Baby Jr's Bday Party- South Africa

This is some great footage from Sunday at the birthday party. It really captures the essence of what had Nonno Gino mesmerized. You can see Sienna and Sofia in the middle of all the kids playing. They have on pink shirts and blue bows. I love how people just occasionally bust out a few dance moves!

Beauty

 

I love this picture. This girl was trying to be gentle with Sienna and make friends with her. Sienna, still a little shy as we had just arrived, was looking down. Such a sweet moment captured.

CAKE

 

The kids all lined up for a (small) piece of baby Junior's cake. They all waited patiently their turn.

Waiting for lunch

 

Here are most of the children that were at the party. They continued to arrive slowly throughout the afternoon. They all sat quietly in between the two structures and were all given a plate of food. Many asked for more afterwards but no one was given seconds. They did all later get cake, sweets, a handful of potato chips and some fruit.

Sweetest picture of Sofia and Nonno Gino

 

Today we spent the day at Mavis's house for her son, Junior's, birthday. He turned one. It was a very fun day. It was the first time for Nonno Gino to see what poverty looks like. Mavis lives in a very rural community with very little. She has a tiny house with two small rooms. No water but she does have electricity. There is water outside. It was a festive occasion. One that Gino will remember for a long time to come. At one point he had tears in his eyes and he was shaking, he was so emotional. It happened when Mavis was opening the few presents that were there. Along came a lady and brought 5 rand (about 30 cents). She said she didn't have much but she wanted to honor the occasion and do what she could. I took about 350 pictures today so I will be posting many on facebook and a few on here. The girls had a ball, as usual. I had to pull them away as they didn't want to leave the dancing, the laughing and playing. Little children were dancing, the ladies were dancing as they washed the dishes outside. Goats and chickens leisurely ran amock. Quite different from the birthday party yesterday that we went to. It was for a friend at the girls' school. There the parents sat and chatted quietly and ate catered goods. Today, there was dancing, very few sat as there was much to do and work was divided among all. Sienna and Sofia were always given the place of honor- even when it was time to cut the cake for baby Junior, Mavis wanted them right by him. They got to blow out his candle and they "helped" him cut the cake. Gino was spellbound the whole time. A day to remember by all!