"Koninginnedag"

Even here you can celebrate the Queen's Day! There is a party and a ‘free market’ at the Silicon Valley Dutch School. Unfortunately we couldn’t go there. Maarten still needs his afternoon nap and it’s quite a distance to get to Palo Alto anyway. Maybe next year.

PS: My left shoulder is swollen and I’m in pain. I’ve got bitten by my dearest son! Usually he would just threaten with biting or pinching but normally he doesn’t dare to doe that.
Well, today he did. He really disagreed to leave the park (after his dancing class). I can understand that somehow… I also prefer the park above the grocery store ;-)

April 27 - 29

Unfortunately Rob has brought a very bad migraine from his busy week in Austin.
The whole weekend was just very relaxing with an easy hike in the Mt. Diablo SP. You wouldn’t do much in a such heat anyway.
I’m busy to plan our weekend trips all over California...and... I’ve learned something again: you have to be really on time with your plans and book months ahead! Don’t try in April to book a campground for your trip in June! You are too late. Even to get something for October it’s difficult. There is not much choice left.
I also gather as much as possible information about the black bears because we will be camping in their habitat many times. To protect us and especially the wildlife there are some rules we should know. Even though I know it’s better to avoid an encounter with a bear I always hope to spot one. From a safe distance of course ;-) Anyhow we need the bear proof containers and bear spray for sure and Maarten will get a little bear bell. You never know...

Dental blues

Since a few weeks I’m undergoing the $$$$ dental torture…I mean treatment.

Maarten goes on with his stunts and his face does show it.
The weather is nice and we have fun.
Nothing else matters ;-)

Fat Little Boy ;-)

Pretty hectic day today!
Early in the morning Rob hurried for the airport heading for Austin, TX.
Maarten wakes up between 6 and 7 a.m. Today at six of course.
Our dancing class is a continuing success even right before the class Maarten says he doesn’t want to go there. I only wish it would be more music and free dancing than ‘just’ a ballet training but it seems the kids like it.
Just yesterday I was complaining about the weather and today it’s so nice Maarten could enjoy himself in the wadding pools again.
He had to miss his naptime today because of an unfortunately made pediatric appointment in the afternoon. But he was doing fine except for his favorite runaway ideas…But we had to take this appointment since it takes ages to get another one. We switched to the closer medical center after our moving last November. I have to say that I prefer the personnel of Pleasanton much better than that of Walnut Creek. I don’t know how it comes. Maybe we are just more lucky this time? Today we’ve run into a nurse of Dutch origin at the Immunizations clinic. Even Maarten was brave getting his shot as usually we stayed there for a while speaking Dutch, English and Czech all together. It’s not that special here of course. Our play dates are always very international. That’s what I like so much about living in the Bay Area how diverse and mixed the people here are.
There is something more I need to mention. The pediatrician believes Maarten should eat only nonfat and low-fat dairy products considering his size: 34 lb (15.45 kg) and 37’8’’ (96 cm).
Anyway she agrees we should start to look for a preschool. I’m already busy with that and I have a good feeling about one.

Trail Through Time

It seems the winter is coming back. Another rainy night with temperature bellow 50 ºF (10 ºC)! I know the surrounding hills can still use some rain and it’s good for the yard... Well I guess we are already spoiled by the often sunshine we get here.
It remained cloudy in the morning. The top of Mount Diablo was covered by mist which according to the locals means more rain to come.
We decided to go there for a hike anyway and to take the first trail we will come across. Shortly after the parks south gate we found this wonderful Trail Through Time. This route follows the West Fork of the Sycamore Creek and leads through Mesozoic age rocks covered by ferns and mosses in the most beautiful tints of green. It reminded us of the Fern Canyon in Redwood National Park we’ve visited last July. Beautiful!
The only unpleasant aspect of our hike today was the overal presence of the poison oak.
This time Maarten was not a chamois anymore but a little bear who needed to be fed a lot with bread and (Gold)fishes. Whatever as long as he keeps on walking ;-)

PS: As to his walking the orthopedic examination last Friday demonstrated his hips are perfectly alright!

Dancing class

I’ve already noticed Maarten’s dancing class on Mondays. And we were not very impressed last time. Now after two weeks (because of the Easter break) I took Maarten there for the second time not having much positive expectations. But when the teacher appeared at the door of the studio Maarten said his favorite ‘Hi’ with a little wave and joined the teacher inside. I couldn’t believe that and was expecting a big scream after he will find out that I’m not inside with him. BUT! It didn’t happen! So Maarten stayed inside for the whole hour and I was watching him from outside like the other parents. I was very proud and full of emotions since it was the first time Maarten was doing something all by himself! And he enjoyed himself a lot. (the pictures are taken through the window not to disturb the class)
I had an opportunity to speak to the other waiting parents and indeed the most children in the class are above 3 years old and there are also some 4,5 years old. Big differences at that age. Luckily there is another boy the same age like Maarten (26 mnths).

Sunol Regional Wilderness

A nice day to make a hike through the close by wilderness.
We love hiking but Maarten is already too heavy for the back carrier and he doesn’t want to sit there anyway. I was nicely surprised this time. Pretending to be a little chamois Maarten managed the 2 mile hike very easily even in those quite steep slopes. Yes, it’s very promising for our future trips!

Daddy and Me

We had a rainy Saturday therefore a good opportunity to look for some new furniture now we know we will stay here for a while.
I always wanted to have a cupboard in a country style but in Belgium or Holland we never had enough place for it. Now we have an opposite problem -> an empty house!
So we went to my favorite Ikea to buy some more lightnings and coincidentally we bought also a cupboard.

Maarten always enjoys working with daddy with all the screwdrivers, hammers, nails…
They two were ‘working’ together to the late hours.
Would it be in the family?

Vancouver

Rob is in Canada for business. I hope Maarten will not repeat his behavior like last Sunday when he found out that ‘teta Zdenka’ is not coming back for the time being.

Sad Day

Today my dearest sister left for Holland :-(

PS: In the afternoon we set up our new tent in the backyard (to practice) which Maarten enjoyed a lot…

Lake Del Valle SRA/Expatriate Services

We were planning to visit this regional park already last year especially because of it's swimming opportunity.
Today we’ve decided to check it out even the weather in the morning was not very promising.
It was above my expectation. Beautiful nature which we could enjoy in full solitariness.
We took a trail along the west shore. Zdenka was a little bit concerned about the possible cougar attack but for Maarten was it the pecking woodpecker who frightened him ;-)

PS: Even it took several months Rob got finally today some answers from the Expatriate Services. Since we know that our visa allows us to stay in the U.S. only for five years we are kind of concerned (especially me) what the employer thinks about Rob’s (=our!) future, among other things especially the work location.
We are not very happy with those answers.
There are actually many possibilities and they are very contrary (like to go back to Europe or go to another continent!!!). Anyway we will hear more when it will be actual…
Summarizing what we know now 'for sure' is that we are going to stay here till October 2010.
Considering the actual real estate market this means to me that an own small one story home will remain a dream for the moment.

shopping

Because Maarten still needs his afternoon nap we left Zdenka several times behind in the shopping malls since compare to me she enjoys shopping.

Dancing - Wadding - Promotion!

Few months ago I’ve enrolled Maarten for a ‘dancing’ class at the local community center. It supposed to be an introducing class for toddlers and because Maarten is dancing at home all the time I thought it would suit him perfectly.
Unfortunately it’s not a parent participating class what Maarten doesn’t use to.
It’s for toddlers from 2 – 4 years and even Maarten is the tallest of the class he seems to be the youngest one.
To sum up it wasn’t nice at all. Even Maarten was dancing (on his own in the corner) I and Zdenka didn’t really like the course and even the teacher seems not to be very friendly to all the children.
I’m not sure I will continue the classes.
Afterwards we end up at the San Ramon Central Park playground. We all loved the waterplay area. And yes! there were another toddlers playing (compare to the playgrounds we’ve visited before).
PS: In the afternoon we’ve received the big news about Rob’s promotion. A good reason to open a bottle of champagne!