Vie, Julie, Madelon, Sylvester & Reva

 

What has changed in your life since you became a mother?
VIE: Everything
MADELON: It’s not all about me anymore.

 What things do you want to teach your child/ children?
VIE: That she can be whoever she wants to be and that we love and support her no matter what.
MADELON: Respect, confidence and that it is important to have fun. You only live once, make it count.

What do you like most to do all together?
VIE: Go outside and see animals, pick flowers and eat a delicious lunch. Or bake cookies, play dress up and dance.
MADELON: Explore, dance, play, travel.

  What’s the best thing about being a mother?
VIE:The unconditional love I have for her and her father..

 What is typical about your child/children?
VIE: She explores the world with her whole body and mind and makes everybody smile while doing that (except for me sometimes).

 What did surprise you about motherhood?
VIE: My patience.
MADELON: That it’s everything, it is life changing.

What are you looking for when it comes to toys and playing?
VIE: Sounds cliché but I really believe in stimulating the things she’s interested in, instead of giving her things only because they look pretty. Her favourites are play doll and her baby doll. I try to buy eco friendly and bio degradable things (try!)

 What are your favourite places to take your kids to?
VIE: The beach, the woods, family house.

 What are the things you can’t live without since you became a mother?
VIE: Wet wipes for life! And Youtube.
MADELON: Vie is right: wipes for president!

What’s your advice to all newbie moms?
VIE: Babies cry, and that’s ok. If you checked everything (milk, poop, sleep, sick, cold) and all is clear, then it’s probably a way to process another day in this whole new crazy world. Hold her in your arms and let her cry, tell her it’s ok to cry. She will stop, eventually. I swear (I learned this a little too late).
MADELON: Trust your instinct.

 What do you find difficult as a parent and how do you try to solve the difficulties?
VIE: We’ve never been away for longer than 2 nights without her, because I’m scared something will happen to us and she will be an orphan. So anxiety is difficult for me, but I’m learning.

How do you prefer raising your child/children, what works for you?
VIE: I just do it, no special vision or ideas. Whatever works right?
MADELON: I like them to find things out, to be independent, to be curious, to make mistakes. Yes, that takes more time but I have time now.

VIE & MADELON ARE WEARING:

As a mother what would you like to do differently?
VIE: I wish I was more organized (super-housewife-like).

 What’s your favourite moment of the day?
VIE: Mornings when I’m home (the people who haven’t seen me since I’m a mother would never believe this answer). When she wakes up she gets in our bed, watches kids movies on my phone and I snooze. After that we get up, eat, go outside (or watch Frozen), have coffee and get home for lunch.
MADELON: I love mornings when we don’t have to rush to be somewhere on time. And I also love their bed time.

 How do you unwind? What is a nice treat for you?
VIE: to read books, to watch Grey’s Anatomy or to go out and have a nice dinner.
MADELON: Currently I don’t do much. But I’m working on that.

What do you do to make sure everything is ‘in balance’, work, family, friends?
VIE: Monday to Friday is for work and my little family (the days I’m not working are for her). Weekends are for family and friends (and a little cleaning). No work allowed!
MADELON: It’s not in balance. And I guess that’s why I survive. I’m no super woman who can do everything. When you have small children your social life suffers. Well, mine does.

 How do you combine motherhood and work?
VIE: I work 28 hours a week, that’s 3,5 days, from which 0,5 day at home. I work a one hour train ride from here. I use that time to load or unload myself, so when I’m home I’m really home. I’m very lucky to have my partner working around the corner, so he can take and pick up our kid from the daycare.

 Name a couple of your favourite things in general. List a top 5.
VIE: Oysters, a day at the beach, laughing my ass off, finding that perfect photo on my camera, weekends away with the three of us.

Can you tell a little about how you decorated your kid’s room?
VIE: I love white and naturals but I also love playful things, it’s a kid’s room in the end of the day. I like to combine old family things with flea market finds, Ikea and a few designer-like things.
MADELON: I love decorating and I would love to do it like I prefer, but it is their room. They really play in there and they both have a strong opinion about what they like and dislike. So I ask their opinion and luckily I’m a great debater. So I often get to do what I want. I love things that don’t go together. A clash of different styles.

 What’s important to you interior-wise, when it comes to creating a home?
VIE: That it reflects us, people who live here. I like a few crayon stripes on the wall at J’s height. I’m not a stylist, not even near but I like to get inspired by other people style and pick out little things to blend into our own home. Sometimes I like how my house looks but I also have days when I nearly hate it. Those moments I am almost ashamed to show people my house (is it the Instagram effect maybe?!). I’ve never been that far in life that I could afford all kind of designer stuff, but to be honest I love my flea-market finds. They are the best.
MADELON: It has to be a home, not a showroom. I love light and white as a base, but we live in the house, we use things we have. We have kids so it’s playful. But we also love pretty stuff. I don’t want to put that away because it can be broken.

 Where do you shop for your kid(s)?
VIE: Arnhem is crappy when it comes to shopping for kids. Amsterdam is way better. But the world wide web does the trick.
MADELON: Since I moved to LA I shop online, although I prefer to see and feel clothes first. And I have Vie and Britt to ship over my favorites from the Netherlands.

What are your favourite clothing brands and stores?
VIE: Big en Belg in Amsterdam was my favourite when I lived there (I miss them!). So now it’s online. I like Pearls and Swines, Mingo Kids, Lillelovaknits, Finch and Agnes. Sweaters knitted by our grandma’s are the best.

 How do you stay in shape, physically and emotionally?
VIE: I don’t exercise except for a 20 minute bike ride on my workdays. When it comes to my emotional balance I try to leave work at work and mimimize the cleaning so there’s more time left to do things I love. But what really makes me happy is laughing, with B, with J, with anyone. And Madelon is a great part of my daily laugh dose.
MADELON: I wish I knew! I don’t. I hate sports but I definitely need to get of my butt. So I did a few weeks ago. Hopefully I don’t quit again in the coming weeks.

What was the first item you bought for your baby when you were pregnant?
VIE: A onesie from Petit Bateau, a white one with the little grey stars. It was the first thing she ever wore.

What’s the nicest piece of art you ever got from kid(s)?
VIE: I dig all her art (I’m that kind of mother), but her family portrait when she was 25 months old is gold!

 When does your heart melt?
VIE: When I come home and she gets very excited to see me, jumps in my arms and hugs me.
MADELON: I’m such a softy since I became a mother. My heart melts almost daily.

Which city do you like to visit and why?
VIE: There are so many cities I haven’t visited yet. I’m not very good at traveling. But it seems like everybody around me has been in Copenhagen. So I’d like to see it. But I also want to go to Rome.
MADELON: I would love to visit Moscow.

 What’s important for you when you go on holiday with family?
VIE: We like quiet places with beautiful nature to explore.
MADELON: To take our time for things. Don’t try to do too much and have the rest days. And just do it!

 What do you like about your partner as a father?
VIE: He loves her with all he’s got in the purest and unconditional way I’ve ever seen. He likes to take her to all the different places; they never sit still when they’re together. And he’s the patient one.
MADELON: He is a fun dad. He plays, he builds fords, he makes up stories, he sings the loudest. And he has the biggest heart. I love how the kids adore him. And I understand why.

 How does your date-night look like?
VIE: Dress up, have oysters and wine and talk and then a wine bar with bitterballen.