Augrabies and other wafflings...

This week seems to have just flown by - I can't believe it's already Friday!! Mind you, I have only had a 3 day week and it has been a busy one (at work - finally!!!). Jake & I spent last weekend in Augrabies, with our good friends, Wesley & Lizelle van Vuuren. For those of you who don't know South Africa all that well, Augrabies is in the Northern Cape, about 100km outside of Upington. It gets very hot there in Summer time. Wesley's birthday's on Christmas day and he'll be turning 30. Christmas is also harvest time for them (they grow grapes for export/rasins), so it's generally an impractical time of year for a party of any kind. So, this last weekend being a long one, Lizelle organised a surprise party for him and we all went up to Augrabies for it. Rosanne and Gareth drove up with Jake and I and we just had such a good time together. Once again, Jake travelled like a star. He slept a little, sang a lot, nattered away and looked for holy smolies, which are giant bird's nests built on power lines and were called "holy smolies" after Gareth saw one and said "holy moly". We stayed in a lovely self-catering guest house, which had an enclosed lawn area and jungle gym for Jake. We spent most of our time at Wesley & Lizelle's though, which was literally right across the road from the guest house. It was really great having a few days away from the rush of every day life so soon after our Greek holiday. Jake loves it on the farm and Wes has made up a little farm yard for the kids with ducks and geese and chickens and goats and a pig (called Suzy, yes after me). The chickens have 3 tiny chicks and about 18 eggs that they're sitting on and the geese are sitting on another 6 eggs. Lizelle's also expecting their second baby, so their farm seems to be very fertile indeed! We spent some time over at Kamkiri, which is a privately owned game reserve, where we did horse-riding. I haven't riden since the day before I found out I was pregnant with Jake (4 years at the beginning of September) and I was really nervous about it. Amazing how one loses confidence in one's abilities, when actually horse-riding's a bit like riding a bicycle - once you know how, you can't forget. Once I was back in the saddle, I just didn't want to get out again. I'd love to take it up again, but I just never seem to be able to find the time. I must try looking into it properly again. I'd love to get Jake riding too. Some photos of our time in Augrabies...

Horse-riding (look how fat I got on holiday!!):

Jake's first time in the saddle:

Jake & Lara-Lyn:

Jake at Saturday night's party:

Jake & I at the Canyon in the Augrabies Falls National Park ('scuse what we look like):

I was a bit worried about going up, because Douglas was going to be there, with his new fiance (who he hasn't even bought a ring for yet). I needn't have worried though - he didn't even bother introducing her to us and they had a huge fight. I did help her with the dishes, just so I could get to know her a little - she's really young (23), but seems sweet enough. I just hope she knows what she's getting herself into, he's a real player. Anyway, we all got along fine and it really wasn't that bad. At least I know now that he definitely isn't the one for me and I'm quite contented with that. He didn't spend too much time with Jake either, which I was really glad about - his behaviour with Jake after we broke up was shocking.

We got home from Augrabies on Tuesday evening, had supper with my folks and went straight to bed. Jake spent the day with my mother-in-law on Wednesday and put his swimming skills to test by falling in the pool. Not as dramatic as it initially sounded, he was playing on the top step, but did go completely under water. He came up laughing, so I was happy with that. His swimming is coming on well again now. This term didn't start off too well and he vomited in the pool during his first lesson. He's still insisting that his teacher holds him through the lesson, but his confidence is definitely up from where we left off at the end of last term. She's spent a lot of time working on his style while he wants her to hold him, so I'm really happy with how he's progressing now. It's been a frustrating time for me watching from the side of the pool, knowing how well he really can swim.

I'm going through a bit of post-holiday blues with him at the moment too. He seems to be going through quite an awkward stage. He's just decided that he won't smile or say hello to anyone, no matter what I say or do. I've discussed it with him and have explained that from now on, if he's rude to people, he will be sent to the bathroom, until he decides to be the polite little boy that everyone loves. It seems to be going well so far (only been 2 days). He's also not eating all that well at the moment, but I'm not too worried about it. I've put him onto vitamins, because they say it increases appetite. I'm also working on sitting at the dinner table for evening meals (we often eat off our laps) and he's not allowed to leave the table until we're all finished eating. Giving him a choice - sit with us and eat, or sit in the bathroom. He seems to be eating better at the table too. And he's not getting nice snacks during the day (sweeties or biscuits or chips) unless he eats properly. Blackmail. Like I've told so many new mommies lately, it's all about perserverence. And Jake's grown about 8cm since his birthday in May, so he's obviously not doing too badly.

Anyway, tonight I've got my niece & goddaughter's school fashion show; tomorrow's art, which I'm starting to get irritated by - I just don't have the time for it at this point in my life. I seem to be missing kids parties and with working during the week, my weekend time with Jake is precious. I'll finish the painting I've been doing, but I think I'm going to quit once it's done. At least until my life quietens down a bit, which'll probably only be once Jake leaves home one day. Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going through to Wellington with my friend Jacki and her son, Steven. Jacki's boyfriend's got a holiday house there and has left his keys with her while he's overseas. We're going to spend tomorrow night in the jacuzzi and drinking wine. Home on Sunday, no plans. If the weather's nice enough, we might go through to the Blue Peter for sundowners.

Enjoy your weekend! Look after yourselves and all your cute kiddies. XXX PS. Some photos from Augrabies, I have more, but don't have my camera with me today.