Christmas this year...

... was great, as Erin is at an age where she is starting to understand. We decided to get her a trampoline as she jumps on one at school, and she really loves it. She was soooo excited when she saw it.

She spends hours on it every day.

(oh wow, mommy, look at me)

(Jumping with mommy)

...both falling down..

...whooooohoooo...

Erin had her first...

...prize giving and concert at her play group last Sunday. It was very cute... they all sang a song and actioned out a poem. Erin was very excited and jumped around and sand on top of her voice.

(Erin and her best friend Riley)

Erin receiving her certificate, "Little miss independent"

(Stomping like the "snowman")

...

I have been doing this career for 16 years...

... and I can honestly say that yesterday I had the worst case I've ever been to.

I arrived at the scene of an accident, to find a car had crashed into a tree at high speed. The car was absolutely trashed, bonnet indistinguishable from the cab.

I was informed that the car was travelling down the road and a child ran out in front, so the driver swerved, mounted the pavement and smashed into the tree.

i approached the vehicle, with the bystanders screaming at me that the "child" is very bad. I looked inside to find an elderly lady, covered in blood, sitting behind the drivers seat. Over her lap and half draped in the passenger well lay a 5 year old girl, completely limp and lifeless, a large gaping laceration across her forehead spilling precious blood. I climbed inside and made a quick assessment, and with the help of the Flying Squad members, i emergency extricated her out. I started active resuscitation, Iv therapy and drug therapy by the time an ambulance arrived.

i got the pulse back and raced to my hospital, where the Ct scan showed an the true extent of the injuries... she died later that night with her family sitting by her side!

why oh why do people continuesly drive with children UNRESTRAINED in cars????????

Today my 2 and a half year old daughter...

... sent me to the naughty spot.

we have a naughty spot in our passage where we send her when she has been naughty, not listening etc.etc.

well today, we were playing and i accidently knocked her mouth with her hand. she wasnt too sore, just went to mommy and said that I was naughty, and then returned, stood in front of me and with a very cross face, said Im VERY naughty and i must go to the naughty spot. seeing as she would not accept my apology, and thinking this is hilarious, i obliged and went to sit in the aforementioned spot. She sat me down and sais that Im naughty and she will come and fetch me.... which she did a few minutes later. She told me to stand up, which i did (on my knees so i can look at her in her eyes). with a very serious face, and me trying desperately not to laugh, she wagged her finger at me and said that I was put here cause i was naughty, and I must say sorry. after i did, she said " now go say sorry to mommy".

Little copycat... this is exactly as we do it and say. We were all in stitches.

We made a few stops...

...driving back from Hout Bay , one of them at Boulder beach to see the penguins. The beach was covered in them, unfortunately it was very windy there, so we didn't stay long.

As we entered Somerset West, the clouds were hanging over the mountain like icing off a cake.

Erin decided she wanted to swim, so "Lella" and Ian joined her.

("What are you doing????")

(" oooh, you are gone")

("ha ha ha... he is sooo funny")

Over the weekend..

... we stayed with my good friend B and his wife N in Hout Bay. B was my Prac partner at Tech, so we go back a good 16 years, and at my wedding he did my best man speech... boy did he kill me there.

They have two daughters, one older than Erin and one just a bit younger. His oldest Daughter from a previous relationship joined us. On the Saturday B and I took a few of the kids from the neighborhood 'trick or treating".

Erin had an absolute ball, she dressed like Tinkerbell and was really loving the running from home to home getting lots of sweets.

(The two girls were inseparable)

(B oldest and youngest)

(As you enter Hout bay from Chapmans Peak side, you come across this leopard stature on the rocks)

One of the places...

I've always wanted to go to Cape town and the Two Oceans aquarium. So we took last Wednesday to see it.

Erin absolutely loved it, running from tank to tank, shouting out at all the fish she was seeing.

(all the "Nemo's")

(look mommy... fishes)

..

Last week we went to Cape...

.. Town on holiday. The first time we have gone away as a family with Erin (except my golf club champs last year). We decided to go to the Cape to see all the family down there, as none of them had met her yet.

We really had a great time, and I took so many photo's, ill have to blog them in series of a few...

We stayed at my Aunt and Uncle's place in Somerset West to start with, then headed up the coast to hermanus to stay with the other Aunt and Uncle, and then all the way down to Hout Bay to stay with my close friend and "prac partner" from tech days.

In our room, my cousin has a set of drums. Erin found these and had great fun playing them.

(Erin's first jaunt on a beach)

Our first day was very windy, but being JHB'ers, we had to check out the beach. The next day we woke up and saw it was great day, so we headed out to beach to check

(off came the clothes and ran for the sea)

(having a great time sunbathing)

(long day?)

Above is my cousin D, or as Erin called her, Nella or Lalla, whom she had a great time with.

Nicole decided to join me...

while I played golf yesterday at Benoni Country Club. After her 25 day ordeal in hospital, she really needed to get outside. The CC is a perfect place for her, as its peaceful and has an abundance of animals.

So i booked out a golf cart, I played and she took pics.

(sign at dam next to 10th and 18th fairways)

(The bird in question)

(lining up a putt)

(one of the many peacock roaming around)

(all together now... left, right, left, right....)

The club has a large amount of Springbuck and other types buck

(tired after a long morning outside)

Civilized people have...

respect for life, specifically family and even more so their own children. Savages have no respect whatsoever, they do not value life, nor do they have any remorse.

Yesterday I responded to a case that deeply disturbed me. We received info that someone was strangling a child, when I arrived i was informed that the people involved had been arrested. Just then I received a call to go to the police station as the child was unconscious.

Arriving there, i found a 4 month old baby, unconscious and clearly critical.

The father had allegedly strangled this baby girl, then thrown her onto the concrete ground.

After stabilizing her, we airlifted her to hospital where she is in a very critical condition.

HER OWN FATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a very emotional case for all.

On a positive note, my 14 year old patient, B, that was knocked off his bicycle more than a month ago is doing very well. He is still in ICU with a massive head injury, but recovering well, far beyond expectations. This case really affected me, i visit him every day, and from a 0 prognosis to his current condition, it clearly must be a miracle. Even the neurosurgeon and Intensivist are surpriesd at his recovery.

remember "Mousy Blondy" J, (the little girl who I airlifted after her horrific car crash)... she also should not have survived, I received an sms from her surviving family saying she is back in Durban and doing very well, in fact she is back at play school.

There are times I really hate my job, and there are those few cases that make it seem all worth it.

B and J, you two are very special kids, for both your families and to me, and I wish you all the best in your difficult recovery. The most important thing...

You are alive!

On Sunday Erin and I went...

... to Granny and Grampa house. With N still in hospital, I needed time away from home and Erin has been bugging me to go back to "Grwanny Avil" house. She really loves being there!

So we went, with her camera, and had the time of her life playing ball with Grampa and taking pics with Granny.

(smile granny)

(ooooh, whats that?)

(The object of interest in granny's garden)

("look Grwanny, there it is")

(if you can take a photo, so can I)