It is my third fathersday and the presents keep getting better. I must be doing something right. This year I got homemade bonbons and a nice picture with myself, Alex and a parrot.
Fathersday
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Author Archives: ajebe
Robot Alex I and Alex II
In addition to his normal toys Alex also has two robots. These robots are called Alex I and Alex II and can only be played with together with his dad.
The first robot is a balancing robot (which I found on Kickstarter). It drives around on two wheels trying hard to not fall down. Even a little poke from Alex does not bother the robot and it will keep its balance.
The robot can be programmed by using a simple programming language (blocks), and then sending the program to the robot using its USB cable, but this is something we’ll maybe try in the future.
Robot Alex II
The second robot is a bit simpler and just drives around. It does have an entire computer on it’s back, which can be controlled via wifi and my phone.
This robot as got some software set up to move about, and much more features can be added as phyton programs.
Alex has these robots because I think is it very benificial for him to get in touch as early as possible with something that will be everywhere in his future. Alex his current robots remind me of the computers I had when I was young. Slow, huge and with a black and white screen. After taking a long time to boot all you would get was a prompt, and that was it. Internet didn’t exist and was still a thing of the future.
Alex’ robots are far more advanced that my old computers and cost a fraction. They will advance extremly fast for sure and in a few decades Alex will look back at these things as I look back at my old PC’s.
Art
Alex’s mother was in Barcelona for a congress a couple of days. He missed her a lot, and wanted to make something for when she returned. The result was a beautiful painting of the sun, with grass, the sky, the ocean, a boat, a snail, daddy and a couple of A’s (A for Alex).
Tonight we eat cookies
Menu from 2035?
In twenty years time a lot will change and one of these changes will be the food we eat. Meat will become a luxury product that only the richt will be able to afford. The rest of the population will be forced to find alternatives. Fake meat, meat like or maybe even insects. We are already adapting to the future and made some nice meals with insects.
Tortilla with worms.
Ingredients: Buffalo-worms, egg, potato, chorizo
Result: Good!
Grasshoppers with garlic and shrimp.
Ingredients: Grasshoppers, shrimp, algae, mushrooms
Result: Well…. maybe it was a bit to salty and the grasshoppers take some getting used to. They have a strange crunchy structure. We need a bit more time to get used to this dish, but it has potential.
Grandpa Kees and Nel
A nice warm sun, grandpa Kees, grandma Nel and little Alex. A very nice get-together!
Happy lemon
You should not look a gift horse in the mount. The same goes for a free lemon, and moreover when it is a really happy lemon.
Dolphin
Last weekend we went on a dolphin spotting trip. With a nice boat we went out on the ocean in search of dolphins, and after a little more than an hour we finally encountered some dolphins. Alex had wanted to see more, but still he was satisfied. Ana was seasick right from the start, so for her the two-and-a-half hour trip was not so nice.
Alex also claimed he was seasick, but this was probably just him repeating his mother. He had a great time and loved exploring the boat. He went from the front to the back and climbed up and down to investigate all parts of the boat. The waves and motion of the ocean did not bother him, even when it was difficult to stay on foot.
Sinterklaas, Santa Claus and the three kings
Alex is lucky, because he is part Dutch he has three gift getting events. First the Sinterklaas visits him, then Santa Claus and finally the three kings. All bearing gifts. Alex clearly remembered Sinterklaas the best, and I was wondering why.
I think the answer lies in Alex experience with the three events. All events involved some great arrival. Sinterklaas arrived in Cadillac, with a drum band. Santa Claus arrived in a mini helicopter and the three kings arrived in three boats. Alex had his picture taken at all three events, and every saint was dressed up and looked impressive. Soon after each arrival Alex received a few gifts (at night) that were delivered in some magic way.
The only difference that made the Sint stand out was that when the Sint arrived he shake the hand of Alex (the picture moment, just like Santa and the Kings) but this moment was accompanied with a little present and some candy. Enough to make it a memorable event.
2014
Another year has passed, and even if the years are all quite similar every year still comes with surprises. This year I returned to Spain for most of the time. Working three weeks from home and one in Holland works out much better.
This year Alex turned three. He is getting to be a big boy, and we can already talk about lots of topics. I speak Dutch with him and he replies in Spanish and sometimes with a little Dutch. He does like to be the center of attention, but we presume this is normal for all little kids. At school he is doing very well.
Ana had a quiet year. Still working at the hospital and being a great mother.
We wish everyone a very good 2015!