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The Knob Blogs

I am updating this blog out of fear.  I got a very threatening email today about my lack of blog updates.  It was very scary! Kind of. Ok, not really.  It was from my sister and it said the following:

Hey lady, update your frikking blog please.

So here I am!  Hi. 

I've been away for the last week, in London and Vienna.  I am SUCH a globe trotting jet-setter.  

London was fab.  I stayed in the most lovely hotel (The Cavendish Hotel) right in the middle of London, it was fantastic.  I ended up doing a whole lot of work so didn't have time to sightsee or do much else but I still had a great time.  I tried to go shopping but ended up having 17 heart attacks every time I converted from Pounds to ZAR so that all I bought for myself were two pairs of cheap flip flops. Such a sensible thing to buy in London, not. I bought a pair of cheap PJs for the kids, some panties and earrings for Rose and a magazine for Marko. A car magazine.  Pathetic.  And the magazine wasn't even a porn one! Poor guy. But cars are like porn for Marko (lovely to look at but has no chance of scoring any action). I am nothing if not cheap. But anyway, London was great and I got to see my handsome brother Paul, extra bonus!!  

Vienna was lovely too, but totally wasted on a cultureless person such as myself. I was with my NBF Nicky in Vienna (I was invited to speak at a conference there) and while she went to the art galleries and theatre, I sat in my hotel room and worked.  Happily so, I might mention.

Going overseas is very expensive for South Africans.  I ordered soup, salad and water from room service and it cost me 35 Euros!  That is 350 RONT! I nearly pooped in my pants.

I actually had a great time overseas.  Exhausting doing so much travel and work in such a short time, but it was good for me. I have come back feeling all inspired and motivated to achieve even more! Now I just have to clone myself and not sleep for the rest of my life and I should be fine.

Marko and Rose did a sterling job taking care of the kids. I did however notice that Kate has a fringe now which she didn't have before (I think you call them bangs?). Apparently there was an incident involving a stuck hair clip, a fumbling husband and a pair of scissors but I was too scared to find out exactly what happened.   

And now I have to go to sleep as I am still a little fatigued after my transatlantic foray, but I am going to come back tomorrow to tell you about:

• My personal experience of the BA strike
• A super chap that I met on the plane
• My biggest knob moment EVER.

PS knob is my new favourite word.  I got it from my brother.  Love it.  Knob.  

PPS the three things above are unrelated. Just in case you were wondering.

Can you see the resemblance?

 

Bonny and Clyde

Those horns are not entirely inappropriate

Max on the move

We are at that stage (crawling) where there is NO PEACE for anyone.  Specifically not me. I spend my time following Max around while he discovers his world and tries to cram as many dangerous objects as he can find into his mouth.  When the twins were babies, it was easier to make sure there was nothing too dangerous lying around.  However, in between all their pieces of lego, discarded wheels, marbles etc, the house is a potential minefield. 

And let me tell you, a five year old makes a TERRIBLE babysitter.  I told Adam to watch that Max does not go near the orange pot. Two seconds later, Max is standing up against the orange pot.

"ADAM!" I yell, "I thought I told you not to let Max go near the orange pot!"  

"Oops." says Adam, "Max, don't go near the orange pot!"

Yes, that will work.  Why didn't I think to just tell him not to go near the orange pot.

When the twins were little, we packed away every single breakable thing (orange pot), put away our ornaments etc but I am not that excited about doing it again. I am hoping that somehow I can get through this crawling / walking phase with most of my possessions in their original location and condition. One can dream.

Max is adorable and I am exceptionally fond of him, but I must admit that the sweet, easy baby stage is coming to an abrupt end.  Max has suddenly found his personality and it isn't as pliable as it once was.  He is opinionated, demanding and needs constant attention. I have NO idea where he gets that from?

Actually, he is a total sweetheart.  A little indulged perhaps, but who wouldn't want to indulge a delicious baby like this:

I will be honest and say I am not looking forward to the next 18 months or so.  I know that from now until he is about 2 and a half there aren't going to be too many logical arguments that I am going to win.  Thank GOODNESS his number one fan and dearest love is close by. Life would be a whole lot harder for both Max and I if it wasn't for Rose.

 

As a parting shot, here is a bonus pic of the twins:

How annoying, I've just lost my cursor. I can't remember whether I have posted this pic on my blog before. Old age is a terrible thing. If I have, pretend this conversation never happened. If I haven't, here are the twins dressed up in their 'gift' from my last international trip (the 'comfort' bag you get on SAA. Terribly comforting)

Worse blogger in the world wins blogging award

Hands up who gets the award for Worst Blogger in the World?  Meeeee!

I am sorry.  I have been busier than a prostitute during the Soccer World Cup.  Just with less sex.  And less money. Which means I am actually a cheap whore.  How sad.

Speaking of awards - thanks to YOU I won the 2010 Bloggies award for Best African Blog.  Yay me.  Thank god they didn't award it to the person who updates their blog most often or else I might have come in last.

You know what is really funny, is that the people who complain most about my lack of updating are the people closest to me.  Rose (who lives with me) and my mother (who lives 10 houses away) both moaned at me today about my lack of blog updates - these are people who see my every day and know the minutia of my life in full Technicolor! 

And speaking of Soccer World Cup, in case you didn't know South Africa is hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup - very VERY exciting.  There are going to be lots and lots of famous soccer players, celebs, fans, visitors etc in South Africa in June and July.  The patriotic part of me says YAY!  Can't wait etc.  The boring, practical part of me says OMG!  I am not leaving my little suburb until the last visitor has gone. I am dreading the traffic chaos, the airport chaos and most of all - the FIVE LONG WEEKS of school holidays we will have while the World Cup is on.

As for the weather - well, you know I am not one to complain about the weather (AS IF!!!  I complain non-bloody-stop), but it has a been a tad warm here lately:

"Cape Town is seeing the biggest heat wave of the year. Yesterday temperatures of up to 50c (122F) was recorded in places such as Ceres and the surroundings while in Cape Town rescue services worked overtime to get to all the victims of heatstroke." Source

It has been REVOLTINGLY hot here in Cape Town for the past few days. Past few weeks in fact.  I have seriously had enough.  Most of the homes in Cape Town are not centrally cooled, although I am fortunate enough to have air conditioning / cooling in most of my rooms.  But even with the aircons running all the time, it is still boiling hot.  

In other news, I took the kids to the paed today.  66% of them were displaying signs of not being well, and in our family if one goes, all go so off we went. Plus the doctor's rooms are airconditioned, which is a good enough reason to go. Kate has a bit of a sinus infection / post nasal drip / bad cough etc and poor old Maxie boy is "teething acutely" according to the doctor (he is cutting 4-6 teeth at one, poor baby), plus he has a bit of a yucky ear and a sore throat.  He is normally a happy chap but has been miserable the past two days. 

On Friday we had a play date with an old school friend of Adam and Kate.  They have a sweet Jack Russell who gets very anxious when the kids go into the pool.  The kids were hopping and jumping and laughing around the pool and I could see the poor dog was getting increasingly anxious.  As Kate jumped into the pool the poor dog tried to 'save' her by biting on to her leg.  OUCH! I saw it happen.  It was quite a big bite, I jumped up and waited for Kate to surface from under the water to gage her reaction. She does not cry easily (unlike someone else who shall not be named but just happens to be the twin brother of the aforementioned girl), so I knew if she cried, it would be serious.  She came up sobbing. By the time I had her out the pool I was already on the phone to the paed (love that chap).  They said to take her to ER.  So off Kate and I went, her still in her swimming costume with a towel around her.  Luckily no stitches but nice puncture marks at the front and back of her leg.  She is on antibiotics for a week.  Fortuitously, the same antibiotics helps for sinus infections so there you go.  Two birds with one stone. Kate is SUCH a brave girl.  She was so cool about it and within an hour we were bandaged up and back at the play date. 

So anyway, that is my update for now.  Rose has told me that I need to update more often and that I should take five minutes each day to post SOMETHING.  She is tired of going in to check my blog and see the same old blog post.  I might make her post an update on my behalf ;-)