Tommy Lynley

Oohh.
The new series started!

I am a sucker for British detectives anyway but Inspector Lynley made my evening yesterday.
And isn't he cute with longer hair?

Dunya

Today was the start of the season of the summerfestivals and traditionally it was opened with the Dunya festival in the park near the Euromast.
Speaking of which, when we passed it someone was (legally) 'sailing' down from it.
I think i would be fine once hanging on this rope, but the very thought of stepping over the railing.

We listened to some African singers and went on our way, only to see this huge air blown-balloon like-castle. Apparently the Dutch military were recruiting the very young because children could go up there. You were strapped into some device, had to climb a rope ladder and then walk this pole that was about 10 mtrs above the ground.

Seriously, what is it with all these heights?

Of course Timo and Morten wanted to queue.
Seeing that it would take them some time, Rachel, Claire (her mum who is over visiting), Caroline and i walked around a bit, had some chips with mayo (actually the mayo got spilled all over Rachel) and then when we came back they were still half way and Morten had gone.
Where's Morten i asked Timo, trying to control the anguish in my voice.
O, he just wandered of he said.

What!!!???
At a festival with about 1000's of people walking around?

The funny thing is I didn't hear him crying (or did that mean they had already taken him far away?).
For Morten is the one to tell me; you know i panic easily, whenever i run to do an errand and ask, are you all ok if i run of to the bakery for a moment?

Then i saw him trying to find us and swallowed my fears.

After another half hour Timo was ready to go up. He waved bravely at Morten and then was hauled up by another big military man.
But then... it was time to walk the pole.
Look at his eyes.

He didn't dare and went down by the rope.
Still, a big hand for this small boy people!

Then... Morten thought the time had come to get a (henna) tattoo. A dragon of course.
So.
His mom paid 12 euro for something that will probably last till tomorrow.


Everyone admiring the process:

See, we got the advice to leave it to dry for 30 minutes, went our way and then ofcourse Caroline bumped into Morten, smearing her sleeve against his arm thus ruining both her sleeve AND the tattoo.

SIGH.

Anyway, when we came back (after having the artist repare it as much as possible) Robbert was almost done with sawing the woods for the cupboards in the cellar, the kids went into a bath and that is what really did the tattoo in.

Bokito

As you may have heard, about a week ago Bokito the big gorilla ape from Blijdorp Zoo escaped.
No kidding!

Now Rachel had had her first Dutch lesson the day before, listened to the news and thought the gorilla escaped from his cage. (He didn't btw. He escaped from the ape island they have by jumping over the water and attacked the woman who was a regular visitor and always went to his cage to see him and make contact with him. As the zoo explained, that is probably what caused Bokito to specifically pick her. She thought that if she put her hand against the glass and laughed at him, he actually laughed back. Speaking of dumb, dumber dumbest. If a gorilla pulls his lip up, he is threatening you.)

Anyway.
As we live practically around the corner of Blijdorp, Rachel thought Bokito was on the loose and for all she knew could be wandering through the back garden.
Apart from that she understood he bit about a 100 people (he bit the woman about a 100 times)
So.

Here we have Rachel thinking there's a gorilla out there, not daring to get her bike out of the shed anymore and calling Jack.
Jack, did you hear anything about the big gorilla escaping?
Don't be silly Rachel. These things don't happen. There may have been a baby gorilla born and you just didn't understand the Dutch news.
Right.

That evening as we were discussing the whole thing she asked me how he was caught in the end (he went over to the restaurant where people shut the doors and fled or hid under the tables. Then Bokito smashed in the glass window door. I swear.)

He was seduced I said.

Seriously? Rachel laughed.

I meant sedated.

So.
To all future au pairs; let's start Dutch lessons as soon as your arrive here.
Might come in handy.

The wedding

Well no, not hers, but doesn't she look like the happiest camper in the world?

This morning we came back from 'the windy City'.

Abigail and Joel got married (again :)) last Saturday and Caroline and I were there to share it all.

We've had such a great time.

I am feeling a bit strange. In the last 4 days i skipped half a day and a full night because of the flights and apart from that we were up every (that is Every) morning at 5.

A.M.

Yes.

So..

Tomorrow it's back to work (Thea called me already this afternoon. It's Busy.)

I think i have about 5 appointments of which 3 out of the office.

I need to answer all the au pairs who have written or hotlisted me.

I have got to unpack.

Got to do laundry.

Oh and let's not forget.

Got to relax

What ever made me think things would go smoothly for once?

Today I thought I’d better check the website where I booked the ticked to see if there was any change in liquid regulations and so on.
It said; important information for anyone travelling to the states.

I felt a little nervous but thought I’d better check it out anyway.
This was at about 11.15 this morning
Then I read caroline needed her own passport.

I knew why I felt a little nervous now.
To get a passport takes you a week.

I called the American embassy and they said the website was right. No matter her age, she needed her own passport.

It was 11.25
I called city hall to see if I could get some speed procedure.
For paying double I could.
What the heck,
I would have paid tenfold.
But I had to be there, with caroline and good passport pictures (which have very weird regulations now) before noon. Then I could pick it up tomorrow after 2.

It was 11.29
I ran out of the office.
Raced home.
Got my own passport and the only pictures of caroline I could find.
Raced to her school, all the while yelling to robbert on the cellphone to help me find the nearest city hall department I had to go to.
Literally pulled caroline from her classroom shouting to the teacher I had an emergency.

Rachel who had heard me come in the house and run out again, at the phone about passports and thru the windows saw me running with caroline to the car, thought I was about to kidnap her (!!!) and called the office to ask them if I was ok or not.

I drove like a madman towards where robbert directed me, parked the car, yanked caroline with me and got in line.
Then the woman said my pictures were no good.
I begged her and finally remembered I had one in my wallet and she sort of gave in for that one.
Then she asked where the father was.
At work I said.
We need his consent she said. He has to fill in a form.
Please I said
Can’t he just fax something similar stating that he is ok with it all?
He could.
We then had to wait till 12.10 !! before it was our turn and then we also needed a copy of robberts identity card.
Don\t do this to me I said.
He needed to fill in a form but that was it.
Allright then, just bring it with you tomorrow when you pick up her passport she said.

SIGH.

*sing* Holiday !

For those of you who want the short version:
we've had a splendid time in France.

I shouldn't have questioned the weather coz on our very way there the temperature dropped about 10 degrees (no kidding) to 15 C and it poured!!
On the other hand; that gave us a proper excuse to lit a fire every morning and evening (see beneath) and the boys loved helping finding pine apples and wood stuff.

They had a blast. Today we went to pick up the cats and the girl there asked Morten if he missed them. No he said. I just didnt have time to think of them at all. (when we went away Caroline waved around her and said bye woods.)

The house uses a water system based on solar energy but fortunately there was a whole bottle of gaz for the heating too. In the morning it was bath time for the whole family after which they dressed and had to go to work. Making a fire, discover the woods, go out to the cellar and help us set breakfast.

On the second day we started with visiting a wine house. Lenny had given us the address and we bought some lovely Chardonnay (14,5 % so ya'll be warned next time we give you some delicious white wine), Rosé and Cuvee Chris (a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon).

We promised the kids we'd go visit some caves (really fun and interesting, with marvellous stalactits (huh?), waterbassins, rock formations and human skeleton bones.
Pity Timo had to pee and probably ruined an ancient ecological system.

For lunch we went to Banne.
The city of the museum of the decorated egg.
Yes.
Alas the museum was closed.
And so was half of Banne.
Never mind, we had some pizza in a cute restaurant on the way in st. Paul le Jeune.

The next day started of better.
Meaning it was at least dry.
We headed of to the market and had lunch at Lenny's.

And again, work, work, work.

Morten redoing the Titanic scene but in the woods.

Roses in Champsmajour.

As always i shot most (well half then) of the pictures, of the children.

And then we went on a hike.

A little hike.

But, climbing was involved.

So were bats.

And the holy Virgin.

Cramps too, by the way.

Robbert who had been biking like mad in Holland had not touched the bike by now (thanks to the lousy weather) for almost a week.

The hike took us about an hour and about 45 minutes of it, he was limping behind us.

So while the yound and healthy took the car back to Les Vans, Robbert and Morten took the bike in a succesful attempt to get rid of it.

Mickey blue eyes.

We ended the whole experience with the latest Happy Meal variation (and a big Tasty Bacon which indeed is big btw) and a Chicken Mytic for me.

Tomorrow it's business but not as usual.

I am reading Build to last and am seriously thinking of planning our very first Managent Team building day for InterimWorX.