Snack time!

Getting some Chipski love

Grace and Eli take Addy for a walk to the sea

Grace took Eli on this walk when he was 15 months, and now that Adam is 14 months, he gets to do the same. And it looks like when you are 4 you have a very particular pose for the walk

This is, quite literally, how Adam rolls (that is a mattress on the floor next to a sliding door window, with some cushions pushed into the gap to prevent him from rolling off, which he decided to use as a pillow)

My two sweet girls, spending time together reading their books

We arrived safely in Jeffrey’s Bay, and only had to deal with 1 hour of Adam crying along the way. Rest of the trip went smoothly, and everyone is happy to be here and on holiday after a busy and intense year. Let the resting, recovery and family time begin! 

We captured a rain spider that was sitting on our window for release into the wild, and Grace decided she wanted to release it.

Grace has been moaning about having to brush her hair for a long time now, and she says, “I want short hair like Eli,” so today was her chance to go a bit shorter…

Grace and Eli had their last swimming lessons for the term today, and it was Grace’s last swimming lesson. She wants to do some other things next year, and she is a capable swimmer, so today was her last lesson with Sacha. Grace’s swimming partner wasn’t there today, so Eli (who will be moving up to Sacha next year) joined Grace for the last 5 minutes of her lesson, which included some surfacing time.

Santa’s little elves came early so that they could deliver a rather large gift that wasn’t going to fit into our car on the way back – a new, bigger trampoline so that the whole family can fit onto it together (regardless of the warning labels which say one person only).

The great gingerbread build of 2017! We did miss our gingerbread building partners and historical suppliers of gingerbread building materials, the Parkers, and our travelling friend, Aunty Mel, but it was also an opportunity to try making our own gingerbread pieces. As always, lots of sugar, some structural integrity challenges, and good fun with friends.

Let the sweet divisions begin!

Is there icing on my face?

The Bradshaws get their build on

Careful allocation and distribution of the sweets

Mom gives some support

Making sure the concrete is thick enough

Piecing things together in the mobile gingerbread homes, built to travel

Prepping the roof

The results are in! Grace (right) and Eli’s (left) houses

One of the Bradshaw’s homes, built with thick and sturdy walls. Kim discovered the joy of gingerbread house moulds.

Addy is now spending most of his time walking. He is up and off, swinging his arms and jabbering to himself. It is super cute.