Archive for September, 2010

by Fiona Ingram, a  South African writer who loves books, travel, animals, antiques, and adventures of all kinds! Read Fiona’s author site and find out about her recently published children’s adventure novel

The National Children’s Theatre has produced yet another gem of entertainment for children under the expert guidance of director Joyce Levinsohn. Embracing the vast expanse of Africa’s diverse culture and precious heritage, African Tapestry weaves a wondrous tale of life in this continent. But this production not only celebrates life in Africa; it also highlights the frailty of our unique ecosystem and the precious heritage that is fast disappearing unless we, the caretakers of our environment, do something about it and teach our children to follow suit.

These timeless and topical tales of Africa are told via a talented and energetic cast who engage beautifully with their young spellbound audiences. The actors don the simplest of animal costumes because it is their cleverly executed movements and sounds, as well as enchanting characterisation that bring the regal lion, the greedy elephant, the forgetful kudu, the (really Cape flats) Cape vulture, the silly young pelican, the slow old tortoise and others to life. The tradition of oral storytelling with vibrant songs and dances spreads a message of Africa. Through these animal tales, the young audiences appreciate each animal’s role in our lives, as well as learning life’s lessons.

So often, difficult or contentious issues can be explained to a younger audience via the medium of theatre. Education teamed with entertainment has a great influence. Teaching environmental awareness in a fun way to kids is edutainment that makes a lasting impact. Issues such as poaching, conservation of the environment and animals’ lives, planet pollution, recycling, and some basic lessons such as listening to one’s mom all come into play in this magical production. There is great audience participation here as the animals teach the kids how one can protect animals from poachers; how to recycle and clean up the environment; and how man and animals can live in harmony if everyone just tries hard enough.

This enchanting show captivates audiences with songs of Africa, from old favourites (Pata Pata) to new favourites (The Waka Waka song), and the infectious rhythms played on authentic hand-made instruments soon had those little feet dancing about. The proof of a good children’s production is in how it keeps kids interested. On the day I saw the show, the audience simply loved African Tapestry! They all wanted to help the actors and be part of the show. Children remember what they enjoy and this show had all their attention from start to finish with many eager young participants getting a chance to lend a hand in making the magic happen.

Don’t let your kids miss out on this marvellous piece of authentic theatre—African storytelling at its best.

Suitable for children from four upwards

Click here to find details about African Tapestry, on at the National Children’s Theatre in Parktown until Oct 9, 2010

by Sine Thieme, a writer and mother of four who is new to South Africa and busy chronicling her experiences on her blog, Joburg Expat.

If anyone has figured out how to curb a teenager’s excessive showering, please let me know! I am at my wit’s end. I have tried everything: I have threatened, cajoled, tried to reason, pulled out the monthly water bill as evidence, pleaded for the environment, invested in technology – a shower sand timer that can be turned in five-minute intervals – and even made myself ridiculous (“When I was your age, I only took one weekly bath in our one bathroom shared by five people” – I barely resisted adding “in the same bathwater”).

Nothing has worked. If anything, 12-year old Zax’s showers have gotten even longer.

When I wake up each morning and doze in my bed for a few minutes, I can already hear the water running upstairs. I go through my morning routine, including my own shower, get dressed, and make my way to the kitchen to prepare lunches, and the shower is still on. I have seriously wondered how much the installation of one of those coin boxes I remember from camping in National Parks would cost, where the water turns cold after a set time. I’ve even invoked the old “the doctor said so” routine that worked so well when he was little, and I didn’t even have to lie, since Zax’s excema had lately gotten particularly bad, and “excessive showering” is usually a culprit. It did resonate a little bit in that he has stopped taking showers when he doesn’t “have to wake up,” meaning we are now treated to views of his hair (the battle over which he has definitely won) standing in all directions all weekend long. It seems, though, that this has made the weekday showers even longer.

The only method that has shown some promise is for me to barge in after precisely ten minutes every morning and unleash an angry tirade, then retreat leaving all doors wide open. I don’t enjoy this by any means, as I have to pick two locks and carefully wade through an ocean of clothes and scattered homework (most likely late homework) and two years worth of sports magazines, painfully reminding me of yet another battle I have made a shameful retreat from, plus I am repaid by his not speaking a single word to me on his way out the door. But somehow the idea of no physical barrier between his exposed body and the world at large is compelling enough for Zax to hurry up and turn off the water so that he can lock the door again.

If there is a better way, I’d like to know!

by Joy Robyn Dembo, married, with an 18 year old son and a 25 year old daughter.  Addicted to the www, particularly Twitter. Recruitment Response Handling Consultant and Freelance Copywriter, vegetarian and animal lover.  Here’s her blog.

Sitting in the Monte Casino movie theatre, 3D Glasses and popcorn in hand, I could feel the excitement as the guests of UIP waited for the preview of Despicable Me to start.  And, when the lights dimmed and the movie began, nobody in the audience was disappointed!

Despicable Me is a delightful, 3D animated movie, which will appeal to adults and children alike.  The action starts with the discovery that the Great Pyramid of Giza has been stolen, and as if that is not horrifying enough, it hasn’t been stolen by the world’s most notorious villain, Mr Gru!

Naturally, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) is outraged and vows to regain his No. 1 Evil Villain status!

Gru’s black and foreboding house is situated in a suburban neighborhood, surrounded by white picket fenced houses, in pretty little gardens, yet nobody suspects that he has a secret hideout hidden beneath his house.

Gru summons his army of cute little yellow minions to an urgent meeting and announces that he has devised a plan to pull off the heist of the century.  His plan will make NASA’s moon landing look like child’s play, as he plans to shrink and steal the MOON!

In order to shrink the moon he needs to “acquire” a nifty piece of equipment that generates a shrink ray, and to this end he enlists the help of the minions, but alas, as fate would have it, the gadget has fallen into the hands of his nemesis, the pyramid thief, Vector!  Although Vector is a skinny little nerd, in a super hero outfit, his fortress is absolutely impregnable.

Enter Margo, Edith and Agnes, three adorable orphans, selling cookies door-to-door, and guess what???  They manage to gain access to Vector’s Fortress, due to the villain’s weakness for cookies!

A light bulb comes on in Gru’s brain, and he decides to adopt the 3 girls, as a means to achieving his evil end.

But, Gru’s army of minions, geriatric scientist, vicious “dog”, arsenal of freeze rays, rocket ships and assault vehicles, are no match for the three strong willed little girls! In no time at all, the vanquisher becomes the vanquished as the cute little ladies win his heart!

The animation is superb and the 3D effects are great fun.

Lots of surprises, loads of action, comedy, and “aww moments” await you in this charming offering from Universal!

by Bernice Kidd, married to Rory and has two daughters, Ella (7) and Grace (5).  She is the owner of 2littlegirls.co.za , an online children’s bookshop and is passionate about encouraging a love of reading!

Learning to read is not a natural process like learning to speak. Human brains are hard-wired to speak however learning to read and write are acquired skills by a process that requires early systematic and direct instruction.

Three recent studies have pinpointed the reason why some children lag behind with reading.  Up until a decade ago, it was widely believed that those children who lagged behind with reading were just what was termed ‘late bloomers’ and would eventually catch up when  their brains matured.  This was termed a ‘developmental lag’.  The more recent studies have found this to be incorrect and that these children lacked a crucial skill required when learning to read; Phoneme awareness.  This has been termed a ‘skill deficit’.

In the last few decades researches and educators alike have come to similar conclusions, which can be best summed up as follows;

1. Phonemic Awareness is the BEST predictor of reading success (Adams, 1991) and

2. Phonemic Awareness must be explicitly taught. (Brady, Fowler, Stone, & Winbury, 1994).

So what is phoneme awareness?

Firstly, it is important to know what a phoneme is. A phoneme is a basic unit of sound used to build a language. All spoken words are made up of one or more individual phonemes. For example the word DOG is made up of 3 phonemes D. O and G. Separating the word DOG into these three distinct phonemes, requires phonemic awareness. So basically phonetic awareness is the understanding that a word consists of a series of discrete sounds.

It is therefore crucial to help your children develop phonemic awareness if you want them to excel at reading. Here are some games and activities to help your children develop phonemic awareness;

1.      Provide alphabet flash cards and pictures of objects that start with these sounds. If your child finds a picture of a cat say the word “cat” with her and then see if she can find the letter “c” to go with it.

2.      Play rhyming Games. For example rhyming Pairs: Do these sound the same? (hand-band) or different (shoe-car)? Odd Word Out: What word doesn’t belong? (bed, shed, flower, ted)

3.      Talk about what sound their name starts with to develop phonemic awareness in a very personalized way. For example “Your name starts with the letter E; E is for Ella!” Once she becomes familiar with her name start saying other people’s names and talk about what sounds these names begin or end with.

4.      Exaggerate the sounds by holding on to them sssssnake. Or use rapid repetitions such as t-t-t-toes.

And one last (and most important) thing – Don’t forget to make it Fun!

by Jude Foulston ,  new mom, wife, entrepreneur,  friend and crafter who’s loving the challenge of trying to  keep it all together on a daily basis. She’s also the creator of jamtin– an online directory for all things handmade

Dear Layla

My baby girl who’s changed our world forever – you are the most precious little person that fills each day with your smiles, cuddles and love. It’s difficult to remember what life was before you arrived and how we survived without the cuddles, baby breathe and sweet little noises you love to make.

It’s difficult to find the words to describe the love we have for you… there are times that I walk into your room and you greet me with a smile that fills the entire room – it physically makes me want to burst with love for you, with an emotion that comes from deep within my soul

Dear Husband to Me and Daddy to Layla

You do know that you’re the best Daddy in the world… that’s quite a big title, but I know that to Layla you are the best Daddy ever. Pretty awesome to know that you’re going to be someone’s real life hero soon.

We’ve learnt a lot in the very short 4 months – both about being parents and each other. Could we ever have known how our lives would be changed. There are times that I miss you and seem that life is all consumed by being a mom – I promise to try my best to focus on you as much as I do Layla – bear with me as I find the balance, and the hours in the day to get to everything. Just as much as I love our monkey, I love you more. We did this together, created such a perfect little creature and have our whole lives together moulding, teaching and loving our baby girl. I know we’re going to make mistakes, but more than that, I know we’re  going to be amazing parents, a great husband and wife team and together provide a family where she is loved and treasured daily.

Dear Me

You rock as a mom, and don’t you forget it. You’ve got a blank canvas to work with here  – remember that, but also don’t let it overwhelm you – as you already know that this parenting thing can get overwhelming! Teach her every day, love her every minute, let her explore, help her create, encourage her to discover, let her make mistakes and trust that you are doing a great job. You’ve waited for this all your life and you were born to be a mom. Don’t let your career distract you – your work is important, you need it and enjoy it, but this little girl is your real job now and you’ve been promoted to CEO from day one. Training is in-house, remuneration is paid in love and vacation time is limited – all this and you’ve still got the best job in the world.

Our baby girl, we cherish each day we have with you. You are our gift from God and as we try and teach you all about life, we love every minute that you teach us what life is about.

by Kerry Haggard, working mom and wife who thinks that doing a little bit here and there to help others is a great idea. She also knows that the difficult part is actually taking the first step to doing that, which is why she’s grateful that the universe put 9 amazing women in her life to kick her a into g… Here’s how you can help these 10 women help scores of children – while you’re having a great night out.

One of the things we love about living in Joburg is how the city’s people pull together when there’s something to be done. The ten friends of Third Thursday do just that – every year, they organize a fund raising event for a Joburg charity that really needs some help. And this year, they’ve roped Governor of the Reserve Bank Gill Marcus in to help them raise funds for the children supported by The Big Shoes Foundation (www.bigshoes.org.za).

How is this remarkable collection of women raising money this year? They’re hosting a dinner at the Indaba Hotel on 13 October, where Ms Marcus will be speaking about the big shoes she’s had to fill in her long and illustrious career in politics and business. A three-course dinner is included in the R500 per person price, along with the chance to win all sorts of lovely goodies. The Third Thursday ladies have themselves a bit of a reputation for giving, and they always work hard to source sponsored gifts to make their guests feel special.

There will be some amazing items up for auction on the night, including a getaway to the fabulous Lion Sands resort worth more than R20 000. There will also be prizes for the lady and the gent wearing the most funky shoes.

These ladies are pretty amazing in their efforts – they all work, eight of them have children (one of them has three!), and every penny that they raise goes to the charity that they support each year – nothing disappears into admin costs. They’ve had some pretty big speakers over the last few years, including Ruda Landman, Debora Patta, Deshun Deysel and Graeme Codrington, and they’ve raised funds for Habitat for Humanity, the LEAP School for Maths and Science Excellence, and the Tsolofelo Baby Sanctuary. In between the big events, they also contribute their own money every month, helping out with smaller but no less important projects.

If you want to support Third Thursday and the Big Shoes Foundation, book your seats now by contacting Helen on info@thirdthursday.co.za. You could also chat to your company and get them to book a table or two – what a great way to say thank you to staff for a year’s hard work, while giving something back to the Johannesburg community!

By Dallace Jolly,  single mom to 2 sons with characters of epic proportions. Her children and work are a source of endless amusement and inspiration. She’s also a freelance writer and editor of Bluff Digital Magazine and CitiGaming.

I was summoned to an emergency meeting by my two sons to discuss our household rules. This was a highly informative and interesting meeting. So much so, that I feel compelled to share the minutes of said meeting.

Minutes of Emergency Children’s Rights Meeting

Called & Jointly Chaired by: Masters Eli (aged 9) and Caleb (aged 6)

Attendees: Eli Jolly, Caleb Jolly (hereafter referred to as Child/ren), Dallace Jolly (hereafter referred to as Mother/Parent)

Agenda: All aspects of Children’s Rights and none of those of the Parent

After lengthy commentary from the co-chairs tenuously disguised as ‘discussions,’ the following conclusions were arrived at (after a one-attendee, one-vote process):

• MacDonald’s, Spur , Mimmo’s, Wimpy and KFC DO in fact serve food which is MSG-free and contains ingredients from all major food groups; in particular vegetables (burgers have both tomato and lettuce on them) and dairy (pizza features cheese which is a dairy product, not forgetting soda floats have ice cream which is a dairy product too).

• Meal times shall now be determined on a need-to-eat basis. Any existing set meal times no longer apply. In addition the location of said meals will now be determined by game-in-play at time of said need-to-eat occurring.

• The Children’s current no-sweets-or-fizzy-drinks-during-the-week rule, shall now also apply to cigarettes and wine for Mothers.

• Brushing teeth is only necessary if an event of major importance is taking place (such as visiting Nelson Mandela or Disney World) or if rewards of the sugary variety are offered. Contrary to popular belief (and dental research), sweets do not rot teeth, they do in fact give teeth energy. This scientific fact is based on the premise that sugar gives you energy and not a sugar rush.

• Home decor/entertainment shall now predominantly comprise:

1. Toys (these must be evenly distributed throughout each room in the home and are under no circumstances to be packed away. Ever.)

2. DVDs (to be played at all hours of the day/night at maximum possible volume, whether they are being watched or not. This is to provide pleasant background noise which encourages free play.)

3. Play dough (mandatory for all floor coverings particularly those with a thick pile.)

4. Artworks will now be hand-drawn directly onto walls/upholstery in the mixed mediums of permanent marker and wax crayon.

• Henceforth when Children enquire as to why they are being asked to perform a task, responses from Mother may no longer include: “Because I am your Mother and I said so!” or “In my house you will follow my rules!” or “Because you made the mess!” The only permissible response is now “Don’t worry darling, Mommy will do it for you.”

In conclusion, it has been determined that should Mother not be in agreement with Children’s ‘suggestions’ as laid out above, then alternative accommodation must be sought by offending Mother.

BUT…

Although Mother fully recognises Children’s Rights and endeavours to give them a platform from which to voice their valid opinions, Mother is indeed MOTHER. So, Children will do what they are told and like it.

Why? Because I am their Mother and I said SO! And because they gave me stretch marks!

The meeting was adjourned by Mother and attempted coup was averted.

by Fiona Ingram, a  South African writer who loves books, travel, animals, antiques, and adventures of all kinds! Read Fiona’s author site and find out about her recently published children’s adventure novel

The mark of a great story is one that stands the test of time and South African classic Jock of the Bushveld is one of those stories. Entertainment for all ages, Jock’s adventures have found their home on stage. Jock of the Bushveld: The Musical is pure enchantment. From the moment the theatre lights dim and the audience hear the night-time sounds of the bushveld, the magic begins. This is family fun and enjoyment at its best.

The wonderful saga of Jock and his exploits takes us into a mesmerising world. Clever costuming creates the impression of the various animals Jock meets—from the stately giraffe to the frenetically trotting warthogs, to the gracious hippo, to the hip troop of ‘gangsta’ baboons. Jock’s lessons in life are all learned in his environment, and from his encounters with both his friends and his enemies. He learns about courage, fortitude, how to hunt, the meaning of true friendship, trust, love and loyalty, and the value of keeping one’s word.

The cast give a brilliant ensemble performance, weaving their way seamlessly from one animal character to another, and also playing the humans that Jock encounters. The animals are beautifully portrayed with actors’ subtle movements. Somehow the wiggle of a rear conveys the typical gait of the Mister and Missus Warthogs plus kids, while the ambling of Mama Hips the hippo lets us know exactly who she is. Interestingly, Leopard enjoys Tai Chi…

It’s impossible to pick out ‘best’ actors because they are all so good, and their voices are a joy to hear.   Jock (Vaughn Gardiner) very ably portrays the brave-hearted, feisty Jock. The lady who steals Jock’s heart is a simply splendid French Poodle called Fifi, played by Suzzi Swanepoel. Fifi sings a rip-roaring ‘Hot Dog’ in one of the most enjoyable songs in the entire show. But the scene stealers just have to be the three vultures: Chérie, Boet and Bob. Reminiscent of the Three Fates and the vultures from The Jungle Book, they have some of the funniest lines and for good reason. Their pièce de résistance is a memorable song and dance routine called ‘Culture Vulture.’  Jock’s friend Chicken is another scene stealer.  Chicken is the friend everyone wants in times of need. Brave, loyal and faithful, Chicken overcomes her (natural) fear of bigger animals with lots of huge teeth, and performs the most unheard of deed such as seeking out Leopard when Jock needs help.

The show is peppered with many typically local jokes and references. Some adults may find their kids pick up these before they do! Look out for Bob-E-Jahn and his bold and brassy gang of baboons. The African bushveld, specifically the Kruger National Park where Jock ultimately meets his end, is portrayed with amazing simplicity. A rotunda moves the actors from one setting to another, drawing the audience into various locations such as the campsite, the river, the leopard’s lair, the baobab tree.

As anyone who has read the book will know, Jock does meet a sad end, but in such a way that he simply exchanges one life for another, leaving the audience a little heartsore, but satisfied. For parents who are keen to encourage their children to read, this show is a delightful way to begin. Children will love the show and very likely will be keen to read more because of course, there’s always more to the story in a book.

Age recommendations: All ages from about 8yrs old.

Jock of the Bushveld – The Legend Lives On is currently being performed at The Mandela at Joburg Theatre until Oct 10, 2010  Click here for details

by Kerry Haggard hasn’t written for this blog for a while because she’s not really known how to write anything after tragedy struck and a friend and her two children were taken away suddenly and awfully. She’s learning that children seem to have the right approach to dealing with the difficult stuff.

You know when you become a mom that there are going to be times when you have to deal with the really difficult stuff with your child – the stuff of life, and of death – because both of these can be really hard, and both of these are inevitable.

It came sooner than I thought it would though, when three people that were part of our lives died in a fire. How to tell my big boy that the friend whose house he and his brother spent the afternoon with three days before, the boy he had shared a birthday party with the previous month, had lost his life in the bedroom that they were playing in, and that the boy’s mom and his baby sister had perished too?

I did what any chicken mom does. I delayed the inevitable, and called in an expert to tell the difficult tale. I dodged the question when my son saw the picture of the inferno on the front page of The Star, and asked whose house had burned down, holding off the terrible answer until someone else could give it, because I was too scared and too broken to do it myself.

The psychologist was amazing with Daniel and his friends at school. She asked about their friend, their favourite games with him, and what he liked the most. She then gently explained that he, his sister and his mother had been in an accident, but that they were safe now, and happy, and that they couldn’t be hurt any more. She explained that they weren’t coming back ever again, but that we could hold them all in our hearts.

Daniel was solemn, but calm, and only cried when I did. We wrote a message to his friend and his sister on helium balloons, and released them with the other children.

When my mom drove past the house later that week, not realizing where it was, he saw the burnt out shell and went quiet. “It was my friend’s house that burned down, wasn’t it, Nana?” he asked. “Yes, my boy,” she said, bracing herself. “It’s ok Nana. He’s safe now, he’s in heaven,” said my amazing boy.

I realized in this that the simplicity of his approach is what is helping him deal with the loss. He doesn’t know the details – although one day I’m sure he’ll figure it out. I’ve promised myself that I’m not going to delegate that explanation, one day when it happens. In being unaware of the details, he really is dealing with the simple facts. There was an accident. They are not here any more. They are safe. They cannot be hurt again. No more information required, really.

He’s not said much about it since, although every now and then he’ll mention a favourite game he played with his friend, or he’ll see something similar to a toy that he played with at his friend’s home, but he’s never sad or tearful.

Last week, he was all about tattoos, as some of the other children had some stick-on transfer tattoos. I hate them, but eventually gave in and got a pack of 35 (yes, 35!!!) tattoos for him and his brother to share. He wanted one on his chest, and just as I magically revealed the circular tattoo, he asked if that was near where his heart was.

“Yes, my boy,” I said.

“Cool. Then my friend can see it too. He’s in my heart, you see.”

by Heike Taschner,  foodie, fond gardener, loves spending  time with her 4 yr old in the garden, making large sculptures and cooking home grown veggies. Owner of Spiced Coffee Restaurant at Ludwig’s Roses

When I think of Spring, I see little shoots, red and soft, peeping from each pruned rose bush;  fresh little leaves forming, getting ready to spread out and soak up the sun rays.  I count the few days left until the farm BURSTS with colour, exhibiting fields of blooming roses.

I see the Egyptian ducks returning to the dams and shortly after, feathery little ducklings swimming in rows behind their mommy Jemimah duck.  The veld grass turns green again and the horses are let free to roam.  Butterflies emerge and are symbolic of the lightness and joy that Spring brings with it.

As a child I remember getting up with ease to go to school when Spring returned. I fondly reminisce about our school Spring Day festival and my father making us the most magnificent rose garland haloes. I remember friends being envious of the rose crown, not knowing how heavy it was to wear, and teachers hoping that they were the favourite who would receive the halo as a gift after the festival.

Today I made a boutonnière for my son to wear to the kindergarten Spring Day. He proudly wore his bright orange rose pinned through his shirt button hole. We have also planted some seeds in a mini hot house on our window sill and we look closely each day if one or two of them have sprouted.  Alexander helped mix in some compost and peanut shells into our new garden beddings and chose colourful perennial plants at a nursery close by.  We also made sure to pick some plants that attract butterflies to the garden.

During the cold Winter my 4 year old and I kept ourselves busy indoors with creative projects -pasting and painting, cutting and gluing, reading and colouring. Now that it is warmer and Summer is on our doorstep he spends hours outdoors, riding bicycle with his dad; swinging, playing hide-and-  seek with his friends. He also had his first swimming lesson of the season.

The time of warm soups and stews is over, making way for experimenting with home grown veggies and herbs. The warm, Spring days also lend themselves to taking the family on an occasional weekend trip to an animal farm, park or to the zoo to learn something new.

Pack a picnic basket, your hat and some sun block and enjoy a day relaxing and watching Spring unfold.