Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

We woke up this morning to the ground covered in snow. The past few days it has been very cold outside. Cold, but dry. Before we moved we were told it rarely snows here. Well, guess again. I am glad we have our hats and gloves, but I think the kids need boots. Luckily I have mine. They came in handy this morning while taking the boys to school (by bike) in the snow. That was a first for me. I am sure it won't be the last.

Zwarte Piets

The past two nights we have been visited by the Zwarte Piets. No, this is not an annoying infestation of some bug. The Zwarte Piets are the Dutch version of Santa's Elves. Each night the kids have been leaving their shoes in front of the fireplace, and in the morning they have been mysteriously filled with treats. The kids love it. They have received chocolate coins and a chocolate letter (first letter of each of their names). Brooklyn even left a note for them last night asking them to stop messing up her class room at school. It seems some Zwarte Piets are mischievous that way. We have been lucky to only have been visited by neat Piets. There has also been talk that Sinterklaas will be visiting soon.

Christmas is in the Air

Yesterday we took a drive into Germany. We live an hour and a half away from the border, so day trips to Germany are not difficult to do. We drove to Dusseldorf to experience a Christmas Market. Nearly every town in Germany holds these markets this time of year, Dusseldorf was one that was recomended. There were 3 or 4 different areas around the town set up with "Christmas stands" selling food, jewelry, nutcrackers, pottery, and other christmas type goods. Another stand which was very popular was for gluhwein, a warm, spiced wine. There was also a carousel which Jason and the kids took a spin on. This would have been a very fun outing if it wasn't for the rain that came pouring down after we had been there a mere 20 minutes. Luckily we were prepared with raincoats and umbrellas, but we couldn't really enjoy ourselves. So our trip to the Christmas Market was cut short and we returned home. We were put into the Christmas mood though and listened to Christmas music all the way home. Then today, we put up the tree and Christmas decorations. The kids were so excited to do the tree you would have thought it was Christmas morning! Now for the next few weeks I will be listening to "When is Santa coming?" and "Is it Christmas yet?"

First Holiday Away From Home

Thanksgiving has come and gone without a turkey in sight. It was like any other Thursday, the boys even had school. Jason was in Germany so the kids and I had left over pasta for dinner. Sad really, but even if I wanted to do the big turkey dinner with all the trimmings I wouldn't be able to. You can get a turkey here if you order it from the butcher ahead of time, but when you get it you have to finish plucking it and cut it's head off yourself. Potatoes are not hard to come by, but sweet potaotoes and stuffing are another story. Forget about canned pumpkin. If you want a pumpkin pie, you best buy a pumpkin and start gutting it out. I talked to one mom from the boy's school who said they were having turkey burgers because that's all she could come up with. Now there are a few families here who work for the Embassy and have access to the military base stores. I am sure they had a nice Thanksgiving meal. They can even get zip lock bags and Kraft Mac N Cheese at the military base stores. Fortunately, we will have a Thanksgiving dinner, just a couple weeks late, when we come home to visit. We just need to make sure that it is early enough during our visit so we can enjoy leftovers too.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

We have watched this DVD one to many times as evident by our experience trick or treating last night. We went out at 6 o'clock joined by two of Brooklyn's classmates and their parents. The kids were all very excited. We got to the first house and the boys followed the "older kids" up to the door. They said "trick or treat", were given the candy and came running back to us saying "mommy look!". It was tuff getting them to stay focused on the task at hand and forget about the loot they were collecting. After a few houses, Carter seemed sad, disappointed with what was going on. The problem? He hadn't received a rock yet. He even started asking the people passing out candy for rocks. They were confused, obviously they had not seen "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" recently. Due to watching this movie, Carter was under the impression that he would be collecting rocks in his bag, not candy. I personally don't understand why Charlie Brown was only given rocks while he was trick or treating, but it seemed like a great thing to Carter.

Happy Halloween

Even though the Netherlands as a country does not celebrate Halloween, it has been in full force in our neighborhood. Yesterday the kids had their parties at school (both schools are international schools). First we had the boys party. Their school went all out, the decorations were amazing. Both the children and the teachers were dressed up. They had a small parade, popcorn and treats, many Halloween games and a fort made out of hay bales to climb in and out of. The boys had a great time and came home with treat bags. After we grabbed a quick lunch, the boys and I went to Brooklyn's school. There they also had a parade. Then they traveled between the 4 first grade classes reading stories, playing games, having snacks, and doing Halloween crafts. She came home with a treat bag too. It was an exciting day for the kids and a workout for me because I rode my bike everywhere we needed to go (of course).

Tonight we have two of Brooklyn's friends coming over to go Trick or Treating. The way that works here is that a list of houses giving out candy is sent out by email. Then you pick which area you want to be in and follow the map. Houses giving out candy have a lit jack-o-lantern in the front window. Should be interesting! One of Brooklyn's friends coming with us is Dutch and this is only the second time she has ever gone Trick or Treating. So even though Halloween isn't celebrated here as a country, the Dutch children still enjoy doing it.

Mom and Dad's visit

Mom and Dad's visit started off kind of rough. Their flights were fine and Jason got them here in one piece, it's what they arrived too was the rough spot. Friday was alright, Brooklyn had a fall assembly at school that we all went too. Mom and Dad got to see her school and meet a few of our friends. Unfortunately, Saturday morning, all three kids were sick and I was starting not to feel well. Two trips to the doctor later we had all three kids on antibiotics. Once those kicked in, things started to look up. While Mom and Dad were here, they were able to enjoy three different countries.

Saturday night Jason took them for dinner and an evening canal tour through Amsterdam, Netherlands. Sunday we drove to Antwerp, Belgium where we had lunch and took a horse and buggy ride to tour the city. On Monday, it was off to Paris, France where we did a "hop on hop off" bus tour and spent two nights. Thursday they got to meet the boys teachers and see their school. While the boys were in school, we spent the afternoon in Delft, Netherlands, where we had lunch and saw the weekly market in the square. Jason, Dad and Brooklyn climbed the tower of the New Church in Delft (the "New" term might be misleading...it was built in 1383), while Mom and I toured the actual church. Saturday, the kids stayed with a sitter while we spent the day in Amsterdam. We toured the Anne Frank House, had lunch, and walked quickly through the Red Light District (so they could say that the had been there).

Overall, I think we gave them a nice taste of Europe. We also celebrated Mom's birthday while they were here with an extremely chocolaty birthday cake from a local bakery. Mom and I got a chance to have a little "girl time" shopping. We took them to our favorite restaurant in Noordwijk, La Toscana. Also, I made them a few of our staple dinners that we enjoy. Over all it was a good trip and was wonderful having them here. Now we only have two months before we come home for the holidays. In those two months we have lots planned so time should go by quickly. Hopefully they had a good time and will return in the spring!

Busy, Busy!

What a busy weekend we had. Saturday started with Brooklyn's first T- Ball clinic. She had a rough start because when she arrived she was the only girl there. This is why Brooklyn does not like playing sports, because she always has to play with boys. About 10 minutes in another girl arrived, but in all they were the only two. This "rough start" was short lived because soon after the clinic began, Brooklyn recognized some boys from her class. Over all, the T- Ball clinic was a hit and she is excited to go back next Saturday. She has also since convinced one of her girlfriends to sign up. Then Saturday afternoon, we went to an indoor/outdoor mall of sorts. We didn't stay out too long because Nolan was still recovering from being under the weather. We basically went to see what it had to offer. I am sure we will visit again soon.

Sunday morning Jason took Brooklyn to an indoor swimming pool that is around the corner from our house. She was invited to go swimming by a boy that was at the T-Ball clinic. It was Brooklyn's first play date with a boy. Jason really has no one to blame but himself for this because he is the one who signed her up for the clinic which led to the play date. She did have a great time at the pool though and I am sure it is a place we will frequent when the weather turns cold and dark. Then Sunday afternoon we headed up to Brooklyn's school for a Girl Scout Celebration. Brooklyn enjoyed time with her fellow Daisy's and the boys ran around outside on the soccer field and on the elementary school playground. Everyone had a good time and slept well that night.

I admit that we owe the majority of our socialization to Brooklyn. She actually scheduled two more play dates for this week while we were at the school on Sunday. Neither with boys though, we need to keep an eye on this girl!

Bike or Car?

I think maybe I have lived here too long. Today I decided to ride my bike in the rain rather than drive the boys to school in the car. It has been two months since I have driven anywhere. Jason's car has been sitting in the driveway since Sunday when he left for France. I have not used it once. The streets here are just too narrow and the parking, forget it. I think getting poured on riding to and from the boy's school is better than the stress of driving there and having to find parking. Amazing really, I remember when I would drive the car down to the stop sign at the end of our old street to get Brooklyn off the bus if it was raining. My how things have changed.

The Social Scene

Every weekend we seem to have at least one "social" thing to do. Last weekend Brooklyn's school put on an Art Fair for the Elementary school kids (and their siblings). They had face painting, jewelry making, origami, candle decorating, sidewalk chalk/painting, and much more. The kids had a great time and it got us out of the house for a few hours. This weekend Brooklyn has a T-ball clinic on Saturday and a Girl Scout event on Sunday. I have a feeling Girl Scouts is going to keep us very busy. This is a good thing, the more busy we are, the faster time will go by.

The boys had their first play date yesterday. A little boy from their school and his mom came over for an hour and a half. All three boys played very well together while us moms sat down, talked and drank tea. My boys have always had each other to play with, but it's nice to know that they can include another child while they play. Brooklyn, our social butterfly, has yet another play date after school today. It seems each week she schedules a play date with a different girl. This time she is going straight to her friends house after school. I won't see her until dinner time! Even I am starting to have a social life. I have lunch plans on Thursday with another mom from the boys school. It's nice that we are all making friends. We can only be stuck in this house with each other for so long before we all go crazy.

Amsterdam Pics

Jason in front of the Concertgebouw, the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum behind

I AMSTERDAM, and the bike stand outside of Amsterdam Central Train Station.

Pics at the Beach

Random pics from September

A cemetery in Wassenaar, a picture of one of many houses with the red and white shutters, the windmill a few houses down from where we live, and our family in front of our Ivy wall.

A Visit From Home

Last Friday, a good friend of ours came to visit. She flew over first thing in the morning and we didn't waste anytime. The best way to fight jet lag is to stay outside and keep busy. So, after she grabbed a quick shower, we drove to Amsterdam. We had the boys with us, so we decided the best way to see the city would be a canal tour. It was 75 minutes of going up and down canals while enjoying a Heineken (water for the boys). That night after dinner we took a bike ride to show her some of the town we live in. Then first thing Saturday morning, we had a sitter come over for the kids and we took the bus and train to get back to Amsterdam. We toured the Anne Frank House (again) and then went to the Van Gogh Museum. This was the first time, Jason and I have gone to see Van Gogh. We also got some great pics as we were walking around the city. Then it was off to the Red Light District. This is just one of those tourist things that if you do when visiting Amsterdam. You should walk through the Red Light District for the experience and so that you can say you saw it. Unfortunately, we were on a tight schedule to get back to the train station. We ended up having to run to catch our train. When I say we had to run, it was a sprint from inside the Red Light District all the way till we were actually sitting in our seats. We made it with only 2 minutes to spare. I guess it just adds to the experience. The next day, Brooklyn had a birthday party to go to. After dropping her off, the rest of us went to Delft. We were shocked to see a carnival going on in the square. This kind of ruined the ambiance of the place because the square is great for photo opportunities. But we did a little shopping and sat at a cafe for some drinks before coming back home. That night after dinner we took a bike ride to the beach and played in the sand as the sun set. Again, some great photos were taken. The kids, especially Carter, got too close to the water and his pants were soaked. We ended up taking his pants, socks and shoes off for the bike ride home. Because it was cold out, I sacrificed my fleece to use as a blanket for the boys. We zipped them up in their cocoon and rode home. They went straight into the warm bathtub, into their jammies, and off to bed. After the kids went to bed, the adults enjoyed a couple bottles of wine. On Monday the boys had school, so Michele and I got to enjoy some girl time. We did a little shopping in town and had a nice lunch outside a cafe. We have done quite a bit of bike riding while she's been here. We have also gone through quite a bit of wine. It's been wonderful having her here. It's going to be hard when she leaves tomorrow. I have to wait 4 weeks until our next visitors. Then it's back home in December for a visit!

The Weather

Every night before going to bed I check to see what the weather will be for the following day. This has become an inside joke for Jason and I. I check because I need to plan what Brooklyn will wear for school the next morning. The temperature forecast is usually pretty accurate. The joke is whether it will be sunny, cloudy or rainy. For example, the other night I did my routine weather check. The forecast said 71 and sunny. There was no rain anywhere in the forecast for the next 5 days. I was very excited because the boys had school the next day and the last time they had school I was caught on my bike in a down pour. So imagine my surprise when I was getting ready to take them to school and it was raining. No sun...just rain. The only way to get an accurate account for the weather is to look out the window.

As for riding my bike in the rain, I just have to laugh. I really don't have a choice. The boys need to go to school and get picked up at certain times. I can't just wait around for the rain to let up. Luckily, the carrier the boys ride in can be covered. So even though I am soaked to the bone, they remain dry. I take comfort in that I am not alone in the rain. Everyone is right out there with me riding their bikes. I have also had to endure some pretty strong winds. I pedal as hard as I can against the wind and I still barely go anywhere. I have also been almost blown off my bike. It amazes me that with the weather the way it is, so many people here use bikes as their primary mode of transportation. Like Brooklyn has said before, "It's the Netherland way". I can't wait to see what the winter will bring.

The Anne Frank House

Jason and I have visited the Anne Frank house twice so far. Once during my first visit to the Netherlands and again when Jason's parents were here for a visit last month. There is no photography allowed inside the museum, so a picture of the outside is the best I could do. I think that this is probably at the top of the list for "what to do when we visit Jason and Amy" so we will visit a few more times I am sure. We definitely want to take Brooklyn there when she gets a bit older, we don't think she would truly understand at this point. But years from now when she is reading "The Diary of Anne Frank" in school, we want her to have the full appreciation for it. We want her to have that experience of being in the actual room where Anne Frank wrote in her diary and was in hiding for so many years.

For those who don't know, the museum is the actual building that Otto Frank's company owned. It was an empty space in the back of this building in which 8 people hid from the Germans. "A secret annex behind a bookcase" is what Anne Frank refered to it as. You are able to tour the building at your own pace. There are videos and interviews being played throughout. Pictures and journal entries cover the walls. They have a few small scale models of what each room looked like and which room was used for what. It's eerie when you walk through the rooms and look out the few windows there are knowing the people in hiding looked out the same windows. Knowing they were hidden from the world for 2 years is hard to believe. You get a small taste of what it must have been like living in such small quarters, unable to go outside. It's very powerful and definitely worth the visit if you ever are in Amsterdam.

Boy's First Day of Preschool

Today was the boys first day of preschool and it went well. I think having eachother there is a huge help (especially for Nolan who is a little more attached). Their teachers are nice and there are lots of kids to play with. They had Vegetarian Pasta for lunch and actually ate it. Hopefully this will be a great year for them.

Things I Enjoy in The Netherlands

I think about how much I miss home on a daily basis. So I decided it was time to look at particular things that I enjoy here. This is what I came up with...

1. Ham and cheese sandwiches. This is what I have for lunch everyday and I love it. Granted we have to go to the store every other day to buy fresh ham and bread, but it is worth it. Milk white bread, Gouda cheese, ham, and the best tasting mayo I have ever had. Delicious!

2. The smell of salt water in the air after it rains. We are so close to the North Sea that the smell of the water carries. It reminds me of all our vacations to Ocean City. One of my most vivid memories is the smell of the ocean when we would first arrive at Sea Watch. I can't wait to share that experience with my kids someday.

3. All of the outside walls in our house have several windows. I love the open feeling. When I wake up in the morning, I routinely pull up the shades and open the windows. I love the breeze that comes through the house. Everywhere you look you can see outside, people passing by on their bikes, white clouds in the blue sky, trees, bushes and flowers. Very beautiful.

4. Brooklyn's school is amazing. In science class, she went down to a nearby stream to collect specimens to study. In music class, she is being introduced to a variety of instruments, music and dance styles. She takes a Dutch class as well as a computer class. For library, her school brings in various authors to talk to the students. This is only 1st grade. The school has so much to offer. She loves it so much that when she gets home from school everyday, she plays "school". Sometimes her brothers get to benefit from what she has learned because they are often her "students".

5. I love the cookies and sweets. I don't always know what I am eating, but everything tastes good. I love to get variety packs so the kids and I can try a little of everything. The chocolate here is extremely good. I tried M&M's the other day and they just didn't taste as good as I remembered. This could be a problem when I return home. I'm spoiled now!

6. Besides the sweets, most everything is good for you. The food has less, if any at all, preservatives, hormones or chemicals. (Of course, this leads to more frequent trips to the market.) You'd be suprised how different things can taste without all the "extras". The chicken is wonderful, however the taste of beef takes some getting used to. We have Pink Lady apples everyday for a snack or with lunch, I don't know if those are available in the states but if they are they are worth trying. The kids are doing very good trying different things, they have even found a few favorites. One of Brooklyn's favorites is pork schnitzel.

7. Being able to walk into town is nice. I don't have a car, but it is not something I need. I can walk to the bank, post office, market, even the boys school. We are only a few houses away from town center. When you walk into town you are greeted by a large windmill, then you have the chocolate shop, cheese shop, fruit and vegetable stands, a bakery and several cafe type places. This is also wear all the clothing boutiques are for men, women and children. There is a wine shop (which Jason found his Jack Daniels in). It is all very convenient and quaint.

8. We are able to visit neighboring countries easily and sometimes as a day trip. Driving to Brussels, Belgium is like driving to Columbus from Cleveland. We plan to make several weekend trips in the near future.

These things may seem minor but they are things I enjoy. It has always been the simple things in life that have made me the happiest. I am sure as time goes by I will find more, but for now these things help me when I feel sad or am missing home.

Off to School!

I have never seen a child more excited for school than Brooklyn was yesterday. She was only there a half day, but she could not stop talking about it. I hope this continues because her typical response to "What did you do in school today?" used to be "Nothing." Yesterday she went into detail from the moment she got on the bus until she went to bed.

The bus she takes is not your normal yellow school bus. Most kids ride their bikes or walk to school, so those aren't needed here. Instead she takes a giant Coach Tour bus, complete with seat belts. It's the largest thing on the streets over here. We decided to use the busing for her because of the boys starting school. It would be too much for me to get her to school then get them to school on time. This would be especially difficult because I don't have a car over here. Next year, the boys may be at the same school as Brooklyn and we may revisit the need for the bus.

When Jason picked her up (due to the half day, buses did not take kids home) Brooklyn was walking back from the bathroom with the teacher's assisstant. Turns out, Brooklyn was one of the few kids who were not dropped off by their parents that morning. The teacher told Jason how impressed everyone was with Brooklyn for riding the bus and coming to a new school all by herself. Of course, Brooklyn thought nothing of it. She is very mature for only being 6 yrs. old.

Brooklyn told us all about the playground, different classes they visited, teachers she met, and her 2 new friends. She thinks her favorite classes will be Art, Music, Library and Science. She may be the only child who doesn't list Lunch, Recess and Gym as her favorites, however she was impressed with the playground. She went to school a 6 yr. old and returned a 16 yr. old. She simply amazes me sometimes.

While she was away, I made brownies for her to have when she got home. Then we went out to dinner to our favorite Italian restaurant in Noordwijk. This morning she was even more excited to go back to school for a full day. I love it! Now only a week and a half more before the boys start going to school 2 days a week. I think once we are all on a "school schedule" I will be much more happy. Everyone knows how important my schedules are to me!

Dinner With Friends

Last night Jason and I went to dinner with new friends of ours. Thanks to Facebook, Jason became aware that a girl he went to high school with recently moved to Amsterdam. (As it turns out, she also works at Brooklyn's new school). So last night she came over with her boyfriend and the four of us walked down the street to a nice restaurant. We sat at a table outside and ordered a nice bottle of Bordeaux. We sat and talked as people wandered by. The exciting part of this evening was what we had for dinner. There was an option on the menu that was to pick how many courses you wanted for the meal, and the chef chose what you had for each course. So that is what we did and it was wonderful. We started with fresh bread served with oil, roasted garlic (a whole roasted garlic), and butter. Then we were served the "salad", this consisted of avocado and prosciutto among other things. Next we had risotto with crawfish, saffron and some other various spices and cream sauce. Our main course was lamb (which was raised on an island in Northern Holland) and fries, with mayo of course. Fries are served at even the nicest restaurants. The boys ordered mocca creme brulee and Irish coffee for dessert but the waiter also brought a variety of bite sized desserts for us to try that were delicous. Dinner lasted about 3 hrs and was excellent. None of us had ever experienced a "surprise" dinner before, but we were all very impressed with it. Then after sharing one more bottle of wine, we walked back home. What an evening!

Our House

For those who haven't seen pics yet.

The Netherland Way

I had over 130 pictures developed that I needed to pick up. Today was the day. The problem ... it was pouring. I got up early, showered, and got ready before the kids even woke up. My plan was to go out at 9 am when the stores open because I knew the rain was coming. Unfortunately, Brooklyn didn't even get up until after 9 am. Then I had to fight with her to get dressed and eat her breakfst. By the time I had everyone ready to go, it was raining. I suggested to the kids that we go out after lunch, that maybe the rain would stop by then. Brooklyn suggested we take the car. There are two problems with that, #1 Jason has the car. #2 You can't drive into town. Most people going into town park their cars near our house. Then she responded with "Well, it's the Netherland way to go out in the rain." With that, the kids got their boots and raincoats on, opened their umbrellas and off we went. Of course, Carter had to jump in each and every puddle he passed. Then he kept repeating, "Mommy, I all wet." As if he had no idea what the cause was. Ultimately, we made it to the store and back. We were all a bit wet, but at least I had the pictures. We have to get used to "the Netherland way."

Sights of Brussels

More Sights in Brussels

Brussels Belgium

We decided that we needed to start taking advantage of living in Europe. So, on Saturday, we drove to Brussels. It is only a two hour drive from our house. We packed a lunch for the kids to eat in the car, that kept them busy for awhile. Carter fell asleep when we were half way there, so needless to say, the drive went well. When we got there, we jumped on a double decker tour bus to see the sights. We sat on the top to insure good pictures. There was a great breeze and the kids loved it. The tour lasted an hour and a half. When we were done, we walked around a bit until we found a nice place to eat. We did a little shopping while we were there, but mostly just took in the sights.

The interesting part about Brussels is the variety of languages you hear. While I was in a chocolate store (big surprise that I would be in a chocolate store) I spoke three different languages. Belgium itself does not have a prodominant language. Most people speak either French, Dutch or Flemish. Luckily, I know enough of the French and Dutch languages to be polite. So when I entered the store I greeted the woman behind the counter in Dutch. She responded back in French. Part of the transaction was in English because I am not fluent enough in either language for an entire conversation. Then when I left, I thanked her in French. So, I thought we were covered because I knew a little of each prominent language. Imagine my surprise that while we were lost and I stopped someone holding a map to ask "Do you know where we are?" They responded in Spanish. After trying to understand what the other was saying for five to ten minutes, I was able to atleast thank them in Spanish, and we were on our way. We continued to search for our car for over an hour, but we eventually found it. Then it took another half an hour to get out of the city, even with a GPS in the car.

The kids did very well walking around town and going all day without naps. Brooklyn has started a snow globe collection of the places we visit. This gives her some incentive for all the walking we do and the time spent squished between her brothers in the backseat. (Oh how we miss our Armada!) Trying different foods from different cultures is exciting too. Though we missed out on trying the Belgian waffles, which looked and smelled awesome, I did get some great Belgian chocolates. For dinner, Jason had Flemish Beef and I had Belgian Mash with Sausage, both very good.

All in all the trip went very well. Now I need to start planning our next adventure. We plan to take advantage of our situation and see as much of Europe as we can in the time we are here. This should make the next two years go by fast.

Noordwijk, Netherlands

Schevenigen, Netherlands

Madurodam