From the birds and the bees, to family trees.: My Twisted Sista's

Moroccan Evening - Believe it or not, but we're all smiling in this pic

My Twisted Sista's
12 September 2012

Without my group of friends, The Twisted Sista’s, life would not be worth living. I scored the jackpot when all of us met, when our eldest kids where in Pre-Primary, 10 years ago. It truly was a fortuitous meeting of the minds (very twisted minds, but minds none the less). The timing was impeccable. We were all raising small kids, so our interests verged. We were plodding through life from one nappy change to the next (mostly for me, as my kids were the youngest – in fact Cole wasn’t even a blimp on the horizon then). Packing lunch boxes, dropping kids off at pre-school, running a home, some of us working, some not so much, all very involved with the most amazing school, called Happy Days.

We had been doing the friendly nodding and waving thing to each other, until we all got roped in together to do a school fundraiser. We quickly realised that we really enjoyed each other’s company. The fact that our kids became friends was a fantastic bonus. We took things to the next level and one friend hosted a get together at her house for all of the families in our little circle and wonder above wonders, a marvellous little by-product of the girls’ friendship, was the fact that husbands also really got on well.

Our origins are diverse. Our economic status is diverse. Our parental style is diverse. Mostly our marital status is the same. But most importantly, we roughly shared the same outlook on life and we all had a huge sense of humour. And within a very short period of time, my friends became my sisters. What started off as a joke one night, stuck and we called ourselves “The Twisted Sista’s”. It all sounds very school-ish, like we were 10 years old and named our gang or group or click of friends, but at the time it seemed funny, and years later it is still quicker and easier than saying anything else.

We are a core of 5 women – all pretty phenomenal if you ask me. Over the years we’ve made a few new friends along the way and they’ve also joined the fray. Some have fallen by the way side – either moving away or emigrating, but contact is never lost. Us five have stayed solid. We “lost” one very, very close friend. We had a pivotal crises in our group, which divided us into two camps – yet again like school kids. Everyone went one way and she went the other way. Each to their own and I respect the way she feels. No one was right and no one was wrong. And sadly we could not pull the friendship back, despite trying. It is something that I mourn to this day and makes my heart ache.

So the closest five of us, see each other nearly daily, when we fetch our kids from school, even though the lot of us now have kids in four different schools. Our husbands have a friendship that is independent to ours, which is really cool. We get together about once a month or so and have a Twisted Supper at someone’s house or go to the movies. We do coffee and tea at a restaurant every so often. We have the occasional meal out. We pop into each other’s houses all the time – unannounced, yet always welcome. We are not umbilically bound and don’t move as a group. Within the group certain friends may go off to the gym together, or shopping together, holidays together or even have meals together. It’s a very easy, very comfortable set of relationships – like slipping into your slippers after a hard day at work. In contrast to the family that I was born into, they are the family that I've had a part in choosing. And I hand picked each and every one.

They lift me up when I am down. They always make me laugh. They are my champion. They root for me. They encourage me. They support me. They are my children’s extra mother’s and have my full permission to reprimand and discipline them in my absence, and even in front of me if the need arises. They’re a few extra sets of hands. They help me. We babysit each other’s kids. We lift each other’s kids. They complete me.

We do the most awesome things together. We go away for weekends. We do scavenger hunts. We host a spring boule championship – just for the lot of us. We go camping together – where it always rains. One year for my birthday, they took me horse riding on Noordhoek beach. We host themed dinner parties. We went on a boat cruise together. We do a million other little things together as well. Basically, we do life together, and I can clearly envision us doddering away in our old age – still laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

We’ve seen each other through the different phases of our children’s lives - from toddlers to teenagers. We’ve survived weight gain and weight loss. Various hairstyles. Giving birth. Commitments to exercise. The loss of parents. Career changes. Insolvency and liquidations. Trips overseas. Business ventures. Building and alterations to homes. Relationship ups and downs with our husbands. Each other’s extended families. Unemployment. Stresses and strains. Naughty kids. Cheeky teenagers. Ailing parents. Ill health and operations. Diets – too numerous to mention. Disappointments. Joys. Life and love. A virtual smorgasbord.

They are my oxygen and I need them with every fibre of my being to get through life. How dull and dreary life would be without them? I can’t even contemplate it.

Twisted Sista’s for life – and damn proud of it!

Birthday Breakfast at Casa Cloete one year

Not quite sure what we're doing here. Perhaps the Choo-Choo Train?

Group photo at Big Jim's 40th

The Gals

Shari's ABBA party - hot on the heels of seeing Mamma Mia

About to go on our Boat Trip

Babes about to board The Rhapsody. We had t-shirts printed for ourselves. Everyone had a different number. Mine was "Babe #1 - If lost return to Captain's Cabin". It was very funny and had the whole boat buzzing.

Camping weekend away. It was AMAZING!

Attempting to pout for the camera

Hysterical laughter - as always

Another camping weekend away - Grootvadersbos

Gansbaai weekend away

The dream team performing our rap song at the scavenger hunt

The Dream Team - acceptance speech after winning

Gearing up before our horse riding trip on Noordhoek Beach for my birthday

Simply unforgettable

The Limo Life

Wigging about

The Spring Boule Championship

Proudly South African evening. Because I'm so baby mad, they forced me to spend the entire evening with a baby strapped to my back - for authenticity apparently. Luckily "my baby" slept through the whole evening.