Time for Change

So here's the thing. 

The reason why I've been a little quiet.

I'm working on a new website for myself.

The illustrator / photographer self that is.

The one that wants to make a living of her art.

The website is a work in progress because it turns out there is a LOT to learn once you delve into the world of html, css and wordpress. My oh my. 

You can see my progress here: http://www.elmacoetzee.nl

Don't be surprised if it changes daily.

I have big plans.

But not enough time.

I'm taking a little break from blogging here to give myself more time.

It would make me so happy to have your support and patience as I commence this new adventure.

I'll leave you with a few photos of the kids enjoying autumn in the Netherlands.

Kröller-Müller Museum

In the summer we went to the Kröller-Müller museum. The last time we went Heidi was still a baby and it seems like a life time ago. Luckily the museum did not disappoint. It really is lovely. We spent most of our time in the sculpture garden with the kids. We even had one of Heidi's friends along for the day.

They have white bicycles which you can use to cycle through the park but with three kids in tow we just didn't have the energy to add cycling to our activities that day. It is a beautiful national park so we took a little drive to show the kids a bit of nature after we had our fill of art (as if that is possible!).

Even though we have museum cards we still had to pay entrance to the park so it isn't a cheap day out... but definitely worth a visit every few years!

Bingo!

One of the great things about our new neighbourhood is the activities hosted by the neighbourhood association. We've had several parties for the Word Cup Soccer, we've had a neighbourhood barbecue and on Saturday we had BINGO! They even had an afternoon session for the kids with lots of prizes.

Stella didn't find it all that interesting but the older kids loved playing and most of all they loved winning something from the prize table... Stella almost cried out Bingo a few times just so that she could win a prize but it wasn't her lucky day. Next time!

Een Zee van Staal

Last week as we were driving away from the beach at Wijk aan Zee we stumbled across a sculpture park next to a huge steel factory. It is aptly named 'een zee van staal' which translates to: an ocean of steel.

It was pretty incredible to be able to run around and even climb these huge steel sculptures. They are beautiful. The ominous weather even added to their beauty. Of course the irony of its location was not lost on me, but somehow they seem to fit perfectly in the landscape.

Barbies!

The weather is strange.
Some days it is really hot but mostly this week it has rained. And I mean buckets of rain falling out of the sky, drowning my newly sown grass in front of the house and all my little plants in pots outside.

I looked out of my bedroom window and it looked like a swimming pool on top of our roof.
It is summer but it sure does not feel like it with all this rain!

At least the girls have their Barbies. We even bought them a Barbie campervan second hand a the annual neighbourhood jumble sale. They love it, and it keeps them quiet so I love it.

Hope you have a sunny weekend - I have plans for a barbecue so lets hope the weather plays along!!

Cycling in the Woods

It is funny how Heidi is able to forget how to cycle.
You literally have to teach her again from scratch every time she gets on her bicycle.
It is funny, but it is also pretty annoying.

Hopefully we can practise a lot this summer so that she can start cycling to school with me. That would be amazing!

Stella on the other hand has taken to cycling in a big way, even though it is with side wheels. She just looks ahead of her and peddles like crazy. She also waves at everyone we come across... at least she's having fun!

Here's wishing you a fun filled weekend and a very happy 4th of July! :-)

Stella the Artist

She loves to draw and paint.
And of course as her mother I love everything she produces, same as with Heidi's artwork. Except Heidi produces a LOT of artwork whereas Stella is much more controlled in her production process. She'll make one piece and it will be really good and then she's done.

I love how she creates and enjoys the moment. My sweet little artist.

Hope you have a sunny and productive weekend!

Cherry Season

It is that magical time of the year when cherries are in season.
All of a sudden you see farm stalls everywhere.
Some are pretty basic with only fruit on sale but others have everything including coffee, tea and cake!

I took the girls for a little outing and stopped at a farm stall on the way to Wijk bij Duurstede.
They loved it. Especially the trampolines. And the home made ice cream.

Into the Woods

We have a beautiful forest near our house.

It is amazing to just walk into the lush green forest and explore.

The kids love it.

They see elves and fairies everywhere.

I hope the magic stays with them for a very long time.

Have a great weekend!

Home Sweet Home

It is done.
Over and done.
We packed up our lives.
We cleaned like maniacs.
And we said our goodbyes to our friends and neighbours.

Now we start a new adventure!

I haven't actually cooked anything in my new kitchen due to the fact that I was surrounded by boxes and didn't quite know where to start... but the kitchen is now unpacked and I shall start by cooking something tonight. Hmmmm.... I wonder what's for dinner?

Here is Stella eating breakfast in our old house surrounded by boxes.

Here she is in our new house, still surrounded by boxes!

I hope you have a great week ahead :-)

Lego Time

While clearing out the garage my husband found a box filled with his lego from when he was a child. Talk about taking a trip down memory lane! The tupperware container it was in has seen better days but the lego itself is perfect.

I had to give it a bit of a wash though... it was filthy! Stella helped me wash all the pieces and as you can image more water landed on the floor than in the sink. Once the lego was dry I handed it over to the kids to play.

And play they did. And continue to do.

You just have to love lego and the magic it creates.

We've got a busy weekend and a busy week ahead with the move so please bear with me as I suspect there won't be much time for blogging.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Cookies!

Sorry I've been so quiet. It's been a great two weeks of vacation for the kids - they got to play with their cousin, we went to the Efteling, we had pancakes at Rhijnauwen, we had pancakes at the Hema, we played with clay, we drew, we painted, we ate ice cream, we walked to town a few times, we went to our new house, we played outside with the neighbours, we watched television and relaxed.

Of course we also baked cookies.
It is mandatory, didn't you know?

My dear friend and neighbour came around with her kids and we had a little cookie baking party on a rainy afternoon. I used the same recipe from Heidi's party for the dough and whipped out the cookie cutters. The kids had a lot of fun and I made sure my friend took most of the cookies home once they were cooked so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat them all!

Hope you have a great weekend - we'll be at our new house working away!

The Efteling

We try to go to the Efteling at least once a year and visiting relatives gives us a great excuse to go.
Last week we had a great day there. It was busy and the queues were long but that did not stop us!
We went on as many rides as possible although with three kids in tow it does get a bit tiring.
Especially when the wait is long... (I'm the one not good at waiting around!)

It remains a magical place and it was lovely to know that the three cousins share special memories of this day. Tomorrow we will say goodbye again, what a pleasure it has been to have them here.

Hope you have a great week ahead!

Looking Back at King's Day

What a weekend!
We had a lot of fun and managed to get rid of some stuff in the process.
It was also exhausting because let me tell you that getting a spot to sell your stuff is quite a mission. You have to be there early and you have to be quite tenacious. With the help of my friend and neighbour we were successful in our mission.

The kids had fun running around and spending the profit of their sales. We had fun standing around, chatting, drinking beer and eating snacks whilst trying to sell our junk for as much as possible. It was a good evening.

The next day my sister in law arrived and I went to the vrijmarkt twice. Yes, twice.
Once with the kids and once with the whole family and our guests. We walked a lot, ate a lot and bought new junk which we will inevitably sell or donate. You will be amazed at what people sell. For now the kids love their new toys and we just try to contain the mess :-)

Hope you have a great week!

Kermis!

We went to a fair at the Griftsteede a week ago.
It was cloudy but not too cold and we were lucky enough to get home before the rain started.
The kids loved it. They wanted to go on every single ride... I even went on a giant octopus ride and quite enjoyed myself.

The only problem with an afternoon like this is the fact that every ride cost money and they certainly milk the parents. But hey, you only live once and I'm sure the kids will have some really good memories :-)

Tonight we're celebrating King's Night - I'm hoping to sell a lot of stuff so wish me luck!

Easter Breakfast for my Love

Yesterday morning the kids woke up early and I struggled down the stairs with them where we played for a while while their father slept in. As a treat we made him breakfast to be served in bed - a simple feast of croissants, boiled egg, cheese and jam with tea. We carried it all the way upstairs to the bedroom where he had the good sense to realise that croissants are not to be eaten in bed due to their general messiness, pastry flakes tend to go everywhere.

Today will be a busy DIY day at our new house - time is racing past us so we better get cracking!

Have a great week!

Happy Easter!

It is that time of the year again where we (over)indulge in chocolate eggs and quite frankly I cannot wait for it to be done. My supermarket had a lot of Easter eggs half price this week and to my shame I bought some... But it was for a good cause!

I finally used the glass jars which I've been saving (my husband calls it hoarding but we'll agree to disagree on that one). A quick trip to the hardware store for pink spray paint and superglue. Then some toy farm animals that were lying around became the centrepiece! Although I'm not sure I'm gifted as such with the use of spray paint but it turned out OK after a few layers of paint. Good thing there is lots of paint left so I can practise spraying stuff pink.

I'm saving these for the kids for Sunday morning :-)

Happy Easter!!

Easter Egg Hunt

Yesterday we went to the IWCU annual Easter egg hunt for the kids.
The weather was about a million times better than it was last year! The sun was shining and it wasn't particularly cold - in other words the perfect morning to go running around outside.

The kids loved hunting for eggs and of course they loved eating them even more... unfortunately it is rather hard for the husband and I to resist them too so their stash is disappearing at an alarming rate.

My cute little bunny:

Hope you have a great week ahead!

Dancing Queen

Stella had her last dance lesson this week.

It was a little bittersweet since all her friends will go on to the next set of classes and she will not because we are moving. I guess I better find her something similar in our new town.

Here she is, having the time of her life.

Enjoy your weekend!

Monday, Monday

Here we are again.
The start of a new week.
I booked our move date (the end of May) and already have boxes arriving this week... I need to start packing because I'm obsessing about it. I also want to either trash, donate or sell a LOT of stuff.

But first I'm heading out to visit a friend whom I have not seen in ages. Yay!

Here is Stella, devouring a cucumber.
To say she is not fond of vegetables is an understatement.
My silly little girl.