Mom of the year

This evening I decided to take the kids to ride their bikes along one of the paths in the estate. It was the first clear evening we have had here in a week and I wanted to take advantage of the glorious weather. E rode his big push bike and I pushed Z on her tricycle. The path is just under 1km and goes past some lovely view points. I was really enjoying the walk and Z was being very cute.

At the end of the path there is a steep slope. I told E to turn around before the slope. We are currently having a major listening problem. He got to the top of the hill and at the same moment a walker appeared on the path. I got the bad Mom look and she told me that the slope was too steep for a push bike.

E chose that second to come flying down the slope with his legs behind him. I yelled at him to use his feet to slow down but he didn't pay any attention. I let go of Z and lunged at his bike. I caught the bike but he went flying over the handles. He landed on the tar and instantly burst into tears. I looked like the evil Mom that had just pushed her kid off his bike and let go of her toddler at the same moment.

Personally I felt that a small fall was better then crashing into the bushes at the corner but I could be wrong. The walker tried to help us and she was very sweet about the whole thing. I know she judged me and I can only hope that she is a Mom and vaguely understands. The judging was probably helped by me telling my crying son that he was being really stupid and next time he should try listening to me. Bad MOM.

E has a few small roasties but he was happy to have not crashed into the thorny bush. He has promised to listen in future and I am sure that will last until tomorrow.

Sigh.

Mauritius family trip

In September we went on a giant family trip to Mauritius. A has Mauritian cousins and the point of the trip was to attend the youngest cousins wedding. So on the 19th September we all headed to Joburg International Airport. Crazy drive from Durban for us. I will never take part in that drive with kids again. Should have flown. Didn't help that Z decided to get sick.

A few of us spent the night before the flight in Joburg. I highly recommend the Garden Court Morningside(I didn't get paid for this endorsement). All the kids received an activity pack from the hotel. It was just a few pencils and an activity book but it kept them busy for a few hours. You can book a double room with two double beds which is perfect for families with young kids. Across the car park of the hotel you will find the Ri Stretto restaurant. It's the most kid friendly restaurant I know and I wish we had one in Ballito. The kids all ran to go and play on the mountain of playground equipment. They re-appeared on a regular basis to enjoy their yummy milkshakes and pasta. The food was excellent and the adults could enjoy a few drinks as we only had a short walk to our rooms. Perfect start to a holiday. Just wish we could get rid of the long drive.

The trip to the airport was filled with the usual stress of last minute things, helped by us choosing to park in the long term parking. It really isn't the easiest solution and next time I will pay a car company. Z had spent the night vomiting which made things even worse. Finally checked in after getting the whole family of four siblings, various partners, kids and my in-laws all together. Had to go to the pharmacy air side and buy meds for Z but we did make the flight.

Problem with the flight is it arrives in Mauritius at 7pm. After getting through customs and picking up our rental car it was after 9 at night. If you are going the self-catering route I would recommend an earlier flight. The trip across the island took another hour. We stopped at the new big mall near Grand Baie to pick up supplies. The self catering placed had supplied dinner,dessert and drinks for the first night. We didn't know this but apparently it is common practice in Mauritius. Get very exact directions if you plan to rent a self-catering place as we spent ages looking for our place. There was no number on the wall and it was down a small side alley with a crumbling wall. Poverty and wealth exist side-by-side on the island. Your self-catering place could be surrounded by utter poverty but look amazing inside. Reminded me of Mexico and Thailand. The kids played in the pool of our house until midnight. On a complete high and all so happy to be together. Poor Z was still sick.

The main point of the trip was the wedding on Friday. No kids allowed but we got lucky and found an English speaking to teacher to watch the kids. Great evening and I got far drunker then I have in years. Wine, beer and cocktails plus an open bar is rather deadly. Hitting your 30's and small children to watch both ensure that the hangover is far worse in the morning.

The rest of the trip was spent swimming, hanging out with the French-Mauritian family and exploring the island. Sadly Z was sick for the whole trip. She rallied and managed to have fun every day but she did vomit a lot and ran a fever for most of the trip. The rest of all managed to catch her cough and I am still battling to shake it. Two course of antibiotics and still sick. A is really bad but I think we are all reinfecting each other.

On a more cheerful note here are a few more tips for your trip.
1. The days on the beach seem to blend into one so try and get out to explore the rest of the island.
2. Get going early in the day. We had a large group and only left the house at 11 most days. We missed seeing a lot because of that.
3. The rand is weak. Everything on the island is expensive. The majority of stuff is imported and you will really blow your food budget. Beer was about R25 for 330ml in stores, milk was around R30 per liter. Chicken was the cheapest meat and beef was completely out of budget. We did feed a family of 8 adults and 6 kids but our budget with drinks was over R2000 per day.
4. Eating out in the North is pricey. One meal cost over R7000 for us. I saw burger specials on pub walls that equaled R120 for a burger.
5. I would suggest going on a cheap all inclusive hotel deal, but get out and explore the island away from the beach.
6. Climb the highest point in Mauritians. It's a 7km round trip from the car park. Be warned that the path is often muddy and is fairly heavy going. The last part involves a very steep climb with a rope but the views are spectacular.
7. Find a nice pub with a happy hour to enjoy sundowners with a view.
8. Go to Ile aux Cerfs - our day trip there was the highlight of my trip. I wish we had spent more time there. Go on the drift to the side of the island and relax. There are numerous boat trips to the island but try and get one that allows as much time as possible there.
9. Swim as much as possible.
10. Relax and try not to get sick on holiday!!

Here are a few pics from the trip.

The view from the house the French cousins rented.

A giant family photo.

The giant lilies at the botanic gardens. Pricey to get in but a relaxing morning out.

Sundowner spot

Giant tortoise in the sand.

Umbrellas above the walkway in Port Louis

The muddy walk to the island's highest point

Two photos of Ile aux Cerfs

So would I go again... Yes. Not for a few years and I would do very different style of trip but we had a great time. The kids loved it and it was nice to have a break away from everything.

Ahem... gone again and back again

I have been so busy with work and getting my business blog up and running that I have totally neglected East Coast Life. Whoops!!! I really thought that I had blogged on a regular basis. In reality I have been working on the posts in my head but not writing them down.
So in the news:

E is about to start Grade 1 - cue Mommy tears and panic attacks. My baby boy is growing up. I want my cute little baby back!!! This is a whole blog topic. I will get to it this week. PROMISE.
We had an amazing family holiday with vast numbers of extended family in Mauritius - again this is an upcoming blog post.
Z is starting playgroup at E's school next year - cue floods of Mommy tears. We won't have anymore children so this is last start of school. Looking at the school fees for both of them adds tears of a different kind.

On the work front I have left Elance and Odesk. There is a whole world of freelancing writing jobs on the net and I am having fun discovering it.

A is still working away from home. It still sucks but we are getting used to it. Hopefully he will be here full time soon. I have so much to tell you. I really will post every day this week.

So check in tomorrow for my Mauritius holiday post.

Cheers