Tijn conceded his status as my favorite to Niek. It's still pretty close but he had some problems listening this week and acting bratty and spoiled. He has made a strong showing lately and I still love him dearly.
Niek is my new favorite! He started saying several different versions of my name but it's really the cutest thing I've ever heard! He calls me O-Neen! Leen! Pretty much anything that sounds like Leen. He also used the potty for the first time this week and I'm so proud of him!
I've concluded that Pim is bulimic. Lately, he's had the tendency to stick toys down his throat causing him to vomit. This usually happens after he's been changed for bed and he usually gets it on whatever I'm wearing. He seems to be really sick, coughing (with his mouth open of course), runny nose, wheezing even. He hasn't slept very well at night this week and I hope he feels better. He gets cuter and stronger everyday and is making serious efforts to pull himself up now!
Lara is still the most difficult. Eline left for Lyon, France this morning to go shopping with her best friend. When I first got here, I resolved to letting Eline do Lara's hair because Lara was adamant about not wanting me to do it. This morning, she had no choice. After Thomas told her to come let me do her hair, Lara grabs the comb and hair elastics and runs towards the front door. I find her searching for a place to hide them, finally trying to stuff them through the mail slot. As I'm telling her not to do such things, she's swatting and trying to push past me. Then she starts crying for mama. Thomas shows up and apparently, although she was screaming for mama, she was really crying because "she wanted to do her hair inside". This annoys me because it wasn't true. As I walk by Thomas, my disdain for her crocodile tears and lie must have been evident in my expression because he tells me I should just talk to her and that "she's five and doesn't understand". I responded that there was nothing she didn't understand since Eline said bye before she left and she knew I'd be the one to have to do her hair. Lara is a very bright girl and deserves more credit. I feel like since she's able to conjure up tears at the drop of a dime, she's babied and I don't want to tolerate it. I don't think I should be the one reprimanded, nor should I have to always speak to her in a sugary sweet tone and baby her. She should know by now that she can't always get what she wants.
Tonight, Jaime and I are dressing up as Indians for Halloween. Seeing as how the holiday isn't as big of a deal here as it is in the U.S., I'm sure we're gonna stand out and it should be interesting....
