Our promise list for 2009

KML
I promise not to tell Lopes to shut up.

Lopes
I promise to listen to my mummy and not sing loudly when she is on the phone as this prompts her to tell me to "Shut up" and that is a rude word.

There. Our resolutions done.

It's been a while since my last post. I have not taken to drinking hard liqueur, well not too much of it. Still a lot unresolved and I am really unsure as to where I want to get to or if I want to get there.

Therefore, I have labelled 2008, my Annus Horribilis Mirabilis. The latin bit comes from my upbringing in the Catholic Church! Actually the term I used was A CRAP YEAR. But not wanting to be ungrateful to God, the Mirabilis, wonder and miracles, bit was appended as I do have a lot to be grateful to God for. I am still here driving happily and have not crashed in a while. Lopes is flourishing at school and just turned 5. We had a high school Musical party which was great fun and I had the opportunity to show off my lack of hula hooping skills in front of all Lopes' friends and their mums and dads.

So roll on 2009. Things will get better and as my grandfather ZMN used to say "And this too shall pass"

Here's to a lovely end of year and wishing you all you wish for yourselves and more in 2009.

Just there. Also titled: A little madness is good for the soul

Darkness, Despair all deep in the pit. No more fight in the not so old gal. "Just there".

I try and fail to feel anything and then trying seems such a chore. I spoke and spoke and nobody heard and then I spoke no more. I used to think the thoughts and then one day, nothing. Not a single thought. Even when I tried hard, the grey cells just refused to ignite.

Hmm. What to do now? The almighty impasse. I used to think of ways back before the journey,
But now I am "Just there". What happened to the little fighter, the one who always echoed "And this too shall pass"? She passed on, or was it just the fight that died? Hope was always there when called upon but I have not seen the old friend in a while.

My eyes are open, yet I see nothing, the words are there, yet they do not come forth to comfort me. I feel the coldness and I do not even crave the warmth anymore. Too much effort needed to light the fire. Resignation is paramount, resistance is futile. Tears fall but then only for a moment and they too, gone too soon before they make a difference.

Cold, cloying cold, has been seeping in for so long and has become the norm. It now feels good to be told, no scratch that, nothing feels anything anymore. My very being seems separated from me and is floating in the ether. At the edge looking down and nothing holds me back. What would it be like to just let go, what would it be like to fly away?

I remain unmoved, unyielding, again "Just there" For now.....

Please sell me some fish

No not obokun or tilapia :) Just some goldfish.

5 years ago, when we moved into our home, my sister gave me a brand new fish tank. BabaLopes always had highfalutin plans like making holes in walls and embedding things while I think we should just put it on a stand. So for 5 years the tank languished on top of the fridge/freezer while we tried to reach a compromise.

Please let me digress a bit. The fridge/freezer in question is one of those huge American fridge freezers that dispense water and ice. How I wish it will clean itself and make dinner. Anyway, when the freezer men delivered the freezer, we noticed that the door could not open fully as there was a wall in the way. My solution: Return it and buy a smaller more sensible fridge. BabaLopes' solution: Break down a piece of the wall in the way and refuse to do the finishing touches for yonks afterwards. So you see my wahala with installing anything new. Same with the new telly, I agreed we could drill holes in the wall, put a new bracket it and hang the telly on the wall but I refused to have any holes in the wall for the wires to be embedded in the wall. Digression over.

As we had half term looming, I realised that I could not be the only source of entertainment in the house and decided to set up the fish tank and get some fish as some sort of science lesson. Read up on the trusty google and realised it was not as simple as just filling up the tank with water and throwing a few fish in. You have to set up the water, gravel, plants and ornaments and put in a water treatment chemical and then let it all run for 7 days. Not one to listen to instructions, I just put the water in with the water treatment and then set it up to run. After a few days I realised that the inbuilt filter was not working and decided to get a standalone replacement and the ornaments and gravel.

So I met Gav at the pet shop and £40 later we left the shop with some plants, gravel, a filter and an ornament in which the fish can hide when they are bored of being looked at. Got home, set it all up and then today, 5 days later, decided to go and get some fish. I saw Gav again and blatantly ignored his offer of help in case he remembered us. He did, came up and refused to sell me fish even tough I was economical with the truth and pretended we had tested the water and all was fine with the water. He said No. I did point out that dead fish meant more business for them, but he still refused to sell me the fish and told me to come back on Monday! (Note to self. You can't lie to save your life so don't even try!) Hmph.

Ah well, I had to make some chocolate crispies with sweeties on top as entertainment in lieu of goldfish.

Ps. We went to get goldfish. But they had at least 12 tanks with all sorts of coldwater fish. I want some algae eaters that stick to the tank, keeping it clean and Lopes wants pink fish. Help! Any suggestions welcome. I have told Lopes that fish do not last forever so she is expecting them all to die after a month and we have a budget for fish replacement.

Today at work I updated my blog :)

I am sitting at my desk at work and wondering if there is a better place to be at the moment. Under the duvet at home with Lopes is one place I would love to be. She is on half term, 2 whole weeks, and did not want me to go to work today. It’s getting cold so I have been drinking copious cups of tea and hot chocolate. I tend not to drink coffee as the caffeine is a real drug and makes me speak my mind more than usual. More drinks mean more visits to the bathroom and so I take my phone with me and surf the net and lately have been tempted to set the alarm and have a nap! Our bathrooms are quite salubrious which is very surprising and have full length doors, none of those western saloon type doors that makes it easy for people to sneak a peek or catch a whiff if you know what I mean!

Lopes is doing well at school but I have been told that the legendary lower lip has made a couple of appearances. You see, Lopes is a master sulker and shoots out her lower lip when she wants to promote a semblance of tears or simply does not want to do as she is told. Her teacher has mentioned that her participation in some things is entirely her choice and if she is further cajoled to participate, the lower lip comes out. I was tempted to cost the school on a per day basis but that won’t really help me. I did cost my university education on a per lecture basis as I was beginning to slide and miss lectures. My parents were paying overseas fees and here was I sleeping away their hard earned cash. Once I calculated the cost per lecture, I never missed one again. See where I got my love for numbers.

Talking about money, Lopes seems to think that anything can be bought with the money from her piggy bank. I am beginning to believe it as she manages to take money from her dad and myself and says she is keeping it for us. I have taken to raiding her piggybank for change to pay the bin wash man as I never seem to have the £2 coins handy. As I always seem to find money there, I am beginning to think she has a secret she needs to share with me. The Credit crunch would be sorted then by Lopes’ oinking piggy bank. She actually has 3 piggy banks so I will be keeping the other 2 as my pension fund.

Re: the Credit Crunch, my mum has taken to calling me with snippets of news she gathers on her DSTV channels. God help us with all the negative news. I refuse to believe that it is as bad as it is being painted. What rankles, however, is the call to cut back. I have always shopped clever and love my share of bargains and so far the only way I have found to cut back is to make sure the lights are turned off. I used to be quite bad with leaving lights on. I will not compromise on the heating and refuse to shiver and wear my woollies indoors.

I have, thanks to my crochet-mad friend Omara, resurrected my love of knitting. I started knitting a sweater about 18 years ago and sort of left it halfway done when I started University. Never had the heart to throw it away and can’t finish it as the pattern was for a size 12 and I am definitely not a size 12 top anymore. To think I thought I was big then! My first assignment is a scarf for Lopes and I will be posting my results here soon. My weight is beginning to creep back up but I am now slowly getting back in control. As I have stopped walking since I started driving and started eating foolishly since my mum came and left, the fat cells are in a conspiracy against me but I am getting back into the groove. Was never really a happy fatty.

I have discovered Facebook under my real life persona and have found so many of my old friends but very useless at making new friends. Don’t really see the point of having too many new friends. Anti-social me. What I don’t understand is why people feel the need to ask you to be one of their friends when you have nothing, except another friend, in common. People have been known to get offended if you do not accept them. Bullying on the internet. No I do not want to be your friend and I do not want to be anything more, no matter how cute my profile picture is. The same goes for Skype!

So on a jolly note, it’s 64 days to Christmas and 71 days till the New Year and I have nothing planned. Not sure where we will be, London or Lagos and just going with the flow. What I will not be doing this time around is my year end introspection. Send me all your plans and I just might tag along :) I do have a party to plan in December. Lopes will be 5 and she has been planning her party since her last one. We will be grooving to songs from High School Musical 1, 2 and maybe 3 as that comes out in the UK today. In case anyone is coming from America to London with space in their suitcase, please let me know. I have party things to order. I have been told that I get carried away with the party planning but I absolutely love it. I think I love it too much and it became very apparent when a mum with the girl in Lopes’ class suggested that we share the party as the girls’ birthdays are quite close. In my head, I was screaming “Don’t want to share, it’s my party!” Common sense prevailed and I picked up the toys I had thrown out of my pram and acted like I was an adult which was no fun.

Postscript

Okay this was typed over 3 hours, numerous spreadsheets have been analysed and I have made 2 trips to the bathroom and taken 2 phone calls. Thank God I am off work next week else I might just have quit. Bored, Bored, Bored. A cup of coffee might just push me over the edge. Off to make a brew. Over and Out

Hmph!

So......

I know, have been too engrossed in the minutiae of ordinary life and now I am paying for it. School runs, coffee mornings, work, business etc etc. Missed all my blogs I regularly read and comment on but promise to make amends very soon.

Driving is still fun. I have driven up and down the M1 a couple of times on my own as Lopes tends to chatter and might be a tad distracting. Had great fun. Oh, have also reversed into a stationery junk truck, but thankfully not on the motorway. Slight prang in the rear of the car but the junk truck escaped unscathed. I have been told to expect a couple more prangs. Will be installing the gadget that beeps to warn of impending bumps. Already have a speed camera one as I am still a bit speedy. Wonder why I am always in a hurry!

All this talk about the credit crunch is worrying but in my house has been cause for amusement. Lopes brought down a box of cereal and renamed it credit crunch. This was after some friends and I were talking about it last night and I said in a positive confession, "We do not have credit crunch in this house" My daughter sought to prove me wrong :)

Overall mood for me is general disenchantment. A bit peeved at the mo with things happening around me and hoping the legendary Kemi Snap does not appear. It is never pretty and has only happened once before. Hmm. Sounds ominous eh?

Back to driving. Off again on aforementioned motorway with Lopes this time. Wish me luck.

So any gist for me? How have you all been? Calabar gal has upped and left.

First day at school

Hopped out of bed at 6.45am, mixed the batter for pancakes as decreed by Lopes, mooched about a bit, made pancakes and then woke Lopes up. Quick shower, dress up and bribe Lopes with promises of treats to get her to eat her breakfast and then hopped into the car. Turned back, ran back inside to get glasses without which I am an even bigger hazard and zoom off to school. Missed the turn, turned round and sat in even more traffic and finally made it to school.

I wondered why some children and mums were sniffling and waved happily at Lopes and went back home. Then collapsed into a heap on the sofa and had a good cry! Off to bed, pick up just after noon as it's a half day.

Confessions of a Mad Driver

I am absolutely loving the freedom driving gives me and I earnestly urge anyone out there who can't drive to get a move on. I confess to being an absolute prat for not driving earlier on and letting my irrational fear hold me to ransom. So I have driven everywhere on my own and with Lopes and even braved the motorway where I overtook a friend who I accused of driving too slowly! Before journeys with Lopes, I say extra prayers. I cannot promise not to wax lyrical about driving so apologies for the boredom my blog will no doubt cause. I now think of my life Before Driving (BD) and After Driving (AD)


A trip I made on Monday will be used to show the massive difference it has made.

BD.
Take Bus to station. Take Taxi to friend's house and ask driver to wait while I drop Lopes off and then take me to work. Fret about the needless amount of money spent. Finish work, take bus to station, get Taxi to friend's house, pick up Lopes, take taxi back to station and take bus home. Get so cross that I have spent over £35 on taxis and get home and eat loads of comfort food. Estimated time spent in transit. 2 hours


AD.
Drive to friend's house, get lost on the way and stop to key in address into Sat Nav. Realise that it is impossible to remember old directions or places I have been driven to at least one hundred times. (Note to self. Key in all addresses into Sat Nav memory) Drop Lopes off, drive to work, park in my newly alloted parking space, get lost in the multistorey car pack, (who thought it was clever to put the exit on level 3 instead of level 1??). Leave work, pick Lopes up and head home. Estimated time spent in transit. 30 minutes


Lopes starts school tomorrow. And so we decided to go and pick up all the little bits I had forgotten, get the car washed and go to lunch at Lopes' favourite chinese restaurant. In my rush, I left the keys inside the house and closed the door. Hot footed it to my inlaws who have a spare key, offering prayers and making promises to God after forgetting to slow down for a speed camera, picked up the spare key and then rushed back home. Found out to my utter consternation that the keys were on the inside of the door and so I could not open the door with the key outside. So what have I learnt today.... I can break into my own house with a spanner and file and brute force and long distance breaking and entering instructions from BabaLopes :) Now I need an alarm system!

PS, Huge bruise on my posterior. I guess weight loss has melted away some of the excess and so trying to bash the door down with my backside is now a thing of the past!

Home Alone :)

Home Alone Diary.

Dropped Lopes at my sister's place on Tuesday evening after a mad dash day which started with my last driving lesson before my test on Thursday. Had to take Lopes with me as my childcare plans were thrown awry by good GSCE results for my niece. She decided to go for a party weekend. (Congrats to ZR and DD for excellent results)

So came back home and sat in the very untidy sitting room as we left in a rush. Caught up on phone calls and had dinner with an alcoholic drink and watched all the CSIs and Law and order. Fell asleep with my cordless headphones on. You must understand that I do not drink most times and never at home unless it's kind of social and never, ever when home with Lopes as I am the world's cheapest drunk and get inebriated by the vapours alone!

Woke up on Wednesday morning when the newspaper boy delivered the papers and actually read it from cover to cover for the first time in ages. Had a slice toast in bed complete with crumbs and then went back to bed. And then did absolutely nothing all day.

I think every Mum needs to declare one week a year, Mum Home Alone Week. Great to recharge batteries and just regroup before you start running on empty.

Thursday dawned and off to the test. Jitters, jitters and even more jitters. 40 minutes later and I could kiss the very patient examiner. I passed. Off to upgrade car insurance and revel in the fact that I can drive my daughter to school for her first day. Thank you, God.

A whole month has passed. Where has the time gone??

So Mama Kemi arrived and brought sooooooo much food. Not too good for my weight update but I got to 88kgs and then ate fresh fish soup, ila asepo and more orisirisi. I feel the weight creeping back up and so have decided to hop back on the wagon. But then had moin moin and ogi for breakfast. A little of what you like is not bad for you, abi? Will not weigh myself again for a while, lest I eat more in fits of depression.

Statements/Questions I hear from MamaKemi almost everyday. What is Lopes going to eat? Has she had her protein, milk, snack ...

Do you have food in the freezer for your husband. What will he eat when he gets back

When I was raising children, we had a set routine. etc etc etc

And the list goes on. Might have to drink more brandy :)


Went shopping with my mum which cemented my hatred of shopping! Boy can my mum haggle. Went to her favourite fabric shop and got 3 5yd pieces of lace from £700 to £360 without blinking. I was cringing at the back of the shop trying to keep a straight face. We had fun though.

Lopes had 3 weeks of summer school and came away learning loads more words and her writing is great. Good feedback from the teachers but I hear she has a stubborn streak. The apple does not fall far from the tree. I was not a stubborn child but I am more than making up for it now :) We got our routine sorted so it'll be easy when she starts big school in 2 weeks. Note to self. Get out sewing kit and sew on name tags.

BabaLopes is still enjoying his sojourn in the land of Belge! I hate to admit that I do enjoy the solitude a bit too much. Lopes and I just get on with it and when I am asked if I miss him, the first answer is no. I do miss him but that does not define me or occupy my thoughts for long. Should the alarm bells start ringing?

Countdown to driving test underway. I am just a tad impatient at roundabouts and have been known to set off in a huff when cars are whizzing towards me. A lot of emergency braking by my instructor. I have told her to slap me next time but she has great restraint. Less than a week to go. Yikes. Just have to imagine the examiner in the buff and try not to crash into the cars for laughing.

So the very disjointed update from La Famiglia Lopes is done. Will be here next week to let you know how the test went. Better keep me in your good thoughts and prayers, else I will find you and put spiders in all your cereal boxes!

Why can't I think of a catchy title?

Lopes and I managed just fine without BabaLopes for the week but my mum called me everyday to check we were okay :) Not sure if absence makes the heart grow fonder but it's early days yet. The downside is the lack of good sleep. Since I am the only one at home, I feel I have to be able to hear if Lopes needs me, so I don't really sleep well. On Wednesday the driving instructor made me go home to bed after driving for an hour. So in the last week, I have spent all my money on taxis and so happy that the driving is coming along nicely. I just need to drive a bit more slowly and pay more attention to other road users. I blame my Nigerian pomposity, my attitude to other drivers is "Do you know who I am?"

I drew up a food timetable for Lopes as I sometimes run out of ideas and find we are eating the same things. It is an excellent idea, even if I say so myself. Means I can plan ahead and she gets to expand her food field for want of a better description.


Went to the shops today to shop for a dress for a wedding we are going to on Saturday and returned with one cake for Lopes' last day at nursery, a new pair of shoes for Lopes for school and some mini bagels for Lopes. Get the picture?? Nothing for me, not even a dress. Yikes what am I going to wear? We decided to have a meal at the shopping centre and Lopes spied the McDonalds sign and then the pizza hut sign. I decided that we needed to up the culture stakes so went to a grill like place where she could get wholesome burgers and I could get some low carb food. The homemade burger arrived and Lopes took one sniff of it and said "We are going to McDonalds next time" Serves me right. She could have had a happy meal with a fruit bags and I would have had my grilled chicken salad.

Weight update
Start 102ks
27 May 93kgs
26 June 92.8kgs
10 July 90kgs.
20 July 89kgs.

Slowing down now so I need to up the exercise.

So all in all, a good few days. Off to curl up in bed with the telephone. Thank God it only cost 0.5p a minute to call BabaLopes.

And so the theory test date came and went and then the date came again!

A great start to July.

BabaLopes has got a new occupation and will be off to working away during the week and home either every weekend or every forthnight. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Really happy as space can be a positive thing. Also this credit crunch is only palatable when served with luxury so all's well that ends's well.

Driving update.
I took my theory test about 6 years ago and then that test expired. Booked another one for the 20th of June but thought the date was the 21st and so I missed the test. Well, having swotted long and hard, I made my way to the test centre and on the way decided to read the back of the letter I was sent. Found out to my shock and horror that there was a hazard perception test introduced and I would have to watch 14 videos and click when I saw a developing hazard. Had enough time to offer many prayers. Went in and finished the test. 100% in the theory and 78% in the hazard perception. It seems my brain has remembered the days of yore when I was a hot chick. So practical test booked for..... Watch this space :)

Weight update

Start 102ks

27 May 93kgs

26 June 92.8kgs
10 July 90Kgs.

Getting better now. End of July target still 85kg. We'll see. Cut out all processed carbs and sugar. Still have slow release carbs and meat and veg. Yum. This is the lowest weight I have been for over 5 years!

Will leave you with my new favourite song. Ignore the video and just listen to the words. I am indeed a child of old age!

And the story so far

So the driving instructor lost her grandad and postponed on me but she arrived a few weeks later and I braved the roads of North London and drove for 2 hours. She pronounced me teachable and so far I have had 2, 2 hour lessons and have driven BabaLopes to and from the shops. He seems to want to get used to being a passenger. I do hate roundabouts and I have scratched the alloys on the front tyre. See I am picking up driver speak. What the heck are alloys?

I moved a car and lived to tell the tale. I can see a hidden Speedy Gonzales begin to surface as my foot has a mind of it's own and sort of presses the gas extra hard. I am driving an automatic and so don't need clutch and gears etc. Anyway, I have banished the scary spectre of driving and I believe that I can do it. I do have to subdue my road rage tendencies as a mad lady hooted at me and overtook and I promptly stepped on the gas and wanted to give chase until the driving instructor calmed me down :)

Lopes had settling in at her new school and I confess that I have become an "let's do coffee" mum. Was fun though and I realised that I can be as sociable as they come. Next step will be a ladies who lunch move. Can't wait.

Also a dear friend of mine had a lovely baby boy. I need to get broody but I just can't yet. Help!

Weight update

Start 102ks

27 May 93kgs

Now 92.8kgs (I ate too much coconut candy and tea and biscuit and did no exercise) I am having a fat couple of days as I have ate too much puff puff at the naming ceremony yesterday! Was fun though.

End of July target 85kgs. Off to make some prawns and fish pepper soup.

PS. Can you keep a secret. Got some tickets for Lopes and she and I are going to see High School Musical at the theatre. I will be the mum with the HSM pom poms and singing like the best of them. Please don't tell Lopes as she will bug me till we go.

Tolu's prayer

Tolu's prayer;

Please Jesus, you know how to drive. Help my mummy to drive because you have Daddy power.

There you have it. I am sorted for my first driving lesson tomorrow morning at 8am. I will report on my progress. As Dr Naaps said, morons drive so there is hope for me :)

Have been great and having fun sorting out Tolu's room and putting up new pink curtains and things. You see, before she was born, we were so sure we were having a boy that we put up dark blue curtains. Well thankfully we had a girl (I would advise all to pray for a girl as a first child) and she has firmly decided her favourite colour is pink. She liked purple, then yellow and orange and has now settled on pink and gold. So the carpet has been washed, curtains up and we are putting up massive flower stickers on the walls as my mural artwork leaves a lot to be desired.

I spy the sun and as I have been instructed by Hassan the gardener to water the plants, we are off in wellies and raincoat so Tolu can have a splash.

Diet update.
Starting weight 102kg (all in the backside and tummy) Have spindly legs and it's a wonder I don't fall over backwards.
Fell off wagon, gained 2kgs, Back on wagon lost 1kgs. Net loss 9kgs.
Current weight 93kgs
Target for end of July 85kgs.

I would never have believed that I would put actual figures up here, but what the hey. It's all good.

Driving update

Honest, I am not making it up. Received a text from the driving instructor on Friday morning that her grandfather passed away during the night. Really wanted to have gotten it over and done with as I did not really sleep due to the nerves. You would think I was going for a test and not a lesson.

Israel and New Breed - Alpha and Omega

My new favourite song. KML

My lil quirks

All the quirky posts got me thinking.

KML's quirky quirks

I make sequences out of nothing. They make no sense but I make them anyway. Cars, paving blocks, shower tiles etc.

I hate odd numbers. I always get things in multiples or give things away in multiples. However, I do have only one husband and one child!

When I set the alarm for the next morning, I feel deprived if the wake up time is less than 8 hours which is the magic number.

I like the smell of rain. I have been known to spray bare bricks with my water spray gun and sniff the bricks.

I love the number 2. I do the 2 times table in my head up to very big numbers and then get lost in my head.

I hold imaginary conversations with people I really want to give a huge telling off with the loud talking and gesticulations. Call it rehearsals or letting off steam, I always feel better afterwards and the people I should be telling off are none the wiser.

I clean all the grouting in my house with an electric toothbrush. It gets into all the little spaces which collect dirt.

I hate shopping. If I have to go out shopping, I make a list of what I am going to get, what shops I am going to get them from and then map my route for the day. Or else, I do it all online, even groceries.

I cannot ride a bicycle. I kept falling off as a child. Something to do with inner ears and balance. Still can't ride. However, that excuse does not work for my inability to drive, hence my soon to start intensive lessons.

I love ironing. Have not done it in a while but find it very therapeutic if I am all alone. Actually all housework is lovely if they all just left the house. Same with cooking.

My idea of a lovely weekend, is food, drink, all the remotes in the house and the phones and just me. No husband, no child, just me. Hmm. The selfish theme again.

I hate travelling. I just love arriving. Packing, dashing to airports or any ports, I can do without. Will be first in line for teleportation.

And this is an additional one. Every chicken I cook must not have a single feather or hair so after cleaning, I use a blowtorch to give it the once over. Also any other animal must have no hairs so I shave the skin on the leg of pork/lamp etcl

Therapy over. BabaLopes is a year old tomorrow and Lopes and I are making cupcakes. Will post the pics. In case we do not get the decorations right, we also bought a cake today.

ps.

We made the cupcakes. See pic above. Could have used brighter colours but we got a bit tired. Now we are just about to shorten the birthday message from Happy Birthday Daddy to Happy Birthday Dad. Lopes and I get a cupcake each :)

Where was I??

Well, I just had to update for fear that SSD will send me a virtual smack with the missing koboko. Have been "just there". Can't seem to shake off this holding pattern feeling I have. And this too shall pass as Gramps used to day.

Thanks for all my birthday wishes. Had a good time with Lope insisting we had a cake. She was dissapointed that there was no party as she thinks birthday and party are one an the same! Did not eat loads but after 3 days off my diet plan, I hopped on my new toy, A nintendo wii fit and it had the audacity to ask why I had gained so much weight and to pick one reason from the list. I shamefacedly confessed to eating too much. Not my fault as Daddylopes took me out to an Indian restaurant which I have put down as a labour of love as he does not really love Indian food. As an aside, I seem to be slowly fading away. Have so far dropped 11kgs and feeling quite good with myself :) Still a way to go but one step at a time.

So far May has been good. Lovely weather and hot sunshine. We had an impromptu bbq yesterday and I would have put up some pics of the very authentic suya we made, but alas we scoffed the lot. While we were out shopping pre bbq, Lopes and her cousin decided to do some tap dancing in the supermaket in their flip flops. The problem was that they shouted for all to watch their "Lap" dancing. I did assure the viewing public that I had no idea where they got that from.

I finally got round to calling the Intensive driving school to make an appointment as I have to be driving in September when Lopes starts school. I must have a deeper fear than I thought as I was sweating buckets while I was on the phone. God help me. So you all won't say you were not warned, I will be embarking on the intensive driving course starting on the 2nd of June (Ta Ramy). So if you are in North London, stay at home!!

Food Glorious food, High School Musical...

Well as you all know, I slowed down on the cooking front and got a lovely lady to bulk cook for me. I am a fantastic cook, even if I say so myself, but only love cooking when I have the luxury or spending a whole day uninterrupted in the kitchen. Seeing as that will never happen and Lopes cannot go through 5 minutes withou asking questions or letting you in on her numerous observations, I have decided to get back in the saddle. So in the last week or so I have cooked:

Okra Ogbono with chicken, goat meat, shaki, smoked fish and fresh prawns

Assorted Meat and Chicken Stew

Beans and sweetcorn.

Efo Elegusi

All packed and put in the freezer, ready meals Naija style.

I also have some wateryam waiting for the Ikokore treatment and ordinary yam waiting for the Asaro treatment. And then I found a Fish Market and they sell fresh Red Bream and Tilapia. Fish soup coming up.

Now the irony of all this food is that I cannot eat most of the food as I am cutting out my carbs. To good effect, one day, I will post a before and after pic :)

High School Musical, HSM
Lopes loves HSM and that is an understatement. So in a fit of madness, I bought her a game for the Nintendo wii, which is basically a Karaoke game with all the songs from HSM1 and HSM2. We now fight over the mic and shamefaced Mum, or shameless Mum even, waits till she goes to bed and pretends to be a Rock Star in the making.

Birthday Alert.
Please beg God on my behalf. I do not mean to appear ungrateful for my forthcoming birthday but I always get a bit down near my birthday or New Year. This year, I will try to be cheery, So Help me God. PS. I expect presents, real and not virtual on the 28th of April when I will be older and wiser, we hope!

I need to start reading again.

I had been looking forward to watching "The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" on the BBC on Easter Sunday. I say had, because even though I am still looking forward to watching it, I was most upset to hear that the Director, Anthony Minghella died yesterday. For some reason, the news of his death really moved me. I have never been a fan but I just liked him.

So in his honour, I am going to start reading again. Real books and intend to start at the front and not jump to the last few pages after an hour. So I will start with some books by Alexander McCall Smith, the writer of the The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Any suggestions welcome. I have to warn you that I do not want deep, meaningful, sad books. Life is enough for that. I want humour, not too chick lit, some depth and meaning but not enough to make me want to slit my wrists. My Amazon basket needs filling so get commenting.

Off to hunt for Frejon beans and a good recipe for Easter. Might have to cook with the phone to my ear, listening to Mama Kemi's instructions! I see confused looks, Frejon?? Mashed black beans, cooked with coconut milk and sugar. Eaten with sieved gari and fish soup. I want my mummy!!

Mummy Jesus is a sheep

Continuing on from Lopes' God is...... series.

Our church has a a newly revamped junior creche and Lopes' went for the first time 2 Sundays ago. They had the pictures, the paintings and made a cotton wool glue picture of a wooly sheep.

The text for the service was that Jesus was the Lamb of God. But not according to Lopes. According to Lopes, Jesus is a Sheep. Go figure :)

Have had a funny old past week, very bad cold and had the flu for the second time in 2 weeks. I kid you not, had it the week before, was fine for a week and then Wham, off again. I wonder if I qualify for a flu jab. Might just go and whinge at my GP. Off work again, I think my body just wants to stay at home.

At the moment, I am puffing 2 different inhalers, steroid and the ventolin and might be getting addicted. Dr Naapali, what is the prognosis? Have the dreaded smokers cough and have only ever smoked 3 cigarettes in my 35 years. I think I need a holiday. :)

Diet going excellently, must get to the exercise phase soon. But in this last couple of days, I have no taste buds and so want to eat all the nasty things that are not too good for me. So far, 6kgs down but I am on a plateau way to soon and need to kick start it once I get rid of these bugs for good.

Got the most amazing news recently. My Godson, got his place at his school. God is a good God

The last one is gone.

I thought I knew you

I staked my life on many things around you

You were the one termed perfection in making
The last bastion

And yet a very dark cloud overhangs
No tears, no pain, only resolute anger

We mourn the innocence of ignorance
The erstwhile blissful ignorance

But we know now and accept the cessation of life as we knew it.

The last one is gone.

PS. Thank you all for your comments and phone calls. A minor blip that I am told happens from time to time. Clouds have turned into rain and now I think I see a rainbow :) I have my umbrella turned upside down to catch those pennies from heaven.

As my grand daddy used to say: And this too shall pass.

Normal transmission starts soon.

Mummy, God is a Girl

As I had been a bit busy over the last few days and did not spend loads of times with Lopes, I decided to veg out this morning. Also nursing a mini headache due to falling of my lower carb wagon with a whole heap of dim sum and cocktails. I could never hold my liqueur, but one cocktail is all it took. I digress.

Anyway we were listening to our fave DVD set given to us by Aunty Ramiji (my friend Ramota who absolutely loves Bollywood, another post), "100 Sing along songs for Kids", a mix of nursery and Sunday school songs and the song "He's got the whole world in his hand" came on. While trying to explain the concept that God is all powerful and has it all under control, Lopes said "Mummy, God is a girl" while pointing at the girl singing. My little feminist!

While watching, my friend knocked on the door with a steaming bowl of Ogbono/Spinach and stockfish stew. I need to learn more non-Yoruba stews, so please point me in the right direction or at least offer to cook it for me.

So, I have been clearing out the house. If I did not know better, I would say I was nesting but it's fun to clear all the junk and clean all surfaces. Getting there and finally accepting that BabaLopes and I are pack rats. But the man is the one with two wardrobes while Lopes and I have one each. I refuse to tell you how many pairs of trousers I counted in BabaLopes' stash. Hmm.

Back garden all clear of BabaLopes shed rejects. Got Mr Hassan to come and cart them away before BabaLopes changed his mind or saw through my cunning plan to have it all clear in time for the first glimpse of sunshine so I can have lovely Barbecues. :)

So today, I will veg out and clear out once the one cocktail haze passes. Cheap date, me. I will also try to eat the aforementioned stew with no carbs. Harrumph!

So how have you all been?

PS. My Desola is back.

E wa ba mi gbe Jesu ga

E wa ba mi gbe Jesu ga - Come Magnify Jesus with me.

We got a letter today. We have a place at the school God chose for Lopes. Okay, if you have not read it all in the archives already, let me fill you in.

We, the Lopes Appreciation group, and our chair lady Lopes, live in North London. There are 2 very good girls schools there that admit at 4+, 7+, 11+ and 16, and one of the schools have an extra intake at 5+.

We had a place at a Prep school but that was only till 11 years which meant that we would have to prepare Lopes for the 11+ exams. I have seen parents going through this and it's not pretty. So for reasons of self preservation, this was not our first choice but we had the prep school place as back up.

We, then had assessments at the 2 schools. We got a call back for a second assessment from one and a no from the other. Now the one we got a no from, had always been our first choice but the second choice was beginning to grow on me. Now the dilemma of which to choose and making the wrong choice was out of our hands.

So now we have a place. I say we, as the education of a child is very much a partnership between the parents and the school. So I am going back to school. God help us. Now the issue of school fees :) God dey.

I am sitting in a quiet house as Lopes is at nursery, and I have just come back from work to reread the letter. BabaLopes stayed home till the letter arrived! Hmm. What cake should be bake??

Mum, let's pray to Jesus

A few days ago, I was looking for Lopes' special cream for her dry skin. She had been using it as a microphone while singing her favourite song:





Anyway, we could not find it and asked her what we should do. She said, "Let's pray to Jesus, so he can help us find it. So we did. We also prayed about her schools. So far, 3 assessments, 1 yes, 1 no and 1 pending.

Now, my friend, Omara gave Lopes a book called A heart for Jesus and since then the questions have started. Lopes in Green. MamaLopes in Blue

Where is Jesus? He is in your heart

Is he eating my food there? No

I have called Jesus and he has not come. Is he pretending? This was accompanied with a big frown.

Is Jesus running in my heart when I am running?

And the questions keep coming and I ran out of answers. Answers on a postcard please.

Lopes and I have made tooooo many cupcakes this year. Not a good idea. Have also resurrected my puff puff recipe. Oh dear. I can see I have my work cut out diet wise this year.

Lopes has settled in nicely at her new nursery and will soon win them over to her kissing bandit ways. They are a lot less cuddly and warm than the previous nursery staff but I am sure we will get there.

O Faith, Faith, wherefore art thou, Faith?

Faith is said to be the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Lopes went for her first school assessment on Wednesday. I spoke to her tutor on Thursday and she said a mum had received a call for a second interview. I hot-footed it home and had not received any calls. Deep depression set in. Why were we not called....

I then spoke to another mum who said most people get letters and not to worry. Still niggling doubt. Spent the evening surfing instead of packing orders. Read a piece written by Christian Writer on how she got published and one line flashed at me.

"I truly believe that God wanted to challenge my faith"

I have faith, well I thought I had faith and at the first hurdle, I did not say, "my God is able, He is in control". I fell over. I ran home, and sat and finished a bag of Lindt Truffles. Thank God that His actions are not based on my foolishness. We got a letter, we have a second interview :)

Also my father in law will be staying with us for a while. It's going to be a great year.

Happy New Year. Now let the madness commence

Ahh. Another year. We thank the good Lord for continued grace.

Had a great time over Christmas and New Year. Normal Christmas when I was growing up was the whole shebang. Roast Chicken, we hated turkey, leg of lamb/pork, potatoes, stuffing, gravy and brandy flamed Christmas pudding.

Since I got married, I learned that the whole roast dinner thing is not appreciated in some households and after the first wasted effort, I just ask my parents in law what they would like. So for Christmases past we have had pounded yam, ikokore, okra ogbono, efo egusi and the like. This Christmas we had pounded yam. Great time saver :)

Got to church late on New Year's Eve thanks to BabaLopes and was in grave danger of taking my anger into the new year. Had to sit in the overflow section but most people did not take it seriously and chatted throughout. Anyway, got over the annoyance quickly. Spent New Year's day with family eating orishirishi. Big trouble. My diet is shot to pieces and so have to start again. No better time than Janaury 1st or 4th or 10th....


The Madness of school assessment has started in earnest. God help me, is all I can say. Lopes is blissfully unaware and is taking it all in her stride. I am the one with manic insomnia at the moment. Even BabaLopes thinks I am a bit mad and that is saying something. Prayers for the prevention of my decline into panic induced madness are very much needed.

So this year, I will be making resolutions as much as I hate them and my only resolution is:

Don't sweat the small stuff.

I intend to laugh loads, stress less and ignore that which I have no control over. I might cease to be dependable and be a bit more frivolous. I will read more books as opposed to one chapter a year, I will make more time for myself and might even paint my fingernails. I will share the happiness with BabaLopes instead of being a grumpy cow and will buy Lopes less presents as she is beginning to be tad unappreciative of all she has. So let the good times roll.


Ps I got a new laptop from BabaLopes as my present. Considering we had decided not to do presents this year, it was a good thing I got him his coffee machine