The Kloof

It's nearing the end of summer, which means it should be cooling down with a few warmer days. Apparently, no one told the weather man this fact. We've actually been having a really mild summer so far. T-shirt and jean weather, which is nice when you've got a heater strapped to your belly. The last week, though, has been hot. Technically, not blazing, but it came out of no where, so it feels like a sudden fire to me. The kids and I have been trying to stay cool in the pool, sprinklers and the air conditioned grocery stores in the afternoons. But Friday was a bit cooler, and Todd was home from work a bit early. I was hoping for this, as the heat wasn't terrible. I got the kids slathered in sunscreen, dinner made (yes, in the heat of the day, blah!) and all of us ready to go. So when he came home, I sent Todd to change quickly and we headed out to Kloofendal Nature Reserve down the road.

Em got to chase Guinea foul all over the grassy, outdoor amphitheater as Cooper toddled and Mommy waddled to catch up.

Thankfully, a good portion of the path was shaded, so we all got a bit of a break from the heat of the sun. Cooper REFUSED any help, even a hand to hold, the entire time we were out. This patch of the path was rather nice, but it wasn't all like that... and he, being a boy, apparently had to touch and inspect every rock and stick we came across.

Cooper taking so much time to play Inspector Gadget gave Em and Todd time to look at birds and spiders and other crawly things.

In the end, Em decided it was her job to supply all the "food" for the "giraffes" that she'd seen. Don't know how well imaginary giraffes digest sticks, but she was convinced, so arguing would be pointless.

Our turning point to head back to the car was this great little lake. Em was thrilled to see the "ocean" again, Cooper just wanted to dive into the water, and I, well, I was just proud that I didn't have a panic-attack when both kids wanted to crawl on these boards!