It is so nice on the beach Strip

Hello, shall we go to your beach strip? I say to Simon. Yes!! he says. You may find this boring, all these beaches, but we enjoy them enourmously. The water has cleared up since we were there last. And I am now totally into this swimming thing and Simon and I roll around in the water.

There are some other people there too, not many though. A man kicks a ball with Simon and then makes a summersault into the water! Wow!

We go to Simon's house and eat dinner there. Simon shows me his puzzle, but I am not allowed to play with it. I think he is proud of his puzzle. So we run up and down his sandpit.

Bicycle at the market

On Saturday mama and I often go to the market, grocery shopping. We park the bicycle nearby, with the other bicycles. When we come back laden with our groceries, and my belly full with the fruit I tasted, we begin our struggle to load them all on the bicycle, and not led the bicycle topple.

The keys is what I like best about the bicycle. And turning the pedals with my hands, but mama is always afraid the bicycle will fall on me. It never does. And the last thing is that I climb on and off we cycle: back home. Hopefully with the wind in our back.

Beautiful beach

My papa has to leave for work again. We bring him to the airport, because then we get cake. Then we watch the planes and papa gets me a balloon. Then we kiss and say 'see you soon!'.

Today they have promised us a beautiful day. We go to the beach around 5pm, but the beach is still full of people. I can't blame them, it is lovely. Mama has dragged me in the buggy all the way to the waterfront. I hope the buggy will still work after all this sand!

It turned out that this became a really lovely beach day. First I didn't want to go into the water, brrr the waves! But then I felt the water with my toe and it was lovely! In the end I was up to my neck in water and loving it!

We ate a couple of crisps and then went back into the water. By the time it was really late, most people had left and the high water had receeded and it was even better: a long shallow water part. Along with the other kids not wanting to go to bed, I ran around and splashed. And it was still so warm.

When we finally left I yelled: play garden! I want to go to the play garden! I was so geared up, I thought I could play forever! But mama said it was beyond my bedtime already. We ate fries in the car for dinner.

The beach dinner

This morning we work, my papa said, and this afternoon we can go to the beach. Yes!!! And this time we are not rained out: mama disappears for a swim and her hair is all wet.

Papa likes nice food, and he has spotted his restaurant on the beach. It looks really nice, and still they let us in on our bare feet! Wow, papa has chosen well: lovely food and lovely ice cream to finish off!!

While we sit there, the sun sets. Look Ces, says mama, how nice the sun makes a path through the water. My moon shine!, I yell, My moon shine! I have a song about moon shine, that is how I know.

Choosing my clothes

This morning I insisted with papa that I choose my clothes myself. A short skirt with cotton pants is really trendy and hip, I have seen on the street. Do you like it?

In my hands my red cloth that I take to sleeping. Sometimes I carry it around the house too.

The ferry

We are with the three of us walking around the neighbourhood through the wet and rain. We had just been blackberrying and then we saw the little ferry.

Our bridge is away for maintenance. The cars have to detour and for walker and cyclers there is a little ferry. The men on the ferry are drinking coffe, because it is not very busy in the rain. We can make a little tour with them, they say. I ride my bicycle on the ferry. We circle the river Gouwe and land back on this side. Bye for now! Have a nice other cup of coffee!!

Papa´s Hammock

We haven´t seen my papa for a while. A lot of noise from the shed, is all we heard. But then this appears! I love it! Papa and mama swing me. This is very comfortable - once you are in. Getting in is a trick I am still learning the hard way: boom! I fell on my bum again! But: once you are in, you're in!

Yes papa! More shed work please!

Ern

This is Erin, or Ern as I say. Mama thought it even sounded like Annie. Erin visited us from Australia, all the way! Ern has also lived in Sweden and Singapore, and she is not even that old. I love Ern, she made an effort to play with me. We couldn't really talk across the language barrier, but I taught her some words using my puzzles: Miffy and Dog and Cat. Funny, the animals make the same sounds in Ozzie.

We ate together and I was really thrilled when Ern participated in my birthday song: 'Happy birthday to you!' Ern had to bring me to bed and take part in the book reading.

The next morning she was gone... I looked everywhere, but mama said she had gone home.

The beach in the rain

It is not as sunny as forecast, but still we go to the beach. When it rains we drink a cup of coffee, but in between we run around on the sand. I love it!

I also love the lines in the sand, the tire tracks. I run following the tracks. Sometimes I have an encounter with a child following the track in the other direction. I can make my own lines in the sand. I draw my own Sun: drawing a circle is a Sun, half a circle is a rainbow. 'Rainbow', I say. Just like the song.

Puppet needs clean diaper

This puppet used to be in room under the roof, mama´s room. I found there the other puppet too, and the cooking utensils. They look pre-loved.

These days I am trying to understand diapers. The sticky labels, I help mama to loosen them. And how to wrap them around the little bottom of the puppet.

This puppet was made by the neighbours for mama when mama was little.

Watering in a ray of sunshine

Some of the plants need a lot of water, untill they drown.... A peaceful time.

My new shirt-t-tee

My mama has bought me a new t-shirt. Shirt-t-tee I call them with my early words.

I like the butterflies. I have just woken up and I am eating my raisins from the little red box.

All the ducks swim in the water

This is a dutch children's song. Mama sang it for me all the time when I was little. When I was crying my lungs out in the car, she was singing it. I sometimes cried a little bit less loud to hear her.


Now I can sing it too! It is my first song that I can sing. Although only some words of it still, but everyday a bit more.

This is a duck too. It lives in the 'reed' behind me. But I like waving the stick around (mama doesn't like me doing it).

Domino

We play domino, mama and I. I have become really good at matching pictures. "Mama, Kasha, same", I say when I have found a matching picture.

But not with this game. With this game I just want to make a long string, or put them in a square together. I am very neat, when it comes to that, tight together.

ces Scissorhead

Another way to play with your viltstiften. And a hard one. By the time I have put three on, it gets really hard to pick up the fourth to put it on my finger. And the fifth is even harder.

Then I wave my fingers and the things tick-tock against each other. Haha.

Reading a book to papa

Papa and I are reading a book together. I sit on the real chair, while papa can sit on my children's chair. That way I can tell him what to do!

I like sitting on the real chair, even if it means I can't really see the things on the table.

Monkey on the hill

Today we have seen a lot of monkeys. It was so much fun! We went together with Inne, Ella and mama's friend Karen.

In the park were lots of monkeys, some of them were walking on the same paths as we were. We started the day off by looking at the gorilla's eating. Luckily they were on an island!

Look at the baby gorilla. It was a naughty cute little toddler.

And for us, little monkeys, there were all sorts of fun things to do. We could climb like monkeys. I was very proud I could do what those big girls did!

Happy birthday!

I have never liked wearing party hats, but I am now warming up to them. Especially, because I can sing the song: ''to you-ou-ou!!' or 'glo-o-o-ri-ah!' in dutch. And I specially like it when mama sings it for me. I sit up on my chair, like you do when they sing to you.

Running around with Simon

Simon calls: shall we come? Of course! We figure out something for dinner. But first we give our papa's a workout.

Running, rolling, hide and seek, making puzzles. And of course we make music on our new piano. Simon is always keen to make music a lot. This time no different. I am bored after a while, but not so Simon!!

Alex sleeps upstairs.

More splashing

After I have fished all the snails out the pond, I cool my feet in the pond. This is fun. Splash, splash with my feet! All the snails dive under!

Three little rabbits

A photo from last June, when it was so hot. I like playing with the rabbits, although it is a bit scary when they sniff me. And it 'wickles' (=tickles, or kwiebelt in my dutch).

Wickle is fun, but too much is unbearable.

Papa is home!

My papa is back home from work! I love it! Mama and papa have to stay close together, so I can keep an eye on both of them at the same time.

I am still wearing my crown.

Crown on my head

I am a queen with my pink crown with golden tips. They gave me this crown at day care, and I keep it for days. Mama says: 'Mylady' to me.

Splashing and wiping

When mama cooks, I get to cook with her. We have washed the potatoes and now I can splash with the water.

After I have made the mess, I clean up, just like mama does. I take a towel and dry everything. That is the tidy person I am! Or better: I like doing things that mama does.

Yara

Yara comes again. I am always enjoying Yara, because she really plays with me. Yara just graduated from high school last month and is now on her way to uni. We are silently hoping she might stay around a little bit.

Loes' fifth birthday

Loes turned five yesterday. Time to celebrate! I have rehearsed with mama to say 'Congratulations Loes'. I can say it to near perfection. But when we arrive, I am on my shy again. Koen too. We look at each other from underneath our eyebrows. But later we play great.

Puppet Fritz

This is Fritz, he was already a puppet when mama was a little child. But Fritz is still very patient, if a bit more naked - Grandma thinks puppets also should wear clothes!

Now I am sitting at my cooking table, my red cloth nearby. I feed puppet here.

Later puppet needs to poopoo. Just like me, see 1st of July, he gets read a book.

Eating outside

It is still so hot, we eat outdoors. A refreshing potato and carrot salad. And a glass of white wine of course. This is my dinner glass, so I can do a decent 'prost' with my parents.

Music

I haven't told you about my music lessons yet. We go every Thursday morning. We start by singing "Hallo, hallo, I am .." and then you say your name and hug the doll. I haven't dared saying my name yet, only at home I dare.

Then we play all sorts of songs and instruments. One of our favorite songs is about the sun, rain and a rainbow. Here we make a sun with our sticks and we beat to the rythm of the song, or I try to.

Poopoo

I like sitting on the potty. We read books. Mama sees when I start getting busy with poopoo and pulls my pants down and the poopoo ends up in the potty.

I have also put some more pictures from Gabrielle's birthday party up.