Hi all
This month has been full of fun and new things.
Firstly Emma started solids and has been playing around with her Nestum and Butternut. We are now on 2 spoons of nestum and 1 spoon on butternut, which is a huge hit. She has also learnt how to roll from her tummy onto her back and how to hold more than one object at a time and swop hands holding them. She is also learning how to sit at moment and loves sitting in her plastic box watching her fish swim around and banging her rattle on the box, her head etc. She is also starting to grow out of her 0-3 month stuff lengthwise and not widthwise, she is a really tall baby and takes after her daddy (who she loves to bits!) She has also picked up another cold and is rather miserable at the moment but she finally seems to be getting over it so hopefully we will get back to the 6pm to 5am routine pretty shortly.
On the work front, I have found a job, starting on Sept 1 with a big surprise party for us. It is at a Pre-Primary school down the road and I will be the head aftercare teacher with one other teacher under me (the power – ha ha). Anyway I can take Emma to their baby aftercare while I am working and will now spend my afternoons looking after 2-6 year olds. At the moment the school is government but will be switching to private in the new year. I do have to work during the school holidays but I get two weeks off in the year and have the whole of December off as well – for a change Vaughn may have more leave than me. I have taken Emma for a trial visit and was happy to note that she was enjoying herself and all the attention – being the smallest has its advantages! The baby centre has about 6 babies in the afternoon so that means two kids to one person – a really good ratio. Another good thing is that is in the classroom right next to mine and therefore within calling distance if life is really horrible, which hopefully it will not be but it does make mom feel better.
On the landy front, my mom has finally found a Range Rover (lovingly nicknamed toad by us). We took it out for a trial run at the Hennops 4×4 track and the Rangie and its driver was definitely the most elegant 4x4er of the group. The Rangie elegantly mastered the obstacles while the rest of us resorted to beach buggie tactics as Vaughn calls it. We did have a really great time with Sue driving the Pajero, Vaughn’s Mom the Patrol, My Mom the Rangie and Vaughn and I the Landy – we made quite a formidable group. We also mastered rutted roads, water crossings (the Paj had hassles and came to a dead halt in its third trip), Steep declines and inclines with various additional problems for interest. We finished off with a quiet braai, once again Emma was happiest when we were bouncing over hill and dale and woke for the obligatory homage to Lily on the side of the road to fix her snapped accelerator cable (this homage was rewarded with the sight of about 50 ferrais and their escorts driving past and tooting).