Poor Boo has picked up a nasty virus somewhere and can't keep anything down.
How fast they grow up.
I plan to take a break from blogging for a little while -- we've had a busy, happy day today (visiting Courtney, fetching Grandma from the station, and enjoying a family dinner), and have quite a few excursions planned for the rest of the week. I'll catch up again before too long!
Oh, the beauty! (A young male Impala at dusk.) 
The time I spent in the Kruger Park blew me away -- I remember how excited we were at first to spot a zebra or giraffe, but by the end of the week almost took seeing them for granted.
It's too dangerous to take Boo at this stage -- apart from the political situation, there's the risk of malaria and other diseases. But one day I'll go back, taking Jumps and Boo -- I'd love to experience these wonders with them. (Above is a Ground Hornbill -- an endangered species.)
This morning I woke late (9;30am -- thanks Jumps!), and luxuriated in bed with a hot cup of tea. Soon Boo discovered I was up, and so hopped in with me, and we looked through his new Insect workbook together. He busily stuck in stickers and counted ladybirds and butterflies, while I helped whenever needed.
... homemade cards and gifts ...
... and the blackforest cake for morning tea.
All the neighbourhood chickens seem to have stopped laying now that the cold weather has come in -- but Boo and I still hear the "puk-puk-puckyyy" of our four hens each morning as they pop out one smooth brown egg each. Our hens are still young, and I've been told that pullets lay right through the first year, and only moult once they are two years old, so this is likely the reason we're still flush with eggs.
Tomorrow is Jumps' birthday, and we'll need plenty of home-laid eggs for the blackforest cake that Grandma, Boo and I plan to bake in the morning. It's Jumps' favourite dessert (and rates pretty highly for me, too), and will be the finishing touch to our German-themed celebratory feast.
At last we are all home in our proper places.
What does he see in the skies above? 
A vase of daffodils becomes part of a surreal Alice-in-Wonderland dream when reflected in the convex glass of the television screen.
A giant wheel of ricotta at half price -- $12 for 3kg -- sent me to the internet to search for both sweet and savoury recipes. The main course was a cinch with spinach and ricotta canneloni ... but what to serve 10 hungry house-movers for dessert?
... built houses, castles and miniature gardens in the sandpit, as well as roads and tunnels, then buried treasure, cars and themselves ...
... made three little cubbyhouses, in which they became Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo (note the yellow lightsabre, made from a bubblewand), then set forth on missions to save oppressed inhabitants of the garden planets ...
... went to the river, where they munched juicy watermelon, threw stones and paddled in the water ...
... can this really be winter?
I had tried to include a healthier selection of food than I offered for previous muffin tin lunches, which is perhaps why not as much was consumed in the end. And, as both children spent a great deal of time riding off on their tree-branch horses to vanquish the gruesome monsters which (I was informed) roam the garden, there wasn't really time to eat much.
Carnations, lavender, snowflake, alyssum and daisies in an heirloom crystal vase.
Ah ... yes, well I do seem to be posting plenty of cake recipes lately, despite the fact that I really shouldn't eat to many of them. In my defence, we had six visitors for afternoon tea today (Rach Mc, Cecily and Ian and the kiddos) and I had to feed them something quick to make, as we are expecting another eight this evening for my mother-in-law's moving dinner. (For this I plan to serve spinach and ricotta canneloni, green salad, french bread, and finally a ricotta and lemon cake with icecream and stewed rhubarb.)
It is an awesome sight, with two colourful and elaborate shrines, a dining hall, meditation halls, a pilgrim lodge, tea room and pagoda. The temple aims to be a place of instruction and study, as well as of meditation.
Visitors are welcome to wander at at will through the centre, provided they remove shoes to enter the shrines, and behave quietly and respectfully. Monks and other helpers are happy to answer questions, and encourage anyone who wishes to light a candle or place incense at the shrines. Everyone was pleased to see Boo, and were kind when they answered his serious little questions (for example, he asked "Why do all the Buddhas have different arms?" -- that is, arm gestures).
There were plenty of steps to climb to the main shrine (also called the Great Hero Hall). Boo and I learned that these steps are a reminder that each person must aim to gain enlightenment one step at a time. Although it might take many lifetimesto reach this goal, we must each make those steps ourselves.
All around the temple and dotted throughout the garden are fanciful statues -- many of child-like Buddhas engaged in various activities (even one building a snowman!), various elaborately carved gods and goddesses, elephants and dragons. These mythical lions stand as sentries to the main shrine -- Boo thought it might be fun if he tried to out-roar them.
Finally we visited the seven-tiered pagoda, which is used by the Chinese community as a resting place for the cremated ashes of devotees and their relatives. Inside the Pagoda is a wishing bell, where visitors can make a wish and ring the bell. 
Boo asked me what Buddhism is all about. I don't pretend to know a great deal, but did spend ten days in a meditation retreat several years ago, where I learned some of the basic tenets. And I do find meditation to be a worthwhile pursuit, and very good training if you wish for a calmer mind. On the whole, it simply seems to me that Buddhism offers a path for some people to try to lead happy and good lives. I'm sure this is oversimplifying, but I've told Boo that as he grows up, he needs to learn as much as he can about how other people think and feel, before he decides what makes sense to him.
A glorious winter's day, and two children who were aching to be amused outdoors, reminded me of a great idea I saw at Pepper Paints.
A zesty custard topping with sunfully rich shortbread as a base -- what's not to like? 
Boo had a friend over for lunch on muffin tin day, so it had to appeal to two fussy palates. On the whole it did, although (much to my surprise) the cocoa-pops proved unpopular. The three little cheese blocks stuck onto muli-coloured tasseled toothpicks were the winners hands-down -- but I think this had more to do with the eye-poking potential of the toothpicks than the taste!
