A winter warmer

On Saturday we went to brother in law, Marthinus's birthday celebration at his sister's house in Waverley. Half the guests watched the super 14 rugby semifinal between the Bulls (Pretoria's rugby team in case you didn't know) and the Crusaders (from Christchurch, Nea-Zealand - our rugby arch rivals). The Bulls won (of course)! While half the guests were glued to the T.V. some of us preferred chatting around the coffee table. Louise had the most scrumptious goodies as usual and well... goodbye diet! You can guess that I was one of the coffee table guests!

Marthinus's sister and husband had been to Russia in 1991 and they had travelled here, there and everywhere. I talked about what we were planning to wear on our trip later this year - to dress in layers etc. and she gave me the following tip:

Take a pair of pantyhose and cut out the gusset and cut off the feet - pull it over your head and you have a wonderful spencer! (Head through the hole you cut out, arms in the legs and the panty part over your torso.)

Today was a bit chilly, so I tried it out. (Had to search for pantyhose though - hardly ever wear them nowadays). I thought I would have to cut out a bigger hole than just the gusset, but it stretches incredibly -you really need cut out only the gusset. It fits like... well like the 2nd skin pantyhose is. It was wonderfully warm and not bulky at all. It fit under my tight fitting T-shirt. (I didn't buy the T-shirt tightfitting, it just sort of became tight fitting because I guess I sort of grew...) There is definitely no space for an ordinary spencer under this T-shirt and anyway, even if there was, a spencer would have stuck out at the neck. It seems all T-shirts and jerseys (sweaters) have open necks these days.

So, if you are like me, lucky enough not to suffer from hot flushes, (hormones are such bliss) I can really recommend this. I was feeling snug as bug all day - without layers of jerseys and jackets. (I only put on a thin jacket when Jan and I went for a walk at 18:00.) And the "spencer" did not stick out anywhere, anytime. And it did not itch or scratch or anything.

Of course if it does get too hot on the trip and I want to take it off, the "pantyhose spencer" will easily squash into my handbag.. or I can throw it away. It's not like it cost the earth. I think this is the best invention since..... well since pantyhose!

Russia, here we come!

What is a journal without photos? Martelize was the only pebble on the beach this weekend. She has discovered the fun of crawling outside. She is a very determined crawler and it takes her only seconds to get up the stair of the scullery and out the back door....

Why does Pharaoh move away when I get near?

I just want to pat you...

Crawling on the lawn is better.

Crawling on stony terrain slows her down, but it doesn't stop her. Here she is on her way to her Oupa who came back from inspecting the newly made fire breaks.
Have a great week!

Only one photo week

Only one photo this week, but it has been a wonderful week. Jan and I celebrated our wedding aniversary by going to La Fayette for supper - very romantic - loved the music. We talked and dreamed a lot.
Saturday was spent cleaning the house and Jan gave Hendrik some advice on a "labour of love" that he was working on. (Love so brings out the best in a person.) Despite working till late, he did not quite finish it and was a bit frustrated with himself.

Sunday Jan and I went shopping - not our custom to shop on Sundays, but it was fun. We bought... a white slave for the scullery - the type you plug in. He/ she / it better live up to our expectations and do a good job. At least all my plates - even the large old fashioned Noritake plates - fit in this one. Advice for anyone who wants to buy such a slave: Do not buy the type whose name starts with a K and ends with an r - not even if it is a R1000 cheaper and not unless you have tiny plates. There is a lesson to be learnt here!

We also bought the dogs better blankets than the grey ones we bought at Makro about 2 months ago. The dogs have shredded those to pieces. My plan is to cover the blankets with mini-mat. Hope the material is strong enough. The idea is to have bedding for the dogs that is warm, but also easy to wash regularly. (Now I just have to do it - along with a heap of other sewing like shortening sleeves. Any tips on how to shorten the sleeves of jerseys? And jackets with linings? I keep putting it off.)

We also bought Jan a fleecy jacket and a thick windbreaker jacket for THE TRIP later this year. These two layers are a lot cheaper than the ones with the zippered lining... like R1000 cheaper....Plans....Dreams...Fun...!

However, the Green Cross walking shoes I had bought had to be returned. I never fitted the left shoe in the shop and it was decidedly uncomfortable. (There is another lesson to be learnt here!)

We had lunch with the L's. Franco had had a terrible fever earlier this week, but by Sunday he was fine. However, he started to sport an awful looking rash. We decided it was "Baby Measles" i.e. Roseolla.

Hardly saw the H's this past week. Martelize was apparently not too well either. I hope to see Thelwyn soon. My Russia DVD's from Amazon have been delivered to her work. I can't wait to get them.... Amazon warned that they might not work on our DVD player because they are region 1, but I decided to go ahead and order them anyway. (So hope that there is not a lesson to be learnt here!)

Frans and Thelwyn had a funeral on Monday: The parents of close friends of theirs had died in a car crash last week. A terrible, double tragedy.

(What if it had been us? What if both of us had gone... right now!? What if the children had to come and sort out our mess? We'd better get our buts in gear and start... what? Sorting our stuff? Updating our testament? Book space in a retirement.....!? At least there will be some (organised) memoirs in cyberspace!)

Elrika's Baby Shower

A week ago Thelwyn, Martelize (of course) and I went to the baby shower of Elrika. She has been Thelwyn's friend since they were two years old. Her mother, Elsa, two other friends and I had an "exhange" play group back then. Each of us would get a turn to look after all the children once a fortnight. That meant 3 child free mornings every in return for the "service"! Real life savers for us moms: it meant (inter alia) one could go shopping without towing the toddlers and babies along! I would recommend such an arrangement for any stay at home moms! Elsa, Brenda and I have remained very good friends ever since.

Martelize was as good as gold in the car to Midrand and at the party - that after having had a crying spell all morning. (If only babies could say what was wrong!) Here she is unpacking Thelwyn's bag while we were waiting for Elrika to come down. She did not know about the baby shower: here in South Africa we like to keep it a surprise. Her friend had invited her for a massage and while they were busy upstairs, her mother and other friends quickly set the tables with really delicious goodies. Elrika never suspected a thing - she did not know about the cars that were being parked on the sidewalk while she was being pampered. I thought having the guest of honour in the house beforehand was a very clever idea, because the parked cars can be a dead give away.

Another good idea was to have the tea party before the opening of the presents. That gave Elrika chance to say hello to everyone, and anyone who was in a hurry could leave whenever they wanted. Here is Elrika (the pregnant one obviously) talking to friends. Elrika is expecting baby daughter Janelle in 5 weeks time. We were over the moon when we heard that she was pregnant. They had struggled to fall pregnant for years.

Everyone settling down for the opening of the presents. My friend Elsa in the foreground.

Thelwyn and another very good Kempton Park friend of mine, Rouxlene. Rouxlene was also part of the exchange playgroup at some stage. She was an excellent math's teacher and a real inspiration to my children. She and Elsa now work for her engineer brother. Elsa was also a teacher before. (Rouxlene, by the way, if you are reading this, we hope to be reading your blog soon. Just go to www.blogger.com and create a blog - it's that simple! Even if you don't start a blog, just register, so that you can at least comment and let me know when you have read my blog.)

Another very dear Kempton Park friend, Irmgardt. We come a long way too. Like some of Elsa's and Rouxlene's children, her children were in my "official" (i.e. not exchange) playgroup and she referred many friends to me. I had a playgroup in Van Riebeeckpark for 9 wonderful years - until God sent me to Con Amore, a school for severely mentally handicapped children - but that is another story. As usual, I digress....
Irmgardt and Annemarie visited me just the other day, but we had so much visiting to do, that I completely forgot to take photos. (Sob!)

Another very good idea: Elsa's cake she had made out of nappies.

(Jy is baie kreatief Elsa - dit was 'n heerlike partytjie, so baie dankie vir die uitnodiging. Ons sien saam met julle met groot verwagting uit na die koms van Janelle!)

Mother's Day and Anne's birthday

My sister, Anne, visited us this weekend. It was her birthday on Mother's Day, so it was a double celebration. It was great having some of her children here too. Here she is with daughter Marianne.

Hendrik, Marianne and Thelwyn went for an early morning ride.

Hendrik on Klasie.

Franco with his best Ouma smile and Ouma bib. He was supposed to be sick, but generally he was his usual cheerful, busy self.

Tired? An active man needs to rest sometimes. Franco leaning on the "walker" we gave him for his first birthday. (They make the cutest toys nowadays.)

Martellize woke up soon and as usual the two cousins were very interested in each other.

Martelize discovered she could crawl up the steps to our bedroom and did it a few times with Franco following in her wake.

"Wat maak Martelize, Franco?"

"Sy kyk vir my!"





The hooter of the bus says "Toot-toot-toot"!

"Don't swallow the blocks, Martelize!"

Two cousins enjoy Tannie Dorette's antics. "Rol op die tolletjie..... trek, trek, klap, klap, klap!"


I hope you all had as great a Mother's Day as we had!

Funny pics

Although the "nice" pics of the weekend are coming up soon, I thought I should not publish only the good ones. I had a good laugh when I saw these - perhaps the children will enjoy them too one day.





I meant to take a photo here - that's why the camera is twisted - only later saw what Franco was up to

So why is he crying, when he is pulling her hair? His Dad scolded him...!

Our babies are "talking" and "walking"

Franco, 12 months and Martelize, 9 months old, having a great time at the windowsill overlooking our garden. All my ornaments had to dissapear of course! The videos are symptomatic of an Ouma who can't choose - I just had to try and capture their first conversations, but of course by the time I realised that these were Kodac moments, the real excitement had passed...

Glenmore Holiday!

Gert and Dorette had to attend a wedding in Port Edward on 25 April, and as we were to babysit Franco, we made a holiday of it and went down to Glenmore, after voting on election day. This was the view from "Fourie Cottage" where we stayed.


23 April 2009: One year old! Look how big I have grown!


What is this? What do I do with it? Does it make a noise?

A BIIIGG! sandpit! Wonderful! (Franco loves the sandpit at school and had a great time here)

Hendrik and Marietjie also loved the sand and quickly made a tunnel.

Oupa and Franco soon had other ideas...

Back at the cottage: Birthday party! Again! "Veels geluk liewe Franco omdat jy verjaar..."

So many cameras! Waar moet ek kyk? Franco, Franco... Julle maak my deurmekaar!

What's this? Franco does not like to put strange things in his mouth and has not eaten cake before.

Hey! This tastes great!

"Klaar-klaar!" Do I really have to eat supper? With half of his cake on the floor, Franco still had quite an appetite!

The neighbours cat came to visit! Animals are the greatest!

Spit image of Ouma Elna!

Ham sandwiches for Marietjie and Hendrik.

Hannes, Gert's brother came along too. Seven adults and one baby - that's the way to do it.

The previous time I was here, was 27 years ago: My sister Lalie and I went to Glenmore with 9 (yes nine!) children and only two adults! Jansie (10), Ethie (8) and Thelwyn (4 1/2) were the "big"ones. Eugenie and Dorette were (terrible) 2 and Hendrik was 10 months and then Lalie had two foster children of 3 and 1 years old as well. We had a rough time counting heads on the beach then! No-one got breakfast before 8 o'clock because we had to make sure everyone was really hungry and would eat enough to last until 12 o'clock. Nine plates of Pronutro did the trick!

Back to the present holiday... Franco loved the water!

The lagoon is the best, but the sea was thrilling too!

"Look what I found!"

A family pic of the L's

And another one! Franco in his carrier: the best way to carry a baby to the beach.

Franco wasn't much interested in boats and ships in the sea, but when they towed in this boat onto the trailer... Now that was very fascinating for this future engineer.

On our last day it was rainy and rather chilly, but nothing would keep these 3 out of the sea! They say you can always tell who are from Gauteng Province (Pretoria, Johannesburg region): the only ones in the sea on a day like this!

Franco can clap hands and wave "Tata"