“You!!! Of my planet!!!”

In the White house everyone is on their own planet – and for some reason our huge house isn’t big enough in order to avoid solar system crashes, and random acts of confusion because, you are from Mars and I am from Venus…

I have had some requests for an introduction of the family members. Please enter with caution because if you continue reading you will be confused…. This will only be a introduction I will try to confuse you even more when explaining where everyone fits in. Later... So here goes, please note that I will be using nick names, yes the same nick names we print on bright yellow golf-shirts when we travel abroad, and as much as I hate them I regret to confess that we would have probably lost a family member if it wasn’t for these horrible fashion statements that we try to make… But picture a group of 14 odd people ranging from 4 years of age to late 50’s – all on the airport or some foreign country, and all on their own little planet, someone are bound to stray from the heard …. Were it not for those yellow matching shirts we would have certainly lost one of our soccer team / dartboard club members (call those crazy look-alikes what you will). Now for the best part each family member’s shirt has its nick name printed on the back. The yellow ones were for the Zanzibar trip and the green ones were for U.S.A trip – yes we need a new set every time because we grow out of them... So to get back to the point here we all are in green SA rugby coloured shirts with our nickname as well as our “team number” i.e. ranking in the family – printed in huge yellow letters on the back. So from number 1 I introduce 1. Buddy; 2. Blonde; 3. Muis; 4. Rykie; 5. Bella; 6. Woo; 7. Big Man; 8. Puppet…. Now you know us all!!

I will use this opportunity to give a brief introduction of each as well as how they came about their names – (and please I invite any of these numbers to add on as they please). 1. Buddy – The proud dad of us all, but being a 2nd dad to some of us (if I can call him that cause he is my 1st); some of us needed a different name, so Bella christened him Buddy and it has just stuck with fam and friends… 2. Blonde – this is dad’s beloved nickname for mom, also known as “moekie” by the children whose 2nd mother she is. Also the one who comes up with these crazy fashion ideas. 3. Muis – I have no idea where it comes from, I just know that’s what dad cals her and no one question it! – our big sister who lives too far away… . 4. Rykie – also known as Myke – Bella gave me this name when she was little and it just stuck. I am the next sister in line and the moody one they will all tell you, but it’s a lie don’t listen to what they say – this is my planet!!!. 5. Bella – now known as Zellie; this is our sister who doesn’t know what planet she is on herself, I gave her the nickname cause she is the pretty one, I regret to inform you that I recently got a Cocker Spaniel and she has stolen Zellie’s name, (I will introduce Bella formally later). 6. Woo – because it rhymes with her name and I think maybe she cried a lot when she was little woo hooo. Ha ha… Our little sister who we don’t want to accept is growing up… 7. Big man – because he is our Big Man - also the only lucky rooster amongst the hens – our little brother on his own little planet while discovering the big wide world out there. 8. Puppet – she is our little puppet our baby sister on her own little planet of what to wear today and she is only 6 (almost)!! Then there is the person behind the scenes who makes all these crazy holidays run smoothly – for continuity lets keep with the numbers, 9. Mich – our superwomen au-pair and best friend to all the sisters (and brother) who just makes sure the days of our life’s run smoothly - i dont know how she does it!. Last but not least are the latest additions Bella and Snoekie 9. Bella – English Cocker Spaniel with a temper much like her mommy’s (Myke) 10. Snoekie - or "Moekie se Snoekie" as we like to call her - Mini Maltese with a jumpy personality like no other – together they are partners in crime!

So that’s the lot, I hope I haven’t left anyone out – anything is possible. I hope you have some more clarity of who is who and what is where. They are a crazy bunch all on their own planets but still in the same solar system at the end of the day…. Only just!