When your kids are toddlers you tend to do everything for them. When they get to preschool age, you slowly teach them how to do things for themselves; from tying their shoe laces to dressing themselves. And once they’ve mastered the basics you start introducing small chores. Letting them set the table, folding the washing and eventually moving to bigger chores like feeding the pets, doing the dishes, vacuuming and dusting.
Chocolate lovers will enjoy this gooey triple chocolate brownie. Best enjoyed straight out of the oven with oozing chocolate chunks in the centre.
This is the perfect recipe for those winter camping days or nights. Nothing better than having comfort food when it is cold outside. My girls love pasta and I tried this when we went camping and it was a hit.
Spending time as a family is very important and we do not realise that we are so pressed for time during the week with all that is going. I want my children to experience the outdoors and experience the beauty of what our country offers. We live in such a beautiful province and we are blessed with beautiful beaches, mountains, game resorts, wine farms and country side so why not explore it.
When I was a child, my parents enjoyed taking us camping and whilst I never really enjoyed it I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. To be honest camping was never really my thing, and back in the day there was no such luxury as air mattresses so sleeping on the ground was a killer. Coupled with wind and sand, camping does not sit well with me. My husband on the other hand simply loves camping. He has fond childhood memories as camping was a family tradition for them during the December holiday period. Having our own children we realised that we want them to experience camping and it would be for them to decide whether they like it or not. Their school introduced the camp-out fundraisers, and it was an instant hit with them. Even though the school camp-out was just a one-nighter, they loved the idea of sleeping in a tent. I made a deal with them, I would only go camping if there would be some comfort in it for me. I don’t want to struggle with setting up a tent for more than an hour, I don’t want the schlep of packing in bedroom- and kitchen essentials. I want it to be a stress free experience. Just pack in what is needed and head off. So in March this year my family and I discovered the pleasures of glamping. For those who don’t know the term glamping is more like glam camping with all the essentials and a few luxuries thrown in. Our first experience was at Ou Skip Resort in Melkbosstrand. Their bush camp tents are fully equipped with beds, bedding, bar fridge, two plate stove, kettle, pots, pans, crockery and cutlery.
It is that time of the year again when learners are sitting for their mid-year exams. This is a very stressful time. But whose stress is it anyway when it comes to exams.
Last year when my eldest daughter was in Grade 4 she wrote her first exam in June. What a stressful experience it was; I suppose more so for the parents than for her or so we think. And of course it doesn’t make it any easier when your child has this willy-nilly, “I will sit with my books in my own time” attitude. She received a study timetable from her teacher more than a month before the actual exam dates. There was enough time for her to revise and to be well prepared for the exam. However it was a constant check up on when she was going to sit and study and what she needs to study as she did not see the seriousness in the matter.
The much anticipated storm has finally hit the Cape Peninsula at exactly 22h00 last night as forecasted. With the Western Cape Education Department making a decision yesterday to close all public schools today, 7 June for safety concerns – there were a few debates on whether the storm will really hit the Peninsula and what the big hype was all about. (more…)
