This morning on Town Lake

I intended to do a lot of schoolwork with Melva and Jean during spring break, and we did.  Melva does two online Math courses through The Art of Problem Solving, (pre-algebra 2 and competition math), and they did not stop, so we had a good incentive to just keep on going.  I am enjoying the history that we are listening to at the moment.  Jean read a book about "bugs", the first book that really caught his attention and had him running to his room during breaks to continue reading.  I am so grateful for kindle editions - without kindle editions he would simply not have been able to read that book.  If you are going to be visually impaired, this is a good age to be visually impaired in.

I read a similar book about mammals to the twins, that taught me more than I ever learned in biology.  I sometimes wonder what we did in school, how it all became so fragmented, and why I retained so little.  I guess it had a little bit to do with the fact that we were training for tests rather than learning for the joy of learning, but I do not think too much about that.  I homeschool because it is a lifestyle that suits us, with all our special needs and abilities, just so well. I love it.

Today we went to the park with friends. We spent the whole morning on the lake.  The twins made me very happy by repeatedly calling out "this is just like in Make way for Ducklings!".  (Yes dears, except this is Austin not Boston, and you are feeding the coots not the ducks. Bread, not peanuts.) Jean did a great job rowing on his end of the boat, I am glad to see that some of the training last summer carried over.  Melva and her friend spent 90 minutes unsupervised out on the lake, and saw swans, herons, egrets and American Coots.  We only saw the coots, and two different types of turtles that we still have to identify.  I also found an Acacia tree in bloom - apparently there are native acacias in Austin.  What a beautiful sight, the puffy yellow flowers, so completely out of place!

After 4 years in Austin I still got lost on my way to Zilker Park, but I blame it on the GPS.   I really knew where we should have gone, but listened to the silly machine instead of just driving there.  I have never driven to Zilker Park without losing my way.  If you know anything about Austin, you will know that that is really inexcusable, the park is like the heart of the city.  There is a hike and bike trail next to the lake, where cyclist might yell "there are way to many children out here!" in your direction now and again, but apart from that it is one of those places where I am happy.  I went there when we just came to Austin and we were still running on adrenalin.  I went there with my mother and my sister. I have gone there with dear friends.  Just a happy place, full of hipsters that I kinda like. (very handy hipster translator here)

And the weather? This is the time to visit Austin. Just perfect.

(Pictures taken with my iPhone, Hipstamatic app, Jane lens and Ina's 1935 film)

What we were up to lately

I fell behind, and I thought I would like to catch up, recording every single step, but it would be far more realistic to just jump in where we are.  These are highlights from the last couple of days.

At the moment we are still in Still Bay, a small town about 4 hours east of Cape Town, in the Western Cape.    Last Friday we went to see the eels being fed.  We did not know that we would be allowed to feed them ourselves, and that the children and I would get a chance to stroke them. They are very curious creatures, with an undeserved bad reputation after "The Little Mermaid".  Stroking them was like stroking something between velvet and Jello; they are not slimy at all, and very soft.  I never thought I'd say so, but they were actually sweet - they appeared to like it when we stroked them.  We thought so, anyway.

The pond with the eels was right next to a museum, where we visited an old schoolroom or Farm School.  The lady in the room explained how one teacher would teach children ranging between the ages of first and eight grade.  When she asked Jean if he would have like a school like that, he said no.  I am assuming he wanted to tell her that he is in a school like that, and that he does not see the need to go to a different one.  Jacques and the lady then had a long discussion about education and vehemently agreed about everything.

The afternoon, we drove to an even littler town, an hour away, Gouritzmond.

While it looks cold in the pictures, there was no wind and we were very comfortable on the beach.  The sea was very rough, and tossed them around for a bit before they wanted to get out. (The life guards were on their posts).  We were visiting my aunt and uncle, who were waiting for us on a bench when we got out of the water.  My cousin was waiting with them, her twins are on their way to eight grade next year.  How is it that the children grow bigger but we stay young?

 A hot outside shower after the sea roughed us up - a device my aunt thought up and had custom build last year.  It attaches to a clothes hanger, so you can hang it in a tree.

Then you go inside the "braaikamer" or barbecue room, where great uncle has already made a fire, to warm yourself.
I am completely honest when I say that there has only been two or three days where we have not eaten something from a grill, and every time the fire is started with wood.

 Have you heard about Cape Fruit?  It is not a rumor. A land of milk and honey, please come and visit to see for yourselves!

My aunt and uncle lived in France for ten years, two of their children were born there.  She taught me about good cheese and olives when I was a little girl.  Almost every time I eat an olive, I think of her, and how she told me:  you may not like it today, but one day you will love it.  She was right about that and many other things, too.  What a blessing to get to sit in her kitchen again, and to hug her hello and goodbye once more.

 Saturday - another perfect day on the beach.  Christian is building a dam with his cousin who was born almost exactly a year before him.

All eight of them, grandchildren from one grandmother, trying to build a dam on the beach.  The ocean won, in the end.

And last, but only chronologically: my youngest niece, born in October.  Just look at those eyes, she is so awake and aware!

And that is it, for now.  This week we will go and visit friends in Aston Bay, and then start our long trek north, to Tsumeb.