Going home

Wow, it has been a while since I went up country to stay with my parents. I was there briefly last year on the way to stay with Belinda when she had her baby, but before that it was when I was pregnant with Griffin and had a 16 month old Quinn with me. So Quinn does not remember the trip and Griffin has never been (apart from in utero).

With Richard out of the country and with my company year-end function in Johannesburg and Griffin's birthday coinciding this week-end we decided to all go up to Pretoria so the boys could stay with their grandparents, I could go to my function, and Griffin could do something different and special for his birthday.

On Friday I left work at mid-day, and went to collect the kids and our bags and we headed to the airport. The journey went very smoothly until 10 minutes before Johannesburg, when we hit a large and very turbulent storm. The lightning activity was impressive and exciting, but we were very ready for the flight to be over as we made the descent and were all set to land and what felt like meters from the ground when the engines suddenly screamed into life and the plane laboured and heaved itself back into the air. My first though was wtf?, closely followed by aaaaargh. I.am.going.to.throw.up. The boys were also green around the gills and I told them to breathe slowly, Griffin started loud Darth Vader breathing. We circled and stayed in the air for what seemed like forever before finally landing from the other direction. after the landing the pilot finally told us what had happened and that at the very last second it was decided it was too dangerous to land the first time and they had to abort the landing. His words were 'we are a bit late now, but at least we are all alive' YIKES!

All three of us climbed off the plane clutching our vomit bags and Griffin very nearly had to use his. I set off looking for a bathroom, and did you know there isn't one for miles. The first one is at the baggage claim which is a substantial distance away. I am sure they have to clean up the floor often! Luckily we made it and after some water and washing his face Griffin started getting some colour back, and didn't pass out or vomit as threatened. So not the best of flights then.

We got collected by my dad in his new and fancy Peugeot 604 and taken through to Pretoria, where we found that the entire family in a 2 hour travelling radius had rocked up for the occasion. There were the 5 daughters and their respective partners (all except Richard), the 7 grandchildren and the grandparents.

The boys settled in immediately and it is amazing to see how they are so at ease with their cousins despite hardly ever seeing each other, yet they always play as if they are best friends. Since we all gather so seldom there were many current and missed birthdays so gifts were passed back and forth as if it was Christmas day. Catherine arrived with 2 huge bunches of helium balloons which provided entertainment to all 7 children for the whole week-end.

There was much laughter, reminiscing and catching up. I miss that and was feeling a bit of nostalgia for Pretoria. It would actually be nice to live closer to the rest of the clan, and be able to spend more time with them.

4 of 7 cousins and moi.

We were served a wonderful meze and cold buffet dinner and Kristy had made a wonderful cake for Griffin, which I think we finally served at some time past 9pm - but the kids were still going strong. Catherine's husband has taken up running (and triathlon events) and was doing a race in Irene the next morning. I was tempted to join him, but when I found out it started at 6 I was no longer interested. I was not planning on getting up early, especially with a big part the next evening. I did promise him that I would run in the morning though - at a more respectable time. We finally called it a night some time around mid-night. I think I got to sleep at about 1am, as with the unusual heat and dogs barking etc. I just couldn't go to sleep.

Despite the kids going to bed at no earlier than 11pm, they were up and at it by 6am! They got entertained and fed by Kristy who was up with her baby and 2 year old.

At 8 as promised I was out for my run. Wow, Pretoria East is stunning. It is so lush and tropical and just nice. Everything grows so easily, and there are so many birds, and some are quite exotic. Also the plots and houses are so big and stylish and new. I love Cape Town a lot, but it is very different. I can really see myself living in Pretoria again one day. Maybe.

It was pretty hot by then, but I persevered. Pretoria East is pretty hilly, so I wasn't running very fast, but I think I did about 5km, and then circuited past the nearby VA gym, so I went in to get some water and earn some vitality points by accessing ;) It is a pretty nice and big club. I cooled down, and did a few light arm weights, and then ran back to the house and found my kids pottering around and happy, paying no attention to me at all.

By afternoon they were getting tired and a bit ratty but insisted they didn't need to sleep. Fearing that they'd turn into terrors with me gone, and be too much of a handful for the grandparents for the evening I imposed a 10 minute quiet period alone each. Both were fast asleep after 10 mins. Quinn hid away INSIDE the fold up bed to not sleep. ;)

This is not-tired Quinn, NOT sleeping (he folded himself into the fold up bed)

They were still sleeping when I left but reportedly woke up reset and cooperative and had a wonderful evening watching the Muppets and having pizza.

I meanwhile got chauffeured to Johannesburg to the hotel where I met up with the rest of the staff. I went to dress and then we headed off to the Year end function...