The smile says it all ...

Elaine was offered the job !!!! Yay !!!

Brothers together ...

Bradley is missing his little brother in the mornings since Connor started at his new nursery school .. he is usually quite chirpy, but this morning was grumpy! Only cheered up towards the end of the morning, and once we - he and I - collected Connor - we had a normal afternoon at home.

Building Lego tower

Concentration ..

Oooooh !!

Bored with Lego .. let's try the computer next .. which key shall I press first ..

Wordless Wednesday :

More Wordless Wednesday - Here

Just thoughts for now ..

You would think I would be used to it by now ... seeing a child going off ... to an exam, taking a driving license, first date, just going off in a car and hoping they come safely home, leaving home for the first time .... I could go on ..

Elaine has just set off for another interview. She has a brilliant result from University - all distinctions for her Honours and no job yet. And .. she can't get her full degree unless she does an internship for 6 months under a Marketing mentor. Several interviews later .. she is now off to another one. Hoping and praying 'this is the one'. But if not, there will be others - and maybe the best one is yet to come. You never know, she may the lucky one and the others who have been offered places like in the motor industry etc, may be without jobs considering this downturn in the economy. Hopefully not, for their sakes.

She gets so nervous and stressed - needs to stay calm and remember to breathe calmly!

Holding thumbs, crossing fingers and toes !!

And little Connor is off to school for his second day. Wish I was a fly on the wall to see how that's going too. I will only know later ... and see how he is when I collect him at 2 pm. I was told by his very nice teacher - who says he is a lovely little boy, very friendly, happy child - to fetch him at 2 pm rather than at 1 pm to give him a chance to sleep. When I got there he was fast asleep with all the othe littlies on their mattresses in a row on the floor. They always looks so calm and peaceful! I used to collect Bradley like that too - pick him from a row of sleeping littlies!

Teacher also commented on his size!! "He is much taller than the others," she said and I think she was going to add, "chunkier and definitely heavier" (when she picked him up from the sleeping row - which I don't think she'll offer to do again - I will have to do it!!) I have tennis elbow from picking him up and carrying him around !!!!

I'm sure he'll be fine and love it like he did yesterday. Such a big boy now!

Holding thumbs, crossing fingers and toes!

I read a comment on Jeanette's blog that it didn't seem so long ago that we had her baby shower when expecting Connor. I went back to look at those photos - oh my, how he has grown into such a healthy, strong little boy. When he was born and hooked up to a wall of machines, it was first time I had ever seen my hubby cry. He felt so helpless seeing this little baby with tubes and cords coming and going to machines.

That was then .... and this is now ... going off to school for his second day!!!

Little Erin starts next week - she's going to love school too - I am sure of it!

Hubby also went back to work yesterday after 3 weeks at home. I wonder what the year has in store for him and what travels he'll be going on. He retires mid next year - scary thought!! I don't feel old enough for retirement!!

Am also wondering how my Mum is. My Sunday evening conversations are getting shorter and shorter. I think she's getting worse. My last 'chat' was short and not so sweet. I could hear her coming to the phone as the Sister was telling her to "come and sit here, Mrs K". She seemed very confused with where to sit, what the phone was for, how to hold the phone and what I wanted. I said I just wanted to chat. 'No, she said, I can't talk to you', and put the phone down on me. Maybe she was having a bad day.

My brother and his wife have been away on a wonderful holiday to Ireland (they live in Somerset West) and are due back this week. I will get more feedback once they go and visit her. We saw her about three weeks ago when we had to dash down to Hermanus as my father in law passed away - but I think she has got worse. The saddest thing is that my eldest brother lives in England - left from Zimbabwe about 5 years ago and has really struggled to make ends meet - and hasn't been able to come back here at all to see her.

PS ... Bradley has been just been dropped off by his Dad (he only starts school next week) and Connor is ready and rearing to go to school !

Weekly Winners : Dec 28,'08 - Jan 3,'09

Last flaming beauty

Sandton skyline from N3 and through the closed window of a 'whizzing' car at dusk

Knotted net

Huge dandelion

Connor and his Papa

The big man himself - Nelson Mandela : Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton

Like a lizard on hot stones

Me and my Daddy

"This little piggy .. "

Fun in the sun on New Years Day

Happiness is ...

... swimming with 'Lainey

Kick your legs !!

Go .. Connor ... go !! Clever boy .. all on your own !!!

Showing 'Lainey his version of the 'shark' !! Just like his big brother !!




Bradley .. fun with the lilo




The 'lovebirds'

"This little piggy .. " with Papa

"I love my Daddy"

Mmmmmm !!!

What we did on New Years Eve ...

... was ... instead of having a quiet last day of 2008, which was the plan ...

we visited the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort. It's only a few kilometres away from where we live and I am ashamed to say that we haven't been there for ages !! I think the last time I went was when my Mum was visiting from Zimbabwe, when Bradley was around two and half years old!!! So that's about 4 years ago !! Not good enough - we have such a beautiful place on our doorstep and we don't enjoy it as we should.

That's going to change ... it's really beautiful, and hubby and I decided that we need to go back and stroll around the gardens more often ... and take a picnic basket. Picnics are allowed all around the gardens except in the area of the waterfall.

Bradley and Connor striding out ..

Jeanette asked us to look after the boys for the morning while she and Elaine went shopping - hence the trip to the Botanical Gardens to let them 'run free' for a bit !!! It worked ... they were exhausted when we got home !!

I was most impressed with the improvements that have been made to the Gardens since my last visit. Only indigenous plants are used throughout .. it's really pretty now .. and one can see just what can be used in our gardens without using the 'exotics'.

For more info on the Gardens go to http://www.sanbi.org/ : then go to Walter Sisulu under Botanical Gardens.

"A breeding pair of majestic Verreaux's Eagles nest on the cliffs alongside the Witpoortjie waterfall." It is the only pair of nesting Black Eagles in urban Johannesburg. On one occasion we have spotted them soaring and swirling in the blue skies - a truly magnificent sight!!!!

Pete and the boys at the waterfall

There are benches scattered in shady spots .... it was a scorcher of a day - hence the photo is not that good but this path leads to the cactii and aloes section ....

Yay !! Papa's buying us an ice cream !!

Bradley ran ahead of us pointing out different plants and flowers along the way. Connor too, stopped at intervals pointing to flowers and smelling them. (We have taught them well ... to appreciate nature, the environment and their surroundings !!!) Bradley stopped at a dandelion and shouted "Wow, Granny, look at this HUGE dandelion ... it's enormous !!!" But wouldn't stay put for me to take a photo of it with him. Connor became my willing subject!

Took two tired and very hot little boys home - and ... yay .. my car is air conditioned!! (Had to use my car as I have the two car seats for the boys). Weren't home long before Jeanette and Elaine came back after their successful shopping trip. I must add .. my eldest daughter has taught the youngest daughter how to shop ... they do it well !!!!!!


They also said that I need to go and do my food shopping quickly .. like now .. don't delay ... as the shops are bedlam with shelves emptying rapidly and long queues at till points. Oh no! So much for my quiet day!! Actually, it wasn't toooo bad by the time I got there - the shelves were being replenished with fresh stuff - maybe I was the lucky one after all - although the queues were still long! Just home in time to make a salad and organise our braai (barbeque) food to take with us as we were going to a party !!! Yes, a party !! We haven't been out on New Years Eve for many years. We tend to stay at home and have a quiet evening. Fireworks in the area drive the dogs mad - our little Jackie included - and we always feel that it isn't worth going out leaving the dogs when they are so frightened. We have heard of horrendous stories of dogs jumping through glass windows, leaping over huge garden walls, running away etc. There are by laws for the prevention of the use of fireworks but most people don't abide by the law.


Elaine went to the vet to get a calmative for Jackie, just in case, and she said there was a queue of people also getting the same for their animals. So sad that we have to do this for the sake of other people's fun.


The party was great - we all stood or sat in the garden on a balmy summer's evening .. until we could see a storm brewing in the distance and everyone grabbed their meat to slap onto the braai grids. The heavens opened just as most the meat was cooked then there was a mad scramble to get everything indoors. Quite a few drenched people later, we carried on indoors and saw the New Year in with the 'old' sounds of Abba !! The stage play and movie 'Mama Mia' was very popular here (I got the DVD for Christmas - love it!) It's the kind of movie that makes you smile all the way through, while tapping your feet and singing along with the songs!! I suppose only if you like Abba music !!

Our hostess and her friends belting out their version of "Dancing Queen"

Note the microphones !!

And our little Jackie ... she had scratched the passage door so hard that it unlatched (although it doesn't close all that well .. we usually lock it at night to keep the 'baddies' out!) So much for the calmative !!!! BUT thank goodness for the rain which I am sure put a 'dampener' on the fireworks this year! Jackie is petrified of thunder too, so that added to her stress. Happy little doggie when we got home .. rewarded her with a nice 'choccie'. Robbie, the labrador doesn't give a hoot about thunder or fireworks but he got his 'choccie' too!!

Richest blessings, peace, love and laughter to all for the New Year