Did you know....

OK.. so i have completely copied this idea from Ineke but i am pretty sure she wont hunt me down and eat me for breakfast.




So.. Did you know...

• Me and Jack went to a party in Utrecht last friday evening. It was soo good, there was about 60 people there, therefore very busy but it was nice to do something a bit different to what we usually do, plus i met a few new people which is always a bonus!!


• My Dad thought Utrecht was the name of a nightclub.


• I got the job at O'Sheas.. Wahoo.


• The electric went at Inekes a couple nights ago.. only in my room and her room. Convinient seen as they were the only two rooms that electric was actually needed.


• I found the upload disc for my MP3 player this morning.. allowing me to actually charge the bloody thing. Seriously, how much hassle has this little white cube cost me!!!


• Me and Jack are still in the process of looking for a flat. On Monday we should have 400 euros in our savings. We need 2100. Donations welcome.


• Mortens English is surprisingly brilliant. After our little translation session with Timo and Caroline, i think he felt rather proud of himself, boasting on the fact his English was better than theirs.


• My Dutch lessons are going well.. simple, but well..


• My Dutch teacher is trying to set me up on a TEFL course (i think thats right) to enable me to teach British English abroad.


• I have had so much to blog about over the last few weeks but havent had the enthusiasm to write anything worth writing. Hence the bullet points.

And last but not least....

• It is Inekes birthday on sunday.. she is going to be 41.. I think we are going to Hotel New York for breakfast on Sunday morning (However, i am not so sure i am still invited!!!)

So much to say!

Well, since I blogged last, my mother has been to stay; It was so lovely to see her and spend some proper time just the two of us.

Mum's flight arrived Thursday afternoon (after a few minor problems about her trip to Rotterdam) she arrived safe and well.

We started her stay with a walk along the River/Canal/Pond like thing and went into town to visit Jack.

On the Friday me and Mum went for the 'nicest coffee you have ever tasted' coffee shop (of course a slice of cake was thrown in there for good measure), did a spot of shopping (mum bought me a lovely purple and white wrap around dress) and met Jack for lunch.

We went to the habour at Blaak for lunch (the same place we went for mine a Jack 1 yearer)

The Cube houses at Blaak, believe it or not they are actually flat inside..

On Saturday our plan was a three hour boat tour to see the windmills in Rotterdam, however, it was fully booked (that reminds me.. i must tell you about the post office system.. ill save that one for a post all of its own..) As it was a sold out tour we decided to hit the shops. Not that i am complaining of course! The Boat trip would have been really lovely as it is something i wouldnt normally do, however, i was in desperate need of some clothes. No longer!! I now have 2 new pairs of summer trousers and 4 new tops.

Sunday me, mum, Ineke and the children all went to the Dunya festival, you can read more about it on Inekes blog (sorry about the lack of link, not really sure how to do them, however her address is on my link list).

Dunya festival

Mum went home yesterday but her flight wasn't until later in the afternoon so we thought we would make the most of it and spend the day in Amsterdam. It rained. Well not all day. When we first arrived we went on an hours boat tour of the canals. I never realised Amsterdam was Venice II.

Me and Mum on the boat

After getting off the boat we decided to head towards the Anne Frank house and stop for food on the way. Well, lets say we got as far as food. And. It. Poured. Anyway, we sat to eat in a nice little pizzaria. It was dissapointing that the weather couldn't hold out for us but still, no point in mopping around. After some serious umberella buying we headed in the direction of Anne Frank (well, her house anyway) but changed our minds half way there because of the rain. Anyway, we ended up in a shopping mall, surprise, surprise. However, only a few minutes were spent here before realising the time and heading back to the station.

Mum cried. I cried. We said our goodbyes and the train left. Although it went very quickly, we still had a lovely time.

Now before mum left she gave me and Jack some money to do something nice with, so me and Jack headed for Madame Tusaudes. The pictures say it all.

Jack playing bongo's with the one and only Bob Marley

He just couldn't resist a grope..

And yet again.. he couldn't contain himself..

Bal-lorig anyone?

Last week the kids were on their school holidays, not that it affected me much as i was in England most of the week, but i did have them all to myself on Thursday and Friday.

Thursday we all went to the Ballorig, was sooo much fun.. as you can see from the pictures, a good round of Dungeons adn Dragons then took place!!

On Friday we went to the Cinema to watch Cinderella, well the Dutch one anyway.. and of course, our day couldn't end without a good helping hot Chocomel!!

These have to be my favourite pictures ever.......

..... do you see why!!

England!!

OK, so its been a while!! Since i have been back from England life has been a little hectic!! Arrived home wednesday evening, had the kids all day thursday and friday and have been at Jacks for the weekend. On top of that i am trying to find a college to register for in September, along with accomadation and money!!

Anyway, the point of this post is to show you some pictures from my trip to england. So here goes.

We arrived into Bristol on Wednesday morning, was picked up from the airport by Sophie and drove down to Devon. Of course, the first meal we had had to be typically English, Jack having an English fry up and me Bangers and Mash. Good ol' Weatherspoons.

Wednesday evening we went to eat with Jacks Dad and Stepmum (Have you noticed our holiday has been mainly focused around food so far?)

Jack with his younger brother, Gabriel

Thursday lunchtime I met up with Joanna, a good friend of mine in England for a girly lunch and gossip (this was before i bought my camera so have no piccis im afraid) I had a lovely peking duck wrap and smoothie (still.. food..). Thursday afternoon Jack visited his Dad whilst i spent some time with my Mum.

In the evening Mum and Val made me and Jack the most delicious BBQ along with pasta salad, marinaded onion and home made BBQ sauce.. hmm..

Friday AKA my Birthday. Friday morning we went to Carlinos, a newly opened cafe/restauraunt in town for a coffee. After this i went to buy my rather lushus camera. I would show youa picture, but kinda hard to take a picture of a camera, have you ever tried? ANYWAY. Friday evening me and Jack went for a meal at the Hare and Hounds, where we used to work and met some friends for a drink afterwards.

Me and Jack before we went out

Us in The Hare and Hounds

Jess and Gemma, friends of ours

Jack with his Dad and Uncle

A friend of mine, Wendy and myself

On the Saturday afternoon me and Jack were taken to the train station by my Mum and Val, to catch out train to Reading.

Jack, Me and Mum

Mum, Me and Val

The day after we arrived in Reading my Auntie Lesley came to visit with my cousin Emma. As i havent seen her for over a year this was a lovely surprise!!!

Jack and Emma

We then continued our holiday in bedford with my Dad, Jodi and Brothers and Sisters. Heres a couple of pics of our last few days.

My Father

Me and My Sister, Connie


My Brother, Patrick


The End of our Holiday

My Dutch Birthday!!

Well, my day began with a spot of present opening!! I really wasn't expecting this as we already had a wonderful day planned to celebrate my birthday but still! whos complaining!! Ineke, Robbert and the children bought me some amazingly comfortable and lushus flip flop, my hunt for them failed so Ineke helped me out!! Along with a box of Celebrations and of course.. after eights!! Ineke either forgot, or liked the idea that they make me incredibly hyper!! Anyway! who needs alcohol!! I was then handed a light silver bag. Incase i hadn't already recieved enough i then opened a gift voucher to get my hair done and a salon in the centre!! I'm thinking of maybe going blond.. Like Golden, not Bleach.

Ineke and I then began our City Safari. In the mail you recieve a list of three destinations and times in which to be there.

Our first was to visit a Morrocan Lady who served us a lunch of bean soup and filled pittas. Whilst eating we sat in a special room lined with special sofas with a special table in the middle with special pictures on the walls. It was a religious room. Thats the word.

Our second stop was visit a lady who would reveal our inner most secrets. And thats exactly what she did.

Last but not least we visited a modernised Mosque!! After thinking we would be shown around by some tall guy with a beard and hat we were surprised to see a young beardless guy in trackies!! He showed us everything, from the prayer room to the toilets! Although this bit was hard for me to understand as the Dutch spoken was on a topic i was not familiar with, the translated information was very interesting!!

After having such a lovely day Ineke and Robbert took me to Hotel New York for a meal with the children. After starting the evening with a glass of champaign next to the river I ate a mushroom ravioli with a truffle sauce accompanied by a baguette and crouton salad whilst Ineke and Robbert shared a mixed fish platter with everything from prawns to snails, lobster to oyesters and many many more paculiar species. Yes people. It has to be said. I ate a snail. Well half. And i more of swallowed it like a tablet than physically ate it.

I really did have such a wonderful birthday, it couldn't have been better.

CHEERS!!

Photo's From the Skating

Here are some photo's from our little Ice Skating trip. I haven't posted any photos since being back in Holland as i have a serious lack of camera!! (these are kindly on loan to me from Ineke!)

Off to a rocky start!!

Action shot!!

Morten going a little wobbly..

Time to go home..

Let's Bake!

Katy came over today. We thought it would be fun to bake a cake.. Here's what happened. I think the pictures say it all!!

Katy - the little housewife during our first attempt at making a cake.. (look below to see the results!!)

As you can see it didn't go quite as planned!! this is only egg yoke, milk and melted butter.. only we forgot to let the butter cool down before adding it to the mixture.. therefore it cooked the egg.

OK. So the second attempt was a little more successful!!

Believe me.. you wouldn't have wanted to clean up this kitchen once we were done!!

So we popped it in the oven and here's how we did!!

OK.. So i got a little peckish!!

Well.. you see.. we didn't have a cake shaped baker thingy so we decided to make a brick instead!!

Don't be silly!! This was the picture on the box!!

This was ours!! Isn't it beautiful!! I tell ya.. tasted blimin' good!!

Leila

So. Today i was babysitting. You know, this can actually be so much fun!!

So we started off by having some lunch (well, Leila did anyway. personally i wasn't prepared to eat 3 slices of ham and a chopped up cucumber.)

Then we proceeded to take a trek into town. Of course stopping of at the park for an incredibly long 'swing' before going 'Forward and Beyond' into the center. May i just add by this time it is about 1.45 and Leila normally takes her nap about 1ish.

So i take Leila out of her pram and we have a little walk together (all the old ladies cooing as she walks past them). So it starts to rain a little, me, being me have this fabulous idea to stop for coffee. And a biscuit. Well. I tell you. This has to be the most expensive coffee i have ever drunk in all my life!! £5.10 for a coffee and a few biscuits. That's 7 euros and 77 cent!! could of bought a whole tub of coffee and 3 packets of biscuits for that!!

Anyway! we then went to Austins toy store where Leila was overly fascinated with the train set, therefor spending the next 25 minutes there before returning home for a nap!!

So, apart from the highly over-priced coffee and the utterly annoying train set i had a rather fantastic day!!

Take a look at her!! i mean - who couldn't enjoy her company!! (OK - this photo is a little physically repulsive of me but just couldn't work out how to chop of my face!! she looks so cute!! i had to post it!)