Napless in Nederlands

Over the past two weeks, Liliane has decided that she no longer requires a nap. This coupled with her monkey-like climbing abilities has made for some exhausting days for all parties. Placing her in the crib merely guarantees we'll hear her roaming around the room 2 minutes later. Efforts to wear her out often leave her cranky, but awake.

Despite her best efforts, though, sleep eventually caught up to her. She fought to keep those eyes open, but to no avail...

We feared that her sister would catch on to this new trend, but her sleep patterns have actually been improving (especially at night!). During the day, she can fall asleep while on the move--especially in her Baby Bjorn.

On Saturday we visited the Kinderkoek Cafe, just outside Vondelpark. Madeline has been anxious to go there, as the concept involves the kids cooking all the food (lax child labor laws in Holland?). Ours were too young to appreciate the culinary construction, but there were toys to keep them occupied and coffee for the parents. Amelie tried out a new type of high chair, and (speaking of naps) I think she found it comfortable.

Our short-walk eventually extended to a 7-hour odyssey taking us through rain and hail, out of Vondelpark, through Albert Cuypmarkt, and through the local shopping district. Quite a workout! We offset the workout with a stop at Bob's for Vlaamse Frites and McDo for a Rolo McFlurry and Bitterballen. Bitterballen are essentially small, round croquettes. Liliane consumed several of these.