Eoghain and Tanja visit

Neo catching some winter sunshine






Amie working on her best photo face (that's a raisen in her teeth btw, not a cavity :)


On the train to Hamburg


This weekend we had a visit from Eoghain and Tanja. We took them into the Christmas Market in Hamburg on Saturday. The weather was cold, but at least it wasn't raining (as we forgot the raincover)

Christmas Markets are really nice, they're full of...

Gluwein..


..food..


..fairground rides...


..and bright lights




The only bad thing is that they are pretty cold! Lucky Noah and I had matching hats



I think he carries off this look better than me


On the way home after a tiring day

Time flies

He'll kill me for this when he's older :)

Sorry that it's been awhile since we last posted. Been having some camera/pc issues. But they're talking to each other now, so that's ok. Well Noah is exactly 10 months old today, I cannot believe how time has flown.. where is my 'ickle 'wickle baby gone? He's crawling about the place, walking by pushing chairs around and generally being a very happy laid back little chappie.. thankfully.
Amie with her stickers on her nose.

I think Noah is going to be a super hero when he's older, mostly because he wears tights (only when I dress him, Rich refuses to see the logic.. think it's a man thing) but also because he's going to have a super immune system. That can be his super-power, Immune System Boy. The reason he has such a good immune system (don't read this if you're eating) is because he seems to think the downstairs loo is put there especially for him to gum on, and generally try to climb into. Considering I have to take him into the loo with me sometimes, it's become a bit of a competition to see who gets to the bowl first. I have to be pretty quick to sit down before he gets to it, while also being careful not to actually sit down on the little guy, and give him flashbacks to his birth or something. It's all good fun being a mum, how I look forward to the day I can go to the loo without an audience :)


We had Sally and Tjeerd here to visit us last weekend, it was so nice to see them again and they had a blast in Hamburg. I was trying to get a nice photo of Amie and Sally together, but Amie was being very 2 at the time, and not co-operating.


Also, I've been trying to upload videos on here, there's some nice ones of Amie on the pony and Noah with his walker but so far I don't seem to be able to. I'll put some up as soon as I figure out how!

Back to Holland

Amie tells Gerda something funny about life in Germany..


Amazingly Amie's actually had her first hair cut. It's the fastest 6 euros the hairdresser ever made... but thought it'd be good to see how Amie reacted to having her hair cut by a professional, rather than me just attacking her fringe with the scissors. She seemed to enjoy it, and sat very still.


Amie looking very happy indeed to see her uncle Eoghain...


.. and aunty Tanja

We travelled to Haarlem this weekend to see all our friends there.. or at least as many as we could in 1 full day. A 4 1/2 hour drive that took us around 5 1/2, so not bad going. We were based in Haarlem because we were very lucky that one of Richard's friends let us have his appartment, THANK YOU again Sander... very nice man! The roadtrip was a huge success and we plan to go back soon and catch up with all the people we didn't have time to this time. Amie's magic armbands and homeopathic tablets worked a treat, and she didn't even complain of feeling ill once. Normally we need to change her clothes at least once when we go out in the car because she gets sick, so even though I didn't believe they would make a difference, they did. Proves that I'm wrong sometimes, I guess (don't tell Rich I said that)


The last time we saw Vera she was still crawling, and now she's walking around with a lot of hair looking very grown up. Amie eventually noticed this and said "Look mammy, Zera's walking!" Here she is checking that Noah's comfotable enough in her highchair.




What a cutie!




Katrina, Walter, Zoe (Vera's mum) and Amie

Walter was very very happy to see Amie again. He's been in love with her for a long time now, wooing her with bits of food at playgroup, and taking her for romatic rides in his bakfiets.. and he still sees her every day and gives her food according to his mum. Nice to know that a little distance isn't going to get in his way!


Samatha and Cylvana, Amie's best friends from our old neighbourhood were delighted to spend some time with Amie again.


A flying visit to see Milo, who was 3 on Saturday. Happy Birthday! I'm not sure what Valetina is doing...but having 2 young children can do strange things to a person (see next pic)


(sorry Val ;)


Noah very kindly helped with the packing, by packing himself!


Sally and Amie had a bit of a wild rumpus, while Tjeerd looks on bemused.


Teaching them everything she knows...


Aunty Sal.. aww, cute pic :)

We're up and running

Ok so we're back. I've charged the battery, the one for the camera, if not my own. We had a really nice morning this morning, thanks to a kind neighbour of ours called Ute. Ute is a retired teacher, and I think she feels sorry for me because Richard has been travelling away so much with work recently. So, on Friday she offered to take the kids and I to the Wildegehegen http://www.forst-hamburg.de/wildgehege.htm . Sorry the webpage is in German, it's basically a forest with wild animals, like boar and deer, owls and goats roaming around.. very nice for children to run about in and get muddy!

It was a bit of a stressful car jounery, because Amie has recently developed travel sickness, and I did not want her furthering this latest developement in the back of my neighbours car! Luckily we managed to get there and back without any problems, apart from Noah crying on the journey home because... well because that's what Noah DOES in cars.. he crys. He's one of the few babies in the world that doesn't like being in his buggy or in cars. We will see if Ute ever braves the journey with us again :)

Ute also told us about this place.


It's a really cute little stables, where for a mere 6 euros per half hour you can take a stroll in idylic woodland leading your child on a sweet tempered pony. At least, that's what I thought. However, having paid our money and allowing Amie to pick the pony (of course she wanted to go on the biggest one there) we set off. About 4 minutes into the walk, the pony stopped walking and refused to start again. Now, I like to think of myself as a horsey person... mainly because over a decade ago, I was, and I dont like to admit the march of time has diminshed my skills somewhat. But dimished they have, as the mule disguissed as a pony was delighted to show me. I tried coaxing him along, pulling him along, hitting his rump (as with everything the old adage goes, if it's not working, hit it... applies to Senseo machines, and ponies).





Having read Black Beauty about 50 times as a child, I tried a bit of gentle coaxing, and gave him an apple. I mean, I'm on his side. I can see why he might not want to walk around with a little brat on his back for the 100th time that morning.. so I thought, I'll be nice, give him an apple.. coax him round. He almost devoured my fingers in the process of eating the apple.. and I managed to nudge him along about 50 meters using the apple as a bribe.. but the apple was soon up, and so was my luck. The girl from the stables came out a few times, and as with all good riding school ponies, he started walking the minute he saw her... but she had to go back to the stables after a few minutes and I was on my own. The problem was I didn't want to try any heavy handed tactics with him in case he careered off into the bushes with Amie on his back... and he knew he had the upper hoof. After about 15 minutes, a woman walked by with her pony heading towards the stable, so we followed them back. He was more than happy to walk home of course!.. Humiliated and humbled we set off for some coffee and cake at the restaraunt nearby and sat in the sunshine. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning !

I'm not sure what happed with the Desperate Dan shadow on my face, I did shave this morning! :)

Yesterday we went to the local swimming pool.. I didn't take the camera there, but we had a really super time. Especially Amie, who insisted on swimming around by herself, with her armbands of course. Noah also had a good kick about with his little legs :)

We have a puppy

Well no, not a real puppy.. but I swear, Noah is turning into one. Having him around is more like having a puppy than a baby. I must apologise for the lack of photo's here... I cannot find the battery charger for the camera anywhere.. will have a proper look this week. And when I get it up and running, I'm going to show you a video of Noah playing 'Fetch" with his ball. We have a small toy for him, a woodden box with 3 wooden balls that he can push through the holes, he's busy now going after the balls and bringing them back to the toy to do it all over again.. pretty clever huh? :)

He's also standing these days, Rich had to lower his cot last night. He's favourite game at the moment is to use me as a climbing frame. I lie on the bed on my back or even better, my side, and he clambers over me... and then back again. And then crawls up to my face to give me a bit sloppy slobber and tries to bite my nose. I'm going to change his name to Fido. :)

In other news, both Amie and Noah got a Hep B vaccination today.. or as Amie calls it, rather aptly I think, "an ow-jection". I was proud of Amie as she didn't cry, though to be honest that's probably because she didn't know what to expect. Noah had a little cry, but wasn't too upset. I hope they'll both have no side effects from it.

Will update pics soon!

It's been a while..

..since I last mustered up the energy/motivation to post. There's a huge pile of ironing waiting for me, so ever one to give into procrastination.. I'm sitting here updating the blog.. hurrah for crinkled clothes (I'm sure they're in fashion now.. somewhere).


Noah's now got a tooth, as Rich discovered when he bit his finger last week! He's crawling about the place at great speed, and waving (I think Amie can take credit for teaching him that). He's also saying "mamamam" and "dadda", and generally being a very cute little chap.




Amie kindly gave up her chair, so Noah could use it as a highchair. He seems pretty happy about it.


"I'm a little Dutch girl.." Amie enjoys wearing her clogs, it's a pity that they are actually, offically a size too small.. but considering they don't look that comfortable anyway, I don't think she's even noticed. She'll be cramming her foot in, ugly sister style, for a few more weeks to come I think.


This seemed like a good idea at the time, after 5 mins Amie gets pretty heavy though.

So, a lot has happened in a month. Both Granny and Grandad O'Brien have been over to Wedel to see the grandchildren, Rich has been to China and South Africa and we've all been to the UK to see Nana, Pa and the rest of Rich's family! I feel I now have some excuse for leaving it so long between updates, especially as it takes ages to upload these pictures. But I know the pictures of Amie and Noah are the whole reason you click on here.. so I'd best get on with it and quit talking :)


Amie walking to school. She insisted on walking with her bag on her back, even though it's a 20 minute walk (15 if I manage to get her to go in the buggy) and the bag was quiet heavy... at least it uses up her energy (that's grandad in the distance pushing Noah :)

Amie's speaking is coming on, though sometimes she makes me laugh... she says "Oh my cushions" when she means "Oh my goodness" for example, and when she says "Goodnight retard" to me, what she actually means is "Goodnight sweetheart" (or at least that's what I tell myself).


My favourite view of Amie, asleep and not causing choas!


Noah was happy chewing on toys, while Amie enjoyed playing connect 4 with her two cousins at Nana and Pa's.


Noah and Benjamin seem to be enjoying themselves. Every time we get the kids together we try to get a nice photo of them all.. but there's always on picking their nose (or the nose of their neighbour) and it's just generally not possible...but still fun to try.


Amie having fun at the 5 star cat hotel Neo and Jessie stayed in while we were in the UK.


This is the closest I'm ever going to get to getting a picture of Amie with pigtails.. even though her hair is, just, long enough to have a bobbin in.. being the tomboy she is, she doesn't like having anything in her hair and pulls them out the minute she gets a chance.

For Nana and Pa and Daddy

Noah about to enjoy his first Starbucks experiance. It was his first time sitting in a highchair too :)

We miss you! Amie had a bit of a cry saying "I want my daddy" tonight when I was trying to get her to go up to bed, she then decided that she wanted nana and pa :( Which is a real shame, since they are half way home to their house by now. Nevertheless, she eventually went up to bed, and was really good since she knew she that I had to feed Noah and put him down too.


Amie having a chat with nana and pa while riding on her horsey


Noah and Amie enjoying a train ride to Hamburg


Noah has two facial expressions, this is one of them.. and the one we like best. The other usually involves loads of tears and crying.