Switched off!

It's a whole nother post but Vodacom blocked my phone last week and when I mean another post I mean a good lengthy rant about how crappy they are but moving on for now. I was switched off, it was like having my arm cut off at first, I even cried people, literally cried and feared how I was going to make it through without my phone.

My phone is attached to my right hand, I am always on it, always updating social media, blogging off it, instagram, Facebook, Twitter, stupid games that give me nothing to my life. When I got home I would literally go to my room, ignore my family and mess around on my phone till bedtime. I claimed it was my relaxing time, my me time, my down time in reality I see know it was me escaping, hiding and ignoring my family, my kid, my partner.

So this past weekend I have no pictures for you, I had know step by step updates, no instagrams and no check ins but you know what I did have, I had an amazing weekend with my little boy.

On Friday night I didn't just put on a movie for him and do my own thing, I actually cuddled with him on the couch and watched the movies with him.

On Saturday we played cars, and super hero's and gun wars and played with the ball in the garden. We went shopping and got him some bubbles and an air gun and played in my parents yard for hours. I watched his smile instead of photographing it, I heard his laugh instead of Facebooking the moment.

On Sunday I took Aiden to the park and then got over my fat put on a costume and swam with him all day long and we had the best time, he was so happy and I was so happy.

I woke up this morning feeling different, energized, like I really had a good weekend, I felt rested and looking forward to the week ahead which is so different to my usual Monday morning blues.

I was forced to switch off and this morning when they switched me back on, I deleted all my silly games, looked at all the little red notifiers and ignored them till I got to work.

I won't give up Social media but I will limit myself and spend more time focusing on my family and the people around me. I will pull out my camera and take good quality pics of my boy, I won't check whats happening in other peoples life's instead I will live mine.

Memories is what makes life rich

Endless battles with feeding my kid

The blog world this week has lit up with how to feed your kid and what is healthy and what is not healthy and how bad kids menu's are at resturants.

Now I agree with some of it and disagree with some of it.

I agree we should teach our kids from young what is healthy and what is not, I don't agree with being an insane mom who smothers her child with cucumber and the latest trend of what is acceptable eating.

Spur for example is fun and their food is fun, I take my child to Spur for fun, I don't go to Spur and eat salad, I eat buffalo wings and chips with blue cheese sauce and I enjoy it, not daily or weekly but as a now and again treat, if they took mac n cheese off the kiddies menu my kid would literally not eat!

Now my kid is a picky eater and as I was raised I do not force feed him anything, if he isn't hungry he doesn't have to eat and if he doesn't like what is made he can choose an option that is easily prepared or what I buy in advance, like Woolies kiddies mac n cheese (Aidens version is awesome noodles), shop bought muffins, bovril toast, yogurt, porraige or fish fingers.

He doesn't like veg.

He doesn't like meat.

He doesn't like rice or potatoes.

I don't like most veg, I don't like my food touching or stews and soups. I don't like cottage pie and I hate salad. I don't eat it but I still eat a healthy diet.

Fair enough my kid isn't eating a balanced diet but he isn't malnourished or some crazy zombie child. He is a kid. I apparently would only eat spaghetti bolognaise as a kid and I am perfectly fine adjusted adult. Yes a tad over weight from pregnancy and being insulin resistant but definitely not from mac n cheese and chicken nuggets as a kid.

For some reason Aiden will eat all food at school, teachers say it's a monkey see, monkey do effect so I know at least 5 days out the week for breakfast, snack and lunch he is getting in all his veggies, protein, fruit and dairy so I am not to phased about the other meals being less than adequate.

Maybe I am a bad parent or a lazy one but I'm not going to make my kid scared of food, of eating or having fun. There should be balance in everything, parenting today has become so structured,  so rigid, so fad related and high strung.

Let kids be kids, hot dogs on white bread and all!

Easter weekend adventures

I remember the days when Easter weekend was all about the party and drinking and hangovers and sleeping all day just to recoop to go to the next party. Now I can hardly drink a few Savanana's and when I think about the amount of alcohol I used to consume I'm shocked I am still alive!

Now My Easter weekends are filled with family, and outings to Rietvlei Farm, picnicing in our backyard, braais and cuddles while watching Disney movies...and I love it.

It was a chilled relaxed weekend and Aiden had some great days, he had his first pony ride, went to a petty zoo, jumping castles, face painting, seeing a plane show and watching soccer live to his very first proper Easter egg hunt. When that boy is happy, I am happy!

Love from Bear

My family are my friends

I've always been close to my family and unlike most people I really enjoy family get togethers, probably why I love Christmas and Easter so much because it forces every one to get together.

My gran is really sick, dying sick, her heart and kidneys are failing from the chemo she had a few years back so our family has been seeing more of each other, amazing how loosing those closest to you brings every one together, sad how we wait so long to reach out to one another.

My aunty and cousins have come out from Scotland to see her, say goodbye and all the sadness that comes with it but also all the happiness and memories of great days with family, days I cherish.

Love from Bear