Remember--Five Minute Friday

I frequently think that I want to join up with the 5 minute Friday, and then get busy and forget. This week I, ironically, remembered. So here I am joining up for the first Friday. Hopefully not the last. Don't know about Five Minute Fridays? The rules are simple:
It’s easy to join in, just:

Check what the prompt is on Lisa's blog.
Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog.
Link over here and invite friends to join in.
Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ }
Using the linky tool at the bottom of my Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you!

Our most important requirement for participation: There’s really only one absolute, no ifs, ands or buts about it Five Minute Friday rule: you must visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

So with all that aside. Here we GO:

REMEMBER

I inhale deeply, taking in your smell.
I stroke your hair. Play with the little curl that is developing at the end. The cowlick. The fuzz that makes you you.
I rub your cheeks. Holding back the tears that threaten to spill down my own.
Tonight you want me. Tonight you cry and reach up and nestle in to get milk. Tonight, for a few minutes you are a baby once again. Last night. Not last night. Last night you fell asleep on your sisters bed and didn't stir as your daddy transferred you to your own. Night before last. Not then either. You came to me. Hugged me then pushed me away. Night before last you fell asleep on your own in your own bed. You did not need me.

It was the first in a long line of nights that you will.not.need.me. As you begin to assert your separateness, I am proud and I am sad.

But tonight you need me. And I want to remember. I always want to remember.

STOP

Day Trips Post Two: Gouda, The Netherlands

Sorry for the long delay in sharing more day trips. Photobucket has changed its photo editor, and is giving me fits for editing and uploading pictures. Maybe I've got it sorted.



We first visited Gouda, Netherlands eleven years ago. German and I were visiting the tulip fields around Amsterdam and decided to take a day to go explore cheese farms as well. We had some wonderful farm cheese, watched the production of the cheese and then went into town to find something to eat. We had never really eaten Greek food before, but the restaurant was inviting and it sounded good. And it was. For years we talked about one of our "top ten meals of all time was Greek food in Holland". It became legend in our house. And we were pretty sure we were making it better in our memories than it was in reality.

Then three years ago we were back in Belgium and decided to take the girls up to explore the cheese farms and maybe find our restaurant again...

It was just as good the second time around. We were hooked.

So when German innocently said before Christmas, "Sometime during the break I want to eat Greek food," I didn't think much of it. We have a lovely Greek place within walking distance of our house. But then he made his intentions clearer. "I want to go back to Gouda." Okay.

It is a three hour drive from our house. We left late morning, had a little fondue for lunch, did a little shopping (okay a lot of shopping--we like cheese in our house). Then we had dinner. And it is still one of our top ten meals.


We've decided maybe we won't have to wait three years this time.


Here is the town hall of Gouda. Beautiful during the day.


Amazing at night!


Since it was Christmas time, there was an ice skating rink set up behind city hall. It was surrounded by these lanterns designed by a local school. I loved them.


An amazing day out. Great meal, lovely sites and back to sleep in our own bed that night.

We went back a few weeks later with my Dad and his wife. This time we visited a cheese farm and just enjoyed the sights.

Cheese for sale:


The measuring house where the cheese would have been weighed for sale:




Two of my favourite people in one of my favourite places!


Next up: Belgium!