How do I love thee? Let me count the ways

dear Pick 'n Pay.

 

My regular readers will know that the Princess is very tall for her age. She is just all arms and legs and a tiny little waist. Which already makes it quite and issue to shop for her. At age 7 she wears size 9 to 10 clothes and then I have to take in around the waist or fit a belt. Up until last year , wearing size 8 to 9 Woolworths was our staple clothes shop mainly because I got more length for the waist than anywhere else - their waists are smaller and legs and arms longer than the other retailers and they still had little girl clothes up to that size while a lot of other retailers make the jump to pre teen and teen clothes at age 7. This year buying clothes for a ever growing girl has been a nightmare - she simply is a little girl still and has no interest in the pre teen clothes. We go into Woollies, flip through the stuff, and nope, nothing that she likes. She then runs to the little girl section and want every single item. I felt so sorry for her not to be able to get her beloved Hello Kitty stuff. Secretly I have been very grateful for it and hope that she will keep this little girl innocence as long as possible.

And then I remembered! Pick 'n Pay stocks little girl type clothes up to size 13-14! And they did not disappoint. We can home with a bag full of little girl happiness and a mom satisfied that at least she has clothes to wear. Everything from a pretty turquoise dress and pant set to her favorite Hello Kitty and many more. Also great denim look with flowers leggings, which are way too big over the waist but which I can take in, but at least long enough.

I love seeing my little girl being a little girl and not a pre mature mini adult.

So how do you feel about this tendency to squeeze our girls towards maturity? I for one are outraged by Ackermans and PEP who has clothes that are either almost sexy or have sublimely sexy messages. At least Woollies clothes are ok in that way, but just boring? Or am I over reacting?

Shopping for my boys - please help!

It's that time of the year - replacing whole wardrobes of clothes for little people who have outgrown last season's.

For me, shopping for and dressing our resident princess is fun. She loves pretty clothes, I know her taste (mostly)  - well, if I stick to pink and girl it will get worn. The funky combinations are all her own work. Last year I noticed that no matter where you buy for the kids, all the shops have their more "budget" lines and more expensive ones - and those budget ones cost the same, whether at Ackermans or Woolworths. The Lil Miss is also very tall for her age, but skinny - the Woollies pants fit so much better than the others.  And Woollies really is great with their "great value buy" lines - the girls R35 T shirts and R39 corduroy pants are all beautiful. The R45 polar fleeces are just as beautiful. Great patterns and very cute. Not so the boys. No, not so at all. And my boys are my more difficult customers. What I hear you say?

Well, some of it is due to the the twin thing. The rest is purely the lack of imagination or design by clothing retailers or their designers. When I found out I was pregnant with twin boys, one of my thoughts was about dressing - alike, or not? I settled on "similar, but not same" as a preference. Of course, they got many identical outfits for presents as people really do not know how else to do it. So I did dress them the same from time to time, until I read Joan Friedman's book "Raising emotionally healthy twins" (I really recommend this to parents with twins) After that I decided never to dress them the same and started giving them the choice of two same T shirts - they never chose the same, even at the tender age of a year and a bit. Never! But they do like to choose similar - for instance, if one chooses a Scooby Doo T shirt, the other asks for his too. So I now try to buy everything similar but not the same - which is really difficult. Sometimes I just buy different, as I have no choice. And last week I bought same - as in PJ's ,as really, the stock was limited. But they do not like to wear the same pair at night, so we swap them around.

This of course, even limits the already limited stock to buy from. Because now I have to find two colours/types of say, a  dinosaur T shirts. Last week I found one Scooby doo long sleeved T and one Jungle beat one. My word, Little man C totally lost it when his brother got the Scooby doo and he the Jungle beat. My luck was in as Little Man L immediately liked the Monkey on the Jungle Beat T , but I was just lucky. It could have turned sour. As it has in the past.

I also complicate it even more for myself, because let's face it, apart from the very limited cute clothing, it is only really character shirts left. I do not "do" Ben 10 - I watched one episode and really, it seems very violent. (I also didn't "do" Bratz - too tarty for my taste). Then I am totally uninformed about Bakugan - what is it? My boys are also just into the little boys stuff - you know, Scooby doo, Cars, etc. I's ok with the old Marvel Superheroes - I mean, I know them. But why is the choice so limited? What has happened with dinosaurs in general? My boys love any form of dinosaurs. Look at the girls (apart from the beautiful non character stuff) - there is Barbie in a miriad of formats, Hello Kitty, Tinkerbell, Hannah Montanna, High school musical, Disney princesses. All beautiful and acceptable. And remember - I have to find tow DIFFERENT spiderman shirts in the same size at the same time. I really also can not spend R180 on a Keedo designer T shirt for two boys. So, moms of boys (I am calling on you - this is serious) - please help! How do I shop for my boys?

Supermom!

Am super efficient, super time saver, super multitasking mom. Best ever, I'm sure! Not!

Well, I am extremely proud of myself today for taking at least one step closer to being a more efficient person. I spend last night setting up my grocery shopping on line at one of our big retailers. Took me all of 3 hours, but in future it will be a breeze, or so the site offers. Next time you can copy and amend your list, no need to set it up again. Delivery is same day or next day if ordered at night and the cost is R55,00 for delivery - a steal in my book.

Grocery shopping has been a contentious activity in our household from day 1. I love to do it, H hates to do it. In fact, he hates me doing it - sounds a bit weird as somebody has to do it. We have to eat after all, and clean and so forth. He started timing how long it takes me and challenged me that he can do it in a shorter time, and then doesn't buy half but brings home excessive luxuries not on the list. It sounds a bit weird, but it's just one of those things. With the 3 kids it has really been hard - he then have to look after the kids while I go off to spend (what he deems excessive time) at the grocery shop. He complains bitterly about it, although he would gladly look after all 3 kids so that I can go horse riding or something like that.

Well, as from today, no more of that! No more stress of running through the isles and explaining the time spend. Jippeeee! Am super liberated free person.