When the sun is setting, between dusk and darkness, there is a moment when the light turns blue. And the world stops for a heartbeat.
Alanna and Kiara turned 8 today. It’s a cliche – but I truly can’t believe it’s been eight years already!
The girls are at that wonderful age, when they can behave like big girls for a little while – discussing plans to meet up with friends and writing secrets in their diaries. And the next moment they are happy little kids again, playing with magic birds and a baby dolls.
May it last for a long time still!
One thing I miss from South Africa is a bathtub. Finland has an estimated 3.3M saunas but bathtubs are quite rare. Don’t get me wrong; sauna is amazing. But sometimes I would just love a bath.
When we moved to Finland, Alanna and Kiara were 3 years old and had never showered in their lives. Bathing a toddler is easier – and more fun. A bit of a culture shock.
Most of the time (well… a lot of the time) Alanna and Kiara get along well. They play together often and still share many of the same interests, hobbies, and friends. But like any siblings, they also fight. Loudly! Usually at the worst possible moment.
Alanna was born about two minutes before Kiara, but they have both silently (and sometimes not so silently) agreed that Kiara is the big sister. She is often the one who takes responsibility, apologizes and consoles her sister.
Most often after first goading her into a furious rage.
Cape Town faces the Atlantic, so the water is pretty chilly even in summer. Muizenberg Beach is a popular surfing destination because of the good waves it gets, but any sane surfer wears a wetsuit.
Despite the cold, Kiara and Alanna squeezed every bit of fun out of the waves, sand, and sun in the last hours before heading to the airport. Since they were soaked to the skin and covered in wet sand, we had luckily scheduled time for a shower before starting our trip.
I love proper breakfast. Whenever I find the time, I cook different dishes even just for myself. I adore eggs in all forms, sauces, mushrooms, avo, bacon, salmon, yogurt, jams… you name it. Funnily enough, breakfast is the only meal Stuart does not cook. And rarely eats.
But there was no need to twist his arm to get him to enjoy a great breakfast in Franschhoek. The market was even on, so we spent a good few hours around town before taking a scenic drive to Vredenheim Wine Estate to meet the whole wider family for lunch.
A day of beauty and decadence.
And yes, despite visiting Franschhoek at least 15 times over the years, I still need to check the spelling every time…
Vredenheim has a park for big cats. These white tigers were not getting along…
We are not beach people. I like swimming in a salty water only slightly more than Stuart likes getting sand on his Kindle. The girls like the idea of the beach, but are not keen on the waves or the heat – so always choose the pool when given a choice. None of this means we don’t want to GO to the beach. Alanna plays with sand, Kiara hunts for shells and I take photos. We just don’t want to stay there.
So, we enjoyed the Atlantic ocean in the Cape Town Aquarium. And why not? Even I find it magnificent!
Alanna loves everything that is alive. Dogs, cats, cows and raindeers are obviously cuddly, but she also thinks that snakes are cute and spends evenings thinking how she could catch and release a mosquito without killing it.
Fantasy animals are even better. She started with unicorns and magical cats, but currently we are in a lenghty werewolf phase. Her howl is becoming pretty realistic.
Imhoff Farm with its petting zoo is Alanna’s happy place. Kiara agrees, as she thrives with the active interaction with the animals – and on all the playgrouds and climbing trees.
For parents, a good view, good food and a glass of wine are all that’s needed.
On the way back we also stopped in Hout Bay for ice cream.
Hermanus was windy today and the waves were majestic – and loud! It is almost hypnotic to watch them crash againsg the shore and seabirds fighting the wind (or hiding from it).
The waves carry shells, pieces of coral and other interesting bits and pieces onto the shore. We had to limit both girls to four treasures per beach to ensure our clothes will still fit into the suitcases for the journey home.
A good day to get out of the hospital.
The girls travel well. They’ve had their fair share of long trips – partly because we genuinely love travelling, but also because they are half Finnish and half South African. Whichever half you live close to, the other one is a long way away.
Travelling is great – even if flying itself is mostly just a lot of waiting in uncomfortable seats
Books are big in our family. Stuart and I read a lot. Luckily we both love Kindles, or the biggest room in our house would have to be dedicated to books.
We’ve also been reading aloud to the girls every day since they were just a few months old. We still read a bedtime story together every night, even though Alanna and Kiara are starting to read on their own.
At the moment, Kiara enjoys stories in chapter books, while Alanna loves comics. Both also enjoy good non-fiction. That part they get from their daddy.
Blue Moment 