When the children became older, Husband and I decided to have a mobile phone.

So when the children need us or have a question, they can call Husband or me.
But this turned out to be a bit wrong....

I'm at my work.
My mobile phone rings.
I pick up the phone and say 'Hello'
It's Nona (daughter) 'Hi mom''.
I said 'Hi, what's wrong why are you calling?'
She's quiet, but I know she's there.
'Hello?' and I'm loosing my patience now 'What is wrong!?'
She says 'No, nothing is wrong, but I need to run to the attic and I just want to talk to you when I'm going'.

I'm at my work.
The phone rings.
I pick up the phone and say 'Hello'.
Sinyo (sun) 'Hi, Mom.'
"Can I make a cup a soup?"

Well, I know I had taken a mobile phone to be available for the kids, but not for this kind of things.
* Sigh *

Why?

I ask you; 'Why do teenagers have so much hormones in them?
Not much is good.
Everything you ask is tooo much. (Way to much).
They argue about everything. (I don't know why, because they do it anyway)

I gues nobody knows, why.

Saint Nicolais coming in too Holland

I told you a while ago about Saint Nicolais that arrived in Holland. I was trying to find a movie or something so you can see it.
I found something but it's very long about 10 min. and I know that when you don't understand the language, it's not so fun to watch.

But just for fun, watch this.
Look at the people who are waiting, the people on the ship, look at the children. It's so fun! If you don't want to wait that long, go to 3 minutes and you see a bit more.
This is really a story for children and I'm so sorry my children don't believe in it anymore.

Saint Nicholas

I have always thought that this was a celebration that you can find al over the world. But it turned out it is a feast that you can only find in Holland.

So let me tell you a something about it. Saint Nicholas is also a festivity for children, just like Santa Claus and in Holland it is called Sinterklaas. His birthday is on December 5th and every child in Holland gets a present. He is riding on a horse on the rooftop of the houses en brings presents with his helpers, they are calles Zwarte Piet, Black Piet.

But let me begin with how it al starts every year. Saint Nicholas lives in Spain with his helpers in a big castle where they store all the presents. In the beginning of Novembre he leaves Spain and comes with his steamboat to Holland.


His arrival in Holland is followed by every children in Holland, on tv or the go to a city where his boat is coming. The 'real' Saint Nicholas comes in a different haven every year. But there are also a lot of Saint Nicholas that are helping him so he comes on the same day in thousands different city's.

Every child in Holland is very happy, because they know that there is a possibility that the find presents in there shoes. Shoes?! Yes, from the moment he comes into our country children can leave there shoe at the door or on every place the want. Because Saint Nicholas is in the country and maybe he wil get on his horse and bring presents already. My children also wanted to place their shoes as soon as he was in the country.

Even at school it's really a special time. Children also bring their shoe to school for present. It looks something like this:

At December 5th when they come to school then Saint Nicholas is coming to, he has a lot off helpers, Black Piet, helping him, with the presents, the exciting children and with the list of good and bad children. Because he also has a list, the children who where really bad this year have to be really nice at that point. Because if they are not, he can put them in a sack and take the children with him to Spain..
So, when school is out, the children go home and are still excited because in the evening he will come to their house or when he not coming to their house he will leave present in their shoes.


Yes, it's big event because it's not just Saint Nicholas, Black piet and the white horse. No there is also candy, off course, no matter where you are, when ever he comes, the Black Piets are throwing with different candy, it looks like this. And yes really the throwing it on the floor, so you just have to make sure you get it in your hand.







Everybody will also get a chocolate letter, it can be in a letter S, from Saint Nicholas, or you own letter.

A lot off fun when the good old man, comes in to Holland most of all if you have little children. The love that man, because he gives them presents. As soon as he leaves, on december 6th he's off to Spain again, then Santa Claus is coming.


So, here is December a very expensive month.

Nicknames and more....

Well there are a lot off nick names that I give to my children. I'm not suppose to say them in public but sometimes it just comes out. I can tell you at that point my children are not so happy with me.
As you know I come from Holland and some nick names you just cannot translate into English, but maybe it's funny for you to try to pronounce it.


When I'm in a cuddly and/ or happy mood I say to my children;

Atteke
Moppeke
cuty pie (I know it's stupid)
Sunshine
Big boy
Big girl
Little cute girl or
Little cute boy



When I'm in a angry mood I say to my children;
You´re not funny
I don't like you at this point
I really try not to call them names (but sometimes it just blurs out, yes I'm sorry I confess)


I think every mother has a certain name for her child, but when I see a movie they always have a really special name. Sometimes I wonder if the scriptwriters thought off that in a minute ore they had to think for days. I don't have a special name, but I have cute nicknames (ok, I find I give them cute nicknames.)

And you do you give your children special nicknames?

Soccermom

Like so many mothers in the world, I'm also a soccermom.
Every Saturday we are on the soccer field watching our son, running on the field.


Yes, we are there every Saturday. My husband and I both want to see our son playing soccer.
Unfortunately for our daughter she has to come with us most of the time.
If the weather is good she doesn't find it a problem, but if the weather is bad she goes to her uncle, or her grandparents.

I have to say that we are the only parents that come together and every week. Sometimes I wonder why.. Don't get me wrong, I do understand that some parent just can't come every week. I'll tell that there are mothers or fathers that never came.

I mean there comes a day, really there will, that our children don't need or want us every step of there way. I know that when they turn a certain age, they do more things by there self. And I'll see my son and daughter much less. I hope it doesn't happen any time soon, but till that time... We will be there (in the cold!) on the soccer field, watching our son.

Sick child

Yes, we have a child that is really sick. She has a fever, a runny nose and she coughs a lot.


When children are sick they are really sick. In the afternoon when I came home from work, she is on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her.
As soon as she sees me it start.
Mom, will you, uche, uche, make me some soup.
Yes, mommy will.
Mom, will you make me some thea.
Yes, mommy will.
Mom, can you make me this can you make me that..
Yes, mommmy will, will, will.

My husband is glas he works longer then me and I home a lot sooner.
I'm not so sure if Im glad about it, but it's part off a job called MOM.

Mom sick

A few days ago I was a sick woman.
My body was hurting, I had a runny nose and I was coughing a lot.

So, there I was under the blanket on the couch.
After a while I hear the barn door and a few minutes later, my son walkes in the door.
Are you still ill, he asks. 'Yes' I respond, I still don't feel very good.

Ok, he says comes to me to give me a kiss on the cheek. He said that he will prepare a soup for himself.
He walkes to the cupboard for a bag Cup a Soup and walks to the kitchen.

As he walks into the kitchen he says "Mom, we only have 1 CupASoup left, can you go to the store and get some? "

Can you see my surprised face.....




(Later he told me that he was just joking. I told him it wasn't that funny)

Children book week

In Holland there is from 7 to 17 oktober a week, it's more 10 days but ok, specialy for children books.


Every year the week has a differant theme. This year it was food. Our daughter got a questionlist from school about what kind of food we like.

She came to me and said : 'Mom, I must aks you some quetions and you must answer it, it's about food'.
I said, Ok.

There came the questions.
She : 'What kind of food do you like the most'.
Me : 'Too much'
She : 'No you must say something'
Me : 'Ok, grilled chicken, bread, vegatables, sweats'
She : 'No, that is not good, you have to choose one thing'
Me : 'Why...?'
She : 'Thats what stands here on the paper'
Me : 'O, ok. Let me think. I like vegatables the most'
She : 'Ieuw, no that is horrible. You are really a strange momma'
Me : 'Thank you, do you have any more questions or not'
She : 'What kind of food smels the best'
Me : 'Fresh bread'
She : 'O yes that is nice, I didn't think off that'
Me : 'Do you have more questions?'
She : 'No, this was it for now. I'm going to eat something now, these questions made me hungry'

After she was finashed eating she went to her dad and ask the same questions and it turned out there were some more....

At school their going to talk about this question list and talk about the differant books specialy for this week. Every book is about this theme.

Do you have something like this in the UK or USA.

My daughter is not reading a book about food at the moment, but she's reading Inkheart.

Going to bed ritual of my son

I promised to write a piece about my son. He also has a ritual before he's going to bed. Considering his age he is going much later to bed, but he still thinks it's to soon.


Our son is 13 years old and his bed time depends on what he must be in school.
When it's time for bed,
he goes upstairs to take a shower.
After he is ready he comes downstars to give us a kiss goodnight.
He holds me tight for a hug,
a long hug...
He does the same with his father,
also a very long hug,
and he goes upstairs (yes, much faster then our daugther)
but then it comes.........
He stands by the door and says;
Goodnight
Welterusten (it's Dutch and means goodnight)
Bye, bye
Zwaai, zwaai, (Dutch for wave)
Mazzel, (Dutch in the term of bye)
Ballen, (Dutch in the term of bye)
Toedeloe, (Dutch in the term of bye)
I love you,
Ik hou van jou (Dutch for I love you)
See you tomorrow.

And my husband says al the same things to him, if we wait to long he says "I'm waiting.."
Then he is off to bed, for the rest is he as quiet as a mouse.

He saying all of those things since he is 4 or 5 years old, and I still think it's funny.

Count to three

Since the children we still do something that's is, what I think, a very old trick.

There are times when children just won't listen, it doesn't matter what you say or do they just keep doing there own thing.


The thing that really helps with us is when we say 'I'm counting to three' and after the three you have to do what we said. That can me anything, from cleaning there room to listening to what we have to say.

I have to say we started with it when they were very young and even when they are now 12 and 13 years old, they still listen to it.
Isn't that funny!

Last weekend we where at my sister's house and at some point they began to be a bit annoying. I said the had to stop, but they just looked at me and went on with what they were doing. So after a little while I said it again 'I count to three and then you both stop!'
Yes, they stopped.

Funny he, that it just still works!

"I hate shopping" he says.

My son is not in to shopping, but sometimes it's a must!


The past few months he went with us, when we where shopping, but he never looked for clothes. It was always like ; Mom, I'm going to sit by the TV (you know in the children section). He was gone before we knew it. Or he just looked at some clothes from a far distance and said "No. there is nothing I like. We never understood how he could have seen the clothes and decided it was nothing for him.
Our daughter is always looking and almost every time she found something and we bought it for her.
At that time our son was waking up and asked us "Why are you buying her clothes". We said "Well she needs it and she likes it".
He started to begin cranky and said "I need clothes too". "Yes dear, but you're not looking" we answered. No he didn't like that answer, because he HATES shopping.
But lets be frank if we buy him something, he's not going to wear it. He think we don't have any taste! So we don't buy him anything. Ok, I admit I bought him 1 pair of jeans a couple of months ago. That's it.
Lately my husband and I saw that he didn't have a lot of trousers, I think he has two now! No, that is not much be his 13, he's got his own taste and must start looking for clothes.

Yesterday we went to the shopping centrum of our town. Suddenly I hear him say "I need a new pair of jeans".
"I know" was my comment "and now what are you going to do?"
"I will look for clothes" he said.
I looked at him and was wondering what he would be doing. But yes he was going to the rack of jeans, looked at some and found that it wasn't his taste.
In another shop, he was looking again and found one he likes. "Try it on" we said. I could see in that face of him that he didn't find it necessary. His eyes went from 'Yes I found something' to 'NO!!'
We said it again "Try it on".
He sighs and says "Ok".
He went in to a fitting room and I heard him say "Yes it fits!"
We were like "Come out and let us see it".
He came out and yes it fits him perfectly. So we bought it for him.

He was relieved that he found it quickly and told us that from now on he will also look for clothes.

We hope so, we hope so.





O and our daughter got a new pair of boots! Yes, she needed it and was looking (again)!

Going to bed ritual of my daughter

Before the children go to sleep we always have some kind of ritual. Yes, even now when they are 12 and 13 years old. When they were younger it was putting them in bath, massage them (till they where 2 years old), telling a story, kiss on the cheek, make sure the blanket is ok that was it.

But the older they become, the harder it gets.

When my daughter has to go to bed it goes like this

First she taking a shower,
She comes downstairs again,
When it's time for bed,
She remembers that she forgot to make her homework (afcourse she did it, but she doesn't want to go to bed),
We say "It's to late, go to bed"
She goed to the toilet,
If it takes to long
We say "hurry up, you have to go to bed"
She get's of the toilet (not inmediatly),
She gives my husband and I a kiss and a long hug,
And goes upstairs,
When she's upstairs, she calls out "Mam"
I'm like "Yes"
She "Can you do my blanket"
Me "Yes ok, I'm coming in a minute"

When I'm downstairs she calls me again, there is always something, she remembers something that she has to share with me of my husband, she complains about headache, that her belly hurts, or she just doesn't want to go to sleep and is reading a book and while reading her book she want to tell us something. This happens much more, it just not her style to go to bed and keep quiet.
Yes, my daughter has a ritual that I'm not happy with.

Sometimes she has called already a few times and we get a bit cranky so we say, no we shout "No, we don't want to hear it anymore, just go to SLEEP!!!!"

She is saying with a little voice "I love you mommy, I love you daddy"

When she does that, we smile to each other and it's like the whole ritual before is forgotten...