Toast

A toast to us!

Our men

Last Sunday we took time out from church, friends, activities and work and had an all exclusive Wilson family day!  First we lazed around at home.  Then we headed down to my new favourite eatery called Toast for a scrumptious brunch.  The boys tucked into pancakes and giant milkshakes and we loaded our plates with all things delicious.  Toast is very retro and fun.  The cups and plates are straight out of anyone's granny's cupboard and the location is idyllic on the water's edge.  A photo session and stroll along the river bank in the winter sunshine was pure bliss. 

brotherly love is tying your shoe laces

I have learned to keep a stash of INTIMO boxes in my boot for these ocasions as you never know when you may find a hill worthy of a cardboard slide.  The boys had the best time sliding down the grass, wrestling, chasing each other and just being boys.

always crazy Hugo

Adam in action

Love padlocks on the park bridge

The end of the game!

double digits

Last week Russell turned 10!  A whole decade of parenting has slipped by!  He is so grown up now, our first born.  To mark the special occasion we finally gave in and bought him an iPod Touch.  He is so thrilled and made a whole outing of going down to the mall with his dad to choose a cover.  So we are now entering the phase of face time, pinging and gaming.  It's a slippery slope down the technology hill from here.

Russell is so responsible and a great big brother. He is quite independent now and loves to ride his bike, scooter or skateboard to school. He usually comes home via a friend's home.  He is really doing well at karate and rugby and is so keen to give everything a try.  He is proud to be part of the chess team, a sixer in his cub pack and is getting really good at his trumpet!  We just love his great passion for life. 

To crown it all, Russell is sporting lots of gaps in his mouth which is so endearing!
Now we just have the mini party to look forward to.  He has invited five boys for a sleepover on the last day of term.  I am bracing myself for even more testosterone in our home.  We'll just keep them busy with movies, gaming, table tennis, darts, skateboarding and lots of food and in all probability they will only talk to each other via their iPods!

Happy Birthday my darling big boy!

Hugo's birthday

In the midst of these busy past months, Hugo turned 5!  He had a fabulous party in a park.  The play equipment is new and really brilliant so we met up with his classmates, other friends and all the siblings after school on his birthday, Friday 18th May, for a play.  They  all had a great time playing on the equipment, hunting for their treasure bags and having scooter races on the paths.  I organised for a face painter to come down and he churned out princesses and tigers on every little face.

Hugo started his birthday with grilled cheese on toast, a household favourite!  He was so delighted to find that God had sent him a birthday wish in the shape of a grilled heart!!

Hugo is a gorgeous boy who is so full of life.  He loves playing with his friends and has extraordinary amounts of energy.  He grabs life with both hands and makes the absolute most of every situation, loving school and learning to read so quickly.  He engages in every activity and is a keen learner.  He is a joy to have in our home.  We are so thrilled to have three big boys now!

spotless

Spotless.  Well, not quite but much better than it was.  Bring on Gill, my new cleaning lady.  And there is purposefully no photo of her because that is the whole point.  I go out on a Friday morning and make other women feel amazing in beautiful and well fitted underwear while Gill cleans our house.  I come home and the house is all perfect, for a while!

It really has helped a lot to have someone do the main hard labour once a week.  It's not quite the life I left behind but it is a step in the right direction.  The boys are shocked that they now have to tidy for the cleaning lady.  Everything must be packed away and in its place before school so that she has a clear working surface.  She only has four hours to get around the kitchen, bathrooms, dust and vacuum, sweep and mop.  It's a workout and not for the feint-hearted.

Now that I am working so much, I just was finding it increasingly difficult to get to the cleaning.  I still have to change bed linen, do the washing, fold endless piles of laundry and spot clean as we go.  I usually iron on a Sunday night and do a quick blitz in the middle of the week.  The boys have their jobs and Rob has always been "Mr Min", cleaning as he goes, so our home usually looks alright.

It's tough keeping the living space of five busy people looking spotless but we keep on trying.

storm warning

The crackling fire is competing with the drumming rain as our city is bombarded by a freak storm.  Wind speeds of 125km/h are expected and there are severe weather warnings being broadcast on every channel.  The power keeps tripping and the rain is thundering on our roof.  The sky is ablaze with lightning bolts and trees are breaking under the powerful forces. 

This is the weather map showing a level 2 cyclone moving in!

I am so glad that I don't have to venture out to work tonight and am cuddled up on the couch with Rob (and his laptop!).   We are hoping that there won't be too much damage to property over night.  The storm is rushing in from the sea and covering most of the South West corner of this vast country.

Bed time soon and I don't think I will be getting up for my usual 5.45am run. 

Sleep tight.

the force

We are embracing The Western Force as our team to support.  Rob has the cap, I am yet to get the T-shirt but we are out there routing for them.  It's tough when the Stormers are doing so well, but we really are trying to take this last step in the direction of the Green and the Gold.

Recently the Stormers played the Western Force in Perth.  Lindsay and Rob took the two big boys to watch.  There was much excitement in the lead up to the game.  Hugo, Pat and I stayed at home.  I felt a little left out...and then the heavens opened.  It didn't drizzle, it poured.  We experienced our first winter rain and it bucketed down.  Pat and I were cuddled up on the couch with Hugo while the stalwart supporters were out there backing their teams!  They came back half-drowned, defeated and cold.  It was a sight to behold.

Nathan Sharpe

It was a great day when the Western Force visited our local rugby club to meet the players and sign autographs.  Arnout and I shared in the boys' excitement as they met the giants of the game they love.

It was quite something to get up close to these huge men.  They were so friendly and encouraging.  They gave freely of their time and many autographs to make these future rugby stars happy.  What fun for everyone.
Hugo was able to walk right between some of their legs!  He loved getting close to real heroes.

friends first

Little Creatures Brewery Fremantle

We are so fortunate to have family that we call friends first.  Mike and Julie spent a week with us as part of Mike's whirlwind business trip around Australia.  Mike is first our friend, and second Rob's step brother.  What makes him a great friend is his foresight to arrive in Perth four days after Julie's arrival.  That gave us girls just enough time to catch up properly, see some of the sites and work our way down the cocktail lists of many river and sea facing establishments!  It was our absolute pleasure to spend quality time with Julie and Mike.  We caught up on family matters, shared our lives and dreams and soaked up the last summer rays (and beverages!).  Julie, of course, had the uplifting experience of Intimo which is always great fun!

We shared an unforgettable evening at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, walked through Kings Park, took in some skylines and vistas and just enjoyed special time together.

Julie is one of the faces I see at the end of my blog every time I write.  I know she is there, willing me to write, wanting to see into our lives.  This time was meaningful and special, the first of many, we hope.  We love you guys.  Come back soon.

Rottnest Island

What a find!  We will definitely be going back there.  Rottnest is a small island 22km off the coast of Australia and a short (but rather expensive) ferry ride from Perth.  We took a five night break there in April which coincided with our visits from Pat and Lindsay.  It was pure paradise.

I think the fact that we a) stayed at Geordie Bay far from the crowd; b) had six other families in their own cabins share our experience; and c) had fabulous weather conditions, made it nothing short of perfect.


I know I should have taken my camera out more but I was simply having too much fun to be bothered.  The island, which is 11km long and spans a width of 5km at the widest point is a car-free (and carefree!) zone.  Most visitors use bicycles to get around and explore.  There is a bus for those less able (or lazy) that cruises between the bays.  Lindsay arrived on the island straight from her International flight and we met her at the dock.  She opted not to hire a bike, saying she would share and run a bit.  We all had bikes and Hugo was attached to my bike by his awesome tag-along.  The net result was that Lindsay and I spent most of the five days taking turns to either hall Hugo up and over the many hills or to run the distance to keep up with the biking gang!  It was a fitness first week which counteracted the incredible barbecue dinners and many bottles of wine!

Each little bay is unique in some way.  The sea is crystal clear and warm and the prolific fish are tame enough to make a feast of snorkeling in shallow waters.  The sand is white and squeaky and quite often our little party of six were the only people in sight.

The very basic cabins overlook the sea which makes for a tranquil start and end to the day.  It is a place of swimming and castle building, SUP boarding and sun bathing.  We had a summer fling that took us into autumn sun kissed and relaxed.  Island living is stunning.

Lindsay

 Rob's sister, Lindsay, came over from Cape Town for a few weeks.  Her visit over lapped with Pat's time with us so that they could see each other as well.  Lindsay blew fresh air through our home.  It was so much fun having her here for a visit.  Rob was snowed under at work so the two of us spent a lot of time together.  We had so many good laughs.  Of course she was "Intimised" with new underwear and she happened to be here when my free samples arrived as a gift from Head Office for qualifying for conference.  We had so much fun going through all the discontinued items picking out some great garments for her!  I am so glad that Lin was here to share our Rottnest holiday as it was a very special time.  We reconnected and sealed our friendship.  I was so happy to have her back and am even more thrilled that she is so happy and looking so beautiful.

Our boys so enjoyed being with their aunt again.  She wrestled with them and played board games.  She gave them so much of herself and that was really special. 

When Lindsay left, I felt as if all my South Africans friends and memories were boarding that plane with her.  The gut wrenching pain of separation was real again.  The day was a right-off as I spent most of it crying.  The visits are so sweet but the farewells will always be tough.

Till next time Lin.  We can't wait.

biscuit

During April we had a very special visit from Arnout Faveere.  Griet was his beloved pet and the two were so excited to see each other again.  Her little heart was pounding when Arnout took her in his arms.  We were also really pleased to catch up with him after six years.  Arnout moved to Australia as a little boy and almost instantly his nickname "Biscuit" stuck as the biggest producer of these sweet treats in Oz is Arnotts!

It was our treat to meet this full grown man!  His passion for his studies and zest for life are contagious.  We so enjoyed hearing his University stories over a dinner and bottle of wine.  The boys were thrilled when he joined them in making bicarb bombs in the garden and he cracked up at their spontaneous water fight and the mud bath that ensued.  We met Arnout as a two year old in Saldanha and now here he is, visiting us and sharing his life with us.  Where have the years gone?

what happened?

What happened to May?  Where did the time go? 


We spent April with Granny Pat from London.  It was great fun seeing Perth through her eyes as a first time visitor to Australia. 

There were catch up sessions in the spa pool...

We took a rid on the giant ferris wheel in Fremantle followed by fish 'n chips and a walk around the harbour.  We spent a blistering hot afternoon at the circus on the city foreshore.  The show was outstanding and worth the sweltering heat in the big top!  We caught the city ferry from South Perth to the city and back to make a day of it.

 

The weekend activities included a day trip to Mandurah down south.  We took a boat cruise in search of dolphins and a look at the estuary.  The bird life was incredible but only half a dolphin came into view.  The irony is a few days later Pat and I were out for tea at Zephyrs cafe along the Swan River near Fremantle where the river enters the ocean.  We saw several dolphins leaping out of the water playfully within metres of the shore!  What a privilege, and right on our doorstep.

Here Rob and Pat are enjoying the cruise.  The boat in the background is the one we spent the afternoon cruising on.  Here the boys are having scooter rides on the boardwalk in front of the restaurant while we are relaxing and sipping our drinks.

We patted the koalas and wombats at Caversham Wildlife Park. 

We played in parks, walked along the beach, ate out and caught up.  It was a busy month of activity.  Farewell Granny Pat.  We love you.