Fool in the Rain

“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” Robert Kiyosaki

26 hit me like a foot through a broken play set platform, simultaneously saving my daughter from falling 6 feet to the ground and a subsequent neck injury.  Happy Birthday to me.  Have no fear, all is fine, just a series of unfortunate events from our recent trip.


Got your attention?  Ok, let's start from the beginning...

Our camping trip to Wilderness was a long awaited one for Dana and I, a chance to have some peace and quiet (or at least during Sophiya's nap and bedtime that is...), relax and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings.  Being the planner I am, I booked far in advance, we had all our gear ready to go and we were on the road!  Sophiya was surprisingly content in the car for a five hour drive, all was going so well.






By the time we got to our campsite the weather was misleadingly sunny and warm.  Wilderness National Park is absolutely stunning, campsites right on the river, impeccably clean, many different bird species, tons of hikes to choose from and canoeing (one thing I was really keen to do). 




We set everything up, had some dinner and by the time Sophiya was ready for bed, suddenly the clouds started to cover and wind picked up during our late night fire time.  "It's a bit chilly huh babe?" I say to Dana, but we just put on extra layers and cut the fire time short.  "It won't be this cold tomorrow, right?"


Long story short, the next couple days were absolutely miserable rainy, cold weather, in Fahrenheit terms for all you N. Americans reading, probably an average of 40s with even colder wind....  Those of you that think that Africa doesn't get cold, it definitely does.  (My birthday celebration/accident was somewhere in there). After debating back and forth about what to do, we ended up throwing in the towel and driving back to Cape Town to our warm home, a hot bubble bath and comfortable beds.  It wasn't fair for our little Sophiya to suffer in that cold, Dana and I also came to the realization that we are fair weather campers, and ok with this.  


Although we enjoyed our cozy time as a family (to a point) of laying in the tent listening to the rain and wind outside, cuddling together, reading stories and playing with Sophiya, this only lasts so long with a one year old in a constricted space.  Gone are the days (I suppose temporarily) that Dana and I could just grin and bear the harsh weather, sleep all day, read our novels, play card games and have philosophical conversations for hours to pass the time.


But that's life, huh?  Life doesn't always go as expected, but you do your best to make the most of the situation.  Not everyday is rainbows and sunshine (literally).  And that is ok.  Sometimes you plan and plan, and plans get thrown out the window.  I have to constantly remember this in my own life, as I'm always trying to make sure everything is order and just right, but this isn't always the case and often, you don't have control over it all!

All in all, we enjoyed being together as a family, some downtime, laughs and at the very least another beautiful drive through the Garden Route.


On a happier and much more enjoyable note, Easter Sunday was very fun for Sophiya.  She gathered her little egg trail to her Easter basket and was delighted with the contents.  New bath toys, African animals and a mini book collection.  She loves the mini books because they are perfectly sized for her hands and make for good distractions during car trips!

 

The egg open up to different shapes and colors and were almost more exciting then the Easter basket goodies!

 

She looks like a little diva in this one... Speaking of attitude, we can't be sure, but there has been a couple times where she has said "No" in perfect context while shaking her head. 

 She's got a full set of teeth in the front now and she is using those pearly whites to her advantage daily!  As she is understanding more and more, you can tell her to smile and she'll give you one of her crooked, heart melting, cheese ball smiles that we just can't get enough of!  Her sense of humor is growing and she'll find things funny like when I accidentally drop a spoonful of her cereal on my clean pants, if Daddy bumps his head with her toys while being silly or if she lets out a little toot and realizes it came from her!!

 These toddler days are ones of emotional ups and downs.  It is ever more apparent that parenthood presents you with the most challenging days of your life as well as the most joy and happiness that you could never have experienced without that little one present.

Her empathy and sympathy is also emerging as she's been very sensitive to times where I have suffered an injury (like cutting my finger while cooking on our trip) and she will point to the cut and look worried or give out a little whimper like she understands that it is pain or hurt.

One very cute thing that is happening recently is that anytime she may have a bad fall or bump, she will immediately hold out her index finger in exclamation of her injury, every time....  so even if it's the head or knee hurt, the index finger comes out first and that is the one that needs to be kissed "all better".  

 Sophiya's Party Trick (and Dad's)

"How old are you Sophiya??"

It is also becoming more and more obvious that she is unmistakably a girlie girl.  She loves clothes, shoes, accessories and her newest fascination, Mom's makeup bag.  She does a runway walk when she has on a new outfit, clip in her hair, necklace around her neck or shoes never worn on her feet for the first time.  It's absolutely hilarious.  She knows the word "pretty" as we use it everyday to compliment her on something new she's added to her outfit.

We only wish we could share her with those of you so far away from us.  Hope you all enjoyed a very Happy Easter weekend and we love and miss you!

Golden Oldie

It's April already!  I cannot believe that it has been five years since my first arrival in Cape Town this month and I was celebrating my 21st birthday downtown at a club where Prince Harry was spotted!  I will be 26 this month, wow!  When I was a kid, I remember playing house and thinking 26 was so OLD.  And yet, here I am.  Birthdays make one reflect on the years that have past, decisions made, accomplishments and failures, joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams for the future...

We are enjoying our last days of summer, as autumn is here!  The fall time in Cape Town reminds me of an Indian Summer in US, where you can feel the nights are getting cooler, but you are still blessed with warm lovely days, while the leaves are starting to change colors and drift to the ground.  I've decided to take advantage of these days and be outside as much as possible!

The best part of having a kid is you get to be a kid yourself.  Every stage comes with different forms of play and creative expression.  This toddler stage is all about discovering new textures, colors, cause and effect.  I decided to experiment with art with Sophiya and it was so entertaining for us both!  Finger paint and a big sheet of paper was all we needed for this project, and we had such a blast!  I didn't realize that we were going to experiment with body art as well, but that ended up being the highlight of the day!

 

 Sophiya is also in love with all animals, any shape or form.  We have adopted a pet tortoise from the previous owners of the house we live in, whom we've named Cera after the dinosaur from Land Before Time, who roams freely through our garden.  She often is hidden in the foliage, but every couple weeks she emerges and we run out to feed her some of her favorite foods, namely apples and cucumbers.  Sophiya thoroughly enjoyed snacking on her apple slices with her pet tortoise. 

 The end of summer also means the end of some of my herbs from my garden.  Since Sophiya is such a fan of picking plants from my garden, often not when I actually want her to, we worked together to get a large batch of basil collected to make some fresh pesto, one of her favorites!  She is starting to understand so much now when we ask her to do something like "help" with laundry, unloading the dishwasher, handing over an item or toy.  It's the asking her not to do something that she isn't quite getting yet, hopefully she'll catch on soon, but I think this will be a challenge for years to come...

She is learning so quickly, her little brain is a sponge.  Even though she has a couple words in her vocabulary so far, she is trying to communicate the best she can.  She knows parts of her body, eyes, nose, mouth, feet and most importantly SHOES.  She LOVES shoes, to Dad's dismay.  She can hold up one finger when you ask her how old she is too, so clever!  It's amazing how everyday she is capable of grasping a new concept, forming the words for language and the ability to interact.

Though I don't miss the harsh winters of Minnesota,  I am secretly delighted that much milder, rainy Cape Town winter is around the corner.  There is something charming about getting cozy with the ones you love by a fire and eating food that warms your soul.  One of my favorite winter dishes is risotto.  Risotto is a time consuming meal though, it's not something you can throw together after work quickly.  It takes patience and finesse, but the end product is scrumptious and well worth the extra energy.  Plus, you have to stir it so much you are more than likely going to get an arm workout, so a bonus for the cook!

Roast Butternut Squash, Spinach and Sage Risotto

 1.1 Liter Stock (homemade chicken stock preferrably!)
1 knob butter
2 tbls Olive Oil
1 Large Onion
2 clove garlic
1/2 head chopped celery
400g risotto
2 wineglass white wine
salt and pepper
parmesean
large handful spinach, stemmed and washed
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Sage

Optional additions: 
Pan-fried Pancetta/Bacon
Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola

Roast Butternut/sage in oven at 180C for 20-25 min, until squash is soft

Heat Stock
In a Separate pan heat oil, butter.
Add Onion, celery, garlic, fry slowly on low heat for 15 min
When soft, add risotto and turn up heat
Keep stirring rice, when translucent add wine
Once wine is cooked, add one ladle of stock at a time until absorbed, turn down heat to simmer
Stir, ladle, stir, ladle, repeat, repeat until arm feels like it's going to fall off!!
Cook until soft
Remove from heat, add butter, butternut, spinach (for extra flair: pancetta/bacon and/or blue cheese/gorg)  Let sit for 2 minutes before serving.  Risotto should be creamy and thick, not soupy.

Enjoy with glass of wine!