The flights are booked !!

I booked all my flights today - the flights for the girls and I to go to the Netherlands in August, and my solo flight to France in September. It feels great to have finally booked them - I feel a big step closer to the holidays now.

The girls are so excited about our trip to Holland. They can't wait to meet lessa and RB, who they've seen on web cam (and erm....they're REALLY anxious to meet the four legged residents too !!). They're also keen to meet DragonM Sir, who spoke to them on the phone while we were in Wales and kept teasing them about their mum driving on the wrong side of the road ! My older daughter in particular thinks that anyone who can persuade her Mum to go on a rollercoaster at the Efteling must be good !! (looks at Him and gets my redredred tshirt ready).

My daughters have already benefitted from my friendship with elle. As we've said before, she's like a second Mum to them. They pick up very quickly from me how I feel about people. They immediately knew that I thought a lot of elle and they bonded with her instantly. By the same token, they're smart enough to know when I don't feel comfortable with someone - whether because of instinct or past experience. It's no use me introducing them to someone and telling them this is a good person, this is a friend, if I'm then 'closed off' to the person in question. They can sense that I've put up a barrier for whatever reason. Children are so perceptive like that, and pick up extremely quickly whether someone is accepted. It wouldn't be fair to them to let them meet people as friends and then have me sit back and not interact - it would give off mixed signals and confuse them. Grins...ok..they may not know the nature of my friendships, but they know when people are my friends, or if I'm just pretending.

So...i think in August they'll be cuddling with lessa, playfighting with RB and chasing Dragon M Sir with pillows (oh please girls yes !!!). They'll be learning more Dutch, laughing at the Nederlands version of Coronation Street and realising just how steep Dutch stairs are !!!

But they'll be having so much fun - just like they do with our lovely elle - happy with Mum's friends, taking advantage of having people to gang up with against me, and enjoying time with a happy, relaxed Mum.

I, for one , can't wait.

kusssssssssss voor mijn lieve vriends.
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