Monthly Archives: June 2011

Carla and Shaun Tomson

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I attended a talk in the Beaulieu College hall this morning by Carla Tomson.  Carla is the wife of surfing legend Shaun Tomson.  They currently live in California and are in South Africa to promote Shaun’s latest book,  Surfers Code.   I had the pleasure of meeting them both briefly this morning.
Their son Matthew was a grade 10 pupil at the Clifton College in Durban who hanged himself with his school tie in 2006.  He was found by Carla who went to check on him.  Matthew was a very well adjusted teenager with everything to live for and this came as a great shock to his parents and friends.
Carla and Shaun have been through a very traumatic time in their lives and have found some peace in sharing their life experience with others.
I listened intently with tears in my eyes while Carla told us her heart wrenching story this morning.  As the mother of 4 boys, I cannot imagine what it must have been like for Carla to walk in and find her son.  It is every mothers worst nightmare.
I commend Carla for standing up and taking control of her life and telling us her story. 

Teenagers and Exams

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I am sure a large percentage of you have kids in school.  My 2 youngest sons are 14 and 10 and are obviously still at school.

My 10 year old is quite intelligent and is almost anal with his school work.  He is always trying to please his teachers, homework is done on time, gets mostly A’s in tests.  His teachers love him to bits and consider him very mature for his age.   So he is the exception to the rule.

My 14 year old however takes after his 2 older brothers.  He is as lazy as shit.  Does only what is required for his homework.  Has used every excuse under the sun to get out of doing chores. He does okay at school – passes with a C average with doing very little studying.

The last 2 weeks have been no exception – he has been writing exams.  He is currently in Grade 8 (high school), so he gets to go to school to write an exam and then gets to come home after the exam.  Now this may sound like a good idea – they can come home and study in a nice warm environment.  What actually happens though is that he comes home and makes a snack, goes to his room and takes his books out to study.  This is of course the last time his books are touched.

Every time I go into his room to check what he is doing, I find him playing games / watching TV / having a nap or just “chilling”.  Apparently he is taking a break as he has been studying so hard!

We of course go through the usually threats and bribes- study or else I will take your PC away / take your phone away / take your TV out of your room. However, these threats are never realized.  I am just too soft.  He bats his beautiful eyes at me and I crumble!
He gives me a big hug, tells me he loves me and we start the cycle all over again.
Do I wish he came home and studied his ass off – well yes, but a very large portion of me doesn’t want him to be any different – otherwise what excuse would there be to get all the big hugs and kisses from him!

Teenagers and Exams

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I am sure a large percentage of you have kids in school.  My 2 youngest sons are 14 and 10 and are obviously still at school.

My 10 year old is quite intelligent and is almost anal with his school work.  He is always trying to please his teachers, homework is done on time, gets mostly A’s in tests.  His teachers love him to bits and consider him very mature for his age.   So he is the exception to the rule.

My 14 year old however takes after his 2 older brothers.  He is as lazy as shit.  Does only what is required for his homework.  Has used every excuse under the sun to get out of doing chores. He does okay at school – passes with a C average with doing very little studying.

The last 2 weeks have been no exception – he has been writing exams.  He is currently in Grade 8 (high school), so he gets to go to school to write an exam and then gets to come home after the exam.  Now this may sound like a good idea – they can come home and study in a nice warm environment.  What actually happens though is that he comes home and makes a snack, goes to his room and takes his books out to study.  This is of course the last time his books are touched.

Every time I go into his room to check what he is doing, I find him playing games / watching TV / having a nap or just “chilling”.  Apparently he is taking a break as he has been studying so hard!

We of course go through the usually threats and bribes- study or else I will take your PC away / take your phone away / take your TV out of your room. However, these threats are never realized.  I am just too soft.  He bats his beautiful eyes at me and I crumble!
He gives me a big hug, tells me he loves me and we start the cycle all over again.
Do I wish he came home and studied his ass off – well yes, but a very large portion of me doesn’t want him to be any different – otherwise what excuse would there be to get all the big hugs and kisses from him!

Father’s Day

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Trying to decide what to get my husband for fathers day is not an easy task.  He is a gadget freak and must have the latest gadget. Socks and ties won’t do for him.

So I have just bought him the iPad 2 for fathers day (have been using every excuse under the sun not to purchase one before now).  Anyway – this is his 3rd iPad in less than a year.  He started off with the iPad wifi version.  Then he wanted a 3G version and of course he wanted the iPad 2 when that came out. So he has now got the new iPad 2 wifi 3G version.  (Mr Jobs – can you please not bring out a newer version until my bank balance improves!)

And I of course end up getting sloppy seconds – AGAIN.

Anyway – I wish my husband and any other fathers out there a very happy fathers day and I hope you are all spoilt rotten.

Father’s Day

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Trying to decide what to get my husband for fathers day is not an easy task.  He is a gadget freak and must have the latest gadget. Socks and ties won’t do for him.

So I have just bought him the iPad 2 for fathers day (have been using every excuse under the sun not to purchase one before now).  Anyway – this is his 3rd iPad in less than a year.  He started off with the iPad wifi version.  Then he wanted a 3G version and of course he wanted the iPad 2 when that came out. So he has now got the new iPad 2 wifi 3G version.  (Mr Jobs – can you please not bring out a newer version until my bank balance improves!)

And I of course end up getting sloppy seconds – AGAIN.

Anyway – I wish my husband and any other fathers out there a very happy fathers day and I hope you are all spoilt rotten.

Life is just a bowl of cherries

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The reason for the title of my blog is that it pretty much explains what sort of person I am.  I am easy going and easy to please – although this does not make me a pushover. 

The song titled “Life is just a bowl of Cherries” was originally written by George Gershwin.   The lyrics are as follows:

Life is just a bowl of cherries
Don’t take it serious,
Life’s too mysterious
You work,
You save,
You worry so
But you can’t take your dough
When you go, go, go

So keep repeating “It’s the berries.”
The strongest oak must fall
The sweet things in life
To you were just loaned
So how can you lose
What you’ve never owned

Life is just a bowl of cherries
So live and laugh, aha!
Laugh and love
Live and laugh,
Laugh and love,
Live and laugh at it all!

I will be blogging about my kids, my husband, my business, politics, the traffic and whatever else comes to mind.  I am a firm believer in the ” Power of One” and I will certainly be using my voice to influence people when purchasing certain products.  
Feel free to communicate with me and I hope you will all follow me.

Life is just a bowl of cherries

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The reason for the title of my blog is that it pretty much explains what sort of person I am.  I am easy going and easy to please – although this does not make me a pushover. 

The song titled “Life is just a bowl of Cherries” was originally written by George Gershwin.   The lyrics are as follows:

Life is just a bowl of cherries
Don’t take it serious,
Life’s too mysterious
You work,
You save,
You worry so
But you can’t take your dough
When you go, go, go

So keep repeating “It’s the berries.”
The strongest oak must fall
The sweet things in life
To you were just loaned
So how can you lose
What you’ve never owned

Life is just a bowl of cherries
So live and laugh, aha!
Laugh and love
Live and laugh,
Laugh and love,
Live and laugh at it all!

I will be blogging about my kids, my husband, my business, politics, the traffic and whatever else comes to mind.  I am a firm believer in the ” Power of One” and I will certainly be using my voice to influence people when purchasing certain products.  
Feel free to communicate with me and I hope you will all follow me.