A perfect start to the day?

How is it that my best and worst moments of the day can be the same moment?

While we're on holiday, and don't have to wake up early (by early, I mean before 7am...), we've fallen into a new morning routine. Around 7am Nellie wakes up, stumbles through to our room, and crawls into bed with me (on my side, note - I give up half my space for her so G doesn't have to get all uncomfortable) and we snuggle for a while. I love it.

Then, a few minutes later Nathan usually wakes up so Graeme collect him and brings him back to bed. Nathan has that sleepy baby look and smell about him (and I'm not talking about the smell of wet nappies here...) with his hair all disheveled and a cute grin that says "sorry for keeping you up all night, Mum, but I really, really, really do love you!"

Sometimes G deserts us in a grumpy mood because his back is killing him (I'm beginning to suspect some sort of kidney infection), but the best mornings are where we then all snuggle together - all 4 of us. We giggle and tickle and chat and cuddle. It's by far the BEST way to start the day I think (apart from breakfast in bed at 9am that involves lots of chocolate and tea and good books...).

It's also the worst way to start the day, because once Nathan joins us, Nellie won't lie still - she's a wriggle worm of note. Of course, that means that my full bladder usually gets at least one foot or elbow in it, some of my hair gets pulled out by the roots, and Nellie and Nate fight over her Leo (because Nate's is still in his cot and he thinks hers belongs to him...) with the result that she often starts whining and crying and gets all sulky.

When it goes wrong, it puts me in a foul mood and is the worst possible way to start the day (other than, oh I don't know - having gunmen enter your house and kill you?). When it goes right, it's awesome, like this morning. After a quick loo trip, I returned to bed to find Nellie and Nate cuddling - Nate lying on top of Nellie with her arms around him patting his back. Best of all - he wasn't trying to escape (which is his usual trick). He was genuinely loving it! Aaaaah! Made my heart go all gooey.

(Of course, Nellie spoilt what would have been the perfect start to the day by refusing to co-operate while getting dressed and making a scene about the fact that G was going to take her to nursery and not me. Sigh.)

I think back to the days BK (before kids) when I didn't want any because I was feeling too selfish about my time and could only see the negatives of having kids (nappies, sleepless nights, vomit in your hands, endless arguments, constant worry over their safety, etc, etc, etc) and moments like this make me realise afresh that this is, by far, the better choice! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

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We've had such a fun holiday, despite Nathan getting a virus, then bronchiolitis, and then tonsillitis! We went to Sedgefield, then on to PE, then back to Sedgefield, and then on to Oudtshoorn, and then back home. We stayed with friends that we hadn't seen in years, which was fantastic!

Rather than upload all the photos twice, I've put some of them on Nellie's blog, since this was her first PROPER holiday in SA. She had such fun - it was wonderful to see how excited she got by everything. The rest are below in other posts.

This holiday also saw quite a bit of jealousy from Nellie's side. With Nathan being sick, he got a lot of attention and holding, and she's found that very difficult. Poor mite. But she's been really good about it all. She didn't throw tantrums, or behave poorly (on the whole). I discussed with her how I wanted her to approach her jealousy. I asked her to tell me if she was feeling jealous, and to ask for what she wanted from me. She cottoned on to that very quickly - and as a result got far more attention from me than she probably would have done otherwise: "Mommy, I'm feeling jealous of Nathan - please can you play with me?" I am really proud of how maturely she's handled it all.

Nathan continues to be a joy to all, despite his sickness. Several times we're convinced he started signing, but as we then went away (which meant he couldn't watch his signing video) that has tailed off again. I'm hoping that as he starts watching again, he will start signing to us again. He now talks 19 to the dozen (all babble though), with quite serious intent too, and loves it when we repeat his babble back to him. In fact, he thinks we're hilarious. If you consider it from his side, he obviously thinks he's talking, and can't understand why we would want to babble... silly parents!

He's walking beautifully now, but can't pull himself back up if he's fallen down. He still needs to crawl across to something else to pull himself up. He's also discovered feeding himself and the joys of grated cheese, Flings, droe wors and drinking from a pull-cap juice bottle (you know, those small juices for kids you buy in the shops with the cap you pull up and push down?). Oh the joys!! He's been in 7th heaven!

Nellie, meanwhile, has discovered the joy of monkey bars and loves to show off. She's also discovered the joys of washing dishes (!!!) and grating cheese (well, we need all the help we can get with feeding Nathan!) and of playing with her brother. She loves nothing more than making him laugh. She's really growing up (but still my little baby).

Anyway, head across to Nellie's page to see some of our photos.

3 cakes, 3 parties, and only 1 yr old!

Happy holidays

"No Money Guy" seeks your help!

There's a guy here in SA called The No Money Guy. His name is Adin van Ryneveld. He's a CApe Town life coach who has undertaken to live without spending any money for 5 years. (Currently he's about a year into the project.) He also wants to give away a ridiculous amount of money over the 5 years.

Anyway, he's desperate to have his own chat show in which he tells the story of people who are social uplifters - people who do good, not because they want the spotlight, but because they want to leave behind an earth that is inheritable by our kids.

He's got my vote!

Anyway, here he is, telling his story. Please help him to get Oprah's attention. Cheers

Vuvuzela

You know how it is when you're driving along the road, minding your own business, and then you look up and see the skyline suddenly and dramatically altered and you nearly drive off the road or into the car ahead of you? No? That's never happened to you?

Well, if that's the case, drive down towards the Waterfront. On the infamous "Unfinished bridge" Hyundai have placed the most HUMUNGOUS vuvuzela. I tried to get a shot while driving, but it's not so great.

Which is why I love 'Cape Town Daily Photo's Paul. He takes really great photos. Of huge vuvuzelas. Vuvuzelas so huge you'd never believe it.

Plus this one actually works - it has a truck hooter installed and a counter for all the goals scored in the World Cup. Everytime a goal is scored, the hooter is activated. Pretty cool, I'd say, unless you happen to live in the buildings roundabouts!

Let the record reflect...

Graeme VOLUNTARILY commented that Alyssa is "quite a nice dog". This from the guy who regularly threatens to kill her and usually means it.

Slaan my dood met a veer.

Bafana Bafana have to win now.
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Okay - truth be told there were conditions attached to his comment ... like that when she didn't jump on him, or hassle him, she was....