fathering

did you notice this?

In the last posted video of Diesel climbing the tree house ladder, you may have noticed this little 'creature' climbing the tree just above the ladder ...






Just in case you didn't, here is a closer look ...




a sweet gift from our Canadian friends for Braeden during their last visit ...

old dog, new tricks

He can't climb trees, but he'll do the next best thing!!

look what I won today!

Have you ever seen so much chocolate!!

I heard him saying, "Now, you can just watch from there" ...

as he sat down to practice his piano, and I wondered who he was talking to ...

So I took a closer look ...

They look very interested and impressed wouldn't you say?

They sat there very quietly the whole way through the practice session. And I could have sworn I saw them nodding their appreciation at the end!

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Now, on another note (!), I know this is absolutely the wrong way to sit at the piano ....

... but do just love this

Braeden loves photographing ants ....

guess where we found Jamie yesterday evening?

this is what holidays are for ...

oops

After church this morning, Patrick took us down to the beachfront to 'show us something'. It was very windy - not beach weather at all - so we knew it wasn't for a swim!
The boys ran ahead, and I heard some very excited shouts and exclamations

Wonder what they are looking at? .....

Hang on .... what's that in the water?

Could it be? .... It looks a lot like a ......

.... It is ... a grader!

Almost completely submerged in the sand and water!

Apparently the driver was moving some beach sand around near the top end of the beach at low tide, and then needed to get to the other side of the pier. Instead of going back, and around the top end of the pier, he thought he'd take a short cut and go around the front!! Obviously not taking into account that the beach sand is very soft right in front of the pier due to the constant flow of sand and water from underneath the pier!

The grader started sinking immediately, and then the more the driver tried to get the vehicle out of the sand, the deeper he sank into it!
Eventually he had to abandon it, and this is what it looks like now at high tide!

Mmmmm ... I'd love to see the insurance claim on this one!!

Patrick and the boys ran down for a quick photo in between the waves!

A friend gave me these ...

... for no particular reason

Dylan's Birthday Cake

Baked the infamous 'Beer Box Cake' for Dylan's 17th birthday yesterday! (see previous postings for the recipe)


But we were in an enormous rush, because Dylan had a Maths class after school, and then had an appointment with a sculptor friend of ours for the afternoon, for advice on his art project.


Then we all went straight to prayer meeting until 7pm!


I had baked the cake in the afternoon, so, on our return and in between clearing up the dinner dishes, we had a combined effort at the icing!

I simply melted a large slab of milk chocolate which I spread over the top of the cake, and then melted a smaller slab of white chocolate which I poured into a ziploc bag. I cut a tiny hole in the one corner and 'piped' a very rough guitar shape onto the hardened chocolate 'icing'


Patrick helped with a creative edging
All done in 10 minutes flat!

Everyone had a huge square, which was savoured with much licking of lips and fingers, while we had a great family game of Trivial Pursuit.

Dylan is going to have a few friends around for a braai/barbeque - to celebrate his birthday in a less rushed fashion - but this was thorougly enjoyable and no less special for all of us :o)

Happy Birthday to a very special 17 year old! We love you Dylan

And wasn't this a lovely way to have our coffee break this morning?