Cape Town Holiday update 3!

We have been rather busy, hence the lack of postings. Between riding the waves to visiting the malls, to wine tastings and everything in between we have been keeping rather busy. All of which has been loads of fun.

A visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium was rather enjoyable, lunch at Diemersfontein, a trip to Kirstenbosch Gardens and Hout Bay have also been keeping us busy. I also got a good look of the new Green Point Stadium being built for the 2010 World cup. It is going to be awesome!

Have to and keep on enjoying the Cape! I'll post again soonish!

Merry Christmas

Just a short note to say Merry Christmas to all. Hope it is a blessed one.

Cape Town Holiday update 2!

The weather has been really great the last couple of days. Hot and sunny, beach kind of stuff!
Today has however turned in true Cape style and is overcast and a bit of rain. As this is the case it's off to Canal Walk to do that last minute shopping before Christmas.

Yesterday we took a drive to a small town on the west coast, Paternoster, and then down for lunch at Langebaan. Both towns are very holidayish, if that makes any sense with not much else to do but eat, drink and sleep or visit the beach. No swimming here though as the water is around minus three inches (freezing!!!).

Unfortunately I can't post any pics as I left my card reader at home. So when I get home I will post some holiday pics.

I also got to see four of the wind turbines that are used to generate electricity. They are massive and I'm glad I got to see them. Maybe that's odd, but you don't see them everyday, everywhere.

My Cape Holiday update 1

Here at last, 14 hours later!

The first day in Cape Town was rather hot! The sun came out and the wind died down. This meant going to the beach and the inevitable, getting burnt to a sinder. Okay maybe not so bad.

A visit to the Royale Eatery for a burger and a walk down the street to see Cape Town's city Christmas lights was fun and a special occassion for the kids.

The weather is great again today and so I'm off to the beach again.....

Between Holidays

So I have been rather busy over the past few days. I enjoyed returning to the family in Umhlanga and took some time out to relax looking over the ocean and just enjoying and having time to breathe.

We returned from the coast on Saturday, to rush straight out to a friends Christmas Party. Then it was time to catch up on the washing and ironing as we are headed to Cape Town for two weeks to further our holiday and spend time with family. It's packing and washing and sorting out at the moment ahead of a long 15hour drive tomorrow.

British Holiday Update.

If you have been following my bdlog you will know that I am going on my first overseas holiday in April '09. Well I thought I would give a little update! No, I have not packed yet and No, my passport hasn't arrived yet. However, today I received some foreign currency as a gift. This will certainly go down well as the exchange rate is rediculous at the moment.

I'm off to check, I think it's about 130 days till we go!

Dad's 60th Birthday

As part of my father's 60th Birthday celebrations, as mentioned before, we (the family) travelled to Umhlanga Rocks on Kwazulu-Natals North coast to be together for the celebration .

We woke up this morning with the sun shining brightly and an awesome day planned ahead. We had a photo shoot booked for 8am, breakfast to follow and later on, lunch. After lunch we (Hayley, Francois and myself) had to head off to the airport to catch flights home for work tomorrow. (The last two days of my current job).

We all got ready and headed down for the shoot. It turned out to be a whole lot of fun, and I cannot wait to these the photo's that were taken. they should be really cool. We then headed off to breakfast at the local lifesaving club and spent some time on the beach as the weather was playing along nicely.

I got burnt to the bone and then we all headed off to lunch. The food was exquisite! The day had all gone exactly to plan, infact I don't think we could of planned it better if we tried.

Then it was time to go to the airport. All in good time, probably with about 15 min to spare. Then all fell apart. Hayley locked the keys in the car that is supposed to take us to the airport. Their luggage inside. Spare keys I hear you asking.... it's a hired car that has to be handed back at the airport when we get there. Panic sets in as there are no spare keys.

The AA is called for help. We are rushed to the airport to check in, in the meantime . Hayley and Francois have to hope that there luggage arrives before they have to board. We can all laugh about it now, but at the time it was not so funny.

To shorten the story a bit, all turned out ok in the end. Luggage arrive on time, the car was handed back and we managed to catch our respective flights. Always an exciting moment in our households.

The down side is now I'm 600km away from my wife and kids for two days of work. At least when that is over It's holiday time for us all, and we'll be heading off to Cape Town again for more adventures and funny stories to share from those experiences.

P.S Happy Birthday again Dad! Thanks for an awesome day!

Not your average 60!

Saturday is just around the corner, which means we are off to the coast (Kwazulu-Natal North Coast) for a week. The main reason for this holiday is that my father-in law has a birthday on Sunday. The whole family is getting together for this occassion. He turns 60 on Sunday. When I get to 60 i want to be just as able and active as Dad is. Yes, that is him on the rides at Sun City a month ago when we went for my sons birthday. He runs daily and is always looking for a marathon to run. When the kids are around, he will be the first to take them for a walk or play with them or ride bikes or simply entertain them. He is ENERGY!

I'm sure there will be future posts about this 60th birthday on Hayley and Francois' sites once the birthday is over. So tune in for more on this remarkable man.

I know I'm getting in early, but Happy 60th Dad!

British Tour update...

Just to let you all know that I'm still so excited.......

I figured I needed a passport if I was to travel, so today I went and stood in ques at the Department of Home Affairs to apply for my passport. I'm sure glad that that process is over. Now it is just a case of hurry up and wait! They said anything from three weeks and it should be ready. Well hello, it is Christmas time which means going onto skeleton staff, and that means it should take longer than usual. So I am not counting my chickens. I guess it will not be ready so soon. I have time on my side - for now.

Still not time to pack yet.... I'll keep you updated!

Vow renewal

Just over a week ago my brother and sister-in-law renewed their wedding vows. This was an important occassion for them. They have been married for 10 years this year. It seems like just the other day that you got married.

This was a special occassion as they got married 10 years ago, but never planned a formal fairytale wedding. They decided to go the whole hog this time in renewing their vows.

The rain came down in buckets, which is some sort of blessing they say. Congrats on celebrating 10 years of marraige.

So that is just a short post to let you know some of what I've been up to apart from work.....

A British Tour

So as you may know, if you are a rugby fan and follow the Springboks, the Springboks went on a year end tour of Britain, playing the Welsh, then the Scots and finally England. The Springboks came back home victorious, winning all three matches.

This post however is not about those rugby matches but it does have something that is co-incidental with my own life.

I have never had the opportunity to travel outside of South Africa, and being in education in South Africa would probably never get the opportunity either. However, I have been given an opportunity, a once in a lifetime opportunity thanks to my in-laws (THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU) of travelling abroad. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself....... I am going to England, Wales AND Scotland in April next year for two weeks!!!!!!!!! (Not to play rugby mind you)

This seems like so long away now, but I know that time will FLY by.

We are flying in to London, and will give me a chance to visit White Heart Lane, the home of Tottenham Hotspurs, My team!!!!! A dream come true!!!!

My Mom and Grandparents on my Mother's side are from Scotland, so visiting there will also be very special for me.

Have I said Thank you yet? THANK YOU!

So it means, leaving the kids at home for two weeks.... Okay I'm over it!I know they will be in the good and capable hands of Francois and Hayley. They don't have any kids yet, so from 0 to 3 is going to be a whole lot of fun for them! THANK YOU!

I can just imagine how spoilt the kids are going to be when we are away, just to keep them entertained and quiet!(It's ok!)

So I'm off to pack...... okay maybe a little early for that, but I will be before we know it.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Time waits for no one

Time just seems to be flying. I only have a couple of days before the school year comes to an end, and then it is time to rest and holiday hard. Why not, I've worked hard this year so now it is almost time to play hard.

We'll be visiting my brother and sister for the holidays. That can only mean one thing.... play hard! I'm really looking forward to it.

One Special Lady

My wife is one special lady. For those of you that know her, you will know that she is always worrying about everyone else around her. Today she just wanted to make my day special. And that she did, from the moment she woke up till when she went to bed a couple of minutes ago. She always wants everything to be just perfect, especially if it is a special day or celebration.

Thank you for making my day special. I know I may not always say thank you out loud, but please know that I am thankful and greatful for all the finesse and finer details and effort that you put into making everything so special.

I really do have one special lady by my side on a daily basis.

It's my birthday....

Today is my birthday. My sister in Law decided to use her blog of the day to send me a bithday wish, She really didn't have to do that just because we are family. She also had nice things to say about me... once again not necessary.

I tried to post a comment to say thank you, but the response was that comments had been blocked by the administrator. So to my Sister: Thank you so much for those kind words, and I am really looking forward to celebrating my birthday (and Yours and Fafs) with you next year. It seems like an age ago that we did that! It is going to be sooooo good having you back in Joburg.

Thank you once again!

Work, work and no play...

It has all been about work recently. I haven't had a chance to get blogging! I feel the lift of the blockers starting. Perhaps this weekend I can find five minutes to sit down and blog a little.
Hell I might even get out the running shoes and after dusting them off see if they remember what to do. I fear the shoes may remember more than I will. The last time I broke into a sweat from running was the 4th October. I received a number once again for next years Kruger Park run and i think I might try and brave Comrades again next year. I feel the motivation running through my veins already. I hope it spreads to my legs and feet!

The Blockers...

I seem to have a serious case of the blockers lately. Let me explain....

I sit down in front of the PC and open up my blog, all is good. I notice that I haven't posted in a while or quite as often as I would like, but work has been really busy. So I open up a new post and......................................sit. Nothing happens, nothing is forthcoming.
Sometimes I get as far as getting a topic, and then start to post and halfway through I delete everything because I then think it is stupid. I Know that this is my space to have my own say, but that doesn't seem to help. Has anyone ever felt like this? How have you overcome this block.

So I leave the blogging for a while and decide that I need to go for a run. Sometimes, I'm just to lazy to get changed, sometimes something else comes up instead, and sometimes I just feel too tired. Sometimes there is not enough time and sometimes I make excuses not to go. I feel the need and I do have the desire to get out there and enjoy the fresh air and try and get back into the fitness groove - but hey it is just not happening!!!! I need help people. I even have a block about getting fit. Something I love!

So if you have any suggestions please comment and help out - Unlock the case of the dreaded BLOCKERS.

Spurs keep on the upswing

GO SPURS!!!!!!!!

So it wasn't a pretty game but hey 3 points are 3 points and we will take all that we can get at this stage of the season considering the terrible start we had under ONEDAY RAMOS.

Darren Bent was the man on fire again scoring a double and taking his tally to 11 for the season. So for tonight we are into 16th place on the log and out of the relegation zone. There must be plenty of happy and relieved Spurs fans out there tonight!

Bring on Fulham next weekend....

Kyle's Birthday

We decided to spend the day at Sun City at the Valley of the Waves in order to celebrate Kyle's 15th Birthday. Loads of fun was had by all. Many an hour was spent on the "lazy river". The boys (Kyle and his two friends, Garth and Rowan) were not seen that much during the course of the day except for food time! The weather was amazing with temperatures around 35C. Thanks Mom and Dad for making this a memorable occassion.

Obama Day....

I might be guilty of posting about the talking point of the century, but I really feel that this is a defining moment in world politics. Barack Obama winning the US elections has an impact on each and every other country in the world, in some way.

He proved this morning that he has what it takes to succeed. He crushed McCain at the poles. This is the most interesting and exciting election I can remember.

I have no doubt that he will not fulfill very promise that he has made in his campaign, but show me a president who has. He seems to be a people's person and has a different refreshing approach to politics.

Congrats to the US for a successful election, not that any of my above comments count for anything . Come on SA it is our turn in 2009 to step up and make our opinions count!

Moving on up...

"Moving on up" by the M People. Perhaps that could be heard in North East London during the course of the evening. This must be the new found motto of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

Liverpool came to town. League leaders at the start of the day. They took the lead in the match and then the mighty mighty Spurs made a comeback. (No the second mighty is not a typing error). Winning the game put Spurs off the bottom of the log, even if it is temporarily. But I can asure you it will not be for long. We have scored 7 points out of a possible 9 since KING HARRY took charge, with these points being scored against formidable opponents.

So to my team a big up!!!!! "We're moving on up, moving on up, moving on up, and nothing's gonna stop us...."

Spurs and the Lane.....

So Spurs have plans for a bigger and better stadium. They have plans to build a 60 000 seater stadium adjacent to White Heart Lane. That is almost double the size of the Lane at the moment. This would increase the revenue the club receives in ticket sales. And yes we can fill that number of seats. Spurs have always been considered one of the big clubs, even though they don't always perform like the big clubs do. But just maybe they are moving on to BIGGER and BETTER things.

They certainly seem like they are moving in the right direction after the departure of Jaunde Ramos and the arrival and revival of Harry Rednapp. I don't know if you saw the David Bentley goal in the Spurs vs Arsenal thriller on Wednesday night. The game ended in a 4 all draw.Spurs came back from 4-2 down with only injury time left to play, to score 2 goals in three minutes to level the match and secure a much needed point for the Spurs faithfuls. The goal of the night though without a doubt was the 40 yard Bentley goal. Some ssay luck, some say sheer brilliance. The goal stands no matter which way you look at it and it put Spurs on the front foot and eager for more.

So I'm a lot more optimistic about the future of Spurs in the Premier League.... We WILL survive and we will not be relegated. This weekend though we have yet another tough match against the log leaders, Liver.... something or other. It's top vs bottom. Liver....something are apparently unbeaten so far this season. WE will have to change that this weekend!

Devons actual birthday

So it was up early this morning again as it was Devon's actual birthday today. He was once again so excited. Today he had the opportunity to take party packs to his friends at school and it was his special day.

The school does a birthday ring for the kids when it is their birthday. The parents are most welcome to attend the birthday ring. My wife and I were definitely not going to miss this occassion.

The birthday ring involves singing songs that the birthday boy can choose which ones to sing, followed by some simple games, a prayer before the party packs and then blowing out of candles and eating the goodies in the party packs. It really was most enjoyable! Devon really did feel special amongst his friends.

Here is a picture of Devon with his teacher (Teacher Sam).

Birthday - Round two!

As posted yesterday, it was off to bed early as it was Kyle's 15th Birthday today. That it was. A birthday party yesterday and my our eldest son's birthday today. It has been quite a busy weekend. So their was no party today, so to speak, just dinner with the family.

I think Kyle had a good day, he bought himself some new sneakers for his birthday with the money he received in gifts. He is very proud of his new Superga's!!!

Well once again it is off to bed now, as their is a birthday in the morning. No this is not ground hog day. Devon has his actual birthday tomorrow!

Devon's Party.

Today was Devon's 4th Birthday party. The rain came down in sheets last night as you might of read in a previous post. When we drew back the curtains this morning my wife and I just lay in bed speechless,to frightened to even mention anything about the weather as it was still overcast. Admittedly it was not raining, but for how long. We pulled ourselves towards ourselves and bit the bullet. I am pleased to announce that the weather only improved as the day progressed. It turned out to a wonderful summers day on the highveld.

My Sister in-law surprised us by flying up from Cape Town for the party, as well as for work (just a day early). My wife was so surprised and excited to see her Sister that she burst in to tears. Devon says that Hayley was the best part of his day. It is a pity that my Brother in-law could not join us. That would of made a brilliant day perfect.

I have never seen so many kids at a party in my life. They came in their droves to celebrate our sons birthday. Thank you to everyone who attended the party. You made his birthday so special.

The theme of the party was "Cars". So the party was held at our local municipalities Traffic Training Facility. It turned out to be a huge success. All the kids were asked to bring their bikes to ride around on the miniature roads at the training centre. A Lightning McQueen cake was a centre piece on the table.

To my wife who headed the co-ordinating committee, thank you so much for all your hard work in making the party a huge success. To all that helped out (Mom, Dad and Kyle), thank you for all of your hard work and patience.

Now it is off to bed as tomorrow is Kyle's 15th Birthday! No rest!!!

Oneday (Juande) Ramos....

I woke up this morning to the news that late last night Oneday (Juande) Ramos had been sacked as the spurs manager along with first team coach Gus Poyet and Sporting director Camolli. This was not a train smash as I had called for this move in one of my previous posts.So a little about Oneday (Juande) Ramos. He had been in charge at Spurs for 364 days, Juande short of a year. He won Juan trophy with Spurs in his short stint in charge. Juande someone might have the nerve to employ him as a manager, but not in the English Premier League though. Juande he was here and the next he is gone!

So the next bit of news that was to break was that the Portsmouth manager, Harry Rednapp, was to replace Ramos. Spurs payed a reported 5 Million Pounds as compensation for the services of Rednapp.

Harry was in the technical area for the game against Bolton today only hours after being approached and appointed. He must have presence or know what he is doing, as Spurs came away with their first League win this season, much to the delight of the Spurs faithfuls like myself. Hopefully this is the start of an upward swing! Good on you Harry!

The night before...

So it is about 11pm. The night before my soon to be 4 year olds birthday party. The excitement that has been running around the house has been undescribible.

As I am typing away, the rain seems to be falling with no sign of letting up or stopping. It has been raining since about 5pm. The garden sure needs the rain but on the day that my son has his birthday party?????

According to the weather report, we seem to in for a little luck - Clearish skies with no rain. This all bodes well if you believe the weather report. How do you explain to a 4 year old that his party has to be cancelled due to the weather that is out of your control??? I'm yet to figure this one out, and hope I never need to.

I hope when i open my eyes tomorrow morning that all I see is blue sky!

A birthday party soon.

Devon is turning 4 next week and this weekend is his birthday party. What was to be a small affair has turned out to be a party for 24 4 year olds, 2 teenagers and approximately 40 adults. As you can well imagine chaos reigns at our house at the moment. To top it all off we have a birthday boy who about to jump out of his skin with excitement. He heads off to his room every afternoon to make invitations for the family and his friends. We now each have about 6, so as to be sure as not to miss it.

Today was spent packing the party packs - well you can just imagine. He is so excited that exhaustion has set in. Devon fell asleep at 5:45pm without supper, and he was dead to the world. However he assures us that he can wait 4 more sleeps for his birthday.

How lucky we are.

We so often take for granted how lucky we are from day to day.

My family and I have probably the best parents the world has to offer. I married my wife just over 6 years ago, after dating for about 18 months. I had no idea how lucky I was at the time. My son and I were immediately accepted as part of their family, without judgement or questioning.

As time has gone on, the bonds that have been formed and the relationships that have been forged have grown stronger and stronger.

Whenever I seek advise or help is needed, I know that we need not look far or wide as Mom and Dad are there. Thank you for all the help and advise that you have given us as we try to make a life for our kids, your grandchildren, whom you love so much. We may not always seem grateful at the time or you may feel like we take everything for granted, but be assured that that is not the case. Sometimes we just don't know how to say thank you enough. Those two simple words just don't seem to be enough!

Mom and Dad - THANK YOU!

Spurs?????????????

I've just finished one of the most painful experiences a fan has to endure. Spurs vs Stoke City. It wasn't pretty if you are a Spurs fan, as I am. ( I don't know if I should be openingly admitting that). The game ended with Spurs playing with 9 players an injured goalkeeper and 2 goals to 1 down.

I have a friend that supports Leeds FC, which could possibly be worse than supporting Spurs, and Leeds were relegated from the Premier League a few seasons ago. The poor fellow had to endure endless ragging from his mates. For the first time I can honestly relate to how he must have felt. Spurs are going the same way.

I have no clue as to what the problem is. We have a star studded side, but they are just not playing football at the moment. They are not playing anything but the fool. As for our manager.... I don't think anyone knows what he wants from his team, not even his team, as he don't speaka da Engleesh, in an English League. Some say not to get rid of him. I say spend the 15 Million pounds and send him on his way... we can't do any worse!

So until the tables turn, I'll take the flack and hope and pray that Ramos takes an English course fast!

Our Boys

Here are some of the latest pics I have of our boys. I think these pics speak for themselves, so I'm not going to comment on any of them. Enjoy Adam, Devon and Kyle.

Time flies

Time flies for sure. I haven't been able to access the net for the last couple of days, so that is why no updates have been made on my blog. But hey, hopefully I'm back in action. It's funny how attached you can get to the www, and how much you miss not being able to keep up with the goings on, on sites you regularly visit. I'll be catching up on all of those and looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll get some time now to share a little about the holiday I had recently.

Adam is getting really cute. He now has a walker that he loves. He manages to scuttle along the length of our kitchen and very rarely moves backwards. He is still the one tooth wonder, and hasn't got anymore teeth yet, but I fear that they are not too far away and that means the sleepless nights as well!

Devon is as Devon always is! Full of beans and never stops talking. He seems to be getting so big all of a sudden. His vocab, which has never been lacking, just seems to be on an upward climb at break neck speed. His swimming is coming along. A birthday is around the corner and he is soooooooooooo excited about his party. He has obtained a few new pets if you can call them that. We or he has silkworms..... what fun!

Kyle is doing well at school with a much improved 3rd term report card. He is really enjoying his sport at the moment which is a good thing. Cricket season has come to an end, and so it was time to take on something new. I'm not to sure if he has been watching the Madrid Masters or not where all the ball girls are models, but he has decided to take up Tennis. I think I need to investigate who else plays tennis. He too has a birthday coming up, but no sign of jumping up and down about it like Devon. Teenagers will be teenagers!

My wife is really working hard at the moment both at work and at home. Planning a four year olds party is not a five minute affair.

All is good in the household at the moment, I wish it would rain though. The garden is starting to wilt and wither away.

That's all I have time for now, but I'll post a little more soon... come back and visit again.

Back from holiday.

So I'm back from holiday with a couple of stories and photo's to share. Once I have sifted through and sorted the photo's I'll share with you what a wonderful holiday it was.

Our house is so quiet....

Our house is extremely quiet at the moment and has been since last night. It will remain quiet for the next two or so days. The reason for this unusual silence is that Devon is away. Yes, my four year old is away from home.

Devon has gone on holiday early with Granny and Grampa - this can only mean one thing - Trouble. I guess he is being spoilt and allowed to get away with murder at the moment. The wife and I are not used to having him away and the silence. This is the first time that he has been away from us. They have gone to the Kruger National Park till Friday and then we will be meeting them in the Berg on Friday afternoon.

We can't wait to break this silence...... we miss you munchkin.

Drakensberg here we come!

My blog will become rather quiet over the next 10 days or so as we are headed to the Drakensberg Mountains for a holiday. I can't wait!!!! Work has been rather stressful over the last couple of weeks, and this holiday is exactly what I need to recharge the batteries for the remainder of the year, or until the next holiday comes around. So instead of blogging I'm going to be taking in the awesome scenery, strolling in the mountains, listening to the flow of water over waterfalls and plain old relaxing!

I'll be back with some stories to tell and some photographs to share in about 10 or so days.

Black and white photo's

I just love black and white photo's. They seem to bring something different that I can't explain as I am nowhere near to close enough to call myself a photographer. I came across another blog that had a post with two black and white photographs on it. It reminded me of how much I love taking photo's in black and white. I took these photographs of Adam this evening. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

A family update...

Things have been rather hectic in the household of Miller of late. Work has taken up much of my time this last week, thus being the reason the blogging came to a bit of a stand still. But the weekend is here in full swing and that is always a good time to catch ones breath and enjoy family life.

Today I tried to spend some time watching Kyle play cricket, as this was his last game of the season. He played wicketkeeper for the "A" side and took 2 stumpings. Batting he made 11 runs with two glorious 4's in his innings.

I took Devon with me to watch Kyle, and he is always a busy body, running round or talking the hind leg off a donkey.

Adam is just Adam. He cut a tooth on Thursday morning and has been a little happier since then and sleeping a bit better at night.

Then there is my wife. Tomorrow we are celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary. Over the past 6 years of marraige we have been blessed to share some awesome moments together. I could not have wished to have spent these times with anyone more special. We have had the priviledge of being blessed with wonderful kids that bring us so much joy and happiness. Yes we have had those difficult times, those quarrels and those wars, but at the end of the day we are the best of friends, companions and still very much in love. To my soul mate - Happy Anniversary for tomorrow and I look forward to the rest of our lives together.

I made it...

The weekend IS here!!!! I made it to the weekend. A day or so ago it seemed so far off, but it is finally here, and i am going to enjoy every minute of it. I think the wolf from the three little pigs has been around, because the rain which was looking so promising has huffed and puffed away! (Darn, I'll have to wait a little longer to smell the sent of the first rains, and the cleansing that it brings.)

I wish time would just slow down for the weekend, so that we could enjoy it a little longer.

It's the weekend ...

So I've just got to get through a bit of a hectic day tomorrow and then the weekend is here. I can't wait to just sit down and relax and catch up with my wife and little ones. At the moment we are not seeing much of one another as we are all extremely busy. Hopefully this weekend will give us the opportunity to touch sides.

I actually wish the first rains for the sping/summer would grace us with their presence this weekend. that would make it a great weekend! Unlike my family in the Cape who are wishing all the wet weather away right now.

A different weekend

This weekend was something different from the usual go to the shops on Saturday morning, watch sport in the afternoon and a Sunday lunch. Well coming to think of it, not that much changed in the latter part of the weekend but the begining was something different.

It started off with Friday night. The school that my wife teaches at have been practising ever so hard for a concert/production that they were putting on. I'll be glad when it is over as I may have my wife at home a little more. The concert was entitled 'Nogwaja - the hare who wanted to be king". This is what we did on friday night, took the boys to watch the production. Devon was beside himself with excitement! The highlight was seeing mommy on stage in the teachers item, doing a little dance....

Saturday morning brought about something different as well. We headed off to Pretoria for the Clivia show. I really enjoy seeing the different colours and varieties of these plants from year to year. There is always something new that someone has grown.

This was followed by a visit to the Pretoria Show Grounds for the Annual Pretoria Show. This a kind of market where you can by anything from tractors to pillows, or furniture to sweets, or caravans to puzzles. Anything you can think of in one place. I haven't been to one of these shows for years, so it was nice to see what was out there in the market place.

Before I continue with the story, I must share 'life as Devon sees it'. If there is something that Devon wants, and Mom and Dad can't or won't get it for you, Grandpa will!

On with the show... We spent some time looking at the caravans on display and Devon was running in and out of all these caravans, having an absolute ball. He walks a little way with his Grandpa and asks, "Can we get one?" Grandpa in his stride says, "What?". Devon adds, "a caravan". Grandpa just laughs and continues walking on. The funny thing is I think he just might..... get one that is, as we came home with numerous brochures and a business card.

From there on in, the rest of the weekend was pretty much the norm. The Saturday afternoon sport and the Sunday lunch with the family.

Prediction results...

A weekend coming to an end, the sport is all but done for this weekend. Time to look back and see how the predictions went.

Total Predictions: 4
Total Right: 3
Total Wrong: 1

Right
Lions beat the valke
Griquas beat the Cavaliers
Sharks beat the Bulls

Wrong
WP beat the Cheetahs

Not too bad this weekend!

Mousing about...

Stranger things have happened. I 've said before that I wouldn't usually have written about events at school, but hey, these days who knows what will happen during the course of your day.

Every Tuesday, we have Terrific Tuesday at school. This is just a querky name given to a sports programme that we run at school on a Tuesday. We concentrate on ball skills, hand eye co-ordination and the likes.

The children come to school in school unifirm and when it is their turn to participate in Terrific Tuesday, the kid go off and get changed into their sports clothes.

Today the boys are all in their classroom getting changed into their sports clothes and a whole lot of noise errupts, furniture is being thrown about , bodies are moving at a rapid rate in all directions and some are scared stiff. Was it a fight breaking out? No. Was it the teacher re-arranging their classroom? No. So what was all the commotion about?????

Some poor soul had taken his takkie out of his kitbag and out pops a mouse. Yes. A mouse! This poor mouse had been transported from home in this kids shoe. With that stentch, I would of escaped long ago, if I was the mouse. Perhaps it was under the influence and unable to escape. Who knows. But what are the chances of something like this happening???? What a week so far!!!!

Needless to say we now have a mouse running around our school!

Dimitar Berbatov

The move has been made. Just before the close of the transfer window on September 1st, it was confirmed that Dimitar Berbatov had completed a move from Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester United.
As a Spurs fan I was sad to learn of this news. I was ever hopeful in the back of my mind that he would stay a Spurs player. Berbatov made 70 appearances for the club scoring 27 goals. So that is not such a prolific record or scoring rate, but it was not about that. It was the flair he played with, the superb touch on the ball, the ability to get into the position that others wouldn't dream of, the vision of the game he possesses.

I hope the days he spends at United are enjoyed by all as this is suppossed to be a 'dream' move for him.

Good luck Berby!

Spring Hat - Part 2

So Spring Hat Day came and went, and flip it was freezing! Why is it that Spring Day every year is soooooo cold? But hey, excitement was is the air and Devon went to school proudly displaying his creation, or rather our family creation.

I said in part 1 that I was not over optomistic about winning this year, and i was spot on. No prize. The prize was the look on my son's face when he parades his hat. That sense of "it's mine" and how proud he is of it, is all I need.

The Hat has got a prime spot in his room (for now), right next to his bed on his side table....

Spring Hat Time...

Devon is 3, going on 30, and tommorrow is Spring Hat day at school for him. Every year we need to make a spring hat for him to display and parade in his class. Last year was the first time we had to take part... and we managed to be the best! We got the prize for the best spring hat. So in a way the pressure is on this year.

So we set off for the shops yesterday in search of ideas and materials to make "The Hat". I think this years effort is pretty good, but not a winning one. So off he'll go to school tomorrow and proudly display his hat with the rest of his mates, and we'll be wondering, with the rest of the parents, how we have faired this year.

Sitting with Adam...

Adam is five and a half months old now and and this week he began to start sitting by himself. He absolutely loves to be upright and play with his toys.

The main reason for posting this is so the family in the Cape can keep up on how the family and little ones are doing. He is such a happy little button!

Prediction results...

The weekend is over and that means a result review. Not a good prediction week!!!! Check this out...

Total Predictions: 12
Total Right: 4
Total Wrong: 8

Right
Sharks beat Cavaliers
Bulls beat WP
Arsenal beat Newcastle
Middlesbrough beat Stoke

Wrong
South Africa beat Australia :-) (Tri- Nations)
Aston Villa drew with Liverpool
Man City beat Sunderland
Spurs drew with Chelsea :-)
West Ham beat Blackburn
Wigan beat Hull
Portsmouth beat Everton
Bolton drew with West Brom

So we can't have good weeks all the time. Check out next weeks...

Entrepreneur or Blackmarket Material?

I'm in the education profession. I never thought that I would blog about one of my pupils or a work situaion, but today changed that.

I'm busy in class teaching a group of 12 year olds (Grade 6's), and three other children get brought to me for writing on their black school shoes with tipex. So we have all done this before at some stage I'm sure. nothing unusual. So I reprimand the three concerned and send them on their way. The class I am busy teaching brings to my attention that one of the learners in the class has done written on his shoes as well. So I call for the boy to come to my desk.

True as nuts he has written his initials on his shoe. Still nothing unusual... so I reprimand as before and am just about to send the boy on his way when I notice something unusual. I look a liitle closer...braving the risk of a cheesy smelly foot I ask the boy to remove his shoe for closer inspection.

This young chap has taken the trouble time and effort to unpick the stitching on the side of his school shoe, and sow in a little LEVI label. This is something that I have never come across before.

So comes from a academically talented individual, who is one of the naughtiest boys I have come across. He never has his books or stationery at school, his schoolbag is never big enough for all of his books so some of them have to stay at home, he never does homework or anything exra.

Is he showing signs of his future entrepreneurial skills and creativity or is he showing signs of a future in retail on the blackmarket? I'll let you decide....

Tagged!!!!

So I'm not so techno savvy as the rest of my blogging family. I get this message on my blog to say I've been tagged- so I get ready to wrestle, WWF style. (Just kidding I'm not that bad!)

Tagged, what the .... So I contact the person that tagged me, Hayley, to find out a little more.
"Oh it's a fun thing..." she say's. I have no problem with this. I can do this. Basically all I need to do is share six things about Millers mind that nobody knows. A breeze! Then comes step two, tag six other people on my blog. HELL, I can't do that. I only know two other people that blog, and they are the two family members that read my blog, and besides, one has tagged me. I can't really go and tag her back! So I'm in a bit of a blogging bind.

I'll give it some thought though and I will share six things about Miller that you don't know.

Prediction results...

Another week down, and true to form, just under 50% right.

Total Predictions: 13
Total Right: 6
Total Wrong: 7

Right
Australia beat South Africa (Tri Nations)
Griquas beat Valke (Currie Cup)
Liverpool beat Middlesbrough
Everton beat West Brom
Chelsea beat Wigan
Man Utd beat Portsmouth

Wrong
Cheetahs beat Lions (Currie Cup)
Sunderland beat Spurs
Blackburn and Hull drew
Bolton beat Newcastle
Stoke beat Aston Villa
Fulham beat Arsenal
Man City beat West Ham

Another week is around the corner...

Mountain Removal

Operation 'Mountain removal" is nearing the end. All I have left in my backyard is a hill. It's still a hell of a lot of sand but hey, nowhere near the flippin mountain I started with.

So after wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of sand being carted around my yard I now have biceps pretty similar to the fellow in the pic.

Okay, maybe not so big but it feels like they have done enough work to look like that.

I got a chance to jump on the trampoline, hey what a way to work out. I was nackered after about five minutes of jumping. maybe it was about two minutes but it definitely felt like five. it must of been five! My heart was racing my legs felt like jelly and my abs, well lets just say they also had their years share of exercise in those FIVE minutes. If I continue to jump at this rate and workout like this maybe I can have some of these abs.

The only problem is I don't think I'll be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning. All this exercise and hard work tends to make one pretty stiff. This I don't mind, as the saying goes no pain, no gain! So the stiffness is not the problem . The problem is he flip'n back. My back feels like a back I have borrowed from a 90 year old with acute arthritis. If I do manage to get out of bed tomorrow, I'll proberly end up walking around like this fellow...

The Wheel Barrow.. Part 2

The blasted thing is still not to be found! Not even at Kirst and Mike's house! (Sorry little Tom!)

But anyway I guess I better move on from here, and continues with operation 'Mountain Removal'. This will be made possible as i have acquired a loan barrow from my Father-in-law. Thanks Dad.

I wish I had the seven little dwarfs to help, but I don't. Hold on I have a couple of mates that will do anything for a free beer!

Hope everyone has a good weekend, and remember if you have nothing to do, come over and help move the mountain.

The Wheel Barrow

The trampoline is in and operation 'Mountain Removal' needs to be put into action. the kids are jumping, arguing about whose turn it is, jumping some more ... (I'm sure you get the picture).
I head inside and change out of my work clothes and put on my garden kit, as soil mountain is going to be moved.

Armed with a spade and rake I head off to scatter the soil over the lawn as the Spring rains should be upon us shortly, not taking the climate changes that are taking place or the ever increasing hole in the ozone layer into account. I get stuck in. raking and shoveling, and all is going well. The next step is to put the soil into the wheel barrow, which I received as a Christmas present and which is still in showroom condition ( I haven't used it yet - the plastic is still on the handles).

I go to it's parking bay and low and behold it's not there! A search is ensued... by all in the household. How hard can it be to find a big green wheel barrow in my garden, and I'm not talking acres of garden either. High and low, under, over, inside and out. The wheel barrow is nowhere to be found. Someone has nicked the bloody thing!!! My brand spanking new, never been used before wheel barrow - NICKED!

I hope the wheel falls off, the bucket rusts through and the person who nicked it arms fall off while trying to carry out a task with MY wheel barrow!

Needless to say, I still have Soil Mountain in my backyard.

Jumping for Joy

How spoilt are the kids? As we have birthdays coming up in house (Kyle and Devon), the kids have been given a trampoline as a combined gift, thanks to Granny and Grampa. The kids were not aware that today was installation day. At around 10am today the team arrived to put in the trampoline. The kids were both at school and oblivious to what was going on. By the time they arrived home, the trampoline was in and ready for its first test drive.

I was not home at the time, but I hear that there was much joy and excitement. I think for the next while a timer of sorts is needed to control whose turn it is to jump. The Olympics is on at the moment and Devon watched the Woman's Trampoline Final last night. All he wants Kyle to do are those turns and twists that he saw on TV. Not to mention jump HIGH.

I can see that the trampoline is going to be winner!

So while the kids jump away I'll be cleaning up the mountain of soil left behind by the installers.