SPring has sprung...

The around the border between March and April lies somewhere the transition from winter to spring. Transitions are such that they are periods, and you emerge different and changed. This year, we had sick kids, a planned week of relaxing with/without kids, sick kids- so no planned week of relaxing and now, vacation over, we're glad to be back at work to relax and recover a little.... I DO feel different and changed, last week I felt about 30, this week about 65! Photos Below: (clockwise) Douwe being the taxi man, dutch-style; Kaemon in repose, pale and weak in sickness- now he's recovered and catching up on the obtusiveness and contrariness of a typical 2-year old double-time; Watching cars on Ipod, covered in clingwrap to protect from suprise emissions; Renee did her monthly stint relieving my horse-duty; it's Douwe's birthday and we've got cheap party hats! (economic recession)
A new season is inspiring the kitchen and my belly...num.green asparagus (although it came from Bolivia, it still seems a sign of the European spring...) with bacon-wrapped salmon in a dill-caper dressing. The spaghetti was like a sexy nun: plainly dressed but a divine accompaniment in truffle oil and garlic. Tooooo good! The leftover asparagus was hidden in a eggy terrine with ham and tomato in filo. Haricot verts, the princess of the beans also arrived to dance around on my plate with some finger-lickin grilled herby sausages, baked thyme potatoes, crispy bacon and a saucy vinaigrette. On the right are douwe's two birthday cakes. Sick kids= no fancy cake, sorry love.



Our two naughty boys *proud parents* kiss kiss

Hylke's 65th

Cake- modelled on the ANRO asia, a container ship on which Hylke sailed on long ago... I like the water flurry in the wake of the boat the best!

Food-I've never made such neat and tidy nigiri sushi before!

Late edit: Yes there were people at the party, not just food!

What we've been eating

With the winter dragging on, it was time for comfort food. There was mushroom soup with cauliflower and chicken (take packet mushroom soup and cook with cauliflower and chicken, voila...), I discovered beans, connected with my inner-dutch-wife and made Brabantse sausage rolls (good food for sick kids) and...sausage pizza (take 1/2 can of pizza, lay on pizza, top with mozarella and bake. eat.)

Who on earth decided that Twinkle Twinkle, ABCDEFG..., Baa baa black sheep should all have the same tune? Anyway, kaemon does his mixing and performs his own arrangement of it in the footsteps of Mozart who wrote 12 variations on the theme. The gassy noise in the background is backing percussion by Nelson (vocal talent). I realise the folly of mentioning Mozart and Kaemon in one sentence, Mozart wrote the variations at 25, and kaemon is only 2.

Nelson Obsession with Putting Things in his Mouth

Holiday week...

Not so much a holiday rather than the week my day care lady took a holiday and I faced a week home with the Kids. My initial trepidation gave way to relief when it seemed really not so bad as I expected...we filled the week with a visit to the kids farm

Shopping malls of varying sorts (still too cold to wander out for hours)

Battling colds (no one was spared, and this week seemed to be the peak of the mucal congestion) and nelson cut TWO teeth!

Fingerpainting (again, initial trepidation but it was really not as bad as I thought). Still, on my first day back at 'work' I slept the first 2.5 hours away recovering.

And experimental kitchenry
Kaemon discovered the deliciousness of Scallops(St Jacobsschelpen) and while I'm happy he's shaping up to be a foodie, in reality it means I have to share the crispy skin, the juicy chicken leg, the prawns, in general, less for the rest of us...

In short, it was an intense week (intenser than the regular intensity) but filled with more sweetness and joy of the everyday variety.

It's been a month of colds being passed around (sneezing in each other's faces in our small living/dining/kitchen room on a cold wet grey winter day does not help). Sometime I wonder why people bothered to colonise the cold climates...why oh why?!? Anyway to continue, colds, lack of sleep, wet weather, bleak skies...yay. I'm carefully rationing my optimistic and positive thoughts. We got a visit from some Lovely Friends

I've been carefully testing Kaemon for excellence in various areas, harness the talent early and they can potentially make us millions!!! I did a blindfolded test and fed him various foods to see if he could identify them (hey,it's raining, it's boring, the old man is snoring) and he got prawn, pea, noodle, daikon/radish, cucumber! Then we put Nelson any other suggestions to pass the rainy days away?

erm........the very last post about Kaemon's Birthday (Week). This is really the end, until next year!

Nelson tries very hard to escape his diet of boiled vegetables and fish. He wants to EAT CAKE!!

Kaemon had such a good time at his birthday party with friends, he sat and stuffed himself with popcorn and grapes and pretzel sticks and birthday cake and sugar cookies...and the inevitable happened, he couldn't hold all of it down...however, I was reassured by other mothers that this is a rite of passage for a child's birthday party. Too much of a good thing...

This birthday is starting to feel like one of those week-long Indian marriage celebrations...tomorrow is with the (extended) family and there's another cake.

Birthday Boy

The Big Two! Kaemon's name means joyful. TOday he was so happy at the indoor playground, in the middle of playing, he grabbed my hand, held it and said 'zo. zo.' (NL: like this) and we just had to sit and hold hands for a while. Who said little boys were made of slugs and snails and puppy dogs tails- kaemon's all sugar and spice!! Completely edible.

Tomorrow's Birthday (Party) Cake (I promise the next one has NO cars on it)

'Twas the night before....

Kaemon's Birthday, when all through the house, we were all stirring, and baking decorating the house!!

Although we're playing it cool, I made this cake (one of three for kaemon in the upcoming week's celebrations and douwe brought a giant helium balloon and hid it in the laundry. Here's a sneak peak...*shhh* don't tell Kaemon!!! (It's chocolate mud cake...mmmm)

I experimented with cake decorating, however, having the attention span of a goat (slightly better than a goldfish, but not as good as a chimpanzee) I'll hold off before saying I have a new hobby. But I'm hopeful...

January 2009

I like the feeling of a new year. Clean, fresh, even when we are stale and aching. Boo-hoo! We have hit the ground running. Work was all-consuming but thanks to deadlines, the pace is back to normal. We have done a good job of fulfilling our NY's resolution and visited family in Friesland and friends Menno & Esther in Breda, we had a unexpected guest: my cousin alvin! I do love visitors and we had a good time showing him typical dutch things (like the rollerclogs) and the freezing canals in Leiden. Now it's back to the usual cold and wet weather. Bleeeeaaaah.

nelson's first crawl

Nelson bumped forward in his first crawl last Saturday- we cheered and clapped ...and then he refused to perform for the camera! However today, Kaemon put a freshly baked cookie down on the floor for a second it kicked Nelson into gear: a leap and one bound forward and he had the cookie in his reach! Kaemon has been warned: Nelson will show no mercy.

Last week drove to the North, along the Delta Works- one long long long long dike. Even through the view is pretty uneventful, it's because it's SO long that you're pretty much driving through the North Sea.
 
We visited the boys' Great Grandma Vellinga
 
And cousins Rixt and Loes. The gorgeous blond hair and blue eyes is almost synonymous with the name Vellinga- so kaemon almost fulfils the bill while douwe was kind of the black sheep (literally speaking)
 

FREEZER WEATHER!

IT's been literally freezing here for the best part of a week and it's SKATING WEATHER!! This is unbelievable gorgeous- everyone's happy and out on their skates. Where we live there's plenty of canals and waterways and even the big ones have frozen over....for the first time in 12 years! We were one of the few without skates as douwe sold his last year not expecting to ever need them again....how do you spell spijt/regret??! The big dark line under Douwe and Kaemon's feet however is a complete crack in the ice to the murky depths below...

  
 

New Year's Day

A Festive Shiny Year just out of the plastic wrap: Big Hugs and Kisses from us here in freezing Holland.

Plans to be social on the eve of the upcoming year were thwarted by a nasty belly virus. Result: 22:00 hours everyone in bed sleeping through the fireworks. Cheers (*skulls probiotic drink*).

The canals are freezing up, exciting all those with skates on feet, or as some locals like to do, wheels. and babies. I'll be the first to admit I'm not accustomed to local practises and lack the ability to judge thin ice...but it was freaking me out seeing the babies on ice that was groaning and cracking...



New Year's Resolution: (dare I say it?) as there are no babies (planned) this year (as opposed to 2007 and 2008) we aim to be getting out more often.

Coming to a town near you....

Post-Christmas Post

We had a great christmas, at oma and opa's house. Not my oma and opa, but Kaemon and Nelson's...that says it all, christmas is all for the kids! It's more fun, the dark days indoors are better because there are knee-high people running/rolling around.

This year is also a first- first time I spent christmas without crying!! BOo-Hoo. I didn't want to jinx it by saying it earlier, but yes it's true, I usually cry missing family at christmas. Contrarily, it's a bit sad that it didn't happen, because I still miss them, ...yes, women are complicated.

Anyway what we have been eating these few days: I feel like a homemaker, more than ever, because I made shaped pancakes: road-tested, and passed the grade!and a pictorial summary of our Adventures in butter and crackling (3.6 kg of lardy loveliness) this week...and (for the dieters)a foray into rice paper rolls.

Aftermath of christmas: kaemon gets a (wrapped) present and says, 'truck!'

Hedwig and Ako visit. Babysitter material!

CHIRSTMAS!

A beautiful Japanese Christmas Lunch...
 
 

Yearly Round-Up

It seems like yesterday that Kaemon just arrived, and in the meantime, Nelson has made his appearance into our daily adventures - sometimes it does feel like we have TWO babies and that's just a warm fuzzy glowy type feeling!

Generally, the move to the (wild) west of the country (as it's want to be known) has been more than pleasant. We're in a village with all the biggest Dutch cities within 1 hour drive. Thankfully, many old friends made the journey to visit us often and we have the best of both worlds- everyday adventures can be done by bike or on foot and a visit to Chinatown in the Hague is only 20 mins away by car. It goes without saying, I am happy with those stats!

Douwe completed the first year of his Dermatology residency, only four to go! It's been a tiring year, between fathering, man-of-the-house duties studying and working- doesn't leave much time over. These factors are not likely to change in the next four years unless someone has a tardis. Nevertheless, it's life and it's great. Being able to bike to work is something which significantly adds to quality of life!

Me, woman-of-the-house, in a sea of Y chromosomes- it's pretty good so far! I remember turning down a job in the beginning of the year because it was a full-time position or nothing. Now I'm working nearly every day of the week- but discovered the secret: I like what I do! A bit for a university and a bit as the label lady for Stuck on You. Master of my own domain :) By the way, December 19th will be the 6th year anniversary of my arrival in the land of Clogs. Mum and Dad came for much-appreciated babysitting duty when Nelson was born, and softened the bumpy road from 1 to 2 kids. We traipsed with the kids in tow to Malaysia and Australia in November for our essential periodic (over)dose of family, food, shopping and sun.

The boys: what is there to tell about two under-twos? Firstly, as many parents of young 'uns don't like to admit, we often lack that vital element, starting with the letter S.......yes, sleep. But if that is only price to pay, it's pretty cheap! Kaemon and Nelson are always in good health, developing well and thankfully nothing out of the ordinary. We are so lucky and blessed. Of course, for us, they are extraordinary. They both are remarkably mellow and easy-going, full of brightness and delight. Kaemon is getting to be useful- can follow instructions ('give the remote to papa please'), starting to sing along to songs he doesn't know, welcomed Nelson from the first day, never jealous, is obsessed with all things vehicular, couldn't care less about dogs, cats, ducks etc. On the other hand it seems that Nelson loves dogs! He laughs a lot, loves Kaemon, they hold hands and laugh, doesn't really like sleeping. They both love to eat (how could it be otherwise?). Silly to state the obvious, that we love them, but we do!!!!

Christmassy feeling in the house. The sticker company gave these gorgeous window/wall decor (plug, plug) and I received my first christmas present from my first (and only) violin student. I'm suprisingly chuffed with my present. The picture of Nelson bottom left is entitled, "THanks for keeping me awake all night Naughty Nelson, Entertain yourself today. Me zombie"
 
Garlicky smell in the air. Fry slivers of garlic till the colour of caramelised slivered almonds on a beinenstich (drool...focus!), drain and set aside. Eat with anything to make it lovely: boiled cabbage, steamed egg, plain rice. Tried them all and it works. It's like beer goggles for food! It's so hot at the time, but the hangover smell makes you wonder if it was really worth it.
 

Nelson's betrothed came for a (supervised) visit, they were suitable charmed with each other, but Kaemon appeared also to take a fancy to Sanne van Gerven.

31!

HOly Guacomoly. It was a week ago, and on the actual day I was in PJs all day as Douwe was away all week and the kids were sick. So it was day not to remember. Even though I was trying to postpone the day, I was still reminded by the lovely calls, messages, mails, cards etc. Sorry to the person who came at the door at 4pm whom I tried to convince that I was in my PJs early for bed. Lame. Anyway, one of the things I'm most proud of at this age is that I have no cavities! (ahem, belated edit: 'dental cavities')
hEre I am at a sushi birthday lunch; after looking for the right oufit, I settled on a skirt and top that lay dusty in the wardrobe....bought at least 10 years ago in Melbourne. A little worrying as a sign of aging is not following fashion. Maybe I was just back to the future.

Been Bakin'

I'll admit it, baking makes me feel all wifely and feminine. Not that there's anything wrong with that- go on, embrace it and bake a cake today!

Renee and I thought baked goods seem like the perfect christmas gift: homemade, handmade, thoughtful, relatively healthy (and in this economically-challenged season, cheap.) Homemade cards and biscuits. You have been warned.

If you have any doubt what kaemon's interests are...at 22 months, his word repertoire includes: baby, booby (the difference is a tricky one!), is mama, is papa, is ne-ne, is ke-ke, nay nay, big car, small car, big truck (evolved from 'truck-truck': very pidgin english-inspired, our little linguist!), small truck, (you get the picture), more juice please, noodle, sushi, auto, mack, (lightning Mc)Queen, shhh shh ne-ne (nelson), sorry, kongkong home. List not exhaustive. Parents very proud.

Nelson singing along. And little N has cut his first two teeth (at the same time)! He files down the teething rusks to a sharp point suitable for hunting, good thig because at 6 months and 8 days old...his food repertoire includes fish, tuna, salmon, as well as zucchini, rice, carrots, avocado, apple, pear and bread. He still likes to torture me by guzzling gallons of milk in the middle of the night, stealing my beauty sleep. He's like a rolling pilgrim, rolling from one end of the living room to the other, then waits for repositioning to roll back from whence he came. He and Kaemon look at each other and burst out laughing- bliss!

Once you've seen this...

Who's hotter? Sinterklaas or the Old Macarena Guys? At least it takes the old guy off his pedestal and helps us to realise he's just an old white guy who can't dance, that's why they put him in the back row. That chubby zwarte piet is just asking for a hug don't you think??!