Our Father, we were in heaven...

A weekend away was what we needed. Sun, sea, sand, wine and beloved people around me, what more could I ask for? Done on a shoestring budget, even better. Paternoster once again beckoned us and we obeyed.
Taking the day off we (me, Luke, The Darling Husband, Mom, Dad, Lil Sis and Co, my cuz and his co) headed up the coast to enjoy some R&R.

Lets start with the car journey.
My mission: to entertain a restless toddler on a 2 hour journey without drugging him.
It was early in the morning so Luke had just woken bright and breezy, no chance of being lulled to sleep by a comfy car ride, no sir-ree! The snacks and juice had been consumed half an hour into the journey and the ants in Luke's pants were starting to tickle.
Luckily, just before hitting the West Coast Road there is a filling station with a charming (if a tad expensive) farmstall that, besides selling divine homemade bread and preserves, has a collection of swings and jungle gyms and a jumping castle, all frequented by a brood of tame kapok chickens. Luke fell in love with the tortoise in the duck enclosure and raced around the fencing beseeching me to come look at the reptile. Why do tortoises always look so foul tempered? Maybe because they have young humans trying to stick blades of grass in their faces too often.
Tortoises seemed to create the weekend's theme: my mom complimented me on my ceramic garden tortoise before we left, my boy met his first tortoise at the farmstall and my cuz rescued an unfortunate tortoise that had been run over and left on the road. Shell cracked and back leg broken, my cousin gathered him/her up and vowed to take him to his local vet to be fixed up should he survive the weekend. We later slipped an elastic band around him to keep the shell together and tried to tempt him with succulent pieces of cucumber and lettuce. Quite good nosh for a hardened West Coast critter. Upon writing this I have had an update and the tortoise is on antibiotics and shall be able to live a long and happy life with just 3 legs.

So off we go, back on the road, books borrowed from my niece to entertain Luke but soon the ants are a-tickling again. Now we stop for brunch at Wimpy and bit of climbing in the play room gym relieves a drop of energy. Balloon and doggy bag in hand we set off on the last leg of our journey. We head into the more rural parts and Luke delights in the farm animals.
Me: "Look, Bubba, look at the cows!"
L: "Moo!"
And we sing "old MacDonald had a farm..".

Finally we arrive! Blue seas and skies greet us. The breeze whispers that I must start to relax, I have had a rough week (maybe another blog sometime).
We spend the afternoon on the beach. Which means just stepping off the deck. Perfect.

Luke's sweetheart, Poppie, and her mom, dad and gorgeous little brother join us later. They have just spent an hour overshooting the Vredenburg turn-off and have gone on a detour to Port Owen and back. A glass of wine, or two, is in order.

Braai, braai, braai is what our family does. Its what The Darling Husband craves and loves to do. And he was in his element. Big Weskus steaks and biltong featured high up on the menu. There was just no question about what we were going to have for dinners, it was taken for granted that a fire would be flashed up and perfect coals guaranteed. My Dad has long since happily hung up his tongs and let his son-in-laws do their thing.

We all slept pretty well with the waves crashing onto the beach and the Cape Recife lighthouse casting its beacon light through our windows at regular intervals. The beds were firm and the linen soft.
And waking up to Mom's homemade rusks and coffee made it even better.

A walk up the beach and further along took us into little beach coves and scrambling over huge smooth boulders. All the while lugging my weigh-a-ton son on my back/shoulders or hip. It seems the little legs did not feel like carrying the attached little body. Now I know how those crooked old ladies in stories come to have crooked backs...!

Still having some "walk" in me after getting back to the house some of us decided to take a stroll into the village and look at the local wares on offer. Besides the waving crayfish presented to us at every street corner.

So I strapped my strapping boy into his stroller and ambled off with 2 of my mommy friends (equally accompanied by babies and strollers and sunblock) in the direction of town. A nice stroll through fishermens cottages decorated with strings of shells and geraniums, and scruffy dogs lying basking in the sun charmed us even more.

After perusing the little craft market and local art gallery we decided to head home. Luke had demanded to be released from his torturous chair and walk around the art gallery (Valium, please!) I had to cut short his examination of mountain bikes for fear of them toppling onto him and some expensive artwork. Needless to say he was not impressed. Exit one determined mother with one yelling toddler under her arm. Still not satisfied in terrorising his mother he decided that the middle of the (busy) road was a good place to walk.
So Frazzled Mom decides to put child into stroller again, except that said child was having none of it! A tantrum to behold. After managing to secure the final strap across the writhing little body two ladies walk by and remark "Oh, how cute!" !!!! My exasperated reply was "Not now he isn't!"
Luckily by the time we made it home he had fallen asleep and was once again my angel.

I managed to get a little nap myself but was woken by a commotion and painful screams from Poppie! She had climbed up the stairs and fallen through the railings. Luckily the squadron of strollers underneath the stairs had broken her fall and she only sustained a little cut under her chin and a bloody mouth. An hour later we were all playing on the beach, happy as clams. Her angels were working overtime.

Sundowner hour has always been a special time I savour. Sitting back with that first glass of chilled wine and feeling the warm rough wood of the deck under my feet. Well, that was how it was Before We Had A Child. Now I'm lucky if I get a second sip before the iceblock has melted.

My Sweet Sister managed to lull Luke to sleep by stroking his wispy blonde hair, something I had tried but obviously had not been convincing enough.
Time to party! Woohoo! Right? Ahem. By that time all my mommy friends, including myself, were about to drag our beaten weary bodies to bed. Running after little terrors children all day will do that to you. (Hats off to pre-school teachers.) A hot shower and a welcoming bed sent me straight to Dreamland, let me hear you say "aaaaah..".

The next morning, Sunday morning, saw us making even more food and enjoying a big fry-up breakfast, what a treat. After that the packing began. And another lovely weekend away came to an end. God got us home safely and He knows whats on my Christmas wish list - a winning Lotto ticket to buy my own piece of heaven.
But heaven is where your heart and your family is. And I'm already there.