The Carr Family

Meeting the Boks

2010-06-24T19:00:00.000+02:00

Danny on his bike at Daniel Weber's party last week

We took the boys to meet some of the Springboks yesterday who are in town for their match on Saturday. Sadly Danny's ultimate hero, John Smit, and Josh's favourite of them all, Victor Matfield (being the lone Bulls' supporter in this family that he is!) weren't amongst them, but it was a great experience nonetheless and we are all very excited to go to the game vs Italy on Sat :)

Yes, we are still in cyberspace!

2010-06-23T13:35:00.000+02:00

We have seriously neglected the blog over the past few months - Facebook has taken preference and for that we apologise to our regular readers! But we are alive and kicking with some recent photos to prove it. Nath has started a thriving vegetable garden in the back yard - see a specimen of our spinach above and other treats below. If you're in the area please pop in as we'd love to give you some greens to take home :)

At the beginning of June we spent a lovely week-end at Hogsback with the Pattles and Webers. A good time was had by all and loads of fresh air and exercise was enjoyed.

Below is the view from our self-catering cottage. It snowed the following week as luck would have it, so I'm sure we will have to return later on in the winter for the boys to experience some of the chilly white stuff.

Josh and his little buddy Lauren Pattle, enjoying nature.

Mommy with my darlings :)

Dad with Josh - not sure how much longer Josh is going to be able to sit on Dad's shoulders for!

Josh poses for daddy

Danny and Lauren keep warm in our cottage

We never tire of the Hogsback walks and waterfalls

Group Hike

Fun with the Autumn Leaves

Last but not least, what would a visit to Hogsback be if you didn't see a pixie ? :)

Dan enjoying the new facilities

2010-03-25T19:12:00.000+02:00

Dan enjoys the "hanging in there" approach to the new bathroom...

Crawfords and Cosy Corner

2010-03-22T19:28:00.000+02:00

We have had two great week ends - first at Crawford Cabins on the East Coast with Jane, Julian and Kim and then a long week end at home with a day out at Cozy Corner with "Granny Pie".

Enjoying the dunes at Crawfords

Totally impressed with the seafood buffet - Crawfords

Totally unimpressed with the seafood buffet - tough customer...

Cool banana

The dudes

Camping in the study while the builders destroyed and then rebuilt the family bathroom.

Sharing a shower during the bathroom renovations.

Byron and Bonnie's wedding- Morgan Bay

2010-02-10T15:23:00.000+02:00

A great time was had last week end at Morgan Bay for Byron and Bonnie's wedding. Josh was the page boy. Everyone scrubbed up well.

Cozy Corner - Christmas 2009

2010-02-10T15:19:00.000+02:00

The Hughes' join us at Mpekweni

2010-02-10T15:12:00.000+02:00

In the pool

The gang.

The Hughes'

The Weber's and Shazza

Enjoying the space

A bok and a Bafana supporter

Camels and cousins...

2009-11-29T06:23:00.000+02:00

Josh's school had a dress-up day on Friday and the theme was "Children from other countries".
We decided to be resourceful (and avoid me having to try to sew a new outfit etc!) and dressed him as Ahmed from Dubai... The pet camel is from our Watford days when Nath and I used to support Saracens every Saturday at Vicarage Road :)

"Bye Mom, I'm off to check on the oil reserves ..."

The boys are getting so big and I can't actually believe how grown-up they look in this photo. What our parents always used to say is so true - the years really do pass by so quickly.

Cinds, Darryn and Ava spent a night with us recently, and the boys and I babysat Ava for an afternoon whilst her mom and dad went to sign the paperwork for their new home :) The boys loved it and Joshy said to me "Mommy, this is what it would be like if we had a baby sister!"

(I think he's been indoctrinated by both his grannies a little too much lately!)

Dan-Dan with his brand-new no. 4 haircut

Kisses for my cousin

Ava @ 18 months

"Come and play with me, Josh"

The week-end that was...

2009-10-11T18:55:00.000+02:00

We've just had an awesome week-end with Cindy and Darryn at Shamwari. Nath is in Grahamstown again for the last MBA block for the year, so he joined us for Saturday afternoon and today - looking very tired after a stringent week of exams and lectures (and the odd pint at the Rat...)! The weather didn't co-operate very well, but we really do need rain in the Eastern Cape, so we can't complain.

Josh feeding "Debra" the 11-week-old zebra

This elephant dung SMELLS!!!

Feeding Themba the baby elephant

For a little bushbaby, Ava was terrified of Themba!

Albert the sheep gives Dan a sniff

That's better - I'm not so keen on elephants!

Cinds and Ava

Dan and his NBF, Albert

Josh also found a new best friend - Cinds and Darryn's neighbours'

son, Alan :)

Our own little monkey :)

Round up - 6 August

2009-08-07T22:41:00.000+02:00

The Carr Consultancy - working from the home office.

Fun in the bath.

Watching the Springboks beat the All Blacks.

Enjoying the win.

Josh's birthday at Busy Bees - his pre-school.

With the Weber's at Gonubie.

Brothers in arms

Josh turns 4

2009-07-11T16:03:00.000+02:00

Josh turned 4 on Thursday. I can't actually believe that four years have gone by since his arrival at 3.46 a.m. in the labour ward at St Georges Hospital, Tooting in London! How much has changed in the Carr House since that day (the "Carr House" itself as a physical dwelling has changed 4 times and moved between 3 continents to be precise!)
We had a "Space Party" on Thursday morning which was a great success and a good time was had by all.

Dan sporting a rather ginger 'tache for the party :)

So lovely to have both Grannies with us to share in the fun.
Here the boys are with Granny Pie

Shrieks of delight and a lot of bewildered little faces as an alien

descended upon us, adorned in an Elvis-type suit and bearing

party packs galore...

The birthday boy with those proclaiming to be his parents

Jumping Castle in our front yard.

Tucking in. 26 degrees, hence shorts and t-shirts for some.

You really can't beat the East London winter days :)

And last but not least, the space rocket cake! Thanks again Granny Pie for another brilliant effort. That's it for birthday parties in the Carr House for 2009. Over and out :)

Maverick, Mpekweni and the Moerse Pineapple

2009-06-25T20:14:00.000+02:00

Its been a hectic few weeks in the Carr house with MBA lecture blocks in Grahamstown and exam time at Selborne but in between all the craziness we have fitted in a week-end away at Mpekweni beach Resort, a visit to the "moerse Pineapple" at Bathurst and welcoming our new Rhodesian Ridge Back pup. Meet Maverick - 8 weeks old - he is going to be a big 'un:

Mpekweni
Confederations Cup:

Moerse Pineapple, outside Bathurst:

2009-06-22T20:12:00.000+02:00

2009-06-22T20:03:00.000+02:00

Ava's first birthday

2009-06-13T06:45:00.000+02:00

Our little nice, Ava, turned one on 2 June and we had a little party for her at Granny Pie's house in Stutterheim. The boys adore their little cousin and were only too happy to help with the opening of her gifts. She really is an adorable little girl :)
It's a busy time work-wise in the Carr household at the moment. Nath is in Grahamstown for two weeks doing the next block of MBA lectures and exams, and although he is being kept very busy, he seems to be enjoying it. I am also busy with exams, but am marking them and not actually taking them myself, thank goodness! The end of term is in sight now (26 June) and I am really looking forward to a three-week break with the boys.

Helping aunty Cinds open the gifts

Darryn and Ava

Bulls and Giraffes...

2009-05-24T18:54:00.000+02:00

Well done to the Bulls but pride of place this week end goes to the Giraffes at the local Lion Park.

Move over, Josh...

Cleaning up.

16 week old Lion Cub - Snowball. Daniel not sure...

But he picked up his courage with the baby tortoises.

2009-05-16T07:26:00.000+02:00

Braai School and others

2009-05-16T07:17:00.000+02:00

Some photos from Braai School ( see post below) and around Stutt Forest/Hogsback. The dreaded "smokey Robwerston" below.

The seasoned Braai School lecturers, Mr and Mrs Heidtman.

Stutt Forest.

Autumn leaves

Braai School Graduation

2009-05-16T07:04:00.000+02:00

Hearty congratulations to Josh and Dan who both graduated (cum laude) from the prestigious Stutterheim Royal Academy Braai School. The course was stringent, covering braai preparation, fire starting, meat selection and preparation, avoiding the dreaded "smokey robertson", weber braai, tong management, discussion topics around and after the braai and braai etiquette. It was a lot to take in in one day but the boys acquitted themselves well. Here are some photos from the training. Graduation photos to follow.

You have made us proud. Now make us supper.

Hogsback and Morgan Bay - in one week end

2009-05-05T20:18:00.000+02:00

A great time was had in the mountains of Hogsback last week-end topped off by a Sunday Braai at Morgan Bay to celebrate Winnie's Birthday. The boys were brilliant hikers and enjoyed the chilly evenings, forest monkeys and log fires of the Arminel. We will return..... soon.Hiking to Swallow Tail Water fall

Tree climbing along the way

Water break
Swallow Tail Water Fall.

Izzy, Jarryd, Josh and Daniel Weber. Daniel Carr missing - presumably eating furniture somewhere...

Mr Main and the Weber's.

A well earned shandy

The view from Winnie and Roger's deck at Morgan Bay
Lunch.
About to go for a spin in the "yellow digger"

The Shark, The Gunner and The Shad...

2009-04-20T19:49:00.003+02:00

Despite Arsenal's loss on the week end, our pub - "The Shark and Gunner", is now formally open. We can only hope (and pray) for the Champions League and S14...A few weeks ago we spent a great morning watching the fishermen make the most of the Shad run off Gonubie Point.

Marc: tight lines...

What a great wedding!

2009-04-18T08:55:00.005+02:00

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Dave Pinnock! What a great wedding out at Chintsa East. It was great catching up with some old friends. We had a good Easter week end and the boys enjoyed their Easter Egg hunt in the garden. We are looking forward to Arsenal in the FA Cup Semi Final this afternoon, Selborne vs Grey Bloem in East London next week end and a trip to Hogsback the next week end. Take care.

Anton with one of the guests (Barry, I think) - below...

Things started to unravel, led by the Master of Ceremonies...

Carry on camping...

2009-03-25T21:29:00.009+02:00

Great company, fine weather and a beautiful setting were the key ingredients for a most memorable camping trip to Gubu Dam last week end. The boys had a fabulous time exploring the forest, collecting pine cones, hunting for treasure and telling fireside stories whilst the adults enjoyed some R & R time. Weekends like this are priceless and remind us of why we returned to SA. On to all things sporting, it was a week end of great results too with the Lions, Sharks, Bulls, Arsenal and Proteas winning and Man Who dropping 3 points in the Premiership. Does it get better?

An Eastern Cape road block (above).

Helping set up camp.A happy camper... (above)

Dont you just hate these crowded camp sites - we were the only visitors...

Fun time with Grandpa Des and Granny Pie above and below.

Walking the "plank" (below).

Shananigans.
Helping Grandpa Des with the fire...

Fireside stories of Pirates and Lions (below).
Why fry when you can braai...?

Dan about to attack his full english with grim determination (below).

Chillaxing around the fire.

What are you doing lying down, Daddy...?

Treasure hunt.

Day hike.

Good-bye curls!

2009-03-13T20:16:00.000+02:00

Dan is looking as naughty as ever after having a "no. 6" all over yesterday courtesy of Dad and his clippers! Nath has been keen to attack the mop of curls for a while, mostly because Dan wakes up after his nap at lunchtime with wet hair most days thanks to the humidity and high temperatures we've been experiencing lately (nothing like Dubai, but still pretty warm!) So, after a shaky start and a few tears, Dan got the hang of it and allowed Dad to take it all off. I think it was much less traumatic than our usual visits to the hairdressers, but it was still a rather vocal experience... Josh didn't want to be left out, so had his sides trimmed as well :)
These pics were taken of the monkeys this afternoon; bottom one is in the tree house which is where they spend most of their time and invent the most weird and wonderful games. Oh to be a child again...

Lunching with Hippo's

2009-03-09T20:36:00.007+02:00

A great day out was had at the local game reserve - Mpongo - on Sunday which included a buffet lunch within touching distance of the hippos. Kudu, Impala, Giraffe, Zebra, Blesbuck and Ostrich were all spotted (by those that werent sleeping) on the game drive afterwards. We hosted the Poulton's for a braai over the week end. It was great to meet the twins but we were all shocked at how much weight Lance had accumulated over the UK Winter. Clearly much soul searching lies ahead for Lance if he is to strutt the Chintsa beaches in a speedo in April as he has previously threatened to do...

Introducing Zigby, Barney and Fudge...

2009-02-25T21:32:00.011+02:00

Since Christmas we have three new additions to the house hold. Our two resident guinea pigs, Zigby and Barney and our latest acquisition - a Russian short haired hamster - Fudge. Here are some snaps. The Giraffe is not ours - but was one of the few attractions at the EL Zoo.

With Zigby in the guinea pig "hok" in the garden.
Feeding and grooming time...

Fudge, our Russian hamster. He is not actually from Russia but the Beacon Bay pet shop.

Fudge's cool cage (above) - a gift from Granny Jane. Practising the rush defence is a lot more difficult then...

Being a monkey, which comes naturally.

Daniel turns 2

2009-02-22T20:06:00.011+02:00

That chocolate cake was YUMMY!

King for a day...

We've had a busy time lately with Nath being away for the first 2-week block of his MBA at Rhodes, me settling into my teaching again at Selborne and the kids adjusting to a new school (Josh) and new nanny (Danny is now very ably looked after by Beauty in the mornings until I get home from school around 12.30ish). We are happy to report that all four of us are doing well - except Nath who is suffering from a tummy bug at the moment, but we are happy to have him home nonetheless!!!
Today is Daniel's 2nd birthday so we celebrated by having a party at home this morning. I have been doing anti-rain dances for days (sorry farmers, I know times are dry at the moment over here!) but there just was no plan B if it rained today... Fortunately my prayers were answered and we had a lovely cool, dry day for our party. All went well and a good time was had by all. Dan was a bit overwhelmed as he tends to prefer smaller crowds, hence the scrumming against mommy in the pic above in objection to having to blow out his candles...!

Jax, Chantel and Lisa picnicking with the kids

Josh and his gorgeous little friend, Rebekah

Making "bugs" in the garage

Josh and Rebekah again - could this be first love?

Great having the "next generation" of Rhodents with us:

Ben (son of Cris and Jane Reago de Dios), Josh (Rory and Ang

Hashick) and Matthew (Grant and Mary lou Berndt).

Granny Pie made these cute little spiders...

... and the awesome cake for our "bug" party.
(thanks Mom!) x

Iron Maiden - Part II

2009-02-03T18:59:00.000+02:00

Part I report further below.

Greeks and Poeg finishing the swim leg neck and neck.

Airwolf...?

Iron Maidens

2009-02-03T18:54:00.001+02:00

The Half Iron Man (SWIM: 1.9 km's/CYCLE:90 km's and HALF MARATHON:21 km's) was held in East London two week ends ago. Well done to these legends for pulling through. Greeks did the whole thing in under six hours and Weeby did the cycle leg in the team event. Next year....

The start at Orient beach. Orderly chaos...

Weeb's looking the part (and sucking it in a bit for the lens).

Greeks doing the half marathon at the end.

The Carr family, supporting.

Round and about and something from the archives...

2009-01-29T20:57:00.008+02:00

Dan manning our new bar at home - "The Shark and Gunner". Note Weeby's line up of Hansa's...Three in a tub...

The consumate performer - the world is a stage. Fun with Isabel.

One from the archives - Josh with his long distance girlfriend, Amber, whilst visiting us in Jozi.
Josh and Kimbo admiring Dad's last catch which was donated to the EL aquarium.

festive season wrap up

2009-01-13T21:05:00.001+02:00

Final photo wrap up from the Christmas that just was...

Father Christmas was definitely here...

What is a watering can...?

Uncle Gary with baby Ava

wrap up part II

2009-01-13T21:00:00.001+02:00

Dazzler about to weber the Christmas Turkey...

wrap up part III

2009-01-13T20:57:00.001+02:00

We managed to watch some of the action from the annual SA schools water polo tournament which was held in East London in December.

Border, unlike years gone by, were weak...

Times, they are a changing, which is good to see..

Dan enjoying the polo.

And driving the Hard Body...

Cape Town and Gordon's Bay

2009-01-11T14:05:00.018+02:00

A great time was had down in Cape Town and Gordon's Bay. We all enjoyed catching up with Gary, Meg and Tim. The sun shone (and the wind blew, a little...). The Water Front, Greenmarket Square, Cape Town Museum, the Squirrel walk, Bikini Beach and the Sunset Spur were all highlights. We were pleased to find our guinea pigs, Zigby and Barney, alive and kicking on our return this morning. Thanks for having us Gary, Meg and Tim!

As an amateur photographer it is always exciting to come across views and objects never photographed before. Here we have Table Mountain - from the Water Front.

A misty mountain....

Josh meets Tutu.

Hanging out with the Tugs.

Josh looking a little dizzy after his ride (below).

The calm...

...before the feeding frenzy.

Bed time at the Southern Sun with Lion and Monkey (x3)

Chilling at Bikini Beach, Gordon's Bay.

Uncle Gary in the mix.

Boogy boarding wiuth cuz, Meg.

Altogether: Meg, Josh, Dan, Kimbo and Tim.

Marching to the Spur for ribs, nuggets and cheddar melt burgers.

Happy New Year - Cozy Corner Update

2009-01-04T16:32:00.016+02:00

All the very best for 200&FINE...

We had a quiet New Years Eve, enjoying a potjie under the gazebo at home. The Festive season was great, catching up with family rounded off with three days at the beach - Cozy Corner. Dad is very proud of Josh's first fish caught in the Cozy Lagoon. We are off to Cape Town for some work and fun on the 7th, back on the 11th. Its going to be a big year... We hope that you are all well.

Cozy Corner - as busy as it gets...

Fun and games up the dunes
Francois Steyn hair day...

Again...

A spot of fishing for the big one - notice no reel - dream big...

Success - one reeled in by Josh, Dan looking begrudgingly impressed.

Another hit! For the record as well as for the benefit of the auditors: all fish depicted here were tagged and released under the Eastern Cape Estuary and Lagoon Fishing Association Regulations (updated, 1997). No records were recorded, yet...

Kimbo enjoying the (relative) peace and quiet before term starts on 20 Jan...

Still looking for that reel..., one day.

Family time on the beach

2008-12-31T09:38:00.000+02:00

Dazzler, Cinds, Gary, Mom, Jane & I
(Ava in the pram and Josh toyi-toying)

I may be younger than you, but watch out!!

Aaaah!

Ava with her adoring big cousins :)

More pics...

2008-12-31T09:33:00.000+02:00

Dan watering the garden

The garden tools were a great hit - thanks Granny Pie!

Christmas lunch under the gazebo

The things grannies do for love... :)

Christmas in Slummies!

2008-12-31T09:04:00.000+02:00

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family! Thanks for your patience while we have taken so long to get our blog up and running again. There have been some technical hitches lately and the I.T. support technician (i.e. me) is pretty useless, so it's hit and miss at the moment getting photos uploaded. Please continue to be patient and we will continue working on it :)
Hope you have all had a wonderful festive season. Our Christmas was spent at home in EL with my family and Nath's mom joining us for a fun-filled time in the sun. The weather has been superb and we have clocked up many hours round the braai and in the pool. More pics to come - when I figure out how to use this new software...

Dell Laptop

2008-12-02T17:58:00.002+02:00

The editorial team has acquired some new equiptment - a Dell Inspirion laptop from which this short update has been crafted. We hope to load up some photographs in the next entry. A good win for the Gunners against money bags Chelsea was much appreciated. Full update plus photos next time round.

Apologies and update Part II - The Editorial Team

2008-11-20T20:25:00.003+02:00

Firstly, we would like to acknowledge receipt of the hundreds of telegrams, faxes, emails and letters sent to the editors over recent weeks complaining about the lack of content updates on our blog. We are deeply sorry for the disruption to our weekly updates. We had no idea we had subscribers in Karachi, Toronto and Mooiplaas. This tardy service has been caused by a number of logistical problems associated with relocating from Dubai to East London. IT doesnt happen so quick down here and we have lost our photo card reader - no photos just yet : - {

Nathan's idea (hope) of not working until the New Year was dashed when Absa called and asked that he do some consultancy work for them down in Cape Town, where he has been for the last two weeks slaving away. [In]conveniently, and quite by coincidence, Kimbo has been ruling the home during a most eventful period. Monday this week saw the arrival of the forty foot container, the builders are just finishing the house renovations and Daniel has been slightly not himself. As usual, Kimbo has managed the situation with charming aplomb, delegating, project managing and cursing as appropriate.

We are all well. Josh is booked into a pre school 800 meters down the road in Beacon Bay and starts next year. He is also booked in at Selborne Pups thereafter. We are too nervous to book Daniel in anywhere just yet until he nurtures his boisterous tendencies. The house is starting to look good after some painting work and the building stuff is done. The house has secured the services of a cheerful domestic helper who goes by the name of "Beauty"and she is turning out to be just that with the boys and generally helping out. We also have a regular helping hand in the garden but nobody has mastered his name yet - he is understood to be Beauty's uncle. He is settling in well - depsite a few grumbles about the status of the garden implements - and has been nurturing the large leafed ivy and ticky creeper on the rather bare West wall.

Kimbo has spent many an enjoyable tea hour with "Snack a Jack" Weber and her many other East London gal friends. She has secured employment at the reputable Selborne College -mornings only, starting in January teaching Maths, Science, Aeronautical Engineering and Wood Work (the latter for Standard Grade learners only). It will be a big responsibility being the sole bread winner for the next 3 years so please do provide her with all your support as and when you can (bank account details provided in the next chapter).

We are looking forward to a Christams at home spent with family... and perhaps some new pets...

Watch those pennies and stay away from equities. We suggest that this economic doom and gloom will be around for a while yet if the decline in Freisland Milkshake numbers (quarterly figures released yesterday) is anything to go by.

Good luck to the Protea rugby team this week end against the pasties.

Totsiens

The editorial team.

Update from the eastern cape

2008-10-22T15:53:00.002+02:00

We have arrived.

Quick update...

After spending some time in Stutt we now have our own roof over our heads and cars to drive. Our furniture had a delayed departure from Dubai so we continue to "camp" in our house thanks to kind donations/loans from friends/family and the salvation army of chairs, pots, pans, bar fridges, tv's, linen etc etc. Another three weeks to go before our goods arrive - counting the days.

Life in EL is good and pretty much as we left it 8 years ago. The traffic rush (quarter of an) hour is still 15 minutes and the people are down to earth and super eastern cape friendly. The boys have adapted extremely well to life here and have already made a new crew of mates. Renovations have started on our new house - extending the thatched gazebo and converting the third garage into a study/5th bedroom ready for the christmas festivities. We will be doing some painting here and there to put our own stamp on the place in the next week or two.

Looking forward to the Selborne Founders Day and Old Boys Spit braai on Friday and the Sharks victory on Saturday...

Photo's to follow when we can find our memory card : - (

After all these years...

2008-09-18T12:02:00.003+02:00

I still get goose bumps. A special place.

Learning to swim...

2008-09-15T18:30:00.004+02:00

Josh has been going to private swimming lessons with his mate Christopher for the last week or so and has come on in leaps and splashes. Daniel seems to have picked up in confidence too by observing. Lots on the go with under two weeks left before we board a jet plane. Looking forward to landing in EL on 27th of September....

Ski Dubai

2008-09-05T18:20:00.005+02:00

We had a great time this afternoon with Josh at Ski Dubai in the mall of the Emirates. It was refreshing to leave the 44* heat and play around in the snow at -4*. Much fun was had on the slopes. Happy Birthday to Granny Jane today!

A month to go...

2008-08-30T11:44:00.004+02:00

Planning for the move to South Africa is well underway with just under a month to go. The packers pack up on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd of September and our flights are booked to fly out on the 26th... Lots to do between now and then (like sell the Pajero - see below - any takers from our Dubai readers?).
Elsie, Madiba and the boys...
It has been potjie season lately... This was a lamb + red wine number. The vegetation is bay leaf and totally intentional.

Nahoon mouth - view from the Highlander. We can almost feel the breeze...

Fresh look...

2008-08-23T19:01:00.009+02:00

Well, call us unsentimental but we have changed our site with a new, fresh looking template. With all the changes going on we thought why not reflect that here too...

We enjoyed a farewell Barclays brunch on Friday at a swanky hotel whose name we cannot remember or spell (if we did). It was very lavish and enjoyable. Here are some snaps of the day, amongst others. Starting to cool down slighly here - hovering around 40' regularly which means that we could dust off the bikes this week end...

Tired and grumpy... Have a good week.

Seven stars * * * * * * *

2008-08-09T17:51:00.011+02:00

It has been a full week end. After our day in Abu Dhabi (below) we experienced the hospitality of the famous Burj Al Arab - the worlds only seven star hotel - this afternoon. It was a civilised affair of afternoon tea at the Sky View bar on the 27th floor. The views were magnificent. Thanks Kimbo - very memorable. We shall return and stay the night once our biltong and dry cleaning franchises are fully operational in the Eastern Cape.

Parked up outside...

Inside...

Marine fish tanks on arrival - and their cleaner. Not a bad job...

Lurking around the lobby...

Summer in Abu Dhabi

2008-08-09T08:50:00.012+02:00

We had a great day out with the Jamiesons yesterday in Abu Dhabi, at the "Summer in Abu Dhabi" exhibition. So much for everyone to do in a lovely air-conditioned centre. A perfect way to spend a Summer's day (in the UAE!)
The Dads really "let their hair down"!

Spiderman/men was spotted...

Josh and his co-pilot, Christopher

Practising to be Spiderman...

A definite highlight of the day!

Things got a bit vicious on the Bumper Car Course,

but the boys took it in their stride :)

Jax and I with the littlies on a tamer ride...

Josh and Christopher in the "Bob the Builder" zone :)

Hard at work (judging by the tongue sticking out!)

The Magic Faraway Tree (Mom's FAVE!)

Some purple-haired man read Dan a story (no, it's not Barney!)

Spider Man Smashed

2008-08-02T13:03:00.002+02:00

He is meant to be invincible, indestructable and brave. This unsuspecting (and complete) Spider Man was relaxing in his wrapping less then 12 hours ago hoping for a new home filled with warmth, love and admiration. Alas, the Carr boys picked him up and in one afternoon session of npower test cricket literally dissected him into a quivering upper torso.

We are giving some serious thought as to which "super hero" we introduce next....

Good-bye baby curls...

2008-08-01T19:45:00.012+02:00

We finally succombed and took Daniel to the hairdresser on our return to Dubai this week. I was a bit sad to see the flowing locks falling to the floor, but must admit he looks a lot more like a boy now :) The locks are safely stowed in their plastic packet however as a momento of his adorable little curls (ah, how embarassed he will be when I produce these at his 21st one day!)

The boys having some bonding time this morning...

Trawling the mall this afternoon, enjoying a milkshake

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be sitting in a sauna, wearing your winter woolies and having a hairdrier being blasted in your face at full force at the same time, then perhaps you should pay us a visit in Dubai at the moment. Today was 46 degrees with 80% humidity... I rest my case!

Trip to SA: Josh turns 3, house hunting etc

2008-07-14T18:14:00.014+02:00

Josh had a great 3rd birthday on the 9th of July with a racing cake, friends and party hooters (most popular). Thanks to Granny Pie for all the baking and decorating and to all family and friends for the avalanche of gifts...

A tall Eastern Cape aloe.

Gary, Tim and Sandy Landy about to get wet on a 4x4 outing.

Baby Ava and Mom and Dad in the Forest. Happy birthday to Cindy for today (14/07)!

Braaing in the forest.

After some long, tiring days house hunting we settled on our new home (below) in Beacon Bay.

Photo round up

2008-06-15T18:33:00.004+02:00

Excitement watching the 2nd test vs the Welsh Dragons.

Celebrating another test win - 6 more to go until the record...

All aboard - boating in Safa Park.
Who mentioned ice cream...?

Shiesha city - Dubai Madinat

Ava

2008-06-05T07:48:00.004+02:00

Our precious little niece has arrived! Ava Paige Kingman was born on Monday 2 June, around 9.30 a.m. Cinds was an absolute star and had a natural birth, everything going smoothly. (OK let's not kid ourselves, there is nothing "smooth" about it, but she had a "good" experience as these things go!) Here she is with her doting mommy and daddy, who are understandably besotted!

Looking remarkably like Daddy! We are very excited to meet our new little niece and the boys will meet their little cousin for the first time in around three weeks' time when we head to SA for our holiday. Bring it on!!!!!

Congrats to Cinds and Dazzler and we wish you all the happiness in the world with your brand new gorgeous little bundle :)

Mauritius...

2008-05-28T18:42:00.008+02:00

was nice - but next time with the family and for holiday rather then work. A few snaps.

Marina mayhem

2008-05-17T18:56:00.009+02:00

Much fun was had at the Dubai Marina fountain today.

Francois Steyn was recently spotted in Dubai.

Fishing, cycling and pooling around

2008-05-09T06:56:00.006+02:00

Josh proudly displaying his Red Snapper caught at Geant*.

Pooling around - its fun bossing big boet around!

Being a house of athletes we have got into cycling - all of us...!

All smiles after a morning cycle - Elsie has settled in well to life in Dubai.

*Geant - a local supermarket with an excellent selection of fresh fish, including Red Snapper.

The Week in Pictures...

2008-05-01T07:42:00.007+02:00

Dan has stolen Josh's fave position of being carried around on Daddy's shoulders - and he's found a lovely (smooth) place to rest his hands :)

Last Thursday Dan and I attended Jessica's first birthday party. Here he is in his party clothes (a bit different from his usual t-shirt and nappy routine at home!) before the party.

Dan and the little birthday girl - cake on their faces and looking for aeroplanes!

The laundry basket remains a favourite source of amusement, although I'm not sure how much longer they will both be able to fit in there... (Dan's pondering over that too, it appears)

That's better - I can stretch out now I've kicked the little rascal out...

Doing some reading on Mom and Dad's bed - although playing with a hanger holds Dan's attention somewhat longer than the book does at this stage!

5 weeks to go...

2008-04-29T18:47:00.003+02:00

Here she is, my beautiful pregnant sister! Isn't she looking radiant?!
Just over five weeks until "D"-Day ("d"elivery/"d"ue-date/"d"amn I'm tired - take your pick!) Cinds and Darryn's little girl is expected around 6 June and we will be meeting our little niece for the first time when we visit SA in July - can't wait!

Mountainous Musandam

2008-04-21T17:54:00.010+02:00

We enjoyed a great long week end in Musandam, the norther most tip of Oman. Its a 3 hr drive from Dubai with stunning scenery - huge mountains and a beautiful coast line. The highlight of the trip was the half day dhow trip with sightings of dolphins and snorkelling amogst the arabian coral. Here are some snaps.

The hotel we stayed at near Khasab.

Somewhere en route, looking for "the mermaid". I think Danny might be on to something...?

On the beach along the way, somewhere...

Leaving Khasab port on our own Dhow - Josh finding his sea legs.

Sleepy sailor/s.

Awesome scenery - another crew amongst the famous fjords - dolphins cruised next to our dhow!

Another tough day in the office for our captain - Fharaz.

Snorkelling out to Telegraph Island.

STOP!! BRAAI WOOD!!! Its not as easy to come by in these parts as driving to your nearby BP garage. We bought a "few" bundles from this general dealer near Ras Al Kaimah and braaied that night... Business has never been that good for the local punter!

Catching up...

2008-04-03T11:49:00.006+02:00

It was fantastic catching up with one of my oldest school friends this week (as in I've known her a long time, not that she's necessarily OLD!) Tracy stopped off in Dubai to visit us on her way back to London after a holiday in SA. We talked incessantly the entire time, and in between managed to see a couple of sights and have a great evening out at the Marina!

Trace quickly became Josh's New Best Friend (ala Katie Holmes/Victoria Beckham) and he loved taking her around the Lakes, especially to feed the ducks and for some swimming lessons in the complex pool! (I know, isn't that flat stomach just nauseating?? ha ha!)

In between the visitors and goings on of late, Danny has taken to walking like a duck to water and is now thoroughly mobile. Life is very busy for everyone as a result, but great fun watching him waddling around and trying his best to run now... Boys! (His arms in this photo look a lot like Daddy's days in the water polo goals :) )

Josh in his Koala Bear shirt - a gift from Johnny and Liezl

And finally, isn't this a stunning photo?! No, my brother and his fam haven't been with us in Dubai (although it's definitely been too long...) I just stole this photo from his blog (www.strategyonline.co.za) of Gary, Les, Meg and Tim. Hope I'm not breaking any copyright laws or anything, boet :)

The Walshes in Dubai

2008-03-23T18:40:00.009+02:00

Bruce and Nadine stopped over in Dubai on their way back to SA (after 6 years in London). It was great catching up with them and much fun was had around the braai and on our first self drive desert 4x4 trip. The Jeep handled well. We stumbled across some roaming camels in the desert. Here are a few photos of the w/end. Happy Easter!

Herman and Gunner - Message from management

2008-03-14T20:20:00.002+02:00

There will be no further entries on this blog until your respective blogs have been set up. In the mean time: impressive photo below:

Al Ain

2008-03-09T05:17:00.009+02:00

How great is this photo?!

(Courtesy of Nathan Carr)

Gemsbok and giraffe in the desert...

We spent a memorable day in Al Ain yesterday - about 1 1/2 hrs drive from Dubai inland, and very beautiful. Took the kids to the zoo there which they thoroughly enjoyed...

Josh fancies himself as a bit of a photographer...

Right back at ya, Daddy

Mystical Muscat Meanderings

2008-03-04T12:31:00.021+02:00

Welcome to this bumper edition of the Carr blog. I have been on leave for the last week or so and we decided to make a real holiday of it and explore Oman and its 12th century capital, Muscat. The drive from Dubai is 4hrs plus a one hour fracas at the border post (near Hattah). Most of our time was spent at the Shangri La resort lazing on the beach or in the pools. The boys had regular (and simultaneous) afternoon naps which allowed us to catch up on some zzz's too... Bliss.

The view across the bay and the resort.

Josh enjoying one of the pools.

And again. He has rekindled his love for swimming after the winter lay off.

Kimbo taking a dip.

Beach time.

Apparently the sand tasted good too!?!

We were lucky to witness a turtle laying its eggs on the beach (the shoreline is generally very rocky so this bay is a popular turtle maternity ward). Josh is standing next to one of the cordoned off sections were eggs have been laid.

The mountain views. Exploring the rock pools (below).

With Daddy on the beach...

We loved exploring Muscat which was full of forts, castles and souks (local markets).

Castle turrets and mosque "spires".

Kimbo amongst the petals in Old Muscat.

Starbucks has not arrived in Muscat (yet) so I bought a cup of coffee from this local punter at the souk. It wasnt great but he did allow me to take a photo of him and his coffee pot with the coals strapped to the base - a coffee pot poytjie...

Josh wearing the Omani hat daddy bought after some serious haggling at the souk. An absolute steal in the end (4.75 Omani's down from 5).

Josh wearing his shower cap - which was free!

Caps all round

2008-02-26T19:22:00.004+02:00

Summer is creeping back, the temp's are rising and the caps are coming out of the cupboard. Cruising on the beach and around Safa Park, Dubai in Feb.

What a catch...!

2008-02-25T07:50:00.004+02:00

Charley treated a group of us to a fishing trip in the Arabian Sea to celebrate his new job appointment in Singapore. The beer, banter (and fishing on the side) were great. Our young angler, Dylan, (cheered on vigorously by the rest of us) managed to haul in this thing which the crew reckoned was around 35 kg's. Alright, it was 10 - 15 kg's. Cheers Charley.

Daniel's First Birthday

2008-02-22T17:36:00.019+02:00

It seems hard to believe that our little Danny Manny made his entrance into the world a whole year ago today! We had a fun-filled morning celebrating his birthday with friends at home - the birthday boy wasn't feeling his normal self however as he'd spent the night running a high temperature (hence the black rings under Mom and Dad's eyes). After spending a large portion of the party asleep, Dan then surfaced feeling a lot better and managed to get into the party spirit...

Jumping amongst the balls...

A view of the party from our upstairs balcony

Peta-Anne, Stef & Chelsea jetted across from London for the party :)

Josh prepares to launch himself into the food...

Michaela and little Zara-Rehn (isn't she adorable?)

The Moms watch the kids...

... while the Dads have a tea party inside!!!

Check out the two balls being thrown at the photographer!

Josh helps extinguish the flames

Elsie was here to join in the festivities - we are loving having her over here and really hope she is enjoying her experience in Dubai as well :)

The Birthday Boy and Parents...

And last but not least, my favourite photo of the day!

Off to work

2008-02-21T11:33:00.003+02:00

Josh decided this morning that this was how he wanted to get dressed, as he was going to work with Daddy today... As tempting as the idea was for Daddy (as he is rather swamped at the moment and could do with some extra assistance), Daddy had to refuse Josh's request.
Don't worry my boy. There 'll be plenty of days in the years to come to wear a tie and engage in legal mumbo jumbo with your Dad :)

Quick photo update

2008-01-29T11:47:00.000+02:00

Nothing too exciting to report from Dubai this week. The weather is back to normal and US presidents have stayed away, so it's been life as usual pretty much (although who is going to come out tops on "Super Tuesday" next week out of the Democratic hopefuls is holding everyone's attention in the house - Hillary, you go girl!)
The boys are back in routine after the Christmas hols. Josh is at nursery school three mornings a week and thoroughly enjoying it, which is great. Dan is very close to taking his first steps, so exciting times ahead in his life too!

The boys wear their new shirts with pride!

Josh and his pal Jay, sharing the bike

All smiles at dinner time... my little grazer!

Feeding the "Billy Goat Guff"

It's raining, it's pouring...

2008-01-15T00:20:00.000+02:00

We've been living in the UAE since the end of August last year, and were honestly astounded to wake up on Sunday morning and see that the sky wasn't blue and the sun wasn't shining... No, instead we had UK-type grey skies and that imminent feeling that rain was coming - it didn't disappoint. It has been pouring for the past two days now (and George W. Bush paid us a visit yesterday - well not us personally, thank heavens! Quite a week!)
Well, what an experience... There is water EVERYWHERE. As you can see, our garden is completely waterlogged and there is just nowhere for the water to go, as Dubai is ill-equipped to deal with this kind of problem, seeing as rain is pretty scarce on the whole. We woke up this morning to find the playroom upstairs under a few inches of water ( I sensed something was wrong when Josh walked to the bathroom for his morning pee and ended up sliding on his bum down the passage!) It's been quite a morning getting all the water out - the drain on our balcony was blocked so the only place for the water out there to go was IN! Fun!
As for driving, well "hazardous" and "treacherous" are two words that come to mind. I went to fetch Josh from school earlier, normally a 15-minute journey, and arrived there an hour later. People have no clue how to drive in rain, and besides, the roads are like rivers. For the first time I felt like I really could justify driving around in my fuel-guzzling 4x4, as "regular" cars were getting carried away by the water! (Well, aside from the times ramping up onto the pavement is handy when there is nowhere else to park!!)

It's been quite an eventful day all round. Just hope it stops raining soon. Come back searing heat and humidity - I miss you!!!

Some quick extras...

2008-01-13T07:49:00.000+02:00

A photo of old Dubai (Deira) taken from our ride on an Abbra cadabra (similar to the one in the forground).

Josh exercising along the river with his rattle (?).

Kimbo and Dan amongst the bananas at the Thursday market, but on a Friday (or the other way around).

Air conditioning is big business here in Dubai. Even this guards "office" (all 2 ft by 7ft of it) is equipped with the most advanced cooling system available to man... Dubai has the worst carbon footprint on earth but the alternative is too bad to contemplate...

Peter is our new coach and Arsenal slip to 2nd in the Premiership. Things look bleak... Have a good week.

Holiday News

2008-01-09T11:14:00.000+02:00

We had a wonderful two weeks over Christmas having my Mom and stepdad, Des, visit us from SA. It was such fun showing them the sights of the UAE, and seeing a lot of new sights ourselves in the process! Here they are adding the finishing touches to our delicious dinner on Christmas Eve... nothing quite like Mom's cooking at Christmas, no matter how old you are :)

Christmas Eve dinner in our garden.

A bit different from the Eastern Cape's stray cows and

goats!

We had a couple of lovely days on the beach. The weather didn't disappoint; despite being winter here we still had days of mid-20's temps and the sea water felt more like the sea than the bath! Josh and Grampa Des making sandcastles... if you can spot stray fins in the background it's probably Mommy or Daddy who were snorkelling out to the rock at the time :)

Practising my walking with Granny Pie

Dan giving Josh a hand opening his present...

... which was a brand new BIKE!!!

Walking along the marina at Abu Dhabi (ours is on the

left!)

Common sight on the side of the road...

A "bumpy" ride

View of the Hatta Fort Hotel where we had lunch

An abra ride along Dubai Creek

Mom and Des in front of Dubai's most famous

landmark- the Burj al Arab

"OK, not quite the jersey of the world champs, but I

look good in black- and Mommy & Daddy have a lot of

Kiwi mates!"

Wishing you all a wonderful 2008 and don't forget to keep visiting our exciting blog regularly :)

Christmas Greetings

2007-12-10T00:13:00.000+02:00

Merry Christmas and all the best for a peaceful and prosperous 2008 from all of us in the Carr household...

Des's braai does Dubai

2007-12-08T08:10:00.000+02:00

Desert camping

2007-12-02T01:06:00.000+02:00

Happy National UAE day - our first public holiday since arriving in Dubai. We camped out in the desert on Saturday night with some friends from the Lakes which was fun. Unfortunately the camera battery ran out so only managed a few arb photos. Kimbo's new car handled the sand beautifully! Arsenal go 5 clear at the top of the table... http://www.arsenal.com.No other sport took place this w/end as far as I know...?

Fishermen in the family...

2007-11-27T00:19:00.000+02:00

These probably seem a bit contradictory, seeing as we have just acquired two goldfish as pets, but all fish caught were thrown back into the river and survived, just in case you were worried! I have known Nath for nearly 11 years and this is the first time I have witnessed him catching a fish. I reckon all those episodes of ESA before Boots 'n All on Thursday nights have paid off...
(Photos taken on our week-end at Ferndale farm in the Eastern Cape earlier this month).

Dubai at dusk

2007-11-24T07:20:00.000+02:00

Taken from the Lakes looking across to Dubai - Saturday 17:45 pm.

Point of clarification

2007-11-24T07:03:00.000+02:00

A number of subscribers to our blog have called in (rather grumpily) wanting to establish who is who in the tank? Benjy is the speckled one with Black and Gold markings and Archie is the Gold Goldfish. Profound response from the pet shop owner when I asked if they would be ok sharing a tank: he said "of course, their colour does not make a difference, just like humans...".

And then there were six...

2007-11-24T06:23:00.000+02:00

We would like to welcome BENJY and ARCHIE to the family. We have been wanting to get some sort of pet into the house for a while and settled on goldfish in the hope that they will not cost us as much as Bailey did with collateral damage. So, we took a trip to the local fish shop yesterday for Josh to make his selection. WW3 almost erupted when Josh confidently settled on a sea fish that looked remarkably like Nemo (R1,500) and a giant lobster for his "choice of 2". Lesson learned, always specify very clearly what the choice is i.e. two from the goldfish tank! Here are Benjy and Archie in their new home at our home. Josh and Dan are pretty chuffed.

Other then that, a hectic week for all of us. Kimbo was home alone for three nights whilst I was in Tanzania and Daniel has come down with a bad chest which required a visit to the Local International hospital (oxymoron or something there...?). Nothing too serious and he seems to be on the mend now. He is now crawling properly and starting to coast around tables, pot plants, etc. Fun in the sun below. To squash any rumour mongering about the ladder in the back ground - I am not moon lighting over week ends as a handy man. It just would not be afair on the local market.

Good luck to the Boks this evening against Wales. There is no lack of support from Dubai, starting with these two.

Due to popular demand

2007-11-15T06:38:00.000+02:00

We have enlarged this one...

Dubai dairy

2007-11-11T06:11:00.000+02:00

It has been an eventful few weeks. We all flew back to SA the week before last as our visit visa's had expired. You have 60 days after arriving in the UAE in which to do a 101 things to get your residency visa and we (or more accurately Barclays HR) simply ran out of time. Kim and the boys spent some quality time in Stutt catching up with Granny Pie, Des, Uncle Darryn and Aunty Cindy. We all managed to get together over the week end and had a great time at Ferndale, between Stutt and Cathcart. A beautiful thatched chalet overlooking Thomas River and an aloe infested krantz. We love the Eastern Cape... News reports confirm that it has not stopped raining there after I managed to land a few fish. I was not the only one that was taken by surprise - evidenced by Roger rushing over to take photographic evidence. Please send photos so that I can frame them. It's been years! Anyway, we are now back in Dubai and we thought we would share some photos of where we are living, and the boys of course.

We live in Villa 143, Zulal, The Lakes, Dubai. Therefore, there can be no excuses for not visiting or sending Christmas cards or presents. The Lakes is part of Emirates Hills, a residential suburb of Dubai. The Lakes are man-made of course... Dubai has the adidas approach - impossible is nothing. This is a desert after all.

This is our road with Dubai in progress in the background. It is a very safe and friendly environment with communal pools and gardens and plenty of SA's scattered around.

Here is our communcal pool and play centre. There are several in the complex and nice to chill out at over the week ends. Josh's swimming has come in leaps and bounds and the water is just starting to cool down to be almost refreshing.

Beyond the Lakes - Dubai in progress. Work is 5 minutes away at Media City.

Josh picking flowers for mommy, our villa is in the background.

More flower picking around the Lakes. Our little Sharks supporter.

Enjoying the play ground at the pool.

Large and in charge. Danny poolside waiting for his pina colada.

Kimbo and Danny chilling at Jumeirah beach park.

The Blog is Back!!

2007-10-22T11:52:00.000+02:00

At last, we are back in cyberspace and have internet connection in our new home in the Lakes, Dubai! It's been a frustrating few weeks not having much contact with the outside world, but today our internet and phoneline were connected so I feel a lot more in touch with the world! A lot of news and photos to get through, but before I start I have to just say

WELL DONE BOKKE!!!! Our team did us proud on Saturday night and throughout the World Cup for that matter, and as always it is an extremely proud moment to be a South African supporter especially being away from SA - somehow it makes you feel more patriotic than ever. Nath and I witnessed countless defeats to England live at Twickenham when we lived in London, so it is amazing to beat the English at such an important level. Awesome!

Anyway, back to our news. We have been in our villa for two weeks now. The container finally cleared customs (no, we didn't try to smuggle in booze or ciggies, it just takes forever here!) and we are quite nicely settled in our new place. We have had to buy quite a bit of furniture as the house we rented in Joburg was mostly furnished, so that has been quite an expense and an experience... First thing to be installed, almost before we had a bed, was satellite TV with a zillion sport's channels. Priorities of course!

Josh has settled in nicely at nursery school 3 mornings a week. I think the interaction with other kids is doing him the world of good and it is giving me time with Daniel which I think the second child often craves! Dan is growing like always - 8 months old today and he's been crawling up a storm for the last few weeks. He is literally into everything now and I have to have eyes in the back of my head at all times! They are both doing well though and have settled into life in Dubai really well, although Josh still talks about Elsie and Bailey almost daily...

Nath's job is going well. Obviously there is a high level of stress attached to the role still, but he is handling it well and I think he seems a lot less stressed here than in Joburg. On week-ends we go to the beach or spend hours relaxing around the complex pool and I think that helps a lot in the "de-stressing" process. Nath is in Botswana for the week - still travelling to top African destinations regularly!

My folks are coming over for Christmas which we are really looking forward to. It will be quite a culture shock for them, but I think a Christmas with a difference to remember! We are already planning trips and adventures for their visit.

The weather is awesome at the moment. The extreme heat and humidity have toned down to very pleasant days and evenings - still around 33/34 degrees in the day and down to around 24 deg at night, but honestly if I never experience another cold day in my life, I won't complain. I love this climate! (So does my tan!)

Well, enough of my rambling. Please keep in touch and thanks for all the concern re the absence of news on the blog (o.k, not HEAPS of complaints, but a few!) It's good to know we've been missed :)

Boks of the Future...

2007-10-22T07:30:00.000+02:00

Joshua "Monty" Carr

"Don't mess with me!"

(They don't call me "CJ" for nothing...)

Update from Dubai

2007-09-13T07:11:00.000+02:00

Apologies for the lack of interest (from our side at least!) in the blog for a while. We are still staying in our serviced apartment, which is great, but we obviously don't have internet access yet aside from the computer in the lobby downstairs (where I am now) so keeping in touch with everyone has been a bit tricky. It is also quite frustrating not being able to send anyone photos etc, as we've been taking pics of the kiddies in their new environment almost daily, but will have to wait until we have our own computer again.
Things are going very well on the whole and it's amazing to think we've only been here two weeks as it feels like a lot longer. This week has been very eventful. Firstly, Josh started at his new nursery school on Monday. He is attending it three morning's a week and so far so good, although we have had some wobblies and the second day was awful as he wouldn't let me leave, knowing what was coming! Anyway, today went a lot better and when I arrived to fetch him I struggled to get him to leave. He has made friends with another little South African boy, and they apparently spent the whole day together, so that's great!
Dan has been busy too... This week he decided to reach three milestones at once and is now sitting by himself (after a few wobbly weeks!), rolling over (doing 360's from one side of the room to the other!) and his first tooth broke through on Tuesday, so a big week indeed! I am soon going to have two little "mobile maniacs" on my hands when he starts crawling, which will be great fun!
Then on the house front it was also a productive week in that we have now found a place to rent, starting 1 October. Rental here is ridiculously expensive, but you have to get your head around it and not convert into Rands all the time, as it will send you into orbit! We will be renting a lovely little villa in an area called the Lakes - very lush and green considering we are in a desert, and with all the amenities you could need right on your doorstep. The communal pool and play area are right across the road, so the kids can still swim and burn off their excess energy which is great. How is this for a small world... Our landlords are a South African family; he went to Dale (much to Nath's amusement!) and grew up on a farm near Pedi! She is from Cape Town. Anyway, we went round there this evening for a drink (alcohol is very hard to come by until we have our residency visas and can buy some in limitied quantities ourselves, so N enjoyed the rare beer tonight!) and to finalise arrangements. All in all, renting a place has gone incredibly smoothly and we are very pleased with everything!
The week-end is now here and we will take the boys to the beach again tomorrow afternoon for a swim in the sea water which is the same temperature as their nightly bath! Everything is going well and we will post some photos as soon as we can! Till then...

We have arrived

2007-08-31T05:27:00.000+02:00

We have arrived in Dubai. We nearly didnt make the plane as Kim and Daniel's (the green mamba passport holders in the family) entry visa's arrived just hours before leaving for the airport...

Josh and Dan travelled really well. Bob the builder did the trick for Josh and Dan was lights out after take off until (almost) landing. It was good to catch up with Mel, Phil and family at the airport, who flew on to London.

We arrived at 5 am and walked out to a relatively cool morning - 40 degrees. Dubai is as we left it in June - buildings going up left, right and centre. We can actually see the progress made on some since our first visit. We are staying in a really spacious and comfortable serviced apartment overlooking the Dubai marina and it is a five minute taxi ride to work.

We are all enjoying the pool and did some shopping today at the Emirates Mall. We are off to the local water world tomorrow for some super tube riding and next week the house and domestic helper hunting starts in ernest.

Sorry - no photos - probably only be able to post once we are set up in our house.

Take care.

The Carr's

Farewell to Joburg and a 33rd Birthday in the House...

2007-08-12T09:53:00.000+02:00

Scott, Pete and Dylan

Kate, Gareth, Rett and Pippa

Nathan and I with the Rees'

A farewell drink with Michelle and Jon

Sam, Jane and Sal

Last night was our Farewell Party at Moyo, Zoo Lake. A good time was had by all and some are nursing very sore heads this morning - no name's mentioned, but somebody in the Carr household hasn't quite got out of bed yet this morning (and it is his 33rd Birthday to add to the injury!!)

Happy Birthday Nath! The boys and I are about to drag you out of bed and celebrate :)

More photos

2007-08-12T07:05:00.000+02:00

Elsie arriving to babysit last night with her bedding
on her head!

Catching some winter rays with Daddy

Dan & Bailey

The boys and the BRAAI!

It's a hard life being 6-months old!

This is probably our last update on the blog for a few weeks - our belongings are being packed up on Thursday for shipment to Dubai, so the computer will obviously not be in use for a while...

These are some photos from the past week or so. We'll most probably be in touch again once we are in the Middle East! Till then...

August Update

2007-08-03T04:45:00.000+02:00

The blog has taken a bit of a back seat lately with all the goings on in the Carr house. We are very busy with all the admin that comes with a house move (in particular one involving leaving the country!) and of course the usual suspects - work and children, sap most of our time.

(My Facebook addiction isn't helping either!!!)

Anyway, here are some recent photos of the kiddies and we will post more news when we have some. Have a great week-end!

Kimbo's birthday and a farewell rugby clash...

2007-07-15T08:08:00.000+02:00

Happy Birthday...!

Kimbo turned 32 today and enjoyed receiving all the birthday calls, presents and well wishes throughout the day. We took it easy but did manage to get to the Bryanston Garden Cafe for chocolate cake and a train ride this afternoon. Kimbo now has skype so will be "hooking up" with all those out there on the system.

As there are only 6 weeks to go until the move to Dubai, Gareth "kindly" organised a farewell for us yesterday which involved playing 30 minutes of rugby as a re-match from his batchelors game of last year. We managed to pull off a tight victory and are feeling a lot worse for wear today. I have a rake mark on my head which will be difficult to explain come Monday. Many thanks to Anton for reffing and organising the field and facilities at Pirates Rugby Club down the road. The old funnell made an appearance at the fines meeting and - strangely - whilst many had lost their silky touches on the field, they still managed to perform in the bar. Good luck to Anton (second from right, top row, next to Tom Cruise) and his Lions team mates for the Currie Cup season. Success could not come to a nicer guy. I am a fan.

Dan taking it easy on the swings in the garden earlier today.

Josh's Big Day

2007-07-09T02:20:00.000+02:00

Today is Josh's second birthday! We have had a week-end of celebrating, starting with Granny's arrival from the Eastern Cape on Saturday and followed by his party on Sunday morning. He has been thoroughly spoilt and totally enjoyed being the centre of attention, eating too much cake (and smarties!) and playing with his new toys. Diggers were the theme of the day yesterday, and my Mom and I put together a "digger cake" for the party. Here are some photos of the birthday boy as well as his little brother who was quite overwhelmed by all the festivities!

Clean Sweep at Cape Schools Rugby Week

2007-07-04T08:47:00.000+02:00

Selborne College were the toast of Cape Schools Rugby Week winning all three games (beating Wynber 49 - 3, Boland Landbou 16 - 10 and SACS 34 - 8). Other, lesser known schools, like Grey High School PE, got bashed about somewhat. Oh dear...! Full story on http://www.selborne.co.za/.

Winter Wonderland

2007-06-27T08:37:00.000+02:00

OK its not quite the Alps, but snow fell in Jo'burg last night for the first time in 20-something years I believe! Even our braai and pool-net are frozen!

Durban visit

2007-06-25T09:45:00.000+02:00

We spent the week-end in Durban visiting my aunt and uncle, Wendy and Don, in Kloof. It was lovely to see them both and to catch up with other family members briefly too. Thanks for the fabulous hospitality - it can be quite hectic having our whole mob around :)

Nath went to the game on Saturday. What a disappointing final result, but I won't go there right now - despite the fact that this website does seem to feature like an episode of "Boots 'n All" quite regularly!

We took the kids to UShaka Marine World on Saturday morning. Highly recommended!!! It is right up there with the best we have seen on our travels and we were very impressed with the effort that has gone into it. Josh loved seeing the fish and even had an encounter with a shark (through a glass window) which was very memorable.

Dan the Sports Fan!

2007-06-19T01:17:00.000+02:00

Daniel will be 4 months old on Friday... as always, its amazing how quickly the time has passed!

Here he is supporting the Bokke last Saturday - it seems that it may be a bit boring for him at this stage, but give him time and he'll be a fanatic (no choice really, in this household!)

Dubai delights!

2007-06-10T07:59:00.000+02:00

At first glance, Dubai is very hard on the eye. We arrived at 5:00 am on Wednesday morning and were greeted by what looked like the biggest building site on earth. Everybody warns you - but nothing can quite prepare you for your first impressions. Dubai is a mixture of modern, glitzy, scy scrapers, cranes, bull dozers, sand and diggers. Josh was happy - we were a bit shocked.

We checked into our hotel - Le Meridien - right on the beach and next to the Dubai marina and I went into the office for the day while Kimbo and the boys explored the hotel and beachfront. I had the interview and came home with the job in hand but still not convinced why we would want to move here?

The next day was all very different. Our relocation agent picked us up and gave us a full tour around the suburbs. People clearly have a very good lifestyle in Dubai. We saw 4 different villas in both established and new parts of the city. Our clear favourites are the older resdiential suburbs of Jumeira and Umm Suqeim. They offer large villa's (stand alone houses or in a "compound" the equivalent of our town house complex) and have everything you could want for the boys: the beach, water world, kiddies clubs and nurseries, shops and malls, restuarants, coffee shops, doctors etc etc. Josh swimming in the Arabian sea, with the worlds only 7 star hotel, the Burl Al Arab in the background.Our lasting, first impressions of Dubai will be how cosmopolitan it is (people from everywhere else make up 80% of the population), how child friendly it is, the buzz and energy (it is a city "on the make" and everybody is getting in on the action) and how crime free it is - it is just not tolerated. All in all, it is a bit of a mixture of London and SA, albeit in a desert at 40'!

Flying Emirates was great. Everything was first rate - Josh even enjoyed his own business class seat so he could watch Bob the Builder. Talk about setting a dangerous precedent that may come back to bite us when we do our future trips around SA in Translux...?! To top it off, Jacques Kallis and Kingsley Holgate were on our flight home. They asked for photos with us and, whilst inconvenient at the time, we obliged in good spirit...

Josh with his Dubai camels and swimming at Le Meridien, again...!

Dale Dumped, Dubai due..

2007-06-03T07:56:00.000+02:00

Selborne continue in good form beating Dale 52 - 15 in King on Saturday. Cape Schools week is being hosted by Selborne from 29 June to 4th of July 2007. See www.selborne.co.za.

Dubai beckons.

We fly out on Tuesday afternoon, arriving at 12:10 am on Wednesday morning. We are very keen to see what it is all about. I will spend Wednesday in the Barclays Dubai office and the rest of the time will be either with our relocation agent finding a house or exploring on our own over the week end (Fri and Sat there). We will be there at the hottest time of the year (it was 42' on Wednesday) so at least we will get a real undertsanding of the heat and whether it would be fair to bring Bailey with us.

Looking forward to trying out Emirates too. Should be good. We shall post some of our own pictures on our return.

Bailey in the desert...

2007-05-31T09:13:00.001+02:00

We are off to Dubai on Tuesday next week for a few days to have a look around and orientate ourselves for our prospective move later in the year. Nath will also visit the Barclays offices there and have an interview for his new job. It is all quite exciting as it really is the unknown at this stage and we can't imagine what life will be like, except that it will be very different! One of the biggest dilemmas facing us is what to do with our 15-month old Lab, Bailey... He is Josh's best friend which makes the decision quite simple, i.e. he must come with us! But, with summer temperatures being absolutely sweltering over there, will he survive or simply melt into a pool of sweaty dog-slobber???

Another day in Africa...

2007-05-19T11:42:00.000+02:00

Rugby mania has taken over the Carr household and blog (guess it's time I gave Nathan a chance to have his say and put up photos of his interests for a change...!)
This afternoon's much-awaited game is going to be a cracker, and the excitement is mounting. Cindy and Darryn (my sister and her hubby) are with us for the week-end, and we will be having a braai (no surprises there!!!) after the game with them and some other mates who are joining us. Support for the Sharks is paramount in this house - Josh has his Sharks kit on again today and has been practising his "Go Sharks!" chant all week, although I must add he is in possession of a Bulls t-shirt as well, so could well change allegiance at half-time if it's not going his way :)
I had the pleasant task of paying Home Affairs a visit this week to apply for Daniel's passport as we are off to Dubai in the next two weeks on a "look-and-see" visit. There are times when it's great to be back in SA ... but my trip to Home Affairs was not one of them!
But on the upside, the weather is still beautiful here in Joburg despite us being well into Autumn and, together with braais, friends and family, who could ask for more?!

Enjoy the game :)

From the waters of Victoria...

2007-05-15T09:10:00.000+02:00

For the benefit of those Old Boy visitors to the blog who reside in the UK, after getting a hiding from Grey in Bloem Selborne College registered a comprehensive victory over Queens 22 - 3 on the week end.

"Under the goal posts there they stand,

Poor little Queenians hand in hand

Oh my dear dont they look so sweet...

BANDY LEGS AND BIG FLAT FEET."

Good one.

"Go Sharks"

2007-05-10T08:19:00.000+02:00

This is a Natal Sharks household so we are naturally delighted that our boys will be taking on - and whipping - the men from Auckland this Saturday. Good luck to the men in black (until the world cup that is...).

Josh and Dan will be suitably kitted and shouting "Go sharks" come saturday courtesy of recent training by Granny Pie and Des.

A well known Selborne College rugby coach was notorious for his warm up speech which was simply: "Kick ahead, ... any head".

Lets' keep it tidy.