The holiday, on a scale of 1 - 10 was a ...

First, a beach pic :)

Occasionally I like to dress them like "twins" - same colours but different shades, a girl and boy version. K is wearing a lighter shade of green with a heart-shaped button on the left; C is in lime-green, plain boy t-shirt. Both blue shorts, K's is denim.

This was our pram while we were delayed leaving Johannesburg. Please notice the little boy (I really have to stop calling them "the babies") on the right, barefoot and very happy to be free.

I think he'd made friends with everybody up and down the queue.

This one was taken in the week before we left - he now hangs onto the security guards as he climbs onto the window sill. My heart stops every time and I have to tell myself to remain calm. Eventually I told V, "if he falls, he falls. he needs to learn" to which I received a very shocked look :)

And then, again the cutest little girl in the world. Note the gorgeous grey skies in the background on a beautiful beach day. She loves that hat and ate sea sand from that very spade (maybe she thought it was an oversized spoon?)

D and I discussed the holiday - what was good, what could be improved, what was frustrating, etc. (we do this kind of thing with everything) and decided that it was a 7.

At first I said "MUCH better than Clarens" - I gave that holiday a 4 and really, the scenery and gorgeous quaint town brought it up from a 2.5 to a 4.`So much hard work!

So without any further ado, here is my summary:

Good things

1. Baby seat things - I seriously felt like a genius every time we hauled those things out. You can attach them in about 10 seconds and the babies adjusted to them very quickly (meal 2 or 3).
2. Getting my beach photo shoot (yes, the pics look gorgeous - more so the babies and D than me, but maybe I need to book Jeanette again soon for me - D says I am stark raving mad, but once you get hooked on really good photos, it's hard to feel satisfied with crappy ones)
3. We coped TONS better than we thought we would and the babies were MUCH better behaved.
4. They also ramped up the cuteness a lot because they're talking up a storm and are friendly to all and sundry (everybody in the hotel, parking lots, airport, etc).
5. Pre-planning Christmas presents and just going out to get them
6. My brother has stopped being moody - I actually said to him yesterday, "this year it was LOVELY spending time with you" :) I'm very naughty!
7. General family stuff.

Frustrating things

1. Not seeing my father - he was travelling for much of our time there
2. Not going to church and we had two weekends there.
3. Not seeing any old or new friends like Eve or Katherine (there was a get together on one of the only TWO beautiful beach days and there was no way I was missing that with the babies - I like to think I have my priorities straight :))
4. Kendra decided to go vegetarian for about a week. She just started eating meats again on Monday. How can you get full eating avo, bananas, carrots and pumpkin?! Thank goodness for cereal.
5. General family stuff - like how indecisive they all are. It drives me crazy normally, good thing I'm more relaxed on holiday. Also how nobody (except my brother) communicates properly - the topic of another blog post or maybe I should start a private blog like Rebecca's done?

Bad things

1. The wind - oh my word, I'd forgotten how bad it can be. I had a headache on day 1 from walking in the wind, so much so I had to take 2 Panado (that is serious medication for me :))
2. The rain...
3. The crazy amount of money we spent - I am firmly in denial and very reluctant to do the budget at the moment...
4. My mother was still showing favouritism to Kendra - that's again another blog post...
5. We watched my tv segment all together and nobody in my family said a single thing like "good job" or "I can't believe people actually take YOU seriously" :) or ANY thing.


In a nutshell, I loved being away but I love, love, love being back, not having to worry about if we have enough clothes for the babies, will the laundry get dry in time, etc.

I now need to plan the next trip otherwise I start getting all sad about how I "never" travel :)

Our next trip will probably be to a European destination for about 5 days where South African passport holders don't need a visa as I am dead lazy to go through all that schlep.

But one day when I stop being so lazy, I'll apply for a US visa and go to New York. Meanwhile, I live vicariously through other people.

My favourite type of holidays are either city holidays or beach holidays. Thailand was my best as it was simply too hot to go, go, go all the time (my default setting) and we relaxed the best there. And of course, the outstanding food always helps! I actually lost weight eating so healthy.

What kind of holidays are your favourites?

P.S. Home Affairs sent me a text to say my new passport's ready for collection so technically speaking, the next time I get one of those Flight Centre emails, I could book and go! Isn't it lovely to dream?