Little Girls

Why oh why do little girls grow up so freaking fast? Why do they have a strong opinion about what they want to wear? And what's up with only wanting to wear fake fur coats and lip stick? I don't. The high heels I get, 'just like mommy', but for the rest it really is her own choice. Actually kind of proud she's already making up her own little mind.

Rijksmuseum

The plan was to visit the renovated Rijksmuseum before we leave, it has been closed for so many years and the results are so magnificent that we really really wanted to. Unfortunately of course we didn't. Due to busy schedules, not wanting to visit with three little ones and the mega mega long lines the two times I actually got myself over there.

What we did do though is visit their newly planted gardens which are also really worth a visit, especially on a sunshiny day. They've become beautiful, although there are a lot of people in the weekend and it's in the middle of Amsterdam it really feels calm and peaceful there. Children (and dads) playing with the fountain, people sitting on the chairs and benches reading books, looking at their tourist maps or drinking coffee from the little stand in the middle of the garden. It feels a bit like Paris actually.

Biking

I'll definitely miss looking at the little hairs on their little heads waving in the wind when they're sitting in front of my on my bike. I'll never ever put them on a bike without wearing their helmets in Berlin. Sitting on my bike as I'm used to for so many years now sometimes especially makes my realize, just out of the blue, that I'm a mum now. Responsible for this tiny, so sweet, so beautiful little creature in front of me. These are moment of so much joy, an overwhelming feeling I was not familiar with before these three little ladies were in my live

Ecoscope

Growing up in the tiny village of Dreischor gave me a really save childhood with a lot of playing outside. Walking up to our little village school with only 60 children from the age of 6, why not, hardly any cars let alone creepy people on the way. Something my girls probably will never experience in the way I have.

Just a couple of hundred meters from our house my uncle and aunt lived in their little farm with no heating except for the big AGA stove in their kitchen in which they baked their own bread and always had a huge kettle on top with water because there was no hot water from the tap.We used to be with them every Friday when my mum went to Art Academy in The Hague. A huge yard surrounding their farm (they were no farmers btw, just living on this old little farm house) with all kinds of fruit, veg, herbs and a lot of chickens running around. 

They still live on their little farm but I haven't been there in years. Nowadays they run the Ecoscope in Renesse where my aunt manages the Milieu Education Center and  my uncle is in charge of the Cafe and maintaining the surrounding gardens. I miss their own house but also love to come here, because they created the same feeling. Unfortunately the subsidies for the center had to be stopped due to governmental cuts and the building will, I believe, turn into a cooking school or something. So this visit will probably be my last, but on the upside: next time I'll visit their own house in Dreischor again.

We had a lovely afternoon, sitting in the sun, enjoying lunch and, her favorite part, feeding the chicken.

Visiting Zeeland before 1 January 2014: you have to have coffee in the Ecoscope in Renesse, my uncle makes the best coffee on the whole of Schouwen Duiveland. You'll even get a organic biscuit to go with it.

Brouwershaven

My town of birth. But for now more important: the town my 96 years old grandmother lives in her own little home build by her brother with her own big garden with all it's roses, dahlia's, berries, pears, apples and all kids of herbs and veg. Without any help in the household, of course she gets help in her garden but also still does a lot herself there. This must be the secret to her age combined with her good health and above all her fantastic mind. 96 years old an the only complained she has is a cold in the nose sometimes. I'm so proud of her and at the same time I regret so much seeing her so little because she lives a 2,5 hour drive away. Before we go I of course have to visit her. Twice. Once with the twins. Once with my oldest. The three of them together is a bit to much. (for her as well as for me in her small living room)

I'm sure this will not be the last time I see her for I'm sure she will live to be at least a 100 years old. Bye granny (don't let her know I called her that), see you soon!

Terschelling

First time for more than 1 night away since the twins were born. Last time to see my high school girlfriends before we're going. In our busy lives with our children, work and men we decided a few months ago to take a break together and go to Terschelling, one of the islands in the Waddenzee where we also have been a long long time ago when we were 16 and oblivious. A tour down memory lane. Nice, but omg it makes you feel old walking into the disco's your were so long ago, out of season so nobody there besides some locals hanging at the bar being pretty drunk.

Besides the trip down memory lane we bike around and walk along the beach. What we didn't really notices last time we were here is that this really is an amazingly beautiful island. Lots of space to bike, lots of nature, hardly any cars and cute little farms everywhere. Really worthwhile visiting when you have the change. Only downside is that you have to take the ferry and that this doesn't go on a really regular basis. But furthermore it has everything you need to take a break for a couple of days: bike rentals, restaurants, nice places to stay the night, like Jan van Tjaard where we were and really nice beach bars like 'De Walvis', 'Kaap Hoorn' and 'De Zandzeebar'.

Bye Bye Daycare

For real this time. I have been running around all day since it is also the very last day I have in Amsterdam without having the kids around. Quickly ran into Foam Photography Museum to at least use the purchased Museum Year Card once. Jump onto my bike for the Beauty treatment I've been wanting to do this month. Than the Bijenkorf to purchase Gift Certificates to thank the girls at Daycare. Last but not least to Arjan Flower Shop, my favourite flower shop in the whole of Amsterdam for their beautiful bouquets and season flowers, to pick up the flowers I ordered for the girls.

And then it's time to pick up my girls and shed some tears. A lot actually. And not only me, but my girls are really going to be missed. Makes sense. They really are a happy few. More laughing then crying in their little books. Not in my book today tough.

Cafe Restaurant Amsterdam

Celebrating Daddy's birthday with a dinner for three. Thought about going all together, but the twins wouldn't enjoy it very much, so just one kid. What would be a good place to eat with a 2-year-old? Should we choose a restaurant with a children's menu? And then I thought about the time I ordered snails but ended up eating chicken and fries. Or the time I ordered salmon tartar and ended up eating a chocolate cake. So no children's menu, cause there's now one appreciating this in our family. But we do need a child friendly restaurant and that's exactly what Cafe Amsterdam near the Westerpark is. Used to children walking around. And besides that they also have a very attractive French bistro menu and we end up ordering Fruit des Mer, again. With french fries and mayonnaise, again. 

Windmills

Saying goodbye to daycare. My Goodness. I've been dreading this for weeks. I have to take it slow because it really truly feels like a rock in my stomach every time I think about saying goodbye to these girls. I actually now will be happy when they've had their last day because then that will be it and I won't feel as badly as I've been feeling since I've told them we're leaving (and they had to cry and me a little bit as well) This will be definite. I can't take the girls. As much as I would have loved to.

I'm taking this step by step. Telling myself this is the best way, but actually it's necessary for my own process of letting go. So when actually Thursday will be the kids last day I decide to hand out their goodbye gifts (wind mills with hand written goodbye and thank you notes attached, 44 of them, hand written! part of the process for sure) on Tuesday. I figure this will give the kids and mainly their parents the chance to say goodbye. It's also Disney day today (on the most lovely daycare in Amsterdam with the uttermost lovely girls, whom I would definitely  and truly recommend to everyone looking for a reliable daycare in Amsterdam) so while I was writing and writing and writing my better half was putting together Minnie Mouse ears for the little one, using a cutout from one of the moving boxes and one of my diadems. Worked out perfectly. As did my windmills.

Step one in letting go.

English Brunch

My sweet sister and her husband surprise us on a Sunday morning by letting us know they will take care of lunch today. And they really did. Showing up with this huge bags full of food, cooking in our kitchen and an hour later surprising us whit a super tasty and bulky lunch. Or actually a full English breakfast with everything you need from sausages to scrambled eggs to white beans in tomato sauce to potato wedges to scones with clothed cream. (so happy Marks and Spencer returned to Amsterdam). Oh how we'll miss this little family, their adorable little girl (we were due only 4 days apart, twins were born 3 weeks early though so now the age difference is little over a month). Most wonderful part of the afternoon still is our kids having a ball in playing together. Realizing this feels like one of the real sacrifices of our move, missing out on this kind of family fun, these little ones grow up so very very fast.  

Anyhow, thank you dear A & I for giving us this wonderful afternoon!

I Amsterdam

We are really beginning to feel it now. We actually are going to do this and move, in one month, to one of our favorite city's. But also: we are going to leave THE most wonderful city we know. We feel how much we actually love this city and are beginning to see it with a different view. The view of people who soon will not be living here any more.The last couple of years, actually since our oldest was born in march 2012, we have been asking ourselves whether our next home will be in or outside the city. Leaving Amsterdam for a while has made us realize that we will never be happy leaving the city permanently. So now we know: when we come back it will definitely be Amsterdam for ever. 

An Evening Together

We will today actually, really proceed with our plan today to have a last evening together in Amsterdam. Actually just an afternoon to see a movie but for the babysitter it's no problem to stay longer. Also for her it's a goodbye from the children.

The new film museum Eye is a magnificent building, we first have a beer on their fantastic terrace which oversees the IJ river with the Central Station on the other side. We saw the German movie "oh Boy" which tells the black and white story of a student in his twenties in Berlin. Really a beautiful movie, but all we can think of is that we can totally not imagine we will live in this city in one month.

Afterwards the plan is to eat in the bar of the theater (which also looks beautiful with it's high ceilings, big windows and great lighting) because we heard a lot of good things about it, but the are completely booked. And here's the downside of the Northern part, it's not a place to quickly find another place to eat without making a reservation. The upside however is that the restaurants here actually are on average very good, it takes some effort to come here so they really make an effort to make the travel worth while. We make this travel often because of the high standards in quality at the restaurant in this part in Amsterdam. In the neighborhood there are Cafe Modern in an old bank building (really very very good, cook you a five course meal, but you really have to take your time and that's not possible at this moment), Il  Pecorino (very good Italian pizza's with fresh ingredients, but a little too low key for tonight), Hotel de Goudfazant in an old barrack (not expensive, good rough food, very nice people, have been here very often) and Stork, a fish restaurant.

We choose the last one, only been here once and then saw the fruits de mere on the menu. Something we really are craving at this moment. With some french fries with home made mayonnaise of course.This part of Amsterdam, combined probably with looking at Berlin images for an hour and a half, feels a bit like we're already in Berlin with it's industrial buildings, empty spaces and room for creativity seen in for example the beautiful graffiti.

Het Gooi

Having quit my job means a lot of time for me to see all my lovely friends and family a lot, what I really haven't being doing enough over the last year. To day it's one of the most important persons ever we're visiting: my Mama!

After spending the afternoon at Paviljoen Heidezicht, where the twins main activity and goal was to eat the whole sandpit, we rest from this warm summery day in a shadowy spot in my mums lovely garden.

Chefs Table

My sweet parents-in-law take us out for a wonderful evening to celebrate the new step were going to make and look into the future together. They take us to the Chefs Table in Amsterdam North, who this summer are not serving at their regular spot in the old Renault garage, but on the Undercurrent location where there's a magnificent view over the IJ. Right across from my old office. The wonderful Indian summer weather makes it that we can sit outside for the whole evening and enjoy the Chef's surprise menu while we mesmerize about the steps we're going to take. Afterwards the two of us take a bike ride through the beautifully changing north of Amsterdam, pick one more drink at Toren at the bottom of the Shell tower which is transforming into one of Amsterdam's main spots, wonder around the new Eye film museum, decide we definitely are seeing a movie there before we leave, take the ferry to the center and then finally bike through the Jordaan on our way home.

Taking our goodbye of this city bit by bit