Out and About in Cape Town

I had all good intentions of being productive over the long weekend that has passed. Bake some treats for the family.... Get up early to squeeze in a gym session so that I don't fall too far behind (and to counter any of the afore mentioned baked goods I might consume)... Soak up the last of our good weather and do outdoorsy things with the family. A walk on the promenade, maybe take the little one to the park or join Moon and Deed on a hike. Somewhere floating in my head I imagined a  Spa day with hubby would be great too. It was also going to be the week we finally got back on our bicycles, plus there were those tickets I won to the Women's Lifestyle Expo...Oh, and squeeze in hubby's favourite pastime with a trip to the movies!!

Now that I see that long list, it was a little over ambitious of me. And in hindsight, I quite forgive myself for hitting the snooze button on my alarm and allowing myself to sleep a little bit later than usual. Nobody seemed to have missed the baking either!! My body on the other hand could've done with some physical activity. Lounging around and over indulging (thanks to the endless array of  temptation from woolies) was hardly smart and I am paying the 'hefty' price by having to drag out my 'fat' jeans as penance for my sins.

 

The long weekend is nothing but a distant memory now and though I had so much planned I have not much to show for it besides a few extra kilos (we did, however, manage to watch that movie!). Through all this planning and unplanning...and doing and not doing...I realised that sometimes it's not always  the 'things' we do with other's that count, but rather the time we spend in the company of those we love most that can have the most meaning. We're together, we are happy, we are healthy and we are very grateful to be abundantly blessed.

 

Nevertheless...it does seem as though my pleas were heard. That God was in my favour after all!! With my niece visiting from the UK, I managed to squeeze in some sight seeing when we took her for a tour around our beautiful city! With having family scattered all over the globe, it is always nice to have them visit South African soil. It gives us a chance to strengthen our bond, build memories and get to know each other a little better too...and of course, gives us an opportunity to be a tourist in our own city :-)

 

Here's  a few pics of our little day trip around the Peninsula...

Forget the Red City Tour bus...Boewa's private tour bus is way better ;-)

 



And even comes with a tour guide!

 

View from Signal Hill

 



 

                      Table Mountain covered in clouds..

 

Our pretty tourist :-)

 



With Naani and Naana


 

Tour buses don't stop off at school! Zee joined us for the day...
(Table Mountain backdrop)

 



 

Cape Town Stadium to the right...

 

12 Apostles Hotel...the perfect retreat.

 



Selfie...or it didn't happen!



I was going for 'messy hair...don't care', but my sister says it was more 'Meise kyk hoe lyk jou hare!!'

 



 

 

The beach is way better than school, Mom.

 

 Pit stop for lunch at the Taj Mahal in Hout Bay.

 

 

 

Ending the journey with a scenic drive around Chapmans Peak!

 

And then it was back to reality! Mom duty, personal chef, tutor...the works!!!

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Peace,

 

Namu :)



From Your Little Sis...With Love

4 Years and a generation apart, but forever entwined in each others heart...

 

There's so much to say about our relationship that I don't quite know where to begin or how to put it into words...Because words can never effectively capture the millions of moments, the memories that bind us...

 

Four years doesn't seem like a lot now, but when we were growing up it meant that you were always a phase ahead of me. And though we were part of the same backdrop and our lives overlapped in so many ways...we were separated by our difference in age and for a while it meant that our mutual interests were not the same.

 

I don't have much recollection of our early years...besides that you were always the villain in our games (Skeletor!). We called you Hitler (happens when you share a birthday with the guy). You loved sport and still do (you should hear the flashbacks on the kids sports days! haha) and that you knocked one of my teeth out during a game of PAC MAN outside on the hand painted tennis court (the tooth wasn't loose...don't mess with her)! Bicycle tricks and swimsuit model (you want to see pics?)...you cooked and I didn't (say what??)...these are the things I remember with fondness.

 

Being younger means that I got to watch you navigate through life ahead of me. In a way, you were my window to what lay ahead...In some ways, you still are. From motherhood to teenage kids, I observe and I learn...

 

When I was 4 and starting nursery, you were already in primary school. Watching you already safe and settled made it easier for me to embrace the same change...When I eventually caught up to primary school, you were already a seasoned bookworm. Nancy Drew and Enid Blyton...Hardy Boys and Bobsey twins. I couldn't wait to be able to read too!

 

When I reached 10 and you had already moved on to Sweet Valley High and other teen romance books; I remember desperately wanting to mirror you and read the same books you did. Visit the mobile library with the same passion you did. Sadly, it didn't happen that way. Instead it was Dada's (big brother) literature that captured my attention and made me fall in love with words. J.R.R Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, David Eddings (Sorry!)

 

I remember a lot of the things you did for Moon...I remember those things often these days because Saafiyah does so many of those things for Zaydaan and it makes me proud to know she inherited it from you...

 

I remember you as a teen....admiring you all dressed up, envious of your pretty new clothes; those stone wash jeans (now famously known as ankle grazers); while I wore hand me downs! When I eventually caught up to 16, you got married and left home....and I would wear one of your old skirts just because I liked the way it used to look on you!

 

Somewhere down the line things changed... Time passed. We grew up and the gap grew closed. As we have grown older, we have broken down the barriers of age and while your old school values make me seem like a little rebel, the fact that we are at similar stages in life, kind of evens the keel. I am still the little sister, but a lot less little and a lot more grey (more than you even...wisdom perhaps?).We might not have lay in bed sharing secrets or confessed our trials and errors when we were young, but we more than make up for it now...pouring our hearts out on coffee dates....and in the school parking lot. Helping each other through life; encouraging one another to be the best we can be...

 

I always hated being referred to as one of mom's 'babies' (a title I share with Moon). Although these days I like to act as though I am older.... Dishing out advice.... Giving out orders... You are the responsible one. The dependable one. The one who is steadfastly loyal to us all...and today I am proud to be called your little sister!!

 

 

Happy Birthday Appa!!

 



 Love Always,

 

NAMU :)

 

 





Midweek Glam

Being a stay at home mom means that more often than not my wardrobe and personal style leans towards comfort over glamour...Flats over heels. That's not to say that I don't like dressing up or wearing heels....in fact, I often have to readjust my budget when I come across a must have outfit or gorgeous pair of shoes...it's just that I don't dress up with all the bells and whistles as often as I would like to...I'd go as far to say that I consider myself a bit of a plain Jane during the week, which I consider a small sacrifice for the blessing of motherhood.

But there are some days where I do have occasion to dress up...and the girly girl in me enjoys the process...but the woman in me still has some insecurities before putting my foot out of the door (previous post about that here)! It's in these moments of wondering (whether my outfit makes me look fat or my make-up is overdone) that the voice of a child can put things into perspective. Where the words "Mom, you look beautiful" can light up your heart and break down the rules of wanting to measure up...

It might just be because it was a massive change to my midweek wardrobe...I can't be sure. But the eyes of one's children tell a different truth to your own. I know I'm not perfect. I have my flaws...but I am beautiful to those who matter most!

 

 

 

 
 
And I really need to find another pose...

 



 

*A big thanks to my 10 year old son, who offered to be photographer for the evening...

Thanks for reading!

 

Peace,

 

NAMU :)

Sisters are Forever

If this week has taught me anything, it is to value and appreciate the love, bond and relationship I am fortunate to have with my siblings... I am grateful that we were brought up with a very strong sense of family...it is something I invest a lot of time and energy in preserving and it is something that I strongly emphasise with my own kids too. Having not had much of a chance to sit down and write a blog post this week, and feeling particularly sentimental, I thought I would share this  little poem I wrote for my sister's wedding last year....

 

 

Sisters are sent by the Almighty

They come with wise words to calm you down when angry,

and a warm embrace to comfort you when sad.

They bring with them the healing powers of Laughter...

and sometimes, maybe, you cry a stream.

They offer a listening ear, in the dead of the night, when all you need to do is talk.

They sometimes disagree, but mostly offer support.

 

Sisters are God's gift from above!

They provide courage when you don't want to stand alone.

They the ones you turn to when nobody else seems to understand.

But mostly...they are life long companions...

And I am glad I got all of you!!

 

 

 

Thanks for reading today!

 

Peace,

 

NAMU :) 

 

 



My Truths - Voice of Silence

"When you lose touch with your inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world."  Eckhart Tolle



Some days I have so much going on in my mind, where my thoughts crash like a violent storm in my head...those days it is easy to write...where the flow of words offers a resolve! But those are some days and they are also becoming increasingly rare. Most days fly by with me barely catching my breathe...busy, but rather uneventful. A comforting, calm, chaos. Satisfying and contented. But contentment doesn't make for a very good story...

 

When I look back at my journey so far, I remember a time when all I wanted was silence! Where my goal was to silence out the drum beat of others and find my own sound...my own voice. Where all I longed for was the calmness of my own thoughts...what I wanted most of all was to gain control of my mind... Stillness!

 Through that search I have learnt and discovered so many valuable lessons that have made me wiser and  I am grateful for the calm that has settled in it's wake. But life is a field of endless discovery and I know my life lessons are far from over. Life is full of little mysteries I guess...we always want what we don't have and don't know what to do with what we've got.

 

Sometimes we sit on the hills of contentment, basking in the glory of our small victories, thinking there is nothing left to learn...but the mountain to enlightenment is a much higher climb and there is always SOMETHING to learn. I know that our opportunities to learn and grow do not cease until our very last breathe, but I think I have become so accustomed to finding the lesson in the storm and perhaps I need to shift my mind set and start to find the lessons in the silence too!

I believe that everything we encounter is a step towards a much greater and meaningful path and existence...and if our troubles have led to this silence, then this silence can lead us to something far greater. My turmoil has led to me to this internal stillness...and even this stillness can speak if only I knew how to surrender to it and listen. I am sure this new awakening, this voice of silence, has much more to teach me and it is something I am eager to start to unravel and discover!

 

 

As always, thanks for reading!

 

Peace,

 

NAMU :)