A few winter pics for Nonie’s fans. Sorry they are so meagre, but Nonie has now learned to use the video and the self-timer on the camera (but has also changed many of the settings, unbeknownst to all. So, many, many photos blurred and under exposed — most not included here, as you will be relieved to see).

It has been a remarkably mild winter here on the third coast. We are usually pretty precocious about snow, beating the winter start (December 15) by weeks. But, other than one bone shattering day (15F and -12C) it has almost been balmy with a few inches here and there, but nothing that has stayed on the ground.

Thanksgiving (with Babba and Popop, and Rob, Nakia and Sunny — a delight) has come and gone, the Christmukkah Bush is trimmed, the gifts are wrapped, Nonie has met with Santa (he was real, she pulled his beard to check) and the social whirl has gently escalated as we continue the season of celebrations.

We now officially have three accents in the family: South African-English with an Irish tinge, Brooklyn-Midwest with an Afrikaans flavour, and Brooklyn-English-Midwest (with the “why don’cha” Wisconsonian edge coming to dominate). The other day Nonie flummoxed both Nat and me when she announced she was going to do some pombs (rhymes with bombs). Took a good while for us to get that it was poems she was going to share!

Wishing you and yours all the very best of the holiday season.
Love the N Cubed in Milwaukee!

Originally uploaded by nathaniel s.
see more of my latest pix here.

deAr nAnCY:

SchooL is
greAt. thAnk
U 4 AsKing.
i miss U And
i <3 U LoVe,

Sidonie Stern

The family met up with Leo and Stella, Auntie Sam and Uncle Emy, and Babba for a long weekend at Disney. Much fun was had by all.

Thanksgiving next! Stay posted.

Originally uploaded by nathaniel s.
see more of my latest pix here.

Bumper car mayhem! Its long, so be patient.

Nat and Nonie take advantage of the unusually warm, but usually blustery, Cape Town weather.

This is Nonie and her new cousin Kaylee.

Welcome beautiful girl!

As you all know, we have had a remarkable series of summer/winter adventures.

First Nonie “graduated” from Lifeways, then it was off to NYC, Montreal, Mekoos with heaps of delightful folks and art-making (Generating the Impossible, indeed!), then back to NYC and off to Joburg, Cape Town (where we also got to hang out with Milwaukee folks: Rob, Nakia and Henderson), Joburg and many, many, many fantastic visits with friends and family (and dogs), as well as a glorious road trip with our friends from Milwaukee Yev and Jim, through Mpumlanaga, Limpopo, Kurger Park and Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, ending on a beach house on the Dolphin Coast.

Then it was back through NYC and off to big girl school full time.

We had hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of photos, so this is just a snapshot (hee!). But sadly, we also burnt out, so many wonderful times and fabulous peeps are not captured here, but are in our hearts.

Originally uploaded by nathaniel s.
see more of my latest pix here.

Just watch.

Some silly party games. Enjoy!

So, Nonie’s birthday extravaganza started with a wonderful evening silkscreening beach bags with Jessica, Isaac and Yoko. Followed by pizza and presents. She had a special birthday ceremony at big girl school, and cake and singing at Lifeways. We then hit the kite festival and got very good at flying kites (no pictures as all hands were needed for the kites). And then, the big party — the theme of which was “Make Summer Arrive.” For a while it worked and we got to have almost two weeks in which it was warmer than 65/20 for the first time since September. It didn’t last, but for the birthday celebrations we actually got to be hot. We got to decorate flip flops, paint beach bags, learn to hula hoop, bash a pinata, and do silly fun things all afternoon. Then, as the lead in to Daddy’s birthday bash, Nonie got to dance and celebrate one more time.

Thank you to all of Nonie’s fantastic family and fabulous friends for making her fifth such a great and memorable event. Thank you for spoiling her and loving her and playing with her! She had a great time!

Originally uploaded by nathaniel s.
see more of my latest pix here.

Nonie sings at the farm themed music recital at “big girl school”.

A short video of Nonie’s dance class.

Despite a wet, grey, cold and nasty non-spring, April and May thus far has been bright for Nonie. She has gotten lots of opportunities to perform and got a jump-start on her birthday while visiting the family in Sarasota. More dance recital and birthday celebrations pics to follow soon.

A few Sidisms from the last week:
“What means …?”
“Is that ridiculous?”
“Could I have some privacy, please?”
“Woh-la!”
“What is it that makes me love you so much? Is it the kisses?”

Originally uploaded by nathaniel s.
see more of my latest pix here.

Here are four li’l Nonie vids from our Chrismakkah Holiday, 2010, for your viewing pleasure!

1. Opening our present - a kitchen!
2. A self-portrait with art tools from Sam, Emy + Leo!
3. Bubbles at Disney
4. Princess Nonie DANCES to African music!

Nonie started big girl school (with a “dress code”); we had a huge blizzard and she got a new sled, which was useful to get out of the front door that day; she got a fabulous “big girl” haircut; and we all went to a conference in St. Louis (Missouri).

We had a longish road trip there and back and Nonie was not too enamored of my paper (”what does mean give a paper, Mummy?”) and was too sick for Dad’s, but other than a great time was had by all at the Arch, on the Mississippi river (when Nonie of course made friends), at the zoo and, best of all, the City Museum (a fantasy play world for kids of all sizes). As this was where the conference closing banquet was, we were all a tad overdressed, but that did not stop fun from being had, for the most part.

Nonie’s moment of pique, serendipitously captured below a poster that says pique!

Originally uploaded by nathaniel s.
see more of my latest pix here.

So Christmas passed in a delightful whirl and we got to spend lots of time with friends (Marina and Vitek, Pavlik and Asya, Yev and Jim on Christmas Eve, and all of Yev’s large and crazy family on Christmas day).

Nonie playing with her gifts on video will be posted soon.

Then we got to go down south to Sarasota and Orlando and hang out with Babba, Pop-pop, Ouma, Sam, Emy, and Leo. SUPER FUN, especially Nonie’s special treat for the new year: a princess makeover at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique in Disney.

All of these pics are a treat, enjoy!

Forthcoming soon, video of Nonie at Disney with her bubbleator!

Originally uploaded by nathaniel s.
see more of my latest pix here.