The Showroom

He will never cease to amaze me...

When he was 1, his pediatrician and his neuro told me he may never walk... He plays hockey and is a daredevil skier.

When he was 14 months, his same ped told me he may be dumb (yes they had great ways with words in our medical circle....)... His favorite books are encyclopedias. And look at his eyes. Do they look like he has nothing to say? LOL

He knows more about animals, insects and the world in general that most of his peers and  even surprises us - adults - all the time.

He has a constant need to know about things.

He went through some difficult times with a maturity that totally astonished me.

He is funny, very funny.

He is kind.

He will write the nicest letters, make the most beautiful drawings to bring a smile to your face.

He draws beautiful illustrations.

He is creative.

He has dreams.

He can work hard and will try to do his best.

And last Friday, after 2 weeks of rehearsing a - too difficult for him - piano piece (Morning has broken), he played it in front of 600 people in church for the official opening of the school year.

He was not nervous, I was.

I was very proud of him.

But what amazed me the most was...

He played the first 4 notes totally wrong. He had probably put his fingers on the wrong notes.

He stopped, recomposed himself, and started again, playing the best he could. And this, made me even prouder.

Again he pushed a little bit further the boundaries of my amazement for him.

House...

For the past 2 years, DH and I had been toying with the idea with moving. I like my area very much but there are a few things that made us longing for something bigger, in a nicer street, somewhere we could just redo for us. We thought the times were right. Before we know the kids are out of the house and we won't need a playroom anymore.

But we just could not find that place. Because...All criteria put together we could not play. Simple. Period. So we were about to give up and thinking we'd just refurbish our current place and forget once and for all this nice playroom we wanted.

When our agent called us one Monday 3 weeks ago. He had a house. The location was perfect, it was BIG for Dutch standard, close to kids school, dead street so kids can play outside safely. The negatives were the garden (not that big) and it was not South West as I always wanted. We went to see it and I just felt so good taking a tour. We made a bid. After further round of negotiations, they accepted our offer.

But most importantly, the bank, sent us their green light on Friday! It's getting pretty tough to get a good mortgage in these times of crisis. Especially when you ask a substantial sum on top to REDO the WHOLE house. And EXTEND it! LOL

DH and I are so excited. The kids will get a huge play/lounge room downstairs. DH and I are getting a huge bedroom. I am getting a laundry. No more ironing in the living room. Yoohoo!!! And a large office. And we are extending at the back and sideways to have big kitchen and a reading room and a nice living. I am so HAPPY.

Not looking to the 4 months of renovation though. And I'm not sure the neighbours are too! We are taking an architect as I want to make the "living" areas as modern and open as possible but keeping the areas somewhat separate. A huge project, probably lots of tears with it (not our first time) but worth it!

Walking on clouds since the message of the bank.

Interval Training..

I hate you....All my muscles hate you, including those I did not think I had in my bottom...They are stiff this morning, they make me cringe every time I move...

6 x 500m, 2 minutes recovery...

This is torture, I tell ya!

But slipping into my skinny white jeans this morning and not feeling them too tight...Yeah! It's working! 

On another note, first school trip today for Manouk, the WHOLE day. What are they thinking? lol. We could go and wave at the bus but decided otherwise. I'm not sure she would have enjoyed to watch her emotional mother make a fool of herself.

Glorious day...

Today is...For many reasons. But one in particular: it's a summer day here! It's warm, it's sunny, it feels like vacation. I skipped my run because of an alarm that did not go off. That's my excuse anyway. So the day could have started very wrongly: 30mns to get 3 kids in time at school. Let me just say, I do not like to be rushed...In the morning...But we did and all were happy and in a great mood.

Maxim, certainly because he gets to go after school to play at friend with another 3 boys, to swim in the Rotte, to enjoy a yummy BBQ, to sleep under a tent (hopefully not too late)...He was so excited.

We - the mothers - know it's a school day, but here in the NL, you need to grab a sunny day when you have the chance.

So because it's sunny and it makes me feel like vacation again, here are 3 pictures of our road trip.

The first leg was very sportive,

The second leg was cultural,

And the third was extremely relaxing,