gave up questioning these people - you must bear in mind that they & us do NOT think alike...and BTW one of our kids IS at a private school. Here they have also all closed due to intimidation. The same happened in Zimbabwe - they are just stoopid!!! The other strike was a coupla years ago & kids were all at less serious stages of their school careers. I don't mind having them at home at all but I REFUSE to send them to school over the {already pathetically short} 5 day September holidays! Happy for them to make up the time by all staying a bit later or having Saturday morning school for a while though...

Vicki said...

Wow, what a lot of things going on for you. Hope Cami is feeling better soon - sounds very worrying. As for the schooling our teachers are talking of striking next week but nothing like what you are dealing with.

Aida Haron, Singapore said...

I'm sorry Cami is ill, I hope the worst is over and she makes a good recovery ! That teacher strike sounds really bad, but it looks like you and your kids are adjusting, not easy but doing the best you can.(((HUGS)) for all you are going through, Aida

topkatnz said...

Sounds like lots of drama over your way - I hope a lot of it resolves soon. So worrying about Cami - sending all my love your way. Hope you love your blue house - and I'm sure everyone else will too. Here, houses are all colours - blue would not surprise me - in fact the house opposite us is blue!

Ella Swan said...

Thanks girls. Cami is on the up. The blue is beautiful to me but DH is very conservative & prefers more natural colours. At least I get the final say on decor matters or could you imagine lol?! School is off again on Monday - just being informed by text on a daily basis from the schools. Violence no good but teachers are very poorly paid so can also understand their frustration at lack of interest in their concerns...

Pearl said...

so sorry to hear about the ongoing strike still ! very frustrating for all concerned surely !! teachers , students , parents & the violence issues ...

I forgot to say - love your blog makeover too ! looks very nicely organized too .