I already mentioned last week that we live on the hillside overlooking the beach and we often blog about the beach but we hardly ever blog about the mountain behind us. That is simply because when we had two or three kids I used to roar up the mountain with them… to what we called “supper rock” and then race down again for bed. Well as the number of short legs accumulated so did my lack of enthusiasm for getting up the mountain…
But the time has come, so they say, and this is the year for my children to be dragging me up and down stairs all over the place – if you followed us on instagram you would know what I mean!!! I don’t do New Year Resolutions, but I set my kids a health assignment at the beginning of the year and one of the components was to get their mother person up and up and up heaps of stairs… I will blog their project sometime soon and promise no before shots!!! Anyway today was yet another glorious sunshine day in Cape Town and we headed out…
In search of stairs, and honestly there are times when I think that homeschooling should just be about reading good books…
It didn’t take them very long to find some stairs…
I was prepared to stop and rest at the thorn tree…
But onwards and upwards…
And just a few more stairs…
There was a lot of trailing after little feet…
And they weren’t ALL waiting for me, they were looking at the view… really!!!
And no rest for me under the shady tree…
Just snap this little guy…
And keep going… Just a handful more…
Scattering wild life as we went…
And no stopping to smell the flowers…
And now we were at the base of the mountain – I kid you not: This is the start…
A couple more stairs, now that I am warmed up or over heating, however you look at it, these should be easy…
And then we met the real stairs…
And someone was lucky enough to find a feather…
And I live with a mantra man: I can do it, I can do it, I can do it… Well if he can so can I…
It didn’t take long for him to say: “I can do it if you hold my hand!!!”
But look at the view from the top of the stairs!!!
But that is nowhere near the top…
Just a couple more stairs…
Someone was happy to be there…
And a local lion was waiting to growl at me – until it occurred to him that maybe there were lions out in the great outdoors… Not Likely, but he was cautious in case!!!
Up and up…
At this stage someone needed two hands…
And up on the ridge…
No lions, but a rocky lizard…
And a chance to practice our Parkour
Invincible…
Finally, some of us got to look at the flowers…
And potential proteas…
Even a splash of pink…
And we made it to supper rock – it was still there…
The only thing missing was sandwiches for supper (next time, I guess!!!)…
And from there you can see over to the other side…
Another bay and a view all the way down to Simonstown…
Yes, we made it right over the ridge!!!
And that’s up our valley… and who knows, which mountain we can conquer next… Some folk were getting just a tad ambitious…
A couple of spiders…
And there were no stairs, so I was not expected to head up there…
And someone was a little incensed that there were no lions…
And headed home…
We were happy to follow him down…
Forget hands at this stage – it was brothers in arms…
And a rest…
To watch…
The submarine circling…
Last drink…
And a race for home…
Whheeee!!!
Just love that about Cape Town – you can so live in the city and be up on the mountain and “lost” in the countryside instantly, you just have to climb a couple of thousand stairs first. What can I say, mission accomplished!!! And se7en + 1 kids tumbled into bed without a thought for lingering along the way!!!
OUCH! ‘ Just a few more steps.’ It looks more like about five hundred of them. Can’t believe you and ‘plus one’ made it all the way to the top of that peak. You have my complete admiration and respect. I am totally exhausted from just watching you all progress up that endless looking, steep slope. Next we will be reading that you have all made it up Everest!
Wow, that’s impressive! Well done Hoods and Mother Person!
Hay Granny Ant… Don’t even mention Everest!!! Yup, even the little guy got there… Lot of fun and a very quiet day followed!!! Hope you have a great week!!!
Thanks Jo, Daunted to begin, but there were a couple of folk who felt invincible afterwards – myself included!!! Hope you have a great week!!!
WOW! Now that was brave!! Well done guys!
I grew up in a house on Elsies Peak / Berg Road 🙂 I know those steps Well, always running up and down them into town – they were a killer!
STUNNING photographs – I feel quite homesick now 🙂 xxx
Hay Kerry, Glad we could make you homesick!!! Actually I was thinking of all our expat friends around the world when we were on top of the world (mountain). You would never know from up there that we were surrounded by a city. I would so miss walking in the vynbos and the scratching of the prickly bushes on your legs and the smell of the vynbos… I would always have to come back for a fix of wide open spaces, baking sun and scratchy plants!!! With that in mind… Hope you have a fab week!!!
I just love how your kids take care of each other! Their love for each other is very clear. You’re doing a fantastic job, Mom!
Thanks so much Karen M, That is just the nicest comment – you are right they do take care of each other. Thanks so much for the encouragement as well, because lets face it a mom can never get enough of that!!! Hope you have a brilliant week!!!
Good grief – you are amazing!! Well done all of you!
I have to confess Shells, I have been practicing for this all year… this is my year to get healthy again!!! So when the kids said let’s go up the mountain – I shocked them out of their socks and said yes, lets!!! Such a fun time… Hope you have a great week!!!
What a wonderful walk and the views! Wow! I could do with getting a wee bit fitter too. I wish I could have joined you in the walk. Thanks for all the blue sky shots. You know how much I love them! Big question is… how many steps were there?
Oh Cheryl, I know you love the blue skies!!! We will have to count the steps… there sure are a ton of them!!! You should definitely pop over for a visit and some cloudless blue!!! Have a great week!!!
Amazing, what a field trip! Fantastic scenery and beautiful photos that capture it all. Sometimes I think I’m pretty clever for getting four kids out the door, but you have me bowing to you with your seven + 1; incredible!!
The submarine is intriguing, what’s all that about I wonder?
My goodness what a stunning area you live in. and all those stairs…holy cow =)
Looking at those stairs just makes my quads quiver! What a workout! Yet the view is totally worth it!
Hi Kirsty, Lovely to meet you – Isn’t this a fantastic Link-up from Design Mom I am so enjoying visiting folk around the world. Sigh, the photographs of your neighborhood are so beautiful… Oh for a Saturday morning amble through your town and all the history – lovely!!! The submarine: I mentioned the town Simonstown and that is a naval base and they sometimes do exercises in the bay… I a guessing, how would I know (?!) that it was part of that!!! But how lucky we were in the perfect spot to see it!!! Hope you have a great week!!!
Hi Teresa, So good to meet you!!! I love meeting folk from around the world and how cute is Tracey!!! What an adventure!!! and how inspiring… something to think about – way in my future!!! And yes those sure are a lot of stairs… I’ve been practicing, I had to!!! Hope you have a great week!!!
Hi Jen, Honestly, I don’t think I could have done it the beginning of the year… but my kids have me in training!!! And secretly I have them in training too!!! I had to get myself moving, but I wanted them to discover the “I did it” factor of tackling something they didn’t think they could do!!! And I love your trip, that Pin Map is just brilliant – I am thinking we need one in our kitchen for all our visitors to pin as well!!! Hope you have a fabulous week!!!
Wow! I love the bright sky in the photos. And this made me laugh:
It didn’t take them very long to find some stairs…
Hi Gabrielle!!! So nice to have you stop by!!! Yup, its not called “Living Under and an African Sky” for nothing. Don’t you love how when you give your kids a task they really get into!!! “Find steps for your mum” was definitely a task they really wanted to get on with!!! Hope you have a fabulous evening!!!
What a great post. I felt like I was right there with you hiking up the mountain. My son did that hike when he was in South Africa five years ago. It was one of his favourite memories. Good for you for doing the hike – you must have had sore legs afterward.
Hi Grace, So good to meet you!!! Imagine that your son has been up our mountain!!! I popped over to visit your site and see your snow and the interesting times you have – how fun with the traveling gnomes… how could I have forgotten them when I have such fond memories of Amelie!!! Hope you have a fabulous week!!!