Skiing in Lesotho!

In August, we finally went on the long weekend trip we'd been thinking about since we arrived in Swaziland: skiing in Lesotho.  

It's not everyday that one gets to ski in Sub-Saharan Africa, so we were very happy to get to do this before we left.  After driving nine hours (not bad for adults, but terrible for two small kids), we arrived one late afternoon.  

From the road, AfriSki didn't look like much.  We actually started laughing when we saw this:

But as we grew closer, it got more exciting, especially for Aviva.  First item on the agenda was to touch the snow!

Snow!!!!!

"Why are Daddy and Grandma Ellen so happy?"

Our friends Sarah and Lila also checked out the snow.

We rented equipment, and Franklin tried on helmets.

Lily was ready to explore the snow.  It didn't look like much from afar.

However, we were pleasantly surprised.  Here's the view from the top of the main run:

There was definitely enough snow for the intermediate skiers (Callista and Ellen), and our friends that were beginner skiers (Nicole, Armand, and Erik.)  The only advanced skier, Peter, probably could have done with a steeper run, but he made up for it by skiing with a monkey on his back.

I skied with Franklin a bit, too.

Ok, I'll give this a try...

Wah!

We made it!

Aviva very happily took an hour of skiing lessons. 

She and Lily also had a great time sledding.

"Time for hot chocolate!"

Everyone should have red footed tights like mine

Leo's Birthday Weekend at Mbuluzi Game Reserve

In late June, our dear friends Jinty and Benoit organized a great weekend to celebrate their son Leo's birthday at Mbuluzi Game Reserve, about two hours away from Mbabane.

Jinty did a fabulous organizing nature walk / scavenger hunts for the kids.  Each one received an adorable "nature bag", which Jinty had made in Maputo, along with a little notebook and colored pencils for sketching or jotting down observations.

The troops had a great time, finding animal droppings, various bones, and bird feathers.  It was probably the only time they got adults to willingly discuss excrement.

Meanwhile, Peter taught Franklin how to eat ribs.

Just because I don't have teeth doesn't mean I can't eat ribs!

Well, Franklin didn't need that much instruction.

 Each kid got to choose from a basket of goodies (candy!)

The lodge where the party took place was right on the river.  No crocs sighted, though.



 We finished off the weekend with birthday cake and singing.

Aviva and Emil compared sketches

Franklin braved the stairs

That's not my underwear, it's a onesie!

Happy Birthday, Leo!  We hope to celebrate with you again in the future.

Pine Valley Garden Concert

Our friend Ben hosted a lovely concert on the lawn outside his home in Pine Valley.  There was a local blues band, and also a group visiting from the Netherlands.  It was warm enough in the sunshine, but got quite chilly when the sun set.

Baby with beer bottle

Franklin and Callista go for a stroll

Babies Franklin and Jonah discuss the music

As the evening got colder, Aviva and her buddy Antonin snuggled under a blanket together.  I included three shots of them below, as I love their expressions.  (What is she giggling about?)

You may have noticed that Aviva seems to be wearing the same dress (the infamous Chinatown dress) in many of these photos.  What kind of parents would let their child wear the exact same dress every single day?  (Sideways glance.)

Bushfire 2014

One of the best weekends every year in Swaziland is the Bushfire music festival, held in late May.  For the last two (or three?) years, we've met up with our good friends, the Kickerts, and this year was no exception.  This year, I (Callista), however, went without Peter, who was on a short trip to the US. Phetsile kindly agreed to work that day, so I wasn't completely on my own.  

The sun was bright, the music was excellent, and the friends were wonderful.  We missed Peter, but we had a great time.  

Birthday Party for the Fantastic Four

Soon after Franklin's birth, we were amazed to find that there were three other little guys in our immediate circle of friends, who were born within the same week.

So of course we had to throw a party for them.  Because one year olds love nothing more than a great party.  One gorgeous fall day, our friends Ruth and Rob hosted the shindig at their fabulous place.  We rented a bouncy castle and the Newmans had a second one that we kept indoors.

From left to right, the foursome were Franklin, Brandon, Jamison, and Oliver.

Our friend Karen (Brandon's mom) made matching shirts.  Here's Ollie and Ruth.

Jamison's mom, Vienna, made four gorgeous cakes for the boys.

Franklin initially looked intrigued.

"What do I do with this stuff on my hands?"

He considers it carefully.

Aviva was amused.

"Help me, Daddy.  There is a mysterious substance on my hands."

Meanwhile, Franklin's compatriot Brandon, who normally never sheds a tear, was having none of it.  His brother Andrew seized the opportunity to sample the icing.

Happy birthday, Franklin!