Royalty

Sadly a great big chapter in our lives in Rotorua has just ended with my mom flying back to Cape Town after spending 5 weeks with us. It was a quiet journey back from Auckland for me - a 3 hour drive through drizzle and rain, past sheep, cows, deer, horses, alpaca...countless rainbows, lots of trucks and a beautiful country landscape all the way. The silent echoes of a conversation that had taken place but hours ago, lingered in my thoughts. I could still smell her perfume in the car and imagine the pressure of our hug at the airport. It's always hard to believe we live so extremely far away - so far that it takes 2 days to travel here, or there. Hard to believe she was actually here!

Mia is excited about looking for Ouma on the computer again...or sending her drawings...my favourite quote so far was while we were in the garden: Mia wanted to collect some fallen pink petals to send to Ouma, along with her drawings, "so she can send us more presents and more love". I had a good giggle. Ouma is still very much part of our lives. Sadly she wasn't around this morning to hear Joshka say, "aMA, aaaMA, aaaouMA, ouMA". But luckily she has heard it before (having coaxed and coached him with it for 5 weeks!). The kindergarten staff, the playgroup regulars, the developer next door, Mia's school friend's mum - they're all asking after you Mom. The "fancy lady" - since everyone thought Mom looked so 'fancy' ie. dressed up. It's all tracksuits and jeans here! Anyhow, I will send the said drawings of Mia's to my mum, but not before including them here.

When Mom arrived, Mia was very much into the "Princess" stage - on a par with being a ballerina - and was keen to marry a prince. Resident Prince Ouma was around every day - sometimes 3 times a day - to "marry" Princess Mia, but not before being made to wait a "day" or 2. They would have to (pretend to) go to bed, wake up, eat a delcious (pretend) breakfast and then proceed to get married. Usually the bride would never get round to actually marring the prince because she would be talking and bossing and shouting directions/script/procedures/plot to all and sundry who would try with all their might to distract her and perhaps fill her mouth with some real food to stop the verbal onslaught. Since befriending a chatterbox at school, Mia suffers, at times, from verbal diarrhea. Anyway, Mia deemed it appropriate to draw, and cut out, pictures of her and Ouma with their crowns on. Which I find delightful!


I think the one 'fat' leg of Oumas is her sore leg (the one she bashed on the corner of a heater). I love the knees. And boobs. The other circles are the "bits which bounce"...nice!