12 years.

Today we celebrated our twelfth wedding anniversary! It was quite a busy day:

After church we left the girls with my parents and headed out to Paarl for lunch at Schoongezicht Restaurant. There are 2 of these lovely buffet restaurants, 1 in Brackenfell and 1 in Paarl. The Brackenfell branch was fully booked so we had drive a little further but it was a lovely day and that area is so beautiful so it didn't seem like a long drive (also there were no whining children in the backseat - I'm sure that contributed!!).

In true Hutton fashion the batteries in my camera were flat!! I seem to do that a lot, but you can check out the buffet at http://www.schoongezichtbuffet.co.za/ - really, really nice. There is so much food you can't possibly even try everything (Bev, we'll have to do a trip there when you're here!!), Grant took a "break" from his diet and had some meat and curry etc. and also pudding but tomorrow it's back to broccoli!

While we were there, my parents took Abigail, Niave and Willow to see Cinderella on Ice at the Artscape. Abigail has been dying to go and my mom very kindly bought them tickets. They enjoyed it very much, Abigail can't stop talking about it.

So, a good day was had by all, and we're ready for a new week - of FEBRUARY!!! Can you believe that January 2010 is over - never to return again??!!

Muizenberg Water Slide.

A few weeks ago a friend mentioned that they were taking their daughter to the Muizenberg Water Slide for her birthday. I was quite surprised and realised that I had never even had that in my mind as an option!! I can't really figure out why - it's not because they're too young - Abigail is more than old enough and Niave would cope with the small slide, I think it's because I had a pre-conceived idea that it would be rundown and icky!!

Anyway, it was one of the things that I had on my holiday list that I didn't get to do. But a couple of weeks ago Abigail received an invitation to a party that was held there today.

Well let me just say that she was sliding non-stop for a full two and a half hours!!! She didn't eat or drink a single thing at the party!

She (and her friends!) had a really good time.

It is definitely something that we will do much more often.

(And just for the record: it wasn't rundown and icky - it was fine:-))

Ballerina girl.

Today Niave had her first ever ballet lesson!

I arrived at school expecting to find her all neatly dressed in her pretty pink ballet clothes but instead found that every other ballet girl was dressed and in place but my daughter was nowhere to be found! I found her in the tree house!! So she was whisked off to get dressed but there was no time to neaten her hair which was in a state so she was a black-footed, whispy-haired ballerina!!! But her teacher didn't seem to mind. She is very relaxed and sweet with them.

It was quite funny to watch!! Niave just wanted to twirl and kept asking "when are we going to twirl around?"!!! - They did eventually!! The skipping was hilarious and the curtsy was so so funny: But I have it on very good authority that a talent for curtsying does not run in this family!!!

Anyway, she enjoyed herself and we'll do some hair equipment shopping before next week and have her a little more turned out!! (Poor second child, just gets the hand-me-down leotard and skirt shoved into a bag!! Oh well.)

Yuppiechef!

At the end of last year the wonderful families at my school clubbed together and gave me a generous voucher for Yuppiechef - an online kitchen store which happens to be owned by one of them!
During the holidays I've been browsing their site www.yuppiechef.co.za and a few days ago I finally made my choice!

I put in my order and was sent an email saying I could expect to receive my parcel from Thursday - today!

So this morning I took the girls to school and made my way back home to do a bit of housework, schoolwork and await the arrival of my parcel. However, when I arrived home at 8:45 it was already here waiting for me!!!

SOOOO exciting!!

Here's what I ordered:

A digital scale,

a garlic wheel - for Grant's fresh garlic,

a set of "poach pouches" - because the girls love poached eggs but I don't have a poacher

and a silicone mini muffin tray!

So now I am officially a Yuppiechef!!! And the best part is, I didn't spend all of my voucher so I can order again!!! Thanks to all at Yuppichef for wonderful service!

First day of school.

The first day of school 2010 can be described by one word: hot.

It was 38 degrees today, at one point the temperature gauge in my car read 44!!

But despite the heat they had a good day.

Abigail was a bit apprehensive about the new class she is going to be in but she seemed happier when I fetched her.

Niave settled in well too.

There was lots to do: and she got busy - inside,

and outside. Then her friend Anna arrived and they played until it was time for morning ring and for the mommy's and daddy's to go!

So everyone is happy and the new term has begun!

Last day of the summer holidays.

In honour of the last day of holidays we met up with the boys and Lisa and had a tadpole-catching-picnic at a beautiful shady stream. It was a lovely relaxed morning, a perfect end to the holidays!

I can't say the afternoon was as relaxed as the morning, but despite a rather chaotic late afternoon/evening, we're all tucked up in bed and tomorrow is another day ... at school!

More trains, more beach!

With the holidays drawing to a close I was aware that there were/are a number of outings we didn't get around to, the museum for instance and of course the annual train trip to Fish Hoek beach. So, we woke up bright and early this morning to do just that! Lisa, Bryce and Mitchell joined us and off we went. The point of the outing - for me, was the train ride and not so much the beach, so I took only what would fit in my back pack (last time we went we had a willing Oupa who drove all our beach paraphernalia down in a car, but this time it was just us and I wasn't going to be overladen!!!).

It was Bryce and Mitchells first time to ride in a real train. You can see the look of amusement on some of the other passengers faces as they realize that it is the first time these children are going on a train!! At Abigail's age I was travelling "alone" to school and back by train without a second thought! (my brother and sister were with me but they weren't really all that interested in looking after me!!)

We arrived at the beach to find it almost completely empty, 1 or 2 people walking a dog or whatever, but for the most part it was just us. It had obviously rained overnight as there were puddles on the roads and it was still pretty grey and overcast when we got there. That didn't deter my 2 amphibians - they were swimming while I sat in my fleece!!!

Some watched from a safe distance!

After a swim and a play we had an ice cream before heading back to the station for the return journey.Unfortunately we missed our train so ended up having 45+ minute wait on a stationary train with 4 wrigglers!!! Lisa kept them entertained with photo's: (Niave can be somewhat photo-phobic was not in the mood for having her picture taken at this point in time, the collage below shows you her avoidance tactics: run for it, glare at the photographer, hide and pretend you are not there!!)

and stories about the toe snoggler!!

We arrived home all in 1 piece, a bit more suntanned than I would have liked, just in time for lunch!