Putting the shoe out for Sinterklaas

As a tradition, children put their shoe in front of the fireplace days before Sinterklaas's birthday (6th december although commonly celebrated the 5th of december). Then before heading for bed, they sing a Sinterklaas song and hope the next morning they will find some small presents or treats in their shoe. But only if they behaved nicely throughout the year. If not, then they will find the "roe" which is a bundle of small tree branches used in the old days to spank kids.
See how Nils and Wende keep up with this tradition..

A blizzard in Andel

Snow! and a lot of it. Well, at least as we are used to.. We don't get so much snow nowadays.

Nils and Wende loved it and we took a snowride through town and build a snowman in the garden.

Sinterklaas in Andel!!

Sinterklaas paid a visit to Andel.

We went to see him on our bicycles but were confused were the party was, the buitenhof, the notenhof, it all sounded alike. Eventually we found it and Nils met a lot of friends from school.

Wende and Nils earned the famous "pieten dans diploma", a certificate proving that they knew and could perform the Pietendance.

Sinterklaas in Woerden

Saturday we went to Woerden together with our good friends Arthur Lisa and their kids Jack and Emma. Maaike and Jaap, Maartje and Guuse joined us and received us all in their home. The kids loved it and Nils even shook hands with Sinterklaas and all of us were given kruidnoten and candy. Lisa never saw so many bycicles in one place! It was great to see them all again! Afterwards we went to a pancake house and had a simple but okay dinner.

Let's swing

Another disco with (almost) live music and a dazzeling lightshow

Dancing the stars and soccer

Since the kids discovered that dancing is fun and Nils found an old "disco" light ball in the shed, there is a party in our house everyday..

NIall, moest zaterdag weer voetballen en we hebben de eerste helft gezien waar hij al gauw met 4-0 voor stond

A visit to grandma and granddad in Hulst

On saturday afternoon we went to Hulst and stayed at dad's parents house. We cooked a mexican diner and had a great time eating drinking sleeping and wandering along the fortifications. We went to the windmill where the playground is and visited tante Henny who lives in a small house vero close to the mill.

Building a hut

Seems Nils and Wende are ready to leave home??? They love to play "house".

To the movies!!!

We received a letter from the childcare agency with a reduction to see a movie with Sinterklaas.

So, lisette took the afternoon off and dad the whole day because he had to take the alfa to multicar for a service. Dad went to Nils's school to pick him and Wende up for lunch. And best of all, we were given free tickets for a soft drink and some popcorn. Wende's loved the popcorn and almost ate a second cup with the sweet stuff. Nils didn't like the pocorn. He also said he didn't find the movie very exiting or scary but we saw him sometimes facing the back of the theater when things on the screen became a little too exiting...