by Clarissa | Jan 20, 2017 | family |
Starry girl is now 3. She’s definitely a getting bigger girl, but sometimes I think we forget how little she is. How much of an effort some things are for her. How much she still has to learn. It makes me think of what we say to our children. How when we want...
by Clarissa | Jan 11, 2017 | dutch life, family
In the Netherlands school is compulsory from 5, but you can attend from 4, which most children do so. This is a rolling start through the year, so the day after your 4th birthday you start school and children are starting throughout the school year. I found this a bit...
by Clarissa | Dec 30, 2016 | family |
Overall this has been a difficult year – I’ve been back to the UK for two funerals, there’s been a variety of family accidents and illnesses, and of course no-one really knows the implications of the Brexit referendum result. It has definitely been a...
by Clarissa | Dec 27, 2016 | dutch life
So it’s that time of the year again – here is our list of activities through Sinterklaas and advent. My aim (as in previous years) was to do a mix of craft and cooking activities, some seasonal things and some for other people spreading the festive cheer!...
by Clarissa | Dec 18, 2016 | family |
It struck me when the children and I were decorating our Christmas tree that every decoration is a memory of Christmases past. Especially as I try to make at least one decoration to keep each year. Our tree has a heavenly host of angels (grouped together at the top...
by Clarissa | Dec 8, 2016 | family
Over the last few months I’ve been having a good think about what we do on a daily/weekly basis. Partly instigated by the start of the new school year. Starry girl is now settled into her preschool and I felt it was time to change the other activities she does...
by Clarissa | Dec 3, 2016 | dutch life, family
We are in the middle of Sinterklaas season here at the moment. He arrives the first Saturday after the 11th November and is here til the 5th Dec – this year as the 11th November was a Friday he’s here for the longest possible. So every shop window has some...
by Clarissa | Nov 9, 2016 | Tech
I have treated myself to an activity tracker to help motivate me to be more active. I got a garmin one as my husband’s had a garmin running watch for some time, which he’s very happy with. I’ve had it for nearly two months now and it’s good....
by Clarissa | Nov 1, 2016 | dutch life, family
There used to be a sign up at my secondary school – Friendship is like an egg: hold it too tight and it cracks; hold it too loose and it drops. I am guilty of the second of those two – I find it difficult to stay in touch with people I don’t see...
by Clarissa | Oct 22, 2016 | family
It’s a funny old life really. There’s so many moments in it. Today starry girl is the same age as rocket boy was when we moved here to the Netherlands. And I can’t decide if that’s a big deal or not! And then there’s the usual upcoming...
