Tick, Tick

Numbers 11 and 18 of my list of 26 got ticked off while Mum and Kati were here.  

Early one Friday morning we headed up north to the Alkmaar cheese markets.  

The crowds were thick but we eventually made it to the fence to watch the action of the cheese being shuffled around by men in funny hats.  The Dutch sure are an interesting bunch.  

After this we stocked up on poffertjes (little pikelet things) and wandered around the town.  

Kati was intent on going to see the street performers, good idea Kati Mac, these girls were fab!  

Then to finish off our adventure Kati had a go in Het Concert Des Levens (The Concert of The Lives) by the Odd Enjinears.  

I'm guessing that Kati will post about this one eventually so I'll just put up a little picture.  

Before Mum left Amsterdam we headed to the Anne Frank House, number 18 on my list.  

No photos were allowed in the Museum so I stole this one and a few other ones that are so blurry and dark I have no idea what they are.  

It's an interesting visit, and the people who helped them out are totally inspiring.  I always wonder what I would have done if I had been around then.

I thought I was flying through my list but I just counted it up and I have 17 to go.  Here's hoping I'm done by April 26 2009!

Aunt Irma

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramdiboy/2735324242/
Just letting you know that we have a new name for 'that time of the month' or the menstruation period!
We say the Aunt Irma has come to visit! We stole it off a show that Pobj and I watched the other night! I like it...it makes me laugh and I cannot ever remember laughing at my period!
So this month girls, I hope Aunt Irma has a pleasant visit and you don't have to bring out the hot water bottle!

A rose by Any other Name

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rizalgeo/422936927/
There are a few things that you think about when you are choosing a name for your baby....like, is there anything rude or awful that it rhymes with? Like, can it be shortened to anything rude or horrible? Like, is it a name that looks good on a baby and on a 57 year old? Like, will my child hate me for naming them this?
These are a few of the questions that we asked when we where naming both Connor and Mackenzi...what we didn't ask was, when they are learning to spell their name and write it down so they can label worksheets, sign cards and give away their autographs, how hard is it going to be for them to learn it.
Connor picked his name up quickly and well. He had it easy....2 n's, 2 o's and C and r. It's a no brainer!
And then there is Mackenzi. What were we thinking? We gave the girl a major task. An 8 letter name and all different letters..especially the a, k, e...some or the hardest letters to write. I have been working on her writing her name for months now. Up until yesterday she had the M and the z and the i down pat. Mzi is a pretty cute name and totally suits her, but we like Mackenzi. So we persevered.
We used shaving cream, glue with string, sand and flour. Yesterday we got out a pencil and some pretty purple paper. She sat and wrote Macknezi...close, very close. Next she wrote Macenzi...really, really close. The third attempt was on the money. We got a Mackenzi!!!! She got so much praise and adoration that she hasn't stopped writing her name since then. When Connor sat down to do his homework this afternoon Kenzi sat with her pencil and purple paper and wrote a total of 15 Mackenzi's.
So sound the trumpets and roll out the red carpet, my baby girl is ready for Kindy!
(Her mummy isn't!)

I am travelling-yipeeee!!

Can't do picts but look at these

æ ø æ ø æ ø æ ø!!!!

Having a blast- thank gosh they speak english!

Clycling my bums off literally I hope!

Off for dinner and MSF presentation

so bye bye.

Oh and Ps. POST MORE you lazy gits!! xx

Mum's Off

Not off in a kind of stinky-who-is-that-smell kind of way but a she's-heading-back-down-under kind of way.  I trained her to the airport and watched until I could see her no more.  Which wasn't far considering my eyes were blurred with tears.  Thanks for coming Mum, I loved having you here.  Look after her Trinny.

All Buttoned Up

Mumska and I went to the fabric market today.  We bought buttons.  A lot of buttons.  One hundred and two buttons to be exact.  And a few metres of ribbon

Looks like the grandkids might be winning out again with this little trip.

Vonny's Submission

Fran Gianfriddo

There once was a young lad called O'Connor

Who accidentally hit his sister Kenzi on the head with a donger

She said "Oh dear me!"

And jumped into a tree

And that is the story of Kenzi and Connor

Limrick by Kati Mac

Poo, pee, poop and wee

Naughty words come so easily!

It's far too much fun,

To write and not run,

And when I win the competitors will look on measily.

BY KATI BEST AUNT, SISTER AND SISTER-IN-LAW MAC!!!!

The Flying Vonstrami

I took Mum cycling in Amsterdam the other day. We took the ferry to the northern side of Amsterdam and cycled through the beautiful streets that have less traffic on them.  A good place for Mum to start.  

She did pretty well for a beginner.  She only fell off once…on the way there.  And once…on the way back.

The first time she was getting off to walk up a steep bit and her legs got caught in the bike.

The second time she got dizzy and was off the bike but then fell over backwards into the street.  I checked that she was ok before taking the pictures, aren’t I the kindest?  After the first incident we had to have a stop along the way for Mum to wipe the tears from her eyes, she was laughing so hard she had teared up.

While I’m glad she wasn’t damages, it was VERY hilarious. But she did get better, Mum braved the streets of central Amsterdam and succeeded in cycling back to our house, you go Mum!

UPDATE:  Oops, bruises seem to be a vicious side-effect of toppling off your bike, or off the footpath.

Pancakes + Windows on the Third Floor

Andrew and I had pancakes for dinner the other night.  There were two left after we’d finished.  One of them fell into pieces when I tried to pick it up so I wrapped it up in the other one and decided to throw them in the canal for the fish/ducks/swans/swimming tourists.  Good idea?  Uh, no.  The ripped pancake made it into the canal but the whole pancake unfurled and didn’t fly quite so far.  It ended up on this car.  Pancakes for breakfast perhaps?

British Bonanza

Andrew’s dad was back in England for a few weeks so we decided that while Mum and Kati were in Italy we would head back across the water and see the more mature Worthing couple.  We flew in Friday night and back out Sunday night so it was quick but good.

On Friday night Liz presented me with a bundle of goodies that she had salvaged from Mike’s aunt’s house in Wales when they were cleaning it out.  Have a gander at these goodies, aren’t they beautiful?

On Saturday morning Andrew went for a run and I dawdled along behind with the camera.  It was so nice to walk along the water, not fighting the crowds and able to chat with the few friendly locals out for a stroll.

In the afternoon we went PYO.  Pick Your Own.  Fruit that is, not your nose.  We picked raspberries, blackberries, loganberries, blackcurrants and strawberries.  It was the perfect English summer’s day, a light breeze, a huge sky, sunshine and berries everywhere.  We ended up with stained hands, a few stained tongues, prickles in our fingers and about 6 kilos of berries, mmmm.

We detoured via Sainsbury’s on the way home so I could stock up on essentials like salt and vinegar chips and bicarb soda.  

Sarah came in late that evening on the train so we picked her up and headed home for fresh berries and cream, heaven.  And I gave Sarah the latest of my crafty endeavours, this bag lined with fabric she had found and sent over for me.

On Sunday morning Andrew and I made pancakes with berry compote for breakfast and then we piled into the car and headed to the local farmers market.  It was such a great little market with fresh breads, all sorts of jams, pickles and relishes, freshly made sausages with great sounding ingredients, locally grown fruit and veg and lots of other delicious looking stuff.  

I loved the guy selling these pork and stilton pies and game pies, good English Worthing food!  

We went to church with Mike while Liz prepared lunch at home and then we all sat down to Omani lamb, mmmm again.  More berries with meringue and cream after that.  I can officially say that no, you can’t ever have too many berries.  I’ve tried my best and have yet to succeed.  

Andrew and his mum boiled up gallons of jam in the afternoon and then we headed back to Amsterdam with our bags full of crimson-filled jars.  We flew both ways on fairly small planes and I know have a new-found love, watching the wheels.  Strange but true.  We flew all over the Netherlands before landing, it was fantastic to have my nose pressed against the window spotting windmills and flower fields and yachts in full sail.  And now we’re home. I’m back into the business of being on holidays for another week and Andrew is back at work.  Someone has to pay for our European jaunts!

What's in the Box with the Dots!

http://sunshine-wishes.blogspot.com/2007/10/guess-what.html
(I hope I am not breeching any copy write laws by using this image - I love it!)
Everybody likes surprises and because it's August and because I feel like reading a limerick or two here is what you have to do.
Write a limerick to add to our comments. I will read them to my family and they will laugh and choose the best one. That person will then be sent a dotty, spotty box or bag with some special somethings inside. It will be a surprise for you when you open it....but I promise it won't be a bag of cow manure (That is saved for my garden) It will be something deliciously surprising and wonderfully whimsical.
You have until August 15th to write and send your limericks. So rhyme away. Don't delay. Do it today. Don't watch Home and Away. Have your say. Write a limerick today!