Sinterklaas Kapoentje gooi wat in mijn schoentje...

It's the last day of putting the shoe in front of the chimney, singing songs for Sinterklaas and hoping for some cute gifts. Well, the girls got some cute gifts. Besides getting some Dutch and English books, which they LOVE.... since reading is all they do!! These girls read and walk, read and watch TV, read and go to the toilet, read and eat, read and sleep... with a book in their hands. So there is NO better gift than a BOOK! Which is good and nice, but in a way I like them also to be a bit more active OUTSIDE!! It is SUMMER here, great weather to swim in our pool.... bike around the compound, go to the park to meet friends... but NO they like to READ!!

So among quite a few books in DUTCH and ENGLISH they got these cute little dolls, that they had seen on our trip to Durban last week... and they were totally surprised that they got them from SINTERKLAAS!! haha... they still haven't figured it out... how fun!!

These dolls are handmade and all unique, they each have their own name, own hobbies, favorite food and drinks... it is all registred on a tag that the doll carries around its neck.... Now I have the task to create a female/male friend for it, otherwise the doll is lonely... so that is my project for the coming week! Why did I get punished like that from Sinterklaas????

Juliet got Isha, th efemale doll with the long hair and Jasmine got black Galago. So now we are creating a boyfriend for Isha and a girlfriend for Galago.... pictures will follow :-(



This week the mother of Khetho (my maid/housekeeper) came to SA from Zimbabwe to see her daugther, since she is 5 months pregnant... Fun to meet the mother... And of course the girls had to pose with their new dolls... ahum... friends for life!! Yeah.. will see how long that lasts :-)



Anyway... it is December 5th, it's Sinterklaas Birthday and on the last day they got their last present... each a book AND a movie. Now gift time is over till December 25th, and finally we can start decorating the house for Xmas!!

While most of my American friends start decorating the house for the Holidays the day after Thanksgiving we have to wait after Sinterklaas! He is going back with his helpers, the black Petes on his steam boat to Spain. And I have to find the Xmas decorations in the garage... Wish me good luck! A touch week coming ahead.... because it is not that easy to find a REAL or FAKE tree here in SA. So I am already thinking of doing the same as last year, and go for totally something different... my WILLOW tree!! We will see if I can find that this week....

More on that later!
Ciao, Mireille