Well, we recently completed our Demartini Method Facilitation Training in December 2008. We worked with such a wonderful group of people and have made so many new friends as a result. It really is wonderful to meet such inspiring individuals and obviously we get on really well as we have similar value systems.

Julia was kind enough to send me a photo of the group so I thought I’d post it…. what a fun bunch of amazing people! What I find really exciting is what a big group we had at the training. John Demartini’s work is certainly growing at an incredible rate, particularly in South Africa! It is wonderful that makes time to come to South Africa so often.

The course was really inspiring and it is wonderful to be able to work with people now and to help them dissolve anger and resentment, fears and guilt and open their hearts…. The Demartini Method (Trademarked and Copyrighted) is a truly powerful tool with many different applications. If you would like to find out more then call or email us… louised@cft.co.za

Ever wondered What the difference is between using your own digital camera to photograph your kids and going to a studio and having you kids photographed in a studio
enviroment?

Well for starters there’s always someone missing from the photos (mom or dad, depends on who is taking the photos) and you tend to lose the family dynamic of everyone
laughing and making jokes together when someone gets up every 5 minutes to push the shutter button.  Having a consistent background and great lighting

Take the Anderson family who came to the studio for funky family photos on Saturday.  Laura-Anne has her own camera and takes photos for her company so naturally
she is always testing her camera out on the kids so they end up having loads of photos without mom in them.

It was fantastic photographing older kids in studio for a change, you can have a chat with them and make jokes, and they’re so easy to pose informally.

I had so much fun photographing this family, mom and dad is still as in love as ever (like a fairytale story) and the kids do everything fom ride motorbikes, play soccer
to skateboarding.  We photographed everyone together with fun posing like the family stack, then we took photos of ‘the guys’ with dad holding Jethro upside down and lastly
we photographed the girls lying together with their arms spread eagled   Then we started all over again…..

Funky family photos is about a lot more than just informally posing a big group of people, it’s about capturing the dynamic of the family, all the love and laughter they
share.  When people look at these photos they need to see the essence of this family and that is exactly what we do!    

Riani

My baby boy started at St Johns College today. Mikey started Grade 0 and Jamie started Grade 1. It was such a big day for them and they looked so cute in their school uniforms. It really is a wondeful school and we are blessed to be able to send them there.  As a photographer, I just had to take a few pics and post them on the blog – I think they are getting so used to me photographing them all the time (especially after our USA holiday!!) Their new trick is to pull funny faces and try to mess up the photos, so it’s a real art getting a decent photgraph of the two of them at the same time!!! But they still look gorgeous to me…..

Jamie’s teacher is Mrs Blackhurst and she seems really nice. Jamie really enjoyed his first day and said that “Grade 1 is much different to Grade 0″! He is quite excited to be getting homework (we’ll see how long that lasts…) he suggested on the way home that he have a 20 minute break and then he can start his homework. I am so impressed! he looked so cute in his Grade 1 uniform – they now have to wear a blazer and a cap… and his pants are so long you can’t even see his knees…. it’s too cute!

Mikey is lucky to have Mrs Moodley as his teacher – he is really comfortable with her as she was Jamie’s teacher last year so he knows her quite well. He is also really good friends with Kapil, Mrs Moodley’s son. he is also ecstatic to have his best friend in his class, Zayd Motara. So of course, he had a fantastic day and told me all about it…. it’s the most he has ever spoken about school. He is really proud of himself and is so chuffed to be in big school with his big brother. He is officially big now – first he lost a tooth and now he is in big school!!!! I was really proud of him as he missed the first 3 days of school and I was worried he would be a bit shy or nervous but he was completely secure and confident and excited to be there – my baby is really growing up!!!

They were also really, really, really excited to see Sam this afternoon. I fetched them from school so Sam picked them up at the office and they went crazy when they saw her and couldn’t stop talking about everything we did in America. It was so lovely to see!!! We are so lucky to have Sam as part of our family….

So I am about to go home and see my babies (I missed them today especially Demi as I didn’t see her at all today) She was still sleeping when we left for school this morning (as she was up to 1:30am last night due to the jet lag!!! Hopefully, tonight will be a little better….

England is home to some of the best medieval structures in the world. The UK has a vast array of magical castles, palaces, manors and places of interest. While a few UK castles have been left in ruins because of different wars and battles some castles remain in the same condition today as they did many years ago. Most medieval buildings are now protected by organisations like English Heritage and many are now open to the public for various events.

Many castles and historical sites now open up their doors for medieval re-enactments and events. A medieval re-enactment is when a number of medieval re-enactment fans arrange a day out where they wear traditional clothing and invite the general public along to watch. Hedingham castle often have days out in Essex where they put on medieval roleplay and archery events for everyone to enjoy.

As many castle weddings are often in remote locations and castles usually have a number of servant buildings, many have facilities for wedding receptions and accommodation. This can make planning easy for your wedding, as all of these additional facilities tend to be in one package, leaving you the time and space to plan for the other aspects of your big day.

A lot of couples fantasise about the idea of having their wedding in a castle, which has meant that castle weddings have become more common as people look to make their day really special. Most of these historical structures have everything you could desire from a castle wedding. Most castles have huge grounds, that have many scenic areas that are the best wedding photograph backdrops. The wedding ceremonies themselves are often held in grand halls, decked out with wedding flowers, candles and seating for your guests. Some castles even offer the option to go that one step further by opting for a medieval theme with full costumes and musical minstrels.

As the popularity of castle weddings grows so does the competition to attract potential brides and grooms. As a result many organisers have been forced to offer additional wedding services to make them stand out from the rest. As well as themed weddings you can take advantage of other package deals such as reception venues and accommodation, classic car hire and wedding breakfasts. A classic car such as a Rolls Royce or Bentley would be the best way for the bride to arrive at the church and for the happy couple to leave for their honeymoon.

A number of castle wedding organisers have teamed up with other businesses offering wedding services so they can offer complete packages. Wedding photographers and planners often get included with these luxury packages, along with bakers that provide the wedding cake. This can take a lot of the stress out of the wedding for the couple getting married because it allows them to see how much the complete wedding package will cost so they only have to worry about the registrar fees, the rings and the wedding dress.

Recently, we posted a blog explaining some keys to succeed with baby sign language. In this article, we provide you with more tips and advice to ensure you have a successful and rewarding experience with baby sign langauge.

Make Signing a Family Affair

One of the most important factors for success in teaching your baby to sign is whether or not others are involved in the process. If you are like most parents, lots of people take part in caring for your child on a daily basis. These people have a big influence on your child. Most children have regular contact with other family members. In our family, we could not get along without regular help from wonderful grandparents. Make signing a “family affair” and get the entire family involved in the process (especially Grandma and Grandpa).

In many households today, both parents work full time, while the child is at daycare. Baby will have a huge advantage in learning to sign if his daycare workers are involved in the process. Your child’s daycare workers and babysitters are part of his extended family. Make sure your baby’s extended family knows that you are teaching him to sign and show them the signs you are working on with your baby. In the least, they should know some of the basic signs he uses on a regular basis and be willing to be involved in teaching those signs. If they refuse to get involved with signing, consider finding a new daycare or sitter. As for your actual relatives, insist they take part in the teaching process. If Grandma is watching baby, she needs to know when baby wants more “milk”. Otherwise, baby will be confused as to why Grandma doesn’t understand him.

Perceive Baby’s Perception

A baby is constantly seeing and perceiving new things. For better success with teaching baby sign language, you should be alert to your baby’s perceptions. If you notice what your baby is perceiving, you will know when and what to sign. By the time his eyes and gazes start to connect with yours, baby is ready to begin learning to sign. Get down on your baby’s level, literally and figuratively. If you are aware of what your baby perceives, you will be a better teacher (and caregiver).

Your baby has different types of perceptions, each presenting an opportunity for a new sign. Your baby may have a need or want to express a feeling or desire. For example, if your child finishes drinking his juice, he may “express” that he wants more. The moment that you recognize this perception is a great time to mnake the sign for more. Sometimes, it is clear that your baby perceives you. You and baby may look at each other at the same time. When you make this type of contact with your baby, he is receptive to what you have to say. Recognize this as an opportunity to introduce a sign. At other times, it will be clear that you and your baby are perceiving the same object. For example, you may both be focused on the family dog. Obviously, this is great time to sign the word dog. One technique to help direct what your child will notice is to use a sign in front of the object you are signing about. Or, you can even sign with the object on your baby’s body!

Have Fun!

As with all activities, a key element for success with baby sign language is attitude. As the caption says, Have Fun! Get excited and have fun with your baby when you are showing him a sign. Teaching your child how to sign is more about attitude and persistence than any scientific technique. If you recognize teaching opportunities, and you stick with it, your baby will be signing before you know it. So don’t get frustrated if baby is not signing back to you right away. Remember, every child is unique and every child learns and responds at his own pace.

Communication with your baby should be intuitive and natural. You don’t need a book to make a connection with your child. Trust your instincts and be expressive when you talk to your child. Match your expression with your sign. Babies respond as much to emotions and facial expressions as to anything that may be verbalized. And don’t get frustrated if your baby does not make the perfect sign. Rather, recognize what he is trying to say and applaud him for it. The process should be fun for both you and baby. Your baby will refine his technique as he continues to develop.

12th Jan 2009 – Mikey’s best day ever!

What a special day for Mikey – he lost his first tooth last night!!! He is so proud of himself and he is just so excited to get money from the American tooth fairy!!

He thinks today is his best day ever because we went to Hollywood Studios and watched the Car stunt show again. We also went on the Star Tours ride again (after watching the Jedi training) – Mikey has really taken to Star Wars since we have been here – he has the sword and the gun and absolutely loves it! He says he is Master Yoda – the best ever!

He also loved today because today is his day to get a toy – he has been nagging for over a week and Jamie got a Sony PSP game yesterday and he was holding out for a toy somewhere and today is his day! We saw a really cute kiddies digital camera at Epcot yesterday which we knew he would love, so they are going to get it tonight at Epcot.

He is so cute and the cheery on top is that his tooth fell out and now he will get American money! And now he is a big boy! Jamie is also very proud of his little brother and says they are getting more and more like twins…. they really are best friends (they also love to fight and bug each other!) Ryan and I are enjoying them so much now because we can have such nice conversations with them – they are getting so big! And are really intelligent too…. (guess I am biased but I am their mom – I know their granny will agree with me!!)

Anyway, we had a wonderful day at Hollywood studios today! Ryan and I went on Tower of Terror and I loved it! It is still a fantastic ride and still very scary! We also went on The Aerosmith Roller Coaster  which is damn fast! It is also a really cool ride – very fast with lots of turns – all in the dark!

We also took Demi to see Disney Playhouse and she absolutely loved it! She was clapping and jumping and dancing and shouting – it was gorgeous to watch! We also went on the Woody ride again – it is so cool! Florence also really enjoyed it though Demi didn’t love it that much! Dem’s went with Ryan (they have  bonded so nicely this holiday!)

We also got to meet Sully and Mike from Monsters Inc as well as Lightning McQueen and ‘Mater from Disney’s ‘Cars’ movie! Then we went to watch the motor stunt show again – this really is an awesome stunt show – they show you how they do all the motor action shots for the movies – it is a huge set  and involves lots of really fast cars, ‘Herbie’ for some added fun, a hero and lots of villains,  jet skis, ramping and explosions! It is an amazing show and fills the stadium every time!

The boys really love it – Mikey says he loves every part and Jamie spent the whole show taking photos – he was so proud of his pics although he said he just missed the million dollar shot (the one of the car ramping) which I was lucky enough to capture last time we watched the show….

We came home early as we were all really hot and the sun got to us – Ryan took the boys swimming, while Demi and I stayed home and played on the bed! They came home and had some supper and they are out again – they really are having a good time and I think it is so nice that they are having such quality time alone with their dad! It’s good for boys to be with their dad…. (and it gives me time to relax and catch up with my blog and pics….)

Tomorrow, we will either go back to Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom – will see what the boys decide in the morning…

Boys tell me about Epcot:

We are really tired mom! We took pictures of the fireworks, and there was fire and we saw the earth and we played cars,
you know the future where come out and we played the skeletons… that’s enough!

I got a camera and it has a flash and has cartoon characters on the computer!! And I got my tooth
and dad can tell you the rest cos I am going to help Jamie to draw his pictures… pictures of castles… and robin hood…

11th Jan 2009 – shopping & Epcot

Yesterday was a beautiful day – we decided to take it easy so we slept late. By the time we were up and ready to go out, it was time for Demi to sleep again, so we decided to go shopping while Demi slept. This gave us a lot of time to spend alone with the boys and just chat and play games….

We played body parts and animals in the car (you choose something and then the rest of the people have to ask you questions and try to guess what it is you have chosen… only problem is, Mikey keeps changing it if you guess correctly and you can never win! which also means that you have to just keep asking him questions over and over again until you say enough and you quit and he declares victory!!! He is such a Diesel!!!

Anyway, on the way home, Jamie said: “Did you know mom, that Disney world is the only place in the world where dreams come true?” We explained to him that that is not true and that  dreams always come true if you work hard enough on them and never give up. We told him that bringing our family to Disney World on holiday had always been a dream of ours and that we had worked hard on our dream, in South Africa, to make it come true. And we were patient and we never gave up.

That was all he needed to get inspired and the next thing he shouted that he was going to be  an artist and make movies when he grows up!!! He was so inspired that we had to go straight to Publix to buy him pencils and paper for him to draw his pictures…. He thinks he will work on them all the time and then he will have about 100 movies by the time he grows up. He also thinks he will design some video games…

He started telling me all his ideas and different story lines and we discussed different characters and Mikey really enjoyed that, so he thinks he might help Jamie with the movies!!! Sounds like he Disney brothers, Roy and Walt! Watch out Disney, here comes the Diesels!!!

Then they said how much fun they were having. I asked them what they like about America – this is
what Jamie said: “the sweets, the candy, the rides, the putt putt, Disney World, the psp games,
EVERYTHING!!! It’s the best place in the whole world and I wish we could live here!”

Mikey added: “and the chocolate milk and the water parks and the toys!”

They are so beautiful and I am so proud of them (even though they drive me crazy most of the time and are very naughty and push me all the time too) – there’s the universal balance Dr Demartini always talks about….

For supper, we had some steak and veges and brown rice (which was actually white??) It was so good to have veges and healthy food!

In the evening, Ryan & I went to Epcot to watch “Illuminations!” Every night the Epcot skies expolde with lasers, fireworks and music as  “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” glitters, gleams and glows over World Showcase Lagoon in perfectly synchronised splendour. It’s the fitting finale to a day of fun!!!

It was incredible and we loved it! So much so, that Ryan has gone back tonight to take the boys to see it! Just a boys night out (and the girls are staying home – Demi & I were sleeping and playing and now she is back in bed) I am sure the boys are having the time of their lives!!!