Grace has really taken well to our new home. Having the playroom, and a nice big garden have been the two hooks for her. There was one time that she said, “I want to bath in our old bath!” but only because the bath crayons weren’t working so well.

Today she says, “I want to live in this house forever.” I think she is committed 🙂

Donné has been unpacking, unpacking, unpacking – including all the kids toys and things which was quite a lot of boxes – and the playroom is starting to look like a really cool playroom.

Grace has been loving playing with all the things that have been packed away. She is doing really, really well and is having lots of fun playing in our garden.

Eli seems to be taking a bit of strain, particularly if we’re out of sight (which happens a lot when there are stairs). He is also enjoying playing, running around the garden and feeding the fish, but he has been wanting us quite a bit more than usual.

Donné has just been an unpacking and organising superstar. She has done all the hard work while I deal with the various people who have been in and out (Telkom, pool guys, security company, etc.)

Moving day went really well! Lotter Removals arrived at 08h00, and by 10h30 we were on our way to Somerset West. Luckily they managed to fit everything into a single load, so by 14h00 I was back and having lunch with the family. We did a final clean of the house and then bundled the cats and children into the cars and off we all went. I think it all went well because Donné has worked hard to get everything organised. The removal guys were also great.

Grace and Eli then had lots of fun exploring the new house. Up and down stairs, in and around the garden, feeding the fish and enjoying unpacking some of their toys. Grace says, “We were packing and packing, and the toys were disappearing. Now we get to unpack and each day there will be more and more toys!” I think they are both looking forward to having all of their things again. Eli in particular seemed to be disturbed over the last few days, concerned about where everything was disappearing to.

Luckily both of them settled quickly and went to sleep not too long after their normal bedtime.

Our new home

Last day in our home, which also means a last family Vida (tomorrow I’ll be busy with the move, but I do suspect Donné and the children may make a visit)

Tomorrow the movers arrive at 08h00 to start packing. It is still feeling a bit surreal, but I’m pretty sure that tomorrow night, in our new house is going to feel very real…and probably a bit strange.

While we were packing Eli decided that he would like to extend his smile….this is what happens when parents are otherwise occupied. Packing is going well – just two more sleeps!

Today was a busy packing day taking down the jungle gym, taking garden refuse to the dump and just generally keeping busy with the process (Wednesday is the bug move!). Fortunately one of the boys from down the street came to play and he and Grace had a busy fun afternoon jumping on the trampoline, paying Zingo, painting and playing with whatever happened to be around. Duncan and Grace are the same age and get along really well. He talks Afrikaans, she talks English, and it doesn’t really matter too much, because they speak the same language: play.

In one of Grace’s magazines there was a competition to win a Sophia the First hamper, bedding, curtains and a few other things. She decided that she wanted to enter, so we filled in the form and sent it off and didn’t really think about it again. Yesterday I get an email to let us know that she has won a hamper, and I just had to laugh. We decided to keep it a surprise and video her reaction. I was thinking she was going to be bouncing off the walls. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but she did have some classic lines.

Grace was watching some TV and Coco decided that she needed a warm lap to sit on.

Coco can be a super needy, over the top, try to sit on every guest’s lap kind of cat, but I’ve never seen her decide to go and sit down with either of the children.