Maaike as a mum...

[When Josie still thought I was 100% fun...]

And, does the title freak you out? No? Well, it did freak me out a wee bit when I went to Darwin, Australia, to visit my lovely cousin Imke and her two kids Josie (5, almost 6) and Liam (almost 2) and Imke turned sick the day I arrived. Very sick. Sick like being knocked out, sleeping 24/7, high fever and just looking like an absolute stone head.

[I know Im not allowed to touch boys till Im married, but Liam was a big lovely soft cute teddy bear]

So yes, from full time hard working academic specialist (well, that's what they call me anyway) to full time no minute rest 'fake' mum. And did I tell you it was Darwin, monsoon season so every day 35 degrees plus high humidity? Thank God for pools, fountains and waterhoses...

[big boys eat chicken from the bone]

Anyhow, so holiday in Darwin with Imke and the kids. I have truly enjoyed the kids because -as you know- I like to be a little bit crazy and do fun (childish)stuff at times and the good thing about kids is that you can act like a kid around them...Kids justify your craziness!

[I have adapted my mum's way of dealing with Liams climbing fetish like she did with mine: just don't look where the kid is going...]

So chasing them like mad was fun, playing in the sand making castles was great, playing hide and seek in the supermarket was hilarious (I never said I was a good role model!), playing all sorts of (educatief verantwoord!) games with Josie was interesting (and also combining it with Liam...little destructive 2 year old as he is...)going for little picnics (so that Imke would have some real quietness) and walks was, mmm, scary.

[Thank God Josie knows how to deal with the crocs!]

Why? Well, Outback Australia: snakes, spiders and just scary animals don't bother me that much, but if you are responsible for kids, I can tell you that you are more aware. Josie pointed out a snake above my head which obviously scared her and me but she was mistaken: it was a stick. But then again, little Liam was covered in massive gigantic ants within minutes...

[Funny buggers those dinosaurs]

We had some good communication going on too; as soon as Liam's nappy was 'full' he would get a new one and give that one to me, indicating 'new one please, dear fake mum'. First time Josie talked me through it: 'Mum does always this with the powder'...

[Santa gave Josie goggles: I think she got abducted by aliens and than transformed her to this...]

Josie would be honest when Imke gave me the car keys to go for a drive with the kids: 'Maaike, can you drive?' (no, but Imke still gives me the keys...) and while driving Josie would tell me that I was driving too fast. Which I wasn't, but she was indirectly telling me that I missed a turn...And when we went to the lagoon for a walk, Josie pointed out for me where to go because she didn't know the difference between left and right (and I didn't know the route to the lagoon). So get this: kids in the back, me driving and not being able to look at Josie...We had some tricks to get us there!
And Josie, lovely as she is, would tell me every day that I either looked pretty or not! I think I have discovered a pattern: Looking girlish is good, non-girly is bad...

[Adrian (Imke's boyfriend) and Liam had a beer, euh, milk competition; guess who won?]

So confirmed what I already knew: I love kids, but if I ever decide to have kids (seriously reconsidering it...) Im probably going to be a strict mum (Josie: you clear the table, tidy up the living room and then we can play another game before bed...) but for now Im still too selfish. I love my outdoor life in New Zealand too much. So absolutely knackered, exhausted and 'overcooked' I returned after 2 weeks to -what very much feels like- home in Christchurch!

[Superbaby: Josie made the cape...]