Die Roete van die Cloetes

So, we have quite a hectic list of things to get done BEFORE we can go on our ROADTRIP.. And in the meantime life keeps on happening and stuff need to get done. So these past few weeks were semi-hectic because Mr. Cloete was not at home for a while, and apart from having to do the home-side of things on my own (kids, dinner, etc) I also had to get quite a lot of work-things done on my own (meetings, deadlines, etc.) So anyway, a few highs from the few past weeks: Our president resigned! (***shouts of joy!!!***) It started raining in the Cape (could these 2 be related??) I went to the farm  We started exploring Pretoria! My little princess danced in a ballet in the State Theatre :-) :-) As far as our "to-do-list"is concerned - we also made some progress: Our beloved Kelina found another job and is happy: Kelina has been working for us ever since the little princess was 4 months old. So we have been quite emotional all week from just thinking that ...

I thought that I had made up my mind about getting rid of certain things. CD's for one are so outdated. ALL my music is on google music, and Mr Cloete's music is on itunes. WHY would I keep CD's? So, full of courage, I started packing my CD's to give to my mom (who doesn't have a google music playlist). And then I saw it: Lots and lots of little love letters from my mom (:-) (the one who stirred the love of music in my heart), my dear friend Ilze and my sister Maria. How can I let go of these treasures? It makes it so difficult to let go of things, when we attach the love of a friend or a mommy or a sister to them.  Relationships always remain the MOST important thing. The next thing on my list was BOOKS. Again I though "easy".  What could possibly be hard about getting rid of books. I could replace the really good ones with e-books, and we will stop at all the libraries that we are able to stop at and borrow books for as long as we are a...

So we have been wondering about how we will be keeping in touch with everyone who cares and how we will be sharing our story during our travels. Blogging is a given - it is a little like keeping a diary... but I know that most people these days (myself included) are really too lazy busy to read blog posts. Blogs will be posted though, whether or not they will be read :-) because  I think it might just turn into a nice little keepsake for us afterwards. My 10 year old son is even keeping a blog on his experiences. He has already started during the school holidays last year  - check it out here . The next idea is to share a video-diary. Videos and images get the most views on social media and I personally also love looking at them. So we will post videos onto youtube and share on facebook and instagram . But it is not going not be about that: the big social media rush to get more likes, more follows, more interactions....  Our goal is not ACTUALLY to become t...

It is funny how attached we can become to THINGS. As if a part of who we are lies within our STUFF. And we know with our minds that this is simply not true, but our emotions reveal that it might be something that we believe deep in the hidden corners of our hearts. We will have to let go of some stuff before we leave in May. And deciding what should stay and what should go is no easy task. Not even for the kids.  Charma really wants to take her bedside table and her bedside lamp along. Declan wants to take ALL his remote controlled cars. I want to take my piano (hahahahaha.... :-) I know....) Pieter wants to take his tools. (Of course his stuff is the most practical of all of our things...) But we will have to sort through things and let go. Why do we hold on to stuff? I have concluded that we hold onto it, because of 2 things: We need it We are overly sentimental about it This hurts, because I really do not want to let go of albums and pictures and books - a...

"Everything comes at a cost. Just what are you willing to pay for it?" - Serena Williams So our plans are busy being formed, and a few decisions have been made. So far, we will rent out our house (it will be listed next month), and we will spend out first month of travel in KZN (Kwazulu Natal). Initially, we thought this would be a cost-saving year, as school fees and extra-murals will be excluded from our budget and the rental income received for our house will cover the bond, etc. And anyways, camping is cheap - isn't it? We have been working through this book: We bought it a few years ago (around 2012) and the camping spots are rated from cheap (R50 - R150 per night) to expensive (R400 and up). So we thought we could get away with spending WAAAYYY less (i.e R50 per night) on accomodation each month (when compared to our bonds and municipal rates etc.) Unfortunately it seems that camping has become quite expensive in most places. They are no longer just...

Introduction to our adventure 2017 was not an easy year. Our son went to Grade 4, which meant that there was no longer one loving teacher who got to know each little person in her class and build a relationship with them.. instead there were MANY different teachers and new subjects and ...EXAMS!! All of a sudden he was forced into growing up a little faster and learning about hard work and doing things because you HAVE to and not because you WANT to. This was challenging. Mr Cloete turned 40. I am not saying that there were any signs of a mid-life crisis... I am just saying it was as if something  was different. Frustrations grew from little nothings into mountains. Also a challenge. My little girl started school (Grade R) and she quickly became aware of a bigger badder world out there and that was also challenging. I started feeling a little less excited about my job (my own business - we do payroll - check out our website here ). Having done the same work for ...

Iewers in die jaar het dit by my opgekom dat ek 'n paar berge in my lewe moet oorkom. Suikerbosrand Ek is mal oor berge. Ek het nog altyd berge verkies bo die see. En dit is vir my so 'n mooi prentjie van hoe ons uitdagings in die lewe maar is. Wanneer jy begin om in die berg se rigting in te stap, dan is die wêreld gewoonlik plat. Almal kan nog lawwe grappies maak en die natuurskoon geniet. Daar word gelag en gesels en die opwinding is nog groot. Jy kan maklik voor jou uitkyk en ver sien, jou oog op die einbestemming hou. Maar soos dit bietjie meer steil raak, raak die opwinding minder. Ons lag nie meer so baie nie. Ek kry minder woorde gesê, sodat ek my asem kan spaar. En ek verloor my sin vir humor omtrent heeltemal. Op Madeira Bewaar die arme kind se siel wat my durf waag vra om ietsie te dra... of nog erger... om haar te dra. Al my vrugte van die Gees val net daar en dan af en vrot so dat almal wat na my kom ook daaroor gly en val. En ek verge...

If we could step back a little See the history of the human race From Adam to Jesus From Israel to Egypt From Jesus to Madiba From Shaka to Hitler From Rhodes to Mugabe Would we not see that the story is on repeat? One tribe will govern another It will opress the weaker... The weak will rise and fight It will grow strong and govern another It will opress the weaker... Like the little abused child who grows up to become the abuser One nation rises above its opressors to become the opressors. Whether we call it the holocaust The african diaspora Colonialism Apartheid It happens everywhere All the time It is not a white sickness It is not a black sickness It is a HUMAN SICKNESS

Ek en my geliefdes slaap vanaand in Mamelodi.  Ons het 15h30 saam met Kelina, of Sonto soos sy hier genoem word, na die busstop toe gestap by die biblioteek hier naby ons huis in die hoofsaaklike wit afrikaanse buurt van Constantiapark. Ons het gewag vir die taxi om ons te kom optel. Elkeen kon net een sak goed saamneem, want anders moet ons betaal vir 2 sitplekke in die taxi per persoon met te veel bagasie. As 'n taxi met 'n "menlyn" sticker stop, sal hy ons R12 vra om ons net tot by Menlyn mall te vat (3km van ons huis af). Ons klim toe in een sonder 'n sticker en die goedhartige taxi man vra ons toe niks nie. Dis vreemd om binne in die voertuig te sit wat ons so dikwels vervloek vir sy padvark-geaardheid. Heel gemaklik swiep ons deur die verkeer en bereik moeiteloos ons bestemming. By menlyn mall gekom is daar ewe skielik orde in my gewone ervaring van wanorde daar waar die taxi's saamdrom langs die mall. Daar is 'n man ...

Ons slaapkamer se badkamer het die vreeslikste pienk blommetjie teëls gehad. Een so teëltjie is mooi, maar as jy 'n hele badkamer met dit doen, raak dit bietjie erg vir ons 2014-oë. Ons toilet het ook nie eers gewerk nie (het nie geweet dat mens daarna moet kyk voor jy 'n huis koop nie...) Ek hoor toe dat mens oor dit kan verf en ek probeer dit toe.  Ek dog toe ek wil "kreatief" wees en die randjie hou van die tëels. TERRIBLE IDEE!! Dit lyk toe eerstens nie te great nie, en tweedens het ek universal undercoat en wit pva verf gebruik - glad nie baie slim nie, maar dis mos wat gebeur as jy MOEG is....jy word DOM...  Arme Kelina skrop toemet 'n potskuurder 2 weke lank af daaraan.... en ek begin toe van voor af.  Sy kon nie oral inkom met haar lappie nie en op 'n vriend van ons, Andre du Toit ( www.roofcoating.co.za ) se raad, skuur ek dit toe verder af met die klein "grinder" en staalborseltjie.  ...