Leiden365.nl

Dell

Sometimes you just need to get something that will work and that’s nice and robust. Something good. It might cost a little extra but quality is not cheap. For myself I had a nice desktop computer that was okay, but I needed something more mobile for my work so I started looking for a nice laptop.

One bit requirement was that the laptop could not have one of those slick mirroring screens. They look fantastic, but are very unpractical to actually use. Looking into a mirroring surface gets very tiring very fast. The CPU does not need to be the top of the line. Anything semi decent will do. I do require a bit of memory for my work so I need to get a system with at least 16GB of memory. In the end I found a very nice system at Dell. These are the specs:

Dell Latitude E5450
Edition: Windows 10 Pro
Processor: Intel Core i5-5300C CPU
RAM: 16.0 GB
System type: 64-bit
Harddisk: Samsung SSD 256GB
Removable: Lexar USB 32GB
Wuppie

With Alex I made a nice wuppie. The process was relatively simple and the result is a nice soft ball for playing. Finally something different than all the ‘vechten’ (fighting) Alex wants to do all the time with his toys.

Step 1:
Cut two cardboard circles and put them on top of eachother. Make sure both of them have a cut across from the outside to the center. You will need this cut later to easily remove the cardboard from the wuppie.
Step 2:
This it the bulk of the work. Use a cord to cover all the cardboard, en keep adding the cord until the entire center is filled with the cord and you cannot add any more.

Step 3:
Once you are done spinning the cord you need to cut open the wuppie from the sites. Put a sharp knife of scissors in between the twee pieces of cardboard and cut all the cords.

Step 4:
After cutting all the cords do not remove the cardboard. First add a few ropes to bind the center of the wuppie. Wrap the rope thightly though the center (in between the twee cardboards) and make a thight knot. Then remove the cardboard pieces. Your wuppie is now done. Some prefab eyes make it even better. Have fun!
Alex four

Alex is four years old! Time really does fly. We had some great parties to celebrate Alex’ birthday in Alcala and in Torrevieja. Of course with cake and presents.

During our vacation Alex turned out to be a real fan of the pool and the beach. A very good trait for someone living on an island. Alex loves to swim, dive and jump into the pool. Not only his pool skills have improved the last year, Alex improved in every way imaginable. We are indeed impressed by the little guy.

Next year will be a year with a lot of changes. Alex will get a little brother, and will lose his monopoly on parental attention. Still, we have faith that he will manage to adapt, just like his parents will have to adapt.
The little one in 3D

Things are going well with the little baby and his mother. This time the baby moves a lot, punching, kicking and moving about all the time. His mother even wakes up in the middle of the night because of all the action in her belly. Even in the hospital during a routine checkup they noticed the baby moves a lot.

Maybe it is a sign the child will be a top athlete. Time will tell.
Vivir mi vida

Vivir Mi Vida

Voy a reír, voy a bailar
vivir mi vida, la, la, la, la
Voy a reír, voy a gozar
vivir mi vida, la, la, la, la

A veces llega la lluvia
para limpiar las heridas
A veces sólo una gota
puede vencer la sequía

Y para qué llorar, ¿Pa’ qué?
Si duele una pena, se olvida
Y para qué sufrir, ¿Pa’ qué?
Si así es la vida, hay que vivirla

Voy a reír, voy a bailar
vivir mi vida, la, la, la, la
Voy a reír, voy a gozar
vivir mi vida, la, la, la, la

Voy a vivir el momento
para entender el destino
Voy a escuchar en silencio
para encontrar el camino

Y para qué llorar, ¿Pa’ qué?
Si duele una pena, se olvida
Y para qué sufrir, ¿Pa’ qué?
Si duele una pena, se olvida

Voy a reír, voy a bailar
vivir mi vida, la, la, la, la
Voy a reír, voy a gozar
vivir mi vida, la, la, la, la

¡Mi gente!

Voy a reír, voy a bailar
¿Pa’ qué llorar? ¿Pa’ qué sufrir?
Empieza a soñar, a reír
Voy a reír, voy a bailar
Siente y baila y goza,
que la vida es una sola
Voy a reír, voy a bailar
Vive, sigue, siempre pa’lante,
no mires pa’ atrás

Mi gente, la vida es una

Voy a reír, voy a bailar
vivir mi vida, la, la, la, la
Voy a reír, voy a gozar
vivir mi vida, la, la, la, la
Alex’ third album

For now creating the yearly photo albums for Alex is a tradition I am managing to maintain. Alex is already three years, so it was time for a third album with pictures form his second birthday till his third birthday. The first and second album were received well by all grandfathers and grandmothers so I stuck to the same format.

Alex from two to three years
This post used to have the online version of the photo album, but is is no longer available… sorry.
Cantabria

This year our holidays took us to the north of Spain. A beautiful area where we visited a lot of different sites. We have seen snow in the mountains, deep caves, beaches, swimming pools, a big zoo, and ancient town centers.

Alex enjoyed the holidays a lot, and it is true that if your child is happy, then the parent is happy. Alex favorite was the pony ride.
Agile

It was unexpected but during our Agile training we played some poker and then started on building with Lego. It was the practical part after a day of theory. The result was pretty nice.
Pilot

Every month daddy flies to Holland for a couple of days. This has awakened a strong interest in airplanes in little Alex. It looks like he has what it takes to become a pilot.
The first pictures

5 april
12 april