School Vacations

A very Dutch habit: hanging a kids school bag outside home together with the Dutch national flag when the kid has succeeded on his/her exams. For a lovely explanation about it please go here.

This week my kids started their summer vacations. My litttle girl succeeded in her toddler dance course (peuterdans). My son got his diploma B with swimming course and a medal during a judo tournament: 4th place among a group of 7 kids - and he is doing judo for just a couple of months. Not bad ! ! He also has passed his judo exam and got a yellow piece (which I still have to buy, I didn't have 1 euro cent with me, just a pin card, grrr!) for his belt. After the summer vacations he will start with the preparations for his C diploma in Haarlem as usual and he goes further with judo lessons, cause he seems to love it. I guess my little girl will do carate in the future instead of judo - she is rather fond of quick saltos than having to grab the adversary by the clothes. Pretty skinny girls must know how to defend themselves too !

The first vacation days were not easy for me. Still recovering from an eye infection and having to entertain kids doing wild. Of course they can entertain themselves but they request my participation during many times during the day. I needed a pause for some tea.

Porcelaine tea set and wooden tray available at the HEMA.

When they get to screamy and agitated it is time to go outside - or if it's is rainy then watch some DVD's (in Portuguese or Dutch, they enjoy both languages at ease). Below, you can watch the official trailer of "Rio" from the same creative director of Robots and Ice Age (I, II and III) at Blue Ski Studios, Brazilian Carlos Saldanha. Voices of Anne Hathaway, Neil Patrick Harris and Rodrigo Santoro, among other famous. It is a 3D film - it has to because Rio is a 3D city like no other ! Plot: "a nerdy macaw from Minnesotta escapes from his cage and heads to Rio where he learns how to boost his self confidence and develop another view on life". I wish I could watch it with the kids already this summer, but it seems it will be available only during April next year. Let's wait and see...