12 December 2007

Well I see I missed another month and now it’s just over 2 weeks to go until my favourite day of the year. I have started buying presents but know that I will forget what I have bought and will end up buying until the last moment. The tree is up and gifts are wrapped thanks to Tarryn and her organized, efficient character. The kids have put their wish lists up on the notice board in the kitchen and I see the list growing every day. Kiara is especially good at adding to her list and I now see a whole lot of skateboarding items that appear on both her and Devin’s lists.

Devin has started to teach her some tricks and she just loves the attention and praise he gives her when she achieves. I love seeing them together and not bickering.

I know we don’t do Thanksgiving in South Africa but I really think it is something special. I do it on a small scale and love to start out writing 3 things a day in my journal that I am grateful for and then finding that I have written 20 things before I even realize it.

I love December and the build up to Christmas. It is really my favourite time of the year. This year I am making decorations using photos of my friends. I have the family photos on my Christmas tree and there is a fight on with some people to “get on the tree”. I have run out of frames for the tree so I figured making a “friends” chain would be a good alternative.

I still need photos from a few of you
Cathy, Jon, Hazel, Liz, Chris, Brian, Carin, Carol, Elsabe, Erica, Jeanette, Judy, Kathy, Liezel, Mark, Peter R, Peter P, Richard, Sav, Sherie, Terry, and Viresh so hurry up and send them please ...

Tarryn
Matric is now over, it’s so weird to think that my little girl is driving around and finished with school!
She loves having the independence of having a car and is a great help when I need something done. She has not quite decided what she is doing next year and although she applied to do a BCOM, I think she will be doing flight school (air hostessing) training and then maybe flying for a year before she decides.

She was so excited to be going to Cape Town with Trevor. He has never been before. Even though he is an Arsenal supporter, he has also been included in all our Christmas activities at our home and got his own advent calendar when my bunch got theirs. He was so pleased with it and allowed me to take photos of him opening his very first advent chocolate ever. I think he is getting used to the photo thing now and does not seem fazed when I whip out the camera to record some event that seems significant to me.

Kiara
She went away to Grade 7 (Standard 5) farewell camp for a week and seemed to enjoy every minute of it. Although she complained about school every day for the past year, tears flowed when she said goodbye and realized that it was the end of primary school forever.

Prize giving was very fruitful this year for her again. She got an external ATKV certificate for Afrikaans. A certificate for distinctions in 4 subjects and the computer trophy for the best student. I got a photo of her with her Grade 1 teacher so we can have a first and last day comparison.

She has been pestering me to get her new school uniform and everything she needs for next year, I hope Santa brings me a credit card that never needs repaying!

Devin
I took him on a date on Monday after work and we went to see Balls of Fury and then to Spur for a meal and to the games arcade for some games. We had a great time together and he must have thanked me 10 times for taking him. Makes it so worthwhile!

He is still having fun and doing well at skate boarding and we will see if he gets involved in BMX next year. Since Trevor has been around, he has developed a passion for soccer so we will see what develops there.

Devin also did really well at prize giving and got distinctions for Maths as well as Economic Management sciences and an external Math certificate.



Natasha

My friend Claire is leaving for Wales this week and I don’t even want to think about that. It will be terrible to drive past her house every day and know that I can’t just pop in for coffee.

Our Christmas Supper club event was our annual breakfast at Aurelia’s at Emperor’s palace. A perfect day with friends, gifts and lots of smoked salmon with breakfast. What more can a girl ask for?

Our Christmas Book Club event was a day at Mangwanani day spa and it was so enjoyable that we decided to make this an annual event too. The day was filled with laughter and stories about sweetie pies, long toes, a herd of wildebeest doing the strangest things to Louise.

The Pantomime this year was Peter Pan and thanks to my friend Ruth, we could take Trevor, Dylan and my mom with us to this annual event. We all loved it.

I have made some lovely new friends this year that have just added to my wonderful life. I have also started dating someone and went out with the folks, Darrel, Scott and his girlfriend Sue the other night. I told them about my new relationship and it was one of the scariest things I have done in ages. Darrel still teases me about it! They were all very happy for me as is everyone else in my life.

We went to Sun City for our team building event this year and I loved every minute of it. We went by bus and I was served different flavoured Brutal Fruit drinks all the way there! We swam in The Valley of the Waves, I went down the dark tunnel water slide with Alan and Herman (first time I have ever done that and yes I was sober!), ate lunch there and lazed about at the pool at the Observatory deck. Al must have had far too much to drink because he asked Herman and I “Why don’t they fix this stuff up, it looks so shabby!”

The supperclub girls are going to Phuket in August and I am really looking forward to that. I was not going to be joining them, but I got an award at the Year end function this year and decided to spoil myself.

Nanna & Colin
Colin was hospitalized for a few days with pneumonia but is recovering well. Nanna is doing well and enjoying the summer garden. We are going to be having Christmas at our place this year so she will be very busy arranging all the food. Keep her out of mischief!

Lawrence
My brother and I have fallen into a lovely Sunday routine where he comes around for a cup of coffee or 2 and we play backgammon outside on the patio. It is usually early and quiet before the mad rush of the day begins.

Will update again before the end of the year!
Love
Tasha

September 2007

What a crazy month, my calendar looks like a pre school kids got hold of it and scribbled everywhere!
It’s been lots of fun though a bit stressful at times.

Tarryn
She survived prelims and passed all her subjects, not much studying went on I can assure you. The highlight of her month was the matric farewell that was held on the 20th of September. Her friend Garth did all the crystals on her dress and I think she looked perfect! Trevor had his hair dyed to match her outfit and he looked stunning. Trevor’s dad Gary arranged an old Jag to take them to the farewell at the Birchwood Hotel. From there they went to Roxy’s in Mellville in the Party Bus which I think was a brilliantly sensible idea. I got an sms from her at 6-15am the next morning, to say they were back at Gary’s place and he was making breakfast for them. Gary sent me a message shortly thereafter saying they had eaten and passed out for the rest of the day! Oh the joys of youth! Gary and kids joined us for Sunday lunch and the topic of Ballito came up. I said that the kids were wasting an opportunity not being at the coast this week. They could not quite believe it when we agreed to let them drive down for a week on their own!

Kiara
Her highlight is the Cape Town trip that the school arranged. She is coming home tomorrow morning and has had a great time so far. They had a jam packed schedule and she was lucky enough to get to see her cousins from Cape Town while she was there. She is still doing ice skating but deserves her colours for shopping. Took her to Greenstone shopping centre to get a few things for the Cape trip and wow she shopped. Her report was perfect as usual and she goes into the last term at primary school next week. Hard to believe.

Devin
His moon boot is finally off, although he won’t be riding in the Grand National champs for BMX. Next year maybe? He has joined “skate skool” and is learning a whole lot of skateboarding tricks that have names that are beyond me like NOLLIE, OLLIE, NOSEGRIND, POPSHOVEIT and SPINE TRANSFER. I have a whole new language to learn. He was feeling very left out when Tarryn went to Ballito and Kiara was in the Cape, so we arranged for him to fly to Darrel and Marina’s for 4 days. He is coming back tomorrow and when I asked him if he was looking forward to coming home, he said, in typical diplomatic Devin style, “Sorry to say this mom, but NO I am not, I wish I could stay longer”. Another perfect report too.

Natasha
My month has been made up of friends, fun, alcohol, laughter, smiles, book club, supper club, meeting Darrel for breakfast, dinner and strawberry daiquiris with Megan after the matric farewell cocktail party, Facebook,
MSN Messenger, TV (yes I did watch 3 program this month!!!!!!!), music (and I still love my ipod), going on
a personal effectiveness workshop that reminded me of my Lifeline training, hooking up with old friends, ten pin bowling, taking lots of photos, not much scrapping and some new goals. Will share with you soon.

Nanna and Colin are well and so is my brother.

Work is great too and so we plunge into the next month …
Lotsa luv
Tasha

Scrapping girls

Randy....................................................................John...................................................................Cody

Such sad news this weekend about Angi’s mom that passed away. She was such a beautiful person and will always be missed. Her photo is in my older posts on the blog.

Went to scrapping university and it was a great weekend. Spent my time with Dee and Derryn and what a perfect choice that was, we had great fun, lots of laughing and great memories were created.
Got to meet my blogging friend, Canadian scrapping teacher and Making Memories Idols winner Wilna Furstenburg. She got her husband to take a photo of us together so she could remember me! What a stunning person.

I got home and was feeling really tired. Kiara met me in the passage and said ”Mom, come you have to help me with a homework project”. I moaned and groaned all the way down the passage into my bedroom, my room was spotless, lights low, music playing and a bubble bath ready for me to climb into! What more could you ask for?

I have become reunited with my beloved old music and in typical Tasha style have gone totally overboard. From no music in years to listening to everything I can get my hands on.

I am just loving the sunshine and the friendliness of people in general. Don’t know if it’s my attitude that has changed but I am finding myself so abundantly blessed in all areas of my life.

Devin went to see the WWE wrestling twice this weekend at the Dome and also went to Greenstone shopping centre to see his hero John Cena. He got about 2 meters away from him and apparently John looked at him and gave him the thumbs up!

I am would have been happy to see Randy Orton up close and personal.

How awesome is the gold price today? I have been waiting for $700 for quite a while now.

Well, I have some interviews to do for the rest of the morning so better get to work.

August 2007 Update
Home
This month saw a whole lot of changes in our world. Our beloved pet Shadow was put down and the whole household was affected. Shadow was also the last of our pets that was around with Richard.
My Moms entire pension money was drawn out of her account while she was at another ATM trying to draw some cash. She was devastated. The response she got from the bank amounted to ‘shame, don’t you watch TV and see that criminals target old people?’
Tarryn
She is having a ball and you would not think that she is writing prelims. I hardly ever see her these days and she is just loving her freedom. She has a car, a petrol card and a credit card. Hello world! Her main concern at the moment is sorting out her matric farewell dress.
Kiara
She has had a busy month with ice skating, school activities and her latest brainwave, volunteering at the SPCA. She spent Saturday morning at the Benoni SPCA with a friend Kyle and they had to clean out cages etc. Kiara ended up with the donkeys and ostriches, didn’t even know they had things like that there! She spent the whole day sulking and glaring at me, because I would not let her bring a Husky puppy home! Now if she nagged about this cutest pot-bellied pig they had there, it might have been a different story!
She can’t wait to see her beloved cousin’s in Cape Town in September.
Devin
He is still in moonboot (he thinks it should be spelt moanboot), and is getting as frustrated as anything. He has missed so many BMX races. He still has about a week to go. He and Trevor have been at the driving range as often as they can persuade Tarryn to take them. They go and hit a bucket of balls and she shops.
He is counting down the days to the WWE experience and is going both nights!.
Work
We had the horrible news that Lorraine’s son passed away. Lorraine works in my team. I decided that I could not face the funeral and went to see her at home the day before. Went with my boss and another colleague, in my boss’s fancy BMW. We got a bit lost in Kwa Thema and I wondered what people thought seeing these two black dudes driving around with white women in the backseat. I started to get very anxious when his fuel light came on and we were still hopelessly lost. Anyway we found her and I was glad we could visit and pray with her at her home.
I am busy on 2 new projects at work and as always having fun there.
Natasha
I eventually conceded and booked for scrapping university after declaring that I would not be doing it this year. I can’t believe that the time is here already. Can’t wait to see Wilna from Canada who will be teaching this year.

I have become hooked on Facebook and all the fun that goes with that. Collected some friends that I have not seen in ages and am loving it. Reading is definitely taking a back seat and I only redeemed myself this weekend by reading James Patterson’s The Quickie in just over a day.
Went to breakfast with a friend that lasted over 5 hours. We kept getting phone calls to say ‘are you STILL at breakfast’. Had a great time and bought my first cd in 8 years Nickelback’s All the right reasons.

I have a “decisions list” that is growing day by day, not sure what this shift in my world is all about but I am being enticed into new adventures and experiences on a daily basis.
I bought 2 new blankets that have the most amazing texture. Don’t know when I turned into Linus? Got some new curtains and luckily had a whole entourage of friends to help me put them up that day. I am so spoilt hey! Hanging curtains is the pits.

Claire and I are almost done with our twin albums. The idea and the actual album was my idea, but she did most of the work. They are looking stunning and the journaling is very draining but so worth it. She bought us twin teddies to hold the albums.

Had Scott and Sue and the folks over for lunch the other day and it turned out to be a great day. We really need to do it more often. Celebrated ladies day at a function at Summer Place. Janine Starkey, the speaker, is an image consultant and I was expecting to be really bored. I was totally blown away by her. Book club is great and we have booked our Christmas outing at Mangwanani Day Spa. Can’t wait to do that again, it’s such a spoil.

I am so glad it’s Spring. Swam yesterday and today and lay in the sun reading and listening to Kiara’s ipod. The birds are singing, saw butterflies and everything is staring to look green. Love this time of year.

:) :) :)

Hey I have had such a fun weekend,
I left work early on Friday and had arranged for Tarryn’s new car to be ready for collection. She had ordered the car but had no idea that it was ready. I told her we needed to go to the dealer to choose a radio and sort out some paperwork. We all went to Heidelberg to collect the car and that brought back so many memories of the fun Dale and I had working in the branch there a zillion years ago when they first became computerized!

Tarryn saw her car at the dealer with a congratulations banner that had her name on it and was proudly showing us the car she would soon be getting. I got a photo of her face when I told her she could drive it home that day. She was stunned and then ecstatic.

Devin wanted to drive home with her and Trevor but I said no, she needed to get used to the car first. He said to me, Mom, it is against the law to disappoint a disabled person! I think he is enjoying having a broken foot!

I took my mom and aunt curtain shopping at a factory in Pretoria on Saturday after Kiara’s figure skating lesson and we had breakfast there. Devin bought a new cell phone (to replace the one that did not survive a washing machine cycle) Kiara got an ipod nano. Claire came over for the afternoon and my brother and mom were there too. Spent the afternoon on my bed, in the sun chatting, laughing and eating Mugg & Bean lemon meringue and chocolate mousse cake. We eventually got around to some scrapping and are busy with twin albums that we need to complete before she leaves the country.

I went out for a really enjoyable dinner with a friend in the evening and we ate prawns until we couldn’t any more. Lots of catching up and laughing and watched a dvd called “Because I said so”. I outdid myself by watching 2 movies in a weekend. I went to Claire’s place today and ate leftover prawns and watched a brilliant dvd called “Breach” about the FBI and based on a true story. We took a bunch of crazy photos of each other for our album too. She also updated my travel bible that we give to all our friends when the leave the country on holiday. Visited Megan and spent the rest of the night online getting Tarryn’s music sorted out for her car.