I have slept really well at grandma's and grandpa's. I slept in, and then got to wake up in grandma's bed.
We go to the holiday home, because papa is finishing the deck. I am really proud of papa's work. I help him clear the remainder of wooden logs.'Mama, mama, look! Papa helping!'.
And then we eat fries on the little beach nearby.
It is party time at day care. Just the once per year party, but again with splendid weather. There are pancakes and lots of painting activities.
All the children want to look through the hole.
And then we eat pancakes!!
I like self do. Grandma has tought me to use a second chair to climb into my chair. She says I am too heavy to be lifted in.
And now I can get in, without an extra chair. It is just a matter of clever hand and foot placing. And concentration - you can see by my tongue.
My papa has found haselnuts at the back of our backyard. We have haselnut trees! And lots of nuts.
I help mama peeling them: first the jacket needs to come off, then mama hamers the shell in two and then we get the nut out.
Now, what to do with the nuts? I am reading our cake recipe book for ideas. Mmm, haselnuts with chocolate??
Welcome in my house. I hope you don't mind the mess, I am just hanging the washing on the line.
Papa and mama are sitting on the couch and reading books. I am pottering around. Then I think of something to get, but papa and mama shouldn't move! "You sit still!" I order them. "Wait. You keep sitting. I get my own book." And I run off to get my own book and sit with him. Papa and mama didn't move, for sure!!
My Miffy is doing poo poo and now I am reading her from my book about singing cowboys. Mama or papa read it to me, when I am doing poo poo. They are also sitting on the blue chair.
And then we read about the cowboys: they have a hat and a kerchief around the neck, a large belt and boots. They ride horses and have a guitar. And sometimes a pef puf paf gun. Cowboy John Wayne didn't sing very much: 'I am no pansy!'.
On this beautiful day we want to sit on a beach and play with water and sand. Actually, it is a bit chilly, but the clothes have to come off, if I am to splash in the water.
Here is my castle with moat around. I can stand in my castle, with my feet in the moat!
We visit grandma Franka and take her to eat pancakes in Lage Vuursche, where papa went when he was a kid. Grandma is very happy to go out too.
I like grandma Frank, as I call her. She is always very sweet to me and makes sure that I drink enough.
Simon has been away for a week to the forest and now he comes for a visit: to give my papa a present for his birthday.
This is another chance for me to learn about sharing my toys. We play with the bal, but sometimes I find it hard to throw the bal to Simon. In the end we both have our own bal.
In the picture we are playing 'snorren', this is dutch for moustaches. We look in the water and we say snorren, snorren, snorren. And then we start climbing on the side of the pool, but that is not allowed.
Later laat ik zien dat ik geleerd heb, en ik deel mijn speeltjes met Alex.
We are at Culinair Alphen, where restaurants present themselves. I like duck liver, I think, fig chutney too.
Later we sit closer to the music and I get the vibe in my legs. I dance!
Our little back street play yard has a new climbing house. I can climb on all by myself. Although I try to get papa or mama involved by holding out my arms each time: if I am lucky they'll lift me up.
This time I walked by myself, and am showing off at the top.
Today is the hat party with Karen and Wybe! We dress ourselves up in our fineries, I am wearing the 'wedding dress'. And our hats of course!!
It has been dry and warm. Mama pulls out the water hose, but I take over. Mama is happy if I water the plants and she shows me how to open it, and let the water spray.
Wow, the power I feel in me! Something to shoot with! This is fun! We play with the water hose: mama screams when I point to her. She gets wet. We run around. But sometimes the hose turns and I spray myself too. Right in my face! First I think I should cry, but mama and papa laugh, and yes, it is funny. Then it is time to go to bed, and we pull off our soaking wet cloths.
We will go to a party with a hat: an Ascot party. The hat needs flowers. Today we are making the flowers. We cut flowers and pin them on a wire. Papa will get a wire with feathers for in his pocket and on his hat.
I help mama dropping the peeled potatoes in the pan. Plop! in the water!
I have a baby potatoe in my left hand. It is small. The large one in my right hand is thus a papa potatoe. 'baby potatoe, papa potatoe', I say.
These days all my babies are accompanied by papa's.
My papa flies home in four days, my mama told me. I think I understand what that means because I know planes.
I love the camera, always have done. I want to make pictures too. Mama is showing me, I am aiming and.... shoot!
And more party: Koen has turned two. We have wrapped his gift. I like his gift very much: it is duplo. I have asked mama if I could play with it at Koen's house.
When we arrive I am very shy. Koen is perhaps even more shy. It is hard manouvring when both of us don't dare looking straight.
Later I play with Koen's cousins in the back yard. Koen is really taken with my shopping trolley that I brought. We walk it together and then Koen unloads the content, curious he is.
Unfortunately no photo's this time, but today mama and I went to a party again. Just around the corner, because it is a street party. There is a little play ground, it is recently done up with a slide and climbing rack. I can climb up to 2 meters easily.
When we get there, it all looks very party like and for the first time in my life I eat sugared popcorn. We get to see all the neighbours and chat. It is good to meet people in the neighbourhood. But after the bbq we leave the crowd to their music: we've talked tired.
Look there, a beautiful rabbit is visiting our rabbits. Would this rabbit be a run-away? Or is he just left to roam around?
We go to a real party! Mama's boss has turned a round number so we surprise him. There are beautiful Indonesian dansers, they danced an intriguing dance with elegant arm movements. I look at them with concentration.
And then we drink lemonade, and enjoy talking with the other people. I even have the jump cushion.
It is a warm sunny day, so everybody is enjoying.
Here the birthday kid opens the dinner rice table.
The other day I helped mama re-plant one of the rose bushes. She taught me how to dig in hard soil: you put your foot on the shuffle and then press hard.
I am rehearsing this in my sand pit, so that next time I can help even better.
Mama and I go to the holiday house. The lawn has turned into a grass field. With lots of high grasses. Mama starts to use the lawn mower and I busy myself with the little pink bath tub.
The weather turns and the beach is not a good idea anymore. We go for Thai food, after Sterre's beautiful card from Thailand. No Buddha's here, but a beautiful golden statue of a lady.
Ha, mail for me! A card from Thailand all the way. Ah, Sterre send her regards with a beautiful car card.
Sterre has posted some nice Buddha photo's, she knows what a Buddha statue is now. See here or here. She really travels the world!
