A trip to Kruger

I've been going through pictures from our recent trip to Kruger park and trying to pick out the good ones.  I took surprisingly few pictures...maybe I was too busy gawking.  

The animals are great, but living in Africa can be a non-stop photo op.  I don't know if I'll ever get used to the non-sequitor nature of Africa.  So often you see signs and say, "What?!"  Or someone walking down the street in a Georgia Bulldogs sweatshirt in the middle of summer.  We saw this sign on the way to the park:

Oh yes, you too can go to computer college, get your auto parts, and buy beauty products all in the same building!  

And as long as we're being random...how about a squirrel in Africa?  Ho-hum and common you say?  Many of the people I meet here can't imagine a place where squirrels run everywhere and there are no monkeys in the trees.  When I tell them about squirrels being in our yard they are amazed...much like my reaction to monkeys in their gardens!  This was the first squirrel I had seen since moving here 6 months ago.

And yes, there were the typical African animals, too, though we didn't see too many and most of them were too far into the grass or trees for me to get a good picture.  This guy, however, came out for a better look.  First we saw him in the trees just off the road.

Then he turned and headed our way

Finally, he got downright nosey.  We actually had to reverse to get out of his way...and as I was not driving I took pictures.   The birds on the dash are wooden- I bought them from a guy on the side of the road on our drive up.  There are people everywhere selling all sorts of crafts.  The birds cost me about $5.

Speaking of birds...we saw a few.

The kids' favourite part was actually drawing in the sand at one of the camps.  As fun as seeing animals is, they preferred drawing in the sand to driving around being quiet for hours looking for them.  I wonder why?  

They also enjoyed eating ice cream on a termite mound.  Seriously.  That whole hill is a termite nest.  The kids didn't believe us until we took them around to see the information sign.   

At that same camp these two birds got very close as they scavenged for scraps.  "Common" birds, but exciting for us.

 One of my favourite things that we saw wasn't really an animal, but a spider.  We were trying to see some rhinos in the far distance when this little guy distracted me.  Ok, not so little.  It looked to be at least 5" long.  

 And finally, the talking impala.  I wonder what it was trying to tell us?  

Not fickle, just figuring it out

Big change for our family this week: we started homeschooling the kids.  Eek!  What a giant leap and an uncertain one.  At first we were very happy with the school  and it seemed like such a great thing.  The environment is amazing and the kids had made a few friends.  There were a few unexpected bonuses- Henry came home speaking a little TshiVenda he had learned from friends and the kids generally picked up on the different English.  As a matter of fact, some things have been seemingly set in stone for them.  "Z" is now "zed" and the word "been" is pronounced "bean" by all of them.  An eraser is a rubber and bandaids are plasters.  Also, jello is now jelly and the stuff you spread on bread is jam.  Instead of 2nd grade it is now grade 2 and Math is now Maths.  We wanted them to be able to adjust and blend in and thought school was the best way to do that.  

Indeed, school is the best way to do that, but it isn't our only goal for their education.  At first we just waited and watched to see how things were going.  Then one day Rosie brought home her grammar "book"- it was really no more than a little booklet and had no organisation, but rather seemed a collection of unrelated exercises meant to fix grammar problems rather than teach a system.  Not long after that Charlotte stayed home sick one day and her school work came home with Rosie.  I had seen the homework but didn't know what was being done in class.  The math instruction is a lot of rote memorisation with hardly any practice with the concrete or with learning the concepts.  They had learned place value in one day and one lesson in Grade 2 and were expected to apply the knowledge immediately.  

As we started asking questions we found that the school was not on the Cambridge system, but rather used the government curriculum and Cambridge resources to supplement.  So disappointing!  (They advertise that they are on the Cambridge system and told us that when we started)  They start children much later and Liam, in grade R, was learning the same things he had learned in pre-K before we moved.  There was still another year before the school expected him to start learning to read, but every day he was coming home and asking for a reading lesson.  Rosie had not learned anything new except for Afrikaans and it began to feel like we were paying for her to play all day.  

I know that there is a lot to be said for them adjusting and making friends, but academically they were going to end up years behind.  Our children love learning and reading and academic things.  They were craving knowledge and we were spending 1 to 2 hours a day doing extra lessons at home (their choice).  I am not a big fan of homeschooling in general.  I do not think it is always best and up until now I did not think I could do a better job than the school they were at.  Now, however, I do think that homeschooling is the best thing for our kids.  And I want to give a big shout out to Agathos Classical School because our experiences this last year have shown us what an amazing school it is.  Academically Agathos is great, but more than that the environment and people that make up the school make it exceptional.  So often I wish the kids could still be there, but at least the older ones got to be there for a few years.  

We're still trying to find ways to fill the social gap for the kids.  There is no homeschool group here...yet.  I have met one other homeschool family and have been connected to some other possibilities.  Information on the internet just isn't available here so you have to find things by word of mouth and it takes a while.  The 3 older kids will be starting karate classes tomorrow and they seem excited about it.  It's very different from the US (or at least from our experience)- bare concrete floor, open windows and children with bare feet (I know that's normal in the US for classes, but here the kids were not wearing shoes to begin with- most kids here do not wear shoes most of the time).  Charlotte has started recorder lessons and we're hoping to start horse riding and swimming lessons soon.  One happy surprise here has been how cheap services are.  For all 3 kids to take karate twice a week comes out to about $50 a month.  Recorder lessons are $12 a month and swim lessons about $10 a month.  Now if only my groceries were less expensive...but I suppose it all has to even out somehow.  :)  

February is here

February 7?!  February?!!  Already?!  Time is just flying by in leaps and bounds and is carrying us along with it.  Other than a few sniffles and some minor head injuries we're doing well (seriously...the same child got a nasty gash on her head twice since I last wrote).  The kids started school on the 15th of January and it's been nonstop dirty uniforms ever since.  

Grandma sent new back pack for the boys for Christmas and they were SO thrilled to be sporting them.  We took these pictures for Grandma.  :)  
  

Everyone on board the Buchanan Taxi!  See all the dirt?  The kids' school is on a dirt road and when it rains that road becomes an adventure slide!  The first day of school was actually cancelled because of heavy rains and the road was difficult to drive.  

On this particular day Charlotte was sick and asked to stay home.  I'm sure she was well enough to go to school, but I think she needed some time at home so we let her stay.  At one point she popped out of her room dressed like this:

And a snapshot of a weekday afternoon: girls doing homework, boys playing Candyland, me sipping coffee (or, rather, I would be if I weren't taking pictures), and Fern treating Severus as a chew toy.   

Speaking of Fern...she's still the cutest dog ever.  She's showing herself to be clever, too.  It took one day to teach her how to sit and at almost 3 months old she is house broken.  We've had to start locking the front door when we want her to stay outside because she's figured out how to open it.  And, of course, if we leave the back door open she quickly runs around the house to sneak in that way.  I wish I had a recording of her yawns...SO CUTE.

Tomorrow we start Venda lessons with a professor from the University of Venda.  I'm really looking forward to learning more.  On Monday Charlotte starts recorder lessons and she is really excited about that.  I've been having a lot of fun with my knitting and am working on a test knit for the first time.  I'm also working on a lacy yellow cardigan.  I'm sure some would disagree, but I consider myself a beginner because I still have so much to learn.  Every project that you see me post is a new skill and a challenge for me.  I'm not the type of person to be content making the same things over and over again...or even doing the same things in life over and over again.  I love trying new things and gaining new skills whether it be in knitting or life in general.  Onward and upward! 

A new day, a new dog

What a fun day we've had!  First off, we got a call from the doctor and Henry's arm isn't broken after all!  There is not a single radiologist in all of Louis Trichardt (population 270,000) and the one in the nearest city was on vacation and only looked at the x-ray today.  The doctor and the x-ray tech had thought they had seen a fracture but were waiting on the official report before putting on a real cast.  As soon as we took off the temporary cast Henry was swinging from the jungle gym.

We had 6 young men over for bible studies all morning  and James took the opportunity afterward to fire up the braai.  We had a fun afternoon grilling and hanging out.  The guys started singing at some point and it was so nice to hear.

In the afternoon the girls and I went out on a secret mission.  After Butterscotch died we promised the kids we'd get another dog...after we moved.  While searching for a kitten to surprise Charlotte for Christmas I saw this sweet thing:

The girls named her Fern and she is SOOOOO sweet.  Have you ever seen such a cute puppy?!  

The kids gave Fern a stuffed dog to play with and she's been playing with it and sleeping on it all day.  I can't get over how tiny and cute she is!  Cute overload!  The shop said that her mother is a jack russell terrier and her father is unknown.  A pure cuteness dog is what I suspect.   

In the meantime, we're still working on settling in.  I almost have the living room put together how it is going to be for now (all of the factories are closed and so I can't get furniture until mid January...same for a dining room table).  I'm hoping to get our bedroom entirely put away tomorrow (this includes our giant closet that is storage for the whole family, too).  It's fun, but tiring work and I look forward to doing it.

Happy Birthday, Rosie!

Crazy busy.  That's the only way to describe what this last week was like.  Every morning (for me and the children) was filled with travelling to Dzanani for their youth bible lectureship and every afternoon had some weird random "emergency" that wan't too bad but just increased the stress and chaos level.  One day Liam threw a shovel at Rosie and caused a head wound...lots of blood, but not too bad of a cut once we were able to see it properly.  The next day Liam locked one of the bedroom doors...for which we have no key...when all of the windows were closed and no one was in the room.  Adam Kendall-Ball (who is visiting) was able to get it open for us eventually.  Thursday James and the guys ran into a fork lift that was parked on the side of the road with the forks raised and sticking into the road...mixed in trees so it couldn't be seen.  Who parks a forklift like that?!  It opened the Condor like a tin can and smashed the windscreen and front and back passenger windows.  God was really watching out for those guys because no one was hurt- not even the guys right next to the windows.  The day after that one Henry broke his arm while playing on the kids' new swing set.  I still have no idea how that one happened.  He says he was climbing and "then it happened" and he adamantly insists he didn't fall.  

But today was Rosie's 8th birthday and we ended this weird week with some fun.  We had a pool party and braai (cook out) to celebrate.  How strange to have a pool party for a December birthday!  

Playing in their pjs early on Rosie's birthday.  

I found pirate costume making kits on clearance the other day
 so we've had some fierce pirates hanging around.  

Pool party at our house!  The thatched area behind the pool is called a lapa.
You can see James working on the braai (grill).
Rosie requested steak for her birthday dinner.

Poor Henry was so upset about not being able to play in the pool,
but Mama planned ahead and got a little fishing game for
him to play with...in a bucket.  

The pool seen from inside the lapa.  The room behind the glass doors is James' study.
You can see my washer machine in the dark space to the right.  It's outside, but so
far that hasn't been too big of an issue.  It's kind of nice to have a
rainy day as an excuse to not do laundry.

Henry decorating Rosie's cake.
He insisted on the chef hat because he could not find an apron.
 I guess you have to get in character.  

Sampling the wares.  And I thought you'd like to see more of the kitchen.
Yes, Tammy, those are the pots they decorated at Macy's birthday party!  

Birthday girl fresh out of the pool...in December!  

LOVED seeing the look on her face when she saw one of her presents.
It was a book on the flags of the world.  And Henry, photo bombing as usual.  

The container arrives!!!!!

The container has arrived!  The container has arrived! 

Last week we finally found a house to rent and it is more than we ever expected.  It has 4 bedrooms, a giant study, 3 bathrooms, a pool, a lapa, and even a sewing room for me!  We had a bit of fear yesterday when the shipping company told us that a roof had leaked and some of our things had gotten wet, but it turns out it was only 2 or 3 boxes and my glider.  They are going to try to clean/repair the glider and will replace it if they can't.  All of the other things that were wet/mouldy were not important or overly special and will be replaced by the shipping company.  Not a single dish was broken and everything was present and accounted for.  Big sigh of relief!  

The truck arrives!

One of the boxes that got wet was my shopping bags, but after an hour in the sun they were dry and smelled fine.  LOVE the clothes line at the new house! 

Movers unpacking the kitchen.  They unpacked and checked the contents of every single box and hauled the rubbish away.

The kids rediscovering their play kitchen

"New" toys in the driveway.  

The movers unpacked all of the boxes, but there is still much to be done.  They stacked everything on counters and shelves and now we have the task of sorting it all out.  We spent the day going through things and oohing and ahing over everything.  The kids were SO happy to see their things...and so was I!  I'll post pictures of the house once we are more settled in.  :)  

Thanksgiving

It is one of the ironies of life that when life gets interesting enough to blog about you don't have time to blog about it.  Such has been the last two weeks for us.  We had quite a crowd here for Thanksgiving- The Baizes, Maydells, Williams', and Loeto.  But that wasn't the only thing happening...the kids' school year was finishing up and on Thanksgiving morning the boys had their end of year program.  The weather was amazing and *almost* felt like fall...even though it was late spring.  It was rainy and the kids' school was in the clouds.  The boys were SO cute, especially Henry.  He kept dropping his dickie birds during the recitation.  

Grade R kids on the way to the stage in the clouds

Henry dropping his dickie birds...again

Liam and his dickie birds

My boys loving on each other

Then there was cooking, cooking, and more cooking!

Dough for dinner rolls

Basting the bacon-wrapped turkey with the "turkey baster".  

Antics

Then there was food with friends

All gathered

Young men's table

Kids' table

Mkhulu and Auntie Helen break the wishbone

When we weren't cooking and eating we were playing.

Playing the South African edition of Monopoly late into the night

We've all learned to take Rosie seriously at chess.  When you let your guard down and think you are playing a 7 year old she sneaks up on you and...checkmate!