When he got his license – twice
Not many people can say that got their license the first time…twice.
Well, since we do like doing things differently Quintus can now say he got his license twice, the first time.
See, he went for his driver’s license on Thursday last week. He did absolutely everything right. More than enough points available on both his road and yard test. Then right before he finished his road test the instructor asked him to cross lanes at an intersection. Look, we all know they try to catch you but this was blatantly wrong and I’ll explain why. While crossing lanes at an intersection is an @sshole thing to do in my opinion, it is not breaking a traffic law. That is why if you look on the form they instructors fill in, it is a 3 point penalty. Not breaking a traffic law. If he got the 3 point penalty he would STILL have passed with flying colours.
See, he was the only one there that day. Literally the only person in the office building with the instructor. And then me when I walked in after the test. He added up all the points, did not write that he failed. He even started drawing him a picture as to what he did wrong!? Still didn’t write on the test that he failed. He looked at me, I didn’t say anything and then he failed him.
Only later did I think of the fact that the only reason he failed him was because he wanted us to “ask him if he is hungry”. I’ve just never done that before. I don’t bribe people.
He continued to tell Quintus that his driving is really good and that he would definitely get his license on Monday.
I spoke to the lady who did Quintus’ driving lessons (best person to go to BTW) and she was livid. She was actually the one to point out to me that he could not fail on that!!! That he had passed!!! I was SO upset. I wanted to go back and give him a piece of my mind but what would it help? They would just make sure to fail him the next time he went.
So he went again yesterday. I was SO stressed. What if he failed this time? I mean failed because he did something wrong. Well, he didn’t. He got his license. Since it was an illegal unnecessary fail the first time around, this was him getting his license for the first time this time.
SO proud. The whole family so happy for him. A happy time. Until he wanted to actually GET his license paper. It took 2,5 hours! First a forever wait in line to get his fingerprints done.
Then after waiting in line to pay, they said he needed more photos. So he had to leave the line and go get a photo taken. He had to fall in the line again at the back! Get to the front and the lady tells him that he didn’t pass. The computer said he didn’t pass! He had to go to the other department again and speak to the instructor so that she could fix it.
Back again and he had to stand at the back of the line AGAIN. Gets to the front and the instructor had taken out some of his papers, so he didn’t have everything he needed to pay! He had to leave the line AGAIN and go back to the instructor. The lady then continued to tell him that he won’t be allowed back into the building until after lunch. So he would have to wait another 40 minutes.
Some swear words later, he got the missing papers and just opened the door and walked right back in and to the back of said line AGAIN.
This time he came out with a somewhat grin on his face and his license in his hands! FINALLY a licensed driver.
It was a long weekend…. where he just wanted to drive and I felt that he could because he actually HAD his license but he didn’t have it, so no he could not drive. Now that he does, I haven’t seen much of him 🙂 As it should be.
Congratulations, Quintus. Please always be safe. I need you here with me. Remember you have the lives of others in your hands.
Remember when
Remember when you first have your baby and you don’t sleep at night? You tend to think that’s the worst part of being a parent. The no sleep.
Then it’s their 2nd birthday and it’s almost as if tantrums were in one of the gift boxes.
Then at three where they believe they can do everything themselves and heaven forbid if they want to wear a unicorn outfit with elephant shoes and they can’t find something like that.
Then school, first exams, first love … and heartbreak.
It doesn’t compare.
Giving your child their first car. That’s tough. Yes, I know there will be other things even more scary than this is his life. This is so big. Such a huge responsibility.
“I hope you understand how much I love you and how much I need you here with me.
Congratulations on your first car, Quintus.
Please be safe.
I love you.”
Nine years
An end to an era.
That is what yesterday was.
Our bulletjie rugby journey started nine years ago when Quintus first started. Even before Zander was born.
Zander grew up next to the field. First year he was just the baby in the sling. Hardly showing his face. Then the little boy who carried rugby balls, like other kids carried soft toys.
Finally he could wait no longer and started playing rugby before he even went to school.
How things have changed since then, yet stayed the same.
Still his big brother giving hugs and advice.
Still the thing with his knees.
Always wanting to be the kicker
From that first try to one of his last. He has made us proud bulletjie parents
I blinked
Don’t blink
It’s over too quickly
All I want for Christmas…..
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.
Zander hurt his tooth almost two years ago. He first fell and pushed his tooth right back up and just after it moved back into its normal position, a swing hit him in his face and pushed the tooth back.
I have taken him to the dentist 4 times now. They wouldn’t pull his tooth. Kept on saying that it will come out by itself. Well, two years later and constant pain, it was still there. Loose but there. Eating hurt.
We decided to take him to the dentist here in Stilbaai. So glad we did! He had to pull both front teeth in order for them to come out straight we hope. There is a chance that the tooth might have marks on because of all the infection he kept on getting but that remains to be seen.
Immediately his speech improved. Not afraid to put his tongue near the front of his mouth anymore. He has been walking with a smile on his face since we got home. He was such a big boy. So proud of him.
Driving
There we were, waiting for Jason to finish his tennis lesson. Studying for the next exam NOT. Actually just having a great time chatting.
One thing led to another and he ended up driving. My big car. Just like that. Five minutes flat and he could start the car, pull away, change gears, drive between trees and stop. Without stalling the car.
Just like that.
I suppose it’s a boy thing 😉 I remember getting SO upset with my dad when he taught me to drive. And I was 17! lol
End of era
Last night was my “baby” boy’s last pre-school concert. A day he looked forward to, not because it’s his last but because he would finally be part of the group graduating. The ‘big kids’. The group that gets to be greeted by the younger ones.
He looked so big and yet so small in his graduation robe.
At times he looked a bit uncertain. I think it dawned on him that part of being the ‘big kid’, also means that he will now be moving on to ‘big school’. With a new teacher. New friends.
I can’t believe this is the end of it. No more pre-school. No more driving up and down between schools. All three my boys in the same school.
In all honesty, I have been looking forward to this but now that it’s here, it is very bitter-sweet.
It hit me yesterday, that Zander will always be the one to bring on the “last”. Last pre-school day. Last bulletjie-rugby. Last primary school. Together with him moving on from one milestone to another, it will always be the last.
Best I get used to it now.
Since my dad was saying last night that he still thinks of me as his baby and it doesn’t feel that long ago that I graduated from pre-school, here is my pre-school graduation photo.
I think my words helped
Maybe she found some wisdom in my words this morning.
This afternoon, the boys wanted to swim again. I told them to ask her first. Hear if she is okay with it today.
She said that they can swim, although Quintus says she looked kind of sad.
They swam and Zander proved to us that he can swim the entire length of the pool (very very impressed with that btw)
I got up to get a chair and that’s when I saw her standing on the stoep, watching the boys. She had a smile on her face.
I’m sure it hurt but also, it’s a new memory she is building up. A better, more happy memory of the pool.
I’m very proud of her for taking the step to go outside and watch them swim. To see them enjoy themselves.
It’s when Zander saw her standing there, that he swam the length of the pool. To show her that he can.
Proud day today.
And this is how ….
…. you pull your own tooth 😉
Oh and the BEST part? My sweet Jay still believes in the tooth fairy
He really is a big boy now!!!!
This afternoon Zander asked if I would teach him ride his bike without the training wheels. I took them off and well, he took off! Just like that. As though he has always cycled without the training wheels.
WTG my big boy!!!
Big boy now
Zander was still using sippy cups … until last night.
I made Milo in these cups and he was SO taken with them that I convinced him that it’s time to give the sippy cups to his nephew. That he is the big boy now.
He loves his cup and didn’t ask for a sippy cup at all. WTG my son!
Club +
Look who is part of “Club +” as school as well.
He was upset when he didn’t get it at the same time as Jason. But all good things come with time.
So proud
I mentioned this often but it does make me so proud. Our school has a positive reward system and when you have made it to the highest level, you receive a Club + badge.
Jason is the only boy in his class to have received this badge. I’m so proud of him.
Who was more ready?
3461 days
Or 9 years, 5 months, 21 days
- 299,030,400 seconds
- 4,983,840 minutes
- 83,064 hours
- 494 weeks
That’s how long we’ve shared our room with one of our children.
Wow.
That’s a long time.
As of from last night, Zander is sharing the room with his brothers. He is so proud of himself.
Tommie of course said we should have let him sleep in the room for another 6 weeks. Just to make the weeks a nice round number. I just think Zander was more ready than Tommie!
For no reason at all, I decided last night that Zander will be joining his brothers. We carried his mattress into their room and he had no issues sleeping there! Today we moved his bed in and again, he went to sleep a happy little boy.
I’m so proud of him.
Proud
I’m so proud of my boys. Both of them went up another level in their school’s positive club.
They are now the proud owner of the club card and with that they get discount at various shops. Including their favourite toy shop 🙂
Good behaviour is as important to me as good grades.
First concert
Friday was a tough day. We were at a funeral of one of Tommie’s friends and it broke him. It was so painful for me to watch this big man, my husband, cry like that. The way we stopped trying to wipe the tears. It was just a constant waterfall of tears. It was horrible. The pain was raw.
We were to go to a concert of Steve Hofmeyr that night with friends, but our local rugby team played a game in honour of this friend and Tommie wanted to go. I told him to go and say goodbye to Johan, the way he would want his friends to do.
So instead it was just us women. I know my Mom loves Neil Diamond. Since this was Steve who was going to sing Neil Diamond songs, I asked if she wanted to go along with us. My mom was dressed and ready in 15 minutes. I had another ticket and Quintus asked to go as well. After Jason said it was not a problem, Quintus went with for his very first concert.
It was such a pleasure to watch him. To see the excitement in his eyes. The experience out there for us all to see. Steve even came to shake his hand. He loved that.
After the show we stood in the line so that Quintus could get his signature.
I got them to smile for a photo and my son was beyond happy.
We got home and Jason wanted a signature as well. So we rushed back. It’s just fair. We found him still standing there, giving out signatures, smiling his face into a spasm. Jason got his signature and a photo as well.
It was so sweet to watch them star struck and all. I remember the very first time I went to see a show of Steve. Ag shame, we were just a handful of people. I have many photos of us lol We were both much younger. I think that was also before he started with his collection of woman and many children…
Out of my bed
I have no more little child in my bed :) 😦
Yes, I feel like that. Bitter sweet.
I have co-slept with all three boys. Something that I’m hugely thankful for. There is nothing like waking up with your little one next to you. Those are times I will never get back. Nights when my arm is what they hold on to fall asleep….not a teddy or a blanket. ME. I’m what they needed to fall asleep.
Two weeks ago, Zander just moved over onto his own bed all by himself. We were still up and in the TV room, when he said that he is going to bed. We walked into our room to find him sleeping in his single bed, in our room. That’s it. We never had to ask him, do sleep-training with him. He just moved out by himself. When he felt emotionally ready to do so.
I thought that going camping and sharing a bed with us in the caravan would put him back into our bed at home but nope. My baby boy is no longer sharing our bed.
Big boy he is now 🙂
Movies
We were talking like we always do, every afternoon when we wait for the kids to get out of school. They normally come out together, just as they did on Friday.
This time, Quintus walked up to her mom and asked if the The Girlfriend could go to the movies with him. (This after he had asked The Girlfriend of course) How sweet! She said that she had no problem with that, we must just let her know when.
This morning we looked up the times that the movie is showing and he phoned her mom again to ask if that time will suite them. Isn’t that just adorable!? Such a gentleman to be asking her mother like that. So proper. Also, at the very young age of eight!!! he has enough confidence to ask out a girl and ask her mother. I’m one proud mother….it can only make it easier the next time he does this.
The movie was to be at 14:30. I somehow got the times mixed up and realized we were late and had 15 minutes to pick her up and get to the movies. Rush rush rush. He had the money with him, so all was good in our world. They stood in line together to buy the tickets, when I noticed him searching his pockets. Nothing. He turned around and said that he had lost the money. I can not describe the look on his face. All together being upset, embarrassed and angry with himself. Because we rushed out, I never took my handbag, so I didn’t even have money to give to him.
BUT we all came back home, they chatted, we went out for waffles and then we all went to watch the movie a bit later on. We did do the proper thing and sat away from them..way to the front.
After that they still didn’t want her to go home, so we went to ask if she could go to the Hot Rods with us. We finally dropped her off way after 21:00. Long first date I tell you!
As we got into the car Quintus said “This is my best day ever. This is a night to remember” 🙂
Then even better, when he turned to me as we lay in bed tonight and said “I like you Mom”. There’s just something different about your child saying he ‘likes’ you.
I can’t believe he went on an official date at the age of only 8!!
First
Today is supposed to be the first day of spring. Very true if you look at the date. Not true if you look at the weather. If you step outside or look at the temperature meter in the car. If you look at the way your kids are dressed. However, happy spring day to you all!
Today is also the first day that Jason will no longer have a mouth full of baby teeth. He lost his very first tooth today. This amidst some loud cries of pain if you dare touch his tooth. Crying when he saw blood and laughter when he saw his tiny little baby tooth lying in his hand too. Relieve when he realized he could have swallowed it and didn’t! Apparently the tooth fairy would then have to put the money in his pants lol
Putting his tooth in the tooth fairy cushion.
Impulsive
I can be very impulsive some days. Like last Sunday. We woke up and Zander wanted to run to the living room to watch TV with his brothers. I wanted to change his nappy first and as I took it off, I decided that’s it. No more nappy. Just like that.
I kinda just told him and he seemed fine with it. There’s been many many times that he has shown that he is ready, by telling me he wants to go. He would do it a whole day long but the next day not seem interested. So I said, this is it little boy. No more nappies. Big boy undies for you.
No day-time nappies since then. He has even woke up dry in the morning once. It’s not all dry and clean all the time but it is going very well.
Very proud of my little nappy-less guy.
Look who can cycle!
He is loving it. Loves that he can cycle with his big brothers. No longer on his little black bike but right there, next to them.
He has the cutest way of getting on. He is a tad short so had to find his own way of getting his leg over as you can see from the video.
End of an era
When Quintus played his last match on Saturday, he also played his very last game in little league rugby. His very last match in that rugby jersey.
No more ‘Welpie” rugby for him. No more medal after every match. No more coach right on the field. Normal 15 man rugby. On the big big rugby field. It has gone too quickly.
We are all so very proud of their little team. They won all their games on Saturday. Against schools from the big cities. One of those school lost their very first match of the year against us. Go boys!
Jason did so well. They played their very first tackle rugby matches. So proud. He got in a couple of very good tackles and even though they lost, they did darn well. He enjoyed himself so much and in the end that is all that counts.
I had a lovely birthday. I got spoiled. Tommie bought me tripod that is just everything I want it to be. Perfect for the rugby. I could go on about it but if you don’t love photography like me, it might bore you! Quintus bought me the diamond ring I wanted. Jason bought me a box of chocolates that my hips didn’t need but I wanted. They wrote in a birthday card for me. Zander as well. My mom said his was saying “Love you Mammie” as he was ‘writing’. SO darn cute.
Today is my mom’s birthday. I was born just 3 hours too early to celebrate my birthday with her. I still think they should have lied on the birth certificate!
Happy birthday Mom. We are so thankful that you are our mom and Ouma.
It’s out!!!!
We spent all afternoon working on this tooth. We really didn’t want the dentist to have to pull it and just did all we could to wiggle it and get it lose.
We actually took turns! and finally tonight I pulled it out. He didn’t even realize I had pulled it. He was still waiting for me to keep on wiggling it.
Yay to my big boy for reaching yet another milestone! (Finally)
Long awaited but not this
Quintus is the only kid in his class that has not lost one of his baby teeth. He has been anticipating this day for a long long time.
Last night he called me because he could feel something behind his tooth. Well…his permanent tooth has pushed through his gums but behind his baby tooth. Obviously it then didn’t do anything to get the baby tooth loose and now have both.
I spoke to the dentist this morning and he said we should give it a month in which Quintus must try and wiggle the baby tooth until it comes out by itself. If it does not, he would have to get it pulled.
I don’t want that at all. Look at those teeth. My child has perfect teeth. He has never had to have any work done on them. Imagine his first experience having to have a tooth pulled!
Adam and Eve had many advantages, but the principal one was that they escaped teething. ~Mark Twain
Potty training 101
There is one huge advantage in potty training a boy. Boys can wee anywhere.
I have a very relaxed view on potty training. I merely talk to the boys about it but never push them into potty training. I never ‘train’ them. Ever.
Zander is showing signs and has even told me he needs to wee on a many occasions (one being this afternoon when I dutifully pulled off the road to let him wee) So the fun has begun. He doesn’t like being asked if he needs to go though. He wants to be the one saying. So I am sitting back and just enjoying him doing all of this by himself.
One thing that does make him excited is that frog in the photo. That frog potty trained Jason. He thought it was the best thing yet to wee on that frog. Someone told him that the frog will grow if it gets enough ‘water’. Zander believes that too.
Here’s to potty training fun. Could he not choose to do this in the summer?
Super Mom .... or not 
