I'm back at work today. I enjoyed the school holidays so much. I am incredibly fortunate with my working arrangement, not that it hasn't taken sacrifice to attain it. Peter took Thursday and Friday off last week as well and on Friday we spent the day at Tala Game Reserve. Though it's a small reserve it has the advantage of being only half an hour's drive from home, and there is plenty to see, including rhino (which we saw) and buffalo (which we didn't). The highlight was probably being right up close next to a family of giraffe visiting a water hole and watching them bend to drink and pluck the leaves from the trees with their impossibly long and agile tongues.

I am nursing several injuries today, including an escalator-shaped series of indentations on my right knee (Robyn and I were suddenly overcome by an irresistable urge to run up the down escalator at Gateway on Thursday night), and a huge bruise on my left thigh. We had a rather rough game of soccer with the girls in the garden yesterday. Of course we let Daniel get a kick in whenever we could, but he was more interested in presenting me with flowers in the middle of the pitch. Benjy also added an element of randomness (acts of dog) to the game. He is on everyone's side and specialises in defense.

The kids went back to school today as well, with Daniel and Lauren incredibly enthusiastic, and Robyn a bit less so, except for the fact that she has a school outing today to Spirit on Adventure at Shongweni Dam. It's going to be a long day for her as they will only return at 4.30 - four hours longer than a normal school day.