Yesterday we headed back to Hazel Food Market with more time on our hands to really enjoy it. This is an event set up in Brooklyn every Saturday from 8AM-2PM. There are stalls selling all sorts of food and drink. We came with a list of things we needed for the class party we are hosting today (30+ people expected) and empty bellies. After some delicious icy drinks and ribs Paolo and I took turns shopping while the children were happily entertained. If you are here in Pretoria and have not tried out this Saturday event, do head over next weekend.
Once her face was thoroughly covered in rib sauce and cupcake frosting Maria headed straight for the slide. Mastering the climb up the ladder was her goal today. She stuck with it for over an hour and is very proud of herself!
Now the easy part!
...while Gio spent over an hour at the sand art table.
This is a particularly naughty area- cake pops and lots of very indulgent cupcakes. Much to Gio's delight red velvet is a very popular flavor here!
And again...
See the rib sauce? How could I forget wipes this morning??
There are lots of picnic tables set up in the center of the market under these lovely shade trees. Perfect for a leisurely lunch chosen from the many vendors.
Yep, still at it. And apologies to our Italian family but Gio insisted on wearing the Barcelona jersey for their big game last night!
Thinking about trying these next time we are here. Just not sure Paolo will approve...
Delicious olives on the right. Maria ate 12 from the sample bowl before I realized what she was up to. She LOVES green ones!
The same taco truck that was at Boo in the Boot last month! Pretoria really is a small town.
Nothing intimidates this eater, even a cupcake on steroids.
Hope to see some of you at the market soon. Go hungry! We will certainly be there in December. Tune in soon for our visit to Cape Town.
Watching the wintery weather begin in Ukraine makes me appreciate life here in South Africa. I do not have to worry about bundling Maria up to go outside, Gio can (and does!) swim every day after school and the sun shines nearly every day. I do hope our shipment arrives from Kyiv before we leave for Italy in a month or we will have nothing to wear to keep us warm there! Not much news on this post. Just some photos of the furry and not-so-furry Bellis these last two weeks.
Even with all of this attention given to Bruno, it is hard to forget the original two Belli furballs. Pepperoni is less than thrilled about Bruno but he will come around. (Last night Pepperoni and Bruno slept together so there is progress!)
I do wonder if they make beds LARGER than California Kings?
A surprise came in the mail last week- Gio became a silver club cardholder with Lufthansa! After 170+ flights I suppose it is time. But do they realize this means he is now allowed in the fancy lounges??
The other day I took Maria along to buy some undershirts for Paolo at a nearby mall. Maria spotted a "Hello Kitty" swimming suit and insisted I buy it for her. I gave in. She then insisted I change her into it right in the middle of the mall. I gave in. Pick your battles with a two-year-old. She walked pranced through the mall for an hour like this while we finished our shopping. Yet another thing I love about South Africa. This was this totally fine with the other shoppers (can you imagine, my Kyiv friends, if she had done this at Ocean Plaza?). Basically, kids are not just tolerated here but given freedom to be kids in all their glorious messiness.
Back home, and still clad in her swimsuit, there was time for some Bruno play before dinner.
Bruno gets a hair updo before his meals these days. I got tired of wiping away the gravy from his ears every day. Yes, he is on a weight gain diet so he gets gravy on top of his kibble. Enzo also gets a tiny bit so he does not feel left out!
Pretty much every time I look out the window this is what I see. Heat wave in Pretoria = soaking wet Enzo all day long.
Morning nap.
Last Saturday we visited Hazel Food Market in Brooklyn. More on this place in the next post. For anyone in Pretoria who has not gone, be sure to check it out. Dogs and kids very welcome.
We did not stay long as we had a busy schedule last week (hence the wait for the next post), but here is what our two hooligans did last week- Gio's invented game of "Kick My Big Brother in the Butt." Sigh.
Last weekend we had 5 families over for a braai. I did forget to take pictures of the festivities but here is scant evidence of the party: that morning I took Maria to a bakery to buy bread for the event. And treated her to a babychino. Tomorrow we are hosting Gio's entire 1st grade class for another braai. Do you think I will manage to take pictures this time?? Probably not.
Last week I found some really fun naughty foods at a new (to me) supermarket that made me nostalgic for the USA. Here, my favorite childhood cereal. And, yes, I bought it and introduced it to my own children. Confirmation that they are in fact my kids. They loved it! Will have to ration the rest of the box.
And Peanut Butter M&Ms?? I did not think it was possible for me to love South Africa even more!
What happens when Gio comes home from school each day? A Maria attack.
She lives for this reunion. She is often still asleep when he leaves in the morning so she has been longing to see him all day. The moment she wakes from her nap she always asks, "Ooah??"
Trying on Paolo's helmet. Do NOT tell my mother but Paolo rides a motorcycle to work each day.
This week Maria's school distributed school photos. As you can see, Maria dressed herself that morning right down to the shoeless feet. In fact, she has gone to school the last two weeks without them.
Maria has yet another new obsession- nail polish. Fortunately I found a kind that when dried peels right off. Reminds me of my days at Villa Maria Elementary School painting my nails with Elmer's Glue during grammar lessons.
Many mornings Bruno requests a lift into Maria's crib. Often the two hang out together for half an hour.
This was a morning when I needed to get Maria up early for her speech therapy. I thought putting Bruno in there would help wake her. Fail.
Eventually she stirred thanks to some tickling from me. She was thrilled to find her buddy in bed with her!
What Basset would not want to have blue toenails?
Coming next? A more thorough post about Hazel Food Market....
It was a busy final week in October. Maria had been sick almost constanting since we arrived in South Africa: high fevers, coughs, poor sleeping, lots and lots and lots of whining. After one unsuccessful course of antibiotics for a double ear infection her pediatrician suggested grommets in her ear. I looked at her in utter confusion. Turns out "grommets" are what we in the USA call ear tubes. Once that was cleared up I quickly agreed and the surgery was scheduled for later that week.
Pre-surgery.
Maria was apprehensive but handled it all well other than some crying and confusion when she awoke from the anesthesia (YES! I spelled that correctly on my first attempt!)
Back home later that morning. Maria did not make it through her lunch!
That evening we went out for a celebration. Maria was back to her old self. It was amazing to see how quickly the grommets/tubes made a difference for her. That night was the first time she had not woken screaming in pain in over 4 weeks!
And, yes, we had dinner at another kid-friendly fun spot. Maria LOVES these giant slides.
One day post-surgery was the Halloween celebration at Gio's school: Boo in the Boot. This was a fun event where dozens of families decorated their car trunks (aka "boots") and passed out candy in the school parking lot. Here are the Belli kiddos disguised as a pig and a zombie pirate.
The school event included a taco truck, a haunted maze, a photo booth, bouncy houses and a Maria favorite- face painting!
On Halloween Weekend Paolo and I got talking about how Enzo seems lonely here. There seem to be only small yappy dogs living near us and without his crowd of furry friends at Shevchenko Park our social boy is left without any canine buddies. We talked about breeds we like and Paolo had Basset Hound at the top of his list. I did some internet research and found South African Basset Adoptions. I signed us up to be a foster family on Sunday afternoon. By Monday we got a call. And on Tuesday.......
Meet Bruno. (How could we turn down a dog with an Italian name?? Just too perfect!). Bruno was given up by a family in Joburg because their other dog (a Rottweiler) repeatedly attacked him. I can only assume they wanted to keep the other dog for security reasons but still seems very sad to me.
Bruno is about 4 years old (as far as our vet can tell- he came with no records), was seriously underweight and his teeth were in terrible shape. I made an appointment for a dental cleaning to start his road back to better health.
Bruno does not leave my side. He is like glue.
Maria took to him immediately. Who wouldn't?
And Sir Enzo? He reacted with happy excitement. He raced around the yard, barking happily and tried desperately to play with Bruno. Unfortunately, most likely due to Bruno's history, he was terrified of Enzo for the first week. Enzo was patient and kept trying. Enzo's only show of jealousy/attempted dominance? He spent a lot of time on our bed the first week, letting Bruno know that this is HIS bed (where he lets Clara & Paolo sleep most nights).
Sibling love.
Best buddies.
Bruno sleeps anywhere but he does much prefer furniture....
Gio's bed is a particular favorite. They are often bed buddies.
