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: End of Term!

It has been weeks again since I have blogged. 

Perhaps a little hibernation with the cold weather we have been experiencing.

 We have also come to the end of term 2 and now are on our winter break. It has been a busy time especially for Keren who has been writing her mid year matric exams and making sure all her relevant assignments and projects are done. She is almost done and I cant wait to have all the work marked, filed and handed in for further marking and moderation. 

I am certain she will continue to do exceedingly well in all her subjects. She did very well in her midyear art exams which were written at her art school. The painting she did for term 2 has been sold and she has her first commission from one of the teachers at the art school. It is wonderful to see her being able to earn from something she is fiercely passionate about and loves to do.

She is working on two paintings at the moment and I love to watch the pieces as they develop. 

Zak finished off basketball for the term and is not keen to continue. He has decided that rock climbing is something he wants to continue with as he really enjoys his weekly climbs at City Rock. School work has been completed for the term and he is enjoying the freedom of the holidays. 

Its wonderful having Josh here on the days he doesn't need to go on site and he is working remotely. It gives me pleasure to be able to make all my kids a hot lunch, freshly squeezed juice or a hot chocolate while they are working. I love hearing the interaction between my three too. 

We have been enjoying warm fires, good wholesome home cooked meals and the company of good friends. Last weekend Zak and I enjoyed the theater. Our neighbor was performing in A Midsummer Night's Dream. A real treat enjoyed with neighborhood friends.  

Plans for the holidays include a mini trip away for Keren and me which we are both really looking forward to it. Today it has been wonderful to get up and have no agenda. Keren has been working on her painting and Zak has gone off to City Rock with his friends.

 I am already loving the break from school.....

Weekly Wrap-Up: The Overdue One

Yes, its been two weeks since a weekly wrap up post. Life has been happening. We have had days of rain and chilly temperatures as well as gorgeous sunny days with no wind. School has taken place in warm beds or under blankets on the couches. Its such a blessing to be able to let the kids sleep in a bit too on chilly mornings. 

Keren has written her first exam for matric, her art theory exam, and she has spent weeks working on her practical which she handed in today.

 An offer to purchase it was made too!

Zak got his belay license at rock climbing last week and has been attending basketball. He and I finished up his anatomy and physiology course . I wonder what course we will do next...perhaps another geography course or more science. 

I have been roping him in in the kitchen too and he has been making delicious garlic cheesy scones to accompany soup dinners, apple and cinnamon muffins and pancakes too. Its good for boys to know their way around the kitchen!

Evenings have been cozy with a fire when needed and the family gathering in the lounge. We have enjoyed watching series and I keep my hands busy knitting. I have been donated wool of all colors from friends and its been fun to knit them up into beanies and booties for a local project. The Zoe project makes mum and baby packs for new mums at the local midwife obstetric units. The mums are often from very poor homes with little for their new babes, so its a real pleasure to know that these beanies and booties will make a difference and keep these babes warm. 

Weekends have been good. Lots of rest and relaxation. I still don't have my car since the accident so I look forward to weekends and getting out a bit when hubby is home. We have enjoyed Saturday morning breakfasts at a local nursery. They have great specials on during the winter months . Yummy hot chocolate and bacon on french toast for a steal. Zak joined us this past Saturday and really enjoyed it. We had  a lovely walk in the nearby forest this weekend too.

 It was wonderful to enjoy the wide open spaces and the great outdoors. 

Weekly Wrap-Up:Full and Fabulous

A full week with beautiful autumn weather....

There were exams for Josh, a new experience for Zak, wonderful mom and daughter time and lots of work put in....

Zak enjoyed his first session at City Rock, an indoor climbing adventure...he said it was tough and challenged him physically but loads of fun and of course all the more so when it's done with a buddy! Hopefully his twice a week basketball sessions will help build muscle strength so the climbing becomes less challenging.

He and I have been focusing on anatomy and physiology for the last while so it's great for him to have a good understanding of what physical activity does for the body and the great benefits in disease prevention etc. 

Keren had to do English and Afrikaans orals this week as part of her formal assessments. A dear teacher friend came to listen and mark her orals. These get sent in to our curriculum provider and form part of her marks for the year. 

She and I also visited a local school and spent a wonderful hour with the Consumer Studies teacher who gave her great tips for exams and showed us the set up of the kitchen. I had been a bit wary of what she may think due to the fact that Keren is home educated but she was incredibly welcoming and has invited Keren back to observe practical exam sessions. This will be an enormous help to Keren to prepare her for her final exams in a few months time.

Keren cooked dinner twice this week as she has 8 practical sessions to complete this term. She made a delicious cottage pie and a beef stew. Its great for me to get a night off! 

She and I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon together midweek. I had a voucher from my last birthday and I invited her to join me for a facial treatment. This girl works so hard and I figured she deserved a little pampering! It was her first facial and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Afterwards we did a little shopping and she found herself a great pair of jeans and some boots. She was even more thrilled when the jeans were marked down to half price at the till point. 

At the same time we found cream cheese marked down to R5 a tub! Apparently the store had bought too much stock. We stocked up and came home to make a delicious cheesecake using freshly picked granadillas from the garden. 

This morning my neighbor and I had a long overdue coffee date. It's really great that I can leave the kids for an hour or two and know that they will get on with their work while I am gone. We visited a local nursery and enjoyed delicious chicken mayo and avo sandwiches out in the autumn sunshine.

Another highlight of the week was getting my new phone. A highlight for Zak too as it meant he got my old one. I am so grateful for savvy kids who laugh at me but who know how to teach their mom how to use this new technology!

So at the end of a full week, there is youth as usual tonight and time to just relax for hubby and me!

Weekly Wrap-Up : Back To Work

The weeks have flown by since our peaceful Easter holiday break.

 Full of deadlines and hours of work....essays, assignments, projects and tests. We thought Keren had a little more time to hand these in. On the one hand I am glad they had to be done now so they are in on time for the external moderators to mark, but it was really rather stressful for her to have the deadlines moved forward. I am hoping that things will run a little more smoothly for her now. High school done this way is certainly very much more demanding than the way Josh did it. 

Zak was not well in the first week of term and we didn't even attempt any school. He slept in and read and that was about it. It did make things a little easier for me as it meant I could dedicate my time to Keren. This week he has been a lot better and we got back into the swing of things. 

There have been plenty of evening hours where we have sat in the dark due to load-shedding. I don't mind it too much as I love candle light but I do feel sorry for the kids when they have assignments due and they have to work by candlelight. 

We visited Keren's art school to attend the career expo for tertiary fine art and design institutions. Keren had already gathered information from the institutions that she may be interested in as part of her life orientation project in term 1. It was still an enjoyable morning and there were all sorts of tasty treats on sale as well as arts and crafts. 

I enjoyed the wonderful treat of a morning off getting my hair done. My sweet girl blessed me with a voucher as she regularly gets her done through the academy that she does hair modelling for. This week I also enjoyed a morning birthday celebration of a dear friend. I do love that the kids are big enough to get on with their work on their own for a bit.

 There has been a steady demand for pre cut mosaic tiles for kits so I have spent hours cutting tiles. I am grateful to be able to do it in my own time between helping the kids with their schooling.

We have a long weekend this weekend and I am looking forward to spending time with the family and relaxing. 

Weekly Wrap-Up: A Cultural One

The weather has been getting a little cooler and long sleeves and cardigans have made their way out of the cupboards this week. I love the subtle changes as we head into autumn. 

School days have been full with loads of learning taking place. On Monday Keren had an outing to the National Gallery with her art class. The focus of the outing was the exhibition "Time and Again" by a South African artist, Penny Siopis. 

They had studied this artist and her works. Her works speak of personal and collective history, trauma, shame and loss. This exhibition is a retrospective look at three and a half decades of her work.

 Keren enjoyed the exhibition so much that we took the morning off on Friday and went with a friend to see the exhibition again. Keren was able to guide us around the exhibition and tell us what she had learned. This time the artist was there too and it was great to hear her speak of her works. 

I found some of her works very disturbing, especially the shame series. 

Term projects have taken priority for Keren this week. She had to create and come up with a business plan for a small entrepreneurial business for Consumer Studies. She made this cute, classic, crocheted sock monkey out of donated wool and recycled stuffing. 

Her brand name is ' Monkess". 

I love the handmade label which instructs the purchaser to snuggle the monkey lots!

We were blessed with tickets to the Paulo Nutini concert at Kirstenbosch this week. 

He was unknown to us but it was great to pack up a picnic to enjoy in the botanical gardens midweek. Sadly before the main act began, Zak wasn't feeling too well and we had to bring him home.

 Thankfully some friends were there and could bring Keren home after the concert. She thoroughly enjoyed it and has been playing his music ever since. 

There was some mosaic work this week. Hours of cutting tiles for kits that had been ordered. Zak lent a hand too by picking and cleaning tiles for a larger project.

Thursday was a pj day as both Zak and I were not well. I was thankful when hubby came home and took over making supper and ordered me to bed early. 

Another highlight of the week was an afternoon visit with my sister who is visiting Cape Town. Wonderful to enjoy coffee, milk tart and afternoon conversations in the shade of a great tree. Great for cousins to connect too. 

Oh! And Keren received her mark for her practical and came top of her class with the highest mark she has ever attained for an art practical!

 We are so happy for her and all her hours of hard work certainly paid off. 

How was your week?

Weekly Wrap-Up: The One with Beautiful Art

Deadlines mean hours of work.

Sometimes all day and all night.

Every spare moment put to good use.....

On Tuesday I had the feeling that I would win another competition soon. Seems when I get that feeling, it comes true! I opened my inbox to the pleasant surprise of an email telling me I had indeed won vouchers to the Magnum Pop Up Store!

 I figured what better way is there to celebrate the end of weeks and hours of hard graft on an art assignment? Keren's assignment was finally handed in on Tuesday so we met up after her art class with friends to enjoy decadently, delicious Magnums and celebrate the end of hours and hours of work on these amazing pieces of art.

Decadent indeed with choices of dark, light or normal chocolate and three toppings with another drizzle of chocolate! Toppings such as caramel cashews, popping chocolate candy, honeycomb, ginger, pistachio and coconut, strawberry or oreos to name a few. I opted for dark chocolate, chili, mixed berries and caramel cashews...a real treat! 

The pop up store  in Cavendish closes on Sunday, if you can, it's worth the treat to go and enjoy your own before then!

Otherwise the week was taken up with normal school days where the kids progressed steadily. There was some mosaic work for me too. Somehow I lacked the motivation to go on my morning walks. I am hoping to be more diligent next week. 

Friday is always more relaxed and Keren went to church early this morning to do the decor for  youth tonight. She took along some school books so she could do some work too. It will be a long day with her getting home late after youth tonight.

Despite the fact it was Friday with a more relaxed attitude, Zak re started an anatomy and physiology course that we had started last year and somehow not got too far with. It felt good to make a fresh start despite it being the end of the work week.

Tonight the kids will enjoy youth while hubby and I chop vegetables at a work party preparing for our neighbor's son's  school food fair tomorrow. Lots of chopping will be paid for with good company, a glass of wine and pizzas! Should be fun!

Weekly Wrap-Up: The Fiery One

Last weekend our beautiful mountains caught fire. The winds fanned the fires and the fires grew and grew and spread far and wide. Helicopters flew for days trying to bomb the fires. 

(Photographer Reon Rich)

Fire fighters came from up country to help our crews here. There were evacuations at night, some homes lost too. Communities pulled together and donated food, drinks and medical supplies to those fighting the fires.

(Photographer Reon Rich)

We were thankful that my Dad's home was safe despite being so very close to the fires. 

The devastation of our beautiful fynbos and forests is unbelievable. One cannot begin to imagine the loss of wildlife too. 

(Photographer Reon Rich)

We were not affected as we don't live close enough to the mountains. Just the smell of smoke hung in the air and fine ash was scattered in our garden. On top of the fires, we had the hottest recorded temperature in 100 years this week! 

 (Photo M. Barnard)

As a city we salute all those men and women who fought bravely against these fires all week. Crews remain out there monitoring the situation in case of flare ups. 

Despite the chaos of the fires, we had a good work week with school. Zak finished off the table he has been working on at technology class. Hubby just needs to help him with the sanding this week.  Midweek I treated him to milkshake when I did my shopping at Food Lovers. He now wants his own Food Lovers card so he can enjoy a milkshake as often as he likes...pity he has to wait until he is 18. Nice for the two of us go get out together though and great to have a willing helper in the shop.

There were visits from friends and time spent swimming and he tried his hand at mosaics too.

He really enjoyed it!

As usual Keren applied herself diligently to her work. Art taking up much of her time when she is not working on her books. She had her monthly book club, fit club classes and also started as a volunteer with a Christian Union at a local high school this week. She was responsible for last night's youth meeting too so it was an extra busy week for her. 

Working on mosaics while Keren works on her art.

I had a fair amount of work with mosaics this week. The beauty of it is that I can fit the work in around the kid's schedules and can work in the evenings too. 

This weekend hubby is attending his 30th school reunion and otherwise it's all about relaxing and enjoying time with friends and family. Hope your week was good too!

Weekly Wrap-Up: One That Flew By

Another week seems to have slipped by so fast! 

The mornings are noticeably darker and the sun does not seem so harsh despite the beautiful sunny days. Leaves are beginning to turn shades of brown and autumn is on its way. 

I have missed my girl this week as she has had a busy one with three days where she has been gone from early morning until evening. Two days were taken up with hair modelling

and she now sports a funky purple hairdo! Art classes took up the remainder of those days and yesterday she spent the day at the Design Indaba Expo with her art school. 

This is South Africa's premier showcase of high-end African design. African talent and creativity at its best. Design across all disciplines: architectural, communication design, design for social impact, digital design, industrial design, fashion and accessories, furniture, handmade goods, home ware and jewelry!

She had a fantastic day! The students were sponsored by Woolworths and given backpacks filled with all sorts of goodies as well as t shirts. They attended workshops and she thoroughly enjoyed exploring the expo and meeting and chatting to designers. She met the creators of a new South African superhero comic book and they were inspired to create a character based on her as they loved her purple hairdo so much! 

On the days she was home she spent much time on her art practical and has enjoyed reading her set-work, The Life of Pi. 

Zak has made good progress this week and we were thankful that big brother was here one evening to help with math concepts. One of my requirements is that he reads at least a chapter a day in whatever book he is reading. The weeks read has seen him reading more than a chapter a day as he is enjoying the story.

Oh, and he was thankful to get a haircut this week too!

I had some challenging mosaic work this week.

 Miss ducky! I have not worked with cement and sometimes the tiles didn't hold and would fall off while I was working on another area. 

We enjoyed a visit from my little nephew too. Always a pleasure!

And yes, he's had a haircut too!

At the end of the busy week, it was youth as usual and hubby and I spent a relaxed evening home. How was your week?

Weekly Wrap-Up: 2 in one with loads of life!

They say life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. 

The last two weeks have been full of unexpected events! It's been interesting so say the least.

Keren has forged ahead with her studies, applying herself diligently daily. She has begun an art practical that will take a few weeks and it has been wonderful to watch this project emerge from a concept to something concrete. The topic is "journey" and she had the privilege of listening to the life story of a Swiss born German lady who stayed in our home over last weekend. 

This visit was unexpected as I had met her only a week so before. She was stranded in our city when her travelling companion became very ill and needed urgent hospitalization. As this had been rather traumatic, I could not just dump her in a hotel and invited her to spend her remaining days in Cape Town in our home. It was a blessing to have this gentle and beautiful soul share our home for a couple of days. 

Her travelling companion and friend remains in hospital and will travel home in the coming week. She is faring well and I have been amazed at the wonderful medical care she has been given in one of our State Hospitals. I have been to visit her a few times and am relieved that she is safe and getting the right medical treatment. 

Zak has enjoyed his technology class where he is learning more advanced wood working techniques. Sadly after one session, the coach has cancelled basketball for the term due to lack of interest. 

Most days Zak is done with his workload by lunch time and this has left him free to visit with friends in the afternoon. As February is usually our hottest month, the pool has been enjoyed regularly with friends and family.

I have enjoyed sitting alongside Zak while he works and working on a few mosaic projects for my friend's business. 

She and I also spent a day working on a large mosaic project at a mosaic factory outlet. Oh...the tiles and the colors and the ideas....I could go a little crazy in there if let loose with a purse full of money!

Despite the busyness, there was time made for morning walks with Walk for Life,

taking in the sights of our city from Rhodes Memorial with my new found German friends,

  hair modelling with Carlton and a funky new cut to got along with the blue hair do, 

a leisurely stroll along the cat walk, dipping toes in the ocean,  mom and daughter time and ice creams shared with my girl,

Sunday afternoon tea with all my kids home and decadent doughnuts brought by a friend,

 ....and last but not least visitors of the cute and mischievous kind.

(Who by the way slipped while playing around the pool and needed 4 stitches under his little chin last week but was an absolute angel when his "Aunnie Endy" the nurse, took them out for him this week!)

Weekly Wrap-Up: The One Where Work Began

My this week flew by in flurry of activity! With the beautiful weather it still feels like summer holidays and it is an adjustment getting back into the routine of term term but the kids are managing well. Thankfully the pool is up and running and a splash can be taken anytime between lessons. 

Monday was box day for Keren and she was most excited to finally receive her text books for her final year of school. 

Keren was a hair model on Monday and she really can pull off the new blue hair!

 I love that she has the freedom to have whatever hair color she wishes and is not restricted by school rules. I got enjoy one of my birthday gifts, a pedicure, while she was having her hair done.

Her first art lesson for the year took place on Monday afternoon and Monday night was the start of a 4 week fit club challenge that she and I joined. We are hoping to increase fitness and it will a bonus if we shed a couple of kilos too.

Zak decided he wasn't happy with online schooling anymore so we have put together our own curriculum. He is thoroughly enjoying working with books again. He and I have more interaction which is enjoyable. His favorite subject seems to be technology at the moment. I treasure the moments that we spend working together as I know that all too soon these school days will be gone. 

Wednesday and Friday early morning walks for me, and runs for Keren, with Walk for Life got the blood pumping before we hit the books. 

On Thursday I started working with a dear friend in her mosaic business. It was gorgeous day and we did repairs at a beautiful B&B over looking the sea. While there, we met some of the guests and today I spent the day taking them on a mini tour of the peninsula.

A truly magnificent day to be a tourist in Cape Town!