Watch out Beckham, here comes Tim!

Tim says 3 words:
1. ball (with a very long a and without pronouncing the l: it's more like baaaaaaaaaaa)
2. mamma (which means mommy)
3. pappa (...daddy)
Only the first word he uses throughout the day.

Tim? He ADORES the baaaaa and soccer. He kicks his ball. Every day. The entire day. Ever since he could walk, just days before his first birthday. When I hide the ball, he looks for it ('Baaaaaaaaa'?) When I give him another toy, he plays with it for 10 seconds, only to go back to kicking his ball. I have given up my many attempts to get him into other games and toys. I'm sure he'll be into other stuff when he's ready. So now I devote my days to cheering proudly of my little soccer player. And chasing balls.

A little movie to show off Tim's amazing baaaaaal kicking skills:

Funny fact: we (as in "we the parents") are not into into soccer. Or any other sport for that matter. We only watch the European and World cups. And smile when we hear about our young Dutch team winning the Euro cup twice in a row.

The degree

I will stop bragging about my university results after this post. I promise. However, since Thursday, I officially have my Bachelor's degree in Communication!

It was a great night. Nine other students received their degrees that night. It was a very personal evening, with a formal touch. I was the last one to get my degree that night. Because I was kinda special: I am the first to get my Bachelor in Communication degree Cum Laude (with HONORS), since they started that program! Woohooo! Can you be proud of yourself? Well, I am. As some of you may have read about my insecurity when I first started this program, I was not expecting this at all. Especially not since I (and my classmate J.) finished this 4 year program in only 3 years! Woohoo!

Excuse the bragging, on with the photos:

Hearing my university coordinator saying all those great things, really made me emotional. I was nervous as there were quite a few people in the audience.

This is my "oh my god there a like 200 people looking at me"-look. Not so pretty, but very happy signing my diploma. And don't comment on the hair unless your an a-list hairdresser and want to fix this drama.

Proud husband and very sweet little Tim (even though it was well past his bedtime)

My classmate J, who also finished in three years. We did A LOT of school assignments together. Our lifes are freakishly parallel: he got a son who was born 3 weeks before Tim, he moved to a new house like a month after we did and we both decided to start our final aper like 6 months before anyone else did. But the parallel stops here: he is already thinking of getting a Master's degree. I would like that too, but I first want to enjoy family life the next years. And give the husband the opportunity to get his Bachelor's (he's busy on a accelerated 1.5 year Bachelor's program) and perhaps his Master's.

Although it was my night, he was the star of the show. My sunshine.

Yayyyyyyy!! Done!

Photos courtesy of my dad.

Opera

Do you like opera?

I got to be honest with you. I am not a big fan of opera. Call me a cultural barbaric, but I just am not a big opera listener. However. There is this guy, winner of the TV-series 'Britain's got talent', who might have sparkled a little tenor love in me. Heck, I might even buy his CD.

I challenge you to watch his first audition for the show. Without crying. Oh, and pay attention to the judges.

Can anyone watch that without needing tissues?

A little explanation to me not loving opera. That is not genetic. My parents? LOVE opera. Especially my father. When I was younger and he played opera, he would turn up the volume like really loud to enjoy it (like I did with pop music :) For me that was like nails on a chalkboard, (with speakers attached). Resulting in hurting ears and a dislike of opera.

But I might just make my dad proud and buy a CD from this guy.

Do sheep behh or mehh?

Happy Father's Day to all dads out there! I hope you had a lovely day, just as we did.

We spend the (rainy) morning at home. As it cleared up, we decided to go to the petting farm in the afternoon. Their website said the farm was open today. When we got there: it was closed. Luckily, we could come close to the little lambs. But (bad) mommy forgot to bring carrots and endive (which are the only two things you are allowed to give the animals). But in spite of mommy's error: Tim had a blast.

Look out daddy, he will bite your finger!

The two cutest men in the whole wide world.

Nice earrings! The latest Otazu?

Don't be afraid little one. Lambs behhh but they don't bite.

Mommy, look at all the lamb poo!

Now tell me, do sheep behh or mehh? We have this book with pictures of animals. It features a sheep and a goat. Now which one behh's and which one mehh's? You got to help me out with this one.

Tim(e) - lapse

Yesterday I scrolled through our photo archive and looked at all Tim's photos from the day he was born. And suddenly I realized, he is not the little baby. He's a little boy. Or dare I say toddler? Also it just hit me how much his face has changed. I cannot believe how fast time flew by. A walk through the last 16 months or so:

Can somebody help me stop time? Before I know it, he's 16, fighting acne, listening to music that horrifies me, bringing home his first real love, and wanting to go clubbing.

One thing was pretty much consistent through this time. His favorite toy. Can you guess what it is?

A weird bandwagon

Tagged by Lisa..

You might have seen the 'I am weird meme' on another blog. Each player has to list 6 weird things about themselves. But I like to bend rules a bit, so I asked my husband FreezeM and my good friend Anton, to come up with weird things about me. This is what they said:

FreezeM said:

I underestimate myself constantly. But I get annoyed when others underestimate me.
Hmmm. That is true. Is there a psychologist in the house?

I sometimes wear his socks and boxers
They are really comfortable! I cannot help it!

I am not weird. That he is reluctant to even think about me being weird. And that he loves me. And that I'm weird for even asking him to come up with weird things about me.
Gotta love that man.

Anton said:

I'm very America minded. That's positive, but also a bit weird.
Very, very true. I honestly feel I was born in the wrong country. My heart breaks every time I leave the US to go back to The Netherlands.

Says I have a love - hate relationship with my cat Simba
Also true. Simba is the kind of cat that needs a LOT of attention. ALWAYS. He demands (like only a cat can demand) every minute of every day. In a manner I can not ignore. Like walking in front of me feet for an entire day. Well, that's kind of annoying. And impossible. But than again, I love to cuddle with him too. Yep. That's love - hate.

I make a mess of the newspapers I read. No one would ever want to read a newspaper after I get through with it.
I am doing better, I promise!

I won't tag anyone. I'm weird like that (no pun intended). Feel free to use this meme though!

Character spring cleaning

Is there anything you would like to change in your character? Something you wish you could just sweep away and replace with a personality trait you've always wanted?

There is a personality trait I would like to have. FreezeM (husband) and I were watching an episode of Oprah. I can't remember the topic of the show. But I do remember the 'experts' saying something about true happiness and being happy for people who experience something nice. Their point: you can't be fully happy, when you can't be happy for others. That thought stuck with me.

When I like someone, I can be more thrilled about their happiness, than they are. I am all about celebrating the happy stuff people experience. But when I don't like someone, and they experience something really cool? I don't like it. I don't hate them for it. It doesn't spoil my day. I don't even give it much thought. But I just don't enjoy seeing it.

My guess, I'm not abnormal (I hope). But I wish I could be more wise and be above those thoughts. Like I imagine FreezeM being above those thoughts. To be sincerely pleased for someone getting a lucky break, even though I don't like them. I imagine there are even people out there, who don't dislike anyone. Who are just neutral about them. For me, that would be an awesome character trait to gain.

Sweep away!

9.5, BBQ and search queries that make you go...

Thank you all for your "TEN" thoughts for my presentation/ defending of my final paper. However it did not help. I got a 9.5. I know I should be thrilled. But I was SO close of getting a 10, I am a tad disappointed. They did like my presentation though. And upped my initial 9 with 0.5 points.

Being depressed with my 9.5 (I'm such a dork). I looked at my web traffic and got intrigued with some of the search queries people have used to come to my blog:

Dutch toilets
What a shitty search query.

real funny people
I am number 45 or so. Jeez.

It's me
And this is me. Nice to meet you.

Pregnant breasts
I learn something new everyday. I should get my breasts knocked up, so they'll get a little bigger!

World's little breasts girls
Oh, come on. They are not THAT small.

People who got to see the roman gladiators fight
Are dead. Sorry to disappoint you.

Excuse me sweetie how you doing
Fine, thank you. How are you?

Anyways, yesterday we had our first BBQ in our garden. Salmon. It was just perfect.

Plus we had a lot of fun.

OK, as number 45 on the funny people list, this is all the fun you're going to see. I blame Google.

Think 10, think 10, think 10

In just four more days I will be presenting my final paper. Monday afternoon at 3.30 to be precise. I am still working on the presentation. As Powerpoint and other presentation tools are prohibited, I will have to make sure my story is powerful.

So here's the deal. I now have a 9 for my final paper.

If I do Monday's presentation very well, I get an extra 0.5 or 1 point. That means I will have a 9.5 or......... a 10! A ten! A ten!

If I screw this, they can take 0.5 or 1 points. Leaving me with a 8 or a 8.5.

If I'm neutral, it will stay a 9. But who wants to be neutral, right?

So I need all of you to cross your fingers and make sure I get that TEN!! Think 10!