Early November in Pretoria

[I am not going to mention the election here.  Most of you know how I feel and I would rather leave it out of my blog.]

Rain has finally arrived in Pretoria with some massive thunderstorms and driving rains.  I have spent one night up dumping buckets thanks to a roof leak and another evening serving peanut butter sandwiches by candlelight.  The good news is that the ponds on the golf course are full again and the grass is lush and green.  

Our newest pool toy is a hit!

Planning which world record they are going to break.  I seem to recall making similar plans with my own brother decades ago!

Last weekend Maria was invited to her first "princess party"- it was a big hit.

Decorating wands and tiaras.

Cupcake station

Always the first one at the table!

Best friend Sofia to her left.  Maria does not know it yet but Sofia will switch to a new school in Jan (the start of the school year for SA schools).  That is going to be a big blow for Maria!

One big benefit of living on a golf course- soccer before dinner!

Tuesday morning puppy class

During this class the puppies were exposed to a motorcyle (often loud noises are scary for them).  Jagger just laughed since Paolo's motorcycle is about 5 times louder than this one!

Post class playtime with best friend Isaac.

We went back the next day for "open training" at GDA.  This was a really cool morning where all of the trainers had set up stations for the puppies.  Jagger practiced recall, walking by distrations (including a sandwich!), tried an agility course and was exposed to a vacuum and other loud noises. Sorry I did not take any pics other than this one where he was resting after a full grooming session!

After two days of training school Jagger needed a major nap!

Pepper has grown quite accustomed to Jagger.  He likes to hang out nearby when he and Bruno play.

Jagger with a few friends.

Car ride with girl friend Daisy

Thursday Gio did not have school (parent-teacher conferences) so we spent 3 hours at Bounce.  At one point all of the Bounce employees played dodgeball with Gio! (Can you find him?)

The following photos are courtesy of Dusty, father of Gio's dear friend Finn.  We did another graffiti tour (see previous post).  This time we brought along a few of Gio's friends and Jo, our wonderful tour guide tailored the tour for 7-8 year olds....

I love the innocence of these two.  Such sweet friends.

The gang (and two little sisters...)

We were concerned about this man.  Hoping he was simply passed out after a night of drinking.  A somber reminder of life in a tough part of Jo'burg.  Brought back memories of early morning walks in Kyiv when I would see passed out men everywhere.

One of my favorites.

Can you guess which part of this piece Gio liked the best?

Yes, Jagger came along of the entire tour.  Great exposure for him!

Thanks, Dusty, for these fabulous photos!!

Last night we tried out the brand new movie theater just across the street from our estate.  Yes, it is very luxurious!  And if you get a chance to see "Storks" go for it.  You will not be disappointed.  

When your week is rough and you just need to find some joy...

Post play snoozing....