Bargains!

I got a fantastic deal on baby clothes today at Vroom & Dreesmann in Amstelveen. They have a smallish selection of mothercare clothes that for whatever reason are being discontinued. The remaining items are being sold at up to 70% off! As an example, they are selling the most fantastic travel system for €40 that would have cost around €160 new! I bought a whole new wardrobe for Michael in the 12 to 24 months range. At full price I would have paid €185 but I walked out of the store only €58 lighter! I also bought Michael a 70-piece workshop that I'm sure he is going to love when he is old enough to play with it. It has all the tools that a miniature demolition expert is going to need. In response to his increasing mobility I also bought some reins. I've been undecided whether I would get reins but the roads around here are very busy and I don't want to risk, or even contemplate, him running into the road.

He showed the first signs of stranger anxiety today. We were all in the lift in Vroom & Dreesmann and his pushchair was next to another with an older boy in it. His mother was on the other side of Michael. Michael couldn't see me or Phil because we were behind the pushchair. The lady was talking to Michael and the little boy leaned over and put his hand on the parasol of the pushchair. Michael burst into tears and was really distressed. The lady was trying to persuade her lad to let go of the parasol. I picked Michael up the minute we got out of the lift and he eventually cheered up after we pulled some funny faces in a mirror. Perhaps it was just the tiredness and the teething. I hope so. A guy came to the house earlier in the week to give us a quote on painting the living room and Michael wasn't phased by him at all. I would have thought that if he was going to be anxious then it would be when his own home was invaded by a stranger. Babies... who can fathom them?

The weather is pretty chronic at the moment and it seems to have rained non-stop for weeks. I'm getting quite dismayed by it because I have a Nijntje paddling pool that Michael will be too big for soon. I want him to be able to enjoy it before the summer is over. Where is the sun?!? It is July!!