Photos from our visit to The James Hall Museum of Transport

We had a public holiday in South Africa yesterday. It was Human Rights Day. The City of Johannesburg opened their museum facilities for free for the day. (Yes, we have to pay to visit our museums here!)

We decided to visit the James Hall Museum of Transport, because we had only seen it when we went past there with The Jozi Red Bus. We thoroughly enjoyed the outing, and saw much more than expected. It is worth the outing, and the little ones enjoy looking at the different rides!

The pamphlet says The James Hall Museum of Transport is the largest and most comprehensive museum of land transport in South Africa. It was established by the late Jimmie Hall together with the City of Johannesburg in 1964.

And of course I have to include the Mobile Library from Johannesburg. It still has the books on the shelves. Awesome!

I have been spamming my Instagram feed with  more photos.

What did you do with your public holiday?

Wordless Wednesday 301 - Hiding from the bees

Wordless Wednesday #225 - #Elections2014 #VoteSA

Camping the very best with children

Camping with the Toddler had its own challenges, but we are enjoying camping with our Little Missy so much more.

She opens her eyes in the morning, and announces she is going to play with her friends!
Which is just the next tent away.

When she was not playing with friends, she was in the swimming pool. Dad had his fare share of catching, and keeping her afloat! But she announced to each who looked her way that she can swim on her own!
I had an idea of how exhausting it is when I went with her for a swim in the warm water swimming pool..
Thanks, Dad!

No hands!

Look at me go!
YouTube video: Sliding and swimming

Ball playing with friends

Beestekraal Station fun

Beestekraal family photo
(The Student on her own holiday)

Friends still busy at night

Bushveld sunsets - always spectacular!

That was our long weekend of four days! Of course it still feels too short!

Hope you also had a great weekend?



Related posts:

Camping - we should do it more often

Weekend camping

Big Bug Expo

Big Bugs metal art by David Huni

The Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens has a Big Bug Expo currently on show in the gardens. It's been on for awhile, but we went exploring yesterday on the public holiday.
It will still be on until 6 January.

Looking to spot those bugs

It helped to get the Toddler to run from one "bug" to another, and it was big excitement when she spotted one that we missed earlier.

There is so much to do and explore in the Gardens. 

I plan to go there this holiday again, because we found new pathways that we did not see on earlier visits. 

It is not only the route straight to the waterfall that makes you feel like you got out in nature!

The play area stays a winner!

The Toddler Fashionista ensemble of yesterday: Her Madagascar dress she got passed on from her sister that was bought by Debbie many moons ago, and the UGG winter boots she got as a present from Wynand from San Antonio.

It does not help to tell her the clothes are going to be uncomfortable for a day out in the sun!
"Resistance is futile!"

Related posts:

"Mountain climbing" at the Botanical Gardens

Wordless Wednesday #139 - Tunnels at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens

A 3-year old Princess


(I see I am blogging quite regularly about the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens! It really is a nice place to go with children! :D )

Decicions... decisions

What to do on a public holiday in the middle of the week?

We've got mini-Friday here today.
Tomorrow is Human Rights Day here in South Africa!

- Stay in bed;
- Drive out to the countryside for a view;
- Stay at home and do some chores around the house;
- Catching up on some reading;
- Spending time with the toddler;
- A braai (barbecue);
- A movie or a rented movie;
- A nice lunch at a favourite restaurant.

It feels like it would be a waste to spend it in bed.
The weather is still lovely during the day!


What are you planning to do tomorrow?

(Photo: Rusty Hook on Sunday)

Special Women’s Day

I got to spend the day with my youngest daughter. It turned into a very special Women’s Day!

(Hubby had to attend the funeral of a friend’s father, and the teen spend the day with the boyfriend and his family...)

I took the Toddler to Lifestyle, a nursery with restaurants, shops and play areas for children. I promised the Toddler a train ride, and after that we just browsed around...

The Toddler inspected all the water features, the kitsch statues, the plants, and played around in the play area...

All on her terms and on her own time!

I should do more of this and more often with my child...


What did you do on Mother"s Day?

Related post:
6th Wedding Anniversary

Stamp Day

At the polling station when we arrived at 7:30

It was local government elections here in South Africa, and we took the Toddler along. Luckily we went early and were out of there within 35 minutes after the polling station opened.

The Toddler entertained us while standing in queue. She was greatly impressed with the whole stamp idea, and I had to give her a mark on her thumb at home as well.

She is talking non-stop now, and when we arrived she informed us immediately that there is a woman with "blood" hair. The lady's hair is very red, and Hubby had to confirm and tell her "Yes, the same as Mommy's". The lady was okay with that... We hope!
But later she informed me there was a lady with a "snollie" (snot) in her nose. I don't know if the lady was touching her nose, and I did not want to look. The Toddler was adamant and she told me three times... I never turned around, and hoped the lady in question did not hear! The embarrassing things a toddler say! It has started big time!

We had a bright sunny day after that! Great weather for a braai!

And a great way to catch up on some sleep...

Wordless Wednesday #73 - Autumn in Mpumalanga

Dunkeld Country Estate
Dullstroom

Public Holiday - we lost track

Amazing: another Public Holiday! Whoopee!
I was preparing my lists of stuff to do when we realized we are not going to get all the shops and banks open.
Photos: Mieka playing in the garden yesterday.
Enjoy your day! :-)

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Rain! on our public holiday

It’s been raining non-stop here since yesterday, and before that we had grizzly weather for longer than a week now. We love the rain, and welcome it! The earth needs it desperately!

But we go into complain mode when it seems that there is no end in sight. (We don’ know what we want, do we?)  I feel sorry for you in the Northern Hemisphere with the cold! Here we are used to long sunny days of sun during the December holidays and over Christmas!

We bought the toddler an umbrella yesterday, and she and Dad went out for a stroll in the rain this morning! It was a huge treat, and she did not want to come back in again... Love it when she enjoys something so much! She is taking an early morning nap now, which is a huge bonus! We are really chilling now...

Luckily it is a public holiday here today. One day less to worry about what to do with the toddler while working... And tomorrow is my last day. Whoohooo!

I love this time of the Year!
What are you doing with yourselves today?