Yay, finally Jessica is back with us, and everything is back to normal, routine and all! :)
With creché opening on Monday, this was the last week of Jessica staying with Oupa and Ouma, and to be honest, it was becoming quite tough without my little one back home with me, so by the end of the week I was seriously looking forward to finally reclaiming my daughter. However, before that, Chantelle wanted us to enjoy one last date night before the routine was back in full swing, meaning that Friday evening was spent at Somerset Mall, where we enjoyed a quiet dinner in one another’s company at the Spur, before moving on to watch the thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable Sherlock Holmes 2: Game of Shadows.
Seeing as I am currently dragging Chantelle off on hour long walks as of late, Saturday morning unsurprisingly kicked off with yet another of our treks to the beach and back, though this one had a slight interruption as we came across a beach blockaded with bicycles and people in wetsuits – this year’s big Totalsports Terra Firma multi-discipline event thingie was in full swing in Gordon’s Bay of all places!
As a further surprise, we bumped into both my now ex-colleague David Fox (who was partaking in the event) and my ex-karate training partner James Wayne (who wasn’t partaking, but was there for the photo opportunities). After losing a bit of time in catching up with everyone, Chantelle and I then had to dash back to the house, where we had just enough time for a quick shower and change of clothes before leaping into our cars and racing off to Joostenbergvlaktes along the N1, to meet up with both sets of grandparents, plus one Jessie, for breakfast at the always pleasant Bamboo Gardens restaurant, situated in the heart of the awesome Cape Garden Centre.
The Cape Garden Centre is pretty spectacular for a nursery!
Breakfast was a leisurely but delicious affair, and Jessie enjoyed the after entertainment, as we let her touch a bunny rabbit, play with a Jack Russell puppy, and stare at a mean tempered Shetland pony on our way out.
From there it was a return down the N1 to the Montgomery Clan Stronghold, where we set about getting the debriefing from Ouma and Oupa, and launching into the arduous task of packing all of Jessie’s belongings and accessories back into the two cars, before heading off to the next stop for the day, that being my folk’s pad, where we enjoyed a lovely outdoor lunch and an even lovelier time in the pool, with pretty much the whole family (including Chantelle), getting in on the wet action!
Sunday was a completely different story though, with Chantelle and I opting to spend the day as hermits, enjoying some much needed alone time with just the three of us at home. We did venture out for lunch at Hagglunds, but this was kept pretty short thanks to a combination of sweltering heat and a niggly Jessica. Other than that, it was pretty much a case of unpacking, settling in, and getting everything ready for the about to commence routine.
View from Hagglunds restaurant
So yeah, a mixed weekend of entertainment, family and food, but certainly an enjoyable way to properly cap off the holiday season and now fully rejoin the daily grind, routine and all!