Thanksgiving Thursday

I love that Thursdays are set aside to play along with Nicole at What a trip :

Just popping in from our staycation - not getting much computer time in, Hunter is working on his studies. I just thought I'll share 4 bits of great news giving me such joy and lots to be thankful for.

1. I visited our friend Stefaan on Sunday - he has been moved to the rehabilitation facility. He can move the big toe of his 'bad' leg! He is making good progress and is taking his meals in the dining room in his wheelchair.

2. The Little Miss at last on Tuesday afternoon managed to ride her big girl bicycle! We struggled with a tricycle and she never really mastered it. We are so happy and she is so proud of herself.

3. Little man L had his follow up appointment with the eye specialist on Tuesday morning. And as the doctor himself admitted, he did not have much hope that he will be able to use his eye at all but he has surprised the doc and us off course! He is focusing and following with it (with his glasses on). This means that his brain is finding a way of seeing ' past' the blockage. If we can improve this it means that in future an operation to fix the other problem is a possibility. He might actually be in for a chance of near normal sight.

4. An in a big moment for democracy the ANC lost their two thirds majority! The Democratic party did better in all provinces as the last election(and won the one province with an overwhelming majority - never seen before) and COPE established themselves well. I promise to do a good election post later.

Way back and wordful Whensday

So you haven't heard mush about my dad, have you? Well, the truth is that I do not remember much of him, although what I do remember is so sweet that I guess I can live on it for a lifetime.

My dad passed away when I was 7 and he was 45, from his 4th heart attack. He suffered from a bloodvessel disease all his life and lived after 3 heart attacks and an aorta transplant at 40 - quite radical back in the 70's but off course, South Africa was the medical forerunners is the world - we did the first heart transplant.

I can not remember how his voice sounded - we have old home films, but off course there is no sound. I can remember his smell, his big kind hands and his scrubby cheeks. I can remember him playing games using heaps of imagination. I remember us painting together, playing with his model trains and building model cities. I remember small little vignettes, pictures from the past. I remember his size (he was 6 foot 7 inches tall). He was a great dad.

My mom jokes that she never had a child until after my dad passed away. Our personalities was a perfect match. I was so totally daddy's little girl. My dad was also a keen photographer, as I am, therefore I have very few pictures of the two of us. Today I share with you my absolute favorite - this must have been somewhere between 1971 and 1973, ( be between 3 an 5) and I remember the place vividly. This was the farm of my mom's cousins, Craigrossi, in Clarens, one of the most picturesque areas of South Africa. I just love the tenderness - this is how I will always remember my dad.

For some more blasts form the past go over to Cheryl's and play along and if like me, and Angie at 7 Clown circus's Wordful Wednesday you have to "talk" about your photographs, head over there to have a look as well.

Debi's Baby Picture Sundays

I always want to participate in this one, but because it is over the weekend, I just don't seem to make it very often. So if you want to show of some baby pictures, look out for a new theme from Debi every week.

The theme for this week is flower power. This was taken back in October 2006, The Little Miss was about 21 months old and we were in Port Elizabeth for my FIL 60th birthday. PE is known as "The Windy City" - no guesses why! Out towards the horizon you can just see the sea. This was taken at Homeleigh farm, a little petting zoo.

Staycation time!

Our 9 day staycation starts tomorrow! We are going to visit some local sites, rest and recuperate. Although I know it might even be more tiring than working - we have 2 public holidays and 2 weekends in between. But I am looking forward to spending time with my family. On Tuesday we are seeing Little Man L's eye specialist and we are planning to have lunch, just the two of us. We never get the chance to do this. On Wednesday and Thursday we each will spend one day sleeping at my moms! Sounds radical, but we both need it. The other one will have time to do tasks at home as Lucy will be working on Tuesday to Thursday. For the rest, some quality family time and studies for Hunter.

I might be able to blog a lot, I might not! If I don't blog or comment on yours, please know that I will again soon!

Friday photo finish fiesta

The best day to visit Carrie is on a Friday, when there are heaps happening over there.

Apparently she wasn't a faerie or even a faerie princess, she was an angel! I wore this dress way back in 1974 at age 5 when I was a bridesmaid for my dad's cousin. Dress up is so much fun!

Thanksgiving Thursday

I love that Thursdays are set aside to play along with Nicole at What a trip :

Let's take a look at my public holiday yesterday:

• Time I stood in the queue to vote and vote: 30 minutes (We are lucky - we have a great local polling station)
  
• Time I spent at the grocery store afterward: 25 minutes.
• Amount of children 5 and under at our home: 5
• Amount of time spent napping (me) : 3 minutes
• Amount of craft projects done: 2
• Amount of meals and snacks served:21
• Amount of pages read in my book: 1,5
  
• Amount of time spent reading and commenting on blogs(posts were pre- posted) 20 minutes
• Amount of meals made for the freezer: 2
  
• Amount of time given to Hunter to nap/study/gym/see Stefaan - approx. 5,5 hours
• Amount of time watching TV after all the kids were in bed:1 hour
  

So this list looks all wrong for Thanksgiving Thursday, but the point is, that although I had a very tough and exhausting day, I am thankful for:

• The honor of being able to cast my vote in what seems to be a peaceful and relatively fair election
• Being in a great voting district with a very efficient little poling station. Some people queued for hours.
• The ability to help our friends in tough times.
• That the little girls are so happy to be with us - Annik even napped for an hour next to Hunter and both ate so well.
  
• To do my part in helping Hunter to continue with his studies.
• Providing him the time to visit Stefaan.
• That Stefaan is continuing to improve although he feels very little in his one leg.
• Having a great book to read tonight, when hopefully all will be a bit quieter.
• And having the time to watch The Mentalist - my current favorite show.

Our day in pictures:

Voting time

Making tiaras

Princesses

Doghouse castle style.

Snacktime





So you use a spanner for?

Way back and wordful Whensday

For today, we are going way, way back.
Dateline: September 1986
My age: 17
Occasion: Matric farewel dance (I think senior prom in American terms)
Off course, it was high 80's fashion - look at the big hair! I designed the dress myself and my hair was just long enough to do a "proper" hair do after my bout with Alopecea ariata - I need to blog about that!

My date for the night was just a good class friend, Johan.

Me and my two good buds Alet and Lani-Marie. I have no idea what became of any of the two.
For some more blasts from the past, head over to Cheryl's and play along and if like me, and Angie at 7 Clown circus's Wordful Wednesday you have to "talk" about your photographs, head over there to have a look as well.

It's Election day!

Today is Election day in South Africa - that means we have a public holiday! Off course in a country where so many people have so long been denied their voting rights, it is a big occasion. Up to 80% of illegible voters are expected to vote. My mom, as she walks with great difficulty, voted yesterday along with the elderly, disabled and visibly pregnant woman.

This election is possibly the most important election since 1994. At present the ANC has a two thirds majority in our Parliament which means that they can basically do whatever they want. And believe me, they do, although the smaller parties do raise their voices. Technically they can change our great constitution, apparently the best in the world. The hope of a lot of South Africans ride on the fact that with the splitting of the ANC, enough support was transferred to COPE, the party formed by the ANC splinter group under Terror (Masouo) Lekota. Off course, a huge factor is Ja*cob Zu*ma, the ANC's presidential candidate. (Just to explain, we do not have separate presidential elections, the wining party's candidate becomes president). Zu*ma is a lier, a fraudster, a rapist and a polygamist - only the last one to which he willingly acknowledges. He is also hugely charismatic, in the Hitler type of way. He shows contempt at our courts and have hinted as disbanding our constitutional court, the highest court in the country.He is definitely not the person you want to run and be the face of your country. It is a disgrace!

Off course, this might mean that some support might be lost from the ANC due to their fronting of Zu*ma, or so a lot of people hope. Off course, I hope for more power and votes for people like the Democratic party (fronted by a stunning woman, Helen Zille) and the Independent democrats (fronted by the formidable Patricia de Lille - a personal favorite) I would also not mind more support for the ACDP )African Christian democratic party as they relentlessly fight against abortion and other christian issues. Actually, as long as the ANC loses their two thirds majority tomorrow, it will be a great day for democracy, not only in South Africa but also in Africa.

I ask your prayers please for our little country on this very important day. Please pray for free and fair elections, a peaceful transition and a truly democratic outcome.

Two for Two-sday

Join Deanna every Tuesday for some adorbale two-somes, two-fers etc.

The Little Miss and friend Emma together in the little farmers market trolley. This was only for the first trip to the main market area. Thereafter is was filled with veggies, fruit, flowers and dairy.

Thanks for your prayers

Just a little bit of news on our friend Stefaan - he is doing extremely well and it looks as if the predicted 2 months hospital stay might be only 2 weeks! He might be transferred to the rehabilitation program as early as Thursday! This is almost a miracle the neurologist said to Ilse. His physiotherapist said that it is pure guts and will to improve that is driving him to recuperate this fast. Off course, his excellent health has also played a part. I believe it is all the above and the many many prayers sent to heaven fro him. Thank you so much each and every one of you for yours, and please continue to do so. Ilse is taking strain with the business and the pregnancy. We are allowed to see him from yesterday, but we have not had the chance to visit yet. We will try tomorrow in amongst the elections and his daughter's visit the morning. Yes, it's Cat's nursery school tomorrow - looking forward to be able to help again.

Today is also our very first day that actually feels like Autumn, or maybe even Winter. From Thursday it is compulsory shoes to school (refer to this post if you want to know more: http://juggelingactoflife.blogspot.com/2008/10/5-things-friday_31.html) So yes, I guess I have to admit the seasons has actually changed. Oh and I do NOT like Winter.

Here bunny, bunny...

So what makes my Monday today?

Do you see who is lurking there in amongst my office friends Asterix and co? A Lindt chocolate bunny - having survived the first week after Easter! Come to mamma! Hope you still have some Easter chocolate left to share.
So pop over to Cheryl's for some more positive sharings.

Ohh, I am loving every single sip of it!

Guess what I got from my BIL and SIL all the way from Dubai?

Starbucks coffee!!!!!!
So what, why am I so excited? Well, this is my first taste of Starbucks ever (yes, you do not get it in SA!) and I have to confess, it is really really good. Oh, just one more thing I wished we had here. I'd love me some Starbucks every day!

Playtime in the garden exactly a week ago....

The incredible case of the vanishing boobies and other horror stories by She of the bushy eyebrows.

So my dearest little princess remarked last night: "Mommy I like your little body" - I was busy sneaking in a shower while she was in the bath. I hugged her and thanked her for being such a charming good mannered kid. The next moment she press her finger to my belly and giggles: "Your tummy is fat mommy!" Charming my dear, charming. So I peeked at the mirror, just to once again , well, -let's just say, sigh - not a pretty picture.

At least my hair is cut, coloured and high-lighted recently - after a 9 weeks pause, believe me it was just necessary. My natural colour now seam to be grayish mouse brown, not a reddish brown. What the hec, I have no idea what my actual hair colour is or used to be. Now it is Wella no whatever with streaks of no whatelse - my dear hairgoddess Mariette has it all written down on a little card - and it works for us. While there I thought I'll get a quick eyebrow shape from the beautician, but my brow was throbbing with sinus pressure so to save her from a terrible injury inflicted by me, I canceled. The result is not exactly Jack Nicholson, but definitely Brooke Shield's 80's caterpillar.

Off course at 40 the lines are starting to show -and really, I have a basic routine, but no working mom of 3 has the time or money to do all the potions and lotions you need. At least due to carrying three kids around the biceps are not too bad and they seem to counterbalance the underarm flab just a little.

Moving southwards, or maybe a bit more southwards than they used to be is, what? WHERE ARE MY BOOBIES? I have recently noticed that my bras are a bit under stuffed and decided to do one of the 3 most dreaded shopping trips – the new swimming costume, new jeans and a bra fitting. She measures me and say:” Try the 38 B and C and see which one fits better.” Thought I heard her wrong – “You mean the C and D”, I say. “No B she says as in bra, not D as in donkey”. Hmm, I am feeling a bit like a donkey too. Great stuff – the B is too small but the C fits well – there is a small fold in the fabric but thank goodness, it is a C. I used to be a very nice and firm D or DD, I used to love my boobies, now well it seems that breastfeeding 3 kids for a year each really just sucked it dry – literally. But with my new bras, at least the southwards is less noticeable. No boob job considered yet.

Off course, the bum is also not as pert as it used to be, previously nice and tight from hours of riding. Now it slumps downwards (that bitch called gravity should be burned at the stake), with none of the nice roundness it used to have. The jeans tend to slip off the bums, just to be held up by – off course, the tummy.

Which brings us to the center of the evil of body image.You know that little C-section roll right at the bottom of you tummy? I can deal with it just fine You can hide it. A tanktini works well. A tight jean works. A long top too. It is the bulge above the belly button around the ribs that is getting to me. It pops open buttons, there is not way to hide it and it prompts nice preggy remarks from cashiers in shops. I hate it.

So while visiting my trusty gynea last year I asked her about it. She pokes around and remarks that after, what she calls and extreme pregnancy – I carried over 6 kg ( 13,3 pounds)of baby, plus all the odds and ends involved – the muscles can tear away towards the side of your body, leaving very little to keep your organs tightly in place. I addition, there are heaps of excess skin – at our age skin is not as elastic and does not shrink back like a younger woman's would. I am also 8 kg (17,6 pounds) lighter than when I fell pregnant with The Boys which just pronounces this much more as the rest of the body is lean. So she remarks:”I'd suggest a mommy tuck – here's the number of a good plastic surgeon. Tell your hubby it would make a nice anniversary present. Angelina had one done with her twin's c-section, but I would not recommend that” WHAT! I thought she might suggest some pilates! Then I think, tummy tuck vs 10 year anniversary honeymoon in Mauritius, I'd be sunning myself with my boep (tummy) any day! And as my hubby lovingly said, rubbing over said tummy while watching TV, I am the prettiest woman in the world – bugger you Angelina - you might have Brad, I have Hunter! Someone call the Pope – this man is a saint.

Friday photo finish fiesta

Two candles and my glass of wine made for some interesting photos last Thursday night.

So pop over to Carrie's who hosts this great photo event on Fridays and play along to! This is my 21st 4xF!

Also do come back later today - I promise you a bit of light entertainment at my expense to start the weekend.

A day in the park with 5 kids and 2 dogs.

So how do you take a walk to the park with 2 adults, 5 kids and 2 dogs? Like this!
Some highlights:








And we all had heaps of fun.

Thanksgiving Thursday

I love that Thursdays are set aside to play along with Nicole at What a trip :

After what seemed to be a weekend filled with sweet and sorrow and a busy two days at work, off course I have lots to be thankful for:

1. Firstly, my dear husband who just continues to amaze me with his big heart and love every day.

2. That Little man L survived his fall out of his crib without serious injury this morning. I could not believe how quickly it happened. I was busy changing Little man C's nappy, L chucked his sippy cup out of the cot and immediately followed suit head first, crashing to the carpet with his forehead. Huston, we have a problem! (and a carpet burn on the forehead)

3. For our dear nanny Lucy who had an immediate solution – remove the base out of the cot, place the mattress on the carpet inside the cot (we have sledge cots – they come down to the ground like a box). Little man L jail – no way his is climbing over that!

4. For everybody's prayers for our friend Stefaan. No new news at present apart that he is handling the pain better.

5. For Skype – this enabled me to talk to S's sister in London last night face to face and to maybe just help calm her down and patch up the family.

6. For God' plan in bringing this family closer together – his two sisters have both talked to him – the first time in a year. May this reunion be blessed.

7. For heaps of friends offering support and love to them.

8. For the absolutely stunning weather we are having – bright warm sunny days, cool and comfortable nights

9. For Baby Einstein – enabelling me to actually cook dinner most evenings – even if it only gives me 15 minutes it is worth it.

10. For my little I-pod – I have it loaded with classics and it calms my mood any time I need some sanity.

Weekend report

You know how the weekend just sometimes flies past you. One moment it's Friday, the next it's Sunday night and you have no recollection of what you did. So I decided that I need to DO things on weekends - I have made 6 categories for myself.Sometimes these will overlap or combine, but it is just a conscious effort to make more of the weekend. Get out of the lazy rut of just sitting around and DO things. So here follows this (long) weekend's report:

1. Do something for my hubby
Is this really for him? Maybe not - but we had my BIL and SIL and their little Princess for a visit.. Although it was to busy, I was  so happy to have them here.


2. Something for each of the kids
Off course, it was Easter Weekend and we had the obligatory Easter Egg hunt. I realised that we will have 5 kids, 3 adults and only 1 capable egg hunter, so I made each person an Easter egg parcel. The Boys were not that interested - next year will off course be something quite different.

The Little Miss had great fun hunting them down - she was sooo exited!And off course, we all had our fill of various types of eggs. In South Africa we do not in general give gifts, just a couple of eggs.

We also did some egg colouring (my first try at that) and it came out great! I (forced) all to have one for breakfast on Sunday morning. (Off course my SIL does not eat eggs either)

3. Something for the puppies
They had 6 walks over the 4 days of the weekend - not a bad tally I think. They also had lots of love and attention from all the kids.

4. Something for someone outside of my direct family that shares my home
Off course this weekend was all about this - about our friends Stefaan and Ilse and their daughters. We had the girls with us every day of the weekend. We also got them each a plush toy unicorn to hold when they miss their dad.

5. Something for the house
Gosh, yes off course nothing this weekend apart from the fact that I spent the whole weekend cooking for a whole team, cleaning after a whole team. I am just so grateful for my trusty dishwasher. Oh yes, and my MIL and I tidied and sorted The Boys' toys on Friday morning before the family arrived and tragedy struck.

6. And something for myself.
Thanks to my MIL who looked after the kids on Thursday night (H has study group), I was able to spend an evening with some great friends.

And on Sunday night after my BIL and SIL left, H took the kids (only our 3 - the other 2 were with their mom at the time) for a walk, did dinner and bath time and I went on my own to see "Marley and me". Yes, it is only now showing here, but off course I loved it! And it gave me the chance to cry - although it might have been more over our friends than Marley.

Well, we were completely exhausted after the weekend - luckily this is a short week.So how did your weekend go?