Santa

Katie had no interest in posing with the Santa we saw downtown. She burrowed her face in Grammy's neck. Andrew gladly walked over, turned around and posed. He is quite the ham.

Christmas with the Galkas

Our first Christmas in the Netherlands was very nice. Ned's parents came the 17th and we were able to enjoy several pre-christmas activities with them - building our family gingerbread house, decorating the tree, making cookies, and going to Christmas markets.

The Christmas markets in Europe are quite impressive. We went to the Maastricht and Valkenburg markets in the Netherlands and one in Aachen, Germany. They have local foods, craft items and rides for the kids. I have to say, I like Maastricht's best. We enjoyed delicious potatoe pancakes, bratworst, waffels, and chacroute. The kids rode the carousel and "cho-cho" numerous times and Katie tried ice skating for the first time. I didn't think she would like ice skating but she went around about a dozen times and never complained. However, I think arm of the hand Ned was holding may be a few inches longer than the other one!

Grumps, Katie and I "attempting" to put the star on our tree

Christmas Eve - ready for dinner

Christmas Eve - ready for bed!

For the last 5 years, we have read the Night Before Christmas as a family. We all cuddle in bed in anticipation. We leave milk and cookies out for Santa and carrots for his reindeer. This year Katie wanted to write Santa a note to leave with the cookies and carrots. It said:

Dear Santa. Thank you for the toys. I love you Santa Clause. Love, Katie and Andrew

This year, Katie received an email from Santa himself. She was glued to the computer screen nodding with agreement, smiling, and listening intently. He told her that he knew she was trying very hard to be good to her little brother. (If you are interested to watch it, here is the link. It takes a few minutes. http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/e8b1d8ea54e127db4ea5104d562187c1 )

Christmas morning, as you can imagine, was very exciting. The kids slept in until about 8am and all six of us went downstairs together. The kids "big" gift was a plastic playhouse for the garden. They loved it. They got a lot of other things...too many to list. Andrew's favorite was a hammer from Grandma and Pop and Tic Tacs that were in his stocking. Katie's favorites were her princess dolls from Grammy and Grumps.

(Thank you to all their aunts and uncles and grandparents for making it a wonderful holiday!...our kids are SO spoiled by you)

Andrew fixing the plastic house with his new hammer.
This went on for hours...days

First Tonka truck

Daddy opening jeans

Reading new Olivia book

Hanging out in the house

Fireman Andrew

Hording the tic tacs. He took them out of other peoples stockings!

Katie discovering her craft desk

Opening new dollhouse people

Top video: Andrew and Katie singing "Jingle Bells"

Bottom video: Katie singing "O Christmas Tree"


Andrew with his wine glass at Christmas dinner.
Ready to make a toast?

Family picture

Andrew definitely has a sweet tooth!
(those are chocolates in the ornament)

Grammy and Grumps with their favorite grandchildren

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful...

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!


First "snowstorm" of the season. December 2009.

Sinterklaas morning

These a a little late, but better late than never...

Saturday, December 5th Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Piet made a stop at our house. They left a big sack of toys at the front door...

The sack

Andrew realizing that Sinterklaas ate the cookies we left for him

Dumping the sack. Very exciting!

Andrew digging in the sack

Sinterklaas brought a tractor for Andrew

Sinterklaas brought Katie Disney's Aristocats movie

Mommy with two happy kids

We had traditional Roomboter Amandelletter for dessert

FOUR

Katie turned 4 years old on Wednesday the 9th. Hard to believe!

Katie has just hit the princess phase. I think I avoided it longer than most parents, so I cant complain. She loves Sleeping Beauty and Snow White best. She has also been very interested in dress up. Turning very girlie! She still loves crafts, playdoh, animals, puzzles, and playing outside too.

Katie has started trials at Junior Kindergarten this week which means she goes to preschool in the morning and Jr Kindergarten in the afternoon two days per week. So far, she loves it. In the Netherlands, when children turn four they go to school full time. At Katie's school this means four days 8:30-3:15 and one half day.

Katie in her "Birthday Girl" tee shirt.

Katie woke up to a hallway full of brightly colored balloons and I made a #4 out of croissant pastry. It comes in a tube similar to Pillsbury crescent rolls, but tastes like croissants. Katie got a kick out of it! She would not share it with anyone. Good thing I made few handfuls of mini croissant for Andrew. That is the most croissant I have ever seen her eat!


Andrew and I went to preschool a little before pick up. The children sang happy birthday to Katie in English and in Dutch. At the end of the song, the children cheer "hip, hip, hooray" four times. Katie loved it. The class gave Katie a present and Katie gave her classroom gift in lieu of goodies bags for the children. At snack time, Katie had a princess cake that I had dropped off. Complete with Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella figures.

Katie listening to "hip, hip, hooray"

Nutella.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not a celebrated holiday in the Netherlands. For obvious reasons, of course. But, being Americans and having had turkey for the last 30 some years of our lives on "Turkey Day", we had to do it. Plus, being in a new place, it is nice to make things feel as much like "home" as we can.

Ned was not off from work on Thanksgiving or Black Friday so we celebrated on Saturday. Two American families came over. I have grown quite close to these two particular moms and their children. I am very thankful for their friendship and support over the last eight months. When you are so far from home, your friends become family.

Finding a turkey in November was no easy feat. And, one that would fit in our over. If you recall, our oven is SMALL. Ned found one at a local butcher that was 1 or 2 kilos. And, it was de-licious!

Andrew really wanted the drumstick

The kids. Katie, Ian and Andrew. (I think Katie is trying to blow out the candle)

The little bird

Katie and Andrew picking. Um Um good!
Katie kept calling it a chicken. I think because it was the size of a chichen!

Sinterklaas

It took us a while to figure out what this is exactly and to be honest, we still don't think we understand the holiday 100%.

Basically, Sinterklaas is a Dutch tradition in which Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) arrives by steamboat from Spain on November 14 marking the start of the holiday season. For the three weeks leading up to December 5th, children leave their shoes out for the Sinterklaas and the Zwarte Piet to leave snopes for them. Snopes, in essense, are treats...usually sweeties. The Zwarte Piet are Santa's black slave helpers. Politically incorrect, I should say so. The legend goes that the Zwarte Piet have black faces from the soot in the chimneys. Of course in this day and age, there are controversies over the white men with painted black faces (literally!), but the dutch still do it. I sort of shake my head and am happy that my kids are still young enough that a lot goes over their heads...

Sinterklaas arriving by boat

Sinterklaas and a Zwarte Piet parading through downtown

We stood in the pouring rain on November 14 to see Sinterklaas arrive.
Katie's smile says in all!

Saint Nicholas' Eve (December 5) is tomorrow so there is alot of excitment in the air. The evening is called "sinterklaasavond" or "pakjesavond" ("presents evening"). Katie has been learning about the traditions, holiday songs and making all sorts of crafts at school. Today, Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Piet made a visit to the primary school. The kids were going bonkers!! I stayed with Andrew for a bit to watch...he was, well, confused.

For me, it is a lot to take in. Katie is right on the edge of understanding what should and should not occur... thanks to school and her friends. So Ned and I are sort of muddling through what we are "supposed" to do. So far so good.

So, tonight Sinterklaas delivers toys to the good girls and boys. Check. Got it.
The kids leave treats for Sinterklaas and his trusted horse Amerigo. Check. Got it.
Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Piets sneak down the chimneys (or through doors) and leave a sack of presents for the good girls and boys. Check. Got it.
Purchase a traditional pastry "Roomboter Amandelletter" to share with the family. Check. Got it.

You probably see many similarities... the tradition of celebrating Saint Nicholas, who on his Dec. 6 birthday gave out presents to the poor rather than receiving them, probably gave rise to Santa Claus. Here they typically refer to Santa Claus as Father Christmas, or Kerstman. Saint Nicholas day is celebrated, in different ways, in many parts of Europe.

Next step...wrapping.

It is fun to immerse ourselves in the culture. Despite the confusion, it is a lot of fun.

Sinterklaas gefeliciteerd! (Happy Sinterklaas!)

Katie singing Zwarte Piet. (in Dutch)

If you want to learn more, you can read about it at:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,594674,00.html