uShaka Marine World

Monday night 6pm for FHE the Von Brughan family took a trip to Durban.  Mom & dad were feeling exhausted(crazy day), the kids were amped and the weather was hot & windy.  The Von Brughan family were the ONLY people that night up for the adventure at uShaka...and the kiddies ran wild through the aquarium - laughing, shouting ( a lot ) and enthralled by the weird & wonderful creatures. I must apologise in advance for the poor quality of the photo's - camera phone again.  Sigh.

kiddies getting their access bands attached

wind blown mama

Melissa & her potato bass AWESOME



It's Springk!

Last night at dinner, Jo announced very matter-of-factly that his teacher, Miss Charmaine says that it's 'Springk'! What a cutie pie.  These kids make me smile alot, with the funny things they say. 

Thanks to our personal hair stylist Nikki Lewis Higgs 5 out of 6 Von Brughan's got their hair cut yesterday.  They loved it, and all 3 boys are looking extra cute and ready for Summertime.

Phoebe was in tears in her bed last night, worrying about her school outing today.  She's gone to Shongweni Dam to the Spirit of Adventure camp to have some fun in our Spring heat(very hot & very dry again today - my nose is burning inside). She was worried about the bus trip - no safety belts, airconditioning, and she HATES being so high off the ground in that big old bus...my kids are used to some comforts it would seem.  So we chatted about it, reasoned everything out, and I'm hoping all the little extra treats I packed for her have made the trip even more fun.

A couple of weeks ago, she mentioned she was having some 'trouble' with a girl that sits at her table.  So we decided to invite her over for a playdate, so she could get to know Phoebe & then perhaps the 'trouble' would end.  It would seem that this same little girl offered to sit in the window seat of the bus to help Miss Phoebe with her fear of heights in a moving vehicle. 

Works every time.

Brod has been cycling up a storm lately - he bought an awesome mountain bike a few weeks back and has been all over the neighbourhood on it - and further a field too.  Every now and then one of the kids will get plomped on the cross bar and is taken off in a flurry of screams for a quick trip around the garden. 

Off to clean house...

The bugs are back

Spring has sprung here - and with it, the bug nation too.  So another season has begun, winter always passes too quickly for me.  We took a drive on Saturday to see the Spring colours everywhere, and ended up at Umhlanga beach walking along the promanade and playing on the rocks.  Noah & Jo loved being so close to the lighthouse - we walked all the way around it looking for another door, and eventually gave up.  It was a cool day, Saturday, overcast & drizzling. 

We also stopped in at Gateway - lots of folk, everywhere - great to see.  Pizza from Scooters never fails to impress, and the busy day ended with a rented DVD for Brod and I. 

Yesterday, Brod gave Phoebe a piece of paper.  On it, she had to list 10 things that she wanted to achieve in her lifetime.  What always amazes is her vision.  The majority of the items listed were family orientated - and involved travel.  I must find that list.  I do believe we would like to have a family holiday this month, we have a weeks break coming up and need to get away. I can help her achieve one of the items on that list.

We are in mayhem as we contemplate changing schools next year, uniforms, deposits, stationary...and it's only September.  I'm holding thumbs that ALL the kids get a spot in the SAME school (except Jo - who has one more year at Beehive).  Sophie and Noah went for interviews with the HPS Principal yesterday, as part of the admissions process.  It went well, Noah was especially pleased to be there - and it is always enjoyable watching the reactions of people when they discover that we have 4 kiddies in the family.  Their mouths open and close and their eyes get all big and round.  Kind of like a fish out of water.  After all was said and done, I still don't know if any of the kids have a place yet - but boy did Noah go out with a bang!  "Good-bye Sally!" he said to the Principal with a smile & a wave.  That kid melts my heart.

I have run out of time AGAIN, so will have to do some more catch up later.  Off to fetch Phoebe for Speech(Hooray for Miss Carmen & my bi-weekly magazine fix:)) & Piano(thanks to a very talented and lovely Sammy Clark!).  The kids have haircuts lined up for this afternoon & then it's tea & cake with the stylist (Niki Lewis Higgs), bath time, dinner, stories & bed.

xxxx