My DH is gone for the day, at my insistence, to enjoy some time with friends (after work) so the kids and I have been making a party of it. Max, our oldest, always has a half day of school on Wednesday, so when Nicky, Rowen, and I traipsed over to pick him up we made his day by asking if he'd like to go out for lunch. It's a gloriously sunny, warm October day here. I am actually wearing shorts & a T-shirt! At first we were going to eat downtown and then stroll around the open antique market, but the kids quickly decided that it was a much better idea to go to McDonalds and play on the outdoor playground. I often wonder what I did before I had children to make my mind up for me. LOL So while Max attempted to keep Nicky happy on the (enclosed) playground, Rowen and I waited in line. And waited. Did you know that McDonald's is even busier in the middle of the day than for dinner? Anyway, just as we reached the point of being only 3rd in line, I heard Nicky wail. Every head in the place swung to the right, having also heard him. Nicky doesn't wail often, but when he does, he really makes it count. I pantomimed to Max to bring him in but I fear that Max will never be a stellar charades player. Eventually he figured out what I meant and both boys joined me in line. At this point everyone was openly staring at me - what crazy woman would take three kids alone to McDonalds?
While we were eating outside, Rowen pointed over to two leather clad men climbing on their motorcycles. Very clearly, my little 1 1/2 year sugarplum said "motorcycle" and wouldn't take her eyes off them. Or off the leather clad bikers. We won't mention this part of the story to Niek, who has decided Rowen can begin dating right after she turns 30. Nicky braved the big slide, while I did a great impression of a mother who is not worrying about her son becoming lodged in the closed slide tube and being extracted with something like the Jaws of Life. He loved it, and everyone heard his whoop, which is much more common than his wail.
Max was the perfect big brother throughout - encouraging and watching out, but not really taking over. At one point a little boy of about 4 looked up at him and said, "What's the name of your baby?" Max very solemnly answered, "Nicky." You'd have thought he was 45.
The other amazing thing Rowen did today was to put on my shoes and then clearly say, "Kijk es naar mijn schoenen." For the non-Dutch, this is equivalent to 'Take a look at my shoes.' A five-word sentence at 1 1/2!! Is she amazing or what?
Today's pictures are of the three of them as newborns, all within the first day or two "on the outside". Can you tell which is which?
