Day 149: German Christmas Market – Dusseldorf

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We went to explore a German Christmas market today in Dusseldorf. We left this morning for the 2+ hour drive and enjoyed the day before driving back tonight. I wanted to go before Christmas and before the weekend before its over and too crowded.

We used to drive to Sacramento and back in a day, so this felt kind of like that. We knew it would be a long day, but we were up for the adventure and didn’t want to stay at a hotel. We prefer to be in our own beds when we can help it.

Luckily the weather was fairly decent with scattered showers but nothing too crazy. The skies were gray of course and the temperature pretty cold, but when it’s not windy or pouring rain, I now tend to think of the weather as being nice.

What I enjoyed most about the markets was the decor and festive feel of Christmas. I liked the cute little booths and decorations and lights.

And I liked the unique items for sale, that you don’t typically see in the States.

I enjoyed wandering around the town and finding our way to the center market and the Ferris wheel, which was a nice surprise.

The kids must have felt like they were at a carnival, trying new foods and playing with old fashioned toys. We found a nice steakhouse for dinner that felt more American and had less crowding than most restaurants we’ve been to in Holland. My favorite part was the baked potato with sour cream. Mmm…. I haven’t had one in so long!!

At the end of the day, I’m glad we got to enjoy the day doing something new again, as a family plus one! Charlie brought a friend with him and they were so cute together. I’m also glad the world didn’t end today, because I’m not done living it up yet. I hope you’re doing the same. Merry Christmas!!

20Dec2012

Day 148: Mean Mommy

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I made my kids take ski lessons today and was the meanest mommy on the planet!

They have indoor ski places in Holland that I thought sounded like such a good idea. When we were talking about what to do for Christmas Break, I asked the kids if they wanted to go skiing because there are fabulous places to ski in Europe like Austria and France and I thought we should go there. But everyone voted no on that idea. None of us like to be cold, and the thought of skiing didn’t sound attractive. Now, I was afraid that I might be rubbing off on them and that because I don’t like to be cold, they were just saying that. We hardly ever choose to go to the snow in California when we have vacation time because yours truly really hates to be cold, and why suffer with three kids and a long drive in traffic to Tahoe if everyone is going to be miserable? At least, that’s the vision that floats in my head, and you know I could very well be wrong.

So now we’re in Holland and I learned of this place where I could bring the kids and the weather was controlled and the conditions would be just right, so why not try it?? I was pumped for them, to give them this opportunity to learn something new and just for a day and without a long journey and with their friends, even. Guess what I got? Guff. I got guff from 2 out of 3 of them. And not just a little guff. There were tears involved and they were rude and angry and demanded their rights to not go and I couldn’t make them and blah, blah, blah.

We went anyway. I thought they’d change their mind when we got there. But no… more words and frustrated feelings. And they were mad at me and I was disappointed in them, but I pushed on anyway and paid for the lesson and tickets and equipment and said goodbye, enjoy, have fun!! And told them how our family values adventure and trying new things and that they have to at least try it. And I wagered the bet that they might actually like it once they tried it and I was really hoping they would, so I would feel better about pushing them out of their comfort zone. I don’t like to make them do what they don’t want to do. I’m not one of those moms that feels like I know best and that they should do exactly what I say or want. I usually tend to listen to them as little people, unless there is danger or they are being rude. But today I felt like I had to push their boundaries a bit and I had to step out of my comfort zone. And boy, was I uncomfortable with all their unhappiness and the scene they were making. But in the end, all was good.

They put on their boots, gathered their lift tickets and gear and hit the slopes with Braum, their ski instructor, while I watched from behind the glass with a capuccino. I cheered them on by waving my arms in the air and was so happy for them when they decided to leave the bunny slope and take the lift up to higher ground. They all loved it and didn’t want to leave. They stayed way past the time we had planned and I felt content, for them and for me. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do and good will come from it. I hope they learned something today. I know I did.

Indoor skiing in Holland

unhappy skier waiting for the dread to begin…

Happy after 30 minutes of lessons! Phew!!

Happy, little skier!

The non-complainer who actually tried both boarding and skiing with a smile on his face all day.

19Dec2012

Day 146: Backies

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This is me and Patti Beth after coming home from a Christmas party in Amsterdam. We took the bus and when we were coming home, the bus didn’t stop at my stop even though I pressed the button. PB’s stop was two stops away from mine, and she had her bike at the bus station. So she gave me my first bike ride straddled on the back of her bike at 12:30 am! They call these “Backies” but usually the back rider sits side saddle. I chose to straddle so we’d be more balanced.

We only fell while trying to get on the bike on the slippery, wet bricks. But then we were ok, laughing all the way! This picture was taken after our safe arrival back at the bus stop!

What a great way to end day 2 of vacation. I’m so glad we stayed in town.

17Dec2012

Day 145: First Day of Vacation – Let’s Go to the Movies

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Today was the first day of winter break, and we set an alarm clock for 6:30 am!! My Mom and Dad had an early morning flight back to California. I was fine with the transition until we got to the airport before the sun rose. Looking in my mama’s eyes made me cry. And then again more tears flowed as I hugged my dad goodbye. We are going to miss them being here with us!!

Luckily, my friend Jane was thinking ahead and planning outings for this week. We met up with Jane, Kim, Cami, Patti Beth and a couple other new friends and their kids to see our first movie at a theater in Amsterdam.

The movie was in 3D and was produced in English with Dutch subtitles, popping out in 3-D as well. The movie was really cute and I’m glad that we had something to do to get us out of the house. After the movie, we walked along the Singel and I had heard about a great, Indonesian restaurant, called Sampurna that was on the flower market. We decided to try and it and enjoyed a noisy family meal that included Sayur Lodeh, Rendang, Bami Goreng, Rice, Satay Ayam, and Krupruk!! Trying to take 3 kids to a quiet restaurant and expecting them to sit still and quiet is a joke! Once the food arrived, all was well again and we all enjoyed our delicious meal.

Today was good after all. Mom and dad arrived safely in Los Angeles and are very excited to see my nieces and sisters and brother and their own house and own bed again! Welcome home, Mama and Pops! Slaap lekker!!

17Dec2012

Day 144: One Last Hurrah

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My mom and dad leave tomorrow, after being with us for 2 months. I haven’t been together with my parents for this long since my college days. And living under one roof, as one big, happy family wasn’t all that hard. We’re all ready for the change and to get back to “normal” and our own space, but we’ve all really enjoyed the shared journey and are thankful for the experience.

Tonight we had a going away party for them. While mom and I were out shopping for the dinner tonight at our local Jumbo (the Dutch supermarket that is actually open on Sunday!), we were given a fun surprise! As I was gathering my groceries after we paid, a man comes up to me with a big red box and a huge smile on his face. He said something to me in Dutch, but my translator(aka my mom) had already left for the parking lot. I told him I didn’t speak Dutch and he said that was ok, and “Congratulations! You are the 1000th customer.” He handed me the sealed and decorated box and I left with a smile that matched his. I love winning things and being lucky, no matter what it is. I just love the shear joy of it and the excitement.

The box was filled with various items including snacks, cookies, shampoo and soaps, non-alcoholic drinks, and Christmas decor. I loved it!

Our company arrived just as we got home. We enjoyed a great afternoon and early evening with loved ones, and a simple Dutch dinner of soft rolls with deli meats and cheeses, along with salad and fruit and chips. A simple dinner, and a simple evening at home, that was simply perfect. We all are going to miss my parents and can’t wait to see them again! xoxoxo

10Dec2012

Day 138: Rituals

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I was driving today and inserted this cool little RITUALS air freshener into my air vent. Patti Beth gave it to me as a hostess gift and I just loved the whole idea of it. It made me think of my daily rituals and what your daily rituals might be like.

First, isn’t it such a nice gesture to bring a hostess a gift to thank her for inviting you to her home? Not that she needs a gift nor does it have to be something extravagant, but it’s such a nice little ritual, don’t you think? The Dutch are very good at bringing flowers when they come to your house for a visit. I love this ritual, don’t you?

Another ritual I am loving right now is playing cards with my mama. She just got back from a trip to Italy and I’ve missed playing cards with her. I’ve been buying her cards from the different cities we visit and this deck was from our Rome trip together. I love her hands and her charm bracelet. But her beating me all the time, that’s getting old!

What are some of your favorite rituals? Do you send out holiday cards – either before or after the new Year or not at all? I love this ritual and hope to get ours out this year. And I’m loving receiving your cards too! Thanks, my friends!!

8Dec2012

Day 136: What’s Good About All Day Basketball Tryouts?

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We had to set an alarm on a Saturday morning. Christian had to be at school by 7:45 am to catch the team bus to the Hague for a mini-basketball tournament. Juliana had to be at school by 9 am for her all day mini-tournament at her school. They have had try-outs for the last two weeks and after today, the coaches were supposed to make a decision. I felt it to be important that we were there to watch and cheer and support our kids, so Jeff and I split up to make this happen.

Since we have one car, Jeff came back after dropping off Christian to pick up Charlie, Juliana and I and to drop us off at school by 9 am, before he left for the day to watch Christian. Charlie and I stayed to watch Juliana play ALL DAY! Well, actually, Charlie got lucky as his friend’s dad came to pick him up for a play date around lunch time and kept him until after dinner. I was lucky too (I guess) to be able to make new friends and chat with “old” friends while we sat on hard, cold bleachers all day, cheering on our kids!!

I love kid sports for several reasons, but my favorite (selfish) part is probably the community feeling of being together and cheering on our kids, collectively. I get just excited for my friends’ kids as my own. I cheer loudly and get excited and feel the pain when someone gets hurt and want to jump up at the ref when a call is incorrect and cheer loudly when my kid scores or passes and assists. I feel passionately about the whole thing… except when I have to sit there for 6 hours! Today dragged on a little longer past my comfort zone, but I did have fun nevertheless.

I liked seeing my friends and familiar faces. I had fun chatting with the other parents and hearing the stay-at-home dad’s talk about their new crock pot purchase and plans to attend the Let’s Cook Indian food session next month. I haven’t spent too much time with stay at home dad’s and have such an admiration and appreciation for them and their wives and families and am so curious about their choices. I enjoyed hearing their wives talk about their careers and travels and having time to just all be gathered for the same purpose – to support our kids and our community. I think sports are a wonderful thing and am so glad my kids are choosing to play so I can hang out with my new friends!!

I had fun watching Charlie make friends with the younger siblings and sharing snacks and playing outside in the snow. The boys went out to the soccer field and had snow ball fights and played tag before coming back in to warm up.

I love that there is a booster club and that parents volunteer to donate and sell snacks and drinks and make a little extra money for the school.

I love all of it (except for 6 hours of it at once!) and I love that Cami gave my kids and I a ride home afterwards so we didn’t have to wait in the cold for a tram, even if the commute is short. It’s great to have friends!!

Life is Good.

p.s. Good news! Christian made the travel team, and next week we find out if Juliana made the travel team, as well! I hate waiting and hope she makes it too – Travel here we come! Congratulations Christian! I’m so proud of you!!

8Dec2012

Day 135: Snow Day = No School = Joy

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Last night at around 10 pm we received a text from the kids school saying school was cancelled due to the expected weather. I was excited!

I actually like a change in my routine and actually enjoy my kids (most of the time!!) and was hoping it would really snow so that we could all play in it. My wish came true.

We all slept in and awoke without alarm clocks. I made a yummy breakfast scramble with bacon and cheese and toast for all of us. And then we headed outside to play and build snowballs and Fred – our snowman.

We haven’t been to the snow in quite awhile and it was a real treat for us. We all were laughing and playing with it for quite awhile. There is something very calming about the snow that I love. None of us complained about being cold or wet either, which was a surprise. I guess we were having too much fun to think about those things.

Afterwards, Juliana and I baked cupcakes and I made a pot of chicken noodle soup for lunch. We had a lazy, indoor day which was perfect!!

I always have wanted to watch a movie in the middle of the day and I never do because I can’t sit still and usually have a to do list I can’t ignore. But today I finally chose the movie as my to do… What a treat! I watched The Holiday after some friends said they loved it. It was cute!

And then finally at 6pm I got dressed for the day so we could join some friends for dinner. Date night was really nice and I enjoyed the adult conversation, drinks and delicious food.

Life is good!! And the snow day was pretty awesome!

7Dec2012

Day 134: Snow and Ice and No School

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We woke up this morning to see blankets of snow. Cars were covered with it as well as the streets. Never having lived in the snow, the kids and I were excited and giddy. A few snowballs were thrown before school. Luckily Jeff grew up with snow and was prepared to scrape off the windshield and heat up the car for me. I, on the other hand, hate to be cold and wonder if I’ll ever get used to it?!? And I hear its not even that cold yet!!

Jeff drove the kids to school today because the roads were icy and he taught me what to expect and what to watch out for. Everyone was driving extra slowly.

The best part of today was actually getting out of the house and going for a 45 minute run together after dropping off the kids. I didn’t want to go because it was freezing out but I also didn’t want to be a wimp! It would have been really easy to make an excuse not to go, but I didn’t and was happy with my decision. The sun was out, the air was crisp and the snow makes everything feel quieter and more still.

I loved seeing the snow covered branches and animal tracks on the snow covered pathways.

I thought the ice covering the top layer of the canals was pretty cool, especially in a shallow part near a foot bridge where under the thin ice was a blanket of fall leaves, frozen still. I also loved the sound of my feet crunching the icy, snow covered paths with each step. I’ve never run in the snow before and I found it quite mesmerizing.

Tonight it’s supposed to freeze and snow again and they are expecting 10 cm of snow. Supposedly several flights are cancelled in the morning and the kids’ school is closed tomorrow. Our first snow day. I’m excited to sleep in and surprise the kids!

Good night!

Snow covered tennis courts late in the afternoon today. Luckily we have indoor courts as well!

5Dec2012

Day 133: Sinterklaas Arrived Today!

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Today was a full day of Sinterklaas Celebrations.

We started at 7:30 am this morning when we all left for the Sinterklaas breakfast that was being hosted by the Dutch community.

There were so many choices from biscuits, to chocolate croissants, rolls with ham and cheese, fresh fruit, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, and krentebollen. And of course, tea and coffee and chocomilk.

After the breakfast, Sinterklaas arrived at the school to greet all the children. The classes came outside to wave and sing to him as he addressed the crowds. The excitement in the air was catching!

Charlie was lucky enough to shake Sinterklaas’ hand when he walked by.

The weather cooperated and was sunny all afternoon until after school pickup time. Here is a picture from Amsterdam near Jeff’s office:

And here’s a couple pics from after the snow fell and fell:

After school, we were anxious for Sinterklaas to arrive and weren’t sure how or when we might see him as he is very busy, and we’re new to this tradition. We decided to try Chinese food for dinner tonight, as its been on Christian’s wish list since we moved here! The restaurant we chose is near our house and was very delicious. We’ll definitely come back!

While we were at dinner, the snow fell again and the kids had fun making tracks and snowballs. Driving home, some kids threw snowballs at our car and we thought that was very funny and teased them back.

We were out just long enough, because when we came home, we saw foot prints leading away from our front door in the snow. And when Charlie walked in, he was the first to notice that Sinterklaas had visited our house while we were at the restaurant and left each of the kids a big sack filled with treats, candy, pepper noten and a chocolate initial for each of them. He was so excited and jumped for joy. He said today was the best day!