Maximilian » Big boy

Winter 2015/16

Maximilian — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 19:43:18 +0000

The time just before Christmas normally means a long time waiting for the big day. But this year it was different. Because we prepared for the nativity play at school. We practiced a lot and I was chose to play Joseph, the main act together with Mary of course. It was a big day for all of us and we performed our play in front the entire school and a huge number of parents. I say without exaggeration that we had more than 200 spectators. We also prepared a Christmas show at Play Shelter, my afterschool club.

And then finally we went to Austria to Opa and Oma for Christmas, skiing and ice skating. I am not so sure about ice skating, but I really like skiing. So much that I went back to Austria at half term in February. This time we went to Kitzbuehel. I skied with proper ski pals but the best part came at the end of the week. We had a ski race and I was the winner. I was so happy when I was presented with the gold medal.

Away from skiing I hosted Alessia and Chiara in London for a few days. We had so much fun in the Science Museum where we watched a 3D film. It was about submarine life and I felt like a scuba diver.

On another weekend we went to the Tower Bridge Experience. It was really interesting to see the engine room that used to lift the bridge. But the most exciting bit was a glass floor on top of the bridge about 60m above the street level. I was soo scared.

My first day in school

Maximilian — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 22:15:51 +0000

As summer came to an end a new and very exciting chapter in my life started. I am starting big boy school. But let’s not jump the gun. First I celebrated my graduation from Arc nursery. I made so many friends and had such a great time.

And then my new adventure began. I was a really brave lion on my first day of school and Papa/Maman really like my school uniform. My new teachers are really nice and I am learning so many things. Reading, writing and algebra. I really like learning and my I have great new friends in school as well.

I had to go to hospital for surgery. My hearing had deteriorated and we discovered it was a glue ear. So I had to undergo a grommet insertion. At the same time an adenoidectomy was performed.

Time is flying so quickly and suddenly it was already my 5th birthday. We had a great party with my friends, old and new, and Oma also came to visit me. I got so many great presents.

In the meantime my swimming is also coming along nicely. I am now able to swim the full length of the pool in front crawl and backstroke. Even the deep end where I cannot reach the bottom.

Now it is almost no time before Christmas. As the attentive reader will know Papa’s office always organises a party for us little ones and on the next day some of my friends came over to have a sort of advent party at home.

The summer continues

Maximilian — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 23:05:28 +0000

Following the success of last year’s camping trip we repeated the same. British weather is what it is and on this occasion we received the thick end of it. But hey! Keep calm and camp on. After one horrendous opening night Saturday turned out pretty good.

From there it was time to move across the channel back to the Continent. Belgian seaside to be more precise. Like in previous years I stayed with Mamy for a couple of weeks. My old friend Victoire was here again. But most importantly, my new cousin Lucie came to see me. She is so cute and tiny. I looked after her really well. I played super hero with Tonton and built fortifications against the tides with Maman and Papa.

On a completely different topic: who is that handsome fifth person among the Beatles?

Suffolk farm weekend

Maximilian — Tue, 26 May 2015 17:54:48 +0000

For the second May bank holiday weekend the SE1 clique left London and went to a farm in Suffolk. The purpose of the expedition was to prove that milk does not come from Tesco’s. We stayed in cottages in a real working farm close to Ipswich where we had piggies, horses, cows, sheep and a pond with fish and ducks. We also visited nearby Easton Farm and Jimmy’s Farm. We got the full on program including but not limited tosheep shearing and horse riding. Away from the farms we went to the beautiful seaside town of Aldeburgh and Southwold.

Spring awakening

Maximilian — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 17:05:08 +0000

This year I spent my Easter break in Knokke on the Belgian coast. It was great to see Mamy again. As always I enjoyed the nice seafood, long bike rides on the coast and the cuistax at the square just in front of Rubens.

Teddy from pre-school spent a whole weekend with us at home. We organised plenty of things for him. The highlight of the weekend was a bike trip to Victoria Park. I was a bit tired in the evening after the 25K bike ride.

First skiing lessons

Maximilian — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 21:49:53 +0000

This year we spent our ski holiday in Serfaus in Tyrol. My entire Austrian family was there: Alessia & Chiara together with Tante Nicki and Onkel Markus and Oma & Opa.

The hotel was simply amazing with a pirate themed indoor swimming pool with big slide and water cannons. There was food pretty much all day long including ice cream crepes for breakfast (naughty Papa) and after ski child entertainment programme like Kasperltheater.

But of course the real reason to go was the skiing bit: following my first attempts last season at Christmas I progressed to take my first professional skiing lessons. It was a hard skiing day starting at 10am and finishing at 3pm with a little lunch break in the middle. After two days of practise I was on the real slope. And I was so excited to show my new skills to my parents that I skied with them when the lessons ended until the lifts closed down. Towards the end of the week we skied all the way down to the valley.

On the last day I had my first ski race. I did not win but everyone was a winner and I earned my first medal. I cannot wait to get back and I understand my parents have already booked the next ski holiday.

To round off a great week we stopped in Innsbruck before we took our flight back home. It is Papa’s place of birth and he was very proud to show me around.

Max

Christmas arrived. Twice actually

Maximilian — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 16:47:10 +0000

It always takes ages for Christmas to finally arrive. So to pass the time George and I went the Christmas market in Hyde Park. Sorry I meant to say to Winter Wonder Land. But then finally we were in the train to Brussesls and I figured we must be getting there.

And I was not disappointed. Christmas actually came twice. We spent the real Christmas Eve at Albert’s. I was awake until almost midnight because I am a big boy now. And we also had a Christmas dinner at Mamy with Tata and Tonton. I got so many generous presents.

In between I enjoyed my Christmas holiday. We went to the Belgian coast for a few days. We enjoyed the nice swimming pool and I went ice skating with Papa as well. Upon our return to Brussels it had snowed. Maman found the sledge and we sledged almost one thousand times in the park. After all of that I really deserved the chocolate cake at Chalet Robinson.

The summer is over

Maximilian — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 22:22:15 +0000

A great summer is drawing to an end but – without jumping to far ahead – holidays in more Southernly fields should soon give it a final extension.

This is a very special post for me as it is no. 100.That goes to show what a big boy I have become. This also coincides with a few small milestones. I have finally said goodbye to my sleeping time pull-ups. As a precursor to that I am getting out of my bed and bedroom all by myself to wake up Papa & Maman. And I also wanted to share with you that I am progressing very quickly with my swim training. I got promoted into the Duck-3 class only a few sessions into Duck-2.

As the summer is coming to an end there was still plenty of things going on. One Sunday morning I went to the West End to see the “Tiger Who Came for Tea” in the theatre. The next weekend I went to the Circus with Isobel where I was equally impressed by the trapeze artists and the Strong Man. George and I went to the Tall Ship Festival in Greenwich and we walked all the way from the Cutty Sark to the O2 arena watching numerous majestic vessels sail by. Ethan and Ella introduced me to the gardening club in Southwark Park. But to be honest, Maman’s tomato tree on the terrace is even more impressive. As every year Maman was singing at the Bermondsey Street Festival and I enjoyed myself entertaining the choir members who stopped by for a glass of wine after the event.

Retreat to the Belgian coast

Maximilian — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 22:25:11 +0000

August time is Knokke time. Mamy invited me again to join her for a couple of weeks and without hesitation I accepted the offer. I met a new best friend. Her name was Victoire and I spoke a lot of English to her when she understands French and Flamish. But never mind, don’t let language get into the way of a lot of fun.

We built a nice flower shop and offered wonderful flowers up for sale. Tata and Therese handcrafted them and without a shadow of a doubt they were among the most beautiful to be seen up and down the coast. Financial success was coming quick and before long we had earned a full bucket of valuable shells, the currency of the beach.

Equally enjoyable was riding the cuistax, especially on the big piazza in front of Reubens. We also built an enormous sand castle designed to rule the waves but as they so eloquently say in French la mer(e) gagne toujour.

After a refreshing dip into the sea ice cream is really what I need to refuel. You know I like ice cream, especially chocolate, and banana, and strawberry, and also stracciatella. And if it is too rainy for ice cream there is always Belgian waffles…

Big thanks again to Mamy for looking after me so well during those two weeks. I understand Maman and Papa also quite enjoyed themselves in London without me.

Camping (or was it Glamping)

Maximilian — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 21:45:47 +0000

All of SE1 relocated again. And we stepped it up again this year. After luxurious stay in French castles and Tuscan villas we went to the Kentish countryside for camping. At least some of us while some others went into rather luxurious tippies readily set up for them. Contrary to the gloomy prediction of some the weather gods were well-disposed towards us. So we enjoyed the great outdoors, cooking on the open fire, playing until well into the night. During the day we got our first lessons in basic survival training in the forest which included baking real bread. My friend George and I together with Tony also went to the sea and even enjoyed the refreshing water and peble beach.