Day 61 - Shammy Cupcakes

Lockdown Day 60 - We had to say goodbye to one of our cats, Shammy. He had been suffering for sometime now with the cold and after yesterday's cold snap, he said goodbye and this morning we had to bury him.

Rebekah was back to today, making us some yummy cupcakes to help us get over Shammy. No we didn't let on that Shammy has crossed over, and she was just happy to make us all cupcakes.

Elsa and Anna at Church

 

Little Rebekah invited her 2 best friends, Elsa and Anna to church this morning. Here they are, the trio paying attention to what was going on around them as the church worships to the God who loves all the little children.

Ballerina Girl

 

After yesterday weird day, I was thankful not to wake up to an alarm telling me to get up. After a lovely sleep in, we had to go watch our little ballerina girl, Rebekah.

 

His Master's Voice

Okay you have seen photos of me and my life but have you heard my voice? Yip hear I am singing a nursery rhyme to my granddaughter Dakotah while we babysit the grandchildren. Eish I know I don't have a Master Voice as it left a lot to be desired but who cares, Cocco enjoyed granddad.

Holiday Bake Off

When stuck with baby sitting on a public holiday there is nothing better than to bake chocolate orange muffins. Yummy, here is Rebekah and granddad baking away. 

Getting Better

Every cloud has a sliver lining, and today is an awesome day. Not only is it a Friday, I started today with a breakfast picnic with Lynda and Rebekah as it was Grandparent's Day at Rebekah's school. Afterwards it was off to work but by midday, loadshedding had merged its ugly head. 

Not to get me down, I collected my Vespa from the bike mechanic, although half the money paid out went to pay for those ripoff prices Vespa charges for parts. Unbelievable but nothing was going to get me down, the Baroness was home.  

Chocolate Milkshake

After church this morning, Lynda and I treated Robynne, Rebekah, and Dakotah to milkshakes at State 5 in Fourways. As you can see chocolate milkshake is Rebekah's favourite. 

Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Ahhhh the Mad Hatter, sorry Granny and Rebekah's Tea Party has begun, without Granddad. Oh no I'm late for a very important date. No time to say hello, goodbye. I'm late, I'm Late, I AM LATE!

Pool Party

POOL PARTY! Yay the sun somehow held back the rain clouds, just long enough for Rachael to have her pool party at our home. So my day has been taken up as a life guard for the girls to enjoy themselves at our pool. 

Whose Finger is it?

Whose finger did the cake heist belong to? Uhmmm I wonder. After work I ended up at a children's birthday party Nd my little granddaughter Rebekah was out to impress her granddaddy with how mischievous she can be. 

Two Little Witches

Na these aren't 2 weird sisters but granny Lynda and granddaughter Rebekah on her 3rd Pink Witches birthday party. Oh dear little Rebekah is getting some first hand training on how to be a good little witch from grand mother dear. 

Happy birthday Rebekah!

1st Braai of the Season

The weather has been good leading up to this weekend, so we decided to have our first braai of the season. A braai to my readers who are not South African is a barbeque. Not too soon as tomorrow I believe a cold front is going hit. So I cleaned up the gas braai, and prepared the patio.

Soon after the family members arrived, I would not wait any longer, and got the ribs, wors, and rib-eyes on the grill.

It was a great braai, and an awesome start to the summer season. In the next week or two, Lynda’s daughter Robynne is going to give birth. Here she is sitting on the patio with her daughter Rebekah. 

Have a Dummy

Trying to keep a secret this morning when Robynne sat next to me in church this morning was hard as I am not one for fibs. Oh Lynda can't make it this morning as she is busy preparing your baby shower was not my answer. Anyways when afternoon arrived the cat was out of the bag with a SURPRISE!

Here is Rebekah trying to get mommy to take her dummy, or what they call in the states a pacifier, a super sized one at that.

First Concert

Ahhh beautiful Rebekah performing her song routine during her first concert performance. She is in front on stage on the right about to touch her toes. It was an early start to get to her school by 8am on a Saturday nogal. Really there goes my sleep in but it was worth it. Yip just to see Rebekah performing for the first time on stage.

A Princess can Dream

Well, here is little Princess Rebekah watching Shekinah and Mohamed take their first dance as man and wife, yes this little princess was keenly watching and surely will one day be dreaming of a prince charming for herself.

It is a different kind of wedding that I've ever been to, and I have been to a number. I suppose I was expecting a Madeiran Lebanese Muslim fusion of a wedding but it turned out to be just a wedding reception as to the actual wedding vows which I believe happened earlier with even the father of the bride not even knowing yet alone giving his daughter away. Is this the Lebanese Muslim way of getting married? Surely not, well I actually don't know. What I do know from already experiencing a Lebanese Christian wedding that is not the case.

Anyways, it was a great wedding reception as receptions go, with local Lebanese dancing much similar to most Mediterranean cultures like the Greek and Israeli except this time with Lebanese music. No keep the tune but just replace the singing and I could be in the Palestine countryside or even Turkey.

Grandparents Day

I am way too young to be a grandparent and alas here I am, at a creche with Lynda and granddaughter Rebekah on Grandparents Day. Okay look cool, everything is going to be alright, no one will ever guess that I am a granddad, no one in their right mind that is.

Okay what do granddads and grandmothers do with their grandchildren at a grandparents day. A lot of grand things since all the words start with grand. So first of all we get to help Rebekah stick little flower shapes buttons and pompoms on a cushion next to Rebekah's name.

Near the end we were given a little wooden sign with the words " Grandparents make the world a little softer, a little kinder, and a little warmer", along with a photo of us with Rebekah. They forgot that we grandparents love to load our grandchildren with lots of sugar and then send them back to bounce off the walls.

But forget the sugar, cutie pie here has some glue on her finger.

Blessed 2018

So the New Year has finally started, thankfully as last night was a terrible ordeal. Sometime back the City of Joburg in all their wisdom changed an all out ban of fireworks to be limited to certain days which means last night and tonight, fireworks are allowed but only between certain times and if no animals are present. The problem is that the by-laws are so vague and nearly impossible to enforce that they are a joke.

Last night, a neighbour decided to start letting off fireworks at 8pm, 2 hours before he was allowed. I sent a message to the neighbourhood WhatsApp group reminding them the by-laws and thankfully he stopped. But I had this gut feeling this wouldn’t be the end of it. And sure enough 10 minutes before the allowed time, he sent a high powered rocket across my bows.

Thankfully we had managed to coral our cats inside and locked the dogs inside their dog-house but that was enough as rocket after rocket exploded directly over our house in what seems to be a vindictive way. The cats were bouncing off the walls, they didn’t know which way to turn. I had to go outside and join the dogs inside their house to calm them down. The 2 Italian Greyhounds, Maxy and Jade, slept through the entire fireworks but it was the Podge, the Jack Russell and the pavement special Mr Wiggles who were terrified as the remains of the exploded fireworks fell onto the roof. Our new German/Belgium Shepherd puppy River Song was okay and Matthew took her out into the garden as the bangs exploded just over our heads.

A neighbour’s dog died from result of the fireworks but with no legal avenue to pursue, a lot of neighbours are angry and disgusted with the inconsiderate fool. As a result the local councillors have started a petition to force the City of Joburg to re-introduce the blanket ban, have a more stringent penalties and a better means of prosecuting.

But that was last night and a new blessed year has started and what way to start the new year off on the right foot, is for the family came over for a 3 roast lunch and a relaxing first day around the pool.

Where’s Granny

Robynne was very busy at work as it was the last day, so Lynda and I picked up granddaughter Rebekah so that Robynne can have a chance to finish up at the office.

First we went shopping as final presents needed to be purchased, and then it was home. Thankfully as the shops were getting way too crowded for my liking. Once home I had to get Matthew back to Benoni so that he can spend Christmas with his mother, brother, sister, nieces and nephews.

And finally I got back home, Rebekah was sleeping and Lynda was busy cleaning the home of which the state had gone past the tolerable state. Then Bradley phone, he needed to be picked up. Ahhh like ships in the night, Lynda left and I well I was left with sleeping Rebekah.

Now trust Rebekah to wake up and started looking for granny. To solve the problem of no granny I picked her up and we both started looking for granny, going from room to room and finally into the garden, no granny but by this time Rebekah was having fun with granddad. Around the pool and no granny behind the tree, oh look there is a cat up the tree.

And finally back on the deck, sitting each in our own chairs, Rebekah with her juice and biscuit, and me with mine. Listening to the birds and of course the cats came closer to investigate too.

Visiting Granny and Granddad

Robynne and Marco had to do some late night shopping as you would know Christmas is looming. What better way to shop for little one’s presents than leave Rebekah with Granny and granddad.

Rebekah just wanted to be outside this evening visiting all the animals, and many animals we have.

Oh Christmas Tree

"Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, your ornaments are history" meowed the cats in unison, as Rebekah, Matthew, and Lynda decorated the Christmas tree. Now I am not sure what the traditions are of when to put up the Christmas tree but today felt just right.

With Rebekah putting most of the decorations within her reach, I am sure the cats are going to have a whale of a time swotting those Christmas balls. I remember last year Minky even climbed the tree as what else is a tree climbing cat supposed to do when you put a challenge in front of her.