Sinterklaas

Last weekend, we went to meet Sinterklaas at DHs work. Son #2 and 3 participated in teh festivities. Son #1 went into the upstairs office and did his homework.
The end of an era...

Sinterklaas

Traditionally, a friend of the family came to play the "trekzak", he played all the Sinterklaas songs the kids know, so the atmosphere was OK.

Sinterklaas showed up and spent some quality time with all the kids in the family. Thely were all individualy seen by Sinterklaas and they all got a small present and some pepernoten (traditional ginger cookies).

 

And after Sinterklaas left, the Zwarte Pieten left a big bag with presents, so the pater familias, my FIL, presented the presents to all the kids in our family. Great fun, great food, a great night.

Creative

 

So, we have been very creative around the house. Son #3 made this bust of Zwarte Piet (without golden Earring!).

 

And I finished another Happy Hippo from a pattern (Heidi Bears). This one I made with DMC embroidery thread, so it is a small one, but very cute.

Sinterklaas

 

Sinterklaas is back in town, so he visited DH work, son #2 and #3 are still young enough to visit him, son #1 is a little bit old, but he tagged along, because there was a chance he would also get some presents, and he just wanted to make sure...

Luckily, they all got presents,... oof, but son #3 was especially happy with his presents, a guilty consience???

Sinterklaas

Yesterday evening we celebrated Sinterklaas at my PIL. They invited all of DH s cousins and their kids, so it was a fun family gathering. As you can see, grandpa is grandpa even to our cousins.

For people that dont know who Sinterklaas is, check out this site. It is a bit early, but as the 5th of December is during the week, we cant come to Holland, so Sinterklaas wass willing to come eralier for our kids and their cousins.

As you can see, the boys were fairly confident that everything would be OK, which was different than last year when they were quite nervous...

And offcourse our Sinterklaas is quite the showman, so he asked for a grouppic.

At night we celebrated with only the adults and son #1 was allowed for the first time to participate. We played the Sinterklaas game, a game were you all start with two presents, but you have to trade, exchange or give away presents, fun game and I was spoiled... got the CD of Fifty shades of Grey, so I did very well, considering that DH got a pack of womens magazines... Oh well, good for me, I will take them with me of ski holiday.

Sinterklaas

Yesterday evening, Sinterklaas paid our family a visit. Alle our cousins, nieces and nephews were present and we had a great time.
DH was called to Sinterklaas; because he learned son #1 a dirty Sinterklaas song, so he was naughty...
All the kids got great presents and the ones they wanted, how does Sinterklaas knows what they want???? Son#3 was so excited that after he spoke to Sinterklaas, he fell asleep in Opa´s lap.

Sinterklaas

Yesterday Sinterklaas visited DH´s work. All the kids gathered at the cantine and sang Sinterklaas songs and ate of all the goodies that were lying there, speculaas, pepernoten, banketstaaf, etc.
After Sinterklaas had met every child in person and spoke to them, they all got their presents and opened them all together. Great to see all the kids opening their presents at the same time.
Great afternoon, great Sinterklaas feest. Thanks to all the people that make it possible every year.

Weekend well spent

OK, let´s start with what I got from Sinterklaas: A DVD from La Linea, who does remember this angry little man drawn out off one line? I loved him as a kids and now you can buy all his adventures on DVD. I also got a quilt needle protector and a book to make jewellery out of candy. And all these goodies were packed in this wonderful mushroom.

Yesterday Sinterklaas visited the house of my PIL´s, so all the gandchilden gathered and also a cousin of DH with his family, she is the little girls, as our fa,mily only produced boys until now.

The kids loved his visit and were very impressed with SInterklaas´knowledge about things that happened recently. So last night they spent playing with all their toys.

That is why this morning we went out for a walk on the beach in Katwijk. Where there was still a bit of snow on the beach.

But as you can see, warm is something different, it was very cold, so after half an hour everybody was ready to go back inside.

So with Sinterklaas going back to Spain after tonight we can start preparing for Christmas. Time flies when you are having fun...

Sinterklaas at DH´ s work

Sinterklaas visited DH´s work, so offcourse were invited. But as you can see, son #3 was not sure what to think of Zwarte Piet being so close to him.

Son #2 was not shy at all and wanted a picture of himself with Sinterklaas, so Sinterklaas gave his full coorporation.

The kids were very happy with their presents, so we has a fun afternoon. Son #3 evently walked out with Sinterklaas, so luckily we saw that he ´escaped´ with the Zwarte Pieten. The older boys were worried that Sinterklaas was taking their little brother back to Spain (that is what happens to nauthy children), so luckily this was not the case and I could get son #3 back in the parking lot.

I have been crafting, I am making a table cloth with some decorations. I will make some pictures and show you all, later this week.

Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas has finally arrived! We went to meet him in Rijnsburg, so the kids were all anxious as you cna see on the pic.

He didn´t come on his horse Amerigo, but that was better because of the amount of children waiting to meet him. So he came in a carriage. After a short speech, it was time to do some games with the ´zwarte pieten´.

So the shoes can be placed in front of the fireplace tonight, and hopefully everybody has been good.

Am I ready?

So I received my Nigella Christmas cooking book. I received my order for christmas cakes and gingerbread, including a baking mold for a gingerbread house...

So I think we are reading for Christmas. But offcourse here in Belgian and especially the Netherlands, we first celebrate Sinterklaas on December 5th. I think the madness will start in two weeks, when he arrives in Holland and Belgium by boat from Spain. Son #1 already tried to place his shoe in front of the fire place, decorated with a list of toys he wants and a carrot for Amerigo (the horse of Sinterklaas). But helas, no presents, since Sinterklaas is not yet in the country...
So we will have all sorts of treats special to the celebrating of Sinterklaas, before we can start with the christmas stuff.
I heard our children are invited to meet Sinterklaas at the end of November, so I will try to make pics and post them.

Sinterklaas has left the building

Yesterday we spent the afternoon and evening celebrating Sinterklaas´ birthday. So gifts and poems were exchanged. The kids saw Zwarte Piet bring a big bag of presents, and spent most of the evening unpacking all their goodies and fell asleep very happy.
This morning at 5.45 all three woke up to play with their toys, so I was very happy that my MIL went todwnstairs with them so I could sleep a bit more.
We also visited the newest member of the family. DH´s cousing had a baby girls, so we had a quick peek at her, but the is a stunning little lady, Evenline.
This afternoon we drove back home and the boys kept asking to put up the tree. And since Sinterklaas had went back home to Spain, DH went out with the boys (it was already dark) to get the tree from our garden, and I think it is gorgeous. This is the third year we get him inside, and he keeps growing, so I hope he lives long and gives us much more happy holidays.

Sinterklaas is in the country

Yes, Sinterklaas (a dutch tradition) is back in the country and visiting all sorts of kids. This weekend he visited DH´s work and all the kids loved it. The Zwarte Pieten enterained the kids while Sinterklaas talked to the kids abouth their mischiefs this year. Afterwards all the kids got their presents and there was also a Kodak moment. Helas, son#3 looks the other way, but nevertheless an afternoon well spent.

This morning we had a tree planting event here in our community. All the kids that were born in 2008 got a three in a newly planted arboretum. So, Ruben got his own tree planted by me. DH stayed at a distance, since the place was very muddy and he was the only one not wearing rubber boots. Unfortunetaly I fogot my camera...
But there was a clown that made these balloons for the boys.

Son #3 a crocodil:

And son #3 a spiderman:

It was a very nice initiative by our community, and you never can have enough tree. Luckily (not) son #2 got his boot stuck in the mud and when trying to free himself, he fell over in... yes, you guessed it... the mud.

Sinterklaas

This is how Peter came back home on Friday. He made a Sinterklaas hat and was very proud of it, so we had to take it with us to Holland.
My PIL had planned a whole 'thing'around Sinterklaas, my FIL knocked on the door and threw candy through the letterbox, so the kids were convinced that 'Zwarte Piet'was in teh neighbourhood.
When they walk to the back door, this is what they found, lots of presents...

The boys both got a big box but inside was only two cookies. On the outside there was a poem that said that they had to search the house for the presents, so the hunt began...
They ran screaming through the house looking for clous (not sure I spell this correctly). But finally there were the presents hidden in a broom closet.

Then it took opa and aunt Marijke two hours to put the playmobil pyramid together... but then the playing started. Nic with his Egyptian playmobil and Peter got all sort of police vehicles from Playmobil.

I got a nice book about decorating children´s rooms and a new rotary cutter, mine was broken.

Yesterday we went skating with some friends of ours. They had the greatest thing to learn how to skate, a pinguin as you can see on the pic.

Afterwards, everybody was tired and we went home, the kids were watched by my PIL and we went to dinner at some friends, who made us a delicious home cooked diner.

Sinterklaas at Haffmans

Sinterklaas arrived two Saturdays ago and he paid a visit to DH work yesterday. Our kids loved it (as did all the kids) and I want to give my appreciation to the employees that made this event possible.
They split up all the kids into groups and one group at a time they talked to Sinterklaas, the other groups did games to get their 'Pietendiploma' sort of diploma to show that you can walk on a roof, do funny danses, now how to put presents down the chimney, etc.

In the aboven picture Peter is playing a game to show that you can walk on a roof with a heavy bag with goodies.

Here Sinterklaas shows Nic's 'wish list'. He cut out pictures of toys and glued them on a piece of paper. So now Sinterklaas knows what to get hime when it is his birthday.

When all the kids finished talking to Sinterklaas they got their presents form the Zwarte Pieten. Nic and Peter both got Playmobil and Ruben a soft toy. An afternoon well spent.