What I want in a partner...

Before February's gone completely, since this is the month of love, I've spent a bit of time trying to figure out what I really want in a partner.  I haven't had the chance to write too much about my last break up, mainly because the guy in question was still reading my blog.  Hopefully the fact that he's happily settled down with someone new now, means that he no longer feels the need to stalk me and follow up on what Jake and I get up to from day to day.  That said, it's a free world, I just know that if I was the "new" girlfriend, I wouldn't be too happy about it.  Anyway, before I say something I probably shouldn't this post isn't about ex's, and it's definitely not about ex-girlfriends, whom I believe belong well in the past.  Remind me to send you the link to my other blog for that story, once I get it going properly...

No, this post is all about ME and about what I want.  Me, me, me.  It's nice for a change.  Despite what most people might think, being single is GREAT!  I love not having to pack bags and toys and groceries and I love not having to cart my child across Cape Town every 5 minutes.  I love the amount of extra time Jake and I have and the amount of time we get to spend doing fun things on our own.  I love my child and there's absolutely NO way that I'll ever let anyone get in the way of our very special bond.  He is an amazing little guy and he is so game for adventure.  I love reading my book and not watching sport.  I LOVE not having to watch someone else sleep on the couch.  I love my garden and my home and I love making plans for what we're going to be buying and doing to make it more of a home this year.  I love being in my home and don't get me started on my gorgeous garden!

So, I'm still not getting to the point of what I want in a man.  Money.  And I don't just mean comfortable, my guy's gotta be loaded.  I know money's not the beginning and end of everything and you just have to see my home and car to know that I'm the least materialistic person out there.  But since I'm describing my dream here, you just have to accept it that money is important.  I want to fly in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti and watch the wildebeest migration with Jake and I need someone who can afford to make our dreams a reality.  Don't get me wrong, I can follow these dreams for myself, but it would be way better if someone cared enough about me to want to make my dreams a reality and who could afford to do so.  I want someone who's sociable.  Someone who loves my family and friends and who's family and friends I adore.  I don't want complicated family who don't like each other and who ignore me when I greet them (another post for another time) I want someone who's crazy about me.  Someone who thinks I'm the most gorgeous woman on the face of the earth (little rolls and wrinkles and all) and who thinks it's fantastic that he can't keep his hands to himself.  I want someone who's not shy to hold my hand or kiss me in public.  I want someone who will take me out on dates!  At least once a week!!  I want someone who loves food and wine.  I don't mind someone being a little pudgy, but I don't like FAT.  I want someone who likes entertaining.  I want someone who's not a work-a-holic, someone who can take time off to go on a picnic or a holiday to one of our crazy destinations.  I want someone who takes care of himself and who's beautiful inside and out.  Totally irresistible!  I want a gentleman, who will open doors for me till I'm 95.  I don't want an ex-wife who will not go away.  I want someone who loves animals and children.  I think I want someone who already has children, someone who's never going to judge my child when he has a bad day, but who can help guide both Jake and I to reach our full potential.

OK, that's about it.  While there were plenty of fun times in between, the last 2 years have taught me a lot about what I don't want in a relationship.  The uncomplicated single life that I live now is not worth trading in for something that's not going to make me 110% happy.  I want it all or nothing!

Sending love

Sue XXX

Always fun to win...

About a week ago, Jake got to meet 5 of the Protea cricket team (our national side).  We have friends (who we camp with) who run a restaurant in the V&A Waterfront and they'd received a press release that afternoon to say that the Proteas would be there that evening.  It wasn't a well advertised-ahead-of-time event, so Jake and I decided to rush through to go and get a seat.

The kids were allowed to go up on stage to meet the guys and to get signatures.  As a young cricket player, Jake was starstruck...

 Because he had a bat and a cap, he cheekily asked for 2 signatures...

 Needless to say, they have place of honour in his room at the moment...

The MC at the event was Ryan O'Connor, who's a local radio presenter and who also went to school with Jacques and I.  He had a few questions for our boys...

 And they all won tickets to the SA vs Pakistan test on day 3, which happened to be Saturday past...

 Our seats were great, center of the pitch tickets, which meant we could enjoy watching the bowler run, the batsman do his batting and see the odd 4 being whacked against the railing in front of where we were sitting...

 An excited guy, enjoying the atmosphere in his newly signed cap...

 The test was a particularly special one, because it was our captain's, Graham Smith, 100th test as Protea captain...

 During the player's lunch break, the field is opened up and people are allowed to go and have a bit of a walk around...

Checking out the wicket, being re-marked and tidied up for the next leg of the game...

It was during the lunch break that Jake decided that he'd had enough of the heat and wanted to go home.  A 5-day test match is not the most exciting cricket, in my opinion, and so I was quite happy to get out of the sun too.  I'd love to take Jake to a 20/20 match, or a day night game, I think it'll be way more exciting for both of us!

Sending lots of love,

 Sue XXX

PS.  The Proteas won this test match, so I'm glad we got to see a small part of it anyway!

 The weekend before Valentine's Day, saw Jake and I camping with friends at a gorgeous spot, called Trout Haven.  You all know, by now, how I feel about camping, but I'm trying really hard to overcome my issues for Jake's sake.  He really loves being outside and it does today's kids the world of good to get some fresh air!  The group of friends we have started camping with are really great.  All super down to earth and happy to share tents with Jake and I - it's always a bonus when I don't have to put up a tent on my own.

Trout Haven is in Rawsonville and one of the most interesting camp sites I ever seen.  It's a working farm and there are only 8 camping sites on the farm.  Each of the large sites are about half a kilometer away from the next, which gives your group some privacy.  Each site has their own ablution facilities, which means that you only share with your friends/family and that's a HUGE plus in my books.  Sadly, the weather was grim and it rained for a large portion of stay.  It was still quite warm though and it never rains continually, so we all managed to have tons of fun regardless.  I managed to get a couple of kids together in my corner of the tent one afternoon and we played Uno and 30 seconds for chocolate - it was heaps of fun! I don't think I'll ever be a winter camper though...

 The campsites are all along the river, which is supposed to have trout in it, but Jake didn't have any luck catching them.  The kids had great fun exploring the river and looking for interesting things to bring back to camp (check out those muscles!)...

 Like this heart(ish) shaped rock, that Jake lugged back for me...

 In between, the kids played cricket...

 Jake is super chuffed with his new tackle box and goodies for fly fishing, but tells me that he needs a cork rod, with some tubing, to help him fly fish better...

 A loo with a view...and not a single spider...

 Knowing that there was rain on the way, I tried to snap some pictures of the surrounding scenery while I could.  I know most people don't like sun spots on photos, but I do...

 Jake got me to go exploring the river with him in between the showers too.  I'm glad I did, we had lots of fun and it was super pretty.  This is looking downstream...

 Upstream...

 A sweet smile from a grubby, but happy boy...

 One of the families brought this huge blow up pillow with and the kids had lots of fun on it...

 Being on my own with Jake also means that he'll actually pose for photos for me.  I love you, Jake, and I love your happy smile.  It melts my heart a thousand times over...

 And I'll always be jealous of your super long eyelashes.  Why is it that boys always have super long eyelashes?  Not fair...

 OK, you'll have to use your imagination a little, but that's Jake and my shadows, side-by-side in the river...

By night the kids played with fire.  Jake is still a pyromaniac and they actually spent quite a lot of time during the day collecting "dry" wood to build smokey fires.  They did pretty well, even if the grown ups were left spluttering for fresh air from time to time...

 Burning previously burnt proteas first thing in the morning...

There were plenty of kids to play with.  This is Jake helping Ray to find his pocket knife that he dropped into the river.  Ray is 10 and  the younger kids thought he was the man, Jake included.  Ray's Afrikaans, by the way and even that didn't stand in their way...

 This is standing alongside our campsite looking down at the river and up the mountains - so beautiful...

 We all had big plans for swimming, but the weather wasn't fantastic and the fresh mountain water was icy...

 More exploring for the kids...

 I like being a fly on the wall and watching Jake when he doesn't know I'm there.  These are Ray's younger twin sisters.  Jake was showing them a bug in the water...

 Teeny tiny spiders living between the rocks, waiting for water bugs...

 They had a little boat too, which was heaps of fun...

More smokey fire making...

 And picture drawing with burnt sticks...

 Sitting by the fire, sharpening sticks with his fishing knife...

Exploring...

I had a bit of time to take some scenic shots too.  Flowers, some dead, some in fresh bloom...

 Tall grasses blowing in the winds...

  I found a few bugs, but really had to look hard.  This tiny butterfly was smaller than my thumb nail and the brightest blue on the other side of it's wings...

 A camouflaged hopper...

 that Jake thought was super cool and wanted to take home with us...

 More flowers - wish I had PhotoShop to fix this up, I like it...

 A last dead tree... 

 I know I'm revoltingly behind on my blogging, but I have been super busy.  Promise to try to be better!!

Lots of love,

Sue XXX

Feeshing for Love...

So, since it's Valentine's day month and I know ya'll is loving me a lot, Jake and I need your help!  We've entered a competition with the picture above and need you to vote for us.  Person with the most vote wins the competition.  With your help, we could be heading off to Mautitius for a week's desperately needed holiday!!  Pretty please???  It can be my Valentine's day present from all of you.  And I promise that I'll send you a postcard if I win!

What you need to do, is click on this link here and cast a vote for us.  It will take less than a minute of your time and would mean so much to us!!  every vote counts!!

Thank you.  I love you, well, only if you vote for me...

Sue X

PS.  You have until the end of Feb 2013 only!!!

It's a Jake-in-a-box...

 I've been clearing out my spare bedroom and Jake found this box that had a dinner service from Jake's great grandparents in it.  The box was way too big for the dinner service, so I've managed to save some space by putting it in a more suitable box.  I hate clutter and I'm trying to declutter wardrobes.  With a child like Jake in the house, it's an on-going battle.  That kid is a hoarder of junk!  Anyway, Jake's decided that this big box is very useful and so he's keeping it.  Until he's not looking, that is.  Anyway, it's moved from room to room so that Jake can pop out and give me a fright as often as possible.  Right now, it's got prime spot on the couch.  Jake spent his TV time sitting inside it, playing on his DS.  He was so engrossed in his new Mario game, that he didn't even know I was watching him...

 Finally, I've been spotted and get a little smile!! He loves his box, my funny little man...

Sue XXX