Some old news for the record: Easter Monday

Proud Mom of two week old Janita - back in her jeans.  Janita was still very yellow at that stage.

So much has happened the past weeks.  I have been busy with new projects (still sort of a secret) and sadly neglected blogging. I also rediscovered Sudoko. (Darn!) I found that I started to take fewer and fewer pics. And in the meantime I miss out on much of our new little baby girl! Sorry Janita! 

On Easter Monday we went to Irene farm to have a good look at the cows.  The weather was rather miserable, but the children enjoyed the cows and afterwards we had "kaal" coffee - we couldn't order muffins or such - you had to order a full breakfast @ R99!  So we gave breakfast a skip.  Fortunately the mothers brought the little ones some snacks.  Martelize particularly enjoyed her hard boiled egg. 

Martelize and Franco getting acquainted with the cows.  Franco was very brave and did not mind touching them at all.

Last farm visit without "Sussie"

Today (Saturday) the L's came for a visit. The last time they were here, was for the baby shower. In the meantime, Gert has been very ill and he has lost 5 kg off his slender frame! After weeks, he finally had a blood test and only got the results after days and several phone calls to the doctor: he has glandular fever and should take it easy at work (Ha!) and not sit in the air conditioning! (Ha, ha!). He should get plenty of sleep and no excitement! (Ha, ha, ha!) With "Sussie" due any moment lots of rest and no excitement will not exactly be possible! "Sussie's" due date is tomorrow, but I doubt she knows that and will make her exit whenever. Dorette's body has been practising contractions for weeks, so Dorette is pretty uncomfortable, but she looks very well - no bloating or swollen feet.
Franco was still a bit drowsy from his nap in the car on the way here and at first just wanted to sit and snuggle against Dorette's comfy tummy. "Sussie" got several hugs and kisses and lots of pats.

Soon after, however, he was his usual active self. His big smile says it all!

Oom Hendrik is the best uncle in the world!

Martelize also thinks so and she has started to call him "Hennik". She calls herself something like "Marte"and Franco sometimes calls her "Lies" (Lize - not Lies as in untruths). He calls himself "Fanco". Both of them say "Ouma"and "Oupa" very clearly. Franco sometimes say "Oupa Jan." He is fortunate to have all four grandparents alive and all living closeby.

Martelize and Franco walking and walking on the treadmill. Later they sat next to it and put their hands on the slow moving belt. Great fun. Then Franco got up, and several times walked to the top, tried to climb back on and slid off. What an exciting slide for a very active little dare devil.

At home his latest "toy" is his father's aluminium ladder. It is quite a big thing, but he carries it about and makes up his own games: first he lies it flat and steps in between the rungs, then on the rungs, then he opens up the ladder and runs under it! Other favourite toys are his father's tools, including a 10 pound hammer! He will be 23 months in 4 days time.

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"Dis lekker op die treadmill" (See video clip for Franco's happy shrieks.)

Martelize saw her old baby car chair, pulled it down from the shelve and got in. Franco was happy to rock her, albeit it a bit on the wild side. Hope he doesn't rock "Sussie" the same way! (Hy het die hele tyd "Af, af!" gesê. Nie baie seker wat hy bedoel het nie: "Op en af" of "Martelize klim af"?!)

Franco and Martelize enjoying an early supper of left overs (mince and rice) in the kitchen. Franco did not care much for Ouma's food, but later both he and Martelize tucked in again when we all had supper at the dining room table (chicken). Martelize on the other hand ate all her food, plus Franco's left overs. Her favourite food is fruit and today we had mango and grapes. Yum! Thelwyn said she ate so well because she did not really eat any lunch. What a thing to say to the cook. Of course it was because she couldn't resiste Ouma's wonderful cooking! (Ouma prefers to forget that Martelize did not want to eat a bite of the same dishes the previous night!)

A freshly bathed Franco hugs his baby sister. "

"Sê vir haar dis tyd om uit te kom Franco!" "Uittom...!"

A goodnight kiss for Sussie. (Franco knows her name, but we don't know it yet and he won't tell...!)

"What is in your cup?"

Martelize "feeding" a willing Franco.

"Sit, sit!" And Franco happily obeyed Martelize and sat down next to her on the steps.

A little bit of news

We got our new camera and below are some of the first photos. Now I just have to figure out how to save photos on Jan's computer. I couln't find a way to create new folders in his "Pictures", so I tried Picassa - but now I do not know how to upload photos from Picassa onto the blog. I selected photos and clicked on "blog this" and this is how I got the photos below onto this post... but other photos went to other posts - don't know how to get them all onto the same post. If I try to upload images by clicking on the image icon on the New Post toolbar, it doesn't open Picassa - I am so dumb and I do so miss my old computer!! I hope I get better software than this Vista - it just doesn't do it for me!

Martelize watches intently as Thelwyn spreads a slice of bread with peanut butter.

Then she tries her hand at "spreading" and "cutting" .... puts the knife in her mouth, takes it out and says "Eina!" ("Ouch!")

I often get to see Martelize, as the H's are living on the farm for the time being (long story with farmhands having had to go back to Malawi very unexpectedly...). We regularly see Franco too, but of course not as often. I looked after Martelize on Wedenesday when Thelwyn had to the doctor and then looked after Franco the next day when Dorette had to go to the doc. What a privilege to be able to do it - but I admire the moms. It's hard work looking after a toddler! Both of them are very, very busy - but what a joy they are. Here is a little bit of news - I could go on forever, but will try to contain myself:

Martelize:

New words: Especially animal sounds like "Wat sê die hadeda?" "Ha!" "Wat sê die duifie?" "Krr, krr"; " Wat sê die leeu?" "Gg". "Wat sê die perd?" "Prr, mmmm, prr" She is very obviously an animal lover and like her parents, horse crazy. She chases the dogs from the scullery: "Uit! Uit!" (Wonders where she gets that!)

Food: She loves fruit, especially watermelon. Insists on getting her share of whatever is in your plate or glass, but knows that coffee is "Sjoe-sjoe!"

Playing: She likes to play with her teaset, keys, telephones, the hosepipe, to walk on the treadmill (more especially to push the on and off buttons), to put fit Ouma's electric curlers on their pegs, to close anything: doors, bottles, tupperware... "Toe, toe!"

Franco News

New Words: At 20 months his speech is improving with the speed of lightning! Lifts his shirt and points to his tummy and says "Baba". (To the unenlightened: Dorette is 7 months pregnant.) Names a lot of things, but not yet the magic words "Pie-pie" and "poef". He is being pottytrained now and he seldom has an accident: dutifully does his thing in the potty, but Dorette has still to guess when to take him, he does not say yet.

Food: Franco does not like fruit at all - on the other hand he eats vegetables without any problem - loves beetroot and spinach! At the moment very much into finger foods like chicken fingers.

Playing: Very fond of anything to ride on. Favourite place to play: the stairs in their house! Bruises and scrapes on his legs indicate his wild ways on the climbing frame. Also fond of building blocks, posting forms and play dough. Loves to mow the lawn. Has recently started to "swim" on his own, i.e. he swims with his life jacket type swimming aid, without anyone having to hold him.

He is also very fond of tidying up. He has loved brooms for a long time. Recently he has started to throw washing into the laundry basket - even took out clothes out of his cupboard to fill the basket! Potties belong in the bathroom - promptly took it back when Dorette dared to put it in the kitchen! He pushes in chairs after meals or "working" at the table.

What a joy to watch both of them grow! What a privilege!

Christmas and New Year

As always we and the F's got together on Christmas Eve to share with one another what Jesus has meant to us this year. We have been doing it for years and we find very enriching. What made it special this year was that Jan's sisters Louise (with hubby Marthinus) and Rina joined us. However, it was sad that the L's could not be here - again! Last year they spent Christmas with Dorette's inlaws and this year - our Christmas - Franco had chicken pox! He had been immunized, so it was very slight, but it was chicken pox nonetheless.

On Christmas Day the H's went to Frans's mother for the day and we went to the F's for Christmas lunch. The L's came over later the afternoon so that we could give Franco his gifts: a motorbike and a lawnmower. Both gifts turned out to be real hits and he was beaming - "mowed" the lawn until he was red in the face. A pity it wasn't a real lawnmower! I hope he'll be as enthusiastic once he can really take over from his dad!

Martelize's gifts were a teaset and a rocking horse. She loves fitting lids and she is mad about horses. Like mother like daughter! (Wat sê die perd? Prrr...mmm....prrr)

On the fateful day that they broke in and stole my computer, Thelwyn, Dorette, kids and I went shopping for decorations for "Sussie's" room. Dorette is expecting a little girl in March. It was great fun and the little ones were very good, but I realised again how difficult it is to go shopping with a little one! Sterkte Dorette vir die inkopies met twee kleintjies! Been there, done that with three under four years, but that was nearly 28 years ago!!

After the shopping spree, we swam in the L's solar heated pool - great fun, but Martelize was not so happy in the big pool. Franco on the other hand is turning into a real water worm - almost "swims" completely on his own. He wears a swimming jacket because wings are still too big, but this little jacket works very well.

On the 31st the community had a big operation to search for criminals and Jan and Hendrik were the watchmen on our koppie - very, very hot work! The community effort led to the arrest of one thief who had the stolen DVD player in a black bag with him.

On New Year's day the L's came for a braai. When I wanted to peel a mango for a salad, I discovered that my whole box of mangoes (a gift from my sister in law), was missing. I couldn't understand how a whole box could dissapear in thin air, until I remembered that they had also broken in next door and stole the kettle and the pineapples!

Thief (thieves) I forgive you, but why could you not have left me at least one mango? Why did you take my half-used toothpaste and soapholder out of my toilet bag? Thanks for leaving Hendriks wallet on Jan's computer.... and thanks for leaving the cash in his drawer... but please you can have the cash if only you will return Jan's wedding ring... and his camera... and it would have been so nice if you had made a back-up of my hard drive, before you took off with my laptop. I guess by now you have realised that it is useless without its power cable...! And please, why did you break TWO security gates?? I saw Jan's Bible was among the stuff you left at the front door - You know, the Bible would have helped you more than the Disprin you took out of my medicine bag...!

Anyway, after lunch, Franco and Martelize splashed in cool water and afterwards, Franco followed Martelize and Thelwyn all the way up to their house (about 35 metres)... he wasn't going to let his cousin be taken away from him...! I tried to take photos, but my camera is very slow (sport setting??) and most photos are just a blur because the little ones are not still for a second! Here are a few of the better ones:

Martelize on Old Year's Eve. (I have trouble with my camera, but a dark pic of her smile is better than none...)

Martelize (17 Months) and Franco (20 Months) eating dried fruit on New Year's Day: they have to sit still while they eat and are generally very good. (Thank you Nursery Schools for insisting on good manners.)

New Years Day 2010: Franco 20 Months. (It is difficult to get Franco to sit still long enough for my slow camera to snap him. )

An exhausted Hendrik after doing Community duty as watch on the koppie.

Cooling off after lunch on a very HOT New Year's Day. (Video does not want to upload?)

Thank you God for such precious little bodies and the wonderful way in which they develop! Help us to teach them your ways!