Weekend

It's a little blurry, but it is an authentic smile from our somewhat serious son, Sam (say that 3 times fast).


We went to a place called Sandy's Creations for lunch today. Actually, Katherine and the boys went there yesterday too with some friends. Today we went with Jack's classmate Keira and her parents. Jack and Keira have become good friends, and, when not drinking delicious juice, ran around toggether all afternoon.


At Sandy's Creations Sandy has created a lovely garden center with a cafe and a children's play park all rolled into one. What Sandy didn't create is a way to purchase beer while having your lunch while your kids run around, so Jason (Keira's dad) and I headed down the road to a small bar and found a $7 bottle of vodka (retail) to mix with our fruit juice.

Delicious.

Sandy's is about 15 KM south of town, and the town of Kafue is just 20 KM or so farther down the road. Jack's birthday is coming up (Wednesday, deadbeats) and he told us he wants a bike and a giraffe for his birthday. Turns out Kafue is known for its roadside stands selling large wood-carved giraffes. In 1998, I bought one myself, although mine stands no more than about 4 feet tall.

Well, we decided to head to Kafue after Sandy's (Katherine at the wheel, having forgone the opportunity to drink some Nikolai Vodka -- produced and bottled in South Africa, where all good vodka is made) to find us a giraffe for Jack's birthday.

We figured because he hadn't had a nap and had run himself ragged, it was likely that Jack would sleep until we got the giraffe, drove home, and hidden said giraffe away until his birthday.

He slept through the drive to Kafue, and through the 10 minute haggling session I held with the salesman. But he woke up on the drive home. It was many a KM until he finally noticed the extra passenger, as it was out of his line of sight, even if it stretched almost the length of the Prado's interior.

He hadn't noticed at this point, anyway.


Since he did notice, we figured we'd tell him the truth that the giraffe was one of his birthday presents. He was ever so thankful.

The thing is a bit large, but I guess giraffes generally are.



Jack has already named his giraffe Phil, by the way.

It stands about 7 feet tall.

And check out the t-shirt. On Jack, not the giraffe.