Hurricane cookie and the lawnmower
It took a very long time to deliberate, but finally the girls agreed on making some cowgirl cookies. When I came down it looked like Hurricane Cookie had been through the kitchen.
Eli still has his love of gardening with Sam
In the middle
Grace and Eli were watching a movie and feeling quite comfortable sitting next to each other on the couch. Adam thought the tiny space between them looked like the best spot, so he clambered over Grace and wiggled his way into the middle, just where he wanted to be.
Marius & Jean
We got to spend the weekend enjoying Marius & Jean’s wedding – braais, breakfasts, wedding, and hanging out together.
Marius & Jean shared some beautiful, heartfelt and deeply personal vows
The chapel
Eli sat and watched the musicians for a long time before the wedding
Addy enjoyed participating in boules (party to turn on the sprinkler and wet everyone playing, and partly to carry the balls around and pack them away)
The children await the ceremony
While the last few things are being checked
Here comes the bride….
Vows
Husband & wife!
Receiving speeches & personal anecdotes
It was a lovely wedding to attend and one that seemed just right for Marius. Jean & Marius, may you have a blessed marriage and share many, many years together.
Hikes, canoes and candy cones
A morning hike, an afternoon swim and canoe, and the start of the wedding weekend celebrations…
Grace really surprised me with how quickly she got going in the canoe today. At one point I did have to give her some directions (left, left, right, left), but she twigged the whole thing relatively quickly.
A short hike in the morning
Delicious delectables – fill a sugar cone with chocolate, marshmallows and a strawberry, melt and the braai and enjoy
Mountain time
We’ve been blessed with a weekend in the Cederberg mountains to celebrate Marius’ wedding, so we arrived a day early for some family downtime. We’re at Jamaka organic farm which is rather beautiful and has an amazing camping area (but we’re staying in a chalet).
Catching a dip in the rather chilly, but beautiful river pool
Exploring and clambering
Our mini holiday view
Sibling love
I guess one of my desires as a parent is for my children to form and maintain meaningful relationships with each other. I know many things factor into sibling relationships and I won’t even pretend to know anything on this topic, because to be honest besides reading the occasional article, I’ve done no research on this. Mmm maybe I’ll add that to my list of things to research.
Adam snacking and watching his big brother. I love the way Adam has plonked himself down on the bamboo plant pot
Grace took this photo of her brothers. “Mom quickly pass your phone I want to take a photo, they are so cute”
In the meantime I love watching my children play, and love, and connect with each other. I love how Grace and Eli can go from playing school school, to making a tent, to baking crunchies, to playing a horse and carriage game and then back to school school. I love how Adam is very much part of the gang (although he does often cause havoc resulting in him being booted from the playroom) and really enjoys being with them and joining in, in his own special way. I love how Eli and Grace love Adam and think he is the cutest baby/toddler. I love how they celebrate with him when he learns a new word, a new skill and how they delight in him discovering things for the first time.
Part of the horse and carriage game
I don’t know if they will be close when they are all grown up, or whether they will even like each other, but I do know that when they were 7, 4 and 1 they filled each other with love, laughter, joy and of course a good dose of sibling frustration and irritation.
First Market day 2017
This is Grace’s second year doing Entrepreneurs day and although she really enjoys it, it brings with it some anxiety before the time. Grace is a bit of a control freak (yes I know she gets that from me! ) and as a result likes to know exactly when, what, who and be prepared in advance. These aren’t bad things but it does result in a little person sitting on the top of the stairs calling down to me; “mom I’m stressed that I won’t have anything to sell” or “mom I’m worried about market day”. After some reassurance she goes to bed.
This term Grace decided to make mini milk tarts. She took her preparation seriously and besides a bit of help putting the bases into the tins and working with the oven she did it mostly on her own.
Busy making the milk tart filling, while Eli (who was desperate to help) made sure her egg whites were forming stiff peaks.
Besides yummy milk tarts Grace decided to play a game of ‘see how many beans you can transfer from one tray to another using a straw in 30 seconds’. It turns out Chloë (Grace’s teacher) is pretty good at it, and showed her competitive self when her initial high score was beaten by Duncan 🙂
Grace had a wonderful market day and made some good money. As usual the market was filled with various fun games, yummy savoury and sweet treats, puppet shows, and various other crafts and goodies. Always a fun day for the whole family.
Eli had a good time spending his money at the market and came home with all sorts of fun new toys that kept him happy and occupied all of Friday.
I know entrepreneurs day can be stressful for both Grace and I, and it’s so tempting at times to want to step in and do the work to ensure she succeeds, but I also know when she is given the independence to explore, in what is a safe environment, it’s such an amazing opportunity for Grace to learn so many valuable skills. So when entrepreneurs day comes around again and it will, I hope to give her the necessary emotional support she needs to succeed at whatever she sets her mind to.
Three books and a bears
Adam has been attached to his lovey for sometime now and when he is ready for milk and sleep looks for and wants ‘bears’ (his name for it). Yesterday morning Adam was walking around with some of his other favourite things, little nursery ryhme books, and when it was time to take a nap insisted that 3 of these books join him and bear for his nap. Even though he dropped 2 of them while falling asleep he still clung to the one. When he woke up from his nap all 3 books and bear were safely clutched in his hands ready for his next adventure.
I guess it’s never too early to begin a love for books and reading.
Sippora, the horse and the tractor
Eli and Grace were definitely excited about the pony that was going to be at Sippora’s party today, so there were plenty of questions about when exactly it was going to come.
Poor Eli had to wait until all the girls had gone, and he desperately wanted a turn. When it did come around, he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Grace had a early turn, but while she was riding the pony stepped on Caden’s foot which left her a bit nervy. She did go back and have a compete ride a bit later.
Shortly after the pony was done the next question on their lips was, “When is the tractor coming?”
Everyone bundled up into the tractor trailer
We all had a lovely time celebrating, hanging out and getting to know some new people.
