I am Tamiya…

…Household Notebook…Home Companion Book… call it what you will, but essentially it is a tool for making your household a smooth-running one. One that’s actually organised and you know what’s potting under your own roof.

It seems to be all the buzz on Pinterest lately. So I thought I’d make one for us too. Me, being as disorganized as I am, this might actually just be what I need to get everyone straight and remember everything we need to do. I’m quite a loskop actually, and only remember certain things because I have wonderful twitter friends who send reminders of stuff on a regular basis

My mom asked me when A1′s school concert is, and I told her I think it’s in November somewhere, but I wasn’t really actually sure. But now I know for definite that it’s on the 19th of November, because it’s written so in our very own Home Management Diary

I trawled the interwebs for ideas and printables, hopefully free, because that’s how I roll. And where I found something, but didn’t like the look of, I recreated the idea in Word to suit my needs better. Some things were very Americanised, so I just localised it for me.

I also decided to start rather basic. I know myself, and I struggle maintaining stuff. I KNOW I won’t do meal plans, and I don’t need a cleaning schedule (yet). There’s no budget bit either, because I don’t do so well with the finances, so it’s not my problem. I also didn’t do the whole pouch thing where you keep pens and stuff, like most examples you see when you Google this thing.

Let me tell you about what I *did* do with ours:

You need:

• Binder
• Something to wrap/decorate your binder with
• File dividers
• Various Tools like a paperpunch, glue, a pen, a highlighter etc..

Then I got some colorful dividers. I created an index card that matches the colors of the divider tabs and stuck that on the first divider. I did it this way instead of numbering the tabs, or trying to fit big words into a very small writing space. Also, this way, if I ever change my mind about a category, I can just re-print the index card and stick it over the old one.

Since I decided to stick with the basics, I went with Calendars, which contain an overall yearly view, where I can just highlight the important dates for a quick glance of the month/year. There’s also a monthly view for each month, so I can summarise upcoming events for the month and plan around that.

The next Tab is a weekly view, with blank date fields. This way, if nothing is happening in a particular week, I don’t have to waste a paper on it. These weekly views are nice to complete on a Sunday afternoon, so you know what your coming week entails. Also easy to stick on the fridge, so you can be reminded of those important dates/events/school things I always tend to forget.

I like this particular template, because I can make notes about specific/important things I need to remember. Much more detailed.

Next up is Medical Info. This Tab actually contains a few different things. First in is a medical info sheet for each one of us, containing Name, Medical Aid details, blood group and all our various doctors. GP, dentist, Paed, Gynae and then any specialists we might see, just a name, contact number and address. I can never seem to remember any of these, so it’s handy to have. Also nice for when someone other than me needs to contact any one of those.

My sheet is pink, and all the boys’ are yellow.

Next in here is a Medical History Tracking sheet. There will be one for each of us, that I will fill in from now as is necessary. This is a way for me to keep track of who was sick when, who did they see and which treatments were prescribed. The medication for me is specially important, because I can never remember the names of the antibiotics we were given. This will be filled in once per doctors’ visit.

Next up is a symptom/medicine tracker. I will be using this for the checking of general symptoms, and times where a child has complained about an upset stomach, or A2 has woken with a gunky eye (again), and what, if any, medication I have given them. Don’t think I will be tracking prescribed medicines here though. Just the once off stuff.

Lastly, in here I will be filing any medical research I might be doing. Whether it be teething symptoms or Ureaplasma urealyticum, it goes in the back here, so I can have it handy when deciding to act upon it.

Then we get to the School Tab. This contains a quick reference sheet to a child’s school, current class, teacher and extra mural activities they may be doing in the week.

(I’ve used a blank sheet as an example here, because I don’t really want you to know where my boy goes to school). There’s also space to add any other school contact people like the extra mural teachers or similar.

Then I added a few School Notes that I can cut out and use as necessary.

Behind this I’m putting any other important info pertaining to the school or their education. The school song, potential primary school introductory sheets etc.

Then I made an Invitations Tab. For any kind of invite we receive really. This will just help me in the long run. Something can now be in the calendar, without me squishing in the address and such, and I have the necessary info handy a few tabs on. Also, some invites are really nicely done and now I have an excuse to keep them.

Lastly, there’s the Artwork tab. This is where I can keep the artwork that somehow didn’t make it onto my office walls.

These are all the categories I have for now. It feels easily maintainable. This is a work in progress though, so this file will grow as time goes on. I’ve made the calendars for next year and put them in. I just made November and December for this year, because it’s all that’s left of the year. Can you believe it?

I spent many hours trawling and searching and saving templates that I thought might come in handy. I’d be more than happy to share it with you (they’re all freely available on the internet anyway, I’ve just saved you some time). The file is about 7MBs, zipped.

So, do you have a Home Management System going on? Will you make one, you think? How do you manage your home?

xoxo

PS. Here’s to many more organised days in my future

I’m getting dressed…

A1, from the bathroom where he was having a bath, shouting: “Mommy, I’m a good boy, I made a good poo. Not a shimmery poo!”

Me, getting dressed, shouting back: “Well done my big boy. How is your tummy feeling?”

A1: “Muuuucchh better. It’s not a sick tummy anymore.”

Me: “Yay, that’s really good news!”

2 minutes later

A1: “Moooooommmmmmeeeeeeeeeeee, Boeboe is sticking his fingers in the toilet, he wants to touch my poo!!” **Cue shrieks and squeals**

Somehow, I didn’t realise A1 was actually on the loo at the time and waiting for me to wipe his bum – he was supposed to be in the bath. I also managed to rescue the littlest fingers before they could do anything they shouldn’t have been doing…

Yay for early mornings :/

xoxo

I’ve been home the last few days, by taking some leave Thursday and Friday. This meant I’ve spent a lot more time with the boys than usual. Some few observations I’ve made:

• A1 doesn’t get sick often, but when he does, it’s pretty severe and he suffers greatly from man-flu as well.
• A2 gets sick fairly often, but is generally still a very pleasant little being.
• When I get sick, life pretty much just goes on. It has to, I am the mommy.
• Speaking of Mommies, mine is back for good and has been here to help me with the boys for the last couple of days. I am forever thankful, she has made life that much easier by being here. I laf my Mommy!
• A2 can seriously cruise around/along the walls/couches/tables. He’s like Speed Racer! He has also mastered the art of bending over and picking up anything that’s on the floor. (While holding onto a steady object, of course). He has face planted a few times, but he’s more successful than not.
• We have finally figured out that A2 can hold his own bottle.  He drinks, checks to see how much is left then drinks some more. I’m not entirely sure how long he’s been able to do this. As our last baby, I think we’re trying to keep him a baby as long as possible.
• He also tells me “klaar” when he is finished/done with something.
• A2′s vocabulary at the moment: mamma, pappa, Anta (his brother) and also sometimes Anta-y, ouma, oupa, klaar, kyk daar, uit (for anything any dog does), hap, hier (when giving you something), bye, drie (when you start counting een, twee he says drieeeee, or when he wants to play a certain game) and probably his most favorite of all time right now KAR!
• Cars are his absolute favoritest things in the whole entire world right now, alongside his brother, in any shape or form. He goes crazy dilly for them!
• A1 just told me one day he’s going to marry this one girl at school and her name is Jaime. (She’s a cute lil thing).
• A2 is sporting a TinTin in the front and a ducktail at the back. Too cute.
• My boys are so different, yet so alike, they *MUST* be family!
• A2 is not afraid of food, at all! I fear for our grocery bills as he grows up…
• A1 is an okay eater. Some days more than others. Currently, he doesn’t eat green veggies.
• A1 had(s) a thing for boobs and bra-straps. Specially when he feels needy/sick. A2 has a thing for hair. I have random tufts sticking out and being awkward on my head, because the ripped out pieces are only now growing back :/
• A2 has learned to blow, and proceeds to blow raspberries on A1′s belly. He is also fascinated with A1′s bellybutton. It’s rather funny.
• A1 has always been a loving child and still gives hugs and kisses freely. A2 has also just learned to give kisses when asked. It’s beautiful. He’s also started giving out quick hugs when passing you by on the couch.
• A1 is a beautiful, thoughtful child. Words can’t really explain, it’s something that must be experienced.

Somehow I must be doing something right. I am truly blessed!

xoxo

Driving A1 to school in the mornings and collecting him in the afternoons are probably my most favorite times of the day with him. We always talk and chat and discuss a whole variety of things and he asks a lot of questions which I try to answer as truthfully as I can – in a manner that he would understand.

Yesterday, after one such bout of Q&A:

A1: “Mommy, why did Jesus make you so clever?”

I love this child also, to the moon and back and around the stars too.

xoxo

with a real pirate smile

I know I just posted 5 minutes ago about him popping two more teeth, but before they become very visible, here is my baby Boo with a real one-toothed-pirate-smile

I love this child so much to the moon and back!

xoxo

…making a total of THREE pearly whites in that small little mouth

Yup, A2 has popped two more teeth during the night. Man, they have been a looooong time coming, just sitting there, under his gums, staring at me and laughing in my face. But now they’re finally out. YAY!!

Again, as you can see, not exactly the ones that should be expected, but 3 teeth are more than no teeth, no matter which order they come out in

I’m hoping this was the reason for the terrible sleep these last two nights. I really can not do this lack of sleep thing anymore. But, it has to be added that the three nights before the last two, were marvelous nights. The little Boo slept right through the night. I’m hoping he returns to that. *I didn’t say anything before for fear of jinxing the whole thing, so just in case, touch wood*

xoxo

One would think that children get less cute as they grow older, or that you get used to the cuteness, but you don’t. Sometimes it just smacks you between the eyes and you think Awwwwww….

This morning in the car:
A1: ‘Mommy, Micaela says I’m cuter than Josh.’
Me: ‘Aww, but she is SO right, I also think you’re the cutest in the world!’
A1: ‘Mommy, Micaela is in aftercare. Say Af-’
Me: ‘Af’
A1: ‘-ter-’
Me: ‘ter’
A1: ‘-care.’
Me: ‘care.’
A1: ‘Aftercare. Well done Mommy!’

He is teaching me to say all different kinds of words using this method. I’m becoming rather clever now

They also did numbers at school yesterday:

And some colouring:

School is really bringing out the best in him.

xoxo

My budding artist has done a self portrait.

I love how his drawings are evolving from the ones he did just a few months ago.

xoxo

Sometimes I wonder if the projects I attempt/acquire for The A-Team isn’t just an excuse for *me* to be kid-like again and do all the cool things that would normally be frowned upon if you did/had them as an adult with no kids at all…

Take our recent acquisition of Silkworms. Now, I say I wanted to get the boys, A1 particularly, silkworms to teach him about the cycle of life and how to care for something etc. and to show him how cool it is when they spin cocoons and shapes, like when we were kids. But the thing is, *I* want a spun heart shape, for me, for NOW. Now when I actually get how cool it REALLY is! I don’t think that as a kid, you truly understand the awesomeness of what is happening. Sure, A1 is really liking the worm-experience, holding them and stroking them and even A2 doesn’t want to be left out. I just have to be very careful of him squishing the worms, so he doesn’t get to play with them often, usually with my supervision only. The only other thing I can’t wait for A1 to do with the worms, is once they’re big, have him put one on his tongue so I can take photos of him. I’m sure as hell not going to do that trick though Just hope he doesn’t swallow it by accident…

Another thing the boys did recently was have a Glowstick bath! I tried capturing our own photos, but either I have crappy cameras, or our glowsticks weren’t bright enough so the photos didn’t come out so well. Initially I pinned the idea from another mommy blog, so I’m just going to use one of her photos here as an example.

This was one of the best baths I have EVER had!! I’m pretty sure the boys enjoyed it too! Pfft, who needs candlelight when you have GLOWSTICKS?!?!

Which brings me to my next brainfart:

A Carnivorous Plant Garden It feels like such a cool thing for a Boy-Mama. Pretty flowers are for girls. Screw the frills, we need meat-eaters!

My initial plan was very grandiose, in which I would transform our entire outside garden into a massive bed of insect-eaters, but then I started fearing for my dogs. Not so much that they’d eat the plants, but that the plants might eat them So I’ve decided to scale it down and create a terrarium instead. Terrariums are very easy to build, and I would be better able to control the climate and humidity for the plants. And a terrarium is transportable. I’m thinking long-term here, for in case we move one day.

When I was in high-school, I built a Vivarium for a biology project. If I remember correctly, I’ve actually done it twice. Primary school I did snails (MAN, do those things breed) and high school I used froggies. Both were very successful projects, and essentially you need to put in plants any way for the whole eco-system to survive. I’ll just do it this time minus the animals.

Probably the most famous of all insect eating plants is the Venus Flytrap. But you get SO many more varieties, all capturing insects in various ways.

Fortunately, we have an abandoned fish tank in the garage (or under the kitchen sink), so I can definitely use that. Now just to get me some seeds to plant! I think the boys are going to LOVE this!!

Have yourselves an amazing day now!!

xoxo