got kooties?

It's definitely time for a picture update on the fam. Let's go through them, shall we?

Julia will be starting a new class at school on Monday meant as a preparation for the 'eerste klas' (first grade?) next year. We're not entirely certain she'll make the transition after summer break, we'll have to see how she progresses, but for now she's joining the other kids her age in this new class, led by Meester Marcel. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing to be worried about with her, she's just a very child-like child and might need an extra year of play before she's ready to learn how to read, etc.

  

  

Max has been having fun inside of some things he probably shouldn't actually be inside of. I can't say I blame him, because if I were small enough to fit into a hamper, I would probably get into one as well.

Elliot is in the middle of a major transition. I've started him on a new diet starring mostly solids, which has turns his schedule into something like this:
7am - wake up
7.30am - baby cereal in a bottle
9.30am - pureed fruit
10-12am - naptime
12.30 - sandwich with peanut butter / appelstroop / cheese spread, and juice
2.30pm- yoghurt
3-5pm - naptime
6pm - pureed dinner, and water (so far he's been eating whatever we've been eating, mostly potatoes and  veg, or pasta)
7.30pm- baby cereal in a bottle
8pm - bedtime.

Up until just a few days ago he would wake up twice a night, on average. Usually around 1am and around 4am. It was doing us in, so we finally decided to show him some tough love and put some SuperNanny tactics into play. Sander and I made our bed downstairs, and let him cry it out alone. It took him an hour and 15 minutes the first time he woke up, and only 15 minutes the second time he woke up. Last night was the second night of Operation Night Sleep, and the incredible Elliot didn't wake up at all. Thank you SuperNanny.

I cut my bangs and am finding that my hair is somehow becoming curlier. I have no proof the two are related. I also drew a whale on my wrist that took 3 days to wash off.

Sander scared the sister missionaries by loudly proclaiming he was Satan.

clearly diabolical

And last but not least, Lara has developed a 'fear' of going on play dates but has agreed to a plan to help her get over that. She is also deeply in love with Joe from down the street. (I can't say I blame her, Joe is pretty darn adorable)

One major thing has changed in the Koot household, or 'at the Kooties', is the language. I have finally made the commitment to speak only English with my children when at home. Ever since I found out I was pregnant with Lara I have been telling myself and others that I want to raise my children to be bilingual. Never did I imagine I would have such difficulties with it! Though I am fluent in the English language, it's the language I use to write in my journal, and I even think in English, I have never been in situations much where the daily business all revolved around a language other than Dutch. This makes it tough to switch... and once you're not in the habit of speaking English at home, it becomes even harder to suddenly do so, because you then also have to teach the older children as you go. It was good having my family over recently because it made English the prominent language in our home and I noticed how easily my kids actually adapted to it. I then read up on the subject of being raised with several languages and learned that up until the age of 8 you can easily implement an entire language, and the child will adapt quickly and easily. Children then 'choose' a mother tongue around 8 years old, interesting huh? So with Lara only recently having turned 7 I figure that if I'm going to do this, I'd better start now, and so I did. I still forget sometimes, but the change is happening and everyone is coping just fine.

Also, now that I've blogged about it there is truly no going back!