Sometimes I wonder what the neighbours think.

Last night was one of those... you know those scary evenings that just sneak up on you to catch you unawares and wrecks havoc. We had the most delightful dinner and bedtime on Tuesday night, but last night....

I got home late after phoning Lucy and feeling guilty about being late - as luck has it, I had The Lil Miss with me at the office the afternoon after ballet so at least I did not have drama at school. There was an accident on my way home, traffic was delayed and I have a terrible cold. I forgot my lifesaving cold medicine at work. So a stop at the local pharmacy made me even later.

Got home, threw something together for dinner as I forgot to give Lucy dinner to make for us the morning. I had a very tired girl sulking on the couch, crying because daddy was not home - truly no reason to do this, it's one night in how many that he was working late. Then I had a niggly Little man L dragging his chair to the kitchen counter and insisting to grab EVERYTHING in sight - sugar bowl, tin opener, espresso machine... and crying about it.

Back in the lounge mayhem broke loose when the DVD the other two were watching stopped working - on closer inspection due to a sticky tiny fingerprint on the surface. While trying to clean it, an all out fight broke loose between the boys - there was biting and wrestling and hitting involved. So I tried to separate the two into the two "naughty corners" but Little man L just insisted on dashing back to resume the fight. Eventually they both calmed down.

Dinner was a disaster - salmon lasagna was "gross" according to the Lil Miss - I had a mini fit. Little man C did not eat much but as he had a banana only an hour ago so I let it go. Little man L thankfully had a nice helping. Then he started crying while I was shouting explaining to his sister that food is never gross. I decided to loose the fight but proceed upstairs to win the battle on the bath side. Now I was carrying a hysterical Little man L up the stairs just to find the Lil Miss sobbing because she didn't "win" - getting upstairs first. While I am filling the bath and try to console L the other two decided that my craft cupboard has interesting offerings and they proceed to unpack it. I wrestle forcefully remove dangerous some items from them. I get all 3 in the bath - silence and play resumes for 5 minutes. Bliss.

The next moment hysteria - C was squirted in the face with water. I quickly do medicine, wash, toot brushing and get him out of the bath. He is sobbing. Now L is standing up in the bath, attempting to get out. I grab him and place him on the bed in a towel next to his brother. A is crying by now because she is last again (as if this matters) - so I get her out. At least she dries and dresses herself but then goes to sulk in her room. Now I have two crying wet naked boys. I dress the one that is the most hysterical  crying so loud the neighbors need earplugs , first. So off to bed, C still crying. L now Mr. friendly grin of perfect sweet child - nappy advert stuff.  With the promise of a story I manage to get the Lil Miss with us to do bible and prayers. As very short story and prayer follows.

Put the boys to bed, try to read a story to A. C is still hysterical, he wants his book. I manage to calm him down with another book. Now we have L running into the room every couple of minutes, laughing and grinning. Eventually I just say goodbye to all and head downstairs to catch the last half hour of Survivor and have some dinner.  It was not to be - a thunderstorm broke loose and between getting the puppies inside and consoling a hysterical little man C I made it in time to see the tribal council - and have a now reheated dinner.

At least I watched The Mentalist and the kids slept through. Not me though - was constantly worried about my sweet man, working and having to drive home. Woke at 1:30, read a couple of pages, woke when he got home at about 3:30, slept again until little man L woke up at 5:45.

It's not easy being a parent, and I know in a couple of years I will laugh at this - as I do now about those extreme baby evenings - they were way worse. But this too shall pass. Please God give me the strength not the be so upset about it. To embrace it. Hec, who am I kidding?

Welcome to sunny South Africa.

Welcome to sunny South Africa!

Howzit! (Hallo in South African slang)

Today, I am the featured stop at Blogtrotting, a great way to see the world from the convenience of your own home. So join in the fun and visit the world.

To introduce myself my name is Cat and my family and I live in Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa. 

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So this is South Africa – as you can see, our coastline resembles a smile, and we'd like to welcome you here. South Africa is a viby and lively mix of cultures and we speak 11 official languages. Most South Africans are at least bilingual. South Africans stem from a wide origin - African, Khoisan, European and Indian and most of us are in some form from mixed origins. Although we are facing the devastation of an AIDS pandemic and the threats of violent crime, most South Africans are building our country towards a positive future.

We live in a country of incredible contrasting beauty - all in the size comparable to Columbia. We have mountains to rival the Alps (The Drakensberg),

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cities so beautifully located that they are know as the most scenic in the world (Cape town),
 

incredibly beautiful semi-arid region, often referred to as “God's country” (The Karoo),

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natural forests with huge age old trees (the Garden route), - we did a Canopy tour there-

sandstone wonders (Clarins and the Golden gate National Park)

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and beautiful of the Lowveld and surrounding area.

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Our coastline is rugged and beautiful and as two oceans meet at the tip of Africa, we have two diverse coastlines filled with rugged beauty of the Western cape coastline,

to the calm of the East cape beaches

and some of the world's most famous surfing spots like Cape St Francis and Jeffreys bay.

The Natal coast has a beauty of it's own including Durban's surfing spots.

No, we don't actually have lions roaming the city streets, but we have nature pretty close to us. Where I am sitting right now in my office, I can see duiker and blesbok in a tiny reserve inside the city ( but I am probably one of only 200 people that have this honor). We do have a small reserve about 30 minutes drive from home where we live where can see zebra, antelopes, hippo and even rhino. We live a comfortable 1 and a half hours drive from the Pilansberg National Park (big 5 country) and 4 and a half hours drive from the famous Kruger National Park. About a year ago, the Lil Miss and I saw 4 of the Big 5 in one morning in the Kruger National Park.

P

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This year, South Africa is hosting the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup and will have thousands of visitors from around the world in this unique location. Soccer is the most popular sport for South Africans from African origin, while rugby and cricket is predominant in the rest of the population. Believe me, things get quite crazy, especially during the rugby season.

South Africa is also famous for some of our products, for instance, my personal favorite, excellent wines. Want to try some? I would suggest a KWV Merlot, Vergelegen Chardonnay or how would you like some champaigne? Well, technically we are not allowed to call it that, but our Cap Classique wines match the best of French - my personal favorite, Krone Borealis by Twee Jonge Gezellin. At a close second, we produce most of the world's jewellery class diamonds (so you my sport a few on your finger) and produced the biggest diamond ever. By the way, the gold or platinum in your engagement ring and wedding band possibly also comes from here. Our fruit is truly legendary across the world.

Apart from our products above, South Africa also provided the world with the first human heart transplant, the CAT scan, the Bumbo seat and many more. The first space tourist was SA internet Whiz kid Mark Shuttleworth and our golfers Retief Goosen and Ernie Els are legends following on Gary Players footsteps. We have produced 4 Nobel Peace prize winners of which I had the honour to meet two, Madiba (President Nelson Mandela) and the Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

On the entertainment front, we bask in our own little bit of Oscar glory - Charlize Theron won the Oscar for best actress in 2004 while local movie Tsotsi won the best foreign language film in 2006 . Local picture, District 9 was nominated for 4 awards this year, amongst them for best picture. Also worth the see for the story behind South Africa's rainbow nation, see Invictus starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. Our musicians are renowned from Ladismith Black Mambazo to Dave Matthews.

But the tie that binds South Africans, apart from a love of Africa and the outdoors, is the food. Or more particular, the braai.  A feast of meat grilled on open coals and enjoyed by all the cultures. We even have a national braai day on Heritage day, the 25th of September each year. It is a social event that takes place around the country and on a Saturday afternoon your neighbours lamb chops and boerewors ( a spicy beef and venison sausage) will get your taste buds going.

As to our city, Pretoria is the Capital city of South Africa and part of the big metropolitan powerhouse that includes Johannesburg and the surrounding areas. We have and excellent climate - moderate and pleasant throughout the year. Our area is famous for the great Highveld thunderstorms - a spectacular event producing our summer rain season.

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Pretoria is known as the Jacaranda city and each year in October our city is transformed into a purple glory. 

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We house 5 Universities and a world top 10 Zoo. Pretoria has many lovely outdoor parks and nature areas of which the Faerie Glen nature reserve, the National Botanical Gardens and the Struben Dam are our personal favorites.

I hope you have enjoyed my little tour around my country and my city. We hope to see you in person in South Africa, or failing that, on this blog or one of the other South African bloggers (see my right hand side bar - "Local is lekker"). Cheers!

(If after all this, you want to know more, click on the links in the text in the post to link back to older posts)

As per usual, also playing along with Angie on Wednesdays.

Maybe some day...

Maybe some day I will take the "real thing" photos!
For now, meet my little bride. (taken at Saturday's party)

Things I have learnt this weekend...

It is completely possible for 6 kids of 6 and under to totally wreck a room in the duration of two rugby games. It will take mommy (with a 5 year old's help) two hours to tidy up the toys.

I will never allow above to happen again - now I am tidy as you play Nazi even with other people's kids.

There are brilliant party ideas around that I have not seen before. The bug in the jello one was a huge hit.

I really like chickens - they are so photogenic,



Rabbits love cupcakes!

Puppies and kids go together like peas and carrots.

It is possible to have a whole night's sleep and still sleep for another 2 and a half hours the next morning and be exhausted by 9 the night and sleep from 9:30. I guess we are still sleep deprived to an extend.

Some friendships can resume after 22 and 3 years in the blink of an eye (post following on this one)

There is nothing as sweet as a newborn.This one had all the attention at Saturday's party.

Friday - 12 march 2010

Hosted by Cecily and Carrie

Hosted by Chris

71/365:
12 March 2010
Left my camera at work and took this very grainy low light shot with the point and shoot camera.

72/365:
13 March 2010:
Love the fun of the action shot.

73/365:
14 March 2010:
The kids got some of those non break bubbles at Saturday's party.

74/365:
15 March 2010:
My Just Joey rose - promptly destroyed seconds later by Little man L - technically not the best shot of the session - I have nice clear ones, but my favorite for feel and colour.

75/365:
16 March 2010:
 Today was Inge's 23 birthday. She is such a softly spoken beautiful girl - I think this picture reflects that.

76/365:
17 March 2010:
I managed to catch the princess' ballet class - it does not happen that often as I have meetings in JHB on Wednesdays.

77/365:

18 March 2010:
For the month of March, up until Good Friday, I am going to try and do a cross on Thursdays. This ceramic cross hangs in our entrance hall and the words are: "Ek maak julle vissers van mense" - "I will make you fishers of people"

Chaos

 Photo by Beeld newspaper.

So this bit of chaos happened just about 1km from our home yesterday afternoon and the smoke and chemical smells was so thick that by 1:30 am you could still smell it. A truck carrying steel and insect killer aerosols hit another truck and 2 cars and exploded. This morning, the highway is still closed but the bridge has re-opened.

Our quiet little neighbourhood was all of a sudden very busy as the traffic authorities relayed traffic through the area. This morning we have sore throats, sore chests and blocked noses. The kids seem to take it a bit better than the adults ( I closed their windows). I really hope we all feel better by this afternoon.

Just 25 sleeps to go!

In just 25 short days we are going on a week long vacation to the South Coast of Natal. At present, things are tough here - work is hectic and joy of joys, the washing machine is broken.

So I am taking 10 minutes to look at our last visit to this beautiful spot - and am so amazed at how much the kids have grown!
Timeline: September 2008.
Age of the Boys: just short of one year.
Age of the Lill Miss: 3 and a three quarter years.

Playing along today with Cheryl and Angie:

Sky high!

I really have a lot of posts milling in my head , but today, today is just a crappy day. One of those....

I lost my temper at 9 am (with very good reason) and the day is just sliding downhill as we go. We have a problem with a drawing that need to go out NOW! We have issues at a council, we have heaps on work to do, but the money will only come much later. My (actually ours - my staff as well) frustration levels are at present sky high.

At least, tonight is bookclub night - yeah! There will be a damper on the usual festivities though - one of the girls lost her baby two weeks ago at 30 and a half weeks and almost bled to death herself. I am so sorry for the family and have no words to express how I feel for them.

It's a jungle out there.

On Saturday we had a great birthday part at our friend Keagan's house with a Jungle theme. The table was magnificent and the cake, made by granny was stunning.

The kids all got little animal hats to suit the theme and the party packs were in hessian bags.

Then the big South African summer party hit - the water slide. 

The smaller kids played around while the biggies were on the slide.

 

The pinata was beautiful and laden with fun treats.

And this one just puts such a smile on my face - the SA braai with daddy of the birthday boy, Wayne,  in true style instructs Buffy and Hunter.

 In general we had a great weekend - and that just makes my Monday.

Playing along with Cheryl.