Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you a wonderful New Years Eve... And for the year coming we hope that it's peaceful and prosperous for you all.... I can't believe our desert holiday is almost over - we are on our way home tomorrow - three weeks goes very quickly. We've had a really good time here and I'm going to be sad tomorrow to say goodbye. Here are a few more shots of our trip....











Camels in the Desert












Playing in Dunes









The Fishers










Rafting at the Waterpark

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everybody! We hope that you had a very good day and celebrated with those nearest and dearest to you. We had a lovely day, the boys were thoroughly spoilt by their grandparents and Ben just love everything he got. Daniel was more facinated with the paper and the boxes the toys came in, but isn't that always the case for a six month old? Now we have the new year to look forward to and I hope that it is a positive and peaceful year for you all. I couldn't resist being overindulgent and posting these pics of my beautiful two boys...

A Few Pics

We are having such a good time here - Bob and I got away on Friday and went skiing!! It was fantastic and made me realise how much I love it... I can't wait for the boys to be old enough to learn and for us to go skiing as a family. The SkiDubai was very well put together and the two runs they had not bad. Mom and dad babysat the boys for us which was great too. It was so strange to ski in the evening and the next morning take the boys to the pool to have fun in the sun. I even managed to get Daniel into the water - he's not a fan of the cold... AND got a smile from him :)

Pics Of Dubai

I've managed to get the photo's uploaded of our trip.... Here are some of the highlights :) We are having a really great time here and today plan to spend time on the beach - I'm hoping to see a camel or two.... Tomorrow it's christmas shopping time. I've put it off for long enough... Ben is loving it to - and is making us laugh so much. Now, if you ask him how he is his standard answer is "Not Bad" ??? Don't know where he got that from :)













Mom and Dad's House









Building on the Beach is incredible












Madinat Market












Proving we were there










Boys Playing together













Us in Madinat with the Burj Al Arab behind us













Our little Arabian thief hiding in a pot













Playing in the fountains

Dubai for Christmas

As the title tells you we are in Dubai at the moment.... Thankfully we had a really good flight from Dublin and it was direct which was fantastic... So here we are for three weeks with the folks to enjoy the sun and sand - I didn't think that I would enjoy it as much as I am at the moment. Mom and dad live in a really nice complex with a lovely playground and pool literally across the road from their villa... It is a shopping mecca, and really I feel like I'm in sandton a lot of the time - except for the occasional traditional arab garb even the people look like you would find in sandton... The boys have adapted really well and the four hour time difference hasn't seemed to be a problem for them. This afternoon we went off to the beach which was lovely, got to see a camel or two and then went to the marina - which is sandton square with boats, for drinks. There was a fountain there and Ben just loved it - hence the footage above. He was shouting at the water to spray and it was very funny.

The amount of building here is just unbelieveable - I don't think that any description can do it justice, I really feel like I'm watching the birth of a city - they are building everywhere!

Blogger is having aproblem with photo's so I'll try post more soon...

Warning: Christmas is Coming!

We had a lovely morning this morning - our little family tradition of a Sunday brunch out somewhere was upheld and we were in Howth this morning at a little cafe with our friend Cathy and Riaan and their son Sean. After which we proceeded to feed every type of wild animal we could find - seals in the harbour, ducks in Portmarnock and swans in Malahide! We were so intent on our mission that Ben missed his afternoon sleep, something that never happens. After a brief stop home where we though he might nod off for a while (something that did not happen) we were out again - to the police station to get the boys South African passports signed and the shops. We had a real fun time at the police station though - he wouldn't sign the forms because our embassy hadn't phoned him to tell him to do it?????? He then asked my if I understood what he was saying????????? I speak English mate, I hear you loud and clear. As I write this I am still in awe of how blatantly racist he was to us... I know that sounds melodramatic, but he honestly treated us like morons! Let me change the subject - I'm getting cross just thinking about it!

At the shops Ben saw the Christmas decorations for the first time (YES they are up already, hence the title of the blog)... He was so funny - everything was twinkle twinkle (all the flashing decorations)... He almost broke his neck to see the reindeer suspended from the ceiling, and he was VERY weary of the three rocking Santa's in the display - I think they were playing "I wish it could be Christmas everyday"... The shops were full too, and there was a buzz about the place, and Ben made us feel like we were seeing Christmas for the first time too.

Here are some photo's of the day...



Us in Howth

Feeding the Ducks

My beautiful Daniel

Jumping off the pier

Happy Halloween

We had such a wonderful Halloween last night! There were more kids at the door than we’ve ever had before, and I was going to take Ben and Daniel Trick or Treating, but we just couldn’t get our timing right. We were going with the neighbours but they were running late, then Ben needed dinner and by the time everyone got together for the fireworks Ben was asleep… But he had good fun handing out sweets at the door and saying bye bye to everyone. He wasn’t quite sure WHY he was giving away the sweets though… Surely they were his? I think he was saying bye bye to the suckers and sweeties instead of the people …


Ben in his Policeman Costume


Riding the Horse

Daniel has been a little under the weather lately too, and is on antibiotics and an inhaler for a chest infection, but thankfully he’s on the mend now. You wouldn’t say there was anything wrong to be honest as he still smiled and laughed all the way through it.

Ben had a party at creche yesterday to celebrate too, and one of the girls there had a super costume on where it looked like she was riding a horse, and she was giving all the kids a ride… And here is Ben, loving it! He wasn’t too social though, after he finished his sweets and had his ride it was “Home, Mommy, HOME” while tugging me to the door…

Well, now that we’re into November already - we’ll have to start thinking of Christmas… It’s only weeks away. I love the holidays, and so as usual I can’t wait. It’s more special now because of the boys… We are in Dubai this year visiting mom and dad and I can’t wait for my dad to meet Daniel… One of the saddest things about living away from family is that they don’t get to see our beautiful boys growing up… I know and understand why I’m so biased, but Daniel really is a cutie… just look…

Wide Smiles

Oh!

I don't do Flashes

I Ga Goo

Translated is "I Love You", sung by our favourite purple dinosaur Barney - I thought I would show you all too (this is my first video posting), when Ben disappears it's to give me a hug and a kiss... And I couldn't post this without putting Daniel up too - and since he's only four months his repertoire is a little limited - watch how he doesn't roll onto his back :)

Ben is Two

Ben is Two!

We have had such a lovely day… Ben’s party went really smoothly, and everyone seemed to have a really good time! It didn’t rain and so the kids were out in the garden, ben I’m sure ate his weight in sweets, which is always a good yardstick for a party and is now sleeping off the sugar… A good time was had by all… Here are the photo’s…


The Cake


The Table


Look no Rain


Before the Party

Watching "In the Night Garden"

My Cake


Happy to You


Enjoying my cupcakes at creche

Counting down to two

Well, Ben is two on Saturday, and I just don’t know where the time has gone to! How could two years have past… I can’t help thinking this week, of how it was going into my second week of being overdue and remembering just how much I wished he was with us… But also, who would have thought two years ago that I’d be here today with TWO boys! It’s a little hectic here at the moment with preparations for the party, but I’m sure that everything will go smoothly… I will post the photo’s on Saturday afternoon for those of you who would like to see Ben on his birthday! Here are some of the photo’s we took this afternoon as we had a little impromptu photo session…

Isn't he lovely?

I have a new computer - yay!! With windows vista and so I’ve been spending some time finding my way around the new layouts. The great thing though is that I have new picture and editing packages which are fabulous to play with. I can make movies, burn dvd’s and generally have great fun recording my family Speaking of family I can’t help myself with the shots of the boys, I know there are a lot of them, they are just to wonderful… See for yourself…

Crazy Hair


Yogurt, the sixth food group


Baby's got blue eyes



Gratuitous cuteness


what our weekends have been reduced to!

Ben’s “Happy to You” is getting closer (his birthday party) and I am starting to panic slightly. We have most of the decorations we’re doing a baby Einstein theme, but I have to get the cake organised and the eats for everyone. I’ve decided it’ll be easier to structure the party and not keep it going to long so we’re having it at 10:30 in the morning with games and stories and a run in the garden… I’m looking forward to posting those photo’s…

What Good Weather

As my previous posts have stated, thank goodness! We finally are getting a few good days... And today must have been the best of them. We had such a lovely day with the boys - both were just angelic and neither cried... Bliss... We spent the morning at Ardgillian Castle and the playground there, time flew and Ben just loved the slides, but was even more taken with the sailing boats on the sea - he's taking more and more after his grandfather! He shouts "Boat!", "Boat!" at me all the time. Then we got home to get ready for John and Nicola coming over for a Braai. The weather held up and we got to eat outside. A real treat! :)

Unfortunately, Robin hasn't been with us this weekend, he is off competing in a Cisco Fitness/Team building Challenge with his company, which has meant night runs in the rain, canoeing in the dark, I believe he had to swim 400mtrs today - he's going to come back shattered.

Here are my beautiful boys :)...