So, thanks to Babba and Popop, Sidonie (real name Nonie, as she insists) and Nat and Nicole, and some friends had a glorious vacation. It started with polka and fish fry and friends (Sarah, Aaron, Little Isaac and Naomi; Jeff, Big Isaac, Jessica, her Mom and Brother and Sister-in-law) where much freestyle dancing and jollification was done; we then all headed off to the Paradise cabin at Birchlake just outside of Tomah in the midwest (sic) of Wisconsin. It was crazy beautiful! We swam; ate local fruit and veges, jams and pies; swam some more; made friends; went to see Amish country and learnt a lot about cranberries; swam again; had a lot of braais/barbeques; played board and card games; swam; hung out with the ‘rents (Popop was sadly sick); hung out with Jessica and Isaac, and Yev and Jim; swam and hot tubbed; and, generally had a fantastic time with spectacular company. Before heading home we went further west to La Crosse and had a magnificent tour on the Mississippi, ate Cajun style food in the old part of the town in what used to be the port, and had ice cream in an 80 year-old “malt shoppe”. Once home we extended our holiday for a day and went to the Wisconsin State Fair. Saw lots of animals, did lots of rides at the carnival, and rode a camel. Amazing time (even tho’ madam was a little tired and cranky). So, having run out of superlatives, that is our summer vacation in a nutshell. Hope yours was as good/will be as good (for those in the other hemisphere). Greetings from Birchlake indeed!

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As Mummy lost the pics for most of June and July, here are a few intimations of my summer of fun and my new skill (hee!) with my new camera! More soon!

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Bowling and presents and cake (twice). What more could a girl ask for? Happy Birthday to me!!!

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Here are some fab pics of our visit with Auntie Dani and Uncle James in NYC in May.

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A few belated photos from our SA trip earlier this year. The highlights are Nonie and various wildlife: penguins, giraffes and lions.

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A few belated entries now that photos have come in; and a huge apology, as Mummy and the computer and the camera had a run in, and most of the summer of Sidonie 2010 (including her recent visit to NYC, her friend Isaac’s birthday and many, many fun summer activities) have vanished into the place where data goes to die when someone (like Mummy) is a silly goose!

So sorry folks, but we do have some catch up photos and news, most importantly the recent FOURTH birthday celebrations.

So, firstly, congratulations to Monique and Mark!!! All the very best for your new life together and welcome to the family Uncle Mark!

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So, another way to survive winter is to go to warmer climes and hang out with your family (Babba and Popop, Ouma, Uncle Eme and Aunt Samantha, and Cousin Leo were all in town for a few days) and swim and play and make new friends (James and Victoria and Alissa and William) and see distant cousins (Rhoda and Sree) and swim and learn to bungy jump and swim and … well you get the gist. Four days of jam-packed love and fun and stuff!

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Between winning a tiara at the “squishy park” and “pretend” driving with Isaac, between swimming at home in the kitchen and at the indoor water park downtown, between ice skating and birthday parties and playing with the cats, and so, so, so many more adventures, “winter has been bearable,” says her Highness Nonie. “I might make it to four,” she announced yesterday.

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Now that is a laugh! Enjoy me enjoying Jack and Lucy on or very first encounter.

My winter days are filled with Lifeways and friends and ‘rents and cats. That’s right, CATS!!! I named them — Jack and Lucy — and I like to pretend to be a cat with them. My meow rocks and my purr is coming along nicely.

Ballet has started again, I got to go sledding with little Isaac and to make Valentine’s sundaes with big Isaac, I’ve been to a new squishy (inflatable) park and hang out at my old regulars (the butterfly museum and the children’s museum), and had a bunch of play-dates. Mostly tho’ I’ve liked helping dig out the alley/garage and eating fresh snow is a must.

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I had an absolutely wonderful time down south. Saw heaps of friends and family, did tons of fantastic things, went on adventures, hang out, made new friends, met a lot of dogs, got in a goodly amount of swimming and running around in the buff. Sadly, despite the number of photos here, the ‘rents were really bad about taking pics (or relied on Jessica and Richard and we haven’t got those yet), so some of the folks we got to spend time with are not here, so too most of the dogs, and many, many, many of my adventures, for example: I swam with penguins, feed a giraffe, petted a baby lion, got to meet JP and my new Aunt and cousins, and had many, many play-dates with kids of all sizes. Will post more photos if and when they come in, movies of my great bumper car experience to follow.

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At last, some photos from Christmukkah. We had to leave early on Christmas day to go to South Africa, so for more of my Christmas adventures see the next post. Thanks to everyone who made Christmas so much fun and soooo lucrative!!!

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We had a grand Thanksgiving feast, lots of family fun time, and even got in some shopping, a Christmas pageant, a visit to the “special museum” (kids have to take grown-ups) and finished dressing the Christmukkah Bush. In the lead up to the weekend, we also got to visit the new baby tigers at the zoo and hang out with BFF Isaac and the public museum and the park. Enjoy!

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Halloween was a blast! We went to Wawatosa to Jeff, Jessica and Isaac’s with a whole parade of folks: little Isaac and Naomi (with Aaron and Sarah and Grannies in tow) and Azalia (with Kari and Jason) and later we were joined by spiderman, little red riding hood and others. Lots of great costumes, heaps of fun, and buckets full of candy. Not quite “infinity and beyond” but almost as cool.

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