Weekly Wrap-Up : Two Weeks into the Holidays

Holidays are in full swing and Keren and I have just returned from our mid week getaway. We had a wonderful time together and enjoyed and savored every moment. On Tuesday we headed out to Strand and had lunch at an old fashioned restaurant over looking the sea. They offered a three course meal at very reasonable prices and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Good old fashioned food!

The views out over the bay were magnificent. Just what we needed after all the pressure of exams and getting her file done for term 2.

We ambled along the beachfront before driving to my aunt and uncle just outside Stellenbosch.

 We were welcomed with tea and enjoyed catching up before taking a walk around the estate with my uncle and his dog.

The estate is beautiful and peaceful and their home like a home from home. Familiar objects, pieces of furniture from my grandparents, beautiful quilts made by my aunt and giant comfy beds and delicious home cooked food made our visit perfect. We enjoyed a log fire and long conversations reminiscing about days gone by. We slept in and didn't want to leave those comfy warm beds but eventually did to enjoy a hearty home cooked breakfast made by my uncle.

We stopped off in Stellenbosch to visit Oom Samie se Winkel , a place I have often passed by but never ventured in.

 Everything you can imagine is found in this shop from old fashioned sweets to spices, vintage clothing and dolls, memorabilia from days gone by, books, trinkets and curios. Well worth a visit even if you are not buying but just browsing. Apparently bus loads of tourists stop by on their way through the village.

We drove through the village and out the other side to climb the Helshoogte pass to our destination, Clouds Estate. With great excitement we entered the estate and made our way to reception. It deserves a post of its own so that is all for now!

Besides this wonderful getaway, holidays have been filled with friends, sleepovers, sleep ins and lots of fun. A few girlfriends joined me for a movie night. I had the wonderful privilege of joining 194 others at the prison for a prayer walk. An unforgettable experience and I cannot wait for next month's prayer walk.

 Zak has been to the movies a couple of times and to a magic show where he attempted learning to spin a plate!

 He volunteered time at church helping to prep for the holiday club for a few hours.

 We have enjoyed sunny afternoon walks.

Keren besides completing her exams, finished her oil painting and handed it in for marking.

 She cooked endless dishes for consumer studies and we all enjoyed eating them!

 Josh bought himself a car!

Tonight the youth are having a stay awake at church.

 Its been full and fun and I am thankful we have another week off!

Weekly Wrap-Up: 1000 paper cranes

It's been a busy two weeks. Wrapping up the term and completing assignments. It's wonderful to know that we can breathe easy for a bit and enjoy the Easter weekend and holidays next week.

There has been a flurry of activity with paper crane decorating and making. Keren is working on her new art assignment, a monument to herself, inspired by the works of South African artist Penny Siopis. She has a few weeks before the assignment is due which is a good thing as she aims to make 1000 paper cranes....

Japanese legend claims that the one who makes 1000 paper cranes will be granted a wish. Each crane has significance and friends and family have been decorating papers endlessly. Keren then folds each one into a crane. So if you happen to be visiting in the next few weeks, I am certain you will be asked to join in!

Even the littlest visitor got to make a contribution!

Besides finishing up the work for the term, it has been a very social time in the last week. The kids had a bunch of friends over for a bring and braai last weekend. The fun continued all week with friends and cousins visiting and playing card games into the wee hours of the morning. Lovely to have all my kids home and to see them enjoying entertaining their friends in our home.

And now, after all the activity.....it is silent around here!

After church this morning, the kids and their cousins left for the long awaited church camp.

 Tired but happy campers will be home on Monday afternoon.

Wishing you a blessed Easter!

Mom Moment's - May Carnival

This month's "South Africa Carnival of Home Schooling" blog carnival is hosted by Karen and the brief was as follows :


 " this month, I'm wanting to write about those "Mom Moments" (I love Karen Andreola's term Mother Culture): - I'd like homeschooling moms to really share about the struggles they face, and the ways in which they tackle those black days, AND how they recover from those days, how they refresh and revitalize themselves, and find/make time for themselves and the things they love to do. 

My hope is that it would encourage us all, and remind us that no man (or woman) can survive as an island. "

I haven't contributed to the blog carnival in a while and perhaps that is because I have been trying to cope with the struggles which our family have faced over the last while. I have written other posts because I have wanted to.... but "having" to think up a post has not been at the top of my list of things to do. I felt it was important to rise to this challenge though, as often blogs only portray the good times. 

Our lives have been affected in many ways since hubby's loss of employment near the end of 2010. We are now almost mid way through 2012 and he has struggled along, putting his CV out there, doing jobs where and when they come up....so you can well imagine that it has not been an easy time. Certainly stretching us in faith and growing us! There have been many ups and downs affecting me as "Mom" during this time. We all know that when Mom has moments, it affects the whole family. 

Alongside this, I am dealing with our 3 very different, precious children at different stages of their education and lives...a tween and two teens and then, recently added to the daily mix, our sweet baby cousin and nephew of almost 13 months.  Some days just seem insurmountable and I would love to disappear and run away from my responsibilities. But that is not an option!

I have found that there are practical things in different areas that I can do to help me cope with such days....

Spiritually:

* Having my own quiet time and prayer is important, even if it is just five minutes when I am in the shower! It helps me to remain focused on Him, our Abba Father. My security needs to be in Him and not in my circumstances. This has become more important to me of late and I have been enjoying a study on 1 Corinthians 13. It has helped me to focus on the way I talk to my precious family and how I handle various situations that arise. 

* I have got into the habit of seeking out and counting my blessings daily. No matter what I am facing, there is ALWAYS something, no matter how small, that I can give thanks to God for. I recently read the following:
"In moments of discouragement, defeat or even despair, there are always certain things to cling to. Little things usually: remembered laughter, the face of a sleeping child, a tree in the wind- in fact any reminder of something deeply felt or dearly loved. No man is so poor as not to have many of these candles. When they are lighted, darkness goes away- and a touch of wonder remains." (tombstone inscription in Britain)
I have been also been able to share with the children how important it is to give thanks daily- it helps to lift our eyes from circumstances.

* Our Bible time and prayer together at the start of the day are important too. Each member of the family has the opportunity to give thanks as well as pray for specific needs or requests.

Planning:

* A brief chat with the  children after Bible time, regarding the days plans/ expectations always seem to make the day run better. 

* I try to plan the evening meal in advance so if I need something to defrost, it is taken out in the morning.

Rest:

* Making sure the children are well rested and that I have enough sleep too is important - I can be a late night owl so I really need to be disciplined in that area!

* On days that I have a had a bad night, I try to fit in a power nap.... works wonders for me and it means I can get through the evening without having bad mom moments!

* On weekends, if we are not too busy, I try to have at least an hour long nap.

School:

* When one child requires dedicated input with no interruptions, I make sure the others have something they can go on with alone. With a baby in the house, this has become more important. The children have work they can do alone when he is busy and boisterous and then when he naps we focus on work that needs my input. Afternoons, when he has gone home are also focused learning times.

* On days when difficult lessons are not going to work, we read and read and read some more...we learn so much together through our read aloud times.

* If all else fails, we watch an educational movie.

* Or we get out of the house....a bit of fresh air can smooth many things over.

Household duties:

* As my children are big enough, they help with chores like washing, dishes, feeding pets, making lunches, meal preparation or cooking and more. They each know what they have to do and usually it runs smoothly. This has also changed over the last while as we used to have help in the home twice  a week. The adjustment has not been easy but instilling the value of team work and helping one another has been good for us. Hubby will cook dinner once a week usually, which is an enormous help. Our teen daughter is also very helpful with meal preparation.

* When a child is not feeling great, has a task that is keeping them very busy or exams, it is often easier for me to quickly do their chores to bless them rather than have a moment because it has not been done.

Relationships:

* My friends are special, and though I may "hide away" when days are tough, catching up over a quick coffee and chatting is usually a great "pick me up". Sometimes just sharing a quick chat on instant messaging is helpful too.
* I am positive I have one of the best neighbours in the world- she is such a gem and though we may not visit each day, we are in daily contact and help one another out with lifts, share quick cups of coffee and can count on one another. She treats my kids like her own and has often been able to have meaningful conversations with them. They know they can escape mom if she has a moment and hang out next door too...lol!

* My children are all at the age when they can understand that Mom may be having a "moment" or difficult day and so a little conversation can go a long way in helping them to understand the situation, making them more willing to help where they can with things that need to be done and restore some harmony to the home. My sweet daughter will often offer to pamper me with back massages, pedicures and manicures when she knows I am struggling. My youngest will often hug me, saying "You just need a hug mom".

* Hubby also plays a big role in conversations with the children and smoothing mamma's ruffled feathers...he is generally a calmer person than me and his listening ear always makes me feel better. He has a way of seeing things in a different light too, which can be very helpful.

* A good long chat (and sometimes a cry) with my own precious mum or one of my two precious sisters often helps me to see things from a different point of view and to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

Though I try not to, at times I blow it ...... 
I talk harshly instead of kindly, or perhaps I may be sterner than necessary where grace is needed.

Recovery and restoration comes in the form of hugs and humble apologies,
admitting my short comings to my precious family, talking it out and finding possible solutions.

As for "me time", our children are big and baby is only here until lunchtime so there does not seem to be the need for me to make time for myself as such. I can enjoy the things I enjoy around the home without them needing my undivided attention. Often they come alongside me and join me in the garden or the kitchen or having some down time watching a movie or resting quietly with a book.  Very different to a Mom of little ones.... but part of the joys of having been there and done that!  


I truly want my children to remember their home as being a happy place. A home where, despite troubles, they are loved and learn to forgive and show grace and love to one another. 
A home where laughter and fond memories are made.

This is the May 2012 Blog carnival  which is part of the South African Carnival of Homeschool Blogs. To join the carnival or visit past carnivals visit the SACHS Blogs page. We hope you enjoy browsing!

Autumn afternoon amble

With school starting up this week, it was a pleasure to escape to the great outdoors 

for an afternoon amble with a friend.

We have been enjoying the most beautiful Cape Autumn weather...

 Seasonal changes are creeping in as mornings are cooler and darker for longer.

The sun departs earlier in the evenings, fooling one into thinking it is far later than it really is.

 Blankets, jerseys, slippers and gowns are making their way out of the cupboards...

Perhaps soon it will be time to light a fire.

Red, brown, orange and yellow leaves are falling. 

Our boys made the most of the hour outdoors...

Vines made perfect Tarzan ropes.

The filtered afternoon sunlight cast dappled shadows on the path.

There was lots to discover...

"helicopter seeds", fungi, squirrels scampering through the long grass, 

honeycomb from a deserted hive,

hollow trees, ferns and bamboo along the muddy river's edge...

Just what the doctor ordered!

Yes, the Ultimate Chocolate Experience!

Last week the younger kids, some friends, and I had the delightful pleasure of visiting Rococoa for the ultimate chocolate experience! It was a lovely surprise when we found out that we knew the owner.

To begin with....

 there was chocolate face painting!

Followed by a tour by a passionate chocolatier, who relayed the history of chocolate....

It was interesting to discover that the first chocolate making workshops were established 

in the Netherlands in the 1580s and then in 1815,

a chocolate factory, Van Houten, was founded in the Netherlands.

In 1828, Van Houten patented the first chocolate powder.

(a little bit of Dutch History for our half Dutch children!)

We learned of the love, care and hard work that goes into growing these trees 

that produce this "food of the gods!"

Would you believe that the above photo depicts the inside of a cacao pod?

Pulp covered cacao seeds....

these are piled up under banana leaves to ferment,

causing chemical changes that alter the look and flavour of the seeds.

After about a week, the seeds turn dark brown and

 begin to taste a little like bitter, dark chocolate.

The seeds then need to dry for about a week, preventing them from going mouldy

 once they are packaged in bags for shipping. 

Our guide broke open one of these seeds for us to smell...

the aroma of chocolate was so intense, I felt like I had eaten a chocolate!

We learned how the seeds are roasted, winnowed to remove the hard outer shell,

and how the cacao bean "nibs" are collected for grinding and mixing, becoming a course brown dough called crumb. The chocolate crumb then needs refining and conching to produce a smooth,

well rounded and mellow flavour.

We had a peek into the past and the interesting utensils used in fine chocolate making.

We learned much that we didn't know about real chocolate!

We got to eat the finest chocolate from the chocolate fountain and learned about chocolate making.

.

Rococoa is an interesting place to visit.....
all sorts of amazing discoveries to be made and a definite must for chocolate lovers!

We got to make our own chocolate creations with edible chocolate "play-dough".

One can enjoy breakfast or lunch there too.

I enjoyed the best ever Venezuelan Hot Chocolate with chilli,
while the kids enjoyed chocolate milkshake and hot chocolate.

Have you had your chocolate today?

Aquarium outing

As mentioned, we had an outing to the Aquarium last week. It fitted in perfectly with our "Dolphin Tale" unit study and we were happy to have two friends come along with us. It was fantastic to meet some new faces  and I was grateful to the mom who organised the outing.

Being a school outing, the kids first spent some time in the well laid out classroom where Mr Zee taught them all about bony fish.  

 There were some dead fish on each table so the kids had a hands on lesson.....

Some were less than charmed and there were lots of giggles as I too battled with the fishy smell and the appearance of the dead fish!

The more adventurous were thrilled at being able to handle the slippery specimens!

Fins were fanned out, mouths opened wide and scales lifted!

Gills were opened and examined closely....

I think these two girls would have been more than happy to be handed a scalpel to dissect the fish!

Though much of what they were taught is not new, it was interesting to have a good look at the specimens, discovering them in real life, rather than diagrams on the pages of a book.

Once the lesson was over, we entered the aquarium and were free to enjoy all it has to offer...

Colourful fish of the warm Indian Ocean .....

and a sweet sea turtle.

              The clown fish are always a hit with the kids who queue to get into the inside of the tank!

The icy cold touch pool had interesting sea creatures to observe closely.

The Hermit Crab was really cute and cautiously came out to see what all the fuss was about.

The penguins were looking rather sorry for themselves as they are moulting.

 Apparently they sit very quietly and don't eat much when this is happening. 

It almost seems that they are embarrassed of their appearance.

The cooler Atlantic waters teem with large silver fish and beautiful kelp forests.

I could sit in front of that tank indefinitely and marvel at its wonders!

The shark tank is always fascinating and I think somewhat scary even though there is thick glass separating one from these seemingly fierce creatures...

I have always wondered what would happen if the glass had to crack, spilling out the contents of the tank!

All though our aquarium doesn't keep dolphins, we enjoyed discovering the wonders it had to offer us!

Crazy, busy and full...

Yes , that is how our week has been....crazy, busy and full!

As you see we are still enjoying near perfect summer weather with no rain. We are thankful for the pool which has been used much in the last week. Early morning dips, in between lesson dips, late evening dips, dips with friends!

We spent a wonderful evening with hubby's parents and his cousin who was visiting from Holland. It was great to see her again as it has been years. It was good for the kids to get to know one of their Dutch relatives too! We were spoiled with treats from Holland , chocolates and "dropje". Dropje, Dutch licorice has a delicious salty flavour and my kids devour it when they get hold of it!

We also had the pleasure of seeing friends who are visiting here from the UK and old friends from our Dar es Salaam days.

An impromptu summer evening braai, with a friend and his kids, had the kids swimming way into the dark hours of the warm summers night.

School has been happening this week , though different in many ways.
J & K have spent many of their "school " hours working on their animation videos. But more about that in another post. Karate lessons began in earnest this week with the two of them training in the evenings, and J giving lessons two afternoons and his usual Saturday morning class.

We had an outing to the aquarium....

 (more on that in another post to follow)

Our co op started up again this week after a long break. It was great to get together again and learn about Zimbabwe. The kids did some map work, learned about the people, resources, natural wonders and more.

Our cute nephew/ cousin came back to us this week for a morning as his mommy went back to work. He has grown so much and is very mobile as his little arms and legs carry him all over the place at quite a speed! We only take our eyes off him when he is sleeping, securely strapped into his pram!

Tonight hubby and I look forward to a friends birthday party and tomorrow I look forward to relaxing at home before another busy week begins.