Yes, I succeeded!

Today I got my traffic diploma!

This morning at school at last we got our diploma... great eh? I’m so glad I succeeded!

This afternoon after school, I practiced my lecture for the last time. It went rather well. Later on Dad came home and we baked the brownies for school (to treat my class tomorrow after my lecture on something very American). When we did all the ingredients in a bowl it really smelled so nice, all chocolate!

After baking de brownies we went to Ruud and Femke, to celebrate Thomas’s Birthday. He got a great present a beautiful bicycle! It was a BMX bike, Freestyle bike with which you can do a lot of stunts with. Thomas, a few of his friends and I went all up to the top of spotters hill at the old Floriade area and then we went down the hill very very hard on our bikes, that was so cool man! After dinner we went home …..... and then I have tasted a small part of my own baked brownies, they were delicious!

Now I must really go to bed because tomorrow I must do my lecture …. exciting!
Bye…. see you tomorrow!

Shopping!

Bought a Package with ingredients to bake brownies tomorrow!

This afternoon after school at first I practiced my lecture. After that I have been to the village centre to the supermarket to buy a package with stuff to bake brownies. I also bought a bunch of carrots and a head of lettuce for Timmie.. He is crazy about that!

At the end of my lecture I will treat everyone on my own baked American Brownies mmmmm... delicious!

Go upstairs... bye… see you tomorrow!

Champion with my team!

All three of us got a medall......

Tonight we played the last bowling league of this season.

Afterwards we all together had dinner in the restaurant and there was the distribution of the medals and trophies for this year. My team and I became the champion for the first part of the year and we all got a medal!

At the end of the distribution I had to come forward again and got a trophy “highest riser" for boys over the entire 2005 - 2006! I climbed up from an average of 69 pins to 178 pins.

Wooouuuuhhhwww..... What an evening, so cool man! 2 times a prize... too crazy man!

The medal I won with my team and the prize for highest riser of the season 2005 - 2006

It’s late already …..I go upstairs… bye ..see you tomorrow!

A day of making homework!

Game of badminton with Dad…….

This morning at first I did my Raak (spelling, words with d, t, dt, de, dde, te, tte). After that I did my English, learning words and translate small sentences. That was rather difficult!

* easy = makkelijk
* difficult = moeilijk
* boring = saai
* careful = voorzichtig
* level = niveau
* controls = bediening
* on your own = in je eentje
* Come and play with me = Kom met me spelen
* You can play this game on your own = Je kunt dit spelletje alleen spelen
* Watch the screen = Kijk naar het scherm

Our English books says:
* Look out for the monster = Pas op voor het monster

Mom says that it is "Watch out for the monster". Acchhh …. I don’t know …... it isn’t easy ….
Then I also had to learn my lecture which I will have on Thursday….. That will be about America, just like my essay I made a few months ago... I have a few very interesting things to show my class when I tell them all about America.

The newspaper, the American dollars and the cowboy tie…....

Then we have a very big blanket with the American flag on it. I also have a beautiful cowboy tie…. Mom bought that a few years ago in America from an Indian. There is a figure on it of a Road runner … a little animal that brings good luck….... I also have a couple of very old newspapers from 1963 in which the funeral of J.F. Kennedy is mentioned .

After all that homework I played a nice game of badminton with Dad at the parking area, that was nice, just to get my energy out!

But now I go to bed...... bye see you tomorrow!

The Netherlands - Cameroon!

Watching the soccer match lying on my bed is so great……..

Tonight the soccer match started at 8.30 PM. The first practise match for the World Cup Germany 2006 is the one against Cameroon. The Netherlands has to play 2 timematch against Mexico and Sunday they have to play a match against Australia. The first real soccer match is at June 11^th, against Serbia and Montenegro. Exciting!

Now the half break is over …. Go and watch the match again…. bye … see you tomorrow!

The chicken is drying in the kitchen!

The chicken which I have made yesterday at the ceramic art market in Gouda......

My art work is drying in the kitchen! On the outside you can feel that it already becomes a little hard, but it nevertheless really takes a couple weeks before it is entirely dry.

This morning we have been to Keramikos. There we have bought a very big stone for me which I need when I go to workshop sculpture making at the Esther Velzenboer studio. We also bought a couple of beautiful stone cubes which we will use when we go to the workshop modeling clay in France. We will use them as a pedestal so we can put on the clay model we are going to make. I can’t hardly wait till we go to France it’s so exciting!

This afternoon I have helped Mom painting the wall in the corridor. Later on the day I have helped pulp paint the wall for second time. It really became so beautiful and bright!

Go upstairs …. Bye… see you tomorrow!

Ceramic art market in Gouda!

Just playing with the clay......

Today we have been to the ceramic-market in Gouda. There were artists from all over Europe to sell their ceramic arts, statues and other beautiful things.

The market square in Gouda..........The ceramic-market

Game highest vase...........................A Canal in Gouda

What was it cool there man! You could even make there a complete art work of clay at the clay department. I have made a very beautiful chicken there. That was a beautiful training for the workshop we are going to do in France. The chicken has become very beautiful! Now my piece of art has to dry for at least 3 up to 4 weeks and then must it must be in the clay oven to bake it, Piet will do that for me!

It was a very great day …... but now I go upstairs….bye…see you tomorrow!

Holidays again!

Car demolishing....

This morning I still went to school but now we are having another holiday ... Ascension Day..... When I went home from school it was raining very hard, I came home soaking wet. Hail, rain, lightning and wind....brrrr...... what an awful weather today!

So this afternoon I sat down at the computer, the weather was to bad you wouldn't think of going outside. On the internet I found a new game.... car demolishing..... cool man!

Go to bed.... bye see you tomorrow!

Yes....yes I've got an A!

TOPO map..

Today at last we had that terrible, difficult TOPO and it went as a matter a fact rather well. When we later on got our marks I was so happy….. I got a 10 (A)! Pppfffhhh... I’m so happy that it is all over now. No more difficult names and that awful map, I’m so glad!

Go to bed...bye see you tomorrow!

It's cold and it's raining!

The sun is shining but the clouds are very black, strange sight! The weather is bad, it’s raining, a lot of wind and it’s cold….

This afternoon after school I immediately started to do my homework, TOPO it drives me crazy, baaacccchhhh…… Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan those are so difficult to find on the map. Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk... what kind of crazy names are that?

All those little lines are countries, cities, rivers and mountains..... pppfffhh... will be so glad when this TOPO test is over…....

Go upstairs..... bye…. see you tomorrow!

Black Market!

What people there.......

This morning, I studied the entire morning; I had to learn my TOPO which I will have on Tuesday..... Man what is that difficult! Bakoe, Tiflis, Tasjkent, Irkoetsk and Novosibirsk.... all cities in Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbeidzjan........ Ppppfffhhhhh... that’s out…....

After that we have been to the black market (the Bazaar) in Beverwijk. It was so busy over there! There are all halls where you can buy almost everything. Some halls you almost could not get through, so many people! They sell a lot of stuff that’s imitation there, Ajax shirts which is not real of Ajax and a lot of real cheap goods.

However, we have still bought a couple of very beautiful lamp shades for the antique copper lamps we have.... nice man! It was rather nice at the Black market ….. but very very busy!

Afterwards we have been to the sculptor Joep van Opzeeland... It still was open work shop weekend therefore we had to see some more sculptures ….. There wasn’t much new in that studio since we’ve last been there and it was raining very hard so the beautiful sculpture garden wasn’t as nice as it always looks… that was a pity…..

When we came home Dad has immediately put the lamp shades on the lamps and it looked so pretty and beautiful! Now it’s dark and the lights are on it’s if we have a new living room…. So cool man!

Go upstairs.... bye… see you tomorrow!

Workshop-route!

Dad and I walking along the art fortress…..

Today and tomorrow there is a workshop route here in our neighborhood. This year 30 artists show their work in their studios. Then you can just walk in and talk to the artists and see all that they are making.

Today we have visited a couple of sculptor’s studios. The nicest, however, was a very large studio of the sculptor Esther Velzeboer at Cruquius (a very small village a few miles from our home). We have been talking to her quite some time because she also teaches children how to make a sculpture. If I want it’s possible for me to follow some sculpture lessons at that studio on Saturday between 11.00 AM and 3.30 PM for about 2 hours. Then I have to bring my own piece of stone along, which I can buy at Keramikos (Keramikos Eng.), ooooh I think that’s so cool man! I really want this for such a long time just making my own piece of art….....

After that we went to Vijfhuizen (another small village a few miles from our home) to the Kunstfort (art Fortress). There were a couple of artists. There also was a woman who made very big sculptures of textile and of plastics. It was a pity that it was rather late already, most of the studios were already closed….......
The fortress itself is quite beautiful man! There was even a very beautiful restaurant in and a hotel!

Entrance of the fortress...........................Fortress and it's canal...


The restaurant ..................................Terrace at the fortress

Tomorrow we maybe go to see some other sculptors...... so great man to see all of those sculptures, I am crazy about them. In a couple of weeks we will go on our holidays to France to do a workshop, a course “modeling-clay” in a French estate …. that's so exciting!

Go upstairs.... bye… see you tomorrow!

History went great!

Christopher Columbus

This morning at school we had the history test... Wooouuww it was pretty difficult! But we got the mark very quickly …... and what do you think? I got an 8 (B++)! So was al that studying yesterday after all very useful…... This weekend I have to learn my TOPO, which will be very difficult… Russia and the countries around that…difficulty man!

Go upstairs... bye…. See you tomorrow!

Dates again!

Christopher Columbus

Today after school Mark and I did our homework together, history. Man that was not easy.... again a lot of dates……yachhhh....

1492 Christopher Columbus discovered America















The arrival of Columbus in America

There were also a lot of questions which we had to learn …

What strange kind of vegetation was cultivated by the Indians in America?

The Indians didn’t know the strong liquor which the colonists brought to America, what did they call that liquor?

Where did the first pilgrims come from?

What was the first colony which was founded in America?

What happened back in 1776?

What happened back in 1667?

And so on ….....


I go to bed... bye …… see you tomorrow!

Traffic-examination!

Waiting for the policeman to say it’s ok to leave…........

This morning we left school by bicycle with all 22 children from grade 7 to go to the parking area in our village. There the police was waiting for us. At first we had to obtain a security waistcoat with a number on it..

After that we had to line up and had wait till it was your turn to leave. Every minute someone was sent out. That policeman here on the photograph was very nice, he had a little talk for everyone. Asked you if you were nervous and told you to pay attention at the traffic signs.




All of us waiting......






Me on my way!

There were signs everywhere along the route which you had follow and ordinary traffic signs such as stop signs, priority signs and much more. Everywhere on the road there were control posts with someone who wrote down if you did everything well. Only one sign I could not see clearly because just at that moment I passed someone stood in front of it, for this reason I may have responded a bit late at that sign…... No…..that wasn’t my fault I could not help that!



The end of the trip.............................Back to school

However, it may last a few weeks before we hear if we have succeeded.... The police force must see all the lists of all those children who did their exam, totally almost 90 children of all schools in our village. Oooohhh.. I hope so I succeeded.....

It was a nice day… go upstairs …bye …see you tomorrow!

Bicycle entirely ready!

Pumping up the tires…..

Tonight after dinner, Dad and I made my bicycle entirely ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow is the bicycle-exam! Then we go out on the street and we must drive a route all through our village. The police will put down all sorts of traffic signs which we all have to follow throughout the entire village. Everywhere along the route there will be people standing to check if it all goes well and if we don’t make any mistakes. However, it is very exciting!

Go upstairs... bye... see you tomorrow!

Great dessert!

Fruit bowl with lots of whipped cream....

Today was a quiet day, also at school...... However, we were told were our school-trip will go to this year on the 19^th of June … We will go to Duinrell! That is really so cool man!

Tonight we’ve been to the bowling. There they told us that on Monday 29^th of May we will already have our last bowling league and afterwards the annual distribution and a nice dinner to close off this bowling year.

When we returned home Mom made a nice dessert.... fresh fruit, I had topped it of with lots of delicious whipped cream, oh...... that’s so great!

Go upstairs ... bye… see you tomorrow!

Mother's day!

My present for Mom....

This morning I brought Mom her mother’s day present while she was still in bed. I had made her a necklace at school as well a nice little box where I had put the necklace in. That little box I had put in another self-made box in which she can put all of her jewelry. Mom was really thrilled with it!

Today was a quiet day … just hang around the house and played outside for awhile….

Go to bed…. bye… see you tomorrow!

Paaaaaaaaarty!

Grandma with a very beautiful party-dessert….....

Yesterday afternoon after the bowling we have been to Ikea to buy flowers to make a beautiful flower piece for Grandma for mother’s day. I bought a very big vase and 3 bunches of flowers.

When we came home I started immediately to make a great flower-piece …. It became very beautiful! In fact mother’s day is today but I gave Grandma the flower-piece yesterday...... So she can enjoy it one day longer, that’s nice isn’t it?

Having a drink in Grandpa and Grandma’s garden.

At first we had a drink at Grandpa and Grandma’s garden and then we went to the restaurant to celebrate Grandma’s birthday. It was a beautiful new restaurant man!

All together at the dinner table...Ruud & Femke eating their soup

That's me eating my dessert e......nGrandpa and Grandma

Dinner was very nice... I had spareribs, man that was great, I eat them all! After dinner Grandma got a big party-dessert with a big fire-spout in it! I enjoyed it all very much it was a great evening!

See you later!

Leakage!

Water flowed from the kitchen-cupboard....

This evening when Dad and I returned home from my trumpet lessons Mom was mopping the kitchen floor. The complete kitchen floor was under water, you stood right up to your ankles in the water! Lots and lots of water flowed from the kitchen-cupboard and the boiler was grumbling. All three of us mopped the floor till it was dry again…man what a job that was!

Dad rapidly saw what the problem was; the water-tube that’s connecting the boiler at the tap was entirely leak ... that was caused of course by that new water-meter.

The man of the water company replaced a new water-meter this morning and when he left all the taps were full of air. At the washing-machine Mom even thought that the tube would almost explode so much air came out of it when she put on the washing-machine…such a noise! That must have happened to the tube in the kitchen-cupboard!

When we had everything dry again Dad and I went shopping for a new tube, but we didn’t succeed in getting one. It’s Friday night and then are the shops where you can get that of course closed and the Gamma didn’t have it.....

Hope that we can get that tube tomorrow, because we don’t have water in the kitchen now... that’s annoying.... In the meanwhile it became rather late by all of these tube problems … So I go to bed now……bye…see you tomorrow!

Cool Girls!

Aunt Suus with her daughter Patricia in Canada on the scooter...... wooouuuwww....... cool man!

This afternoon I got a very nice picture from my aunt Suus from Canada. My aunt Suus is very cool lady she drives a very red scooter, I can see her racing through the streets with her red helmet on.... so cool man!
Thanks for the very nice picture aunt Suus!