Strawberry Picking

Saturday was gorgeous. It has been very hot and humid lately. In the mid to high 20s.

Like in the U.S. it is the tail end of the strawberry picking season. There is an organic farm in Maastricht so we decided to check it out. There weren't that many strawberries to be had, but we got enough to enjoy the experience.

this was about half of what we picked

Tradition

High School students in the Netherlands have a tradition of hanging their backpacks out of windows when they have passed their finals.

Grocery

Ahh the grocery store...

When we lived in NH I never enjoyed going to the grocery store with both kids. I know there are a lot of moms reading this that will have to agree. I always had my list in hand and it was a mad dash down the isles grabbing what I needed. I had, on more than one occassion, gotten home with the wrong product. (ie bought pizza sauce instead of pasta sauce).

Whether you have a newborn, toddler or preschooler, it is all about timing. The big question is- will he/she/they cooperate and let you get out of the store without any major meltdowns or scenes. That is always the question.

Well, I thought it was tough in NH. That is a walk in the park compared to the grocery store in Holland.

#1 You must have 50 cents in order to use a grocery cart. No 50 piece, no cart. You get the 50 cents back when you return the cart to its rightful place. It is actually a good concept, I think. Then no carts hit cars and the store doesnt have to employ someone to walk around in zero degree weather putting carts where they belong. Problem...what do to when you dont have a 50 cent piece with two kids in tow...

#2 No (absolutly NONE) grocery carts (winklewagon in dutch) have buckles/seatbelts. Have you met Andrew?....he likes to climb.

#3 There aren't any bags available for your groceries. You have to bring your own reusable bag. So, again if you forget your reusable bag, you must purchase another one. I am getting better at remembering. And, yes, I have at least six now.

#4 No one bags your groceries. It doesnt matter if I spent 10 euros or 150 euros in groceries. I bag my own.

#5 All products are in Dutch. I find myself staring at the products trying to figure out what I am buying. Magere beef (what cut is that?). Thank god for pictures on can goods, boxes and jars!

So, here is the mental picture in case you didnt conjor up one on your own.... I am wandering around the grocery store trying to figure out products. Katie is whining for this, that and another thing. Andrew is climbing out of the winklewagon and wanting to eat his way through the grocery store (a fresh baguette usually does the trick). I finally am finished. I am trying to pay and bag my groceries while simultaneously having one hand on Andrew so that he does not climb out of the cart!

What a picture...

And, most of you have seen the pictures of our refrigerator.... It does not hold much so I get to have this adventure multiple times a week!

So, next time you are struggling at the grocery store with your child/children, think of me. Not that it is a competition, but I bet I have you beat!

Just another day at the Park

Katie on the zip line

Two tires , teeter totter idea

Andrew always bee lines it to the water

Father's Day at Nord Park

Stepping Stones we made for Daddy

For Father's Day we planned to either a) go to the local beach on the Maas River or b) go on a Harbour Cruise on the Maas River. Neither panned out... It was pouring rain.

So, plan c). We drove to Dusseldorf, Germany and went to the AquaZoo (known as an Aquarium to you and I).

Katie was very interested in each "cage" as she called them. Guess we have been to more zoos than aquariums. For the first time, she was very focused and wanted to learn about each fish/animal. Lots and lots of questions, most of whicn Ned and I could not answer. To make it more difficult, all the discriptions next to the tank were in German!

Andrew, as usual, just wanted to point and scream at each tank and run around. Eventually, he was banned to the stroller for the remainder of the zoo.

Penguins

Daddy and his kids

Shirt says "Daddy's Little Girl"

Note the drool...Molar #2 coming in soon

Andrew Made a Friend

Don't tell Katie... Andrew had a friend over while she was at school.

Lauren. She could be his twin. Blond hair and blue eyes. A doll. Supercute.

For the most part, the two played nicely. A couple "disagreements" over the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, but all in all they parallel played most of the time and interacted here and there.

This was his first playdate without his big sis around. I think he liked it...

Katie 's Half Birthday

Katie turned three and a half years old on June 9th. We celebrated by getting three mini cakes at the Lekker Bakkerij, the Bakery. We sang "Happy Half Birthday" and she ate up the attention. Now, she tells people she is "free an' a half"

She is still a little peanut (27 lbs and 37 inches tall) with full of lots of sas and spunk!

Tooting My Own Horn

I have never scrapbooked in my life but as most parents know, when you become a mom, you want the best of the best for your children (well, this applies to your first child at least).

Way back when, when our babies were just a few months old, two New Hampshire friends, Becca and Staci, showed me their scrapbooks. I was enamored by their work. They were wonderful. Such a tribute to their beautiful babies, Mickey and Jillian.

So, off I went. Bought a scrapbook. Bought some materials. Checked out a few more friends books (Lauren, yours are awesome too!!) I was on my way....

Three years and four months later, I am VERY proud to say that Katie's First Year Scrapbook is COMPLETE. (as of April 2009)

For those of you have seen me scrapbook or seen the book firsthand know that I am a little bit of a perfectionist and take a lot of pride in the details. I loved and hated every minute of making this scrapbook. I toiled over ways to express what was happening in the pictures. I cropped too short or too long and had to reprint and reprint and reprint SO many ity bity pieces of papers. I struggled, I smiled, but most of all I reminisced about all the fun (and challenges) we had during Katie's first year of life. Our first year as parents.

63 pages later. I am SO glad I did this. Katie and I love to look at it together and talk about all the fun and silly things she did as a baby.

Here are a few of my favorite pages... Enjoy.

Page one. A summary page of the first 6 months.
Yes, it took 2 books to complete 12 months.

Bathtime. 0-12 months.

Ocean City NJ July 2006.

Picnics at the Park with friends: Jillian, Ryan, Mickey, Sylvia, and Uma

Lake Winnipisaukee, NH. August 2006. 8 months old.

Orlando FL. October 2006.

First Halloween

11 Months Old. I did a full spread page (2 pages) for each month and summarized in text what Katie was up to.

First Haircut. 11 Months

Sign Language Class. October - November 2006.

First Birthday.

First Birthday - Joint Birthday with 5 friends who are also Dec 2005 babies

Fun for us and the KIDS

Sunday we went to Mosaqua. It is an indoor and outdoor swim center. It was a lot of fun for all of us. (http://www.mosaqua.nl)

There was a lazy river idea that Katie absolutely loved. With her "bubble" on she was able to "swim" in the current by herself. So proud. Andrew liked it too. At first he held on to us tight and by the fourth or fifth time that day, he didn't want to be held. He wanted to "swim" solo like his big sister. (We did not let him)

It also had two pools one that was 10 cm - 1 meter (yes everything is the metric system here) and a terrific splash pool that the kids spent most of their time in. Ned and I took advantage of the water slides a few times too!

We were all tired when we left. Katie keeps asking to go back!

Ned and Andrew is the lazy river

Look fast, there they go! (Ned and Andrew)

Andrew checking out the Alligator in the Splash Pool

I think they both did this slide 100 times!



There she goes!

Katie and Daddy in the Lazy River

Katie "swimming" solo

Valkenburg

Sunday was the holy day, Pentecost. (For those who are not religious, it is the passing over of the Holy Spirit where the apostles were able to speak in various tongues to spread the word of Jesus.) Monday in the Netherlands is Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday so Ned had off. I think this is Ned's 3rd day off since he started work at the end of April! There seem to be a lot of vacation days in Holland so far.

We chose Valkenburg, Netherlands which is just a 15 minute drive from our house.

A bit of history for those that are interested...(for those that aren't, skip the next paragraph)

Famous for its ancient limestone caves, Valkenburg is where the Netherlands can trace its history back for centuries on end. A fascinating assortment of charcoal drawings, bas-reliefs and other forms of artistic expression in the caves offer an inspiring glimpse of life here once upon a time. From Roman times, when the occupying forces knew of the caves to World War II, when countless refugees sought shelter here. For those interested in age-old mysteries, there are secret passageways connecting the Fluwelengrot, or velvet cave, to the castle. In fact, a 70-kilometer network of underground passages filled with museums and other attractions runs through and around Valkenburg. (For even more information... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkenburg_aan_de_Geu l)

Remains of a Castle

Checking out some fish at the Cave Aquarium

Lungfish (scarey!!!)

Katie leaving the Grotto...looking at a funky ladybug

Two tired kids!