YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY...

It's dinner with the girls tonight! YAY!!! We're going to La Masseria, an Italian family-owned restaurant out in the Northern Suburbs (http://www.lamasseria.co.za/. I've been to a wedding there before and it was really great, so I'm looking forward to the actual restaurant experience too, but I love getting out with my girlfriends and I've been really looking forward to tonight for ages. I missed the last one because I was away on my holiday, so it's been a while. There's just something about hanging out with other women. We all come from different walks of life and we all have very different responsibilities and outlooks, but there's just something so special about having a group of girls together. We often don't see one another between our monthly dinners, but when we're together it's always so easy to start off where we left off. It's great to get together without men too. Besides the poor, poor waiters who get hit on left, right and centre. Somehow, men manage to complicate things and change the dynamics. Besides that, personally, I often feel like a bit of a spare wheel when there are couples all around me and I'm on my own. And for the girls that are partnered up, it's fun to get out without worrying that their other half is having a good time. To leave the kids behind and just pretend to be your own person for a couple of hours. Without the guys (and kids), us girls are free to let our hair down, have a few drinks (for those that aren't driving), chat about life's happenings and discuss things we wouldn't dare discuss in the presence of men! What happens (or gets said) in dinner club, stays in dinner club!! It's always a revealing, fun, relaxed, totally enjoyable evening out and one that I look forward to every month.

Tonight we have a few girls that can't make it for various reasons and we always miss those who can't join us. There's always next month to look forward to and I promise to have a drink for each of you!

Oh and don't forget to check out our 'Delicious Divas' site (http://deliciousdivasdinnerclub.blogspot.com/) for pictures!! I promise to try get some up tomorrow/Thursday at the latest.

See you soon, probably with a bit of a sore head...

Love Sue xxx

Wendy's Kitchen Tea...

So, the weekend's come and gone already. And what a weekend it was. Took Jake to go and see Wall-E and then out for a burger on Friday evening with friends. Saturday was a busy day and included breakfast with a friend, shopping and Wendy's kitchen tea for the afternoon/evening. There were almost more kids then mommies and they were all really well behaved, which was a relief for some. Wendy was nicely spoilt, although she worked really hard for her presents. She was excellent entertainment and was game to answer all Caroline's questions and dares, including charades (missionary position!), belly dancing, dancing with an unbrella, plenty of shooters, cracking & separating an egg blindfolded and answering some pretty tough & very personal questiosn, amongst which she had to give us the name of Kristian's nether regions... It was a fabulous evening, thanks so much to Caroline for all her hard work - in your pregnant state, I'm sure it wasn't easy. Thanks to Sandra for opening up your wonderful home to us all once again, it was lovely as always.

Will end off with some photos (probably too many as usual) of the kitchen tea...

Jake braving the wall. It's about 3m high. And yes, my nerves were shattered! This was done under the supervision of an adult, who later told me that she loves my son's fearlessness. I'm not so sure I feel the same...

Baby Joshua...

Amy & Sandra (Cabbages & Kings)...

The bride-to-be arrives...

Ronnie (Purple Ronnie) looking gorgeous as ever with Lily...

Calming the nerves...

Fiona (Nana Fee) with Lily...

Nicci (Nicci in Lammerland) & Joshua...

Amy...

Rowan and his squeeker...

My cutie-pie...

Angelic baby Sarah...

Adam, Pia's son (Pia's Portal)...

There goes the bride...

One of the forfeits - cracking and separating an egg blindfolded. She managed it too!

A belly dance...

Lily was the only one who seemed unimpressed by her mother's dance moves...

Sarah again...

Michelle, Wendy & Amy... Jake & Lily. I don't think she knew he was sitting that close to her, or she would've moved... Amy ready for bed...

Caroline (Family Life) with Amy...

Lots of love,

Sue XXX

Woman...

I've just remembered - it's Woman's Day tomorrow! I know it's lame, but anyway, here are some quotes to remind us, whether men like to admit it or not, of how great we really are...

1. "God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I've ever met." ~ Farrah Fawcett

2. "If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman." ~ Margaret Thatcher

3. "Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of a man at twice its natural size." ~ Virginia Woolf

4. "Men who treat women as helpless and charming playthings deserve women who treat men as delightful and generous bank accounts." ~ Author Unknown

5. "Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." ~ Timothy Leary

6. "Follow your instincts. That's where true wisdom manifests itself." ~ Oprah Winfrey

7. "One cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty." ~ Jane Austen

8. "The trouble with some women is they get all excited about nothing - and then they marry him." ~ Cher

9. "If men can run the world, why can't they stop wearing neckties? How intelligent is it to start the day by tying a little noose around your neck?" ~ Linda Ellerbee

10. "I earn and pay my own way as a great many women do today. Why should unmarried women be discriminated against - unmarried men are not." ~ Dinah Shore

I like number 3 best! Nothing else to say, except: CHICKS ROCK!!!

What would you do...

I was just over at Pink Granite's blog and she was talking about a tornado warning they had yesterday afternoon. She was talking about what to take in the event of an emergency and it got me thinking a little...

You see, I don't value material possessions highly at all, so what would I grab in the event of something happening? Don't get me wrong, material things are nice to have and I'll look after what I've got. I definitely enjoy buying (and being given) nice things, but they're all disposable and can be replaced. One day when I die, Jake'll chuck half my stuff on the braai anyway, but they're things I enjoy while I'm here. Not that I have a lot of anything anyway (I still prefer to travel rather then shop), but still... So, hypothetically, if you were warned of a looming tornado, what would you grab. I mean besides family and pets? I guess it depends on how much warning you've got and your means of transport. For me, there's no question about it and my family all know already, if there's a fire in our house, grab my box of negatives and photo CDs. They're my life. Besides that, I'd have to say that I'd want the 15L bottle of wine that Jacques made for Jake's 21st. Besides those items, there's nothing that I can't live without. They're sentimental items that I love having around me and I'd just die if something happened to my photos (not really, but you know what I mean). Sure, I have other things, especially of Jacques', that mean a lot to me too, but for now, they're all tucked away in boxes so I never see them anyway. What difference would it make to lose them right now? Jake would probably be screaming for his stuffed elephant, Apple, so I'd probably grab him for the sake of keeping the peace...

Cape Town's quite well protected from disasters though. I have thought about what would happen if we were hit by a Tsunami though - just imagine!! We're surrounded by oceans, the whole place would be washed away. It's flat out there. We've had a few tremors and once an earthquake (before my time) and I hear there's a fault line running through Milnerton, which is literally around the corner, so if that ever decided to throw a wobbly, we'd probably feel it. We don't get snow, so freezing up's not an issue either. It's just the winter rains that hit the people who can least afford it. But, generally, we're pretty lucky.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Lots of love,

Sue

We finished dinner pretty early last night, so I took Jake through to Sea Point for an ice-cream and to watch the sunset. It was the perfect, calm winter's evening and we only got cold once the sun went down. We've always been huge "San Marco" ice-cream fans, but over the last few years they've chopped and changed owners and I was really disappointed last night to see that they didn't have any honey hazelnut or chocolate ice-cream. San Marco still exists in the V & A Waterfront, but nothing beats an ice-cream on the beachfront! XXX PS. I have a secret

I've been battling to find time in amongst my working day to keep my blog updated. Plus, for some reason, I've only been able to load pictures up one by one, which is really painful!

Jake & I had a great weekend, albeit a little lazy. We spent a ton of time working in the new veggie patch, which is always fun. We had someone in to help us get the grass out before we went on holiday, but with all the rain we've been having the sandy veggie patch was transformed into a mini jungle of weeds. My shoulders and rear-end are still hurting from all the work, which I guess is a good thing.

Saturday night saw Jake and I at home on our own, which was great. I've been feeling really lousy with a cold, so we crawled into bed together early. Jake passed out and I watched a movie (chick flick - Knocked up) till I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Sunday was a kids party and another day in the garden.

After work today I've got an interview at the pre-primary school Jake's going to be attending next year. I can't believe that he's so big already!! No idea what they need to know over and above the 12 page enrolement forms I've already filled in, but will be nice to know what's expected. Jake's going to do a 2-year programme and then it's big school. Hard to believe that in 2 year's time I'll be buying him his first school uniform...

I'll love and leave you with some photos from the last week or two.

Cowboy Jake...

Lemon tree in bloom...

Our new veggie patch. It's a work in progress...

The braai master...

Enough already...

A tiny promise that spring is on it's way...

Lots of love,

Sue xxx

20 Things and more...

It was a while ago since everyone else partook in the “20 Things you didn’t know about me” confessional. At the time, I decided not to follow suite, mainly because I couldn’t think of 20 things about myself that you didn’t already know. I guess I’m just an open book and I have no hidden secrets. Well not many anyway… Anyway, there were a few things I learnt about myself while I was on my recent holiday and, while they may not add up to 20, some’s better then none!
1. I cannot suck a hard boiled sweet. I just can’t. I'm a cruncher.
2. Being Jake’s mom has been the ultimate gift Jacques could’ve given me. He’s a happy, sweet, fun-loving little boy and I adore him with every ounce of my being. I would give up my life for him to be happy.
3. I am extremely protective. More protective then I ever though possible. I’d give my life for my child, but then I don’t know any parents who wouldn’t, although I know that there are some out there.
4. I love traveling. I love seeing the world and having a little travel companion to share it all is awesome! I can’t wait for our next trip – probably to the Kruger National Park (http://www.krugerpark.co.za/) next August/September.
5. I love summer. I love waking up to the sun streaming in through my bedroom window. I hate grey skies, they make me lazy and want to lie in bed all day. I hate getting up on cold mornings. I hate getting dressed on these mornings even more.
6. Most people are either morning or evening people. While I don’t particularly like getting up in the mornings, I do get going quite quickly. I have a lot to do. I love seeing the world around me and I think I’m more of a day-time lover then a night owl. That said, I do enjoy getting out and about at night time too.
7. I love people watching. I can sit in a park, a car, a train, a plane – you name it – and just watch what’s going on around me. If I can eavesdrop, it’s even better!
8. I’ve stopped wearing Jacques’ ring around my neck – I’ve always been really scared that I’ll be mugged and lose it. It seems such an easy thing to grab and run with. While on one hand I’ve always said I’d rather enjoy wearing it and risk losing it along the way; the flip side is that I know it’s something that Jake might appreciate as he grows up.
9. Similarly to number 8, I stopped wearing my rings on my wedding finger about 3 months ago. It’s something I’d considered for a long time, but felt too loyal to ever really follow through on. The reasons for doing this are numerous. Not many people have noticed. I still wear them on my right hand.
10. I'm scared of growing old on my own. I want to be loved (and to love) and taken care of. Shortly after Jacques died I said that I’d never re-marry (and I still may never), but I would like to have another companion to share daily life with. I do believe that one can make a life for yourself as a single person and that you can grow older alone quite happily. My life isn't just Jake either, it's actually pretty full and very busy. It'd just be nice to have someone there who understands me and loves me for who I am. Warts and all. Nice to have someone wink at me across the room; someone to snuggle up with on the couch and a good movie; Someone's hand to hold. I'd like someone who could be a good role model and father figure to Jake. Oh, and I’d love to have at least another 2 children. I'm quite fussy.
11. I love coffee. 2 cups before breakfast and another 2 through the day. Not too bad.
12. I love wine more then coffee, although I’m a little more careful about my consumption.
13. As a kid I wanted to be a firefighter. Now, I’m petrified of anything that burns. Jake has a natural fascination with fire and loves candles and lighters.
14. I’m very nervous of swimming in both the sea and fresh water masses. I don’t like not being able to see what’s below me and I don’t like anything to touch me while I’m swimming.
15. I believe in angels. I believe that feathers are a sign that an angel is near.
16. I think I have finally grown up. I am comfortable within myself to enjoy my own company.
17. I don’t like confrontation. I cannot think off the cuff and normally end up saying things that I donn't mean to. Or things just come out in a confused mess. I'm really bad at making decisions, especially where other people are concerned.
18. My child’s taught me how to enjoy gardening. Not the flowery-pot-plant kind of gardening, but I really enjoy planting seeds that grow to become food. It’s such fun, it’s educational and so rewarding!
19. I am scared of living on my own. I know I could do it and I know facing up to your fears is the best way to over-come them, but... Why do it when you don't have to?
20. I’m happy by nature. It’s something I work at and yes, I do still get into a grump from time to time, but I do generally try putting a smile on my face to face the world. It’s amazing to see how other people respond.
There! I did it. Finally. Never thought I’d ever actually finish this list and it has taken me a long, long time, but I did it. Hopefully there are some truths in amongst the list that you didn’t know, otherwise it’s probably been boring as all hell.
On my way home to Jake in just over half an hour. I can’t wait for the weekend. My work is all up to date and I’m feeling good! Just got filing to finish off, but no rush on that. My company’s 10 years old today and we’ve done absolutely no celebrating – I’m going to have to organize something early next week!
Jake & I don’t have too much on this weekend either, which I’m really looking forward to. Tonight we’re going to a braai with friends who live across the road from us; tomorrow is gardening all day – I have to get Jake’s veggie patch sorted so we can start planting! I’m going to get him a wormery too, so should be fun. My folks are out tomorrow night, so Jake & I are home alone. I’m thinking of taking him out on a date – we haven’t had one in a while. We might go see Wall-E. Will see how he is tomorrow. Got a kid’s party on Sunday morning. So far, the rest is easy, which is just what I need. Jake’s feeling much better too.
Hope everyone else has a great weekend! Look after yourselves!
Love,
Sue xxx