Chaos in my head

WE are going away for a week, but feels I need to take stuff for a life time. Why, well I am travelling with one child. Only one child. Wonder what it would be like if your travel with 2 or more.

It started with booking the tickets. Mr. P. said lets take the cheapest ones, no luggage, just a bag. And I said...we are travelling with Annemay. ah.... since it doesnt really matter anymore than, you starts looking into the times. Wondering if you can book the times where she will hopefully sleeping and not running up and down the corridors....mothers nightmares. Do not get me wrong I love her and she will probably behave, but I just keep the worst in mind.

Packing last year - this year I will be doing this when she is at the creche, otherwise she gets anxious. She does that when she senses something is gonna happen.

New spot in town - Pippa's

I love living in Haarlem, close to Amsterdam, close to the beach, close to dunes and greens. Also its such a child friendly city. Many playgrounds outside and inside!

We have Meneer Paprika in the city center, we have Mini Markt in Bloemendaal (5 minute drive) and now we have Pippa's at the train station. Lunch and dinner while kids are playing with trains and have place to read and make art. Love it! Places where I get to hang out with friends, having coffee or wine and the kids can run around and play. Unlike many places where they have to sit still at the table. Which is an impossible task with A, who loves to run wild and free and will make a dramatic scene.

Ps. if you want to learn more great tips in haarlem for kids (toddlers and pre-scholers) have a look at Mugjes ,

DIY Fall

Seeing all those chestnuts on the ground it reminded me of my childhood. I loved making things as a kid (still do;-)) and wanted to do something with miss A. Which means mama is making something and A sort of helps taking them apart and mess them up. 

I decided to make some spiderwebs with them and collected wool and some fabric and made a few. Not to bad.

All you need

> a few chestnuts

> some toothpicks

> different colors of wool

> and/or some fabric

 

a day at the beach

The other day we went to the beach. I was very curious whether Annemay would enjoy it. Since the last time we went it took her about an hour to even touch the sand with her feet.
She loved it, plenty to see and she loves hanging out with the three of us. I have good hopes for out little upcoming holiday in Portugal :-).

We went to IJmuiden, takes us about 15 minutes by car.  Its a smaller cosier beach and not so crowded as Zandvoort or Bloemendaal. And there is a playground in the beginning of the beach, which is perfect for (little)kids.

Rainy days equals baking cookies

Now my little girl is getting bigger is has become more fun doing things with her because there are more things to do :-). She understands more and loves to do stuff with me. Mostly she loves dancing with mum and dad and wrestling with us. Every day you see changes. A new word, new things she does, things she understands, I am amazed and happy to see them.  Also saying lets go home, or even a sentence with the word home, she will start waving to everyone and gets all excited. Have to be careful saying this word when I am somewhere else, because she will grab her chance and  gets frustrated when we do not go.

Yesterday was a rainy day so I decided to bake cookies with her, the healthy kind, more or less ;-) a variation to the ducth "sandcookies". (butter, flower and sugar). We made cookies with spelt flour, coconut blossom sugar, coconut rasped and butter (was out of coconut oil). They did not turn out bad, a bit burned, so I need to alter the time and heat somewhat next time. She had fun, mostly by eating the cookie dough, However it entertained her for 15 minutes. I call that a success!