The Kids...

 It's been a little while since I posed pictures of the kids.  Lots of Rylee, I know, but the other kids.  Corky has started pre-school this year and Bi is going to playgroup, so they don't come through to my folks in the mornings and so I don't get to see them as often as I used to. They're well though and I guess seeing them less makes the time count more.

Corky first.  He's loving his new school and the challenges it brings him.  He's such a bright little button, I imagine that school will always be fun for him.  He seems to have grown so much in such a short time.

He's still super cute and those precious blue eyes will break many hearts in the years to come.  For now though, they belong to his mommy...

Our Princess Bi is also growing beautifully.  Her hair too.  Finally!!  She's also enjoying being able to go to school and the house where her playgroup's held has a huge garden for them to play in.  She loves being outside.  Like most girls, this girl knows how to get what she wants.  She's the real rose amongst the thorns and the boys all take good care of her.  She also loves seeing pictures of herself, but if I was as pretty as she is, I'd be the same...

 Sweet children...  It's amazing how different boys and girls are and it's fun to see these two together. Corky's loud, because he's just like his dad and they don't have a volume button!  But he's a very sensitive, caring, bright and happy boy.  Bi is also loud, but girls whine more than boys.  It works for her though, it drives her mommy nuts, so she gets what she wants when she wants it.  She's funny and caring and sensitive too though and they both have excellent manners, which is always a good thing.  Us aunties notice...

 And then there's precious, sweet little Rylee, who's crept into our hearts from the moment we knew he was on the way.  I cannot get enough of this tiny being and just want to kiss him and hold him all the time.  He still keeps his mommy up plenty and he hasn't managed to switch his clock the right way around yet, so he's up quite a bit at night, but he's quite happy to chill quietly in his cot.  Sweetness in a little bubble of love...

 Put them all together and what do you get? The cutest bunch of kids under the sun...

  It's really difficult to get all of them to look at me at the same time and smile nicely, but I think these were OK...

 And of course, they just have to be silly sometimes too...

 Jake is crazy about his new little cousin.  Rylee doesn't seem to mind being over-cuddled either...

Jake's other cousins took part in the South African National Swimming Champs and both did well.  Well done to them both!!

Other than that, Jake has had an unbelievable amount of work to do for school and his brain is fried.  They have a mini-break coming up from next Friday, marking the end to the first term.  I don't know how parents with more than one child, who work full time, manage to get everything done.  I can go on for hours about how overloaded Jake's been and how miserable I feel about school at the moment, but I don't have the energy.

Mom and dad left on their cruise to Italy on Monday.  They're somewhere north of Walvis Bay now and their next stop is Dakar on the 25th, so a good few days on the water for them now.  They've been very excited about it and I hope they have a fabulous time.  I suck at saying goodbye and balled my eyes out - possibly just the thought of knowing I have to say goodbye to Jake in a few week's time when I go to New Zealand...

Anyway, a nice long weekend ahead, I'm looking forward to doing very little!!

Sending love,

Sue XXX