Be like Lieke, not Fieke

Yesterday was Dutch playdate day. Let me just inform you that playdates = stress for Claire because 1. it's all in Dutch, 2. Dutch children are generally a force to be reckoned with and 3. I'm pregnant and I'm tired and I just want my children to myself in the afternoons! We run around so much during the week, that a relaxing afternoon is always welcomed. (We do have a good social life, don't get me wrong, and I understand how important it is for a child to develop socially. And, it's good for our Dutch. And normally I'm fine with playdates, it's just at this stage of the pregnancy that it's not much fun for me--and moms are quite integral parts of playdates at this age.)

Savannah has a great little friend, Lieke (pronounced Leeka), who is most welcome to come round anytime as she has been taught manners, she's mature, she's a joy to have around, she plays quietly and respectfully with both of the girls. She's an angel. I really like her mom and all is well in that department.

Savannah has another little friend, Fieke (pronounced Feeka), who is not welcome to come anymore, as the very first time she came, she puked in my car (lots of it too) and her mom didn't offer to clean it up OR collect her, I had to do it and that ruffled my feathers ever so slightly back then. Then there was about a year's break due to the fact that the girls were in different classes at school. Well, they're back together again this year, and Fieke's mother asked if she could come to play. I begrudgingly agreed and decided on the day of the scheduled playdate that I would postpone it for the following Wednesday as I NEEDED to have an afternoon nap that day, which wasn't received too well. (Pregnancy naps are scheduled and scarce privileges now, with 2 children to run around after.) The next Wednesday arrived all too soon and I woke up and realised what I had committed to. Darn it! Oh well, maybe I was just getting uptight because of a bad past experience with this child, right? Wrong. A year on, she's the irritating, extremely giggly type, ran around my house like a bat out of hell, got my girls all worked up, banged on my piano, ran up to my bedroom, jumped on my bed and wanted to hover around me in the kitchen all afternoon. To be absolutely honest here, I did kind of lose it and demanded that Savannah explain to her friend that we DO NOT accept behaviour like that in our home. It worked. For about 5 minutes. I was watching that clock all afternoon. Oh, and the other thing that ticked me off was that the girls and I had been invited to the theatre for a Sinterklaas production at 4pm. I mentioned this to Fieke's mom at school and asked if she could be collected at 3pm so I could get organised and arrive in time to meet my friend, Kristy. Fieke's mom seemed pretty put out by all of this and kept prodding me about when the show actually started. Are you beginning to feel my pain yet?

Savannah and I had a good chat after Fieke left. We discussed ways we can distract rowdy friends, and also tips on which friends are best to associate with. It was a good lesson. Be like Lieke, not Fieke.