Holiday Update - Part 1

Little Miss and I went to The Netherlands for a week. We were looking forward to it in a big, big way!
I had packed the night before and managed to get all our stuff in to the one suitcase. We left well on time just in case the cheaper long-term car park was full and I would have to find a different place to park. We were in luck, so far, so good!
Darren was going to get the car out of the car park that night, but as we only had a spare set of keys for the doors, and not for the engine (second hand car.... ) we planned that I would leave the keys in the boot. So, I get the suitcase out. Grab Little Miss' little trolley-case and my backpack. Throw the keys in the boot and close it....... Leaving the buggy inside! Doh! Great start!
So, Little Miss had to walk. We made it on to the shuttle bus no problem and we were both really excited. I loved seeing her that way.
She was asking where all the other people were going and I told them that they were going to the Airport too. "Really Mamma?!" She was amazed that there were other people going on planes too!
She got an awful fright at the metal detector. When the alarm went off and the lady went to wave that wand around Little Miss, she panicked and raced back in to my arms. The poor thing was petrified. I managed to calm her down, and lift her to the gate.
Once on the plane, she first thought it was way cool that she had her own seat and seatbelt. The shine went off that pretty quickly though and she lost it completely. She just went hysterical. t was heartbreaking to see. She wailed! "Please Mamma, I want hugsies! I want to sit wit' you!! Please Mamma. Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaassseee!!!" I had tears in my eyes at seeing her so genuinely scared and upset.
The elderly, Australian Lady sitting next to us, was very understanding. When we were finally air-born, Little Miss leaned in to me to close her eyes, and she tried to pull the lady's cardigan over her as a blanket! The lady smiles and draped her cardigan over Caíthlyn and pulled her feet in to her lap.
Little Miss was out like a light in mere seconds.

Once we arrived at Schiphol Airport, she was completely refreshed and a totally different child! We made it through the Passport control easily and breezed through to the baggage claim. Coming out of the gate, she spotted my mam and jumped up in to her arms!
They were very happy to see each other! J
My Aunt I. and my Mam had come to pick us up together as my Dad had to attend a very important business meeting. So, to the car we went for the hour and a half drive back to Leeuwarden.

We called my dad from the car and he was very excited about our arrival! Once we made it to Leeuwarden, we were happy to be able to sit down. Man, traveling with a small child is hard work!
My Dad arrived shortly after but I think Little Miss had just had too many impressions that day because she was a little bit shy. Boy, did THAT change in the course of the week!
By the end of our holiday, every other sentence was “Watcha doin’ Pake?” “Where ya goin’ Pake?” “I sit with you Pake?” She was Pake mad! My dad would take her for walk around the neighborhood and they just had a great time together.
When my mam would come home from her job, she would be greeted by a: “Beppe!!”
She played catch with my mam in the back garden. I was very happy to see the bond between the three of them growing so quickly and strongly. They are genuinely crazy about each other.
Little Miss had been very good going to the toilet and telling us that she had to go, but all of a sudden she did not want to go to the toilet and was scared of making a deposit.
Going nr. 2 became traumatic and the tears would flow freely at least once a day. She would shake and scream with the effort. It was heartbreaking.
We went to see my friend M. and her kids twice that week and Little Miss had a fabulous time. The language barrier was practically non-existent. They played together so well and it was a joy to see. We also went to see another friend and her mother, actually, I consider both friends. It was lovely to see them again but Little Miss was a bit hyper so we didn’t stay as long as I would have liked originally.
That Friday we went for a little cruise on my parents’ boat. It’s called after Caíthlyn. It was fantastic to see her name on the side of such a beautiful boat!
I wasn’t sure how Little Miss was going to react to the boat but she flat out LOVED it.
Well, when we were setting off, my mam was at the front to cast off and Little Miss couldn’t see her. She got upset and started calling “Beppe, where’s Beppe? I need Beppe!”
But then my mam appeared and all was well again!
Caíthlyn looked SO cute in her little lifejacket! I was afraid she would make a fuss about having to wear it but she was fine, she actually really liked it!

To Be Continued…….