I finally gave into the begging of my almost five year old (two sleeps to go!) and made him and his brother sharks out of toilet rolls (finally a use for all the toilet paper we stockpiled before lockdown!).
We printed an activity guide for kids two weeks ago in the newspaper and it included the toilet roll shark.
Daniël started asking about it the second he laid eyes on it. Crafts are not my thing and the terror of trying to navigate a craft without losing fingers (mostly those of my two-year-old) has been enough to have me fob him off for two weeks.
But I buckled and the outcome was pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself.
The result has been a lot of fun playing ‘shark attack’.
It turns out that I have been wasting my money buying toys when they are just, if not more, delighted with a homemade toy made using the humble bog roll.
Some days during lockdown I want to pull my hair out trying to figure out how to keep us all sane.
Then there are days I barely see my kids and I actually get some work done. Saturday was one of those.
The boys were busy outside for the entire morning with my hubby, who was tinkering in his workshop.
When I asked Daniël what he was up to he said “hunting” and shot out the door before I could ask any more questions.
I was a bit suspicious because this hardly ever happens (my boys think I was put on earth to entertain them).
Turns out the husband had built him his own bow and arrow (blunt of course) out of an old pipe and some string.
He is beyond delighted and spends hours hunting in the garden.
He has also built an elaborate ‘trap’ for baddies that morphs into a zipline in a tree.
Lockdown has given me a new appreciation for my home.
Normally I spend a great deal of time rushing in and out of it and like the rabbit in Wonderland – usually late.
I harry the kids into the car and shoot from one activity to the next, chivying them along as we rush, rush, rush.
I have found a great deal of peace ‘just being’ these past weeks.
While our time at home is never lacking in activity, doing puzzles, racing cars or riding bikes down the driveway.
Still, the pace has slowed considerably. And I like it.
While I will be excited to welcome the outside world again, I hope I can maintain some of the calm that I have found in not rushing.
***
While ‘rushing to conclusions’ that any mention of Black Economic Empowerment means that white business owners will be excluded from government aid may be incorrect, I hope that government will prove itself trustworthy in this regard.
AfriForum, The Institute of Race Relations and the Democratic Alliance have all objected to the use of B-BBEE codes in the allocation of relief funding.
AfriForum is set to clash with government over the R200m Tourism Relief Fund today (Tuesday) in the Pretoria High Court.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel called the race criteria shameful and unlawful and was quoted by Business Day as saying: “The tourism minister’s stated intention to help only some people and not others, because of the colour of their skin, their age or their gender, makes a mockery of SA’s constitutional democracy.”
Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has defended the transformation agenda of the relief fund, saying it was guided by the tourism broad-based BEE codes of good practice.
The thought of the retrenchments, salary cuts and the many businesses facing closure (regardless of race, age or sex) can make you nauseous at the best of times.
The enormity of the world-wide crisis is giddying to try get your head around.
But we are all in it together.
Like the many ‘Haves’ have demonstrated in rallying with our Orphan Fund around the ‘Have Nots’ and making more than 5000 litres of soup these past few weeks, the generosity of the people is not determined by race or the policies of government.
There are many others collecting food parcels, sewing masks and looking for ways to help alleviate the impact of this crisis on the most vulnerable.
North Coast people are generous and race is not used to determine who receives help.
My prayer is that government will be forced to hear the cries of her beloved people.
Now more then ever, if we are to come out of this crisis strong and united, we need policies that build our economy without fear or favour, sowing unity and not division.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments.
As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed.
Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol.
A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
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