First Day of (Toddler) School

September 5th was the day we officially didn't have a 'Mommy Day' each week anymore.

Here in the Netherlands, there is a kind of toddler school that they start from the age of 2. Since Kevin turned 2 in March, and there was a waiting list for the school I wanted him to go to, he started instead after the summer in the 2007-2008 school year.

The most exciting thing by far for him was his own special backpack, packed with a change of clothes, diapers and wipes, and of course a special drink cup (winnie the pooh, of course!) with his name on it that's just for Wednesdays.

The idea that he has to stay on his own (Mommies and Daddies are only allowed for 15 minutes between 8.45 and 9.00) is still causing some minor drama when I have to leave, but the teachers assure me his eyes are dry almost before I'm out of sight. It's part of the larger issue right now he has with letting me out of his sight period (see the posting ' Change is the Only Constant'. I hope it's something that will get better on it's own as he realizes that I always come back.

A Trip to the Zoo

Has it already been a month since my last update?! Bad Mommy! :-)

There has been so much going on here with Mommys work, that while I've been getting better about taking pictures, I've been less attentive about creating new blog entries, it appears.

At the end of August, it was Kevin's last 'free' Wednesday before he would start the Peuterspeelzaal (loosely translated: toddler play center) in September. I decided to mark this last whole 'Mommy day' this with a trip to the zoo in Amsterdam, Artis.

We spent a good three and a half hours at the zoo, with Kevin walking almost the whole time (he had his first heel blister the next day). There was so much to see.

Highlights had to be: the Aquarium (complete with Nemo's!).......................

............Feeding time of the Elephants and Lions..(he got a great view of the feeding time by getting the high level view on Honey's shoulders, photos above)..........................

.......the Pengiun exhibt (or 'Happy Feet! Happy Feet pengiuns mama!' as Kevin called them) , the monkeys......

......................and the giant turtle.

The picture shows the giant turtle with his 'little buddy', but just to give you an idea of how big the big guy was.....they had a shell outside the exhibt that children could crawl through like a tunnel. Two or even three children could fit in the shell at a time. This is a big, old turtle. They can live to be well over one hundred years old, and they estimate this one is close to 100 itself.

We ended the day with pizza in the Marriott hotel in the center of Amsterdam (one of three or four places in all of the Netherlands where you can get Pizza Hut pizza) for the delicious end (pizza is 'Lekker!') to a perfect but busy day!