Podering

Some days as I sit in the school traffic I wish we had a system like they do in America where there are school buses that the kids can catch to school.

I just look at my road and the roads surrounding it and know of so many kids all heading off to the same schools, yet we don't have lift clubs like I did when I was at school, because we are all just to busy and self absorbed to be bothered to try and co-ordinate it.

I must also say this is the one time I do have my 2 teenage boys as a captive audience and find out interesting things from them in the car - if the music isn't at top volume and we aren't all bopping along in the traffic to it.

I was talking to one of my clients yesterday and we got onto the topic of the kids calling out 'shotgun the front' when they want to sit in front instead of their sibling - who would have guessed that it stems from the good old fashioned days of horse and carriage and when there used to be 'armed guards' with their shotgun that sat up front next to the driver. Sometime we just forget to stop and smell the roses, as a friend said our lives are like a treadmill that keep running, hopping off every now and then to fetch kids, cook dinner, go to work - we need to climb off and take a break.

Sick Kitty

Whilst we were away for the weekend the kids called us to say that Titch our one cat was not well. When we got home he was soooooo thin and weak, we phoned the vet who said it sounded like cystitis and that we should bring him in the following morning.

Fortunately it's treatable, so after a job and some antibiotics to give him for the week, we went home.

Giving the tables was easier said than done as he fought us tooth and nail. He also wasn't drinking so I had to use a syringe and squirt the water down his throat. It's a week now since he was so sick and he is only now getting better, still very very thin though.

Needless to say Rob has used this as an excuse to feed Titch tuna meat - shame he needs to pick up his weight.

Weekend Away in Tulbach

[click on the image to get a larger picture]

What an incredible weekend away. Friends of ours, Tony and Hilary suggested we go away for a weekend. Rob and I jumped at this and arranged for a 'baby' sitter for the boys and off we went.

The 'baby' sitter was one of the coaches from Chris's school and the boys had a ball with him, going out to eat at Spur etc.

The plan was to go to a house in Riebeek Kasteel that we had hired for the weekend. Tony and Hilary left before us as we went to watch James play a waterpolo match. Before we even left, we got a message from Tony to say that they are no longer going to Riebeek Kasteel but rather going to spend the weekend in Tulbagh. Rob and I were now totally confused and thought they were joking. Only when we actually got to Riebeek did we realize they were being serious and they directed us to our new accommodation in Church Street, Tulbagh.

It turns out the house we had booked was double booked and there was no accommodation in Riebeek due to some festival, but they managed to find the place in Tulbagh. The cottage we stayed in was beautiful and in Church Street, which is the oldest street. All the houses have a history of who built/stayed in them. http://www.capedutchquarter.co.za/

We took no food with us, other than a few snacks and bottles of wine and we ate out for all our meals. We cruised around the wine farms tasting all the delicious wines and campaigns.

One of our meals was at a restaurant called 'Readers'. The owner was a large lady and mad about cats, which made Rob's day, but she was also mad about her homemade ice-creams which she kept raving about and insisting we had to try. So for desert Hilary and I order a trio of ice-creams, well there was curry ice-cream, ginger and lime, and GARLIC. The garlic ice-cream was revolting and actually spoilt a nice meal, the others were just well .... interesting . .

We went to watch the SA vs New Zealand rugby match at the local pub, with some of the locals, that was quite an interesting experience, but half way through I snuk out and went and scratched around the local shops (not that there were many), managed to find a few interesting things.

We did a lot of eating, drinking and sleeping over the weekend, both nights we managed to get over 10 hours of sleep, pure bliss the only thing to worry about was the damn peacocks that made so much noise.

We had a poker set with us, but did not even get to open it we were all so 'chilled'. In fact so chilled that this past week I have really battled at work, it feels like it was months ago that we went away, not a week.

We stopped in at a chocolate factory on the way home, and at the house in Riebeek Kasteel where we were supposed to stay - the house is beautiful and we are very excited as the owner has offered us 1 free weekend away to each couple, so needless to say we will be each be inviting each other to our weekends, so in essence we get 2 weekends away YAY!

All of us eating and drinking and eating some more and drinking some more - happy days!!

Kids having fun

It was such a beautiful day here today in Cape Town that we decided to go and visit Oupa and Nana and the boys could have a swim in their cold pool, our heated pool is just not as nice and there is no place for them to throw the ball around without probably breaking a glass door.

so we get to Nana and it says to please be quite at the pool area between 2 - 4pm, clearly when the elderly people like to have their naps. But put 2 boys and ball into water and that isn't going to happen!!

Click here to see the video of Chris flopping into the pool and here to see how 'nicely' they played together and here to see James doing a forward passy thingie???

Lazy Sunday

After rushing around getting gas, lunchbox fillers, ice-cream and waterpolo, we came home to 'chill'. The boys both start exams in about 3 weeks, so Chris had to hit the books, although this looks very studious, he only did it for 15 minutes, about to go harass him to do some more.

James on the other hand was trying to put back a toy that he took apart - hmmmmm

Polo Training

This morning (Sunday) we went off to one of the local schools that offer an academy that specialises in technical training for kids ito waterpolo. so we were up and at the pool by 9am and what a beautiful day.

Its not a cheap option at R125 for an hours session, but was pretty useful. Good money making racket though if you consider there were 10 boys at the session and another 12 at the session thereafter, so that's R2500 for 2 hours work (pretty good in my books)

Halloween

Well we all had a nice quiet night at home, but James being his usual busy self [the child cannot just sit and watch TV, he has to be doing something else at the same time]

So off he went and created his own halloween apple, yes, he carved it out of an apple (still not quite sure how?)

James First Waterpolo Match

Very exciting afternoon planned, James has his first waterpolo match this afternoon - whilst he is U12, he is going to help out the U14C team at Wynberg. So watch this spot for photo's of the proud moment.

He is then going to a Halloween party this evening - he is the only boy that is invited to a party with a whole lot of girls and of course he is loving that idea.

Chris on the other hand has 5 friends coming to sleep over tonight as they are all going to a party this evening as well - all the lifting and carrying and Rob ain't here to help me tonight.

But that is the least of my concerns, I am more worried about what on earth to feed 6 teenage boys for dinner and breakfast?

Slang

Oh my word, this is a message that someone wrote on facebook, I have to admit to took me a little while to figure out what he was actually trying to say - no wonder people can't spell anymore!

..haaz!t dude?!..yh0r bra its bn lng tym n0o c man i reali mc u n r0sc0e man!:-):-(. .bt aniwaes hpe 2c u guys in da near futre!. .bt plz invyt me on mxit on ds n0.0832488925!. .lukn 4wrd chtn wif u:-)8-)

Translation:
How is it going dude? Shew brother it has been a long time no see man, I reallymiss you and Roscoe man, (sad face) But anyways hope to see you guys in the the near future. But please invite me on mixit on this no. 08 . . . Looking forward to chatting with you (smiley face) [smiley face]

Hectic Lives and Why there is Just no Time!

Just to put into perspective what our week is like and why we simply do not have any time.

Monday
05h30 - wake up, make sandwiches and get kids out of bed - get ready for work
07h00 - leave the house and drop kids at school
07h30 - start morning office job - kids at school
12h00 - rush home get changed and start swimming lessons at 12h30
15h30 - 16h40 - James has swimming at school
16h00 - 17h30 - Chris has waterpolo at school
16h45 - finish swimming, get out and dressed, dive into the car, pick up James at school, rush through and pick up Chris from his school.
find out Chris is playing a waterpolo match, so leave James at school watching polo practice, rush Chris home to get his things and back to school by 6pm
20h30 waterpolo finishes - get home and start dinner, homework etc.

Tuesday
05h30 - same routines starts all over again except this time James has to be at school by 7am for swimming time trials. We also had to pick up a friend coming with to time trials.
17h00 - finish swimming, get out and dressed and take kids back to school for James Waterpolo from 18h00 - 19h00
19h15 - get home and start dinner (fortunately homework already done in the afternoon, thank goodness the boys are old enough to do it on their own)

Wednesday
05h30 - same routine AGAIN
16h45 - finish swimming - change, dive into the car and back to school to fetch Chris at 17h00
for a change a nice early evening where we can all relax

Thursday
05h30 - normal routine
06h00 - Volvo arrive to swop cars (went in for repairs) only to be told that on the way there the engine service light came on, so he is taking it back again today.
0630 - leave the house as Chris has to be at school at 7am for a gym session for Rugby season.
07h10 - meeting at a coffee shop
08h15 - office and begin working

Tonight I have a meeting from 7pm, but before that I have to get James back to school for his waterpolo from 6 - 7pm, somewhere in between I need to get to the vet to get cat food and cook dinner (might just land up being takeways), oh yes and get to the bank to deposit cheques, the PO BOX to clear the bills and buy frames for certificates for a function this evening - guess I am going to have to close the office, put a sign on the door and hope for the best.

The projects I am involved with are the following and take up the remainder of my evening

School - wanting to build an Aquatic Centre
BKM - Neighbourhood Watch
Lioness - ladies group doing 'good' work
CID - new proposal for the community
Swimming - invoicing, banking, scheduling
Household - pets, kids, food, maid, garden boy etc etc.
Kids - notices, scheduling, arranging lifts etc

So, on the weekend when people wonder why I am so tired, it is because it is the first time I actually get to sit down and relax. . .