A year in a week

On our trails this week we have helped sell strawberries by the front gate, decided we would try our luck selling paper aeroplanes on our street (thanks Frau Mc und Miss M) nursed the new baby upstairs and played with the big brother, helped build a tree house roof and re-organise the cellar using a bucket and simple pulley system (Herr N so patient), been shown how to make paneer cheese, barbequed with the kindergarten group, eaten cake and waffles in the garden (excellent Familie T), barbequed in our garden for the first time, celebrated the Schmetterlings 3rd birthday, became accustomed to having a dog but were very happy it was only short term as we are lazy people at heart and climbed up the old windmill...and needed Lassie (in the form of Herr and Frau N) to rescue us and help us down get down.

We let the braver ones go first. note: the railing was really wobbly...ehhh

Celebrating summiting the windmill with warm bread from the baker.

Having survived the windmill adventure and taken a few deep breaths to recover we started off again. As Herr Fitz and the Monkey went into the board game design business, friends visited from Bremen and we did a science experiment at the breakfast table...as you do when a physicist visits... and went to the fleamarket. The Monkey went on a special trip to the puppet theatre with the big Monkey and the Bear went to a trumpet concert and is still humming the songs. Then we spent a lazy, rainy afternoon eating pizza and scones and generally hanging around. And still there was a little time left over for sleeping...but not quite enough time for regular bathing of the kids. Must make time for this next week.

'Dad are you sure you rolled a 6'

Das Wochenende alle Wochenenden (or one there of)

I am a little notorious for celebrating my birthday and the fact that it falls on a long weekend always helps. One year I did actually try not to tell random people that it was my birthday but that was no fun so this year I pushed through the language barrier, told the check out operator why I was buying so much cheap champagne and chocolate and organised a party. In the southern hemisphere my birthday is always in winter and as a kid I always wanted a pool party like my brother whose birthday was in summer. For the record and the sake of my parents I will admit that he probably only ever had one pool party but that was enough for my memory to stretch it over the years. This year thanks to global warming and a very early summer I decided have a pool party. But first things first....

With the fridge stocked, the lack of a pool problem solved and with one day to spare before the next year of my life began I took the kiddie seat of the back off my bike, headed to the train station to meet up with a the bike tour crew. Feel free here to conjure up images of "The Tour de France" but make sure you insert a one way train ticket to the Netherlands, a distinct lack of lycra (though everyone else - we were 5 in total - did have professional looking gloves which made me a bit nervous at the beginning) hairy cows on the path, a stop at a flea market on the border between Holland and Germany, a leisurely lunch at a castle with loads of cheese and bread, the Bear's kindergarten backpack strapped onto the front of my bike in the absence of panniers (which I got the next day for my birthday), absolutely no hills and a very big beer at the end of the 75ish kilometres. Apart from those exceptions it was just like on the telly.

While I was off on my bike adventure Herr Fitz was in the trenches at home with the kids. I am assuming pyjamas were worn well into the pm then quickly changed for more suitable attire for a ride into town for supplies from the toy shop and birthday surprises. Followed by baking. I may be wrong on the order of events but who really cares when you are wished happy birthday from very well rested children and their new unicorns and ninja figurines before being loaded up with lovely cards and presents not only from them but from folks at home, and then given a giant chocolate cake with my very one playmobil mini figure decorating it. Top marks Herr Fitz and kids.

With crumbs still on everybody"s lips and chocolate finger marks smeared on t shirts it was all hands on deck getting ready for the pool party. Luckily everyone was happy to help even though they were being shipped off to the museum for a couple of hours as it was a ladies afternoon. The weather was all over the place but as we have a nice terrace with a roof I decided not to worry and just enjoy. I think we should all be very happy that Herr Fitz is a historian because 25 seconds after he predicted that the clouds had no rain at all in them, it began to hail and drizzled for most of the afternoon as we sat looking at the paddle pool enjoying a multi lingual chat (note to self: learn Spanish), a few drinks and a whole lot of chocolate. As the rain stopped and the humidity rose the kids and Herr Fitz and very manly crowd came back from their exile, the champagne bottles were removed from the pool and clothes were shed (of those under 7 only thank you!) and there was paddling a plenty in the pool until all the kids simultaneously melted down and had to be carted home.

Thanks everyone for a great birthday and the fact that I thought I was already 37 was just a bonus, it was like I didn't age at all.

A day trip or two

We have been so lucky during our stay here to have been invited three times to the most wonderful garden (and living room) in the northern hemisphere. Just a short train trip away, actually the perfect distance for three kids to enjoy and not get bored is a place that is kind of magical in our eyes as. Apart from the lovely folk who live there, there is always a special treat for us when we visit. Last summer it was berry picking, in the winter (zweite Weihnachten = Boxing Day) it was the Finnish fireplace to help light and sit around chatting and enjoying the warmth inside while the snow lay at least 30cm deep on the ground outside and this spring it was the cooking of pancakes Finnish style which means lighting the fire and cooking them outside. Of course there was a bit of dancing in the garden for the Mouse and an adventure with the Omi to find a book for the Bear and the Monkey thrown in.

Our next adventure takes place closer to home. Everyone loves a public holiday and we took the opportunity to move at glacial speed and spent the morning relaxing. Well most of us relaxed, he who normally loves any excuse to stay in pyjamas past midday on a day off tied up the sneakers and went for a 16km run whilst all others swanned about the house and baked bread rolls. Herr Fitz came home just in time to help eat the warm bread rolls and sit on the terrace for a couple of hours chatting with the neighbours upstairs. In the end the pirate in us all had to get back to the ship and we headed to the park then sailed to the forest to explore.

By the way the bike ride from the Netherlands which I enthusiastically volunteered for is happening tomorrow. I have never done anything before that requires a compass and ideally special pants. Hope I can keep up.