Personality Test

Natan's Quotes of the Day

"How long before I can be called the boy from Iowa?"

Some people use to believe, or maybe still do, that a child's personality comes completely from their surroundings and their family upbringing. They thought that a child brain was a blank slate at birth to be filled in as he/she grows. Well, luckily this theory has been disproved and we now KNOW that a child is born with very much of a personality and by 3 years of age his little brain, which has been working 10 times more than it will in his entire life has almost finished it’s wiring and he is who he will be!

In the first photograph you see very little of the personality differences of these two boys. As brothers they have had a very similar upbringing in a very similar environment. So you might believe that they would then have very similiar personalities, but this is definately not so in this case.

As you look to the second photograph you can begin to see that the one year old already has very much his own ideas and thoughts and has probably had this temperament since birth, although he didn't display any signs of it before.

Lord help me for the terrible two this time around!

3 Boys on Two Wheels

Natan's Quote of the Day

"I am the chauffeur because I am
sitting most in front! O.k. Papa?"

It has been over 6 months since Pieter’s bike incident. If you don’t know about it well, in the fall Pieter was on his way home from work and some crazy lunatic chased him down, got out of his car and kicked in the back wheel of Pieter’s pretty new Kronen bike. Pieter was quite shooken up, but physically fine besides a few scapes, but what a maniac. Luckily, many people saw it and the man stayed for the police. We are still not sure why he did it, whether road rage, mistaken identity or he just didn’t like Kronen bikes, but finally after a lot of hastle and paperwork he has paid the damages and Pieter has a new bike. A Sparta this time, still a Hollander bike, but hopefully not such a attention drawer.

The cool thing about the new bike is the second seat. Pieter has had a picture of the bike for a few weeks now while it was on order and the whole time Natan was calling it “their bike”. I am not sure who is more excited that it is here, Natan or Pieter, but they are already having a lot of fun with it. We just need to get a back seat for Kai and then it will be “The Boys” bike. What about the Mama you might ask? Don’t worry she is having a relaxing time enjoying a quite house and a cup of coffee!

Do they hear?

Natan's Quote of the Day

"Natan...Natan....NATAN!" I say over and over.
"Yes?" Natan responds without turning around.
"What are you doing?" no responce,
"NATAN, what are you doing?" I repeat myself again.
"Nothing?" as he turns finally to look at me with a smile.

Is this spring?

Natan's Quote of the Day

As Natan was changing his weather calendar
this morning, he said. “Wha? There is
sun and no blue sky? How does that come?
You can’t have sun and no blue sky!”
“That is the Belgian sky, it is grey
instead of blue.” I respond.

We have finally some sun, actually quite a bit of sun, but the temperature is zero or below! I think this is a cruel joke to play when everyone, mostly me, is craving spring. Our veranda is beautiful, but still all the doors are closed and you need a blanket to enjoy the sun! I am enjoying a bit of peace and quite at home though and since it is to cold to go out much I am using my energy of the last few weeks on home improvement. So far I have organized and cleaned the veranda and our bedroom (which have been completely neglected for 6 weeks and probably most of the winter to be honest), and we are getting close to finishing Natan’s stairs. Today I will put the first coat of paint on them! Tomorrow I am going with Natan’s school to the local library for a story and Thursday… who knows?

My kitchen floor on a normal day.

What does a bicycle helmet, two bowls, two cups,
an empty tube of lotion, banana flavored Soya milk,
a jar of peanut butter, a lid, a sunglasses case,
a packet of tomato soup and the empty box, a toy turtle,
a rag doll, and a box of raisins have in common?

A one year old boy!

I wonder if we can tell something about his future interest through this odd grouping he has made on our kitchen floor. Maybe I should send this photo to a fortune teller? Well, this is Kai and my day alone, so far my work free days have been spent with Natan on the sofa. He has been very sick with the flu, but is better today and at school. Do doctors realize when they give you four different kinds of medicines to administer every 4 hours how impossible that task can be?

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Exhibition Complete

Exhibition Quote of the Day

"As I stand here to speak to you
in front of a bunch of toilet paper tubes!"

Well, the opening of the exhibition was today and although I was so tired and not really wanting to go it was brilliant. There were about 150 or more teachers and educators from all over the world bused in at two different times. Everyone loved it and I felt very proud to be a part of it all! During the last group I had my moment of glory, which made up for the first moment of misery (read above quote), when they recognized me and brought me up in front of 100+ people and gave me flowers and a book. I am as horrible at being in front of a group today as I was some 15 years ago in speech class, but I muddled through and had a couple teachers come up to me after for information and a business card, which I of course whipped up this morning, Yoohooo! Check out the daily photo for a view of the exhibit, now I am going to bed.

Thanks for reading,
Jules