So Close

Max snacking on his favourite meal (toes)

Superb picture quality thanks to the excellent -0,25 megapixel camera on my BB. (^*%*&^!

Why it is easier being a sinner

I don't want to get into a whole religious debate, but I do want to say this:  Sometimes you Lordy folk make it very difficult for even the Lordy to be Lordy.

Look, I know that not all Christians are fanatical, judgmental, nasty, exclusive, ugly, condemnatory, critical finger-pointers. I know that most Christians are loving, caring good people who live their lives in faith and kindness. I know this because my sister is one of the nice ones who tries to live a good, godly life (whatever that might be) and hope that others might be persuaded to see the light or find the truth etc by seeing what a lovely person she is, rather than by her either judging them or scaring them.

And yet in spite of her attempts to lead a good life, she still gets stick from some Lordy folk.  Apparently her attempts are not good enough.  Apparently the fact that she might or might not have indulged her family in any or all of the following is enough to condemn her to the status of sinner: spiderman, barbie,  fairies, unicorn, mermaids, magic shows or tricks, father christmas, easter bunny, tooth fairy, pokemon, ninja turtles

And what is even worse is she actually let her children dress up as fairy princesses and go trick or treating!!  She might as well have stabbed baby jesus in the eye. 

Forgive me if I sound a little bitter, but when my sister gets attacked for trying to be a good person, then it makes me damn glad I am not.  It really pisses me off.  And to be honest, it sounds as if it is far easier being a sinner than a clapper.

Trick or treat straight to hell?

Judging from the tweets and FB updates, Halloween is HUUUUUUGE in the USA?  I read somewhere that it is your second biggest holiday in the US?  It is not a big thing in South Africa at all.  A few kids go around trick or treating, but there isn't any hype about it.

Last year, when we stayed in our old house, one of the moms arranged for her kids and mine to go for a stroll down the road trick or treating.  Her kids are a year older and two years younger than mine, so the 4 of them and the two of us knocked on a few doors.  The kids loved it.

Adam has been asking me for a whole year when it is time for trick or treat, so even though I am usually USELESS at doing this type of thing, I wanted to do something for them.  I called a few people in my new neighbourhood to ask them if they wanted to walk around with us and got a few responses saying "we don't do trick or treat".  Welllll, ok then. I had no idea what 'we don't do trick or treat' meant but I didn't want to ruin the kids fun.

So last night the kids got dressed up and I gave them each a bag and I took a basket of sweets and off we set with GREAT excitement.

Well, not one person participated. Most of them didn't answer the door and those that did said they didn't have anything for the kids.  I wanted to punch them.  We walked past a few kids riding on bicycles who were only too happy to grab a handful of sweets from us.  Their mother must have said something to them because they came running up behind us with a sweet for each of the kids, thank goodness.  We didn't see any other kids walking around dressed up. 

Granted, we stay in a security estate so half the people are a 100 years old and the other half are in their holiday homes at the coast, but still!  Have a heart.  The kids are four years old and dressed up in their outfits!

It made my heart very sore for the kids.  They didn't really notice. In fact, they said the outing was great fun (we eventually got in the car and drove to a few people's houses who I knew had sweets and would give to the kids). Anything that involves getting a bag full of sweets is 'great fun' in their eyes.

I thought my neighbours were just being miserable old farts, but then I saw an update on someone's FB about Halloween being evil and I wondered whether it is a religious thing that people 'dont do trick or treat'?  Is Halloween anti christian or non-religious or something? To be honest, I dont even know what Halloween means except that kids dress up and collect sweets.

So enlighten me dear hearts, what is the story behind Halloween and why don't some people participate?

Here is Kate this morning, back in her crocodile outfit, helping me with the laundry.

Max

I had Max's passport done today.  Isn't he just the cutest baby in the Whole Wide World? I am so fond of that chap.

 

Bon Voyage to the Fokkers

My parents (aka the Fokkers) depart on their maiden voyage in Roxanne, their RV camper van thing tomorrow morning.  My mom got her all clear on her cancer check up this morning (wooohooo!) and my dad got the thumbs up from his stroke doctor a few days ago. 

They are going away for 2.5 looooong weeks and although I will miss them terribly (extremely selfish of them), I am so happy and excited for them. This is something my dad has always wanted to do.

Enjoy yourselves dear Mother and Father, have fun and look after yourselves.  Lock yourself in at night, don't talk to strangers, don't lift anything heavy, drive carefully and remember to call home.  I will miss you!

Love from your favourite child.  (Sshh, don't tell the others, it will be our little secret, as always xx)