Today is Milla's first trial day at the elementary school which she will start attending on her 4th birthday!
When we dropped her off in her classroom, she swiftly and quietly joined the group, she sat herself down next to her teacher and waved at us. No fuss, no drama. Just like a big girl!
Amerigo, the horse, gets the usual staple. She sings him a song every evening when she sets her shoes before the door.
Sinterklaas hasn't had the time to shop for little presents recently. Milla who runs to the door every morning only to find pepernoten, (tiny little cookies) in a small parcel in her shoes is complaining. "Cookies will make me fat! Why doesn't he give me a toy?"
Sinterklaas has to pull his/her socks up. He/she needs to do some shopping. The business trips and burning the midnight candle behind the computer, doing contracts and proposals, aren't helping.
On Sunday, (Tante) Des and Tessie (her dog) came to visit us. We went for a long walk in the forest and had a lovely lunch in Bovenkerk. It was gezellig, cosy!
After the walk, we came home and watched Kung-Fu Panda together. Then Milla insisted we Skype with Chris who literally just stumbled into his hotel room at 1am (in Hong Kong). Milla now thinks everyone (including the sun (seriously)) can be Skyped!
We had a very sweet, quality Mummy & Milly weekend.
Chris says Milla is the "new" Nina. I pray she'll be anything but like her mother or else a zillion times better!
I was away (on business) in Dubai, earlier this week. Chris sent Milla to stay with her Oma as he too had to fly off to Taipei.
I fetched Milla from her Oma's house, to bring her home last night. It is good to be together again. I have missed her so much during my trip and every time I called home she said, "Mummy, I don't like it that you go away...".
Milla has been busy playing kitchen assistant chez Oma Connie while we were away.She was very proud to tell me the tale of her contribution to food preparation. Such a girlie-girl.
** Photos courtesy of Oma Connie, my tech-savvy mother-in-law.
Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) is in the country again! Milla's face was painted black (upon her request) to resemble one of the zwarte Pieten, black Peters! We also bought her the gaudy zwarte piet outfit to boot.
And boy, was Milla excited?
I am way behind with posting on this blog. My workload is literally insurmountable. Combining that with household matters means I barely get any rest these days. Plus, I am travelling (internationally) quite intensely for work. Which frankly speaking may sound glamourous to some. The reality is, travelling is just God damn tiring! I also miss Milla tremendously every time I go away.
It is mushroom season.
Tomorrow, Sinterklaas is coming to town! Milla wants to be painted black to resemble the Black Peters (Zwarte Pieten).
In the evening, I am flying off to Dubai.
St.Maarten died on the 11th November. He's known for his great love for being helpful and giving to kids, the poor and people in need.
Every year on the 11th November, children in some parts of Holland (also in Belgium, Germany and Austria) celebrate his life in the same way. When the sun goes down, they sing about him when they walk the street knocking on doors with lanterns, asking for sweets.
Today is the first St. Maarten's celebration for Milla. She was terribly excited. She carried her hand-made lantern and joined the other kids in the neighbourhood for the tour, singing and asking for sweets. Chris was with them while I stayed at home waiting for the other children to arrive at my doorstep...
Note: Blackberry is great for email on-the-go but certainly not for taking photos. I need a new easy-going camera.
How much of it is nature, how much of it is nurture?
Milla has been asking us and Oma Connie for a make-up set for a while. I have been pretty much against it as I do prefer she doesn't grow up to be like me. I am a lady of high maintenance. Hence, I work. But Milla is my daughter and more so, she is also Chris's. Being a double whammy Chris-Nina combi, she doesn't give up. The charm of the forbidden made the make-up set even more desirable. Milla kept on asking for it. In a nice way, I must say.
Last weekend, we relented and got her the make-up set of her dream.
Remarkably, after 2 days of make-up application directly upon waking up, Milla has not paid the set too much attention.
Or may be I am speaking too soon?
