Biljardt Adventures!

RIBS!

2012-02-15T09:09:00.002-06:00

YUM!

15 months old - 15 maanden

Family Photos - February 2012

2012-02-05T20:28:00.002-06:00

Ok, so we tried to get all 3 kids in the same photo...and then we expected to get them all looking the same direction at the same time! Well, you can see how successful we were!

Annalies is 1!

2011-11-12T15:16:00.000-06:00

How fast life goes!

2011-08-03T11:44:00.001-05:00

So, in a few short weeks, Annalies has progressed

from this:

July 12, 2011
8 months exactly

to this!

August 3, 2011

And then there's stepping very carefully along the bars, all the way to the other end of the playpen to reach Mama! :)

Keeping Cool!

2011-07-19T15:32:00.001-05:00

Let me out!!! Or I'm going to get out by myself! :)

Ik kan wel klimmen - slim he?

Enjoying a Magnum Ice Cream bar - one way to keep cool! :)

Kan je zijn dat ik geniet van mijn Magnum ijs? Yum, lekker koel!

Het is buiten ongeveer 33-35 C, binnen 27-29 C, en vochtig, met een gevoelstemperatuur van ongeveer 40C.

Signs of Spring!

2011-04-27T14:17:00.002-05:00

rhubarb - rabarber

onions and garlic

uien en knoflook

lovage - maggi plant

Bubbles - bellen blazen!

Purple Smiles!

2011-03-04T14:46:00.001-06:00

Here is Annalies at 16 weeks! She's rolling over from tummy to back, turning around in her playpen and crib (rotating so her body faces a different way!), grabs at toys, hair, clothes - whatever's in her reach! Last week she was 15 lbs 14 oz (7.2 kg) and around 64 or 65 cm long (25 inches).

Annalies - 16 weken oud. Ze kan van haar buik weer terugrollen op haar rug en pakt graag haar, kleding en speeltjes! Vorige week woog ze +/- 7.2 kg en was ze ongeveer 64 of 65 cm lang.

Papa's hair is too funny!

2011-03-04T14:43:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure what is so funny about Richard's hair - the last hair cut I gave him is starting to grow out, and it actually doesn't look too bad now! :) Whatever it is, Annalies is very tickled :) by Papa's hair!

Intro to Ice Fishing

2011-03-04T14:41:00.001-06:00

Anita, Katie, Cameron and Sarah offered to take our boys Ice Fishing on Louis Riel day (Feb 21). Unfortunately, there was more ice than fish! It seems like they all enjoyed the day anyway! Jonathan wasn't sure he wanted to go ice fishing, until he saw that his friend Ethan had been. The fish were luckier with Jonathan and Daniel than they were with Ethan!

Help in the Bath!

2011-03-04T14:38:00.000-06:00

I've missed Wordless Wednesday, but I'll try to get this up this week anyway!

Home away from Home

2011-01-29T12:16:00.004-06:00

Annalies was in the Children's Hospital for 17 days, from Dec 28, 2010 to Jan 13, 2011.

Lots of cuddle time...

Bright eyes!

Company in my bed!

Chatting with Papa!

2 months old!

First family photo - sorry for the blur

Annalies' area in the monitor room

Daniel's reading me a story!

2010-12-28T13:15:00.000-06:00

Jonathan's Holiday Concert at school

2010-12-19T13:10:00.000-06:00

Daddy's Girl!

2010-12-15T14:09:00.002-06:00

Sinterklaas had helpers!

2010-12-08T08:08:00.000-06:00

3 weeks old!

2010-12-07T11:23:00.002-06:00

I was just lucky to catch a "smile" here today! :)

We were at the pediatrician's for the first time yesterday: Annalies weighs 10 lbs 8 oz (4763g)!

Jonathan has reached 40 lbs (18 kg) and is 43 inches (109 cm) tall. We knew he was growing because his pants are all getting too short! :)

Daniel is 27 lbs 6 oz (12.4 kg) and 35 1/2 inches (90 cm) tall. Everyone is getting so big! :)

Annalies' first day!

2010-11-16T08:36:00.003-06:00

First Bath!

2010-11-15T13:16:00.000-06:00

friendly helper!

Daniel and the chocolate pudding!

2010-10-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

Daniel is 2!!!

2010-09-22T10:16:00.001-05:00

The cake

The party

I've been having trouble with the blog lately - I can't see the slideshows, can you? Please let me know! (not that I know how to fix it or anything!) If you can't view this in Internet Explorer, try Google Chrome (it usually works for me there).

Bath night with the babysitter!

2010-08-14T21:35:00.000-05:00

Melanie babysat the boys tonight while we were out for dinner with friends. It looks like they had a great time, and they were ALL asleep when we got home!

Cooling off with Ice Cream!

2010-08-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

Dutch Pride!

2010-07-02T11:47:00.001-05:00

The boys received Dutch soccer team suits from their Dutch cousins this month. When Jonathan found out that the Dutch team won their game, he immediately wanted to put on his suit, and Daniel had to wear his too, just like his big brother!

Farm Fun!

2010-05-26T20:53:00.002-05:00

Splashing Spring!

2010-05-26T20:52:00.003-05:00

Cat Burglers in Training?!

2010-05-07T17:16:00.000-05:00

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-05T10:59:00.000-05:00

I didn't like the instant chocolate pudding nearly as much as these 2 did! :)

Yard work!

2010-04-21T10:55:00.001-05:00

The yard clean-up crew came this week - new inspiration for outdoor play!

Wordless Wednesday!

2010-04-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

Splash-tastic Saturday!

2010-02-20T14:51:00.001-06:00

Helping around the house!

2010-02-06T20:51:00.002-06:00

More wordlessness

2010-02-03T13:41:00.003-06:00

"Helping" Mama in the kitchen!

Wordless Wednesday!

2010-01-27T14:31:00.000-06:00

Finally, I'm getting it right! :)

Climber!

2010-01-09T11:19:00.002-06:00

We just turned to look at Daniel, and look where we found him!

He carried the chair over to the radiator himself, so now nothing is impossible! :)

Boo! is what he said when he turned around! :)

Posts out of order!

2010-01-09T10:30:00.001-06:00

I'm going to update the blog today with some posts that should have been done in December. And just to play around with your mind a little, I'm going to actually date them in December too! I just figured out how to change the posting date so I can put them in the right order! Otherwise, a Gingerbread House in January might look kind of odd! :)

Of course, when you change the date, the posts don't appear at the top as the newest ones anymore, so you might need some help finding them!

Pancakes with Papa
Latest Zaniness
Gingerbread House
Fun Outside
Cuddles

Are you confused now, or just up to date?!

Fantastic Friday!

2010-01-08T13:00:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, I missed Wordy Wednesday this week - thanks Lynda for pointing that out! But, what could be better than Fantastic Friday?! :) It's too bad there isn't a day of the week starting with "z" - zany would be a good description for many of our days!

Anyway, here's what we are up to today:

More words on a Wednesday!

2009-12-30T09:38:00.001-06:00

I like the idea of Wordless Wednesday, but if I didn't write anything, most of you wouldn't understand this! Richard's niece told him this morning that the castle where we got married in the Netherlands in for sale. Price is decent, I guess, when you consider the price of land, and how much land it is (almost 2 hectares - almost 5 acres). The castle dates from the 13th century, and is in great shape (or was when we got married), and the grounds are beautiful and include several other historical monument buildings. The only problem is, how many people have €4 500 000 lying around to buy a castle?! :)

Kasteel Vorden - any buyers? :) Here are some pictures from when we were there!

Cuddles!

2009-12-26T10:34:00.000-06:00

Fun Outside!

2009-12-22T10:32:00.001-06:00

Sorry the pictures are a little blue, I guess I didn't have the settings right, and I haven't taken the time to edit the photos either. :)

Gingerbread House

2009-12-21T10:31:00.000-06:00

Wordy Wednesday!

2009-12-16T16:54:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know it's supposed to be 'Wordless Wednesday!"

But, how can you describe such a day without any words?! Especially when Daniel won't leave the bandages on long enough for a picture?! Yes, bandages...

It all started when Daniel and Jonathan were playing with 2 balls and 2 spoons - the (metal) ladle and another large (nylon) serving spoon. Of course, they both wanted the ladle, because it held the ball better. And of course, neither would let go. But, Jonathan is a bit bigger and a bit stronger, so he got the ladle. While the ladle was sliding out of Daniel's grasp, it sliced his finger. OUCH! I still can't figure out how it really happened, as the ladle's handle doesn't seem sharp to me...but there you go...

So off to Children's Hospital we went (our family dr doesn't do stitches in her office apparently)...3 hours and 2 stitches later we were back home (after dropping Jonathan off at school). The nurse's careful bandage lasted until Daniel woke up from his nap...I found it in his bed. I carefully bandaged up his finger again - lasted 1 hour. Now I've put a plain ordinary bandaid on his finger. He can't pull it off so easily, but it isn't in his way. We had strict instructions from the dr to leave the original bandage on and keep the finger dry and clean for 48 hours. Um...I guess we're not going to make that... :)

--------

On a brighter note, I've been chosen to join the Glimpse review team...now to find some Canadian products to review!

Half monkey, half mountain goat?!

2009-12-13T20:08:00.002-06:00

Not sure who is responsible for the monkey or mountain goat tendencies our boys seem to have :) but they are VERY good at climbing and very enthusiastic too! This was an exciting game of Peek-a-Boo!

Sinterklaas in Winnipeg!!!

2009-12-13T19:44:00.004-06:00

Op een of andere manier, kwam Sinterklaas ook langs 4 Campeau (ons huis!) en de volgende dag hebben hem gezien met een van zijn Pieten! :) Leuke, gezellige tijd, en we genieten allemaal van de cadeau's! Nou, gezellig, behalve dat zitten op schoot bij Sinterklaas, vond Daniel! :)

Bij ons waren we samen met Mark, Kristin, Saskia en Evelien. Mark komt ook uit Nederland, en ze wonen hier in Winnipeg. Jonathan en ik hebben gevulde speculaas gemaakt als toetje - LEKKER!!!

Sinterklaas even came to Winnipeg this year! :) The kids were really amazed - how did he get here? on his horse? on the boat? Someone suggested: by helicopter? So then how did his horse get here on the helicopter?! They think of everything! :)

Sinterklaas dropped off some presents for us all at our house - we were celebrating with Mark, Kristin, Saskia and Evelien. We ate risotto and garlic bread, and for dessert Gevulde Speculaas (a sort of almond-filled gingerbread) - YUM!

The next day we saw Sinterklaas and one of his helpers "Zwarte Piet" (literally, Black Peter) at a community centre, where the kids got presents again. Jonathan has really enjoyed playing with his Diego Mega Blocks set, and Daniel got a truck with a "rumbling boulder" in the box. Pretty cool! :) There was a magic show before Sinterklaas arrived, and both Saskia and Jonathan got to help out. You can see how impressed Daniel was with Sinterklaas... :)

Just Thumbing around...

2009-12-13T19:39:00.001-06:00

Notice how Daniel and Aidan use opposite thumbs?!

Latest Zaniness

2009-12-13T10:31:00.001-06:00

Pancakes with Papa

2009-12-13T09:50:00.001-06:00

While Richard and Jonathan are making breakfast this morning, I'm going to try and catch up on the blog.
Here is a December lunch - Dutch Pannenkoeken! The flipping is always the most amazing part to me as I'm never brave enough to try it! :) I certainly wouldn't be flipping pancakes holding a wiggly squiggly toddler! :) But, there you go, Richard is multi-talented!!! Some of these pictures should maybe also go on the cooking blog along with the recipe for Pannenkoeken...

The ones with apple, raisins and bacon were the best, but Jonathan likes them plain with stroop (Dutch syrup).

Stick Biljardts

2009-11-28T10:50:00.002-06:00

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

Garden Helpers

2009-11-24T14:47:00.002-06:00

Having fun around home!

2009-11-24T14:41:00.001-06:00

Jonathan's 4th Birthday

2009-10-29T10:14:00.002-05:00

Jonathan turned 4 on October 22, and we had a small birthday party on Saturday (Oct 24th). Just a few kids from Nursery School (6 including Jonathan, 2 more potential guests were sick), and it turned out really well. The kids decorated aprons, then made their own pizzas. While the pizzas were baking we opened presents then played a bit. After eating the pizzas, a bit more play, then cake. As a final activity, the kids decorated cupcakes to take home with them. I'm not a big fan of cheap dollar store stuff in treat bags (made in China, and breaks very quickly), so we did it a bit different - they got to take home their apron, the rest of the pizza, their cupcake, and a few treats (Hallowe'en sized Playdoh containers, chocolate money, fruit leather, etc). It seemed like they all had fun, and we were all cleaned up 1 hour after they left.

Daniel the Monkey - revisted! :)

2009-09-08T12:10:00.001-05:00

Have we mentioned that Daniel loves climbing?

Daniel is overal te vinden - houdt echt van klimmen! :) Niks is veilig!

Chocolate Face!

2009-09-08T11:51:00.000-05:00

Jonathan really enjoyed his chocolate fondue! :)

Daniel's 1st Birthday ~ Daniel is jarig!

2009-09-08T11:47:00.003-05:00

Jonathan the Crane Operator ~ Jonathan in een hijskraan!

2009-09-08T11:34:00.002-05:00

Jonathan has been interested in every crane we see, and friends of ours own and operate Mr. Boomtruck here in Winnipeg, so we were telling them about his interest. One day they called to invite Jonathan to "help" with lifting some landscaping rocks into their front garden! Jonathan sat in the crane for about 1 hour with Conor and thought it was great!

11 months old! and into everything!

2009-08-12T08:34:00.001-05:00

Daniel's first year!

2009-08-09T23:37:00.000-05:00

Daniel's busy afternoon!

2009-08-06T16:00:00.001-05:00

I guess these pretty much speak for themselves...Daniel's had a busy afternoon! The bathroom one is what he did AFTER he closed the door! :) As Jonathan says, kind of bad and kind of funny. Jonathan is amazed I'm taking pictures of these "BAD" things, as it isn't funny or photo-worthy if he does something like this, and I do see his point. BUT, we did take pictures of his antics too...got to save something for embarrassing them later on! :)

Daniel the Monkey, Part 2!

2009-07-20T21:23:00.002-05:00

Emo scenes

2009-07-20T21:22:00.004-05:00

Not sure if the motor home needed fixing...?

Just around home

2009-07-20T21:22:00.001-05:00

Richard and Daniel "playing" Legos together...both Richard and Jonathan get fairly frustrated with Daniel's obsession with taking things apart or breaking structures down!

Birds Hill Park

2009-07-20T21:20:00.003-05:00

Muskegon MI

2009-07-20T21:20:00.001-05:00

Holland MI

2009-07-20T21:19:00.002-05:00

Ok, it was a little bit kitsch, but cute nonetheless, and it was fun (but cold) seeing the "typical" Dutch things again! Cheese, clogs, windmills, street organs...all the things you always see in the Netherlands! :)

Fair Oaks Farms

2009-07-20T21:18:00.001-05:00

You get to drive through a dairy barn on a bus, witness a birth (thank goodness the hospitals where Jonathan and Daniel were born didn't have glass walls on the birthing rooms, with stadium-style seats on the other side!), learn all about cheese, yogurt, milk etc...very cool attraction between Indianapolis and Chicago.

(some of) Our many attempts at a family portrait

2009-07-20T21:16:00.003-05:00

According to Jessica, we are a nearly impossible family to photograph! :) Daniel is exactly 9 months old, Jonathan is 3.5.

Conner Prairie Museum

2009-07-20T21:16:00.000-05:00

Our first hot air balloon ride ever - but it was attached to the ground the whole time! :) Kids loved it!

Barbecue and (impromptu) Marshmallow Roast

2009-07-20T21:14:00.002-05:00

After a great BBQ supper, Rob built a fire in their fire pit. As we sat around the fire, the kids decided the only thing you do around a fire is roast marshmallows...never mind the home-made ice cream we were already eating! YUM! :)

Indianapolis Children's Museum

2009-07-20T21:13:00.001-05:00

Breakfast with Ethan

2009-07-20T21:12:00.002-05:00

The boys were playing downstairs all the previous evening, so we didn't get any "play" pictures, but here are some of them enjoying the same breakfast cereal - an unusual choice for Jonathan, and apparently Ethan too, as he happily followed suit!

Minnesota Zoo

2009-07-20T21:11:00.001-05:00

Our first night camping

2009-07-20T21:10:00.000-05:00

Jonathan had a great adventure, camping, Daniel looks a little less sure, although that could be because I'm trying to feed him jarred baby food - not impressed! The yogurt went down much easier, but face wiping is never a favourite! We camped at the Lebanon Hills Campground, near Minneapolis MN.

Daniel the Monkey!

2009-05-27T16:41:00.005-05:00

We have to be really careful now where we put stuff and where Daniel is! Everything is a challenge, and it doesn't take long for him to be in, on or under things! He climbed up on the toy work bench by himself, I think because he wanted to look out the window. Last night we watched him try for a little while before managing to get both feet into the library story basket!

Watching the Lawncare people

2009-05-27T16:41:00.002-05:00

The boys sat/stood like this for most of an hour - apparently it was FASCINATING! When I looked around for Richard to ask him something, I found out it wasn't just little boys who were fascinated!

Gardening

2009-05-27T16:40:00.000-05:00

We've started a vegetable garden this year, and needed to clear a space for our new plot. This last weekend we planted 3 flats of marigolds and 1 flat of calendula flowers - that covers a lot of space! Also, we managed to find a wisteria that is supposed to survive in our climate, as well as 2 clematis varieties we liked. We have 2 new gardeners this year - one is more helpful than the other - and they both like getting into the dirt!

Jonathan the Drip Fighter

2009-05-27T16:20:00.001-05:00

In case you didn't know, a Drip Fighter is sort of like a Fire Fighter, except he fights and collects drips! He uses fire trucks and similar big equipment.

All one day it poured rain, and blew really hard from the west. It seems there are some leaks under Daniel's window, or in his window frame, as the water was dripping into the "workshop" (play area) on the main floor. I had help placing the drip collecting containers (Jonathan) and emptying them on the floor (Daniel). It was an exciting day!

8 Months Old!

2009-05-27T16:14:00.001-05:00

Look What I Can Do!

2009-04-20T15:51:00.006-05:00

Daniel is 7 1/2 months now, and in the last week has learned a whole bunch of new tricks! He can pull himself up to kneeling and then standing, has sat up twice on his own, looking very surprised, and has begun to crawl around more on hands and knees! He also has 2 new sharp teeth on the bottom. It's been a busy couple of weeks!

Family Photos

2009-04-12T16:58:00.001-05:00

While Jess and the kids were visiting, we tried to do some family photos. We were also going to do one of our own family, but of course Richard was on call that week, and got a call that morning. Anyway, we managed to get some cute shots of the kids and the grandparents! Any advice for getting 4 kids to look the same way at the same time (beyond squeaky toys) would be greatly appreciated!

Oma's Birthday Cake

2009-04-12T16:05:00.000-05:00

The kids enjoyed making, icing and decorating a cake for Oma - surely the most original birthday cake!

It was hard to know if Jonathan and Natalie enjoyed the decorating or eating the fondant more! In any case, they had a great time together! And, we all enjoyed eating the cake!

Playing with Jack

2009-04-12T16:03:00.002-05:00

Jack stayed the afternoon at our house while Jonathan, Natalie, Oma and Auntie Jessica went to the Children's Museum. He and Daniel played in the same area for a while...both are too young to play together yet!

Building a snowman

2009-04-12T15:31:00.002-05:00

Natalie and Jonathan wanted to build a snowman together, but the snow was still a bit too hard and dry - needed to warm up a bit.

Oma's birthday with all the grandkids

2009-04-12T15:30:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Oma's birthday at the Spaghetti Factory! Who knew the birthday person who submits to being sung to gets a discount on her meal?! :)

Playing with my big brother!

2009-04-12T15:28:00.000-05:00

Daniel is fascinated by Jonathan - he is SO interesting! Now that he's more active and interactive, Jonathan is reaping the fruits of all of the times he was right in Daniel's face!

Another contest!

2009-03-30T13:05:00.005-05:00

Ok, so here I am again, trying to win something cool! Just got an email from Canadian Babies, about a new diaper bag available. Looks pretty interesting! Check it out at:

Canadian Babies

Daniel's first playdate!

2009-03-25T11:20:00.003-05:00

Aidan and Daniel are about the same age, and were interested in seeing each other and playing in the same area!

Mealtime!

2009-03-25T11:20:00.000-05:00

Daniel loves to eat! He has tried quite a few foods now: rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, apples, pears, peaches, mangoes, strawberries, bananas, yogurt, squash, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, broccoli, potatoes, chicken, beef and fish.

Cuddles with Mama!

2009-03-25T11:17:00.000-05:00

Fun with Papa!

2009-03-18T22:35:00.002-05:00

Daniel has such a great sense of humour, and a very infectious laugh! He is always so pleased to see Richard when he comes home from work!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-18T22:32:00.002-05:00

One of our friends hosted a "cake decorating day" for the ladies Tuesday. We were to bring an iced cake, and then we would experiment with fondant. She and several others were already quite experienced in cake decorating, but I had never done fondant before. I didn't have much time (Daniel was with me!) but I was able to complete the design I wanted. It was the 9th anniversary of the day Richard and I met, so green hearts were appropriate, I thought! The cake tasted pretty good, as demonstrated by Jonathan!

Jonathan's swimming lesson

2009-03-16T07:59:00.002-05:00

Saturday, Jonathan was the only child (of 4) for about the first 5 minutes, and then only one more fellow swimmer joined in, so they had a great semi-private lesson. Jonathan is making progress, and isn't afraid in the water without a parent anymore.

Daniel is learning to sit up!

2009-03-16T07:57:00.001-05:00

Couch Potatoes!

2009-03-13T22:32:00.007-05:00

I guess the title isn't really accurate, as these 2 boys NEVER are still for more than a minute, except MAYBE when they're sleeping! Although, we do find them in very different positions in their respective beds than when they first went to sleep, so maybe they're on the move then too! In any case, they love to be together, and Jonathan can't leave Daniel alone. Daniel is VERY interested in his big brother - watch out Mama and Papa in a couple of months!

6 months already!

2009-03-13T22:14:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that Daniel is already 6 months old! He weighs 7.6 kg (16 lbs 12 oz) and is 72 cm (28 in) long - no wonder most of his 3-6 months (size 62 and 68) clothes don't fit anymore! Daniel and Jonathan often have a bath together, and both are enjoying it more and more! :)

Skating for the first time!

2009-03-13T21:51:00.000-05:00

After standing on skates in the kitchen to try them on, Jonathan was certain he already knew how to skate! He was quite keen to go on the ice, and even thought it was funny when he fell! Luckily snow pants are padded! :) He did very well "walking" around on the ice - we'll have to work on gliding next time!

Daniel is 5 months old today!

2009-02-05T16:33:00.003-06:00

Finally, a warm enough day to take Daniel outside to "play" again... and get some pictures too! Some of these are taken by Jonathan - not too bad for a 3-year old! Jonathan and I built the snowman on Jan 31st when our thermometer said +2 C :), and it'll likely be around until the end of winter, unless another wind blows it down.

On another note, I weighed Daniel at the public health office (sort of like the consultatiebureau for those of you in NL), and he weighs 15 lbs 10.5 oz (7.1 kg).

Another collage...

2009-01-18T23:08:00.006-06:00

Daniel is 4 months old!

2009-01-05T18:28:00.002-06:00

Daniel weighs 6.69 kg (14 lbs 12 oz) and is 70 cm (27.6 inches) tall!

Cutting down our old elm tree :(

2009-01-05T17:40:00.002-06:00

This elm was likely planted during or shortly after the First World War. The city was worried that it had the beginnings of Dutch Elm disease, so it was marked with orange spots this fall. Today the crews came and cut it down. Jonathan was very interested in watching the whole process - he hardly did anything else all day!

Jonathan the great cookie baker!

2009-01-05T17:37:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Opa, who gave us the recipe for Thumbprint cookies, we tried out our cookie skills one Saturday. The cookies turned out not too bad, although the Thumbprints were a bit dry. The gingerbread ones were great, and we had lots of fun decorating them!

Choosing my next train!

2009-01-05T11:42:00.000-06:00

We had to laugh when we saw how Jonathan was sitting, reading the brochure of Thomas trains - it looks a lot like how Opa sits to read the newspaper sometimes!