{Wordless Wednesday} Ballito photoshoot outtakes

well, maybe not outtakes, but photos I liked NOT chosen for the album

I love this one - look how happy she is with her photo :)

Ole'

I've now had 5 Spanish dancing lessons.

I'm really enjoying it but it's not as easy as I thought it would be. Some of it is... I remember the one dance like it was yesterday but some other things that should be more "obvious" are taking longer to get settled in my mind.

Also, clearly I'm 22 years older because my body doesn't twist into the turns, etc. as easily as it used to :)

The other girl in my class decided to do her exams in June so I'm joining her.

What the heck, right?

And I like a goal :)

So here I am at 39-odd years doing Spanish dance exams I did when I was 13 :)

But it's all good.

Best of all, I enjoy it and it's good to clear my busy mind - I have to keep focussed or I completely lose the rhythm.

Now that all the enrolment fees and gear has been paid for (I just got my skirt tonight), it should only cost R500 pm!

How are you keeping your head clear these days?

This weekend...

This weekend was very, very strange.

I had a headache for most of the weekend so I did a LOT of sleeping. A lot.

I probably averaged 9 hours a night.

For a minute there I was worrying that I had brain cancer or something because nothing I was doing was making it go away - I was WELL hydrated, popping Suda.fed, Panado, etc. and ... no effect.

So I'm behind on everything.

I cooked nothing extra, did no work, didn't organise the kids' clothes for the week (don't laugh - I still do), no photos, no tidying, NOTHING but essentials which was sleeping, bare basics eating (I think the kids lived on mostly apples and cereal with the odd slice of toast thrown in).

I even missed some of UB40. that's a story for another post but have you ever tried to go to a concert with a splitting headache? #lifelist stuff which is the sole reason I went.

I'm not the sort of girl who can "carry on" when I have a headache. I need DARKNESS and SLEEP and lots of QUIET.

My kids got stickers one night because D said "shhhh, Mummy's not feeling well" and they actually listened!

I was fine today (obviously because it's work) but I need to get my butt to bed because I'm now counting down the days.

Can you function with a headache?
How was your Monday?

I wasn't joking about working flat-out

I am knee-deep in work, and exhausted both physically and emotionally, so I have no reserves for much beyond the basics.

I appreciate all your comments on The Post very much, but please know that 1) I'm not going to write about all the nitty gritty on the blog and when I decide what's appropriate to share, 2) there will be a very watered-down version but only in May.

I'm so thankful we've had 3 photoshoots on this property - it really is the best work venue in Jhb

I have at most 13 working days left with very possibly flexitime during the last week.

Of course I've already told D that we're going to work next weekend to go take final photos (and for me to cry).

this is the view in winter every evening at about 5 - 5:15 when I leave and it's hard for me to imagine never seeing this again

Like the infertility and the resultant babies, I still can't believe I've done this - I never dreamed this would ever happen and now it has.

Enough of my life, how's your work situation going?

{Snapshot Saturday} Daddy love

I call this her Titanic pose

Favourite photo?

{Friendship Friday} A tiny bit of a city walk and meeting Sweets

"Sweets" (L) and I have been saying forever how we should meet up and finally it happened. She's one of those blog friends (like Mrs FF used to be!) who always emailed in response to my posts :) We could then banter back and forth (in the days when I had time to banter back and forth at work).

We met through a mutual blog friend (some of you old timers - Mandy?) might remember T1mommy who used to comment here when we all had newborns.T1mommy is a Kiwi who now lives in England.



Another little side-note I'm quite proud of. I introduced her to Julia and suggested they get together "just for me" as I had a feeling they'd get along. 

They met up, (whew!) got along well and now they regularly have friend dates in good old Cape Town. Without me - but let's not dwell on that fact.

I console myself by saying "at least I'm a connector".



We'd planned to go to the Waterfront for a curry but alas, it was the night of the Eminem concert and traffic was mad, so we drove exactly one block away from my hotel (!) and enjoyed a curry in the city.

I had a delicious biryani.... and when I asked for the yoghurty stuff you pour over the top, they brought me tsatsiki and had the NERVE to charge me R38.

Only in Cape Town.

!



We had a lovely, lazy evening. There was live music in the restaurant - laid-back, easy music - even some Billy Joel or was it Rod Stewart?

We talked and talked and talked.... and ate and ate and ate..... and then I went back to the hotel to work til after midnight.

She was exactly how she appeared (and apparently, so was I :)) and I have no doubt we'll be seeing each other again soon.

I can't help it - I just love this photo!

The nice thing is this - whenever I'm in a city, I notice we all text/ email each other a lot...so we'd send messages about the terrible traffic (seriously, CT, you need to do something about that!) and so on.

The one day I said, "oh, I thought of you this morning when I drove past your work on the highway" and she said, "did you not see me waving?"

HAHAHA!

I, of course, love all the nonsense talk :)

this was the best of the lot..... and I "asked" the waitress to take about 10!

L, it was a pleasure spending that evening with you.

Can't wait to do it soon (hopefully we won't have to wait another 5 years)!

How are you doing with your friendship goals this month?

I just loved watching the vendors setting up in the morning and clearing up at night

I did it!

I res.igned from my job.

It's a whole other story and I'm still knee-deep in work at the moment but when I can talk a little more, I will.

Please don't write anything about this on Inst.agram or Fac.ebook - lots of work people follow me.

Still, I feel God's peace in the midst of the storm.

Now what's news on your side???

PS the happiest person to read this is Laura, right? :)

{Wordless Wednesday} Our Valentine's Day

I was working in Pta on Valentine's Day but I got home a little bit early that day so I dragged the kids into the garden for photos.

Blog friends, meet my new kitchen table - I love it way too much. Perfect size. Love the chairs. Perfect for kids to "craft" while I'm cooking. Just love. WHY did I wait so long (we've been in this house 8 years before getting a kitchen table)?!



D brought home pizza and we set the kitchen table with a tablecloth (Christmas present from SIL), and I made pancakes as requested by Kendra. Then I got cute and gave her some cookie cutters to cut hearts out of the pancakes. She and I ate the ends as we worked :) so it was win-win. And of course, we added some strawberry syrup. YUM!

We then watched a movie (My Best Friend's Wedding) which makes me laugh so much Every Single Time. The kids fell asleep half way through but it was really nice to spend the time as a family

Can you even remember what you did for Valentine's?

PS I found an app to organise the (very small amount of) movies I see. Springpad. Get it - really cool.

Many rivers to cross

Thyme and Again, Plett

We're going to see UB40 on Saturday!

I can't wait!!!

Hopefully the people won't be smoking pot around us.... because D and I have a deal that if anything gets unbearable, we'll leave.....

I have zero UB40 music anymore - I had LPs in the good old days (yes!) and a best of/ greatest hits cassette tape. And somehow those never translated to CD.

(wait! I just found a CD - a live one!)

I've just been listening to you tube videos and (strange or not) I still know all the songs off by heart.

Yip, showing my age - std 9, 10 and varsity....

I love basically every song except the one everyone likes - (I can't help) falling in love with you.

Kingston Town, I got you babe (I like their version with Chrissie Hynde better than the Sonny and Cher version), The way you do the things you do, Homely Girl (makes me sad but I like it).....

Do you like UB40?
Which is your favourite of their songs?
More to the point, anyone going in Jhb or CT?

I started a mini album of favourite photos of me and D - and I love this little project because it's forcing me to be intentional... it also helps that Connor takes great photos (2 of the photos in there are ones Connor took, along with photos Jeanette took :))