Last of the porch pool days

Last summer the kids were small enough to swim in a storage bin, this year we upgraded to a blow-up wading pool. Can't tell how many toys got tossed over the side and what happened to them, but it was something to do.

Last days in the park

Fortunately this summer wasn't as horribly hot as the last one. So Ciaran and Saoirse got to spend time outside without completely melting and enjoyed the fruits of the ice cream trucks that hung out in the park.

Living in Squallor

Our kitchen/computer/TV table.

Where James & I slept for two months.

The garbage can doubled as the iPod player table when I got rid of the kitchen one.

And doubled as a stool for James.

Not really, but we were down to the bare bones of our apartment the last few weeks as I either sold, tossed or donated our European belongings. We only had to dumpster the red chair and pillows so we did fairly well.

Normandy, France

Our last trip of our stay was to the region of Normandy to see the WWII sites. If you've ever seen "The Longest Day" you get a good feel for how things must have looked back in the day. The countryside is beautiful but with all the monuments, markers and sites, it's almost overwhelming to think what took place in that area. So, while we spent more time on the road and making "potty" stops along the way, it was a great place to visit.

Photos coming soon...

Activity time gone bad

This is what happens when you turn you back for five minutes. Can't wait to see what she does with arts & crafts when she goes to school next year. Ciaran meanwhile has purple marker up and down his arms.

Oostend " skeevy" Beach

We have had a cool summer thus far in Brussels which is nice overall, but not beach weather. So yesterday we finally had a cloudless/rainless day and we went to the one beach we know. This is the same one we went to last year for an afternoon and we're glad we're never going back again. The sand is filled with creepy-crawlies, but Ciaran had a good time playing in the water and throwing shells into the waves. Everyone had a good scrub-down when we got home.

Sleeping arrangements

Getting these two little hamsters to bed is becoming all the more "challenging." After awhile we check on them and this was one of the ways they ended up falling asleep. Notice Ciaran has ALL the blankets and Saoirse's pillow.

One last look at the starfish before we go...

Modeling their shark hats they made in the kids' area.

We had a few hours to kill before our flight home so we took the kids back to the aquarium in Cape Town. Saoirse was awake for it this time and the kids were excited to see all the fish, sharks, etc. We had to steer Ciaran away from the touch pool until close to the end otherwise we'd have been there all day.

The trip was lovely and we would most certainly go back to South Africa.

Oudtshoorn

At the Cango Ostrich Farm - feeding one of the big ones.

Yes, I rode the ostrich and they go fast. I also have a new appreciation for bull riders.

Getting a "neck massage" from the birds, again I was the only one to volunteer for this.

Saoirse is standing on two year old ostrich eggs. Each one can withstand 120 kg of weight on them. Saoirse is hardly close.

On the way to Oudtshoorn we finally saw baboons. Mind you there's signs everywhere warning you not to feed them or you can be fined, but we never saw them. These guys were just sunning themselves on the road.

Plett Bay

After lunch nearby, the kids got to pick out something from the local vendors nearby. Saoirse liked a wooden elephant. Ciaran picked a black chicken and these wooden spoons.

Not a fan of the waves, Saoirse took to playing in the sand.

A large jellyfish washed up on the beach, the snail type things were making a b-line out of the water for it. Yum yum.

We had another day of sunny weather and stir crazy kids so to enjoy both we walked a long strand of beach and Ciaran played in the surf. Now we can say we put our feet in the Indian Ocean.

$125 boat ride

We took a chance on a "dolphin safari" and ended up spending 1.5 hrs bouncing along the bay seeing nothing, so since the dolphins and whales were nowhere to be seen, we were brought to a colony of Cape Fur Seals, which was nice to see, but I'm still a little bitter at the price tag.

Knysna Elephant Park

Because you just can't get enough of elephants and we needed something to occupy the kids, we went to the Knysna Elephant Park for a little tour armed with two buckets of "yummies" to feed the animals. James and I braved feeding the group by placing the fruit right in their mouths, the kids and Curt sort of let them take it out of their hands with their trunks. But everyone enjoyed it.

Addo Elephant Park

Female kudu in the brush.

We have better photos, but this gives some perspective on how close the elephants were to the cars.

TTFN! Ta ta for now...

Our tour guide (who slept through a lot).

We decided that we wanted to see more animals and not on a reserve so we made a three-hour drive to the Addo Elephant Park National Reserve. It was so worth the drive as we saw 13 elephants in their environment (and we have great video if I could figure how to upload), kudu, zebra and more than enough warthogs to last us a lifetime.

Monkeyland

Ciaran making friends with our guide Jimmy.

Saoirse is trying to keep her pants out of the mud.

Crossing the long, rickety bridge to the end of our tour.

We received a free guided tour of Monkeyland - a reserve for what else, monkies. We trekked through the mud, tried to stay quiet which is always a challenge.

Garden Route Game Lodge

One of two white rhinos on the reserve. This one killed the female elephant they had about two months ago. Yikes.

Riding high in the land cruiser.

The cheetahs are kept in separate areas and we were told not to let the kids run around because they're the same hight as prey. We got a good lesson as Ciaran took off and the cheetah ran along side. Saoirse also got her head stuck in the fence before we went into the enclosure.

Hard to see, but the kids are looking at a tortoise. They wouldn't touch it of course.

This young private game reserve is just outside of Albertinia, S. Africa. We stayed four nights which was two too many, and with the rain and cold the kids got a little house bound, but everyone who worked at the hotel was very nice and kid friendly so that helped out. We tried a new beer, Hansa, which is popular with the locals and quite good :) Otherwise, we took a few game rides and checked out the lodge's cheetah and reptile centers.