School Photos, Bathing Suit Modeling & the Furry Bellis

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....