I have started a new blog, so from now on, please visit my blog at http://www.veronicahurly.blogspot.com/.

The start of a whole new week - I can't believe there are only 17 days till Christmas! Today I added a cute little elf counter who is counting down the days. I also added a little music for the soul- some Christmas music to soothe you while you browse my blog. My favourite is "Where are you Christmas" sung by Faith Hill - from the movie The Grinch.

Shannon sang this for her year-end concert at singing - and she sang it so beautifully! She even won the Student of the Year trophy as well as the trophy for the student with the best pitch on the night and the Best Junior Student. We are so proud of her - our little diva.

Here's a pic of Shannon singing "Where are you Christmas"

I think Reece has asked me around 50 times this morning "Mom, what can I do, I'm bored" - if you hear about a mad woman who has run away - or done something really bad- that's probably me coz tearing my hair out will not be satisfying enough! For goodness sake, we're only into the 3rd day of the school holidays and we have 7 weeks! Eek!!

Thank goodness we have booked a nice little treat of 2 days away at Etali Safari Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve. Can't wait for that! It's a real spoil!!!

This morning I got stuck into making pancakes for the kids for breakfast. I think they'd live on them if I gave them the chance! I sometimes make pancakes around 3 times a week! They've already had a loooonng swim in the swimming pool and I can hear them now - they're in the jacuzzi singing to their hearts content! Love that!

I have to share this layout done by Beckag99 - one of the Supreme Team members at GDS - she used my new Christmas kit- Gingerbread & JingleBells & I think this is just too adorable ....

Have a great Sunday! We're off to Leon's brother for lunch - so yippeee! i don't have to cook. Going to be a sweltering day again - I love Summer!

Sat 6 December 2008

Today was a lazy day, the only thing that I really did was get the Christmas tree up with the kids. I also fiddled around with my digi designs (new kit coming soon!). Here's a layout I did today of Reece when he was 3 - admiring our little Christmas train set. (All products are my own- from Gingerbread & Jingle Bells Page Kit & Santa's Workshop Page Kit- both avail at GDS.)

I absolutely love the expression on his face - and look how gently he is touching the train- I threatened him with goodness knows what if he broke it, so he was ever so gentle. This is one of my favourite Christmas photos of Reece - such a sweetie pie!

When we took out the train this year, the kids were just as excited as ever for me to get it going Choo choo around the track. They ran to get Lego men to place strategically around- a train has to have people (even though Batman and Indiana Jones Lego figurines have nothing to do with Christmas!).

While I was trying to untangle the *&%^#%@!! Christmas lights, I first put one string on the tree, switched them on and then began rearranging them so they were twinkling just where I wanted them. Unbeknown to me, there were a few missing bulbs and along with that some exposed wires. Needless to say, I managed to electrocute myself- not too pleasant! I actually burnt a tiny hole in my arm and a jolt of electricity shot up my arm. Luckily the lights are low voltage - coz even this gave me quite a fright!

Moral of the story - always arrange the lights when they are switched OFF! (duh!)

Scott came over to play with Shannon and they had such fun- it's so good to see them playing together again after the hiccups between them the beginning of this year. They're right back to playing again as if they were twins - completely inseparable.

Tomorrow should be another lazy day in the Hurly household. Yay! We'll probably go to Graeme & Rozanne for lunch - Shannon will love that coz she gets to play with her cousin again! (Scott is sleeping over here tonight).

I want to try get Leon to go look at Garden Bleu for some goodies for our courtyard - pots, decor items etc. Oh, and I saw the cutest metal bicycle for sale on the side of the road near Irene- so darn cute - gotta go take a look at that! So maybe we'll go potter around at the shops in the morning...

5 December 2008

Yay - School's out! We now have 6 weeks of no school! Yay! The kids only go back next year on 14 January, so no more carting them around everyday. Only down side is, Reece has already asked me "Mom, what can I do?" and we've only been back home after the End-of-term Church Service for 15 minutes! Looks like it may be a loooooong holiday!

Shannon came back from Kidz Camp yesterday and declared she will never go back! "Mom, they didn't even have a sheet on the mattress!" - Yes Shannon, that's why you took a sleeping bag along! She enjoyed last year's camp more, it seems. She was not impressed that he obstacle course included leopard-crawling through stinky mud! I was a little concerned when she told me they had to swing from a rope over the Vaal River (might have been the dam?) and let go, landing in the water. - After what we've heard in the news from time to time, the water's not that clean!

Today I am going to stay a bit of a couch potato! Last night I had 10 ladies over to my house to have a culinary lesson. A chef came and gave us a lesson on preparing a Christmas meal. It was fun and I picked up some great tips and recipes - but after clearing up, I only got to sleep after 12pm and then had to be up early to have the kids at the church service by 7am this morning. As it is we got there at 7.20am - we only just made the service which started at 7.30am.

3 & 4 December 2008

A little late with the post, but Wednesday was a very busy day. Bookclub took up the whole morning. I went to collect Reece from school and he begged me to go home with a friend, so off he went. I dashed home, cooled off (the heat is unbearable at the moment) and then decided to go shopping for teacher's Christmas presents. So at least I managed to ge that done. Last night we had a Champagne tasting and then ended up at Ocean basket for a quick dinner.

Today is going to be just as hot and humid and I have 10 ladies coming around tonight for a Christmas cookery demo and dinner. So I have loads to do today! Gotta get this house sorted and I'm fetching Reece later from school and Shannon gets back from camp this afternoon - So looking forward to her getting back after two nights away - the house seems so empty without her around. I so miss the sound of her practising her singing emanating from her bedroom.

I want to try get the tree out the storeroom today so the kids can decorate it this afternoon. By this time we normally have it up already, but with Shannon being away on camp and last weekend having her Singing concert, we simply haven't had the time. So maybe tomorrow I'll have some tree trimming pics to post....

2 December 2008

Today I took Shannon to school and helped her onto the bus to go off to Kidz Camp for 2 nights. It helped a lot this year that she wanted to go as last year there were many tears from both sides as she did not want to go at all. Being a compulsory school excursion, she went and actually enjoyed it. This year has been so different as she could not wait to go!

She had to take a sleeping bag and pillow along too, and thus ended up with a very large suitcase. We were a little concerned until we saw there were other kids with bigger bags than hers!

Reece decided he wasn't going to school today as he was not going to sit and draw and make things all day- too boring for him. So I thought, What the heck - let him stay home. He really enjoyed his day!

Leon came home early after going to a meeting in JHB as he has the flu - Be warned Leon - do not pass it along in my direction!

We finally booked a little getaway in December - 10 points for guessing where - yip a Game Lodge AGAIN!

Leon always seems to manage to get us to some or other Game Lodge. Last year was Tinga in the Sabi Sands, this year we're off to Madikwe Game Reserve.
We've booked two nights at a gorgeous luxury camp called Etali Safari Lodge. A 3/12 hour drive away - so not too far. And we'll be pampered from the minute we arrive!

Okay, so I didn't get my wish for a 10 day break in the Seychelles- but hey, I'm not complaining! It'll still be bliss doing absolutely NOTHING for 3 days! I'll grab my camera and I'll be happy snapping away and I think I might even indulge in a spa treatment!

I uploaded a new element pack full of Christmas goodies to GDS today - I love them! Now I'm off to sleep. Got Bookclub tomorrow- our last one for the year.