Crafting with mommy…buti-eyes (butterflies)

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I thought I’d include Aidan in some of my crafting, like we did LAST WEEK this week we made butterflies (buti-eyes). I know people see it as the more girly of the bug world but Aidan loves them and tries to catch them in the yard (heaven forbid he actually catches one) noting his fascination I told him we could make one, this is what I came up with – note that the stick makes it possible to wave the butterfly so it looks like it’s flying…

First step was to get Aidan to paint pictures for me – A black and blue butterfly you say
… You need a stick (we have a ton of chopsticks laying around)
Fold paper, draw wing, cut out
Use sticky tape to stick the stick and pipe cleaner (not in last picture because I only thought of it afterwards) to back of butterfly
Loving the butterfly to distruction
Flying Flying
Not bad 🙂

What did you do this weekend?

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My weekend is technically still going – I have today off because I worked last Sunday…up till now though…
– Rob and I attended a wedding together and confirmed we are not the type of couple to dress matching – it works for some, us not so much
– I decided the two strand twist out is my go to hair style…. It involves twisting my hair into braids and letting it dry into defined curls
– Aidan had a play date with Kirsten or “cousin kirsty” like he insists on calling her
– Aidan has added to list of fruit he eats…any eating is cause for celebration around these parts
– my beautiful friend shafeeka got married to aashiq it was such a beautiful wedding – the end of an islamic wedding where bride is given to her new family ALWAYS makes me cry, ALWAYS

Foodie Friday…cocoa peanut butter popcorn

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So I have two Rob’s in my life Robin my husband and Robyn my maid of honour…. so I’m better than batman (they don’t think I’m funny either) You have heard a lot about them over the years.
Robyn (girl Robyn – how my little cousin refers to her) is on yet another health kick (she never isn’t on one – probably why she can wear anything…) We both struggle with the sweet tooth situation 🙁 so she is with me on the search for sweets that don’t make you gain weight. She has agreed to share some of her healthy snacks on the blog so yeah!!! here is the first 🙂

cocoa peanut butter popcorn 
(for mine I substitute the peanut butter with the sugar free variety)

Robyn insists that it’s not soggy but it’s delicious
You need: popcorn, tablespoon peanut butter and teaspoon cocoa
Air pop about three cups of popcorn
melt the peanut butter….
mix peanut butter with popcorn and sprinkle cocoa 🙂

I did the calculations using my friend MYFITNESSPAL and it’s low cal and low sugar, yeah us!!

A step into Chev’s life

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It’s that time of the week again, when I step back, become a little less self involved and chat to people who inspire me 🙂

Today I feature blogger Chevone Petersen, who has my mother’s maiden name and lives in Cape Town where my mom grew up, but is not related to me (I don’t think-that curly hair is suspect though, hehe) 
The first time I read her blog Chevs Life I decided it wasn’t for me, she was making me feel to bad, I mean she’s a single working mom to a hearing impaired child and founded Decibles of love, a project reaching out to parents raising hearing impaired children oh AND she surfs. I’m not about having myself feel inadequate, hehe. BUT she is so relate-able and funny and knowledgeable that you can’t help but get drawn in…here is what she has to say




-Tell us a little about your family…
My family constantly challenge my sanity! Think it may be because we are such a small family! I’m a single parent of a 7 year old, I have one brother and both my parents live with us.

-What do you do when not blogging?

I don’t blog often. I work full time and try to learn to surf in between work. I spend a lot of time with my son and do some volunteer work in between.

I tend to write most of my post on my phone’s notepad on a Saturday morning or while waiting for a train/sitting on the beach.

-What made you decide to blog?

I enjoy writing. After creating a web page last year a dear friend of mine encouraged me to blog and, well like they say, the rest is history!

-What was your concept behind the blog?

It’s my space, my thoughts, my experiences. I don’t get to spend much time with friends and blogging is my way of communicating with the world and putting my thoughts out there.

Some of my blogs are about experiences and feelings that I don’t ever want to forget, especially the ones about my son.

– Where does blog name come from?

Uhm, me, ChevsLife – me sharing bits and pieces of who I am and what my life is about. Pretty boring at times lol!

-Did you find yourself nervous at prospect of letting people into your life in this way?

Nope, I’m in control of what I want to share.

-Do you ever worry that your child will be like “mom why are you exposing my life?” 
I read all my blog posts to my son, anything that he’s not okay with I don’t publish/delete. The only posts that I’ve not read to him is Mid-Week Meltdown, Hearing Loss Rollercoaster and Parenting is a Breeze, Right. I’ll read these to him when he is a bit older, before he can access it on his own.  He knows why I blog and sometimes he gets bored with listening to me reading blog posts to him, other times he ask questions. It is a wonderful way to expose him to language, life and some of my thoughts.

-Does your family read your blog?
My parents have read some of my blog posts, but they not really online people. Sometimes I’ll read a blog to them, especially if it is about them and usually before I publish. My brother’s read some of my blogs, but again, not an online person. He read the Ugly Face of Drug Addiction before I published it as well.

-What do you hope to achieve through the blog?

A platform where I hope others can relate and say “I’m not alone”, “anything is possible”, a blog that allows people to look beyond what they see…


-What do you think makes for a “good blog”

Authenticity and the ability to convey a story that draws the reader back for more.

-How do you personally measure success in the blogging world

I don’t. I blog because I love to write and need to share some of what is going on in my head before it explodes 😀 (AGREED)

Aidan’s guest crafting post…

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Anyone who has ever come across my blog will know that I LOVE to make things…it’s my thing 🙂
But usually my making things has to have two important factors:
1. It has to be quick,easy and relatively mess free (I do not have time, people) and
2. It has to be functional (Not using my limited time to make something I can’t use)

kidscraft

Aidan has shown a lot of interest in the arty crafty side of things and wants to make and cut and paint, I now find myself having to make things just for the sake of making things, and making a mess while we are at it (This is NOT how I operate) he wants to paint and crumble the painting into the bin (could have so used that as wrapping paper, child) he wants to create and discard of his masterpieces (yes he is not two yet what do I expect)

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My son VS The Eng language

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At 22 months Aidan’s vocab is picking up nicely, I don’t know whats “normal” for his age, he might be needing to recite sonnets by now, but I’m happy with “Sing, stars sky high,mama” (Twinkle little star)  We had a fun little convo yesterday.

I had just changed him and he was sitting of changing table, I wanted to pick him up when…
HIM: No go away
ME: Then what are you to do?
HIM: Get down
ME: How
HIM: I Jump

ME: You wish
He seems to be picking up proper pronunciation now so I thought I’d share some of the words he is still abusing , cause it’s funny

Not to be confused with …