Photostory Friday: Two ways to come down a hill

On our recent trip to Arniston, the kids really enjoyed the sand dunes that the area is famous for. Joubert, having had three years more experience than Emma, can navigate the dunes without much trouble and almost never ends up with sand in his face. Emma, though, is a different story... She was very keen to start on this new adventure and enthusiastically followed her brother up the dune...

...quickly falling behind when he started running after the seagulls...


...and finally gave up altogether.

She soon realised that the way down might be much easier and promptly stood up and at first started walking down hill. Gravity got the better of her though and walking turned into running and then uncontrolled flying with high sounds of glee. Off course this couldn't end well - she ending up falling forwards and actually stood straight on her head for what felt like several seconds, before keeling over, mouth, eyes, ears and entire face full of sand. Needless to say, I was too shocked and horrified to capture the moment, but after Henk and I established that she was okay, we had a good laugh about it.

Joubert on the other hand gently rolled down the hill in a controlled fashion...


...not giving his mother a heart attach at a much too young age...


...starting and ending with the same enjoyment...


...and even pausing to smile for the camera. (Despite the mad hair, hehe)



Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Running away from it all

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I have been envious to the point of ugly jealousy of other people's lovely back lit images for the longest time. At first I had no idea how they did it. Then I took the time to find out, but never seemed to be faced with the right opportunity at the right time. And great optimist that I am, I was convinced that I would never be able to manage it anyway.
So now I'm all proud of myself. The temperature finally dropped to an acceptable level and the wind stopped howling long enough for me to convince the rest of the family to go the beach for an early evening stroll.
And there he was - unsuspecting random jogger, moving into my field of vision with the sun hanging low in the sky in the background. And what do you know, my camera was in my hand!!
Yay! Back lit image done.

Photostory Friday: Guess where we were tonight!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

For once, the pictures speak for themselves...

Photostory Friday and gifts from school

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Last week I posted about Joubert testing my patience.
But he can also be so very, very sweet! He is a real little collector - forever picking up sticks, stones, bottle tops, feathers etc. Every time I empty his pockets before putting his clothes in the washing machine, I am amazed at what I find in there.
Since he was very small, he's gotten it into his head that I like feathers. I must have made a big fuss when he found his first feather, but every time he finds one he presents it to me with great pride. I'm also not aloud to lose these feathers. He check up on me to make sure I keep them!
Anyway. Since he started at his new school, he has taken to collecting little things on the school ground and bringing them home as gifts for me. Initially, I got a whole bunch of feathers, but he has since discovered a tree that grows these funny looking seed pods (or something).

I carefully saves them in a side pocket of his bag and then arranges them on the windowsill in the kitchen. They are quite messy and I have quite an impressive collection already, but I don't have the heart to get rid of them. How sweet is the boy who collects special gifts for his mom during the school day?

Photostory Friday and patience is a virtue

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Oh, Joubert is really testing my patience! Mommy is no longer the end all and be all of his life. In fact, at times, he finds me quite stupid and exasperating. Some days it is very, very hard indeed to remember that I am the adult and try to figure out how to act like one. Just today, after I reprimanded him yet again for not listening to me, he promptly told me that he never, EVER wants to see me again. *sigh*
After a while, he looked at me shyly though, and asked me if we were still friends. I ruffled his hair and told him that no matter how much we fight, I will ALWAYS love him and that he will ALWAYS be my favourite boy.
He really liked that, little rascal.
Patience, oh patience.

Photostory Friday and growing up

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

My daughter, Emma, turned two in September and through my eyes still seem like a baby. I realise this is more because I really really want her to still be a baby...but alas, she is not. I've ignored all the subtle sign for as long as I could, but lately, it's become impossible.
For instance, she is no longer wearing nappies. Teeny, weeny underpants are now making their appearance all over the washing line.

Also, she now sleeps in a BIG bed - and she loves it...

And finally, today she went to 'school' for the very first time. And she showed me just what a big girl she really is. She walked in on her own two feet and joined in the activities without any help from me. She then turned around, gave me a big smile and told me goodbye. I smiled back, gave her a BIG kiss and walked out the door.

I crossed the road, got into my car and cried.

My baby is growing up.

Photostory Friday and the wuss went up the mountain

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I am scared of heights - no, let me clarify that. I am PETRIFIED of heights. I once had an anxiety attack on the balcony at St Paul's cathedral in London. Pathetic, I know.
Anyway. This past holiday, my family came to visit and we spent some time showing my youngest sister around Cape Town as she hasn't been since she was a toddler. We decided to just drive by the cable way going up Table Mountain as it is usually one heck of a mission to get up there during the Christmas period as it must be the #1 tourist attraction in Cape Town. I myself have never been up Table mountain due to said phobia.
When we got to the ticket office, suddenly, miraculously, there was no-one waiting in line to buy tickets! The day was quite cloudy, but then also, quite suddenly, the skies cleared and the mountain top was actually clear. My sisters both gave me the look - surely this must be a sign? I started shaking my head vigorously, muttering strange words and ridiculous excuses, but they paid me no mind. A few minutes later, my dad had bought both my sisters and I tickets.
And so we went. Not without cold sweats and short breaths, but after sitting down right in the middle of the cable car and refusing to look at the windows, I soon discovered that it was not too bad - in fact, not too bad at all!
And when we got up there, it was absolutely worth is. I will go up there every day if I could! The visibility was not great, but it was still an awesome sight too see and the atmosphere up there is something that has to be experienced. Silent and magical. It was a priceless experience and I am so glad that I got to share it with my two sisters.

Saw this little Dassie (sorry, only know the Afrikaans name, what on earth is a Dassie in English?), waiting around for something to eat.

My baby sister


And this is Bloukous, the other sister


Cape Town, through the approaching fog

Photostory Friday and Strawberry Fields

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Since it's strawberry time in South Africa at the moment, we decided to take a trip to a nearby strawberry farm on Tuesday where we were able to pick our own strawberries. Both my children LOVE strawberries and we thought they would really enjoy the experience, which they did. I on the other hand, went along in the blistering heat because of the good mother I am trying to be and because I wanted to capture the big event on camera. Little did I know that some primal gathering instinct would kick in the minute I saw all the wonderful fruit, ripe for the picking! So while Emma happily sat in the middle of the strawberry field, picking and munching whatever was edible, I was a frenzy of activity, picking with urgency, camera forgotten next to my sticky little daughter... Ah well, at least I got a few pics, and in the end, if all else fails, at least I can apply for a job picking strawberries...

Attempting to scare the birds away


The fruits of my labour


Proud little picker


Waiting

Photostory Friday and mission (almost) accomplished

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

And so we survived The Move. I panicked and I stressed and I cried and I shouted, but here we are, all in one piece.
We made this move in pursuit of a different lifestyle, but I was secretly worried that the new lifestyle would not come that easily and that it would be something that we would need to work at. But since the moment our furniture arrived and we started moving in, something shifted in all of us. The children are so happy, it makes me cry just to look at them running around and playing. I feel as though the world has been lifted from my shoulders and have not been so relaxed and content in years. I know we've barely been here for a week, but already the changes are so apparent. We spend most of our free time outdoors. The TV is seldom on. I haven't watched my favourite soap in over a week! But mostly, it's just such a privilege to be able to live in these beautiful surrounds and to be able to do something simple like take the kids to the beach for a quick frolic in the waves. I am so grateful for this opportunity.
[For those who are not in the loop, my family and I moved from Johannesburg to Somerset West, about 40km east from Cape Town. It is a smallish town surrounded by awesome mountains, close to the beach as well as neighbouring the wine lands. ]

Enjoying the beach


Hunting for sea creatures

Photostory Friday and pictured together at last!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

My children are as different from one another as night and day. They want different things at different times, they have different tastes, they develop in different ways and they certainly challenge me in different ways! They therefor also argue frequently and irritate each other to no end.
But they also love each other and are the best of friends. They stick up for one another. They look out for one another. They play and they share (sometimes) and they laugh. And I love this about them.
I've so often tried to capture the two of them together, but almost never manage to get the perfect shot! Different as they are, they are forever going in two opposite directions and it is so difficult to get both of them standing still long enough in close enough proximity of each other AND looking at the camera to get the shot!
And so on Wednesday we were visiting my grandmother, playing on the grass and suddenly it happened - brother and sister, both lying on their stomach, NEXT to each other, looking at the camera...well, sort of anyway.
And here is the picture and I love it! I think mostly because once again it shows a little of how different they are.

Photostory Friday and the most exhausting hour of work ever!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I've mentioned earlier this week that Joubert participated in his school concert last week and that I was asked to take photographs of all the children in their costumes. The teachers and I thought it best to get the photographs out of the way before the start of the concert as the children tend to disappear after they are finished with their acts. The concert started at 18h30 and the children was due to arrive at 17h30 to get dressed up and have their photos taken. I tried to warn everyone involved that this arrangement gave me very little time to photograph all 72 - yes SEVENTY-TWO- children before the actual start of the concert, but they paid me no mind. They could not be bothered with a small detail like this, as they had many other difficulties to deal with. I sighed, stressed, cursed a little and bit all my nails down to the quick. I then went for the tried and tested technique of ignoring the problem and deciding to deal with it when it came up.
Well. Suffice to say that I almost DIED. It is a miracle that I could actually revive myself to the extent of being able to watch my own child being an absolute star on stage. I won't go into too much detail, but after standing around whilst hyperventilating for 20 out of the given 60 minutes to capture 72 little darlings on my memory stick, I suddenly changed into a frenzied blur of a person, sweating profusely while giving instructions in a high manic voice, all the while flashing a crazed fake smile. I got the job done. That much is true. All the kids looked their best and will cherish these pics for years to come. That much is NOT true.

Some refused to smile (honestly, wouldn't you?)


Others expressed their disgust quite effectively.


A few decided to drive me batty by deciding not to look at the camera.


Then my lights over-heated, resulting in the ominous shade...


Certain kids seemed to have been waiting for this opportunity all year!


And others were born for the limelight.


But thankfully (hallelujah!) some little angels from heaven stood in the right place, looked into the camera and s m i l e d.


And I lived another day.