Outstanding October

October turned out to be quite a bright and busy month for our family and P-J's summed it up pretty accurately in this photo collage (cool, free programme) and I don't even think he realised it!

First came the birthday - an entire weekend of celebrating! And this, I admit, was where the idea was not only fed, but also watered and nurtured into a little seedling...

Then last week, we sold our trusted, reliable, well-loved Opel Estate Station-wagon. A little surreal still. The Opel was our first car purchased as a family and despite some work needed soon after we bought it, she served us well.

When I think about some of the things we did - piling our swim things and Crespo into the back for beach days, moving our and other people's house many (many) times, loading all of our belongings into the car and on to the Shosholoza Meyl train to Johannesburg, bringing home both newborn babies from the hospital...

...I have to wonder how we could've parted with her??!!

Cue the newest addition to the du Plessis family. Officially known as Harley Davidson XL883 IRON and affectionately known (by Jorja) as Isabel. Ethan is beside himself - a 'bike-car' at our house??!! I must admit, if ever there was a good time to bring this bike in, it would be now - when my son is simply fanatical about motorcycles...

It hasn't been a week yet and I think P-J still checks outside the window when he wakes up, to see if it's real! Of course, we've also had 2 un-seasonal days of rain this week and so Isabel was left parked at home and he had to use the car.

For me, however, the very best part of this month was the time we spent - sometimes at home, sometimes outside, eating, connecting, joking, playing. Together. Last week we enjoyed a picnic supper on Sea Point Promenade, on a Skype video chat with our loved ones in America. A few days before that, we ditched all other plans and drove down to Muizenberg beach to play in the park and take in some fresh air. These days are precious! We know all too well that soon P-J's schedule will leave limited chill time and so I think we've done the right thing in capitalizing on the free time now!

Hat breakfasts...