The day my firstborn streaked in the Queen's backyard

A few days ago, we decided to check out the new playground in the garden of the 'working palace' of our queen. My friend M. joined us and we enjoyed watching Monkey run around while we chatted on one of the wooden benches.

The garden is actually more like a small park, with lots of green, a lake, some modern art objects, and now, a playground (if you're a tourist in The Hague with or without children: it is worth a visit and an escape from the busy shopping center!).

I can't help but thinking this playground is actually a compromise between the queen wanting a golf court and the City of The Hague wanting a playground. What do you think:

Actually, the architect of the playground says these balls are pearls.

But the reason you're still reading this post, is you want to get to the streaking part, right?

Be patient! I am getting there.

Monkey found some new friends to play with, and in the excitement he 'forgot' to mention he needed to go to the toilet. When the other children where gone and there where only giant white golf balls left to play with, Monkey ran up to us and showed his accident.

What's a mom to do?

Sure, there was art, golf balls and trees... but no toilet to change him into his spare set of clothes. But it was also too chilly for him to walk around in wet clothes until we found a toilet. Really, what would you do?

You would ring the doorbell of the palace and ask if we could use the royal restroom?

(Why didn't I think of that?)

I decided that if you 'rule' a country you have seen worse than the cute little white behind of my toddler. And it's not like Monkey yelled - while pulling down his pants - "SO THIS IS WHAT I THINK OF THE TAX RAISE!" or anything like that.

So I quickly looked if there weren't other visitors very nearby and I changed him into clean & fresh pants.

Being toilet trained ... in a situation without the presence of toilets, but with the excitement of a bunch of fun children and ginormous balls can be a bit of a challenging combination.

"You can cook now, mommy"

"Thank you son. " I replied.

Gasp!

Hearing your child speak is one of the most beautiful, funniest, amazing things I get to experience as a mom.

Other Monkeyisms are:

"The sun went under the ground"
(last week at the beach fireworks festival when the sun set and it got dark)

"I believe Monkey wants to watch a little movie" or "I believe Monkey wants to have lunch".
(I believe Mommy needs a vacation! ;)

Me: Well done Monkey! You're a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiig
Monkey: GIRL! BIG GIRL!
Me: No honey, you're a big BOY! Roo is a big girl!

Monkey: "OH"
(on which I ran to the living room and find he dropped his glass of water. I know to run when I hear:
a. nothing
b. "OH")

And finally there is penis talk:
Monkey: "Mommy has a penis."
Me: "No honey, that is a belly button! Mommy does not have a penis. Daddy has."
Monkey: Yes.
Me: And Monkey has one.
Monkey: A little one.
Me: Yes.
(I decided to not give him the 'size does not matter' lecture just yet)

7 months: sticky rice milk baby crawls and breaks speed of light barrier

(7 month letter)

To my little crawling baby,

7 months old and you're crossing our living room like Roadrunner. Your main targets are colorful objects, preferably non toy objects your brother found somewhere and brought into the living room. If I let you out of sight for a 1 millionst of a nano second, you've disappeared into the hallway. I can't remember when your brother started crawling, but to me you're growing up so fast. The months pass like weeks and the days pass like minutes.

All that crawling requires energy. So it's a good thing you eat plenty of food these days! We've started weaning you. So far you've eaten baby rice, and purees of apple, pear, peach, green beans , zucchini, carrot and sweet potato, and as of yesterday you get the tiniest amount of yogurt and chicken stock to get you used to animal protein. As with your big brother, we use Gina Ford's guide to weaning and so far it's going perfect. You have a major food crush on pear and zucchini. The goat's yogurt makes you pull funny faces because it's a bit sour. We cook all the purees ourselves, and we have fun doing it. Next up in your menu: avocados, broccoli, mango, turnips, oats and cauliflower! Let's see if most of what we offer of that ends up in your mouth too.

I say MOST, because you tend to make big mess of yourself eating. Dinner tends to turn you into a very sticky mobile object! But, still cute.

You ADORE your brother. Especially when he acts silly. You're his audience, and he loves it. Your laugh is contagious and funny and the cutest thing. I am glad we see plenty of it! Overall you're a happy baby. You let us drag you across town, without so much as a sigh.

You sleep in your own bed every night. From 7 PM to 8 AM'ish. Though I am glad your daddy and I have the evenings to spend together, I miss the nights you depended on me to hold you until you fell asleep in my arms. I miss having you in my arms at night. Feeling and hearing your breath on my cheek.

I secretly suspect I am still your favorite person. Perhaps the fact that I am still your main source of food has something to do with that! We still nurse four times a day, and I wish it would never end.

I miss you while I am at work, but overall you're doing great with your daddy and grandma's.

You saw fireworks for the first time last Saturday. The sparkling lights intrigued you and with open mouth you watched until it was over. Sparkling things like jewelry have your attention, and you seem to like shoes too. Well munching on them anyway.

Did I tell you, you have two teeth? You have! Suddenly you just had TWO teeth in your mouth. Today you used them to eat the vacuum cleaner. Which, I rather wish you wouldn't.

Little crawling Roo, don't grow up too fast (and don't eat my household appliances and shoes),

Mommy

The perfect Saturday: typical Dutch tourists?

It's Sunday, a little passed noon. My darling husband took the children to the organic store in the city center. So I could have some mommy time. I purchased Bebel Gilberto's Tanto Tempo album. And on her relaxing jazzy tones, I'm looking at the photos we took on our trip yesterday.

First we gathered the whole family and drove about an hour to visit a typical Dutch scenery:

Kidding. A traditional Dutch scenery (we sold our mill a long time ago :). We visited a Dutch town with a bunch of mills, rebuild at an open air museum called "Zaanse Schans". A very touristy, yet a fun attraction with plenty of things to do, see and eat. We enjoyed walking around in the warm August sun. Monkey pretending to play the drums (he was the main attraction, people loved him) and Roo drooled away on her daddy's arm (I swear, that child can fill a swimming pool if you'd collect it all).

After that, we went by Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Monkey LOVES planes. So went up the panorama deck to view them.

To my amazement, I discovered I did not photograph a single plane!

Oh wait, I found one!

By then, it was dinner time, so we had dinner at the restaurant next to the deck. Where they actually offered pretty good food for airport standards.

Driving home, we stranded in traffic (yes, Saturday evening at 8 PM!). But who cares if you look this cute in a car seat?

Reason for the insane amount of cars on their way to The Hague? A fireworks festival at the beach. So standing in traffic, my husband suggested the crazy, delirious, irresponsible idea to stretch the cheerful moods of our two young children a little further passed bedtime and go to the beach and watch the fireworks.

First, we laughed the idea away. INSANE, we said..

But then, 1.5 hours later we found ourselves on the beach. Monkey had seen the sun set and was very impressed that it actually got dark outside. The perfectness of life settled down on our picnic blanket: the street lights went on, the light house shun its light on the water, ships gathered in the harbor and seagulls floated high above us completely unaware of the loud bangs that would come with the fireworks, Monkey gathers sea shelves, and Roo cooed in my arms and my husband tried to capture all that beauty on our digital camera.

It was a moment where I could do nothing but enjoy the scenery and pray and thank for the beautiful family and peaceful life we have.

That pretty much sums up our touristy Saturday.

Bebel stopped singing. The laundry machine is at tumble dry and my husband will soon return with our precious children. I suspect my 'mommy alone time' is almost up. I'm going to prepare lunch. They'll be hungry.

Roaring twenties

I'm in my twenties.

...

Twenties.

I am in my twenties.

I AM in my twenties.

I am IN my twenties.

I am in MY twenties.

I am in my TWENTIES.

TWENTIES.

For 3 more hours anyway.

Roar.

I love you

Me: I love you
Monkey: I love cow

Husband (to Monkey): I love you
Monkey: I love mommy

Husband (to Monkey): I love you
Monkey: Fish is delicious

2.5 years

Monkey, Monkey, Monkey,

Where do I begin? What exciting moment in your 2.5 years do I pick to start this post with? One of the many moments you discovered something new and was enthusiastic like a little monkey finding a soccer field full of bananas? One of the many moments you lay in my arms and we read books about trucks, cars, farms, Lola and Charlie, Miffy, Sesamestreet and about how your name buddy discovers the world with imaginary plains and busses and boats? One of the many moments we did crafts and created all kinds of animals and cars and moving objects? One of the many moments you melted my heart just by being your adorable little self? One of the many times you went on a bike ride with me? Or one of the many car rides you never stop to enjoy?

Or should I begin with describing you? How incredibly smart I think you are? I have to admit, I'm a little bias, but your little brains don't let anything in your surroundings unnoticed. You see, hear, feel everything. You want me to explain everything so you can understand it. I still consider you my little boy, and that's why sometimes I feel like I'm explaining too much. But then you understand it and you make me even more proud. Or how good you are with words? Honey, from the moment you learned sign language, people worried if you'd ever talk. But really? You vocabulary never seizes to amaze me. And the way you finish sentences when we're reading books, it baffles me. Or should I start this letter by describing how sweet and affectionate you are by telling us you love us and you want to hug us and kiss us? Or how funny you are? You now start to make jokes and they're funny too, little comedian.

Or should I start your letter with things you love? How you love your little drum set and your crafted trumpet? Or how you love our Sunday mornings in bed watching Little Einsteins or Backyardigans on daddy's laptop while we eat breakfast? Or how you like cars, and balls, and Duplo, and Playdough? Or how you love your little sister and your daddy? Or how you love helping with chores? Or how you love bath times?

Or should I start with things you've recently started to do? Like making jokes? Like singing? Like trying to carry Roo and the cats? Like showing your urge for independency by saying no and wanting to do things all by your self? How you've started to use the toilet?

How do I start to describe the everything you are to me? You see, describing the little world that is you in a letter is next to impossible. And even though every day I think my heart can't grow any bigger with love for you, it does. It has been since the second your little pink body was put in my arms 2.5 years ago. There isn't a day that goes by without my heart overflowing with love for you and your sister.

I love you Monkey.

Mommy

I know it's random, but hey, it's a post.

Friday I let Roo chew on my fingers. She likes to do it since she was just one or two weeks old. This time my finger felt a sharp sensation (in stead of just a whole lot of drool). After minor investigation I discovered TWO teeth.

***

While she's teething, she has decided she's going crawl too. She won't win a baby crawl race just yet, but she definitely manages to crawl to whatever shiny object she got her eyes on.

***

Monkey is toilet trained! Accidents do happen. But overall we are diaperless with the exception of nap & nighttime. Hooray! We used Potty trained in a week by Gina Ford. Obviously it took us more than a week (more like 10, I can't remember). But mainly because we were stubborn and didn't listen to her advise to keep the diaper of all day including when we went outdoors.

***

Please join me in this little experiment.

Last week, my husband and I watched a documentary. The introduction told us that the documentary had three subjects. Hearing the subjects, which seemed to have no similarity with one another whatsoever, I laughed and commented on the silliness of the unrelated subjects mixed in one documentary.

This is where YOU come in. Please finish my sentence and write it in the comments! Promise NOT to look at other comments.

So I said.....

"Hahaha, that's like making a documentary on goldfish, World War III and ..... "

On which my husband and I said the exact same word. A word we hardly ever use, and yet we both said it.
I am very curious if by any chance you come up with what I said. I'm silly like that.

***

I did try to write a post titled Inspired by a guy doing the happy dance with Papua people (part 2). But I can't seem to find the words and describe what I intended to. It's about how I almost applied for a job in NYC (at a Dutch organization). But than I didn't because the salary was really low. And the pay was low because one of the 5 major tasks of this job were putting stamps on envelopes. I decided that even though that would have gotten us a visa to the live & work in the US, we should be able to move to another country using our talents and brains.

***

How does one explain to her cats that they should not chase frogs and bring them inside the house? Yuck.

***

9.12 PM and I'm off to bed. I am that tired.

***

Oh. And in 4 days I'll... I'll.... I'll... turn 30. I'm afraid. Very afraid.