I Have Moved!!

In a very smooth transition, i have moved my blog to my own domain http://www.mrsmwiti.com

Catch up with you there! Thank You for reading.

I now feel something for Football

I am a blonde when it comes to football. I am the kind of person who asks questions like "When you say 11 people in a team, does that include the goal keeper"?

If i say i don't like football that will be putting it mildly. If i say i hate football that will be too..er...hateful! Lets just say, i feel nothing (or at least used to feel nothing) for football. Be it World Cup or Africa Cup.

My earliest memories of football are my elder brother and i playing football at home. He was a pro. He made sure that i dint 'touch' the ball and this would make me furious! I'd threaten him that i wont play with him again and throw a tantrum. I must have been three of four.

my brother and I

Since then i have never wanted anything to do with football and would agonize over how it was a waste of time screening 'Football made in Germany' and wish away 'sports news'. I refused to be associated with or have anything to do with football even up to my adult life.

Ironically or otherwise, i happened to meet, fall in love with and, and marry a man to who loves football only a little less(i hope) than he loves his family. Seeing him love football so much made me change from not caring at all to being curious about football. Thus my blonde questions.☺

May be its because its the first World Cup to be held in African soil, or it was the exciting posts on Twitter, or maybe because i cant stop humming the WakaWaka song. More importantly, we were all united in prayers(or was it just me praying?) and hope that we as Africans, would excel if only this one time..

I have watched a few matches in the just ended World cup and almost wept when Ghana lost to Uruguay. I now feel something for the beautiful game. This just ended World Cup has stirred in me some positive emotion to my surprise. The magic that was the first 'African' World Cup got me sitting down to watch a football match.

Oh, and i now know what a foul means!

'My' Songs - Songs I Love

In no particular order these are songs i love listening to. They cheer me up, they are laden with memories..they are close to my heart.They are songs i hear and smile to myself or just sing along.

1. High by Light House Family - I am at home back at the village listening to the radio one lazy afternoon. I heard this beautiful song and loved it instantly. It was like falling in love at first er…hear. I came to Google it years later and listened to it on Youtube. Now I have it even in my computer at work. I never tire of listening to it. Very positive, inspirational.
2. See you when you get there by Coolio - I love this song, especially when played really loud. Speaking of which, whatever happened to Coolio?
3. Life goes on by Tupac - Again , I heard this song on my little radio at home years ago and couldn’t stop humming it. Only recently is when I paid attention to the rest of the lyrics which are a bit on the wild side as is expected of Tupac. Prior to that, I only got, “Life goes on” and the beautiful beats. Reminds me of a time in my life that I could have given up but I didn’t.
4. Our Father by Don Moen - Really worshiping God, in song.
5. God will make a way by Don Moen - I believe this song. Every word of it. I have seen it happen, in my life.
6. Let the peace of God reign by Hillsongs - Just love the lyrics. Its a prayer.
   
7. Sina Mungu mwingine by Reuben Kigame - I love EVERYTHING by Reuben Kigame but I single out this one. It makes me think…and pray.
8. Heaven I need a hug by R Kelly - I love the beat in this song.
9. Its my Life by Bon Jovi - Apparently I love rock.
10. Looking back Over my shoulder by Mike and the Mechanics - Did I mention I love rock? yes, kinda.
11. You deserve the best by Atlantic star (I guess) - I love hearing these words over and over again.
12. The one by Backstreet Boys - This song makes me smile.
13. I will be there by Michael Jackson - My favorite MJ song.

Baby girl turns 4

Little princess is turning four tomorrow. She's been reminding all of us that 'My birthday is almost coming'. She's so grown. She's so beautiful.

We called her Vanessa but overtime she has accumulated various names : Kajune, kalittle..Her dad and i call her kamummy. Her sister calls her June Bear. Her auntie calls her June baby. Her teacher calls her Vanie...

Miracle
When i was just 3 months to the due date, doc said that my baby was not lying in the correct position .Another said the same a month later. We prayed. We prayed that all would go well. It was a miracle that during my last month baby was in the correct position alright. No complications.

I remember that interesting morning i had her. Half past 3 in the morning June 12 2006. She coughed and then she cried. She was 3.3kgs. I remember what i thought after i looked at her well manicured little nails and slim shapely fingers. This one..she's gonna be a beauty freak! How true this has turned out to be.

Beauty Queen
Little miss is fussy about details and loves decorating things...and herself. She sneaks up on me when i go to the shower and applies my lip balm or any other beauty product she can lay her hands on. She loves bling and always notices every time i buy some new bling. She will tell me. "Thach a nice bling". ☺

Just like dad
She knows what she wants and goes for it. She is a perfectionist. No grey areas. She loves things done her own way. This makes us be at loggerheads sometimes. But we make up soon enough.

As she turns four, i thank God for the special gift of her. She's my baby you know...Happy Birthday baby girl!

How to ask for a Pay rise

According to Wikipedia, Mirroring is the behavior in which one person copies another person usually while interacting with them. It may include gestures, movements, body language, muscle tensions, expressions, tones, eye movements, breathing, tempo, accent, attitude, choice of words/metaphors and other aspects of communication.

Human beings will tend to mimic one another. For example if you are talking to someone who is pocketing, a few minutes into the conversation you will find yourself pocketing. That is why we belong to the Apes family! Psychologists also, tell us that human beings tend to feel more comfortable, at ease, and even equal, with a person mirroring them.

This blog post explains how you can use mirroring to ask for a pay rise from your non-nonsense boss. Here is how:

Once you are in your boss's office greet him. If he is seated ask if you can sit and sit. If he is standing remain standing.

For this case, lets assume he is seated. How is he seated? If he is seated comfortably leaning on his chair, sit the same way! If he's leaning forward on the table do the same.

If he is busy ask to come at another time. Explain to him the blah blah blah of why you deserve the rise and how much you need. Watch him. If he stands up to let it sink in, stand up too and continue talking to him.

It is important that at no point should you be standing and him sitting or vice versa.

Observe when he's sitting down and slowly, sit down as he sits.

He won't know what hit him! He'll just oblige to what you are proposing or atleast give you a good deal...

Thats My girl!

The school diary read..

"Dear Parent, please teach [My daughter] this solo verse as she prepares for drama festival."

Whaat?, I thought. Wasn't the arrangement supposed to be that I pay the fees and YOU teach her? But deep down i was Swelling with pride. My 5 year daughter had been chosen to represent her class in reciting a poem during drama festivals. Here is how the poem goes..

I can tie my shoe,
I can brush my hair,
I can wash my hands and face
And dry myself with care.

I can clean my teeth too,
And fasten up my frocks.
I can say how do you do,
and pull up both my socks.

That was two weeks ago. Since then we have been rehearsing and practicing. Her confidence is impressive! And she says it so well.

Today is drama day. And she went out there to make us proud...

Go Melissa go!

Househelps Paradise : Anatomy of the Kenyan Househelp

By the time your kids have grown, you are bound to meet with all or some of these breeds of Kenyan house-helps. They say that House-helps are the necessary evil we have to live with. They come in all types of personalities. This list is not exhaustive. Feel free to add your own..

The shagsmundu – She has never seen a sink and doesn’t know how to flush a toilet. Her Swahili vocabulary is down to 10 words but you hope she’ll learn. She will marvel at the TV and you will have to make a decision. Either disconnect it at the mains or leave it at her disposal and hope that she will get used to it and not spend the whole day watching anything. After sometime, she will learn Swahili and become more sociable. Her dressing will change. She might even join a Househelps chama. However,she might be swindled of her money sooner or later by the shrewd ones.Then she'll 'chanuka'.Several months down the line she will ask you to buy her a phone (with her savings),and that will be the beginning of the end…

The town-girl – She knows the job coz she has worked a dozen other places ‘in Nairobi’. Don’t ask why she has so many ex-employers. She has a very questionable past. She has overdone make-up and is very sociable. She speaks sheng. You will have to remind her that you are not interested in your children knowing sheng.

The Seducer- She’s after your husband and doesn’t see you as a threat. Not a big one anyway. She will dress in skirts with long slits, or clingy jeans and tumbo cuts and try to get his attention. That is until when you sit her down and tell her to dress properly. She will then try her skills elsewhere after noting that you are watching her…

The ‘mother’ – She’s not perfect but you will overlook her weaknesses because she treats your kids like her own. Your kids will love her and will go to cry on her shoulder when you spank them. You’ll be WOWed and wonder what you’do without her. That’s until she elopes with the neighbour’s shamba boy and leaves you confused. You thought she had more sense than that!

The elite – This one just completed form 4. She is waiting to go to College and so, she didn’t want to stay idle.You are impressed! She’s very clean and organized. She knows English. She even reads the news paper. However, she is not very patient with the kids. You often remind her to be more gentle with them. She has a phone and uses it regularly and might even ask for an advance to buy airtime.

Eventually you will be put off by her pride because she will tell you things like she is not used to taking care of MANY (read three) children, or that she suffers severe cramps and is therefore completely unable to work when she is having her period.

The Minor – This one is underage. Everyone can see. The only reason you are having her is that you are REALLY DESPERATE. Your former girl has left and you can’t get leave at work, so this one is like a ‘stepping stone’ until you get another mboch. She is a primary school drop-out and does odd jobs back at the village. You hope that you can be able to help her go back to school once this crisis you are having is over, in a week or two.
She was really excited when she was told of the opportunity. She has never travelled to the city. When she comes she just marvels at everything and talks a lot about the journey. Basic training is very important as she is a shagsmundu. She knows a few Swahili words and you figure that is not a problem. All you want is just not to leave your toddlers in the house alone! You will be forced to do or re-do most of the work in the evening because she can only do so much. After a few days , her excitement will die down and she’ll just break down one morning and tell you that she misses home. Never mind that she had been telling you only yesterday, how she hates carrying firewood and fetching water down the river, back at home. So you will comfort her and promise her to put her in the first bus, come Saturday. Then you will pray that by then, you’ll have found a ‘proper’ replacement .

The nanny – She’s only a little younger than your mum. Once married, she’s now separated or widowed. She even has kids of her own, who are in school upcountry. She is motivated coz she needs to find them school fees. Being a mother herself, she goes out of her way to make sure your kids are comfortable. She’s humble, respectful, and very efficient.She even cooks well. In short, she literally runs your house! If you say your prayers right, you might stay with this one for a DECADE, or even two!

The Day-Scholar – She comes to work during the day and leaves by evening. She’s almost the same age as The Nanny. She’s good. The only problem is while you are toiling at the office, she’s shipping some of your shopping to a safe hide-out so she can go with them at home in the evening. You’ll wonder how your Unga seems to have drastically reduced. Then you will suspect her and after investigations, confirm your fears. You will then confront her and she will confess how she did it coz of the many problems she’s having at home. You will then swear not to have a day-scholar again…until a crisis comes again.

The smell of her lotion..

My mum taught me the importance of prayer. When i was days old i was put in the ICU coz i had some health complications.The doctors didnt seem to figure out what the problem was. There was no much hope and they told her as much! But mama. She didnt give up. She prayed for me. She stopped what she was doing(knitting little booties and sweaters for me)and prayed. Miraculously i made it against all odds. She named me Kathure- the chosen one.

At home we always prayed.Sometimes,she'd wake us up at 6:00 in the morning to pray the rosary.

Growing up as the last born means i was my mama's pet. Always accompanying her everywhere she went. To church, to the market, to town, even to class when i was really young. Mum and i were inseparable.I refused to go to pre-school so i could join the class my mum was teaching : class one.

I was always mum's baby. She held me on her lap and fed me, even when i was 6.

I instisted on sleeping in her bed until i went to boarding school, where i missed her love and pampering terribly. But i knew she wanted the best for me. Thats why she sent me to the best school she could, however expensive it was with her teachers' salary. I schooled with children of the rich and very rich. At the time i pitied myself and whinned my way into more shopping on opening day. But looking back. I thank God that mama made that decision. She wanted me to be the best and to dream big.

The hardest thing i have ever done in my life was to tell mum that i was pregnant while still at campus. I still remember what she said after it sunk in. "How do you want me to help you?"

Now that am grown woman, it upsets me that i cant see mum as often as i would like to. But i try to live by what she taught me. I want her to be proud of me.

Mum makes us laugh and tells us inspiring stories. She taught me how to cook and advises me how to take care of my family. If i live to be 100, i will never forget, the sweet smell of my mama's lotion and the warmth of her embrace.

Happy Mothers Day Isabella!

Lessons from 'The Secret'

'The Secret' is the most powerful film i have ever watched.It is a film about the Law Of Attraction(LOA), how one can be aware of it and use it for their benefit.I have watched it severally and every time i learn something new. I will keep growing this list therefore. But for now:


- Human beings are created in the image of God. This means that they can create their own realities in life.You have the power to attract experiences or things into your life.

- In life what you expect is what you get.

- Be grateful. Being grateful always brings more to be grateful for.

- You are what you think.You attract what you think of most.

- Don't criticize or blame anyone, ever.

- Do not try to change someone Be and let others be.

- You are a magnificent being. You can be or do or have anything you want in this world.

- If you want to attract something in your life fill your mind with positive thoughts regarding it(Visualize yourself having it already and feel the happiness....).In a matter of time it will be yours.This thought process will cause you to act towards attaining that thing. Think good health,lots of money, adorable kids, a nice car..

Have you watched/read 'The Secret' yet?

Get Esther n Timberlake off my TV screen!

It is true that one Esther Adongo and her entourage walked themselves into Nation center without invitation seeking a kind of press conference. Why does she feel obliged to prove a point? And what point is she desperate to prove anyway? That she is now a married to a man who looks and sounds so foolish it hurts?! "She's mine,she's mine.." he says winking and pointing at Esther like she's some trophy. Talk about giving gold to the pigs.

Watching her and her husband cuddling for all the world to see how 'in love' they are, was like a watching a horror movie in slow motion. Since when did 30 year olds pull teen-age like stunts.How heart breaking must it be for her parents? What embarrassment it must cause them to see her like that.

It got me thinking, parents should never give up praying for their children.

As for Esther, that Timberlake husband of hers should give her a baby ASAP. From her actions(wiping his WHOLE face with a hanky and adjusting his shirt)she needs a baby to 'mother'. Maybe that will occupy her enough so she doesn't have to appear on my TV screen any time soon.