How to survive the arrival to Freetown from Lungi airport

So, this post is about how to survive the arrival to Freetown from Lungi airport. There is one thing you can be sure; you will make it! When you get used to it, it is pretty straight forward, but the first time is a bit confusing, particularly because of all the people asking you to hand papers, or offering help. Things get even more confusing if you arriving with an evening flight, and it is already dark.

Sea Bird boat during daylight, Freetown, Sierra Leone

So, just follow the steps below:

• Descend the plane. Have your boarding ticket in your hand, they will check it when descending the plane. Have your paper landing visa, passport, yellow fever vaccination card, and baggage tags readily available, but not right in your hand.
• Enter the bus which will take you to immigration hall. Disembark the bus, and follow the crowd inside the immigration hall.
• Join the line for foreign passports but if asked to change lines, do it. They are trying to help you and speed up the lines.
• Comply with all requests and directions from the officer in the immigration box, including the request to place two index fingers for scanning, and to take a picture. They will ask you the address of the place where you are staying, and maybe a telephone number. The officer needs landing visa and your passport. S/he will take the landing visa and stamp the passport with a one month single entry tourist visa. Along the way someone will likely ask to see your yellow fever vaccination card.
• After your passport is stamped, go left past the money changers (stop and change a $20 if you want). The exchange rate is visible. Proceed to baggage pick-up. Get a cart for 10,000Leones if you like.
• Pick up your bags from the belt. If your baggage does not appear, go to the lost luggage counter directly behind you in the baggage area. It’s an obvious process, and the staff is honest, helpful, and speak English. Complete the form as directed, and keep the copy. Check that there is a telephone number where you can call to track the process, and not only an email. Usually lost luggage flies in with the next flight in your airline, and is sent with the boat, so you can pick it up in Freetown. 
• Proceed with your bags (follow the crowd) to the exit. Eventually you might be stopped by customs, and requested to open your bags. Have your baggage tags out and ready. A person will match your tags to the tags on your suitcases. S/he won’t take the tags. Then exit out the door into the arrivals hall. 
• If you are met by somebody sent by your sponsoring organisation, family or friends, just tell all the eager folks offering you service that you are being met. Follow your scort out of the airport building.
• Go out of the gate, now you are "in the open". You will see slightly to your right two buildings; one for the Sea Coach, and slightly further away to the right, the Sea Bird. Buy a ticket with any of them. Your suitcases will be tagged, keep carefully all the tags. You can carry with you a small bag, it is handier to board the boat if you have a bag that allows you to have your hands free, such a backpack. A small trolley is also possible, but not so handy.
• Your bags will be taken away and put in a small bus.
• You will be asked to board another small bus. You will be offered if you want to buy a SIM card, or asked for "Christmas money" or "Sunday money", meaning a tip.
• Disembark the bus, you might get a glimpse of your bags arriving safely at the dock and properly loaded on the boat. You can just sit and wait. Once called, join the queue to board the boat. You will have to show your boat ticket before walking the wooden pontoon dock. Flat shoes are obviously handy, since the pontoon dock can move a bit if water is rough. Staff will help you to board, and are very friendly with children, carrying them in their arms if needed.
• The water taxi trip takes about 40 minutes. It can be bumpy during the rainy season. You will have a life jacket, and the boat is closed.
• On arrival at the dock in Freetown, staff will help you disembark onto pontoon dock. If somebody is waiting you there, be sure to have agreed in advanced the water taxi company you are using, since they have docks in different places. Sea Coach has its dock in Aberdeen, and Sea Bird in Murray Town.
• You are already in Freetown, the last bit is to show your luggage tags so that you get your luggage. Be patient, you are almost there.
• Be sure you have arranged your transport from the dock to wherever you are going in advanced. Don't expect public transport readily available or a line of taxis waiting for you.

Now you can breathe a sigh of relief. You made it!

How to prepare coconut milk

When I had to cook using coconut milk, I never gave it a second thought, and simply bought a can of coconut milk. I did not even think that I could prepare it myself.

But here in Freetown, there are men with wheelbarrows selling green coconuts on the street. It is a common sight. You buy one, they open it with a machete - each single time I sort of stop breathing because I think that he is surely going to loose a finger in the process - and then you can drink the coconut water. It remains a sort of jelly inside the shell, which you can scrap with a straw or spoon, and eat.

Open green fresh coconut

Water and flesh of a green coconut

Then I just thought to try to blend the two parts, the water and the flesh. I emptied all the content of the coconut in the blender.  Then I just let it blend for few seconds.

Blending the water and flesh of a green coconut

The result is creamy, and it looks more natural than the coconut milk in a can!

Result after blending

I used this milk to cook chicken in the oven, and also as a sauce for a broccoli salad, and the taste was delicious and fresh. Other dishes that come to my mind are curries, smoothies, and why not, as a substitute to cow milk in your baking. It is easy to make, fresh, natural, and if you live in Sierra Leone, about 10 times cheaper than canned milk. Go for it!

Whale watching in Sierra Leone

Whale watching? Really? Are there whales in the coast of Sierra Leone?

A friend of us arranged a boat trip to see them. We went into one of the Sea Coach boats for 20 people; and since I was traveling with my 3 children, it was really a relief to use a stable boat with shadow. They also provided life jackets.

Boarding the Sea Coach boat in Banana Island, Sierra Leone

Departing a bit after 9am from Aberdeen, Freetown, it took us around 2 hours to get to Banana Island. On the way, the captain stopped few times to ask the fishermen whether they had seen the whales, and they pointed towards the sea. Do not expect sophisticated spotting methods here. All the same, we got to Banana Island without having seen any whale, hearing afterwards that it was too late in the morning to see them anyway.

Fresh coconuts were waiting for us at arrival, which were very welcome for those of us who felt sick after the trip (me). Bafa resort is one of my favourite beach places in Sierra Leone, you can see that the owner has made an effort to use local materials, and he has cleared the land respecting the trees and planting few more plants to make it look really pretty in a natural way.

Swimming in the rocks at Bafa resort, low tide

After a bit of swimming in the rocks, we were served lunch on a pretty table with table cloth and textile napkins. Fish carpaccio with bread, buttered fish fingers, barbecued fish with fried bananas and rice, and when we thought we were definitely finished, four lobsters landed on the table. Good to note too: the water bottles are packaged by them with purified and filtered water, and labelled as Bafa Resort water: a good initiative of local production! 

Lunch at Bafa resort

Considering the heat, and that we still had to take the boat back, I do not think anybody ventured to the bar, but, hey, it did look inviting!

Bafa resort

At 2pm we left again with the boat and returned by circling the island on the left into its northern tip. from there we finally got a glimpse of a whale! It is really hard to take a picture, since at the moment you spot the whale, it is already gone. Honestly, it is pretty difficult to catch sight of one, the ocean is big (this sounds really obvious), and the surface reflects the light like a mirror. So you will see a whale at the moment that is is going out for breathing, and being lucky, if it jumps out of the water. After a while we also saw a couple of dolphins jumping and swimming relatively close to the boat, which was a nice treat.

Two hours later, with most of us half dozing, we arrived back to Freetown; a well spent Sunday! For the record, Greg Deli, at Dalton Banana Guesthouse is also organising whale watching trips departing from Banana island; check it out!

Humpback whales, the ones most commonly seen around Banana island, have wide migratory patterns, and are relatively easy to spot due to the fact that they are close to the shore, and surface active. The NOAA website has quite some information on this kind of whales, as well as the Wildlife Conservation Society and the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature); have a look!

I have tried to find out more on the whales we saw, and their migration pattern. Some sources explain that humpback whales go feeding to the Antarctica, and return to West Africa for breeding, although I have read that they go as far as Benin. Sierra Leone lies above the equator, so above Benin, and I wonder then whether those whales come all the way from the Antarctica, or if they come from another migrating route. If you know more, please, leave me a comment!

On natural bristle brushes

Natural bristle brushes? I did not even know this word before I started going no-shampoo (I will write on that in another post).

My first and beloved GHD natural bristle brush
My first brush is the GHD one which I got for free years ago when buying a GHD hair straightener. I did not even know why, but I immediately noticed that my hair was cleaner and less static when using this brush. It also seemed to detangle without pulling my hair.

Some years afterwards, I wanted to buy a second one because it had lost many of the bristles. They did not seem to sell it in any hairdresser, and I did not even know what made it "special", and what I was supposed to be looking for.

Since I had the children, I have spent quite some time trying to understand what to dose that my hair would fall less, and would be less frizzy. Well, honestly, I did not spend that much time, it is just those moments when I looked at the mirror, and my hair was electric, and the shower was blocked from all the hair that had fallen after washing it. Or when I saw balls of my hair rolling under the bed making it look like a Western movie landscape. You know what I mean.

Anyway, I read about the no-poo method, or no-shampoo, and it recommended to use a natural bristle brush. What? I saw a picture, and it looked like my GHD brush; now I knew what made it special - boar bristles!

So, I went to purchase a few more brushes.

My radial natural bristle brush, REGINCOS

I found this one "by mistake", when I was buying something else in a shop in front of our apartment in Barcelona. It has become my favourite, if I can only take one when traveling, then I would take this one for sure.

A natural bristle brush cleans your hair between washes by moving the natural serum from your roots into the length of the hair. And seeing how dirty it gets after good brushing, it seems to remove a lot of dust and other "stuff" as well. I save you the grossness of seeing a picture of my brush when it is dirty.

Regincos takes special attention to its brushes, the bristles are settled into mahogany wood, and it has a cork handle which gives it a nice grip. I really appreciate the design, if you are looking for a product with no plastic, this would be it for you.

More information on Regincos brushes in their website; they also have special ones designed for hair which has had a keratin treatment, and wooden combs.

My children's brush, KENT

Anna is the main user of this one; Nicolas has short hair, and Paul is just into a casual un-combed hair teenager look. It was highly recommended in the blog Happy Hair Guide, and I bought it online in Lookfantastic.

It is soft, easy to use, and clears all the tangles in Anna's hair. It leaves the hair shiny and soft. It is also cheaper than the other brushes, so maybe a good choice if you want to try one and do not want to spend a lot of money.

Although it does its job, it seems to have less natural bristles, or they have fallen off after one year, I do not know. The wood is finished with a shiny lacquer, and it has started to peel off.

My husband's brush, DENMAN

Yes, he has also got one. It looks manly, and fits in his toilet bag. Ok, it also looks like a brush to clean shoes. I have tried it myself, and it actually works very well too. It has the advantage of being small, very handy for traveling, but it is more difficult to use for styling since it does not have a handle.

I bought it also online at LookFantastic - I see now that this exact model is not in the assortment anymore, but they have a similar one with handle.

I hope this honest review will help you choose your brush; please, write me a comment on what works for you!

Birthday cake for Nicolas!

Actually, Nicolas birthday is in July, so I am sort of late in writing this post...

We were in Barcelona on holidays, which gave us much more options.
This year we had a big argument with Anna on whether we would buy or make the cake ourselves. She was in favour of making it, she is really a baking fanatic, and could not imagine why we would waste money in ordering a cake (her own words). On the other hand, Nicolas only wish was to have a  green cake, and I am not that good in coloured sweet stuff.

Finally, we settled for a home-made cake, below the result!

If you are even considering baking a cake, then you most likely have a favourite recipe for cupcakes. Use it, but instead of pouring the mix into cupcakes, use a bigger form.

Then we added a basic icing of butter and sugar, and there on top few sprinkles. Since we still missed the "green" part that Nicolas wanted, I bought some green fondant and a paw shaped cookie cutter in Gadgets in Barcelona. I bought the cookie at Barcelona Cakes, in the Passatge Lluis Pellicer, and the candle in the supermarket.

Cake ready!

How to make a frame for a mosquito net

If you have ever slept under a mosquito net, you will agree that the round ones are far from optimal (to say it politely). They stick to your face when you move, they never seem to stay where they are supposed to, and fixing them under the bed is a nightmare.

And let's say that, like us, you live in a place where you need to sleep under a net because you want to avoid mosquito bites that might transmit a deadly disease. But, first of all, which net should you buy?

My requirements:

• A rectangular net
• Single bed size, my children's bed size is 200x90 cm
• Completely closed; no doors
• Fine mesh (this means the amount of holes per inch or cm)
• Impregnated with mosquito repellent

I finally bought this net, brand TravelSafe, at bol.com, and it seemed to be one of the few with all my requirements. It came nicely wrapped with an orange bag and it weighs about half a kilo, which is very handy if you need to take it with you in a suitcase. This net is 220x105x200cm, it fits perfectly, and according to the description it has 225 holes per inch, so the mesh is fine enough to avoid mosquitos coming in.

It comes with a white rope and 4 hooks so that you can hang it by drilling holes into the ceiling. I have tried that system before, and it should work perfectly fine with normal adults. However, my children have a tendency to regard almost everything around them as a toy, and they pull the net when coming in and out of bed. The result is that it came loose, and the holes were destroyed.

Luckily for me, I live in the middle of nowhere, but I have a carpenter workshop in from of the door. How lucky is that? I showed them my design, and this is the result. Although it seems dirty, it is important that the net touches the floor, to avoid the mosquitos going under it, and it looks better if it goes over the frame instead of hanging from it.

Some more pictures, for those who may want to give it a try themselves.

How to prepare a super simple treasure hunt

Happy birthday Anna!

Today is my daughter's birthday, and she could choose whether she wanted something special. This year she wanted again a treasure hunt, not during her party, but early in morning before going to school. That meant a treasure hunt at 6.30am!

Well, that only happens once a year, so I prepared everything the night before. I found some scrap paper, and folded it in two, and glued some white paper on top so that the letters would be easy to read.

Then, decide on the number of steps in your treasure hunt. Considering ours had to happen at 6.30am, I kept it to three steps. Choose the places where you will hide the cards, presents, or whatever you want to hide. Then draw each place, or question, in a different sheet of paper (I used an A5). You definitely do not need to be an artist, or have any drawing skill for it.

Almost there. Now you staple it in order, the paper with the first step on top of it. Each paper needs a different staple, so when one later is taken off, the other one remains stapled.

Happy treasure hunting!

Cooking omelettes as mini-pancakes

I hear it often from other parents: "I don't know what to cook anymore! I am running out of ideas!" I have the same feeling, particularly since I have started to cook lunch everyday for my children, (and dinner too!)

Sometimes it helps to just look at your fridge, and see what is left in terms of vegetables. So I found a piece of cabbagge, carrots, and half onion. Which did not look like a promising meal that my children would gladly eat!

Without losing hope, I remembered an Indian recipe of egg balls, and since we recently bought a pan to make the Dutch "poffertjes", I decided to give it a try, and cook them.

So, here it goes the recipe to make vegetables and egg "poffertjes":

Ingredients:

• Two carrots
• Half an onion
• A quarter of a cabbage
• 4 eggs
• Salt

Instructions:

• Shred your vegetables, if you have a food processor, use it, otherwise, use a hand-mixer, a grater, or a knife
• Mix them in a bowl
• Add the eggs, and mix them (or you could also mix the eggs in a different bowl)

• Add the mixture into the pan to bake poffertjes
• Wait a couple of minutes, and remove the omelettes
• You are pretty done, if you do not have a "poffertjes" pan (most likely unless you are a Dutch person), try a flat omelette and cut the omelette in circles. Keep the omelette edges for the salad

Now, I just filled the bottom of the food container with the salad made of shredded cabbage, carrots and onion, and on the top I placed the mini omelettes.

Enjoy cooking and eating (unless you are making this for your children's lunch)!

Internet safety

This is the last post on a series of three posts concerning the use of technology by children.

Key principles for all age groups concerning internet safety:

• Keep lines of communications open.
• Create a list of internet rules with your kids (See Rules 'N Tools Youth Pledge)
• Set parental control at the age appropriate levels and use filtering and monitoring tools as a complement -not a replacement- for parental supervision.
• Supervise all internet-enabled devices and keep computers in a public area of the home.
• Encourage your kids to come to you if they encounter anything online that makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened (Stay calm and don't blame your child; otherwise, they won't turn to you in the future for help when they need it).
• Teach them not to interact with people they don't know offline, because an online predator or cyberbully can disguise him/herself.
• Check the history file on your computer to see which sites your child has accessed.
• Teach your child the golden rule: do unto others as they would have done unto themselves. Research shows that children who are victimised online have often behaved aggressively online.
• Keep doing research, e.g. google acronyms so that you understand the language children are using online.

TV watching suggestions

After a meeting with the ISKR counsellor, Suzy Cheal, we received the following suggestions around TV watching:

• Keep TVs out of the bedroom. Children are more likely to watch a lot more TV (and at times when you can't control it) when the TV is in their rooms. Plus, it's harder for you to monitor what they're watching when they're behind closed doors.
• Turn off the TV during meals. Make mealtime a family time.
• Watch what your kids watch. Talk about what they're seeing. Ask provocative questions such as, "What do you think of that character driving all that alcohol?" State your values clearly. "I don't like it when people swear. I don't want you to swear either."
• If you have a TV set that you bought after January 200, then the TV most likely has V-chip technology. This allows you to block programs that you don't want your child to watch. To setup the V-chip, check your TV's instruction manual or visit the on-screen menu options on your TV. The V-chip is controlled through your TV set's remote.
• If you have cable with hundred's of channels and many setup options, you probably have digital cable. Digital set-top boxes provide advanced parental control capabilities. The features vary by manufacturer and model, but you can typically find specific instructions on how to set up parental control through on-screen manes controlled by your remote control.
• Be aware that other families may not have controls on their TVs, so children often will spend time in homes that do not have parental controls.

Cyber safety and how to help children use technology

I have been worried about technology for a while. What to do, when, how, are there general good practices in this area?

We received lots of practical advice from the counsellor at ISKR, Suzy Cheal. She explained that, in her experience the biggest issue with technology is when it becomes an alternative to interaction between parents and children. Or when boundaries aren't set early enough, e.g. children are allowed to play video games that are not appropriate for their age, or parents let children watch tv until late at night because it is easier than insisting that children go to bed.

General rules she proposed:

• Technology should serve the family and bring you closer; it should not make your family its servant and keep you apart.
• Parents are their children's first and best teachers. Model appropriate technology and media behaviour for your kids.
• Using cell phones, computers, televisions and other electronic devices is a privilege for kids, not a right.
• Set a family media policy. Decide who can use what forms of technology, what constitutes appropriate content for each one, when and where it is acceptable to use each one, and how you will monitor usage. Make sure everyone in the family knows the policy.
• Establish appropriate consequences, both positive and negative, for technology and media usage. Communicate those consequences clearly and often to your kids.
• Establish "technology-free" zones and times in your home when you all "unplug" and concentrate on talking to each other and enjoying each other's company.
• Help your children achieve balance in their lives by encouraging them to stay physically active, enjoy reading, and relax and have fun without electronics.
• Take advantage of resources that "watch" media content, and use them to help you decide when you should say "Yes" or say "No" to your children's media/technology use.
• Talk with other parents. Let them know what your family technology and media policy is and ask how they handle those issues in their homes. Support each other in helping kids use technology and media safely and appropriately.

Advice for children up to 5 years old:

Television

• The American Association of Paediatricians recommends no screen time for children under 2 on the basis that they have seen no studies that prove conclusively that it aids development.
• Limit screen time to 2 hours a day or less for children over the age of 2. Practice "appointment" television. Use your TV guide, and decide in advance what's good to watch. 

Cell phones

• Pay attention to the messages you model - stay off the cell phone and other electronic devices when you're driving or engaged in other activities that deserve your full attention.

Advice for 6-9 years old

Online safety

Content blockers and filters are great tools to use with younger kids. They allow you more control over where they go and what they do online. A content blocker sites with explicit material or limits a child's search to a predetermined set of sites. A content filter scans sites and images and blocks those that contain certain words, key phrases or content.

Look at games or sites with children

• If your children has mobile internet access, it will  be more difficult to monitor and control his or her internet use.
• Nothing can replace involvement and supervision by adults. Keep monitoring how your kids use the internet on a regular basis.

Next post on TV watching and internet safety!

How to cross the border between Uganda and Rwanda

Well, this is not exactly a post about children. It is a post that can make your life easier if you need to cross the Ugandan-Rwandan border at Gatuna.

We went on holidays to Uganda from Rwanda, and on our way there we had quite some delay because we did not know what we had to do exactly. Having three children in the back of the car, and having them going in and out the car several times did not help to have a good start of the holidays!

So, on our way back, I made a small list with the steps to be taken when crossing the border, this time from Uganda to Rwanda.

1. Cross the first gate
2. Go to the Ugandan Immigration Office. Get the passports stamped. Give the Interstate Pass that you got when leaving Rwanda.
3. Go to the police station. Show your car papers, driving licence and the driver's passport.
4. Go to Uganda Revenue Authority and get a stamp.
5. Go in the car and cross the second gate. You will cross a river over a bridge.
6. You will get your temperature checked.
7. Cross the third gate.
8. Go to the Rwandan Immigration Office (entry). Get the passports stamped.
9. Go to Customs.
10. Go to the police station, and show paper from previous police station.

11. Cross the fourth gate, and give the paper you received from the police.

Good luck!

Sibling rivalry: what to do as parents?

Brothers and sisters fight from time to time; and which is the role that we as a parents need to take? Few months ago we had a session with the counsellor at the International School of Kigali; and she gave us quite some tips. Since I found them quite useful; I am summarising some of them below - I hope they are useful for you too!

• Don´t be the referee. Have a consequence for all of the children if there are arguments and have a reward for all of the children if they can get along for a certain amount of time.
• However, have consequences for significant acts that hurt another so that it is clear where the boundaries are.
• Encourage children to come up with a compromise/solution to what they are arguing about.
• Ensure restitution, e.g. if something is broken on purpose how can the one at fault replace it?
• Describe the behaviour you want to see, e.g. "we speak to each other nicely" rather than "we don´t call each other names".
• Praise problem solving and getting on, when it happens.
• Encourage siblings to compliment each other. Go round in a circle giving compliments and then have each person say how it felt to be told something nice/be praised.
• Use special time for each children individually so that they feel less of a need to compete with their siblings for parental attention.
• Help children to identify when arguments are going to happen, e.g. what does their sibling look like when they are really angry. Then suggest walking away at that point until they have calmed down.

And here goes some more explanation on the psychodynamic perspective of sibling rivalry:

The oldest child experience the shock of losing the exclusive relationship with parents, their world changes entirely for them. The younger siblings never know a world without the oldest sibling/s, however, each time a new child comes along they experience the loss of their parents attention.

Families require different roles for different family members, e.g. the organised one, the naughty one, the helpful one, the funny one. It is normal to have roles that people take on but it is important to not let children become stuck in these roles, e.g. especially the naughty one, the one that fails. Remind children that everyone has different parts of themselves and it is ok to show all of the different parts, e.g. the angry part, the good part, the part that wins, the part that fails.

If two people clash strongly (as some siblings do) then it is likely that each person unconsciously wishes to be more like the other person but feels they have to suppress that part. When people see things from each others point of view and can understand that each person would like to be more like the other one then there is opportunity to move away from the rivalry.

Be ware that sibling rivalry helps shape future relationships, both friend relationships and work relationships. For example, if you have only sisters you may find yourself more competitive with girls. If you are a girl with brothers, you may find that you get better with boys. So it is important to help children work through sibling rivalry.

Cosmo in Barcelona

No, sometimes it is not easy to go with children to a café. Specially in the center of Barcelona, cafés tend to be narrow, with all the tables crumbled together. The stroller? No space for it.

Cosmo is different. They define themselves as café & art gallery, which is not what makes a parent with children think: "Hey, let´s go in!" But it is in fact, a very child-friendly place. It is located in Enrique Granados 3, between Diputació and Consell de Cent, so central and easy to reach. That piece of Enrique Granados is pedestrian, so it is great for children to play around or cycle in their bikes without the risk of being run over a car.

The drinks. Cosmo has a pretty good list of freshly made juices, which are a good option for children. Today we ordered apple, peer, orange and lemon juice (all mixed together), and Nicolas drank it in one go. I had to beg for a sip! Other options include juices with ingredients such as carrot, ginger, cucumber, which maybe are not so child friendly, but I think I will give it a try next time. The regular coffees, and a nice variety of teas are also available.

There is also a car for pedalling and a box with little toys, in case you did not bring anything with you to keep your child entertained. At the back of the place, there is a low table and chairs for children to draw.

Food. Well, we did not have anything to eat this morning so maybe that is a good reason to come back!

Apps review: Toca Tailor

I have been for a while trying and checking apps for the children. Honestly, I think it is a good practice just not to allow them to use my phone for playing. "My phone is not a toy", that is usually my answer. But there are always exceptions; like waiting for the doctor, long car trips, or other moments when the phone and its apps are actually handy.

So, one app which I find quite funny is Toca Tailor, made by Toca Boca. It allows you to dress a character and choose the clothes, textiles, and accessories. According to the designer:

"The aim of this digital toy is to combine the exciting feeling from a playful dress up party with the freedom of turning shapes, colours and patterns into garments and creating your own outfits. Here you not only choose your clothes - you get to design them yourself. In Toca Tailor your imagination is your wardrobe's limit."

They have the Toca Tailor Fairy Tales version with a couple of characters, and that one is for free. Get it to try the app! In Toca Tailor, you can play with four characters and more options; I bought it and I am quite happy about it. You can also take pictures of textiles you like and use them in your chosen clothes. Or place the character in your room and take a picture of it.

This is the result of Anna´s work, which I found in the Camera roll of my phone; quite nice!

Helping at home: Cleaning the car

Paul really wanted to help at home. And I think that is a great thing to encourage; specially nowadays when children seem to be easily spoiled!

My suggestion: Paul, why don´t you clean the car? Of course, much welcome since it involved a combination of climbing on stairs, playing with water and soap, and doing something which could be potentially dangerous. Using a winter coat (not to get wet) and rain boots added to the fun...

Songs meant for adults that you can listen with your children

"Oiga usted, no se ría, de la bruja avería,..."

I have been thinking for a while; which kind of music is nice to hear with our children?
We do have the usual CDs of children music; and I have to say that the Dutch ones we listen to are quite nice (animal songs, Kinderen voor Kinderen, the typical Sinterklaas and Christmas ones...)

So, I was happy when I found this book during my last holiday in Barcelona: 100 canciones de adultos para oír con niños (100 songs for adults to listen with children). Just something I was looking for!

We did a first trial with one of the songs suggested: No se ría, sang by Santiago Auserón. Paul really loved it, and we had to play it around 10 times! I actually knew it from the time I was a child; how could it be I did not think about it? I guess all Spanish my age remember the Bruja Avería; don´t you?

What to do with kids in Barcelona? Science Museum

During spring break we were in Barcelona, and we took the children to the Science Museum, called CosmoCaixa. I really recommend it! As a child, I used to love going there with the school. A lot of things have changed since then, and the building was totally renewed in 2004.

It is very entertaining, not only for the children, but I think also for the parents. One advice: do not try to watch it all if you have small children! By the way, can you guess what is going on in the picture below?

I recommend the area with the replica of the Amazon rainy forest, since children tend to love animals. The fishes are impressive!

And if you need to take a break or eat a snack, just go outside. In the picture below, we were playing with the antennas, placed about 30 meters from each other. One person has to talk into one, and the other one can listen to what is being said through the other antenna. Quite cool!

I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did!

Driving in Kigali

Ok, this post is actually just an assignment that I have to do for the studies I am following. So, enjoy the videos, this is the way I take to go and pick up my children from school in Kigali, Rwanda!

Birthday cake

Buying a birthday cake in a bakery? Here in Kigali, it is not so simple. You can see Paul´s birthday cake below; he was very happy with it.

What I used to make a simple cake a bit more special:

- Cover made with Nestlé dark chocolate

- Sugar stars in different colours 

- Dr. Oetker painting tubes, to easily write the name

- A cookie with the shape of a number 5 

- A firework stick

- A paper umbrella

- Candles

We had a lot of fun!