Pirates!

Carnaval has just passed, but dressing up as pirates is something you can do at any time of the year.

The day care had organized a carnival party, so children could go with a special outfit. Paul is really picky regarding what he wants to wear, so I thought it made no sense to buy him something. He would probably just not want to wear it.

So... we made his pirate outfit together. I took some pieces of colored felt, and he could choose the colors he liked (he chose blue and red, not a surprise). Then he could cut them in little pieces and point where he wanted them placed in his trousers, T-shirt and hat. I just sew them in the right spot and it was ready!

On the day itself I used some special pens to paint his face, and obviously he also wanted to paint himself some extra lines in his face.

The result is the one below!

Handmade dog with toilet paper roll

I am always surprised by how patient the care takers of my children are.
Paul comes again and again with handmade stuff he does during the day. And I know that the care takers have to help around with more than one child at the time!

So, here is one of the little pieces of art: a handmade dog made with a toilet paper roll.

Merry Christmas!

Another beautiful card made by my sister... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Working from home with a sick child

Myth or reality?

Is it possible to do any work AT ALL while taking care of your sick 2-year-old child? Well, I cannot say that working 8 hours is fully feasible. But playing small games does the trick for a while.



Usually opening my laptop is totally impossible, since Paul wants to do "something" as well with it. So this time he was allowed to put stickers around, as well as in his book. Well, you can see the result! I recommend the albums from Hema, good value for money.

Do you know a preschooler who would like to get a “pilot certificate”?

I got the following request from Zsofia Takacs, a research master student in Education and Child Studies at the Leiden University. Contact her directly if you are interested!


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Do you know a preschooler who would like to get a “pilot certificate”?

For our research on the effects of illustrations in picture storybooks we are looking for native English-speaking 4-5 year-olds. If you know English-speaking families, are interested or would like more information, please contact: Maria de Jong (Leiden University), jongtm@fsw.leidenuniv.nl or phone: 071-5273881.

Roetz Bikes coming soon!

I wrote in one of previous posts about Roetz Bikes. Short update: they have their new website live now!

Few other news:

• Serial production of the bicycle is planned for May/June
• Several small trial series will be run in the spring to refine the bike

People can contact Tiemen (the brain and heart behind the Roetz Bikes) at info@roetz-bikes.nl for more info on the bike, and to register for one of the trial bikes.

Are you as curious as me to see how this bike made of recycled parts will look like? I can not wait!

The Idan Raichel Project

Listening to quiet, calm and relaxing music should be an unmissable part of any mama day. So, here is my tip: The Idan Raichel Project.



I found it during a trip to Israel. I am not much seduced by typical souvenirs, you know, the T-shirt saying 'Jesus loves you' or 'I have been in Jerusalem'. So when I found a mini book/music store hidden in a coffee bar, I thought it was my chance to buy some Israelian music. The shop attendant recommended me a couple of CDs, fine with me.

To my surprise, I found out that there are two Spanish songs in the CD: "Todas las palabras", and "Cada día'.

Lyrics are simply a jewel to listen to:

"Todas las canciones, todas las palabras vienen y bailan
con el sonido que hace el viento cuando se acerca a tu boca y tu piel
mírame un instante, toca este silencio que ya se apaga
y abraza el aire que se vuelve cielo dentro de tu aliento y mi sed..."

"All song, all words, come and dance
With the sound the wind makes when approaching your mouth and your skin
Look at me for an instant touch this silence that is ending
And embrace the air turning into sky inside your breath and my thirst"