"Ayo u!"

The Daddy and I had another night out last Friday. Our third honest to goodness date in almost 2 years. (1 date in her first year and 2 dates in her second, we're getting there people!)
It was like she KNEW she was going to spend the night at Nannies house 'cause man was she a handful all day! I mean, I love her to bits, but I had to resist the urge to check her for Energizer Batteries!
After having dropped Little Miss off at her Nannie's off to Eddie Rockets we went. This is a "Happy Days"-esque kind of Diner complete with red booths, neon-lights, signs that say things like: "Not eating enough is bad for you, not tipping enough is fatal!" huge burgers and chips (fries) that are served to kids in red little baskets. It's obscenely expensive but the Malts are delicious and the fries are lovely so we managed to justify it to ourselves for just this once.
After that we went to see the new "Harry Potter" movie.

Now, I have to admit to being a bit disturbed by this experience. The movie was fine, I though it was well done and I was entertained. The disturbing part however, was that there were kids there as young as 6, maybe 7 years old! The movie is rated for 12's FOR A REASON PEOPLE!!
One example that really made me want to give a woman a piece of my mind was sitting in the row in front of us. A family of a Mam, Dad, Granny and little girl of about 6/7. Towards the end of the movie, where it get's a bit "darker" the little girl crawled on to her mother's lap and sad "Mammie, I'm scared"
Now, for any normal human being that would be a queue to take the child, whose face was wedged in to the mam's shoulder, out of the cinema.
This woman however, DID NOT SHIFT!! Just told her it was all pretend and it was fine.
I was appalled and more than a little disturbed that parents (I heard more kids crying, Darren didn't but I really do have Bat-ears) would traumatize their child because THEY wanted to see the movie!
( You may say that "traumatize" is a harsh word but I remember a sitter letting me watch "Gremlins" when I was young.... took me a very long time before I felt comfortable with the lights out at night! Spent some terrified moments in my bed....)
I was BOILING. Even hissed at the woman to take the poor child out of there, she chose to ignore me...

I can't imagine ever putting Little Miss through something like that. Now, this is not the first time other people's parenting "skills" have baffled me. I am not saying that we are the perfect parents, we make our fair share of mistakes but feeding a child that can not be more than 8 months old strips of McDonalds Cheeseburger which you have chewed first? Or pushing a stroller with a small baby through Dublin City centre while you have a chat with your friends at 22.00 hrs?
Babies in the pram in the blazing sun without a parasol or hat? I don't get it, Just. Don't. Get. It!
Seeing these things makes me want to hug my daughter and hold her close to me and just kiss her little head!

I always tell Little Miss that I love her. She gets hugs and kisses all day long and I tell her "Mammie Loves you baby! I love you so much!" Darren does the same.
She started responding with her own version: "Ayo u!" It's just priceless to hear her say that! It was always in response to us saying it though.
Until a few days ago. Darren was giving her a hug when she said: "Ayo u!" Darren and I were just speechless.
She is such a Honey!

When I have a bit of a lie down on the sofa, she will drape her blankie over me, say "Now Mammie, there!" and give me a "Good Night"-kiss. Sometimes, she will put her pillow next to my head and crawl next to me. Putting her little nose to mine, she will start giggling and messing about. She is just so much FUN!
She will come running from the kitchen shouting " Mammie!! Mammie!! MY Mammie!! MY Mammie!!" Or "Daddy!! Daddy!! MY Daddy!! MY Daddy!!" and just hurl herself in to our arms.

I would catch the moon and the stars for that child if she wanted me too. I really, really would.....

At last!

Wow, I honestly do not know where to begin. It’s been a shamefull long time since I have blogged about our Little Miss.
I only have the classic excuses to offer: Way to busy in work and therefore no desire AT ALL to spend any more time behind a computer screen.
Enough is enough however, and I have decided to park my impressive posterior behind the laptop and make like Nike (just do it).
With thanks to my Dad, Little Miss’ “Pake” for curing the laptop of it’s ailments when they came for a visit. (The “ailments” turned out to be me having my laptop armed to the teeth against virusses and the like, resulting in a ridiculous loss of actual fuctionallity. Turns out there IS such a thing as being too safe…..)

Right, here goes. Many things have happened since last we blogged. My parents came over, we had Halloween, one of my best friends in the world came over and I became a driver!

My parents had not seen Little Miss in over a year. And ofcourse, a year makes all the difference at this early stage of her life. The child that they saw when they walked in the door was a far cry from the little baby they saw the year before!
Darren went to pick up my parents at the airport. I was playing with Little Miss in the living room when she heard the front door. My daughter has her Mammie’s ears, this child would hear the grass grow! When she heard the front door she put one finger agains her lip and the other one to her ear and whispered: “SSsshhhh Mammie! Listen?”
When she copped it was her Daddy she legged it in to the kitchen, legs a blur, her elbows in her sides and her fists to her chest! Shaking her little bum bum.
There was Daddy, but also her Pakke en Beppe (Granny and Grandad in Frisian)
A hearty “Hi!” from Little Miss received a bit of an emotional response from my mam and a huge grinn from my Dad.

I can completely understand the way my mam feels, she has one granddaughter, and she lives in another country. And not just any other country, but one that you have to take a plane to get to!
I have been learning to drive in the last few months and now I could show off my newly found driving skills to my Mam and Dad. They were only over for four days but we made the most of it. Because I could drive now, we could go to two different playgrounds, pop to the shops and just have more freedom of movement really.
It was lovely to have them over. Hearing a child that really only speaks English say “Pake” en “Beppe” is honestly too cute! The visit went so well that Little Miss and myself will be going home for 6 days in December, just her and I. And, whereas the idea of airtravel alone with an almost 2 year old scares me just a little, I am also really looking forward to it!

For Halloween we went (where else?) to Nannie’s house! My mother in law is the best, she had a Halloween party at her house that included the playing of all kind of traditional games. Auntie S. had brought a Princess dress for Little Miss to wear. (Or as she calls it: Pincess dress). My daughter adores it when there is many kids together, she doesn’t know what to do with herself, that’s how excited she gets!
I was having the day from Hell that day however
(Little Miss was “making Mammie pretty” and brushing my hair when I heard a squirting sound, she put shampoo in my dry hair…..”Not to worry” I thought “Give her a quick bath and I can get this out of my hair”. Once we were upstairs however, we were messing around and when I bent down to “catch her” I ripped my new jeans….. When I went to run her bath, there was no hot water. Had a fight with a woman in the supermarket, almost got hit by a car that didn’t see me. At my mother in law’s I found out that the batteries in the video camera AND the digital camera were dead (got batteries off my mother in law for the digital though), I banged my thumb off a kitchen cabinet hinge and Little Miss spilled a yoghurt over my trousers……) and so I must admit to not being in the spirit of things much.

At the beginning of November my dear friend M. came over. She is pregnant with her third baby (a boy) and seeing as I was not going to let ANOTHER 6 years go by without her having come over to see me, I thought this would be the perfect time for a little break for her. I asked her when she was free and booked a ticket for her and there she was!
Now, she got to see F all of the country as we spent most of our time in the shops, which is a shame, but it was absolutely deadly to have her here. We chatted and went to the playground with Little Miss, we shopped and we attempted to watch Titanic (Shuddup….) but ended up chatting forever. She makes me miss The Netherlands. I would love to have her close to me every day. To see her kids regularly (Yes, I know that every 6 months is regular too but you know what I mean….. Smart Alec….) and just be a part of each others’ daily life… It’s my friends (I don’t have many, but the ones I do have, I hold very, very dear) and Family that I do miss, the country itself does not do much for me. Being here is the best thing for my family and I though… You can’t have it all I guess…

A few months ago, I started taking driving lessons and bought a car. While driving will never become a hobby, I just can’t get over the sense of freedom it has given me. (I know, that’s a cliché and a half but SO true!!) I had a week off after M.’s visit and was able to take Little Miss out even when the weather was not so good. Normally I would’nt have chanced it for fear of getting caught in the rain but now with the car we just went for it! Also, the not standing at the busstop freezing my bits off rocks enourmously!

Boys and Girls, I am going to love you and leave you.

Halloween:




This girl LOVES "Maggie and the Ferocious Beast" (She was wearing tights all day. The socks only made an appearance that evening.....) Calling her name when she is watching her programme will get you this face:





She still loves taking care of "Her Baby":





Love always

Nynke