My papa comes home again! We pick him up from the airport. We are too early to see the plane landing: they haven't opened the viewing platform yet. So we wait downstairs, where the men stand on the boxes, as I point out to mama.
On the way out we see a field full of balls. Only the door is locked, I can't get in. That is a pity...
Mama has decided that pathways in the garden are fun and a way to handle the wilderness. I like helping mama in the garden: we shovel with one spade together, and we collect the bricks together with the wheel barrow, I am in and mama pushes. Run, run, mama! I shout. We unload the bricks together. And then I give them to mama, who is on her knees making the pathway. The bricks are heavy, the short distance is just fine for me.
When the path is finished, we walk them in circles. I like little pathes very much.
These are my friends from day care, only Gabrielle you don't see. They are called Amber and Timo. Together with Gabrielle, we often play together.
This is my swing. It was here when we first moved into the house. It hangs on the path way to the bike shed. I like the swing, but it was always so high, that I needed mama or papa to get on it.
Now mama has bought a new rope and the swing is lower. I can get on it alone. My feet can touch the ground. But soon we will need to raise the swing: my legs are growing fast!
Even though I can get on the swing alone, I like it when mama or papa helps me: at least for the lazy pushing!!
I just woke up from my afternoon nap. Sometimes I am dizzy from sleeping and cry, but other times I am peacefully playing with my stuffed animals. Then I put them to sleep under the blanket.
I am on my way to day care. I always carry things with me on my way. Mama carries things, so why not I?
When I get to day care we put everything in my basket, and then I get it back in the afternoon. Otherwise everybody gets very confused at day care: what is mine, what is dein, and what do we share?
Here I am carrying my giraffe by the leg and my butterfly puppet. Together they are too big for my basket, so mama takes care of them in our car while going to work until the afternoon.
Have a good day!
'Party Lica!', I said this morning as I woke up. Mama told me yesterday that we would go to a dance party with Felica. And that we would wear our dresses. And take our music instruments with us.
When we get there, Felica is not there yet. While we wait, mama and I dance to the music. There are salsa lessons going on. Felica went straight to the cut and paste table, the creativity table. She is completely taken by the scissors that are there. After a while we can persuade her with our music instruments to go to the music. And even so, she takes the scissors with her.
There are other kids there, that take more interest in our instruments.
But we make good use of it too.
It was a great party. After the paella meal we left to go to grandma and grandpa. "Grandma, I have danced with mama!" Is the first thing tell her. I think mama is blushing.
In mama's boxes are lots of kitchen things. They need washing up. Mama doesn't often wash dishes like this, only grandma I've seen doing this.
I like splashing with water, so I push mama out of the way: I'll wash up! And enjoying it too!
Quiet, Giraffe, quiet. Here is your bottle, don't cry. Yam yam.
Empty, I'll refill the bottle. Don't cry.
Suddenly there is a big truck in front of our house. The men carry 19 boxed into our house. Mama's things! This is very exciting for a curious girl like me.
Out come a bag with all kinds of necklaces and ear rings. And a box with buttons. Sunglasses, bags in jolly colours. And to top it off: a guitar!!!
I run around and open everything, while mama is trying to organise things.
I usually have lots of energy, I wriggle in my chair. And mama likes to walk better than going to the playground. So she say this morning: shall we walk to the bridge, Ces? I am thinking of the bridge last week, where we went with papa. No, mama says, another bridge. Is good too, I think.
But my Miffy needs to come too.
We go, and we cross the football fields, there are no boys playing soccer yet. Then we take the stairs up the bridge, through the glass corridor and see my windmill in the distance, over the railway, then down to the cows with the baby cows.
And then we are nearly at Gabrielle's house. Would she be at home on Sunday morning? Perhaps she is in church? She is, but her papa opens the door and offers a refreshment.
Will we make is back home? It is a bit of a struggle for me. I lie down a couple of times, but in the end I make it all on my own two feet! Yes! Was it two kilometers? We eat a lovely easter bun to reward ourselves. And Miffy made it back home too!
But before we get to washing our sweaters grandpa and aunt Niessia arrive. They kiss me on my red lips. I like it when grandpa comes: he always makes jokes with me. And the one where we squeeze the cheeks is still my favourite.
We drink coffee and I show them how I make my puzzles.
Oops, mama caught me with my hand in her purse. I don't think I can wipe the evidence off my face anymore, can I? It is obvious that I know what lipstick is.
But then mama panicks: oh no! lipstick on my new white irish sweater that papa brought home. Mama and I are now going to wash our sweaters. Another fun thing to do!!
We drive home through the rain on Friday evening. Shall we eat rice, Ces? mama asks. No, I don't want to eat rice. Shall we eat potatoes? No. Shall we eat pasta? No. Hmmm, sure you don't want rice? No. Well, then there is not much left, is there? Mmm, pancakes, but with something healthy, onions.
Yeah! I say, pancakes! I can barely wait untill mama has made them. But it tastes good, this combination.
These two spoons are my spoons for my yoghurt. Actually, I have quite gone off yoghurt, so I make games. This choosing game is one of them.
'Choose, mama', I say and I hold the two spoons out to her. And mama tries to choose, but she wavers. If she chooses the white spoon, I pull it back and say no, mine. And I give her the blue one.
And then we both eat from this one bowl. I eat when I see eating.
Dip and Dap are in the theater: two cartoon giraffes come alive. It is exciting to go to the theater and Simon wants to come too. Unfortunately Aunt Hannie had to stay with Alex at our home: Alex had to sleep. So Simon could sit in my car seat, while I sat on mama's lap. It is very exciting and I talk about it weeks later.
The theater show is very exciting. The giraffes are there, and there is a female singer and a man who can be a magician and a market mand and many more. But the best are the six children jumping and dancing dressed as lions and horses and more.
When we come home, Aunt Hannie asks Simon: how was it? Simon tells: 'We yelled Dip and Dap!! Wake up!! Dip and Daa-a-ap!!' I think he liked that part the best! Simon actually yelled, I was too shy. I did clap my hands though!
After the show we eat cabbage. When I saw Simon eat, I ate. And when Simon saw me eating, then he ate. This is how we got through this difficult vegetable!
I have become quite an acomplished photographer already. Papa, sit down, I say. Smile! I order.
Then I make a couple of pictures of the kitchen floor. Lift up! mama says. I do that and press the shutter. Caught!!
When papa is home, he is cooking. Mama comes home, when I am back from day care and papa and I have started cooking.
Mama can sit down, drink a beer and read the newspaper of the last weekend.
Today is a saturday, so we cook relaxed. Mama likes the warmth of the kitchen, and of course being able to talk to me and papa. So, mama and I sit on my little chairs in the kitchen and read.
We are walking to the play ground, but papa and mama want to make a long detour. That sounds good!
I want to walk over the bridge. That is not possible, papa says,. We have seen the bridge wrapped in cloth and part of the bridge is stored in the Old Rhine, just across from our house.
We walk up and review the status. The turkish men working on this Saturday tell us that they are cleaning up and next week the bridge is ready. I still want to walk, but mama stops me.
Then we take one last time the free ferry to the other side of the river Gouwe (I live near the river cross roads). Then we walk to the play ground, and even through we made quite a walk, I still run around.
Puppet takes shower. You can see she is standing under the shower! These boxes are new and I can use them in my play.
I also stand under the shower sometimes, just yesterday I did it. I don't want to. My mama makes me do that. Then we wash my hair too. I like shampooing, but I don't like the rinsing. My mama says: look up, Ces, to the lamps. We often play the 'look up to the lamp' game. Look up, mama, I say. And then 'bssss, bsss' (sound of water) I say.
Usually I sit in the bath when we wash my hair, but this was the first time I stood by myself under the shower. It made a big impression.
Yeah! My papa makes meatballs in tomatosauce. That means I may help him roll the balls. I roll snakes.
Look mama! A rhinoceros in our pond! The dutch name is nilehorse. It is the nilehorse that Aunt Hannie gave us. Don't you think the nile horse is happy in our pond?
Sometimes mama allows me to feed the fish. I have not fallen in, yet!
The pear tree is dropping its pears. We find them on the garden floor. I am excited about the pears in the tree. "Pears in tree, drop" I say.
We visit Alex and Simon, just for the fun of it. We enjoy the sunshine in Simon's playground.
Simon and I have lots of fun on the slides, and swinging and 'swiering'. I go down the slide and then Simon, and then we play train.
Often Simon and I have trouble sharing our toys, but today Simon is very easy . Perhaps he has learnt from Alex how to share?
Uncle Frank is not at home: he has gone to the football game. Simon tells me that went with his papa last week. And now he watches Sports Weekly every Sunday night.
For my birthday I got lots of puzzles. Some were a bit difficult, but I have learnt lots about making puzzles.
I know there are corners and sides. But I don't see yet that sides should be put together. Also seeing the picture on the pieces is still hard. And still, I get there! I 'know'where pieces belong.
See how well I can make this puzzle about Frog.
Mama sees me in this unusual mode. She asks if I want to sleep. I detect a hopefull tone in her voice.
And I like playing with mama, so I go along. I want to sleep in my car, I tell her. It is actual the car for the puppet, so I need to squeeze a bit.
I am closing my eyes, just squinting to see if mama is doing a good job at playing along.
And then I jump up: tricked you!! Here I am my usual bubbly jumping self.
