More fun activities book time

Syrian Sunday Brunch

This was fun and fascinating..having a Syrian/Lebanese brunch. The fascination for me was watching the bread making ..so tasty too. My favourite desert to finish with was baklava..  then a fun time in the park hhhhh even Bushra and me got in the swing of it all. Literally we had a go on the rope swing ..hilarious. 

Oh the Camomile tea Zhourat Lebanese worked wonders for settling the girls for a calming goodnight bed time drink.. So rested for school next day.. 💞🌼

 

Inloopteam-de-viertorre visit

Visited Huis van het Kind Inloop team ... lovely to meet up with dynamic city volunteer co-ordinator Lili Samenleven and hear all they are doing and trying to do to support mothers and babies... love this idea of clothes exchange so mums can bring clothes baby grown out of an exchange for larger size. ...oh my was wonderful to be in this place ..felt like being back on community as midwife and my training secondment with health visitors.... women need to support one another in cost of living crisis and refugees for basic sanitary product dignity too.  Just as in UK there is period poverty issues...

Good that Monique Swinnen came along too...as teams of volunteers vrijwilligers can network through the city.... the stronger the network the stronger the support...

Was good to hear how the therapy dolls I ordered were received to help Ukrainian traumatised children .... our hearts our compassion our love will win over the craziness in world..

Huis van het kind

Inloopteam-de-viertorre

I like how mothers that have needed help decide to become volunteers to help others in their time of need. This lovely mum in the photo below was helping to sort out clothes into sizes and seasons. 

Thank you Lili for my ABC aan Zee gift. Marjorie brooch too! 💞

Learn share times

The girls enjoyed the times table fun to do  books... Its good as Leen grasps it she teaches Celine... so Celine is getting into the times table logic now. 

Celine helped to put the decorations on this photo and got involved loading to Facebook. Its a balance to include both in activities. My respect for mothers of large families...Leen & Celine's grandmother had 9 ..I told her on skype call she deserves a medal....we had a laugh...mind you teachers too have my respect too. But I love teaching and making learning fun.. Leen is sparky as on Monday I watched her with her huiswerk homework...she had to read thermometers and saw the logic of the task. She did not need my help.. though I did go through the scale.

I strongly recommend this lift the flap Times Table by Usborne..it is well designed and engaged them both in the problems to solve. Leen is reading English as well as Dutch doesn't muddle up. In fact I was watching all day at school she operates in Dutch ..she speaks to me in good English then can hold a conversation in Arabic with her mum. Fascinating. 

The Usborne times book I am ordering for my granddaughter Olivia as she is working as a teacher assistant while studying her degree. Some of the kids need help with learning so fun engaging activities the key. 

Monique

It was good to meet up with Monique on the Friday of my trip to catch up and support one another. Monique does a lot of volunteering with refugees in Oostende, in fact we met in 2019 at a community fun day of sharing with locals and refugees, with Bushra & the girls. But, since then we like all the world have had the endurance challenge of the pandemic, climate crisis now Ukraine war. Like all we have each got personal issues to deal with on lifes journey. So it was a healing day going for walk and talk in the dunes by the sea. Then we found a very modern elegant cafe to have lunch. 

Oostende visit

 

Just returned from a visit to Oostende to have more time with my Princesses.. thanks to Eurostar bargain seat prices. The dates worked out well as it was also the Mariner's fair. With ships in port and sea lovers enjoying stalls of goods and historical skills. The girls enjoyed browsing, looking down microscopes to see sand grains in detail. They were fascinated with the antique ships compass. This reinforced my talks on North South West East....we also saw wool spinning..which was quite relaxing to watch. We remembered the spinning wheel in Sleeping Beauty!  Oh and the t-shirt tops I got from John Lewis fit perfect and matched well with their red shorts..💞

Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee 👑🎉

 

Just had a fun video call from my Syrian Princesses Leen & Celine... Leen was telling me in English that the teachers at school in Oostende have been talking about the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II  There was great discussion of the fact that the Queen always carries a handbag, but everyone was wondering what she has in the handbag. Leen was saying glasses... and Celine saying Lipstick.. so sweet .. I showed them the photo of Queen Elizabeth giggling with Prince Philip in the book Queen for All Seasons by Joanna Lumley. They loved this photo and the story of a bee buzzing round them that had made them laugh. 💞👑🎉👜💄