1. Milly Molly Mandy?
I cut DD's hair. We've been talking about it for weeks. Usually when we're rushing out the door and have to then spend 10 minutes trying to get the knots out of her hair. She's screaming, I'm getting frustrated, we're both getting later and later for where we're supposed to be going...
We had a couple of false starts where I was all ready to do the chop after her bath and hair wash, and she changed her mind. On both those occasions I was very happy that she chickened out. I loved her long hair when it was washed, conditioned and silky smooth. It was only in the mornings after a night tossing and turning, as children do, that we hated it.
Finally it all became too much and we did it. I cut it wet and when it dried I tidied it up with a few more snips here and there. DD had a major melt-down as I'd cut it shorter than she was expecting. Actually it was shorter than I was expecting but it's actually perfect that it's not on her shoulders in this hot weather and it keeps her neck cool.
2. College Daze
I had to go into college three days this week for private tutorials with students, and DD's summer school finished last Thursday. That meant she had to come with me. On Sunday I only saw 4 students so we were in and out in just over an hour. But on Tuesday I saw 20 students. I took workbooks, colouring, nosh, and other activities for DD to do but she found a friend.
Another little girl was there with her mother so the two of them went off exploring. It was a bit Harry Potterish for DD so she had a grand old time. Eventually the other girl's mother took them up to the computer room and set them up with headphones and You Tube episodes of Kofiko (an Israeli tv program for kids).
On Thursday I had another 20 students to see and Little FriendSusan wasn't there. But DD already owned the building. She knew how to take her snacks to the cafeteria when she wanted to eat, she knew where the bathrooms are, and she knew how to get to that computer room and set herself up with headphones and You Tube to watch Kofiko. I hardly saw her in 4 1/2 hours!
3. The Entertaining Equation.
We went to a birthday party yesterday and another friend was driving from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for the party. I invited them to stay for dinner afterwards, along with another couple of friends. I've not had any guests here for about a month or more as the lead up to the end of the college semester and the school year is manic.
I totally understand when people say that no matter how strapped they are for money, the one thing that allows them to have a normal life is a cleaner once a week, or even once a fortnight. We all have tiled floors here and we live in the dessert. This means there is always a layer of dust over everything which gets thicker by the hour. You have to dust once a week, you just have to. And the tile floors need sweeping and mopping. There's nothing worse than walking around barefoot in your own home and getting dirty, black feet because of the dust on the floor.
Well I don't have a cleaner. Instead the best motivation for me to just clean the place myself is to invite guests. Guests coming means I will clean the apartment thoroughly or die from embarrassment. Being a single mother, death is not an option. The meal costs about the same as having a cleaner here for 4 hours. I love cooking and having people here so the only hassle is a couple of sink loads of washing up afterwards. This is more than compensated by the sheer pleasure of having a clean house.
The truth is that it only takes about 4 - 5 hours to clean the whole place. I should just do it in two sessions during the week, or even in three shorter sessions. Once you get started it's not a big deal. The thought of it is worse than the doing. So guests are the perfect solution. Thank you for coming guests and please come again soon.
I'm linking up to R2BC over at Mummy from the Heart.
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| Hello Haircut! |
We had a couple of false starts where I was all ready to do the chop after her bath and hair wash, and she changed her mind. On both those occasions I was very happy that she chickened out. I loved her long hair when it was washed, conditioned and silky smooth. It was only in the mornings after a night tossing and turning, as children do, that we hated it.
Finally it all became too much and we did it. I cut it wet and when it dried I tidied it up with a few more snips here and there. DD had a major melt-down as I'd cut it shorter than she was expecting. Actually it was shorter than I was expecting but it's actually perfect that it's not on her shoulders in this hot weather and it keeps her neck cool.
2. College Daze
I had to go into college three days this week for private tutorials with students, and DD's summer school finished last Thursday. That meant she had to come with me. On Sunday I only saw 4 students so we were in and out in just over an hour. But on Tuesday I saw 20 students. I took workbooks, colouring, nosh, and other activities for DD to do but she found a friend.
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| The Milly Molly Mandy style is best viewed from the back |
On Thursday I had another 20 students to see and Little Friend
3. The Entertaining Equation.
We went to a birthday party yesterday and another friend was driving from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for the party. I invited them to stay for dinner afterwards, along with another couple of friends. I've not had any guests here for about a month or more as the lead up to the end of the college semester and the school year is manic.
I totally understand when people say that no matter how strapped they are for money, the one thing that allows them to have a normal life is a cleaner once a week, or even once a fortnight. We all have tiled floors here and we live in the dessert. This means there is always a layer of dust over everything which gets thicker by the hour. You have to dust once a week, you just have to. And the tile floors need sweeping and mopping. There's nothing worse than walking around barefoot in your own home and getting dirty, black feet because of the dust on the floor.
Well I don't have a cleaner. Instead the best motivation for me to just clean the place myself is to invite guests. Guests coming means I will clean the apartment thoroughly or die from embarrassment. Being a single mother, death is not an option. The meal costs about the same as having a cleaner here for 4 hours. I love cooking and having people here so the only hassle is a couple of sink loads of washing up afterwards. This is more than compensated by the sheer pleasure of having a clean house.
The truth is that it only takes about 4 - 5 hours to clean the whole place. I should just do it in two sessions during the week, or even in three shorter sessions. Once you get started it's not a big deal. The thought of it is worse than the doing. So guests are the perfect solution. Thank you for coming guests and please come again soon.
I'm linking up to R2BC over at Mummy from the Heart.
Yes any visitor at all is the best incentive for me to clean the house - or at least the parts of it that they will see!!!
ReplyDeleteDD's new haircut is very cute and fabulous that she can look after herself while you work - I used to bring my eldest to my workplace in the summer too :)
The thing about Living in a flat is that you can't just clean the downstairs as, if you have downstairs loo, there's no reason for guests to go upstairs. In a flat everything is on show. And though I could shut the bedroom doors, I don't want to as we need the breeze to come through from both ends. And anyway, someone's bound to open the bedroom door while looking for the loo. Or, "I can I just take this quick phone call in another room?" Nope, it's all or nothing here. And thanks about the haircut and yes, she was great at work, I was very proud of her.
ReplyDeleteI love DD's hair, it is so cute, especially from the back and I've never considered the practicalities of living where you do, well done on getting all cleaned up and enjoying having some guests round. Mich x
ReplyDeleteThe dust thing isn't huge but when I think about how in England you could get by with a quick hoover and a tidy, whereas here I'm picking up carpets and mopping every floor.... ugh!
DeleteWhat a fab haircut - it always comes out shorter than we expect, even when we allow for it and I don't understand it! Looks lovely. She's growing up, your girl. So nice she's still young. Ikwym about cleaning - the thought of it is always worse and I / we spend more time thinking about it than doing it lol! xx
ReplyDeleteI'm determined to clean efficiently this week and not let it drag on until it becomes a matter of health and safety. Funny that about the hair. I knew it and yet I still cut it where I wanted to end up instead of allowing for mystical shrinkage.
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