Just to breathe

We spent the last week of the school holiday in the beautiful Karoo. It was an amazing experience and I am still struggling to come to terms with the constant noise on the building site I am spending so much time on at the moment. It was quite possibly one of my favorite family holidays ever. I just loved the simple quietness, the icy cold mornings and the total change of pace.

It is incredible how fast one adapts to the cold. The first morning there was -12degrees Celcius aroun 7 in the morning. It was freezing. The day and days in general got progressively warmer but funny enough, no one complained about the cold. A made a game of seeing how cold see could see a thermometer on.

We read, ate, played and just relaxed. It was a wonderful time in the company of great friends. Life is extremely tough at the moment and I am a bit of a mess in general. I think this time of repose may have saved my sanity. The kids just slipped into farm mode and had so much fun.  The heart stone below was found by Mr L and I am keeping in on my bedside table in fond memory of a great time out for us.

I don't quite know where to start

I know it has been such a long time since my last post. The honest truth is that it is honestly one of the toughest times in my life and that I purely and simply have not found the time or energy to post. It was already tough going at work since my business partner passed away but I was left with two critical staff members with either family or health issues and days off - the one now close to two weeks (with one here in between). He honestly was sick and I feel so sorry for him but the load has been insane. I have au pair issues to add to all this - which was truly the straw to break the camel's back. I have cried and laughed and purely just disconnected in frustration. Also when I realized that my BIL and SIL will be visiting in a critical week - and was then left without the person that could help me in the office for the week.

The family visited Freedom Park amongst other places this week

They however has been the most amazing blessing to us this week. I now know that God has provided it this way as they have honestly been life savers to us. Making sure there are meals and entertaining our kids with theirs to the T. They have honestly played at being tourists in their own city. I am so hugely grateful for this. But I think it is the small things that the kids may remember most of all. Playing Lego for hours. Sharing a bed early mornings and the girls painting nails.

In other news the kids all brought home wonderful report cards - I could not be more proud of any of them.The boys spent 4 days playing cricket to start out their Winter holiday and both took more wickets than their mom could dream of. A had Lyrical dance practice and two swimming practices - so no rest for the weary. Although of course this is rest. Every single morning when I do not hear the alarm at 5:30 I crawl in deeper and close my eyes. Every evening when chores end with cleaning after dinner and not with packing school lunches is a joy. Yeah to school holidays although I am working!

So how are your school holidays going?

Well hallo! And happy new year!

Two weeks into 2017 and I only greet you today! All that I can say is that it has been a wonderful holiday. One filled with rest, relaxation and family (and obviously not blogging) - and it was great. Port Elizabeth spoiled us with stunning weather! Just some highlights in photos:

We had hours of relaxed family time at home and lots of time active outdoors.

We slept over on our favorite Karoo farm on the way down - it was so dry - glad to know it has rained substantially since then. It was a day of magic and nature.

The kids fished - and totally loved it. The girl child turned out to love it most for the moment. That may of course change again. She caught and released 3 fish that morning - and the boys one each.

We spent a lovely day at the Sundays river with friends - boating and eating and having so much fun.

Our Ocean girl loved the rock pools - she is not a huge lover of waves but those pools!

Our favorite beach at New Years morning was quiet and stunning - it did get busier but it is big enough to handle it. What a blessing!

All the best for 2017 - we are already knee deep in school things. So how was your holiday? 

Movie time

We go to the movies a lot - a result of our Discovery Vitality membership as the kids really movie for free most of the day and we at a great discount. We have also trained the kids not to expect a full combo of refreshments at the movies - and they understand that we can see as many as their age allows if we stick to this. So we share popcorn, only get drinks or sometimes skip the whole lot. But we enjoy our movies to the full. We have seen all 3 the kids movies available these holidays and I thought I will give you a run down on them.

The BFG
I saw the movie with the kids in the second week of the holiday. Firstly it is incredibly beautifully animated mixing live subject with super realistic animation. Secondly the tale is stunningly told - not 100% as per the book but close enough to satisfy a Rolad Dahl fan like me. I thoroughly enjoyed it as did the kids. The scary parts however are very scary and I think a child under about 6 might find it overwhelming. The funny parts are some of the funniest I have ever seen - gosh, that scene in the palace is hilarious!
The kids gave it a unanimous 10/10 and as to enjoyment for adults - I give it a well deserved 10/10 too.

ICE age 
The kids saw this one with our Au Pair during the last week. The general feeling was that it was very funny indeed and quite entertaining. A did mention that the bit of the little guy with his acorn is getting a bit too much but that is purely a personal opinion.
The kids gave it a 9/10 (two of them) and a 10/10 from Mr C. Out Au pair gave it a 8/10 for adult entertainment value.

Finding Dory
We  saw the movie yesterday for a last little holiday treat. We all really enjoyed it but it is not "Finding Nemo" - but still a great adventure. I loved Destiny - a great character added with her friend Bailey and it is in the end still a great Disney/Pixar movie with all the elements we expect.
The kids gave it a 10/10 (A) 9/10 C and 8/10 (L). I give it a good 9/10 for adult entertainment value.

We had a little discussion in the car on our way home yesterday afternoon and the kids all give the BFG as their favorite with two of them voting for Finding Dory in the second place and one for Ice Age in the second place. For me there is really no contest - the BFG is a MUST SEE (as The Little Prince was) for adults - even if you do not have kids. Just go - it is stunning and simply beautiful. I would really love to see it again.

I hope this helps for your movie selection with the kids - please tell me which ones did you see or are planning to see.

Perfect moments

Sometimes life gifts you with a perfect moment - a moment when all that is ugly in the world disappears for a while, a moment where you feel at peace and where your whole being sighs in joy. Pure pure happiness! I had one of those on Monday afternoon as we stood on the beach at Sanlameer in perfect weather - just our little family together after a very excited drive down to the coast. I had a few more over the following few days. It was a great break.

It still feels almost unreal - our wonderful 5 days at the coast. I have forgotten how great the weather is this time of the year. You actually escape the Winter for just a few days. But we are all a little happier now, breathe a little deeper and feel that we had a rest and some time for each other. 

Five for Friday edition 11

• In about an hour's time I am out of the office for a whole 9 days! It's been a while since we had a proper break and we all really need it.
• On Monday afternoon, God willing, we will be at the seaside - toes in the sand and sun on our faces. Yes, I know it's Winter but it will be fantastic! I just know it.
• The kids all brought lovely report cards home - I am very proud and humbled by every great mark. They have all worked hard and earn this break.
• I had a terrible cold this week - and could not really take time off work. Neurophen Cold and Flu and a 1000mg Vitamin C did the trick and I am already feeling 99% healthy.
• I have done my first order with Spree and am delighted with their service - I at last have boots that fit and got them on the Boots discount day - have a look guys - they have discount days for categories. (This is purely shared out of public interest - I have no affiliation with Spree)

With that - I hope you have a great weekend! And a great week.

Oh hallo!

Golden hour pretty at the koppie

After my full 10 days of my little holiday and silence from my part I was actually surprised to see how many bloggers took the same little break - or a part of it. It's been a good break - and we did not even go away. I loved a lot of things about it and am glad we stayed at home. It was just good solid time together - and we got some tasks done. I have to also mention that magically there has been very little fighting. The odd usual scrap but none of the "I am bored" fighting. The kids have been palying imaginary games, reading books and just doing crafts - I am so glad that they are big enough to do on on their own with this.

My dear Hunter, anchor and compass in my life, had his birthday on the 21st. Honestly I can not imagine my life without him, his love and his special ways. A and I baked him a chocolate cake - just the way he likes is. Dark, moist and no icing. For special effect we added his favorite chocolates , Whispers, inside the cake before we baked it and it turned out super tasty.

Incredible how Autumn arrived smack bang with the Easter weekend. It's cooler in the mornings and nice and warm - well hot , in the middle of the day. As much as I am no fan of Winter I do love Autumn. With it came babychinos and hot chocolate for the kids.

C made us chocolate drops on Saturday - out of the "Cook and enjoy for kids" . He did everything himself - I just stayed and checked that he went about it safely. I can really recommend this book if you want your kids to start cooking and baking on their own.

We spent this last Sunday resting - purely and simply resting. And the kids joined in with gusto. We just had time out - slept, read, watched some movies. We rested. It was magical.

We found the most wonderful mushrooms in our garden after a week of lots and lots of much needed rain. There were 3 different types that were all quire spectacular in size and count. We carefully removed them after the photos - I was scared that the puppies will eat them.

The boys started their holiday with 3 days of solid rugby in their first full on rugby Prestige week. They were exhausted by Wednesday but I think it played a good part in keeping them occupied and happy - and that they learned a lot - especially how to tackle.

Poor A had to have a tooth pulled - a permanent one. It transpires that her jaw is too small and the other 3 similar ones on the other sides will no doubt follow - as will braces later. I was much impressed with our dentist who handled her so well that she says she is not one bit scared to have him do the others when needed. And he is contracted in with the medical aid. Big win. This whole episode actually deserves a blogpost about dentists and medical aids.

I took her and her friend KR for a "little miss manicure" at Sorbet on Tuesday. It was something that I promised to her for the December holidays and that we did not get to with all the things that happened.  It is amazing how special R55 makes them feel.

A with the red and glitter - her friend with the sea colours

I de cluttered all but one of our bookshelves - I donated all the books to Hospice - apart from a few that friends wanted. I just kept 2 categories of fiction - those that I want to read (or read again) and those that I feel is essential reading matter for my kids in the future. It felt great and I had shelf space to store my Project life and photo albums where I want to.

We went to church on Good Friday and Eater Sunday. Although none of the kids believe in the Easter Bunny anymore I did get them a bunny, an egg, those small bantam candy covered eggs and a marshmallow egg or two. They then hid the eggs for each other in the most challenging palces and played "hot and cold" to find them. Great fun. I also did a night time hunt with those "loadshedding' Easter eggs - I love that one can refill them every year with whatever you want to.

We went for a hike up the Koppie - our usual spot and took some friends along. It was great to do it at a more leisurely pace this Sunday as Monday was a public holiday and there was no rush to get home.

Hunter took the kids to see "Kung fu Panda 3" while I went to see "My big fat Greek wedding 2". We all had fun and it was a huge treat for me to see a "non kiddie" movie in the theater. I love my hubby for this idea. Also if you live in Pretoria go have a look at the umbrella feature in The Grove mall - really something to see.

We also baked muffins, had a few braais at home and A baked Barbie cupcakes from one of those premix boxes - totally without me even seeing it.




Every single photo above was taken with my iPhone - why? Well my trusty Canon is refusing to power on - I feel a tad lost without it. It is still under warranty so I am hoping Canon can fix this soon.

That about sums up our last 10 days - so what were you up to?

Fun in and around Pretoria (and at home)

As many of you have read our December holiday has been anything but what we planned. In stead we spent it mostly at home - and a while without electricity too. I was not prepared for entertaining the kids for the holiday at home, but we did some great things - worth sharing I think.

We went to the movies - being on Discovery with the kids' movies for free (and limiting the snacks we buy) this is a very affordable outing for us. We saw all 4 of Ster Kinekor's kiddies movies this season. By far the kids' favorite was :

 By far my favorite was:

We spent a day at Zambibush. The venue has had some criticism after one slide broke and about overcrowding etc but we went after they imposed their bookings only rule and spent a lovely Friday there and never felt crowded or such. The kids had an absolute ball between the slides, lazy river and zipline into the water. I would definitely go there again but not sure if the weekend are too busy.

We played a lot of board games and cards - everything from Trump cards to Uno to Ludo and Chess. When the kids got Cluedo for Christmas it turned into many many Cluedo games.

Our Lego friends Advent calendar was a huge hit and daily distraction. We also build lots and lots of other Lego creation - I think most time in the holidays were spent around Lego (as was most Christmas gifts)

 Our completed Lego Friends Advent calender

 And a meetup of the advent calendar girls with all the other Lego figurines in the combined Christmas gifts.

The kids made lunch or snacks - like they wanted.

 A's idea of a light lunch (it's mussels in the small bowl)

C's idea of a fruit snack plate

We did a bit of crafting - I forgot to take pictures of the completed projects but it was fun.

We tried to get the kids to read  - L read his first ever chapter book on his own, C read his first Roald Dahl in English on his own and A read and read (she is a bit of an addict like me). I am not quite sure of her final count but it must be well over 15 books.

I bought the Rolad Dahl collection as a family gift. A has read through half of them this holiday - re reading many she has read before in Afrikaans. C has just started and L can not wait to start.

We coloured - mostly in adult colouring books.

We build a 1000 piece puzzle - well I build most but the kids helped a lot.

We went to Acrobranch - what a lot of fun! The kids all adored it and with friends in tow it was huge fun.

We went to Monte Casino and saw Swan Lake on ice with the Imperial Ice stars. Not only did we enjoy the absolutely wonderful breath taking performance, but the kids have also never been to Monte Casino and was quite taken by the little artificial bit of Italy.

And of course, being high summer we swam - as much as possible. (and painted funky nail colours for the girls).

We made the best of the situation and really enjoyed all of it.

The most fun around in Gauteng at the moment is....

...BounceInc!

Oh my word did the kids have fun! I think it was the most condensed fun packed hour of the holidays. We were invited with A's BFF and her family to go for a session. We consider jumping ourselves but decided to first have a look and maybe next time. I am not sure that I will live through a high energy session like this though. For energetic youngsters it is the bomb!

The concept is simple you put on a special pair of socks with rubber or silicon patches and jump in huge areas covered in trampolines with different sections - like dodgeball (which Mr L and K played for 99% of their session), basketball, trick areas and more. There is also a huge freeplay area (seen above) where everyone ends up at some stage.

One section has trampolines and a huge bag to fall in. This makes a perfect practice ground for summies etc and some of the kids spent a lot of their session here.

We were all rather entranced by the pro looking people in the trick section - gosh they walk and walls, do double summersaults en way more.

The kids had heaps and heaps of fun in the hour we booked and wanted to stay longer. Honestly I do not think they would have made it for another hour as they were all exhausted and very thirsty but the end of it.

This venue gets a 10/10 from us for pure good healthy fun. The areas are very well controlled and marshaled and I felt that my kids were safe enough all the time. Only a number of spots are available per session so it is not over crowded and everyone will get a chance to play where they want to play.
I am not sure how kids younger than say 6 will find this (there were no really small kids there when we went) but surely for anyone older than 6 it will be great. In fact my boys have already asked for their birthday party to be there.

Disclaimer - we were not payed or asked or contacted by BounceInc in any way to do a review - we just feel the need to share the fun we had. This connects back to my July holiday fun post as no 2 on both A and C's lists of best holiday moments.