My sugar rush
I am not a self confessed gamer I’m more of a dabbler. Occasionally I find games that are fun, laid back and usually colourful. So while my kids are totally taken up with Temple Run I have not managed to get the knack of the game mainly because I can’t take the fast pace and I’m afraid of heights so running from beasts on a rocky bridge is just not for me.
Candy crush to the rescue! I downloaded the game and it’s draining the life out of me. Generally I’m not an addictive gamer but this game has a bit too much of my attention. When I sit back and think about the absurdity and this is usually while I’m waiting for another life because I refuse to buy more lives. Though I must admit every time I’m locked out of the game my resistance wears down. Somebody stop me please I’m being held hostage by an online game.
My life was so much easier while Ninja Fruit was an occasional companion. I’m optimistic that the novelty will wear off like all the other games before and I can go back to being a non gaming mom. I’m worried now that this could escalate and I end up finding myself waiting for the next big thing. Of course it would have to have beautiful colours of the rainbow with occasional bursts of colourful flavour like a sugar candy rush!
Heroes and villains
This year marked the 50th anniversary of the amazing spy that is James Bond. I cannot say that I’ve watched them all but I’ve certainly seen enough to know how Mr. Bond operates. Fast girls, beautiful cars, amazing gadgets, the iconic theme song and his martini which is shaken and not stirred of course!
Yesterday saw the latest Bond adventure Skyfall unveiled at the movies (my South African friends have a bit of a wait though!). I wasn’t one of the masses who flocked to see it on opening day but I was interested to hear the general consensus even though I’ll still make up my mind after I eventually get to watch the world-famous spy 007 achieve the impossible in the least amount of time. What a hero!
The first article I read was a complaint made about product placement. It seems James no longer drinks martini and has become a lager man. Really? People actually took the time to complain and that I find admirable because I’m not sure that I would’ve noticed. Honestly speaking Daniel Craig just looks like more of a lager man than say perhaps Sean Connery.
Come on ‘Bondsters’ surely some things are going to change after 50 years. Bond movies have evolved since telegrams and other now prehistoric gadgets. Who knows our next Bond may like his water bottled not poured. I’ve no doubt that this film will be true to the basic plot and in the end Bond triumphs as he always does.
Personally I cannot wait to see the sequence to this instalment of the theme song because that is my Bond highlight. Adele has not disappointed and the song reminds me of Dame Shirley Bassey’s rendition of Diamonds are forever. Spectacular!
Fear factor
Whenever I think of Disney movies I think of adventure, action, romance and achieving the impossible. Fear is not an emotion I expected my young children to be gripped by when I took them to watch Brave, the latest instalment from Disney. I realise that the movie was rated PG but I didn’t expect to shield them from scenes which were more terrorising than entertaining. I must admit it was not the relaxing morning I had in mind.
I’m not much of a movie goer and would rather wait for the action to come to me. So my trip to the cinema this morning was more of a motherly duty because the kids always seem to place a little more value on a trip to the cinema with the obligatory purchase of overpriced treats which cost way more than the movie itself. Armed with what seemed like a giant fizzy drink and a truckload of popcorn they were certainly clueless about the absolute fear that would ruin what would’ve been a magical experience.
Walking out of that building and hearing my girls describe the movie as scary was not a good feeling. I felt like I’d made a poor choice. It seems that I’ll have to do some research in the future instead of the screen giants deciding on an appropriate age restriction. Personally I would’ve placed it at PG 10 and that of course is my personal opinion. After all fear and fun should never be confused!
Picking up the pieces
Just in case you don’t know this by now I am a documentary fan. I particularly enjoy the ones that tell stories of courage and achieving against all odds!
Last night I watched an account of a young girl who sustained 90% burns after the room she was sleeping in went up in flames when her mother left a cigarette burning a hole on the bedside table. Terri was just 22 months old at the time of the incident. Having worked in a hospital I’ve seen some horrendous burns and you feel quite helpless when you hear the moans and groans of pain and discomfort.
It was against all odds that Terri who is now 15 years old fought just to survive. Her mother couldn’t handle the guilt of what had happened to her precious little daughter and parted ways with her family. Fortunately for Terri she had a dad who was willing to do all he could to give her the best life possible. He left his job to be with her every step of the way. The bond they share is just so amazing and his daughter can’t stop heaping praise on him.
Ironically we’ve just had fathers day and I read many negative statements about dads who just go on their way without any concern for the welfare of their children. We seem to forget there are also single fathers raising their kids and doing an exceptional job. Fathers like Terri’s dad who take on a nurturing role and excel against the odds.
Under the sea
At the start of half term I got my girls a Disney sing along cd. Again it was one of those scenarios where after hearing it for ten days straight in the car I was starting to regret the purchase. Having said that I just don’t tire of hearing the romantic rhymes and tales of dreams coming true!
I love listening to my little princesses singing along and I’m filled with hope for the future knowing that whatever path they choose it can become a reality. Dreams do come true. My job is to create an environment where dreams are born and nurtured until they become a reality.
We got no troubles
Life is the bubbles
Under sea!
My heart belongs to you!
Last night I decided to treat myself to a late night movie. While scrolling through my options my only requirements were short movies and no rom coms. I decided on a gridiron drama. Somehow I missed the moving drama part and it wasn’t long before I was in complete meltdown. It has been for quite some time now that I’ve realised that I’m turning into my mother who absolutely throws herself into these gut wrenching movies. I do suspect that it has something to do with being a mother myself.
The movie is based on a true story. After the untimely death of their 15-year-old son following a car crash a couple are faced with the choice of giving up his organs. I imagine they took more than five minutes portrayed in the movie to make that decision. I kept thinking how brave they were to make such a rather difficult decision.
Recently my husband and I had to exchange our South African drivers licence for a British version and when his documents arrived I noticed that he’d signed up to be an organ donor and I was horrified.
While I know we will have no need for our organs in the grave I would like the chance to at least choose the recipient and know my valuable parts are not wasted on an undeserving person. I know that everybody should have the chance for the best life possible. If every person willingly donated organs perhaps there’d be fewer victims being trafficked for their organs particularly kidneys. This injustice is being experienced across the world.
I have met and know of individuals who’ve donated and have been recipients of organ donations. I have no doubt that donating organs makes a huge difference not just to the recipient but to their families as well. After watching the movie and seeing how one families selfless act helped give five people a fighting chance I must admit I’ve been challenged about the possibility of being that difference.
Who knows my heart might actually belong to you?
The magic of disney
‘All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.’ Walt Disney
Seems like a simple enough saying but in reality the road to fulfilling our dreams is paved with adversity. Those obstacles do come in many forms and shapes and the challenge is to keep your eye on the prize.
My challenge as a mother is to teach my daughters the importance of setting goals and being prepared for setbacks. Being a princess is a lot more complex than living in a castle.
After watching the Disney on ice show and following the various challenges of the princesses my only criticism is that all of their ambitions seemed to involve being rescued by a man. I’m no feminist but the idea that a man will be the answer to all your problems is a step too far. I have a prince of my own and we’ve had to evolve together to achieve our dreams.
The future is bright for all who work towards their dreams no matter how impossible it seems to those looking in on your adventure.
Music to my ears
The next best thing to a good movie/television series is an even better soundtrack! I just love a super soundtrack. My favourites are:
1. Notting hill
2. Dirty dancing
3. Ally McBeal
4. High school musical
5. Waiting to exhale
6. The Sound of music
7. The wedding singer
8. Grease
Of course there are movies with brilliant songs but these are some of the soundtracks that I own. Admittedly I own a copy of the Chipmunks and Camp rock but that’s because my six-year-old persuaded me to buy them. Quite honestly those chipmunks and chipettes are most annoying. Just one of the sacrifices I’ve made as a mother. I love music and appreciate it even more if it’s teamed with an awesome movie!
Circle of life
Today we took our daughters to the movies to see The Lion King. It is one of my favourite movies and I hoped that they’d be captivated if not by the storyline then at least by the soundtrack. Sadly they were not as impressed as I thought they would be. Nevertheless I enjoyed it even though I’ve seen it several times including a show at the West End.
I like to think of Simba as a metaphor of life. Being born is the most miraculous event and having your whole life ahead of you is amazing. The promise of a fruitful future is enough to keep you intrigued. Sadly for Simba there are people in his life who don’t want him to reach his potential and are constantly working on evil schemes to see him fail. He eventually runs away and finds himself far removed from his bright future. Nala who has always believed in him finds him and he returns to claim what was rightfully his. My favourite characters are by far Timon and Pumba, they remind me of the kind of people you meet and just accept you at face value. I love not having to prove my worth when I meet people and it makes it even better when they turn out to be the people who help you to reach your full potential. That is the circle of life!
Show me the funny
So glad the weekend has rolled in. While I adore being a mother there are days I wish I could send my girls on an extended holiday to their grandparents. Of course that will never happen I’d miss them far too much.
We have now reached the point in our home where all of my children want to mark their territory. This means that the noise level has trebled in my house. Having had children a little later in life I sometimes feel that my age makes me a little grumpy. The truth is I’m not sure that anybody likes to feel like they’ve woken up in a war zone.
This morning was typically a war zone. I knew it was going to be a frantic Friday when I started the morning with complaints about breakfast, uniforms and lunch boxes. Oh man I hate feeling out of control and playing catch up. When we finally left for the school run there were many threats and consequences laid out. I hate it when I blurt out consequences because I cannot go back on my word-ever! My poor kids left for school knowing their regular Friday movie slot had been erased.
I had the whole day to find my happy place but for some reason I just carried around this crazy morning feeling. My solution was a double bill of “Everybody loves Raymond” It never fails to deliver. Glad to have reached the end of the day. Bring on my Super Saturday!
the fame factor
Music is a very integral part of my life. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t entertain my 3 young fans. Does that mean I’m gonna drag myself to the nearest reality show? Definitely not!
Tonight I watched a music special with Will Young the first Idols winner-he took the crown over ten years ago. Since his win the British have begun their search for the X factor. While I do find it rather entertaining to watch I often wonder if the concept of hard work no longer exists in this era of instant stardom.
Is there really anything new out there? If we look and listen closer we will find it is just a reproduction of sounds we will find quite familiar. I’m certainly surprised by the lack of innovation. Perhaps the music industry is so flooded with passing fads that the incidence for monotonous sounds and lyrics are inevitable.
A typical example to me is the much talked about Adele. For everything that happens to be said about her voice it is precisely what you’ll hear being said about Amy Winehouse. The common denominator is the fact that they attended the same music school!
In the 80s we had Madonna and she sure pushed the barriers of the time. These days we have the likes of Lady Gaga and she is attempting to throw the barriers away.
The fame factor seems to have taken on a life form of its own. More people dream of being a star without doing any of the hard work! How can you value something you haven’t worked for?
Game of chance
Occasionally I watch these game shows on telly like” the cube” and “deal or no deal”. My girls know me quite well as far as these shows go. I’m always urging contestants to take the prize and to stop being greedy.
It’s always so weird how people come onto these shows and say what amount of cash they’ll be willing to walk away with. When they reach that target they become unsatisfied and just want more. More than they know what to do with!
Then there’s another group of people who seem to place their future as a reason for playing the game. Weddings, education and care of a sick relative makes it really hard for me to watch. Luck and chance are not two things that should determine the direction of your life.
While I know this show is meant to be sheer entertainment I’m often left feeling sorry for way too many contestants. I often wonder how I would fare on such a show. Then again I’m not a gambling girl!
Movie magic 2
Today I took my three young daughters to watch a movie which was rated PG. It was totally inappropriate for them. If it wasn’t for the talking animals it would’ve been a complete waste.
Sadly this is something I find with most animated movies. They appear to be child friendly and I seem to get fooled every time with the animation aspect. They always end up being filled with slapstick humour and innuendoes.
My girls have varied taste in movies. Any dog movie will impress my six year-old, princess movies for my four year-old and repetitive singing for my two year-old. So it’s really quite hard to please them all. However when I make the effort to take them to the cinema I expect them to show some interest. Unfortunately it always seems to be about the snacks with my children!
Perhaps I should stop seeing a trip to the cinema as having the sole function of watching a movie. The fact that they enjoy the overall movie experience should satisfy me.
Role model or lost soul
I’ve read several articles following the death of Amy Winehouse. I can’t help but feel absolute pity for her. Her life proves that money can buy many things but not contentment.
It seems her childhood dream was to be a famous performer. She got the dream and sadly a whole lot of baggage as well.
Many tributes from very famous people have been publicised via many social network sites. That in itself I find really shallow but I guess it’s the world we now live in. The common thread was the fact that she had absolutely no self control and was a deeply troubled soul.
Sadly her life ended in the most traumatic way…famous and alone! I read a tribute which said” hope you find the peace you hoped for in life in death”
Death the leveler!
Movie magic
Now I have never been one to run to the cinemas to watch the latest releases. However, since arriving in England my husband and I are in a race to own as many movies as we possibly can.Of course the main reason is that they are so ridiculously cheap. We have absolutely fallen in love with French movies and are quite shocked to see how many Hollywood movies are rip offs of these amazing movies.
Now having three young princesses means we normally get to watch their movies over and over again. Trust me there is no happy medium with them.It’s their way or nothing at all. The sacrifices of parents really extend to every portal of our children’s lives.
So on the very rare occasion when I get to watch movies.I absolutely love drama and epic movies.What an awesome talent these film makers possess. It sure does keep me well entertained!
Long lost family
I’ve been watching a British documentary…I’m a documentary junkie! This one really moves me to tears when I see how families are reunited after facing very difficult times emotionally. Sometimes I think it’s a bit infantile of me to expect that all families live in harmony.
My heart goes out to people who are living apart from their families for many different reasons. I’m so grateful for the strong family bond that I enjoy.If you are fortunate enough to be loved in this awesome way then you know that it is the most comforting feeling. If however you are separated from the ones you should love unconditionally make every effort to make peace with them.Family is the most amazing gift, love them.
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