More entries for the dictionary...

This morning Abigail had - you guessed it - a party! It seems that the Obstetricians/Midwives must be very busy between September and December judging by the number of birthdays there are!
Anyway, for this party we had to go to Cavendish (actually Stadium on Main but we parked at Cavendish), I have a habit of losing parking tickets. Not the kind you get for parking in the wrong place -never had one of those, the kind you get for wanting to park in the right place!

We have many-a-time had to push the little button that says "HELP" to say that we have (again!) lost our ticket! Much to Abigail's horror.

So, whenever we get the ticket out of the machine she's always thinking of "good" or "clever" places to keep it until our departure (little does she know there is no place "good" or "clever" enough for forgetful me).

When we got our ticket today she said in a very Mommy voice: "Now, put it in your purse, because you know Mom, you are very losable"!

Seems we have a walking dictionary in our midst!

Frame of reference!

Usually driving in our car means listening to "The wheels on the bus" or some other CD for under 6 year olds. Niave is not a very happy passenger so to encourage compliance (i.e. sitting on the seat!) we more often than not give in to her demands for "songs on" - by which she means her songs!

Yesterday, however, we were listening to Josh Groban - which was quite an occasion in our car!
After a few tracks I heard the call for "songs on" but the song playing at the time was "You raise me up" -the sole reason for buying the CD in the first place, so I said she needed to wait till it was finished. After another minute or so she said "what's this song called Mommy?" and I told her.

Today while driving home from fetching Abigail at school the CD was playing again (a different track) and Niave announced from the back "Abi, this song's called 'Can you pick me up?'"!!!

We all had a good chuckle:-)

Cooking!!

Abigail has been helping out a lot in the kitchen lately.

Sometimes she helps chop the vegetables,

she made scrambled eggs - a few times

and did some stir-fry.

Now just look what we cooked up for supper tonight:

Pork sausages and blue goop!

I'm joking!!

Here's the real story...

Abigail and Niave have somehow had a constant supply of play dough -the bought kind, given to them by various people at various times over the last 6 or so years.

I don't believe in bought play dough!!

But since they've had it given to them it's let me off the hook.

I do make a fair amount of play dough for school.

In the last few weeks all of the bought play dough has come to the end of it's life. And Abigail has been begging me to make some for them.

Sunday night was going to be the night because the school dough was in desperate need of replacement (you don't even want to know what children do to play dough! Lets just say that when they are sitting sweetly at the play dough table and happen to sneeze, guess what is perfectly positioned to catch the spray? Yup, you guessed it!)

So, on Sunday night we were all set to make a double batch - 1 for school and 1 for home - only to discover I only had 3 cups of flour left and not 4!

So we made the school dough because as I said it was DESPERATE! The deal was she would help me with that dough and we would make hers on Monday. Well we made it today:-)

I have to say that this is the best play dough recipe you'll ever find anywhere - guaranteed.

It comes out of The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Arts and Crafts book - a BRILLIANT book!

Here is the recipe in case you have a need for play dough:

1 cup salt

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 cups water

food colouring

Put all the ingredients in a pot and mix together.

Cook on a medium heat for 3 - 5 minutes stirring CONSTANTLY until it becomes stiff.

Store in an airtight container.

It really is quite simple!

Your arm will be ready to fall off after all the stirring but it's worth it, just look at the joy:

Goodness, who would have thought there'd be so much to say in a post about play dough!!

Niave's Cockney Slang!

Niave has invented her own nonsense language and comes out with the strangest things sometimes. Now you may or may not know that Niave doesn't really need her own language as she is pretty proficient in the english language, but she has invented one none-the-less!

Sometimes it's really irritating as she goes on and on and on...and on with this new nonsense word or phrase that she has made up and likes the sound of and it drives us all crazy!
But sometimes it's really funny like the time I asked her where she had put something (I can't remember what, but lets just say it was her juice). The conversation went like this:
Me:"Niave, where is your juice"?
Niave: "It's in the Glendy Glook"
This reply was given so matter-of-factly as if she was saying something very ordinary like "it's in the kitchen" and when I asked her "Where is the glendy glook?" without any hesitation she took me to the lounge!

She's a funny little girl!

The Church Family Braai - 2008

Today we went to the Church Family Braai in Tokai forest. I remember going to church braai's when I was a child, also in Tokai forest but today we were in a different section, a sort of "private" area just above the Manor House.

It was a lovely day for it as the wind abated and the sun shone!(never a guarantee in Cape Town!)

There was a great turnout, probably double the amount of people that were there the last time we went (either last year or the year before, I forget!).

The church supplies the fires so we took along some meat, cool drinks and salads and there is "communal" dessert - everybody brings something to contribute (actually there is also communal salad, but I prefer to take my own!!).

So, while the men braaied, the ladies chatted and "entertained" the children.

After lunch it was time for fun and games! The children took part in sack races and 3-legged races and the annual tug-of-war.

There was also lots of other activity, lots of tree-climbing and lots of bike-riding, Abigail started out on a ride with 2 dads and some of the boys along the gravel road that goes up past the arboretum into the forest, but she was a bit nervous about it and so decided rather to stay and take part in the games.

Some of the climbers!

It was a good day with friends and everybody - young and old (the youngest was 2 months and the oldest probably 70-something!) had an enjoyable time.

Of course, after a day like that and no sleep for a certain young lady, we have the inevitable melt-down, but we managed to get through supper and have a bath at least and now she is tucked up in bed with her milky bottle! (Can you hear that? It's a sigh of relief!!)

And so another week of November has come to an end, Abigail now has 4 weeks left of grade 1!

The things children say!

Yesterday afternoon Abigail spent 2 hours riding bikes with Kelsey (while I spent 2 hours weeding in the front garden!).
When she came back inside she went straight to the fridge, grabbed the juice and said: "I'm so thirsty I could drink a whole boulder of juice"!
That's one to add to the English books!!

Party, Party, Party!

This week-end was another bumper party one!

We had 3 parties in total, 1 that Niave went to, 1 that Abigail went to and 1 that they both went to!

On Saturday it was Kaira's 3rd birthday. The sweetest little girl with the most gorgeous red hair you've ever seen. She had a bug theme so the kids did buggy games and got buggy prizes and even ate buggy food (not real bugs!) Niave managed to make her way through 4 ladybird cupcakes!! She was so excited about this party. On Friday she told evreyone who crossed her path "It's Kaira's party tomorrow. Not MY party, not ABI'S party, not YOUR party - KAIRA'S party" (with great emphasis on the words in caps!)

They had a great time, well done to Renette and Jordan for all the effort they put in.

Here is an idea of what Niave got up to.

In the afternoon Abigail had a Teddy Bears Picnic party in Keurboom park. I didn't take any pictures, partly because I didn't take my camera and partly because I wasn't there! I took the opportunity to pop into Cavendish -on my own!!

Today it was Rachel's 3rd birthday, Niave's friend but Abigail tagged along. It was at the Adventure Animal Farm in Phillipi and when she heard there would be pony rides she wasn't going to miss out! The farm is great, very rustic and farmy (!) but they have loads of animals: chickens, ducks, bunnies, guinea pigs, pigs, porcupines, jackals, ostriches, springbok, sheep, goats, horses, blue cranes, a lynx, peacocks, turkeys and some others.

They also have a play area with quite big jungle gyms, swings and a trampoline, all in all - a lot to keep them occupied and interested. The entrance fee is not too bad, the kids were paid for so I only had to pay for myself and that was R20,00 and that includes a bucket of animal food -carrots and bunny food, the little ones looked so sweet carrying their buckets of food around. Niave insisted on throwing her carrots into the duck pond which was being "guarded" by a pair of angry-ish geese who had eggs close by.

The kids had a great time and were absolutely tired out by the time we got home. Niave just managed to make it through her supper.

Here are some pictures of the day.

Well, that was our "party" week-end. You'd think the week-ends might get less hectic from here on out - but you'd be wrong! On 1 week-end coming up Abigail has a dancing show and a camp- out 2 nights in a row!

Roll on December holidays!!