Instagram, last week

The sunset last Wednesday night left me breathless. It was stunning. (no filter)

The very ordinary week we had:

Day 50/365 19 Fenraury Summer fruit in stead of veggies went down very well.

Day 52/365 21 February Mr L's first school outing - and so very excited.

Looking back,

Cute photo that was not a photo of the day - our puppy M recuperating after she had a tumour removed from her one paw. The Princess made sure she was comfortable and loved.

this weekend has been a good one. The first with a vague resemblance to how they used to be before we had this year's upheaval. I have hopes that Mr L is at last adjusting - this morning there was no repeated questions about going to school. no fighting about not going. We live in hope, still. But more on the weekend later, let's do the glimpses into day to day life with project 365.

Day 42/365 11 FFebruary Mr L's little feet both in daddy's hands.

Day 45/365 14 February Valentines day hearts at the office. They were totally yummy.

Day 47/365 16 February A gardening and antique shop find on our way to horse riding lessons.

 So what was your weekend like? And how do you feel about kids saving up with birthday money and buying something more substantial? (BTW I love the idea and I love her choice - I think well spent money). But feel free to disagree - I would love to hear your opinions.

Remember, if you have not entered my competition yet, it closes at 1 pm tomorrow

To say this year started well...

would be a lie. It's been tough. I have been sick, worse than in a long time. I am exhausted. H is equally exhausted. It's not only the daily run of the mil of 3 kids in 3 grades, 5 parent evenings, netball meetings and all that goes with kids in school. Top that with busy work schedules and nothing much else happens. Yesterday was a day straight out of a very bad dream. I will not go into details but house keys were hidden (L) , ballet bags forgotten at school (A) and mommy rushing around, gates lifted from tracks at home etc etc.

The honest truth is that our little Lion is not adapting well to the change in schools, being away from his brother. We had to go back to separating them in after care -we were left with no option other than that or taking them out and getting an au pair or such. (the reasons are legal technical with grade R being part of the Primary school and responsibility etc). He will have to adapt and we will have to provide him with the support to. In any event, it will be better in the end that he makes his own friends and adapt to being with the younger kids. But it's tiring - the very moment I pick him up at school he starts with reasons why tomorrow is not a school day. He insist on it being a weekend and doing something that is weekend related and insist the he will NOT BE GOING TO SCHOOL. And insist he does, on and on an on and on.... Until we get him to calm down eventually. Every meal is a trial in endurance(apart from toast and eggs for breakfast which is quite possibly his favorite food ever).

But maybe we are seeing the light - the last two mornings he came to our room dressed and his bed made (more than the other willingly do on their own first thing in the morning) and this morning he actually told me he wanted to go to school - the first time this year.

In amongst this all we had a good weekend - yes, Mr L's antics was exhausting but there were many good points too. We had a lovely 40th birthday party with a jumping castle , party packs and icys for the kids and good food and company for the adults. What I will always remember is dancing the night away until late with all 3 kids, the boys falling asleep on their mattresses with some other littlies way after 9. It was a good night. We are hoping for many more somewhere in future. These are the moments that give us hope. The ones I want to embrace with all my might.

With that, let me share our last week in pictures:

Day 35/365 4 February Promise of rain.

Day 36/365 5 Febraury Little butterfly in the office garden.

Day 37/365 6 February Rainy day morning - Mr C loves hi umbrella

Day 38/365  7 February Morning after the night before rain diamonds. One of my favorite iPhone photos ever.

Day 39/365 8 February Mr C's turn to buy tuck shop and he chooses bouncy balls for them.

Day 40/365 9 February Horse tiding at the Voortrekker monument.

And to close off - my nearest and dearest playing on the iPad after bath time on Sunday night (and a silly little girl in the background)

On Facebook I said this morning that today will be a good day, I insist. And yes, it will be. We need to move forward, and we will. Come what may.

It's been a busy, but good weekend.

I am still recovering from a cold, but Hunter mooved the earth in our garden on Saturday. The Princess and I did all the party preperations and she loved being part of every little bit and doing so much herself. On Sunday was the party of course, but more about that later. Let me give you a peek into the daily happenings with my project 365:

Day 28/365 28 January Self portrait by the Princess in her class - I was reading mom the afternoon

Day 30/365 30 January Cuties for my cuties - stumbled upon these at a  craft shop for R13 each. The kids love them - any guesses to whom which one belongs?

Day 31/365 31 January At last completed my doodle for my word of the year..

Day 33/365 2 February Party preparations day - funfetti cupcakes baked, party packs and party favor bags packed and bunting made.

 So here's wishing you a great week ahead!

2013 - Project 365 and this weekend

So once again I am trying to do a project 365 on the iPhone.I know, I always stop somewhere in the year when life gets too hectic, but maybe this year I will make it. I do find it nice to have a little day to day record without having my big camera around and to remember those everyday type of days too.

Spectacular double rainbow on Wednesday afternoon - intro into a weekend of rain.

The last week has been a tough one - Tuesday morning, only the second day of work, dawned with a tummy bug in tow. It took me 4 days to get totally over it. By Friday with only Tuesday off I was exhausted after an inspection on site and lots of walking, so I decided to go home and rest, just to get that dreaded school number popping up on my phone - Mr L was crying non stop in class. So I went to the school - the Boys have been in separate classes in the after care too as grade RR and R are separated. I suspected this was the issue after some words from him on Thursday. I got to the school and he was sitting there on his little rest time mattress quietly crying. I straight out asked him if he wanted to be with C and he said yes. The moment he saw his brother he smiled. I left shortly after and returned an hour later to two happy boys. Let's just hope that this is sorted out now.

This weekend has been a great one although it rained and rained forever. On Friday night we had home movie night with homemade pizzas and the kids watched Wallace and Grommet - the case of the ware rabbit (I love those two) and then the Princess and I watched Big Miracle while the other 3 fell asleep - what a lovely movie. Saturday morning saw her attending her friend N's party at Experilab - what a great party idea and the kids and I paid a visit to my mom. Saturday evening we went for a swim at the gym and homemade burgers after. Sunday was church and a lovely afternoon with our great friends S&I and the kids. The kids even swam in the soft rain. They baked a bread in die Weber, we had smoked pork ribs and the kids made their own roosterkoek. Really just a good weekend.

On to the first three weeks 365 shots:

Day 1/365 1 January. Campsite festive lights.

Day 5/365 5 January Eater is cosmos time - it was very confusing seeing cosmos in December. But pretty never the less

Day 8/365 8 January We spent most of the day at Zita park - our own little mermaid in action

Day 10/365 10 January Picked up the cupcakes at the home industries and they asked A to pick something for her own cupcake. Obviously she choose Hello Kitty (and a butterfly)

Day 16/365 16 January Sunrise as Oupa and Ouma goes back home.

Day 17/365 17 January MrL draws himself on the school's newsletter with the other friends already drawn. It's the first time ever I have seen him draw himself.

Day 18/365 18 January A Just Joey in our garden after a rainy day.

 So how was your weekend?

Our life on Instagram - second week of September

Hi my friends in the computer - gosh life is super busy. I do not think I have had such a hectic work week and a half in a very very long time. Add to that a very busy home life and kids programmes and you get a wee bit of chaos in my life. Very little blog reading too. A lot has happened in the last 2 days regarding school etc but more about that - just not really ready to share yet.

We are going away for the long weekend with a group of friends and I am really looking forward to spend some time in the bush. But, I am also busy with the boys' party planning, getting presents and school cake ready for Tuesday, and we are only returning from the weekend on Monday night. I have to pinch myself very hard to really realize that our awesome twosome are almost 5! Heavens 5!

I did not get to do weekend goals or even participating in the Saturday snapshots (sorry my friends, but it is survival mode)

New family additions later at home.

SO how had your week been? And the weekend?

Our life on Instagram - first week in September and weekend stuff

Life has been busy, especially at work. With no end in sight yet. But alas, we move on. I hosted Bookclub Tuesday night and I am very happy with how it all went - will post about that soon. My BIL visited us last night from Cape Town so we have had 3 very late nights - I am exhausted. Tonight it is to be for me at around 8 me thinks.

On to the past week:

Day 49/365 Wednesday 5 September. Our first Iris in bloom in the garden

Day 50/365 Thursday 6 September. The first Spring rains fell the previous night - first rainy day of the season

Day 51/365 Friday 7 September With pocket money and tooth fairy money saved all 3 kids got a small Lego set (or 2 depending on the savings). Much fun !

Day 52/365 Saturday 8 September. Urban sunset on our way to fetch pizza

As per usual, I have a few more to share:

Love this light!

Lovely Irisses in the morning light

From snow to hail in 3 weeks!

We seem to have 3 mad chickens that have now decided that our driveway is a safe haven - yes, possibly from the other chickens but most certainly not from two Labradors. We shall see - in the meantime they seem to stick to "their: side of the fence.

As to the weekend goals, it makes me totally happy that indeed, with the help of Hunter, I made most. :

1. Paint the one wall in the lounge  Prep work done over the weekend - painted on Monday
2. Get the recipes and ingredients ready for bookclub on Tuesday night  Done by Sunday morning
3. Cover my books, write them in the files and post on the bookclub blog (private blog) about the book choices. Still have not done the blog post - but the girls are easy about that so I may just leave it.
4. Clear the glass table area
5. Tidy the kiddies area in the living room
6. Tidy above the two tall cupboards in the dining room.
7. Go to hockey games with the Princess Due to wet fields the hockey was cancelled.
8. Swim with the kids
9. Buy the Princess new ballet shoes (urgent as her's are totally danced away and exams are around the corner)
10. Participate in Saturday snapshots.
11.  Buy napkins for Tuesday (rest of the table stuff is sorted)
12. Finish the invites for the boys' birthday party. Did this on Friday during lunch time
    
13. Fisih the bookmark gifts for the bookclub girls.
14. Finish the Spud book If you have read the previous books you have to read this one!

A glimpse of the bookmarks I made

All in all a run I may never be able to repeat. We had a very tough week so far so I think this weekend will be a lot more relaxed! So expect nice relaxing goals.

Our life on Instagram - last week in August and weekend goals

So how was your weekend? I have to say that we seem to be in a good space with the kids and weekends at the moment. Looking back over the last week:

Day 40/365 My Washi tapi order from Paperpeony arrived. I really would recommend her - excellent friendly service.

Day 42/365 Found this beauty in the office garden perched on a hedge.

Day 43/365 And we have silkworms once again - and thousands of them

Dy 46/365 I baked, the kids decorated. The best pre mix I have ever bought.

I have another Instagram lovely to share:

 On Friday I comitted to some weekend goals - so let's see how they went:

Goal 3

1. Take good pictures of the boys playing rugby tomorrow. It may be a challenge as the Princess' ballet course is right in the middle of their game time but maybe. Done - not many action shots but lovely memories - seperate post to follow.
2. Swim with the kids at the gym - did not happen -we had a great long lunch with the extended family so we had to miss this one.
3. Have flowers in the house for Spring day tomorrow. Yes! Bought some when I took the pictures published yesterday
4. Get my pictures of the week up for Marcia's link up. Yes. And I am already thinking about this Sasturday's
5. Re organize and tidy and purge my clothes cupboard Epic fail - started with one sleve and abandoned.
6. Re organize and tidy and purge my shoe cupboard Nope - epic fail
7. Start on a mosaic cross for my moms friend who knitted lovely jerseys for the kids this winter. Not only did I start with one I finished two
8. Bake something Although a pre - mix but possinbly the best one I have ever bought. (see day 46/365 above)

I am giving myself a 2/1 for the crosses so a 6/8 - not too bad.

Goal 7

Goal 8

Our life on Instagram - 3rd week in August 2012

We had a lovely, but very busy weekend - I feel rather exhausted today, but alas, onwards and upwards with a very busy week. L:ooking back on last week:

Day 33/365 It felt like Spring, it smelled like Spring.

Day 34/365 Watering the flowers - something the kids love to do, with a little too small bike in the background.

Day 35/365 Beautiful post sunrise colours.

Day 36/365 Bought my books for Bookclub in September and this beautiful Hope necklace - my word for the year - had to have it when I saw it.

Day 37/365 Drive- in night! First night that it was warm enough for us to vernture there. We all loved Ice Age 4!

Our life on Instagram - 2nd week of August

Wow, today is just such a beautiful, perfect weather day. The weekend was rather good too although Saturday morning started out all cold and cloudy. So without further ado:

Day 26/365 I was "reading mom" at the Princess' class at school - these are some of the books we read. I was really impressed with the discipline in the class,

Day 27/365 Bookclub night at I's house - the little stove going strong. The food was stunning, the company good as always.

Day 28/365 Typical breakfast bowls - each their own choice.

Day 31/365 We spent a great evening with old friends, chatting away around a campfire. Lots of laughs about the crazy things we did and about how none of us thought Lenard Cohen's music was depro at all.

Day 32/365 The day we took out the old vinyl record player, re installed it and listened to vinyl's. The first one we played was Elton John's greatest hits.

 And as usual, some others to remember the week by, both from yesterday:

Church tannie cupcakes - really the best cupcakes ever. Real honest ordinary home baked cupcakes. Our church sells them every month for our charity projects to the great joy of all involved.

Yesterday was such a sunny, almost summery day - and yes, I am THAT mom that allows them to make a big muddy mess in the garden.