Prim got to try her very first hot chocolate during our recent trip to the US, and like the true California-girl she is, she’s now obsessed with Starbucks.
Jeez Louise it’s been a minute, hasn’t it? I had all these posts planned about Lark’s birthday party and some updates on traveling with kids, and then I was so busy in California that none of that happened. And yes, we have been back in Amsterdam for a week now, but if you’ve ever traveled in this direction then you know about the hell that is the jet lag, which is approximately 5000 times more brutal when you’re dealing with two little ones who are all out of whack as well. And shoutout to KC, the smartest of the bunch, who jetted off to Austria to go skiing the day after we arrived back in the Netherlands, leaving me alone with two very jet lagged children for three nights alone. Well played, sir.
We have had quite an eventful few weeks. While in California I toured preschools for Prim next fall (and found one that I love!) and we did a bunch of prep for our move in June. We are feeling excited and the tiniest bit overwhelmed, but that’s all normal. I certainly recall this time before our move to Amsterdam being not the most relaxing bit.
In other news, Prim fell down our stairs earlier this week. If you’ve been to our place in Amsterdam (or maybe just about any home in Amsterdam), you know that the stairs here are insanely steep. Prim has been a pro on our Dutch stairs for a long time now and knows how to go down them safely (either scooting on her buns or climbing down on her belly), but that did not spare us from a very scary and terrible afternoon earlier this week.
I normally go down the stairs in front of her, but on this particular day we were headed to our favorite bakery and a friend’s house, and she had started down first in her excitement while I was still gathering up Lark. She had gone down maybe five or six of the eighteen stairs on her belly (I was not far behind her, carrying Lark) when she somehow lost her footing. She ended up turning around and literally tumbling head over feet down the remaining steps, about 12 feet in total, hitting her head on the bottom. It was terrifying and awful watching her fall and not being able to do anything, but luckily she walked away mostly unscathed (toddlers bodies are apparently made of rubber at this age.) We went to the doctor right away to have her checked out and I was assured that she was fine; but man, we have both had some lasting anxiety after the fall (Prim woke up upset a few times the first few nights, which I think is her brain trying to process the trauma).
She hasn’t had any issues climbing up or down the stairs since, which I think is a good thing. I was worried she might be scared of the stairs after her fall, but honestly I think the fact that I was unable to hide that I was upset after she fell was maybe the most traumatizing thing of all for her. (We have had many conversations where Prim recounts, “I fall down the stairs and bonk my head. Mama was upset — why you so upset?”)
Kids, you guys. Being a mom sure is tough sometimes.
Posts about jet lag, travel, and Lark’s birthday are coming up! (Promise!)
I saw that first photo of Lark and totally laughed because she basically looks like a living doll. Also, those cheeeeeeeks.
This was also when Prim’s hair was just getting long enough to be put up into ponytails. It was a big moment for me, even though she would often have them ruined or pulled out of her hair within a matter of minutes.
Before Lark was mobile, the two of them would spend a lot of time under that little play gym together. It was so sweet to see them just lay and play together, as though they had known each other and been friends forever.
What an unexpected joy it is to find these photos. We use our phones to take photos 99% of the time, so I’m never really stumbling across forgotten moments like this. Finding these was such a treat (and a good reminder that I really need to break out the big camera more often!)
