Welcome to our family blog. We are a Dutch-American family living in the Netherlands. After a year-long hiatus I will be updating it at least 2 times a month. Enjoy reading about our ongoing adventures...
Congradulatoins Jan and Nettie on 41 years of marriage! Jan still brings Nettie breakfast in bed every morning (taking notes there, husbands?)
After a delicious lunch, the whole crew went to the local petting zoo/play ground. They have the usual barnyard set of cows, sheep etc... and a little petting area with bunnies. Leah especially loves seeing lively chickens cluck and walk around.
Leah felt the "need for speed" on the big-kids slide. No little baby-slide for this girl!
Femke travelled to the celebration in true Dutch style. She has baby Stine on the front of her bike, Quinten in a seat on the back of the bike. Like a true Dutchie, she comes home from grocery shopping w/bike saddle bags bulging, shopping hanging from the handle bars AND both kids on the bike!
We took a great historical tour of New England sights. We saw the Fall Foliage, and walked in the gorgous New England woods.
We walked the Boston Freedom trail and say the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor.
We experienced 18th century colonial life at Old Sturbridge Village and Canterbury Shaker Village.
Old Sturbridge Village
Canterbury Shaker Village
We toured famed revolutionary war sights at Lexington/Concord and Morris Town. We experienced the hustle and bustle of New York city, and the intellectual center of Harvard University in Cambridge.
We recently got back from an incredible trip to the East Coast of the US. Rob, Leah and I met my parents for a 2 week trip through Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. We introduced both sides of the family to Leah, and were greeted so warmly it was like we knew everyone for years. We also had some great sight seeing...so many memories and stories! THe story will be told over a few blogs.
For the first - Guest blog by Grandma and Grandpa:
Grandpa was the navigator in chief when Rob drove, and grandma sat next to Leah. This involved playing (probably 75 games of peek-a-boo), singing, handing out and retrieving car toys, as well as fruit, cheerios, and water.
We took Leah to the zoo, and she really liked watching a monkey swing and climb, and the kangaroos at play, an eagle perched on a limb, and one talkative parrot. She liked the miniature train ride, especially the tooting of the whistle.
At the Boston children's museum, Leah played with a gigantic train set, had fun in a convertible car, turning the wheel, and pushing the 3 red buttons, for the sound of a horn, radio, and traffic noises. As the music came on , she shook her head, and waved her free arm to the music. She crawled in and out of tunnels, climbed stairs and ramps, observed a turtle tank, did innumerable puzzles, pushed doll carriages and shopping carts , and tried to catch the bubbles grandpa blew.
Obligatory Diaper change - grandpa has do do 1 diaper change per trip
Grandma and grandpa had the most wondderful time with Leah, (and her Mama and Papa). .
Shopping with a toddler is always an exciting adventure - especially with a "free range" toddler not confined in a stroller...FYI, photos are cute pics, not related to this blog
Cousins Stine and Leah
Leah and I were running errands Dutch style, with Leah on a baby-seat on the back of my bike.
In the shops, she was not confined to her stroller, but was able to rome freely - very freely - in the shops. Leah is a very independant shopper - she wants to go in all directions and touch all the merchandise. I use a "baby leash", for lack of a better word. It has a bracelet on each of our wrists and a coiled plastic "chain" connecting us... This means the tiny hurricane is confined, but not conquered.
In the drug store, she immediatly went for the display of shampoos, knocking them over like dominoes. She wanted to hold and carry everything, except the items I actually wanted to buy, so let her hold. That was much too boring. While trying to pay at the register, Leah went to explore the display of feminine hygiene - not for a few years Leah! After paying, the clerk escorted us to the exit with a huge sigh of relief!
This blog guest starring my adventurous husband Rob...
We've many many blogs with our family star Leah, and also of course ones by this blog's author...but here we have the first...and more to follow...
On late September, Rob went SCUBA diving with our friend Oscar. They first dove under a 3-mile long bridge in Zeeland (middle of Holland). THey swam under the concrete pillars and saw the North Sea estuary.
The second dive was in a dammed estuary. The water was clear (for Holland), which means not too muddy. They saw a sea-food lover's delight... foot long crabs and lobsters, baby shrimp and sea anemonie.
On September 13th we celebrated my 38th birthday on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Here are the 3 of us all dressed up for the occasion...
Where's the cake, asks Leah
We had a "come when you want" party between 11 am and 6 PM. We had about 35 guests come over to share in the celebration. It was a very fun day (and the cake was very yummy too!)
Party girl on rocking horse
Of course, most of the pics of the day would up being of Leah. She did her bit to entertain the under 5 crowd, gracious hostess that she is.
Each year in September our local town has its annual Kermis. A large field is filled with roller coasters, spook houses, ferris wheels and games of chance and luck. They serve fresh "syrup waffles" , cotten candy and all sorts of sweets.
Rob and I went on our annual trek to the carnival. I protected Rob in the spook house, and we went on the roller coaster together.
This was Leah's first year joining us. She (along with mama) went on the carousel and the plane rides. Her favorite activity was looking at all the people and colorful roller coasters. Next year she will be demanding all sorts of sweets as well as the rides.
The carnival employees lead a gypsy life-style, travelling from local carnival to local carnival. Those with kids bring the kids along to each new location. The kids attend a sort "carnival school" with a dedicated teacher who moves with the carnivals.
This weekend, cousins Stine and Quinten came to play with Leah. Leah and Stine formed the Baby Book Club, Heemskerk chapter. They also had fun playing on the rug together. Big school boy quinten went on the rope bridge and zip line in our local playground.
Leah and Stine playing
I also cook a meal that was dedlared "delicious" - a rarity for me! I made broiled Morrocan chicken with cuscus and spinach.
Rob went Scuba diving off a near-by peer. He say thousands of tiny baby mackrel, but not much else except very murkey water. I'm glad I stayed home with Leah!
We recently got the opportunity to show Amsterdam to cousins Melanie and Michael from New York. Melanie and Michael visited Amsterdam as the last stop on a tour of Scandinavia (and 2 days in Amsterdam)
We met them for a delicious buffet breakfast at the hotel - this was the highlight of the trip for Leah! All that yummy fruit, bread and yogurt and 4 willing servants to feed her.
We all took a canal boat tour of the canals and 17th century mansions of Amsterdam. Rob and Leah went back home (Leah wanted her morning beauty sleep)
Melanie, Michael and I went to the Van Gogh museum, and then enjoyed a sandwich while listening to street performers in the old Jewish section of the city.
We had a great time hosting them, and are really looking forward to seeing them in October when we come to the East Coast for a visit!
Yesterday, we bought Leah her first pair of big-girl shows. She had so much fun stomping around in them!
Leah on mama's bike
Today we went to the beach with Leah on the bikes. Leah rode on the back of mama's bike, in her new bike-seat. Now I am officially a dutch mama!
2 princeses and a brave knight
We went to the zoo earlier this week with cousins Quinten and Stine, with Aunt Femke/Uncle Thomas and Oma. It was the rainist day in months, so we spent a lot of time running for cover! Leah had a lot of fun watching the seals show, and the monkey feeding. SHe did not like the plastic rain cover on her stroller though!!
Happy 4th to everyone in the US. I hope you all have a great time at bbq's, fire works, and enjoying the summer weather.
Here, of course, we dont have 4th of July, but we are having beautiful summer weather. The Lemonade Cow
Leah's day care had a summer party for the children. Oma and mama went to celebrate with Leah. Leah had her first taste of a popsicle - cold!! They had activities like a ball-bath, cup-cake decorating, crayon drawing, and a "lemonade cow" (where lemonade came out of "udders" of a life-size rubber cow.
A moderatly famous Dutch children's performer (who I had not surprisingly not heard of) performed catchy self-written tunes as "bucket and spoon band", "dont be mad" and "this is how we brush our teeth". It was a fun experience.
