Timo fietst los !!!!!

Oranje tompoucen van de Albert Heijn

No better way to start Queensday.
At the end of the morning we biked to the center, walked around a bit, admired some of the junk that was sold and then headed home coz one of the mothers from school was organizing games.
As it turned out she overslept and when we got there, there was a very nice man making pancakes but after 45 minutes that still was all there was to see. Kids were complaining (I am booooored) and cold so we went home, where in the afternoon i called Austin and offered him our au-pair position. He accepted and the boys especially were thrilled that this time we're going to have a male au pair.

The kids with appropriate make up and hair

A girl selling her old toys

Some passersby

This barkeeper was ready for some action

Top of the city hall with the flag firmly waving

You are leaving the events terrain, as if now NO alcohol is allowed

Schouwburgplein with the city hall in the background

Waiting in line for pancakes

Celebrate !

Yesterday R. and i had lunch at a fancy restaurant in Haarlem called de Bokkedoorns to celebrate his 43th birthday.
It was all very nice.
As usual in these types of restaurants, we were about the youngest guests and there are also always some very "wrong" men around.
I had my camera with me but R. forbade me to take a picture for there were for sure going to be some gangsta's alarmed.
And yes, with this restaurant being close to Amsterdam (where 4 days ago another one of Willem Holleeders witnesses was shot) he may be right.

Anyhow, a lot of euro's lighter we left only to be in a 2 hr traffic jam!
Man!

The only good thing was that the first of our route took us thru the bulbfields which didn't only look beautiful but smelled fantastic too. This shot doesn't do it justice, but it's the best i've got for now:


Today we've got another visit from the insurance company, together with the contra expert.
Keep you posted.

Blijdorp ZOO

As you can see at the pictures underneath, we went to the zoo yesterday.
Erik Krol promised us about 19 C but i swear we got 10 at the most.
I went out in my ski jacket and scarf! Wish i had also taken my gloves.
Anyhow.
Right at the start the kids got a "speurtocht" (something like a treasure hunt but then they had to go search for all the newly born animals and fill in some questions about them). It was great and especially the baby giraf was a cutie.
We ended at the playground where the enormous tower is and after another half hour headed home to have some hot tea and coco!

BTW did i tell you we're going to be on TV !
Yeah!!

To make a long story short, at the office we sometimes use (psychological) tests to assure we present the best fit for a vacancy. Now the supplier of these tests was asked to participate in a tv item about Labourmarket and the role of tests. It's a local tv network (mainly aimed at South Holland) and as he doesn't have any clients there (apart from us) refered us to them.
The actual program is Wednesday and Tuesday afternoon they're coming over to shoot the film (4/5 minutes will take about 2 hrs filming!)
As T. my appreciated co-worker is even more of a chicken than i am, i am probably going to the one with her head on the telly. I've also arranged for a client of ours to come over and tell them that we deliver the best matches coz we use tests and one of our candidates (who will pretend he comes for a first interview and has to be tested at the office) It's quite a circus and next week is also the last week before T. takes off for a week vacation so it's not as if we don't have anything to do anyway, but he... no guts no glory was the opening theme of our company and we're just going to live up to that.

The babygiraf standing next to his family

A great children's playtower

A smug looking stork

Ringdijk, For Sale

the Internet, the dentist and Playmobil

Today both C. and M. had a friend over and we had to go to the dentist.
C. went into the dentists chair for the first time on her own and closed her eyes and opened her mouth, the minute she did so.
She was so cute.
TG nobody had something serious so after 20 minutes we were all out again.

For some obscure reason internet at home is down.
If we still have these problems tomorrow i'll call the provider but i just hate to call a call center and be connected to about 5 persons who all connect me through to the wrong department.

Furthermore;
as my sister and her family are coming over tomorrow for dinner and playing, and Ella's birthday was about a month ago, i asked her what she wanted.

Oh, just something from Playmobil she said.
Right.


Toys R us

Barbie's body

The flowering magnolia's, little lambs and goose and even the rosebuds in the garden may fool yah but i am here to tell you it's still way too cold for this time of year.
So.
Last Sunday when we were out looking at the marathon, we tried to get bodywarmers for the kids, who had their jeansjackets on.
We only succeeded for C. who got herself a real orange and pink Barbie bodywarmer.
Now, understandibly she mixes this up.
So whomever she meets out in the streets, she proudly points to herself saying; ik heb een nieuwe barbiewarmer.

Knee complications

Finally, R. has had his MRI scan explained and looked at by the doctor.
Turns out his meniscus is torn and his knee ligament is torn too!!

The first one needs to be operated asap (the doctor suggested coming Tuesday) but as he has to organize this at work, so i'll probably be end of March and the other one we'll do after the summer holiday.

It is a bit strange, coz he is walking and driving a car and everything, but as the doctor said that is thanks to strong leg muscles which help "carry" the knee

Something completely different:
M. is doing a lot better with reading. We thought he was doing ok anyway, but apparently he was reading a bit slower than the rest of the class and therefor we practiced every day for about 10 minutes.
But... every book he brought home was still AVI 1/ the first level, whereas the class is reading AVI 3.
So, R. talked to his teacher yesterday and now he is allowed to read that AVI 3 level as well.
Hooray!

Happy Easter to my 4 loyal readers (and any lost souls :)). Don't overdo it with the chocolate!

In the caroussel

Ok grrllls and guys.
I have done everything the other way round but too bad. I need to go to the bathroom and i've had enough bloggingmess for one day.
These pictures are from last Saturday when we witnessed M. getting his first swimming diploma and then racing of to a playground where one of his friends' birthday party was held.

Dangerous pirates crossing the ocean

Caroline coming out of the slide

Here's playing air guitar in front of the audience

here he's still a bit shy on stage

See those cheeks ?

and getting out again

M. and R. jumping in

Hooray, hooray, it's R';s holiday

These guys took down ALL the trees on the Beukelsdijk a couple of days ago and the whole street looks empty now.
It's very sad to see.
Look what is left of the tree in front of the house!

Exams

Man, i just uploaded a bunch of photo's, got the whole story and then we lost connection.
I HATE that !!!!!

But...
i'll upload again.
Only this time i'll keep it very short.

It all started last Thursday when M. got his green tips for Judo.
Unfortunately at 15.30 i discoverd i had to be there at 17.00 instead of the 18.15 i figured.
I ran home, grabbed m.'s stuff (forgot my camera) raced to the playground where they were and dragged him into the car, only to arrive there as the second one.
Right.
He did wonderful.

This morning T. had to do his exam for his orange tips.


It's a risky business from the start.. wouldn't be the first one to bump into his opponents head.

Here you see him getting instructions from one of the teachers.
In the end everybody passed.

Yeah, up to the next.
By then R. was finished with his motor lessons and he had taken C. and M. to the (as ever tropical) swimmingpool, where M. was doing his trial exam for his first diploma.

Here he is diving.

Here he just learned that everybody passed and next week for the real exam one of his caretakers is allowed to swim with him, fully clothed!
Somehow i feel this is going to be my precious husband.
And this is his brother who couldn't take it anymore and just wanted to go home.