These are the Good Days
I got to spend time with the kids all week because they were on holiday, they had a busy past couple of days working on projects and studying for exams but they pulled through! We had new members joining our awesome theatre club and they caught on so quickly with all the songs that we were learning. I'm always impressed with the kids, and I'm so happy that they seem to be enjoying the songs. Keeping kids' attention is always a challenge especially when our practices are so long. Sometimes when we are losing focus I create challenges or goals to work toward and it never fails!
Sunday we were meant to go on the Geelkrans trail located in Stilbaai, but what was once a nature reserve is now growing into a construction sight that blocks the path to the trail. It makes me angry that the people living in the new houses don't understand what they're living on and all that has been destroyed because of it. A beautiful piece of land is being destroyed, because people want to make more money. It's horrible because species that lived in that precious environment are now dead. That being said the day was not ruined, we only turned around to a different path. We drove West back to the elephant path near where the Blombos caves are. Walking through the sand dunes was magical, even when I couldn't see the water I could still hear it. It was perfect weather to be outside. I could've stayed forever. I ended up learning so much alongside the kids, I have a new favorite plant its name is Carrisa it grows berries and when they turn a deep shade of purple you can pick them and chew them like bubble gum! The kids also learned about the importance of managing and disposing of their waste properly to keep our planet clean. Who knew the earth loves to eat banana peels? Banana peels are filled with tons of vitamin C which is very good for the ground. They also learned the importance of keeping hydrated, it was a long walk and there was plenty of sunshine out. The trail we ended up going on was named Oliphant (elephant in Afrikaans), because of elephant remains that were found in the area. Over 200 years ago the area had been damaged by a fire which only made it more magical to see how it all came back to life. Even nature knows how to bounce back!
My host parents Marie and Leonard have the same anniversary date as my parents back home! To celebrate I am making them a vanilla cake. Marie and Leonard are the cutest couple ever, they remind me of home and being with family in a way that doesn't cause me to be homesick. My friend ended up coming over to help me and we baked the cake at my neighbor's house so that the cake would stay a surprise! I love decorating cakes and cupcakes and my plan for this one was to have it look like a wedding cake. I always end up making a mess, so I had a goal for this time to be as clean as possible and I did it, plus we made sure to clean up the place, making sure it was cleaner than before in thanks to my neighbors for letting us use their space. Marie and Leonard had as much fun cutting and eating the cake as we had making it! It's so special to be a part of the important moments and celebrations in lives that would otherwise be thousands of miles away. To say I am in love with living in these moments with these people is an understatement. Seeing how much Marie and Leonard love each other and they still open their arms to love me just as much and it makes living with them so easy.
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