Linda's Canadian Adventure

Looking back at our trip to Holland, we had a great time!

Barbeque at Richard & Wendy:

Wendy in the kitchen

Richard outside

Alex is being entertained by Janneke

Everybody is enjoying the day

Alex and Danielle, is this chemistry?

Mike on baby-duty

Elton took us to the flower auction in Aalsmeer where he works

Mike and Elton

The amount of flowers passing through is unbelievable

Chatting with my old ballet friends:

Linda, Esther, Marleen and Patricia (we are all mothers now!!!)

A day with Opa Rob first to the Canadian cemetary in Holten:

It’s always impressive when you read the personal wordt on the stones.

It was special to Mike to see all the Canadian names, perhaps a distant relative?

We had time for a castle too:

Linda, Rob and Alex

Alex loved all the water fountains in Rob and Linda’s garden:

Alex went in the swing, Mike and I went on a bike ride:

The beach at Zandvoort

The fish cart drives on the beach

Back in the garden: Rob with Jana, Mike with Alex

Mike on a bridge in Hoofddorp

All the kids together

Alex is making friends with Jimi

A visit of Claire and WingF:

How do you hold a baby?

Linda, Claire, Alex and WingF

Ajax – Chelsea (Soccer) at the Arena:

A music festival in Den Haag (The Hague):

Alex loves his punk bands, but always uses hearing protection

Claire, Alex and Linda

Family Barbeque at Anita & Lex

Alex with Sadie and Elton

Everybody around the table

With Oma

Good food at De Radijs, just opened Amsterdam:

www.radijs-amsterdam.nl

Good food with wine of beer

A day in Amsterdam with Claire and Christiaan

Claire’s broken knee ‘came in handy’, Alex could ride with her (poor Christiaan had to push themboth)

Alex has to eat as well

A day in Rotterdam with Rob:

Art in Rotterdam

A break in the park

Sleep-over at Carolien and Jacco:

We love cheese fondue!!!

Richard puts out a fire

Alex loved the ball park at Carolien

Diergaarde Blijdorp (Zoo):

Giraffe, giraffe, giraffe and giraffe

Linda, Claire and Alex

Lisette, Ronen and Danielle

With family De Veld at Landgoed De Olmenhorst:

Orvee and Rene

Gabry and Nikee

Boat ride on the poel:

We made a boat tour with the boat of Lia and Rinus. Tineke, Rob, Linda, Jan, Margriet, Rinus and Lia were there as well.

Oma and Alex

Captain Linda

Mike’s favorite palingroker (eel smoker)

Last evening:

Alex with Thomas

A big kiss from Anita

Alex was sleeping like a baby in his crib in Kudelstaart

Just awake!

We have been on familiar Dutch soil since Tuesday. Well, familiar to me, it has been 4 years ago for Mike and it’s Alexanders first time. The flight went well, we flew at night so Alex fell asleep just before take off and slept for 6 hours (out of 9). The arrival committee at Schiphol airport only had eyes for Alex.

The arrival committee: Tineke, Anita en Linda

We’ve seen lots of family and friends, went walking in the beautiful Dutch landscape and enjoyed the Dutch cuisine: eel on bread for Mike, Waldkorn bread with cheese for Linda. Alex will stick with milk.

With oma.

In Bunnik with Dirk and Karin.

We met Danielle, the daughter of Lisette and Ronen.

A Dutch invention placed next to the road to avoid litter: a ‘can catcher’.

Out walking with daddy

and with mommy.

Every night I’m amazed that Alex goes to sleep without much trouble. He gets tired around 8:30pm, I put on his sleeping bag, I read him a story and I put him in his crib. He seems very awake, but I give him a kiss, wish him goodnight and leave the room. Sometimes I hear a little cry, but mostly it’s just a deep sigh and nothing. Last night he slept from 8:30pm until 7am, after something to eat he slept again until 10am. And I sleep in as well, I’ve never been so well rested! I have to knock on wood because it could change any day.

Alex is a morning person like me when we’re up. I put him on his play mat with a lot of toys and he can play for hours. I can have breakfast, make coffee and check email. After two hours he gets tired again and he’s ready for a nap. He’s not a good napper, he rubs his eyes and yawns, but in bed he cries. Sometimes he falls asleep after 5 minuten, sometimes not. Sometimes he sleeps for 5 minutes, sometimes an hour. We try to get out in the afternoon with the stroller or baby carrier. He is looking around with interest now and seems to like trees a lot. He likes the mall as well, the bright lights and lots of colours in the stores. I meet with a ‘mommy & baby’ group once in awhile and usually we go for a walk. Some kids can only go for an hour, but Alex is fine with everything as long as he gets food on time.

The only thing he doesn’t like is the car. He sits in a rear-facing car seat so he can’t see me. When we have to stop a lot for traffic lights he will protest. We found a solution: singing! He loves it when I sing to him and he shuts up immediately. I have some Dutch and some English songs on my repertoire. Once a week we go to an elementary school that organizes an hour of songs and rhymes for kids 0-3 years. I can sing ‘twinkle twinkle little star’ in both languages now.

When I’m making dinner he can sit in his Bimbo seat, this is for babies that can’t sit up yet. During dinner he sits close by and is very interested in mommy eating. He only gets breastmilk, in a few weeks we’ll start with solid food. He comes with us to restaurants as well and sits on our lap. Mike and I take turns so we both can eat. Alex is fine with it and if he gets tired he’ll just fall asleep.

Conclusion: I have a wonderful kid! I know, I’m bias, but I can’t complain. I am more than just a mother so I have to get out without the baby as well. I dance Flamenco and love it, it’s difficult and different so very challenging. I have started to volunteer again at the Wildlife Rescue as well. I transport injured animals and once a week I work 4 hours at the care centre. I love it and and I get to talk to my coworkers again.

Mike is away a lot at the moment, he plays bass in the musical Godspell. He always wanted to do theatre and got the opportunity now. Besides the religious theme he loves doing it. He’s doing 6 shows a week for 5 weeks. I feel like a single mom!

I just voted for the Dutch parlement elections. My vote doesn’t go to the PVV!

Go to the Alexander page to watch all the videos from birth until now!

Finally we found a new couch and chair so our home looks even nicer now. Here’s the result:

The new couch is being tested by Alex, he slept for hours on it so it is approved.

The old couch is being picked up this week, but it was still useful in the yard with the nice weather this week:

Yesterday, I went with Alex to the Dutch consul. My passport had to be renewed so I gained information for Alexander’s passport. We have to do some paperwork, but it shouldn’t be a problem.

Last Saturday we had a lovely day out. We went to Harrison Hot springs. We didn’t go into the hot springs, but it’s a lovely town at a lake surrounded by mountains.

We went to Bridal Veil Falls as well. We think Alex enjoyed being outside and was very interested in all the trees and streams.