Ella got her first tooth!

More ideas than time!

Oh gosh, I have so many blog posts in my head, and just haven't been getting around to finding the time to actually come and sit and write them!

We've been through a rough time again (still!!!) with us all being ill. Since the stint two months ago when we all had terrible coughs, I never really got completely better, have had a constant cough.  Then Mia started two weeks ago with a bad cough, coughing terribly at night, sometimes only for an hour, sometimes for two, and then a few nights where she didn't stop coughing the whole night!! 

After going through numerous bottles of different cough mixtures and anti-histamines, I eventually took her to the paed last week Thursday. So she's on antibiotics again, and I'm so terrified that it causes vomiting like it did in June... her tummy is already upset.  The paed reckons I must give the probiotic supplement an hour after giving her the antibiotic and that's what would make all the difference in her getting sick from the antibiotics... So let's see...

Then Ella started with a cough on the weekend too.  Poor baby.

We go on our White River Pine Lake holiday this Friday!!! Gosh this has snuck up on us so quickly!  I'm not ready yet at all, need to still make my pack list and pre-holiday to do list and shopping list, eeeek!

My weight loss mission is at a bit of a stand-still at the moment...  I am eating quite well, bar the ever-present glass of vino and piece of Lindt chocolate... And I'm not going to the gym much at all, I've either been sick or else too busy with kiddies, clients, home stuff, etc.  I have, however, been trying to fit in some body weight exercises as much as I can: squats, lunges, planks, push ups, and kettlebell exercises.  I know I should do more, but at least it's something and not nothing at all!

I feel anxious and overwhelmed by the way that I have so much in my head that I'm wanting to do and just not getting around to. My usual excitement for the festive season, this year, is bordering more on a feeling of neurotic frenzied insanity!  I am behind in all my usual craft-activities that I do with Mia, I owe visits to friends who had babies recently and I haven't even met them yet, I hate how cluttered my house is feeling.

Ella is growing up so fast it's crazy, I'm trying so hard to savour these moments of babyhood because it's just passing in the blink of an eye.

Definitely need to calm down, get myself organised and procrastinate less...
This holiday is coming just at the right time!
xx

A fun morning in Pretville!

We had such a special day yesterday. The four of us went on an outing to Hartebeespoort - Wyn went on his bike and I took the girlies in the car. This was exactly what my soul needed - some special family time!

Pretville is a movie set in Harties, where they filmed the movie, and now it's open for the public to visit, walk through the streets and look at the "shops", from a hair salon, post office, Baby Boom to a Pep store! It all has a 50's feel to it, stunning vibrant colourful décor, I just loved the bunting hanging everywhere and cute Afrikaans sayings and posters. Vintage cars and scooters parked all over, and so many cute corners to take photos in!  They play music from the Afrikaans movies over the speakers - really felt like we stepped back in time - or onto a movie set!

It was a lot smaller than I expected, from what I remembered from the movie I was expecting a long street to walk through, and it's really just like one block - but with enough to look at and lots of little corners to take photos in! A super quaint restaurant with milkshakes and hamburgers offers refreshments, and there's a movie theatre where they have set times that they show Afrikaans movies.

Definitely worth a visit, I would highly recommend it for a fun day out!

Afterwards we went to Jasmyn fruit & veg market, bought a trolley full of veg, yay!  Then a quick lunch before we headed home and both girlies had a nap in the car.  Ella was soooooo good the whole day, sitting in her pram, looking at everything.  Mia enjoyed the outing a lot too, I wasn't sure what she would think of Pretville, but she loved looking at everything, knocking on all the doors and loved her pink milkshake.  She was also kind enough to oblige and entertain me by posing everywhere I asked her to! ;-)

A love letter to my two girls

Dearest Mia and Ella,

Today, I just wanted to write a letter to my two girls, to try and put into words, the love I feel for you.  My sweet precious princesses...  You two are so beautiful.  I stare in awe at each of your perfect faces. I marvel at how wonderfully God made you, with your soft skin, beautiful eyes and sweetest smiles.

I feel so happy and blessed when I'm sitting with both of you near me. I just love to hug you girls, and to press my face into your neck and inhale you - you girls smell so divine, the best scent in the whole world.

There is such a special bond forming between the two of you, I love to see the way you two look at each other, smile and laugh at each other, touch each other. Oh, the special times ahead of us!

My darlings, I love you to the moon and back. I love you more than all the stars.  I love you with my whole heart. I love you, I love you, I love you.

Mommy
xx