Sunday Afternoon Syndrome!

We are in the middle of a long weekend, so Sunday afternoon does not feel so bad this week. I ALWAYS suffer from Sunday Afternoon Syndrome. I feel happy and excited on Sunday Morn..... and love Church but..... I get home, and as the Sunday progresses I start to feel a little depressed! I know it stems from childhood and teenage memories...... so basically I know I need to mature and move on! It just ain't that easy! The past three Sunday afternoon's I have baked myself into oblivion! You see I am trying to get my mind off negative things , and am trying to change my mind set and create happy memories of Sunday in my mind. I can't say I have had a major revelation ...... yet.....but I am holding out and believing that new actions will create new patterns in the mind which will fill the heart with peace!!!!!
Have any ideas or opinions blogger friends? I welcome advice!
love Fifi

I Choose .......Mischievious!

I have just paid a visit to my dear blogging friend Trina of I Work from Son up to Son down. She inspired this entry!!!! Thanks Trina I needed it today!

My dear TanziPanzi makes alot of noise...... all of the time! Yeh........a little like her mom, who never stops singing,talking or making some arbitrary noise most of the day!
So...... if I hear nothing from TanziPanzi's quarter, I go into panic mode. I have good reason to! I normally scream, "Where's Tanna?" "What ya doing girlie?" If she does not respond, my scream becomes a shrill cry!!!
Ever since she could walk, she has enjoyed getting into mischief!

She has......

• poured a whole nail varnish on my bedroom floor
• eaten bags of cat food
• thrown Oros ( cooldrink) all over the family lounge. We have stains on the walls...... she is inspired by Jackson Pollack it seems!
• Poo-peed in her room and used *it* as face cream!(twice!)
• cleaned the toilet with her toothbrush
• Drawn on every wall
• ...... the list goes on!

When she was just 16 months she emptied a full baby powder in her room! Here's the proof.....

Life without her would be extremely mundane! We love you Nu!

love Fifi

Gibbon's Government set up!

Since January we have been learning about American History. We have just finished 'The Convention', the setting up of the Federation and the writing of the Constitution.

On Monday, the boys had to do an oral on one of the men at the constitution. This was a first for CoolDude, and he did it with confidence and excellence! (Mamma's so proud of you precious boy!)
Today, I asked them to pretend that they were delegates at the Gibbons Funschool Convention. Their task(together) was to write a "Classroom Constitution" and a "Classroom Bill of Rights".
This is what they declared..........

OUR CLASSROOM CONSTITUTION

"We the students of Gibbons Funschool hereby say that laws shall be made by Mother. We the children can vote on a law and present it to Mother. If she likes it, she can sign it and it becomes a rule. If not, she can veto it. But if the children vote on it again, and more than two thirds agree, it will become a law without Mother's approval. (Apparently, she vetoed this line!)"

OUR CLASSROOM BILL OF RIGHTS "We the children of Gibbons Funschool, hereby declare that official school shall only be from 8AM to 1PM. We shall have a break from 10AM to 10:30AM and this time may not be altered. Everyone in the classroom shall be treated with respect and equality. When one person is talking, everyone else shall listen. There will be no interrupting."

We used two great books, so I thought I would give them a mention! (I linked them to Amazon)

That's it!
Love Fifi

Evidence that DEMANDS a verdict!

I have it in my grubby little hands..... well to be honest it's in my photo album on my computer! Yip, evidence that could bring my sons DOWN - Literally and figuratively!
Read on.............. I had NO idea that my darling, always obedient sons(!), had created a new sport called "Roof hopping!" They're so proud of their feat, that they even take pics while on the hop!!

I came across these pics when my son downloaded his cellphone images to the home server !

THE VERDICT :- You're grounded!!!!!! in more ways than one!

Love Fifi

10 tons............ UNBELIEVABLE!

For Geography this morning the boys and I watched An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. My Dad has been urging me to see DVD, and I am so glad I eventually did! It went straight over CoolDude's head, but WizzKid(being 3 years older), thoroughly enjoyed it.
Afterwards I went online and did a test that calculates your personal impact on global warming. The test measures how much CO2 your family contributes ,yearly,to the atmosphere. Ours is sitting at 10 tons! Go test your family!
Love Fifi

Headlines Please!

When I start to go into a long explanation of something or some event Hubby will say to me....... "HEADLINES PLEASE!!" You see I am a woman of too much detail and he is a man of no detail at all! It amazes me that after a 30 minute telephone conversation with his sister , he will tell me that they spoke about nothing! Huh.........!

Why do I tell you this? Well, I thought I would give you our latest family news in headlines!

GIRL'S PLAYHOUSE BECOMES OUTHOUSE!
Yes, TanziPanzi runs outside and 'jettisons the cargo' in her lovely playhouse. We are trying to break the habit!



BOY DREAMS OF CELLPHONE!
My cell phone obsessed CoolDude is upset that Hubby has a much better phone them him! I mean really?Attitude correction was needed.
CATFOOD LOVER CAUGHT!
For the umpteenth time, I found TanziPanzi infront of the TV with catbowl on lap and mouth full of catfood. Double gross! She's been at it since she was 8 months old!



FLYING OBJECTS CAUSE BANNING OF PSP'S!
Whilst out of the schoolroom, my two boys decided to launch objects at each other. As I walked in an eraser flew past my nose! As punishment I took their PSP's away and locked them in the safe for two weeks. They were mortified!

Love Fee

My Desk!

Halfmoon Happenings tagged me!
So you want to see what my desk looks like. Well thank goodness my camera is "on the blink"= BROKEN! because my desk is looking rather messy now! So I have posted a photo that was taken in January, just before the start of our school year. Then my desk was neat and ordered....... believe you me it ain't now!!!!
On the up side,......... the bare wall in front of my desk is now full of colourful pics and posters!

Love Fee

Wordless Wednesday "Afternoon out with Daddy-O"

Love Fee

(Tanzipanzi's nickname for Hubby is Daddy-O)

Howzit china want some chow?

With regards to the last post, a couple of friends had not heard of some of the ingredients I used in the cookies. You do use them, but in S.A. they just have different names!!!!!

Icing sugar = Confectionery sugar or powdered sugar
Custard powder = mixture of cornflour,salt and flavourings that you add to boiling milk to make a delicious pudding sauce!

It got me thinking of words that we use in S.Africa, that you may not have heard of.

robots = traffic lights
Boot of the car = the trunk of the car
tackies = sneakers
sweets = candy or biscuits
biltong = jerkey/dried meat
braai = barbeque
howzit = how are you?
kokis = felt tip pens/ markers
now now = declaration of impending action
just now = some time in the future
china = a friend
chow = to eat
slops = thongs/flip flops
g-string p*nty = thong

Now the last two words remind me of a story a visiting pastor from Australia told our church. He had forgot to pack any casual shoes, so he visited a shop on the beach. He casually walked up to a young female assistant and asked " I would like a pair of thongs, size 10". She responded with " What colour does your girlfriend or wife like?" He thought this was a rather strange question to ask, but he obliged and said "Well she likes pink, but they're for me so I would prefer black or blue!" He wondered why the young assistant looked suitably shocked and why they were entering the lingerie section! But in silence she placed a blue g-str*ng in his hands!!!!

Love Fee

I must be coming down with something!!!!

A domestic goddess I am not! I cook, I bake and I clean (when my domestic helper is on leave), because I know it is my duty. But this Sunday afternoon, I felt like making cookies. Maybe Hubby is praying I become that domestic goddess!
Admittedly they are probably the simplest cookies on earth. I also made pink and yellow play dough for TanziPanzi. She was happy and said "You buy it from shop, Mom?" For the first time I could say..... "Nope, it's the real thing sweetie!"

So here is the cookie recipe:-

Custard biscuits.

125 gr Icing Sugar
125 gr custard powder
250 gr flour
259 gr butter ( must be soft, and don't use marg!)
pinch of salt

Method:- Beat icing sugar and butter well - gently fold in the custard powder and then mix in the flour. Roll into walnut sized balls and place on a baking tray. Bake in a moderate oven- 180c- for about 20 minutes or until very pale golden brown and crisp. Tip:- Do not over handle the dough!

Love Fiona

Blog Nomination speech!

Tongue in cheek, for sure........ you can only imagine what the acceptance speech might sound like!!!
Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share PhotosSo do you still want to vote for me ...... ?????love Fee

Sights and Sounds of Sandton

I was born in Durban, married in Durban, and gave birth to 2 sons in Durban. In 1999 Hubby and I relocated to Johannesburg. The largest, fastest and richest city in Africa. Our friends thought we were crazy. At the time I was so eager for a change of scenery that anywhere would have appealed to me!
Johannesburg is situated inland, about 5 hours from the coast and is home to 3 million people.
In this city you have to be on your toes, marketable, and willing to work hard. One thing you need to know about most of us South Africans is that we are not scared of hard work, in fact we often try to over-achieve!! It's in our nature to fight and survive!!!!!
Johannesburg is very flat and dry.To be honest..... we're not here for it's natural beauty!! BUT..... the weather is amazing!No humidity at all! In the winter it gets very cold, but we never have snow!
All that said,...... I thought I would show you pics of the suburb I live in........... Sandton.
Below:- Are pics of the CBD of Sandton

Below:- If you were to visit me, you would have to drive through a "boom". Before getting access to go in you would have to give your name and car registration no.

Below:- Taxis are everywhere. The majority of our population use this type of transport!Vendors can be found along many of our busy roads and at every robot(traffic light)!. They sell almost everything! In fact South Africa must be the only country where you can do your monthly shopping at the traffic light!!!!!

Below:-On entering our property you will notice that we have an electric fence on top of our boundary wall. Infra red beams line the perimeter of our property, and inside the house we have an alarm!!! We are not paranoid, these are necessities!

Below:- The Montecasino is within walking distance from our home.(Although we do not walk on our streets..... it's not safe!) We love coming here to catch the latest movie and eat at my favourite restaurant... "Kai Tai".(Thai food)
The architecture is beautiful.... you really feel like you are in an old Tuscan village.

The Montecasino Bird Park is TanziPanzi's favourite place!

Well I could go on forever but I do hope you enjoyed a taste of my neighbourhood!

Love Fee

Wordless Wednesday- Bath Fun!

Chop leads to crop!

It was bound to happen sometime! I did it, my mother did it, and now the third generation of females in our family has done it. Which girl hasn't done it?

Look at the pics of my dearest TanziPanzi and guess what "IT" might be!

Yip, she chopped off one side of her hair so badly, that I had to crop it quite short. I was SO angry(oops!) when I caught her under the bed with locks strewn around her. I screamed(yeh, I sometimes do!), "That's it I'm chopping it all off!" She responded with " I'm girl, I want long hair". After adminestering the rod of correction to the seat of understanding, I did the necessary tidy up of her hair.

I think I quite like her funky new haircut! Hubby was not impressed.... as he's a "long hair" man. I cut my hair once to shoulder length, and he got quite upset! But TanziPanzi's got many more years of hair growth before her!!!!

(a tad on the blurred side ....sorry!)

Breath ....two ..three ....four.....Breath .....two ....three.....four.

Love Fee

I'm a nominee!!!!!!

Yipeee dippee dooooo........................

Well the voting began today............. and I am so excited that I have been nominated for 2 Homeschoolblog Awards! So if you feel I deserve a vote for BEST ENCOURAGER and/or BEST GEOGRAPHICAL BLOG please vote so!

Love Fiffi

New news!!!

Just to let you know that I have added 2 new branches to the GIBBONS FUNSCHOOL blog.
Namely..... Gibbons Creativity and Gibbons Home Makeover.
So go and have a look!
love Fiffi

Good Friday

Easter at home!

Unlike most Easters, we will be staying at home! ......and I am looking forward to it! Do not get me wrong, I LOVE spending time with family,but this Easter I just need to chill and in a way "catch my breath!" So many changes are about to take place and I have been feeling a little unsure(maybe insecure)!!

I need to tell you a funny moment.....but before I do I need to give you the back ground! TanziPanzi LOVES pink, and daily reminds us that "pink is for girls and blue is for boys!"
Well .... yesterday I was playing dollies with TanziPanzi and I said " Look, the dolly has blue eyes just like you!" She responds with "No way!.... I never have blue eyes ,I not a boy, you joking Mom!?" I took her to the mirror and showed her her beautiful big blue eyes. She said.."That weird mom, I don't like this, I want pink eyes!

May you all remember Good Friday, and the sacrifice that was paid for us.
Love Fiffi

Wordless Wednesday....well almost!

(I have come across a lot of Blog Mammas showing off their preggie tummys, so I wanted to do my bit!) This was 2,5 years ago. My TanziPanzi was enjoying her Mamma's swimming pool! I have always been incredibly proud of my preggie tummies!

Love Fiffi

Please pray!

Please pray for us Gibbons Clan. Hubby has been diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome. The last 2 months have been a little scary for him and I. Today he was told that he is in Stage 4 of kidney failure. It is all so new to us and we are having to re-assess our situation and possibly make a few lifestyle changes. I will keep you posted as we find out more, but in the meantime prayer would be very much apreciated.
Love Fee

I Have Life!

I have just finished a brilliant book called "I have life". It is the true story of a South African girl who defies death and refuses to let her attackers/rapists take her life. Chapters in the book are retold by herself, doctors who attended to her, her born again parents, and the man who found her at the side of the road. The book is very graphic and extremely disturbing in parts. I suppose it's hard to believe their can be such evil in the world!
Still want to read it?........... No seriously, it was an uplifting book on the whole. It touches on the power of prayer and prophecy, and the triumph of the human spirit.

I cried and cried as I read of her incredible strength and her parents strong faith and belief in the power of the Word of God!

Go get it!

Love Fee

Swimming Championships.

I am so excited I have been nominated for 2 homeschooling blog awards. Have a look..... your names might be here too!
Some swimming news........................................

My camera is "ka-poot"........ this is a South African slang word for broken! So, I took the liberty of posting a couple of pics from a recent gala.

We have been away for 6 days. My eldest, WizzKid, made the National Swimming Championships. So we took him down to my home town, Durban, to compete. It was the first time he had qualified for the Nationals, and he did so well! He took 9 seconds off his 100m Backstroke, and 16 seconds off his 200m Freestyle. Yahoo - we are so proud of you son!

Love Fiona