So yes, I took a break from the family

It was a first to me and to be totally honest, I loved it. I loved being able to only think for me and not for another 3 little human beings just for a few days. To for a week not go through the day to dayness of packed snacks and remembering activities. To rest, get up when you want, do what you want. to do. But I missed my kids, above all I missed my Hunter who made all this possible. It was so very good to be back home with them.

In a nutshell, the above little heart that Shayne bought sums up the week. We could add "take long walks and eat a lot", but that's about it. It was such a great great time with the two loveliest ladies -Shayne and Lynette. Taking into account that I have only met Lynette twice and Shayne once for a few hours, there was possibly some risk involved. But really it was just wonderful - we just gelled as if we have done this many times before. As if it is the most natural ting to do. Which I am sure will happen again. We never ran out of conversation, but taking some quiet time was totally acceptable too. Food, coffee and dishes just happened. The time together was truly a blessing.

 I have to add that we had a great morning at the Camelot Spa in San Lameer and one of the very best back neck and shoulder hot stone massages I have ever had (thanks to my hubby) as well as a facial that really made a difference to my skin.

With that, well you know, photos. Imagine the amount available with 3 amateur photographers and a keen interest in Instagram. So sharing in general (some were taken by the other two ladies of course) our time together in pictures:

Photographers taking pictures of photographers

My favorite spot

Just beautiful - long long walks often

My macadamia nut waffle at Ramsgate's waffle house

Sani to C finish

Beach access passes

Love these two of my dear friends.

Friendship - true and great.

Wedding bells

On Friday we had the most beautiful family wedding. Our very own little Princess played her role so well as the smallest flower girl in the wedding party. Such a special day in every little girl's life if they get the chance. She enjoyed every little detail from the hair, dressing with the bride and the bridesmaids to the actual wedding. I love how their dresses were different but the same too. How the colours went with the bridesmaids dresses and their little corsages around their arms. I love how she sat at the table with the maid of honour and other flower girl and not with us. She was just so grown up and she literally glowed the whole day.

I also loved that the Boys were there. While Mr L did not really enjoy the heaps of strange people and all the things going on, Mr C was totally enjoying every moment. My word, how grown up he was! He sat at the table with his sister and not with us.  He went to ask the Maid of honour for a dance right after her date brought her back to the table after their first dance together ( just after the bride and groom's first dance) After that he had the honour of being the first man apart from the groom to dance with the bride!

We did not stay too late- we had two of the grannies to drop off and a very tired Mr L but we all had fun and I am sure the kids will never forget the day.

As thank you gifts they had a sweetie buffet and very pretty bags with Afrikaans phrases. The kids loved their party packs.

 Btw we had the best weekend ever this weekend. Just so relaxing, calm and peaceful. But more about that later. How was your weekend?

This is just a wee bit scary.

I am always amazed at how fast the kids learn new concepts and take in new information. MR C was very excited to tell me all about wheat and baking last night. But some go faster or slower than others. Last night it was the Princess and the next 3 public holidays to come - learning the dates and why we celebrate them. It was no easy job but thanks to Hunter she got it down. Let's suffice to say that concepts like Soweto, trade unions and apartheid was all in the mix. 

BTW for those that asked - she maintains that the new teacher is very strict but she seems ok for now.

A busy Easter weekend

Easter is the start of Autumn in our little corner of the world.

Our Easter weekend was filled with my BIL and SIL's visit from Cape Town, their friends, a party with Mr C (more about that later this week) and a big family get together on Sunday. In fact, it felt like Christmas without crackers and some white Easter eggs on the table in stead. 10 adults and 7 kids - a noisy but fun day. There was the traditional Easter egg hunt, lots of playing and laughing. I have to say that I am tired today and I think so are most of the members in our household but it was great to see new bonds formed as especially the 5 cousins got to know each other better.

We made these simple baskets out of party tubs, some cotton wool for tails and free printables on the sides. Quick, easy and cute and the kids loved making these.

 It's the first year that the Easter bunny had some help in our household as the Princess went to hide the eggs. Yes, as with Christmas Father she now knows and loved being able to help (although the finding part was way less fun for her)

Btw these Nesquick bunnies are delicious.

It's sad that we live so far apart and that it is so costly to get together as families more often. But I do feel that we have established bonds between the kids, made new memories to last for a while and we will see to it that we do get together in December again.The kids bonded so well with their cousins, especially M. Mr S is only 16 months so although they played a lot with him, the emotional bonds were formed with M.

 We had a little farewell breakfast at our local Wimpy yesterday, after which they had a short play time at home and then the goodbye part. A left with Hunter to take them to the airport while the boys and I had a little outing. Hunter made the 4 oldest kids one of these:

A slept with her family stone last night as I hear M has. As the longing gets too much, they will look at these and remember our hearts meet in the middle somewhere.

It was such a great weekend

We spent the past long weekend at Sondela, just about an hour's drive from Pretoria where we celebrated my wonderful hubby's 40th birthday with my BIL and SIL from Cape Town and our dear friends S&;I. I received the wonderful gift of the weekend in a lodge I designed for clients a while ago and chose to use it for our celebration. We all had such a great time and got to do some of the things we love most. But most importantly, we spend it with our families. Quality time with my hubby and kids. But as always, the story is best told in pictures (hope you have some tea or coffee - expect a picture overload)

The lodge - when we arrived there all 3 the ladies vowed to bath in those lovely huge baths - we each only did once - the outside showers (concealed but with a view) was just way too tempting.

We visited the farm yard where the kids saw cows being milked and fed goats, sheep and many more. A and some of the other girls tried their hands at milking the cow.

I love this one - all the kids apart from the 16 month old S watchiong the milk process. Note the hats - yes, we live under the African sun.

A milking the cow.

The moms and kids went on a game drive where we saw lots of animals and had great fun on a trailer and tractor drive. Mr L was in heaven! (the men mad a wonderful potjie and watched some rugby)

 

We swam a lot! It was hot and the combination of a cold and hot pool led to many happy hours in the water.

We fed the half tame Nyala that comes to the lodges and the kids could not believe they got so close to wild animals. We did keep a very close eye on the encounters.



There was sand art done, faces painted, manicures and pedicures undertaken and spray on tattoos painted.

And simply time spent together with friends and family in happy companionship.

Apart from the big fortieth celebration, the one thing that stood out was the huge amount of bicycling that happened  The gravel roads lend themselves to great cycling and the area around the house provides lots of safe spots for the little ones to ride too. I had a great ride on Thursday while Hunter had several over the weekend. 



 The big event however was that these two girls (8 and 9 years old) did an 11 km ride with their dads on the gravel roads and paths. It is the very first time that our Princess did a ride more than around a few blocks and on a big bike! We were super proud of her. The two just grabbed their bikes regularly and off they went within the area we set out for them.

 I have to leave you with one of the stunning bushveld sunsets. Just breathtaking.

Only your best

As parents, we try to instiall in our children the values we like them to have as grown ups. School, sport and other activities provide us with the platforms and opportunities. Supporting them and giving them the courage to compete is up to us. We as parents will never push them to achieve, but we do believe that they should give their very best, try their utmost and most of all, participate to complete the task at hand. We also believe that active kids are healthy kids and that it is up to us as parents to encourage sport and active participation.

All 3 kids had their chance this year to show us that they are willing to participate and try their best. We are very proud of them all.

On the 11th of January (A's birthday) Bear participated in his first 60 m dash with the rest of his grade R group. He gave it his all and ran as fast as he could. We were so proud of how very hard he tried. (they do not allocate places so we have no idea how well he did - the important bit is that he tried so hard.)

On the 12th of February it was the Princess' turn when the school had the annual internal rugby and netball day. The grade classes compete against each other in both the game and the spirit prize( for theme, cheering and team spirit). They are trained by their grade 7 prefect and 2 other grade 7 girls. The Nerd Ninjas (the theme they chose) won on all accounts and received both prizes. She played her heart out as goal defender, a position she seems to enjoy for the formal netball practice too. We were so proud of their spirit and how hard they tried and how much joy they got from being sporty and active.

Last night it was our Lion's turn when the pre -primary hosted their annual fun run. The kids get sponsored for rounds they run or walk along a course in an hour. Brothers and sisters get to join in the fun and run too and score points for their sibling's team. They all did their very best and ran like champs -but Mr L deserve a special mention. He tried so very very hard and I am so extremely proud of him. His last 3 rounds was done on the promise that it was the very last song playing on the PA system and that we just had to get through the song. (moms and dads often walk some of the rounds with the kids to encourage them) He was exhausted but ran or walked right to the end. He did an excellent 28 rounds, one of the top ones in his class. C did 25 rounds - a great achievement too and as most of the primary school kids go full out for it,  A did 41 rounds. They each got a medal to remember the event by.

BTW - what I love about blogging is that I could go back to the Princess fun run post back in 2011 and have a look at how many round they did then (the course was made shorter this year though.)

2013 - It will always be remebered as the holiday in which...

We saw the famous Mtunzini zebras wandering around town like its nothing out of the ordinary

Scooters and bicycles ruled (and we took ours along for the first time ever in our new bike rack for 5)

Where we only got half way through the 4x4 swamp route due to the very wet conditions.

We saw storks and more storks in the marshland.

 Most memorable for the kids, without a doubt - they caught their very first fish (released back into the lagoon to be caught another day)

And maybe most memorable of all - two little boys swam on their own  - yes the pics are with dad, but these two pics are just precious in their own way. They gained so much confidence. C was doggy pedalling by the end of the holiday while L mainly paddles under water, coming up for air every few bits. They turned into swimming water babies.

It was a great holiday - just too short. We now know that we can camp for more than a week with the kids, the Princess helps at times, they boys have their own little jobs and it's much much easier. I am once again amazed at the progress one makes on holidays - this time with mainly the swimming of the boys, but many more small things. Every year when camping we had leaps from all 3 kids in some or the other area - it must be a combination of relaxed parents, relaxed kids, a lot of time together. I am not sure. What I am sure of is that it works, and that without a doubt it was so worth it. Leaving you with 3 pretty pictures:

Taken with nifty fifty.

The Princess' 8th birthday party

So prepare yourself for a picture overload.

When we discussed her birthday last year she had one wish only - she wanted a "Stop rhino poaching " party. A theme that left me a bit baffled as to how to execute, but very proud of her values and choices. Hunter stepped in with the final format and venue and a party idea was born. We held it almost a month after her birthday due to the start of the year madness and the ballet practices every Saturday. But at last it was this Sunday afternoon.

She invited 7 school friends, 2 family friends (all girls between 7 and 9) and a sprinkling of younger siblings and two older siblings to go rhino watching at the Rietvlei dam reserve. The rest, as they say, is better told in picture format:

The invites, party packs etc all featured a cartoon rhino, zebra stripes for  the graphic effect and hot pink for a bit of girly ness. We decided on cupcakes for ease of use in the bush environment and I added animal figurines, pearl cake decor and cake glitter.

The funfetti cupcakes, something I "discovered" one day when on a whim added funfetti to cupcake dough. It makes a delightful little colour display inside each cupcake.

Favour bags at the back and party packs in the front - washi tape to seal it all.

Her special rhino cupcake with black and white mixed icing

The party favours were little notebooks to decorate themselves - glitter glue and a glitter pen with some foam shapes. Big and small loved this.

Roosterkoek - yummy.

Boerewors and prego steaks

Then we had a game drive - just showing you a  few of the pictures I like.

I have never been more relieved to spot these two little ears

The guests of honour also arrived for the party to the Princess (and our) great joy.. We saw these two quite close, then 3 a bit later in the tall grass and just before we left another 3 on a hill.

She had a great time and I actually think that even the parents had a great time. She certainly had the most original party.