Same Old Toys, Fresh Dirty Laundry

Back in the days when we called the sweet streets of Edinburgh home, we had this sweet little hand-me-down toy the Bear loved to bounce in. It played happy music and lit up and provided us with a place to put our seven-month-old bundle of squirm so that we could enjoy our breakfast in peace.

Except for one morning when the neighbor from downstairs came up to ask if we were bouncing a ball or something because of the noise. Clever Clogs Hero Hubs promptly invited her in to show her the Bear bouncing in his toy, and she immediately remarked {in a sweet North of England accent, no less} “Well it’s not so bad now that I’ve seen you!”

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{Doesn’t the Bear look funny in this picture? Like his head is square or something? I don’t really think it looks like him, but he’s Seven Months and Happy! SpoRadically uSing caPitaLs is fun sOmeTimes.}

When we packed our lives into boxes headed for the southern shores of SA, we passed along the delightful toy (that had been passed along to us) to our dear friends Rob and Alice, who were expecting at the time.

So a wave of old memories crashed on my heart shore when we were staying with our precious friends last month and we plopped a new baby boy down in that same toy.

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{Our wee Tank — ten days shy of seven months! His head seems a little less square. Well I’ll be.}

Be still my heart! So full of lovely memories! Like the time the Hubs accidentally broke that microphone because it went Bah-ba-doo-wah! over and over and over again.

While I was hunting down that old photo of the Bear, I came across this one. Which does absolutely make me melt. I think he might have a future as a boy band member. It reminded me of that big lovely kitchen … LOVED it!

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{Bear-B-Que Sauce, 8 Months and some change}

And that reminds me of the sweet laundry shots HH grabbed of the Tank just a few days ago!

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Seven Monthsies!

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Almost eight!

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We used fresh laundry for these ones, though. ‘Course.

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And that sweetness reminded me of these pictures of the Bear in a Ceres juice box. Which is confusing because we took this in Scotland but Ceres juice comes from the beautiful Ceres valley in South Africa, where they grow lots of fruit. But it was cheaper to buy in the UK (at Costco) than in SA, so we drank more of this wonderful South African juice in Scotland than we did in South Africa.

Globalization, dju confuzzle me suntines.

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Six Months’ Worth of Cheeksies!

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These captured moments from every day life seemed like just another moment at the time. Another moment trying to find somewhere to put the baby so that I could get something done. Seeing them now, they are precious reminders to me from seasons that feel a million miles away.

I’m so glad we paused to grab the camera, to see, to take off our shoes. There is God-breathed beauty, even in the hum-drum monotony you might feel makes up your life right now.

We just have to {re-}learn how to see.

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Hello, Pumpkin

We caught up with some dear friends the other weekend.

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Dear enough that we were actually willing to get in a car and drive a wee while and spend the night with them, even though I really don’t want to even catch a glimpse of a suitcase right now.

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I packed some carry-all sort of sturdy open-top bags instead. No idea what to call those.

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But they don’t zip, and that feels good.

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We took some pictures in the backyard. Especially of one particular fella that we’re fond of.

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And then we got some rather fetching shots of all the kiddos and a wheel barrow. Isn’t their daughter a cutie pie?

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I like that one even better! Good luck getting three kids to look the same way at the same time.

Here’s the favorite:

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Hello, pumpkin!

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Seven Months {And All Is Well}

Just in time for the baby to almost no longer be seven months, I have seven months photos to share with you! We actually did take them on the day he turned seven months. There’s just kind of a lot going on. You know. Still cute if they’re a little late, right? Well anywho.

Here’s a darlingpreciousangelpumpkindumpling getting ready for his close-up.

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Gimme da camera!

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Convincingly coy.

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Gammy likes it better when this isn’t in my mouth, Mama.

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Well maybe I want it.

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Nah…I’m going for a more grown-up, sophisticated pose.

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Wait, I forgot! How many months is this?

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I made it seven months? Right on!

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And see? I’ve turned into such a fun-loving guy!

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Yay for me!

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In three continents (four countries), with three addresses, and fourteen different places I’ve laid my head for the night, I’d say this little life is off to a pretty fun start.

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Lumberjack Fisherman Baby

Did I ever tell you about the time Auntie Brenda gave the Tank a plaid shirt and I was so inspired by it, and by an email a friend sent me {thanks, Alison!}, that I had to turn the Tank into a Lumberjack?

It totally happened.

He was about a month and a half old at the time.

And napping.

But I made him an axe.

And a tree for chopping down.

See?

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And then Agnes and I found it so inspiring we thought he should try his hand at fishing too, since that’s also manly and strong like a Tank.

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He brought his dog to sit under the tree by the pond. And he caught a fish!

Totally happened.

Forgot to tell you.

The end.

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Napping Strike, and Mission Accomplished

Have you ever heard of a nursing strike? Like, when a baby basically decides they won’t breastfeed for some reason? Well around these parts, the Tank has enacted a napping strike, which (in our case) is when a baby who used to nap very nicely decides once the clock hits the 30 to 45 minute mark, sleep is done. And this baby who was taking 3 or 4 good hour and a half naps a day is no longer giving me a chance to read a chapter, or shower, dry my hair and get dressed.

It ain’t purty.

In other news, the internet was out for two days, hence things being quiet here. And. It came back on, and that evening I was planning to catch you up on the life and times of this here expat-repat, and do you know what? It sure enough decided it was time to stop working again.

Weren’t too purty either.

{I should warn you I’m writing this tired and the southern comes out when I’m tired. Alright y’all? Let’s move on.}

In other news that’s a lot better, we actually did achieve those little photographic missions I was hoping to accomplish just before, and upon, our arrival. The photos from London aren’t ready yet, but the arriving photo I was hoping we’d capture is hot off the presses.

In case you need a reminder, this was when the Bear met G-pa, back in Cape Town airport in 2008:

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And I hoped we could snag something similar, right here at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, September 2011.

And we did!

See?

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G-pa opted for the purple, instead of the yellow hat on this occasion, which was nicely complemented by the Tank’s yellow onesie. We didn’t even plan that. And like the Bear, the Tank was equally impressed with G-pa’s hat.

Another very special reunion/introduction ensued, after a wee car drive to eastern North Carolina.

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Very exciting, and rather different from when G.C. met the Bear:

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because he was only a few days old, but Blakey already had six month notches (now seven!) under his belt. Or on his onesie. Or etched into his crib. But we sold that. Ahem.

So the news in a nutshell is: the Bear loves preschool, the Tank loves solid food but doesn’t like napping, Hero Hubs officially starts work next week, and I’m still feeling a bit loopy getting settled in to life here again. And I think it’s gonna take a while.

But I’m thinking I’ve got a while.

And that’s good news, too.

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Happiness Is…

I still have a rough cold and a crackly whisper of a voice, but I saw three people I knew at the grocery store yesterday, and only converted prices back to Rand a couple of times. And I bought my Mom a bottle of wine to accompany the magnificent birthday meal I cooked her, and I got carded.

And happiness is these photos from Bloemfontein:

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which are the bees’ knees to me.

Or this one,

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which takes the cake.

Or some other similarly appropriate metaphor, by which it is clear to you that this photograph puts a great big whoppin’ smile on my face.

Now does anybody know where I can find Rooibos tea, besides Starbucks?

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