Through The Wardrobe

First thing Monday morning I had OT with Lauren. It was a good session. Back home I played hard. First I played on my balcony with my Legos. Mom and Granny suddenly heard a massive shriek from me and I started shouting “Emergency! Emergency!” Mom and Granny thought the worst, and both stormed onto the balcony to see what had happened. What had happened was that one, yes only one, Lego had fallen over the side of the balcony and into the neighbour’s garden. Yes, that does constitute an emergency in my world.

Later in the day I made a massive city in the sun room with blocks and characters and I spent the rest of the day and well into the evening playing there. I’ve developed a real knack for playing on my own and using my imagination. I often, in mid play, find my Mom or Dad just sitting and watching me play. It makes me feel very proud.

The big surprise Tuesday morning was that it was St Nikolaus Day, and all around my boots which I’d put out the night before were sweets and goodies. I immediately got to shredding gift wrap off my presents to discover a new Infinity Character, Mike, as well as an extra power disk. I also got a robo-fish which swims around in bowl of water just like a real fish. It was a real treat.

The other big treat for the day was that I was going to work with Daddy, to PriceWaterhouseCoopers, which I can now say flawlessly. I’d also been practicing other concepts such as ‘talking business’, ‘doing documents’ and taking orders over the phone. We arrived and Daddy introduced me to everyone and I had a great time working. As it was the Nelson Mandela Memorial Service, Daddy had live TV streaming on his laptop through his Drifta, and then later on we popped up to the canteen where we all watched huge flat screens that broadcast the memorial. It rained throughout the whole day. Daddy said that even mother earth was mourning with tears from heaven. On the way home Daddy bought me a Randal for Infinity, which was agreed should I behave well at his work, which I did.

In the afternoon we chilled around the house and in the evening I couldn’t fall asleep. Reason? I had AC/DC’s Back in Black song playing in my head. Mom and Dad thought it was hilarious. I called it the Papa Smurf song, as it’s played in the movie when Papa Smurf is rescued. Dad didn’t believe that for a long time saying the song is from Iron Man 3. I said yes, and from the Smurfs. Google was eventually called upon and I was proven correct. I have a perfect ear for music and I’m pitch perfect. Mommy tells me it’s from my Granddad Bob who was extremely musical.

On Wednesday Mommy, Granny and I went to the Rivonia Craft market which was absolutely awesome.

Thursday Daddy had a migraine so he stayed home from work. Mom and I chilled around the house and in the afternoon a huge storm erupted. We’re having hectic thunderstorms just about every day at the moment. During the thunderstorm our new washing machine arrived. I ran around in the rain jumping in puddles while the delivery guys were unpacking their truck. I then also ‘helped’ wheel the washing machine into the house and of course I ‘helped’ Dad connect it. While Daddy was under the sink connecting a pipe his phone rang. I decided to answer it. This is what Mom and Dad heard on our side:

“Hello?”

“Yes, we’re busy with the machine.”

“No, I’m doing some documents at the moment.”

“For customers.”

“Are you a customer?”

“Thank you for your order.”

“Good bye.”

Daddy’s request is that whom ever phoned on Thursday at about 17:00 please call back, as the caller ID was unknown. And he apologies if it was a real client. And he also ask to say if it was for money, the cheque is in the mail and you don’t have to phone back!

In the evening Dad and I started building a ginger bread house for Christmas. It was a tradition that Oma did and Dad is now carrying on with me. We had a really awesome time, but ran out of decorating (aka building) materials.

Friday was super exciting for me again, as I was back at work with Daddy. I met some more people and did lots of drawings which we then scanned and emailed to Mommy. Mommy was thrilled. After work (we left early, as it was Daddy’s last day) we popped into McDonalds for lunch (the work canteen wasn’t open) where I had a huge long play with some older kids playing touch. It was so much fun. In the afternoon we went to The Walnut Grove at Sandton City to meet Aneesa, a regular follower of my blog. She too has had many challenges in her life, and at nineteen she has raked up 33 operations! On Sunday she would be flying to Paris for another procedure – we wish her all the best.

On Saturday Dad and I finished my ginger bread house by laying ‘roof tiles’ and ‘plastering the walls’. It was a great deal of fun. In the evening Mom and Dad went out with Shelli and Joseph to the Envy Lounge. They had a really good time because they slept late on Sunday!

Sunday morning I discovered one of my teeth loose. And on closer inspection I realised it’s the first tooth I got, 5 years ago, literally to the day (see here Gum and Roses posted on 14 December 2008)!

Midmorning Sunday we headed off to Kyle and Kayla’s house to celebrate Kayla’s birthday. Her theme was Narnia, and because they live on a huge piece of land, Helen, their mom, set up and entire Narnia paper chase, starting with an actual wardrobe to step through into Narnia. Aslan the Great Lion was on hand to guide us. We entered Tumnus’ Cave and even encountered a Troll and the White Witch. The troll we ‘slayed’ with water balloons, and the White Witch was defeated in the (jumping) Castle with water cannons. It was one of the best and most awesome theme parties I’ve ever been to. Even the parents walked the trails through Narnia with us. Along the way we found lollipops and Christmas crackers and blue stars marked out our route. I, Sir Jarrod, went as a knight and I bravely cleared a path with my sword (I swiped at a hug log in our path a number of times, but I couldn’t get it to budge, so we had to go over it).

The two hour Narnia paper chase ended with a huge water fight. After the White Witch was defeated all the adults and kids started squirting each other too. Even the White Witch returned to join in the fun. We plunged down the slip and slide and giggled and giggled. After lunch I started getting drowsy (it was really hot), and Mommy was suffering from a concussion from a pram that attacked her in the storeroom the day before, so we excused ourselves. I had a nice long snooze in the car on the way home, and once we were home I was full of beans again and ready to put up the Christmas tree. For some reason Mom and Dad didn’t share my enthusiasm! Nevertheless, we spent the rest of the afternoon setting up and decorating our Christmas tree. It looks really pretty.

Well, that’s almost it for this week. Before I go, I’d like to share some info on the week that’s past. As I mentioned, Tuesday was Nelson Mandela’s memorial. It proved quite fitting that 95 000 tweets a minutes were being posted about him, given that he died at the age of 95. Over 100 dignitaries arrived, many of them current presidents and prime ministers as well as past presidents and prime ministers. The dignitaries also included royalty, celebrities, religious leaders and close on 100 000 people that filled the FNB stadium. The 10 days of mourning continued throughout the week, with Nelson Mandela lying in state at the Union Buildings for 3 days from Wednesday to Friday. Today was the burial at Qunu in the Eastern Cape, and once again 100’s of dignitaries and 1000’s of people attended the traditional burial. It’s been a sad week for South Africa, and will continue to be so for at least a few weeks while things settle down.

Lastly our thoughts and prayers are with Linda and our cousins and family in Cape Town. Sadly Wayne passed away during the week after battling Alzheimer’s for more than a decade.

Love

Jarrod

Photo 1 Attacking Mickey early morning

Photo 2 Concentrating hard with Lauren during OT

Photo 3 Sending cars down a tunnel for OT

Photo 4 The beginnings of my city

Photo 5 Creating the city limits

Photo 6 Town planning

Photo 7 Adding the citizens

Photo 8 Mmmmm, who’s next?

Photo 9 Thrilled

Photo 10 Time to…..

Photo 11 ….fight fires

Photo 12 Sleeping cuddlebunny

Photo 13 This is what St Nikolaus delivered!

Photo 14 I’m Mike

Photo 15 Happiness (note, I already dressed myself and was ready to go to ‘work’ with Dad at 5am)

Photo 16 Talking business

Photo 17 Doing documents

Photo 18 Writing a proposal

Photo 19 At the canteen for a snack

Photo 20 And a quick dash out onto the balcony

Photo 21 Watching the Memorial Service with Dad’s colleagues in the canteen

Photo 22 Back to the grindstone to create some operating models for a bank

Photo 23 Final tweaks

Photo 24 PwC Advisory’s Christmas tree

Photo 25 Oooooooooo, pigeon holes

Photo 26 You got mail!

Photo 27 My button for Christmas

Photo 28 Playing in the rain

Photo 29 ‘Helping’ to deliver the washing machine

Photo 30 All of us now have ICE-AID bracelets for emergencies – you should get them too; ask us how

Photo 31 I want a Christmas tree this big!

Photo 32 Phase 1 ….

Photo 33 …. of our ginger bread house

Photo 34 Dad and I doing the construction of house

Photo 35 Precision craftsman

Photo 36 Sharing a joke

Photo 37 Applying the ‘plaster’

Photo 38 Placing the wall

Photo 39 Chimney and decorations

Photo 40 Done

Photo 41 Back at work

Photo 42 Man

Photo 43 Frog

Photo 44 I finally did prove to Dad there’s a ‘waterfall’ at PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Photo 45 Checking it out

Photo 46 Happiness

Photo 47 Quick snack

Photo 48 Another document

Photo 49 Proof reading

Photo 50 Phase 2 of the ginger bread house

Photo 51 Southern elevation

Photo 52 Western elevation

Photo 53 Sir Jarrod

Photo 54 Off on my Narnia mission

Photo 55 Shielded

Photo 56 The wall

Photo 57 Through the wardrobe I go

Photo 58 Our guide…

Photo 59 At the ready

Photo 60 Off we go into the forest

Photo 61 Clearing a path

Photo 62 Treasures along the way

Photo 63 Kayla forges ahead

Photo 64 More treasure

Photo 65 The rare chocolate treasure fruit tree

Photo 66 Mine!

Photo 67 Goblets of nectar at Tumnus’ Cave

Photo 68 Our first glimpse of the White Witch

Photo 69 The mission continues

Photo 70 Not afraid to go into battle

Photo 71 Keeping an eye on things

Photo 72 Aaaaaa clues

Photo 73 Hunting down the bell

Photo 74 Now where could it be

Photo 75 Found it!

Photo 76 Clue reading

Photo 77 Right, off on our next mission

Photo 78 Re-group

Photo 79 And another clue…..

Photo 80 Bow and arrow time

Photo 81 Retrieving my arrows

Photo 82 Following the blue star clues

Photo 83 Slaying the troll on the bridge

Photo 84 And finally the White Witch in her castle

Photo 85 Shooting her with water cannons

Photo 86 And pretty soon she goes down

Photo 87 We win!

Photo 88 But we kept spraying her. Just in case

Photo 89 And then we drenched her with a bucket

Photo 90 And then we shot her some more…..

Photo 91 Sorted!

Photo 92 All’s forgiven

Photo 93 Slip and slide time

Photo 94 Just to be 100% sure!

Photo 95 Water fight!

Photo 96 Full force!

Photo 97 Giggles

Photo 98 Getting my own back!

Photo 99 Loving it

Photo 100 Hysterical!

Photo 101 Narnia cake

Photo 102 Wishes for Kayla

Photo 103 Cake? Of course!

Photo 104 Start of the Christmas tree

Photo 105 Working with Mom

Photo 106 Progress

Photo 107 Looking good

Photo 108 Voila!

Photo 109 Window decorations

Photo 110 Such hard work makes me wanna eat a house!

Photo 111 Some building and quiet time after a looooooong day

Photo 112 Our tree at night