maternal abilities

There are many ways you can be judged as a good versus bad mum. The standard of measure is often related to how much time and effort you put into your children’s development, school and wellfare. I think I do pretty well on those accounts. But if you want to be concidered an über mum, a little more is required. You are expected to bring your kids to various activities throughout the week, make fresh sandwiches every morning, arrange lavish parties, and last but not least put in a fair deal of effort into Christmas and birthday presents, preferably with a home made touch.

I shall never qualify for the über epithet. That gene must have skipped a generation with me. It became painfully evident when my daughter came home today with the nicest home-made ginger-bread house that her friend’s mother had made for a Sinter Klaas gift exchange. If this was not enough the ginger bread house held a neat little surprise inside of some colouring pens and a pet shop cat. I could never even dream up such a present. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), Victoria managed to drop the house on her way back home, and thus it arrived smashed in pieces. We all succumbed to savouring on those delicicious walls and chimney with a great vengeance.

But if this was not enough, I came to realise that I was totally unprepared for Sinter Klaas. Even though I had in fact bought presents for Victoria they were not wrapped up. I must admit this had to do with the fact that I got them on sale in the local super market and on H&M. And those type of stores don’t come with gift wrapping services. That is the price you have to pay and yet I had knowingly waited until the last day, in fact the last hour to wrap it all up.

But as I thought the battle was lost and I was going to be revealled as the cheap mum who didn’t even take the time to wrap up a few presents for her daughter, there was a knock on the door. Victoria hurried to open and to her surprise there was a sack with presents. It wasn’t exactly loaded but then again, none of us have been on our best behaviour in the last year. But I suppose we were good enough to warrant a Bratz doll for Victoria and some spices for me. Sint obviously like to see me more in the kitchen next year, transforming myself to a real Dutch housewife. We’ll see about that!

So what is the moral of this story? Take your parental responsibilities or Sint might just have something special in store for you.

Happy Sinter Klaas!















a gift from Sinter Klaas



















flowers for my beloved