Nightime "escape"

On Monday night we had the guys down for supper. Zara being her strong willed self, and scared she may miss out on some fun, declined to go to bed... This meant she was up with us all till 10pm watching movies while we chatted and watched the football match. She still went to school on Tuesday so by bedtime last night we knew she was absolutely exhausted!! After her story and cuddle she seemed happy to be left to drift off into the land of nod but no sooner had we settled down to eat our supper and we heard a loud bang on her door and a call for me. I deliberated going in again but then decided that we need to get her back on track so just left her. She was as quiet as a mouse so we knew she had fallen a sleep... but where?

As usual, I went in to check on her before going to bed and found her passed out on the chair! She had taken her new magazine and bottle and fallen a sleep while waiting for one of us to come in! On occasion she has done this for her afternoon nap but this was the first nighttime adventure. I gently picked her up and tucked her back into her bed.

Just as well we always check on her before going to bed otherwise she would probably have a very stiff body today...

This morning I went in to wake her for school, only to find her sleeping across the width of her bed - silly sausage!!

Fashionista ????

This is certainly one post that Zara will hate me for in years to come but I still couldn't resist as it seriously was a sequence of events...

Having spent all of Sunday morning in her pj's, after much bribery she eventually took herself off to get dressed so we could go out. I followed her to her room to try help but was told off as she wanted to do it herself!

So off came the pj's... she was adamant no nappy and put her brookies on with a little help, then she chose her new "favorite" socks and clip clop shoes...

no outfit is complete without a book ;~} (curtsy and all...)

Now we ready to go...

but oh dear I actually need to use the potty, so just as well I have a book!

Now there's a problem... I lost a shoe and that just has to be sorted out immediately...

see... life is just dandy!!!

Cupboard love...

Zara has taken a great liking to the chaps staying with us for the World Cup...

She chooses who she wants to be with by seeing who has the latest/greatest viewing material either on their phone or computers! Andy, Carl and Chris have all been really sweet and patient with our demanding little princess - I know she will certainly miss them when they go home!!!

Note how carefully she holds the iPhone while watching a movie...

Smiley Boy...

25 June 2010

Eli is now 10 weeks old and as you can see he is a very happy boy!

Dad is already prepping him for the financial sector, getting him to read the FT on the weekends :-}

We all seem to have settled down into our new lifestyle and I am finally starting to get some sleep again-albeit a mere 3 hours at a time!

Zara is thriving at holiday school and when we fetch her, she keeps saying how much she loves her baby brother "Eli boy". When he fusses a little she is quick to go to him to try console him "don't worry, your big sister is here".

With Zara at holiday school, a little time has been freed up for me to spend with Eli... However, having said that, we did have a rather busy week last week, with some maintenance being done on the house which has sent me to get supplies from the hardware shop, buying paint as well as having to get my normal chores done all in the three hours of school time...

Zara gets to the finals

While I was pregnant, we had some underwater photos taken by Andrew (Indigo's Dad). He entered this photo of Zara into the Africa Photo Awards and last week he let us know that the image had made it to the finals! We of course, being the doting parents we are, believe that it has "nothing" to do with his photographic skills and is purely because of the sweet model ;-)

All jokes aside, its a great photo and we wish him best of luck for the final judging/prize giving on 12 August 2010!!

off to holiday school

A few weeks ago we got the very exciting news that Zara was in at Mina Laparto, the school we have always had our eye on for her. She is due to start in January next year but we have noticed that she is starting to get bored at home and desperately needs the additional stimulation that school would provide for her.

Despite being incredibly nervous that she would feel "side-lined" if we sent her to school now as well as the increased risk of illness over the bitter winter, we decided to ask if she could attend "holiday school". The teacher, Felicity, said she thought it would be fine so over the weekend we had been prepping her for the big event, asking her if it would be OK if I left her there. She said that she was happy to go to school, but I was to stay there with her. She also knew that her good friends, Samuel and Yael would also be there.

This morning we were all up a little earlier than usual for her first unofficial day at school.We got there at about 8.30 am and she went straight to the paint table, got an apron on and started painting. I hung around watching her explore the new things and children around her.

At about 9am, Felicity said she thought I may as well go as Zara seemed very settled. I went to her and told her I was going and she then said to me "Mommy, I told you when I got to school you can leave me here" so I kissed her goodbye and she said bye to "Eli boy"....

Mid-morning I got a call to let me know she was having a really good time playing with her two friends - Samuel and Yael. They were out on the jungle gym together and Zara was as good as gold!

At 12.30 when I went to fetch her, she was not all that excited to see me and was more than happy to keep playing...

Now the question I keep asking myself is what we going to do for the next couple of months of the year? I just have to trust that a spot will open up for her if she is meant to keep going through the rest of this year ;-)

Gautrain

12 June 2010

This morning we were supposed to go to a Cinderella show with Sharon, Anna and Athena but unfortunately it was cancelled! Having promised the kids a fun outing, we decided to still meet up and take a ride on the Gautrain. It was day 5 in operation, the first Saturday running and we were not the only Joburgers with that idea and found the Sandton station buzzing with people going for a joy ride! We also bumped into Zach and Theoni. The kids were so happy and excited to see each other and go on the train. I truly felt like we were in London, even the fabric of the seats is the same! We went to Rhodesfield, which is one stop from the airport and it took a mere 12 mins max. The train reaches 160km/hr so travel to and from the airport will now only take 15mins - what a pleasure! Well done and welcome Gautrain!!!

Ante-Natal Class Reunion

30 May 2010

Eli is almost 7 weeks old and today we had a get together with all the couples from ante-natal class. Andrew & Clara, Toby & Taiya, Templar & Simone. 3 of the 4 babies-Indigo, Eli & Jett - were born on the same night, 30 m apart within 3 hours of each other. Indigo is 3 hours older than Eli and Jett, with a mere 5 mins between the boys

The younger baby, Tayten, is just short of 2 weeks younger than the "triplets" There was also another couple, Nelio & Surita, who were also part of our group but they had come to Sharon late so their baby was born about 4 weeks earlier than our babies and sadly they couldn't make it as Talia had a fever. It was a bitterly cold day in Joburg so Chris got the fire started early. We had a lovely afternoon comparing notes and laughing at sleep deprived selves.It was super fun for Zara as she was certainly not left out with Toska and his family being there. They played in her room most of the afternoon and then once everyone else had left they got to watch some tv together - note the hand holding... perhaps a budding romance?

As for Eli & Indigo... the "super babies" they too showed early signs of affection ;-)

I certainly hope that this will be the start of many more get togethers and that our kids have a strong lifelong friendship...

Rhino & Lion Park

23 May 2010

We were supposed to got to Wakkerstroom this weekend but after a horrendous night with both the kids on Thurs we decided to rather stay home. So with no other plans we found ourselves free to do whatever we wanted - thus we decided to take Zara to the Rhino and Lion Park in the Cradle of Mankind near Krugersdorp. She was so excited to see the Lions, Rhino, Cheetah, Leopards, Zebra, Buffalo (or gruffalo as she calls them) etc. We also took her into the enclosure with two six week old lion cubs. She was very calm until the one tried to nibble her shoe and she realised they a lot stronger than she anticipated. She was still happy to look at them as long as she was safe in her Dad's arms... She was also very keen on touching the python. She even went and kissed its tail ... I must say she does at least have a degree of self preservation as she was not happy to have it put round her shoulders like many others were doing. I think she is certainly a girl after her Grandpa's heart as she loves reptiles and can spend ages looking at them

Eli visits peadiatrician

17 May 2010

Eli is already 5 weeks old and I took him for a "check-up" with Dr Lucic today. This is mostly to ensure that if we ever need her, he is already a patient in her practice. Zara fortunately only ever went to her at 6 weeks and 6 months...

As this was his first official medical assessment, she was very happy with his birth story and progress to-date. She would normally have seen him before we went home from Genesis but unfortunately she was overseas at the time. It was pointless having him checked by another pead as we need him to be with the same Dr as Zara.

Birth 5 weeks old :

3.300 kg 4.345kg,

52cm tall 55 cm tall
34 cm head circumference 38.5cm head circumference

Pretty good growth for 4 weeks 6 days!!!

She too has commented on how strong he is and at how good his head control is. She also strongly encourages holding your baby as much as possible as well as using a dummy! I have been holding off on the dummy till the feeding is fully established but I guess nows as good a time as any, especially if it gives me an extra few minutes when Zara needs me as well...

Dr Lucic gave me all the time I needed to ask any questions and at no point did I feel like I had to hurry up as the next patient was waiting. Once again we have been lucky to get such an amazing doctor.

Sleeping beauties...

a picture paints a thousand words...

Our special great-granny Nana

2 May 2010

We went through to Pretoria to visit Nana. It was an absolute privilege to introduce Eli to her - he is her 10th great grandchild!!! Zara was immediately drawn to Nana and insisted on sitting next to her in Wimpy - with absolutely no prompting from us... When Zara talks about Nana, she always calls her "my special Nana"

After brunch, we took Nana home and managed to "bully" her into a minor photo session with the kids and even more importantly to get a four generations photo!

Eli meets the v Gelder Grandparents

3 May 2010

Leaving Durban from the old airport, Grandpa & Grannieannie arrived safely in Jozi to meet "Eli 9" as he is affectionaetly called by Grandpa.

No sooner were they here and Zara had her grandparents reading her books & playing with her toys ;-) We had a cold,wet visit with lots of fun seeing Shannon Woodliffe and Nana. Three days were over far too soon and it was time for them to fly back to the new Durban airport...