Of the Snowmen and the snow

We've had a good week of snowfall and frost. Good fun, of course, but even amateur snowologists know that around the world that not snow is a snow is a snow. Illustrated also by the popular story that Eskimo's have some enormous number of words for snow.

To the continuous children's 'requests'* to make a snowman the reply was that this snow just wasn't good (nor enough) for making a snowman. A few days into this opa and dad painfully crafted a minor snowmanlet, in a temporarily successful attempt to reduce the requests (see photo in blogpost below).

But St Nicholas had one great present in store for us on 'pakjesavond': sticky snow! Suitable for rolling enormous balls, the essential raw material for a snowman!

And, lo and behold, our snowman turns out to be a socceroo fan!

* think: "are we there yet?"

Sinterklaas comes to school!

In the weeks leading up to Sint Nick's birthday (present giving night "pakjesavond"), the kids are madly tidying up their autumn work pieces at school and getting busy with all their Sinterklaas things.............making steamboats, decorating shoes (that go near the fireplace for maybe a present) and  colouring in Zwarte Piets.

The last day of school before "pakjesavond", Sinterklaas comes to the school.  (I think he visits every primary school in the Netherlands.)  The whole school went on a trip through the village and the snow (this year) to pick up Saint Nick and his helpers.

Lining up at school to get Saint Nick

Zwarte Piets have been found but where is Saint Nick?

Finn's class singing for Saint Nick

Then back at school the morning is filled with singing and games all for Saint Nick.  The kids had a ball of course!

Mara wasn't too keen on Saint Nick

Winter in Maasland

You know it's cold when your water bottle freezes in your car and the snow from your boots doesn't melt in your car!  No complaints though, even with 7 degrees under zero.  Though I'm sure if you asked me after months of this weather we'd have a different answer............who knows!

Here are a couple of winter pics!  Kirsten and Finn couldn't wait to get rugged up in the ski gear to go and play in the snow.

Finn in Maasland on our way to the hairdressers (after 5 months!)

Kirsten and Finn dragged Papa and Opa outside to build their first snowman (little snowman as the snow wasn't quite right for snowman building.........little do I know)

In the middle of Maasland, the school went to pick up Sinterklaas through the village (see next blog).

Mara loves the snow too!  "Wow" she says.