A Few Days Away

There is nothing like a few days away, especially when it's so badly needed. Not that I'm complaining, but I did spend the weekend alone with the boys. Plus the fact that Monday was also a holiday. That makes three days with three high energy boys, with rain each day. We all needed a break from each other in order to appreciate each other a little bit more.

So, off I went to the states to find a house. I'm not real sure that this counts as time away, but I'll take what I can get. I was sooo excited for 8 hours on a plane sans kids. Just me and an abundance of movies to choose from. Ahhh. Then we hit Chicago. Maybe I should have tried to grab a few minutes of shut eye.

Rental cars. Never an easy experience. First I had to wait 1/2 hour. Finally got to the desk and surprisingly, I was quite chipper. The lady must have thought so too cause she upgraded me. Most days, this would have been nice, but the car was a huge Jeep. I was so looking forward to driving a small car and, let's face it, getting away from the Chyrsler family. Ok, I can do this. Keep in mind, it's been 1 1/2 years since I drove on this side of the car and on this side of the street. Think, Joy, think. As long as your body is on the center line, you are fine. Made it to the highway only to find something new - Ipass lanes for the toll way. Yikes, where do I throw my change?? There is something that looks like an exit/cash toll, but GPS lady is telling me not to go there and she will yell if I do this wrong. I go to the right lane. No, I change my mind, I go left. NO! I only see Ipass lanes! And then I proceed to pull right, rocking the big Jeep and cutting off someone. But! I have chosen correctly.

I finally get to the hotel and crash into bed. Now, I have to skip everything that happens the next two days of house hunting. That is simply another blog post and one that actually hasn't come to an end yet. So, I'll take you to Friday.

I end up seeing two schools and decide to risk it and see if I could fly stand-by on an earlier. No-can-do. The woman at the desk informs me that the morning flight to London has been cancelled due to volcanic ash. And mine may be effected too. Please, no! So I make my way to the lounge and wait it out.

Now comes the sad part, and believe me, I was standing there bawling while the others were snapping pics. I had noticed fire trucks gathering by the terminal and when the plane came in, they doused it with water from two trucks. I was intrigued. All the firemen stood standing in a line. The cargo door opened and a coffin emerged. What I hadn't seen before was 5 Marines standing in front of the firemen. They went to the coffin and unwrapped an American flag, draping it over this honored Marine who was coming home for the last time. There are no words for the small ceremony that followed. We have so much because of selfless people who protect us from afar. My stresses as a mom are nothing compared to watching your son come home this way. It puts a whole lot into perspective of needing a few days away...

CRAAACK!

The definition of Murphy's law: "If anything could go wrong, it will go wrong."

Well, this weekend I experienced it. Tom left for the states and hadn't been gone even 24 hours when it happened. I was cooking dinner while Aiden and his mate, Mac, were playing in his bedroom. Jacob was at a friends, so Aiden was showing off a bit. Maybe a little too much. That is what has led to the sound that rung off the walls - 'craaack!' It was immediately followed by, "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" And then I saw the chandelier hanging cracked in half. A chandelier that I've always hated, but we dealt with because it was so hard to replace. So now it will be replaced by us (with the help of an electrician) and I will only enjoy it for 3 more weeks. Yes, Murphy's law.

That, followed up by 'Things always happen in 3s'. The following day, we walked into town to pick up a few things at the grocery store. One was a big bag of toilet paper, which Aiden offered to carry home (bags are a bit different from the states). We went to cross the road and Aiden said that he couldn't carry it anymore. I wasn't really thinking that he'd been dragging it a bit. I just attached it to the handle of the stroller and started to cross. Yep, the bag popped open and all 12 rolls dispersed into the middle of the road.

Things happen in 3s. Aiden, please make the next one small!

Happy Birthday Aiden!!!

Aiden is finally five years old! "Finally" is the word that he would use. "Wait!" is the word I would use. It's gone too fast.

He wanted a birthday party with just boys, so we risked the English weather and hired a football pitch and a football coach (soccer for you yanks!). It was a hit both with the boys playing football and, unbelievably, the weather. The only thing that kept some of the kids away was the volcanic ash cloud covering the UK and much of Europe. A rare phenomenon that we'll always remember. The skies weren't covered in dark ashy clouds, but instead were the bluest I've seen them in months. A birthday to remember for more than one reason.

In honor of his birthday, I thought I'd write down some of the quirky things he's been saying. And believe me, there have been some funny ones. So, thought I'd document some from the past few months...

1. I decided to take the boys to McDonalds, which we never do. I said that we were just going to run in and grab some stuff and go, so no happy meals. Aiden says in a small little voice, 'Oh, then will they be sad meals?' We stayed. We had happy meals.

2. Jacob was feeling a bit down about not being the best at times tables. I told him everyone has something special that they are talented at. Aiden: 'Is yours doing the washing Mummy?'

3. Dinner time is always Aiden question time and Tom is never there when he asks one of these doozies - 'How does this rice turn into poopies?' , 'Does the sun have gravity?', 'How do babies get out of mummies tummies?' (I acted like I needed to help Jeb with something, but the question came back again) The next night: 'How do babies get into mummies tummies?' (I just left the room, Tom needs to explain some things!)

4. Last but not least, while praying before bed Aiden asked if he could pray that our new house has a room for me to sleep in with my own bed. I asked why and he said, "so you can have a place to go when daddy toots."

"Let me show you how to play football, Aiden"

Football bowling!

The team

The champion

After the game

Picnic time

The cakes (two requested and mom aims to please!)

Aiden on his new scooter

21st Century Birthday Party with Grandma and Papa via Skype

Biking the New Forest

Almost forgot to post this! Last weekend we took a day trip and had a great time biking in the New Forest. The New Forest is a national park in the South of England that has some great cycling trails and, lucky for us, has many places that rent bikes out.

So, we took off in the morning with Tom's bike and Jacob's bike packed into the car - all our little van could hold. We rented a bike with a baby seat and a tag along bike that attached to Tom's bike. We were all set to go! Except Aiden refused to get on the tag along bike. Tears and a stubborn stand off ensued, but he eventually got on the bike. One minute in and he was telling us how much he loved it. Figures.

We took a trail that was a bit on the road (yikes!) and then off onto an old railway that has been converted. It rains a lot in England. Rain turns to mud puddles in the New Forest. We got a bit dirty. Poor Aiden suffered from mud spattering off Tom's tire onto his face and mud off from his own tire onto his back. He thought it was great.

We cycled for 9 miles that day. It was great to ride through the heathland and see all the wild ponies grazing. Aiden and Jeb giggled and told us how much fun they were having all day. They had it easy. Jacob was a trooper. Even on the hills he didn't complain. Just said, 'I'm all puffed out and ready to be done.' Tom suffered the most. His bike is an inherited mountain bike from my oldest brother. Greg raced with it. Racing bikes have tiny seats, comparable to a metal rod. Tom, is not a racer and doesn't wear padded pants. He was in pain by mile 6. So, we switched. I managed along, but let's just say, it was hard for both of us to sit the next day!

Tom and Aiden with their new pony

Jeb and Jacob with ponies along the road

Jacob was awesome at conquering the hills!!

Uhhh, Mommy?

Uhhh, Mommy. Two words that I've been hearing more and more from Jacob right before he tells me that something is wrong. This time I'm hearing it as I'm packing up the car after spending a lovely day with friends at Cliveden, an English manor with lots of room to roam for the boys. And I almost don't even want to hear what is going to come out of Jacob's mouth, cause I know that I've got two very tired boys in the car that could have done anything in the minute that they've been out of my sight.

Here we go. What followed was this: 'Jeb just stuck a raisin up his nose.' Ok. I've tackled worse than this before. A jelly bean up Jacob's nose at a birthday party...with all his class...and the mums. And a lego light up Aiden's nose at 6am on the day after a legoland trip. A raisin is a piece of cake. Only, it's far up there. Jeb smiles at me and says, 'raisin.' A proud moment for him apparently. So, I look around. I have keys in my hand and I debate. No, it will only go up further. I then start blowing out of my nose to try to get him to mimic me. My friend comes round the car as all three of us are blowing out our noses with all of our might (all but Jeb, that is). Sarah takes a look. She looks at me and says, 'drop the boys off at mine. You have to take Jeb to the dr.' Great.

So, we drive to Sarah's with Jeb singing all the way. Apparently a raisin is fun thing to have stuck up your nose. I drop off the boys and leave with Jeb wailing cause he wasn't staying. We drive down the road and I see Jeb take a huge breath in between wails and a look of surprise comes over his face. I think the raisin has been inhaled. Oooh, maybe that isn't good - did it go down the right pipe?! I guess I'm still on my way to the dr for a different problem now.

I pull in and take him out of the car. Wait, the box of raisin is still in his hands. That doesn't look so good going in to see the dr. So we head in and the receptionist tries not to laugh and tells us to wait. Long story short. We wait ten minutes to see the nurse who says the raisin is not in his nose, but we need to see the dr. Ten more minutes and we see the dr. The raisin has successfully made it to Jeb's stomach.

And my afternoon? Well some afternoons just have to be a write off when you have boys.

The Netherlands

It's been 2 1/2 years since we moved here and since then we have visited 12 countries, but for some reason we haven't visited the one country that has woven our history - The Netherlands! So, we took our last road trip and headed to the land of wooden shoes.

Our first stop was to Kinderdijk - a small village in South Holland that is home to 19 working windmills. It was pretty amazing to stand on one end and see all the windmills going. Most were built in the 1700s. It was almost as if time had stood still. We took our time walking along the dyke, trying hard not to fall in due to the high winds.

On to Haarlem, where we would be staying while we toured. Haarlem is just Northwest of Amsterdaam and is much quieter and perfect for a young family, although it still has the Red Light District. (Just ask Tom, who was retching after taking a walk through!) Getting to the hotel was a bit of a nightmare thanks to the satnav not knowing what was a pedestrian road and which was not. So, we ended up driving in the town square - well, almost we had to back up down the one way street trying not to hit too many bikers! But we got there and had an enjoyable night watching the kids run through the market square, although I was nervous that they'd get hit be bikers!

The next day we were met by cloudy skies, but we stuck to the plan of Kuekenhof gardens. The gardens are massive and were gorgeous. Sadly, they weren't as gorgeous as they could have been. The cold winter and spring meant for late blooms. So, we were only able to see daffodils, hyacinths, and early blooming tulips. Not to worry, there was a lot to see plus a huge indoor display of all the flowers. We spent all day there, but had to leave in time to visit the Dutch seaside, which the boys were begging for!

With wellies on (for the boys), we headed down to the sandy beaches and dunes that reminded us of Holland, MI. There was a reason for settling there - landscapes are almost identical! We had a great time running along the water, but I did discover that my boots were not waterproof when I had to go in after Jeb!

That night we dined at a pancake house. We each got a pancake as big as our plate (thin with your choice of sweet or savory), served by the owner herself. If I would have closed my eyes I would have sworn I was 8 years old, sitting with my grandma and grandpa at Cnossen's restaurant and eating that same pancake. But, when I open my eyes I see that sitting beside me are two boys - one ready to spill his hot chocolate and one announcing that he doesn't like chocolate milk. Reality bites.

Easter Sunday. The church bells were ringing in the huge church outside our hotel. Sadly, the church is only open May to October. So, we had our Easter service in the car. The boys probably got more out of it anyway. That, and an Easter egg hunt in the hotel room, made it a holiday to remember.

Zaans Schans - an open air museum, was our destination. We first watched wooden shoes being made and Tom got totally sucked in by announcing that we all needed wooden shoes. Hmmm. Don't think so. Jeb and Aiden got a pair since Jacob already has one. (Side note, Aiden is constantly wearing them all over the house now that we are home!) Anyway, next was the cheese farm where we saw cheese being made. Tom, once again, got sucked in, handing me 3 cheeses for a total of $30. Nope, got one (btw, Tom doesn't like Gouda cheese!) We walked through the village and the boys painted Easter eggs with some nice Dutch women. It was a very Dutch day, perfect.

Looking back on the weekend, I am really glad that we went. It's interesting to see the similarities between 'our' dutch and 'their' dutch. But it's also sad to see some of the differences and wonder why that didn't get taken to the new world. Like biking - we saw so many people biking - to work, to the bar, with kids, etc. I found myself thinking, 'wow, I wish I was dutch.' Wait, I am. The landscape is similar and we even made our way up to Freisland, where it is exact. Makes me wonder if more of us in West Michigan are Freis rather than Dutch (I know I am!).

So that is it for us on European road trips and the Eurotunnel. Glad we made the Netherlands our last. The way it should be...plus they pronounce our name right!

Boys...

It seems lately that the blog has fallen to the wayside while I run around trying to keep up with life. Even though life seems to have outrun me, I thought I'd sit down and write about the boys. In order to not show favorites, I'll go in order of birth:

Jacob. I looked at him the other day and almost needed to look twice. He's taller, his face has elongated, and he is definitely no longer a little boy. While he used to be up at the crack of dawn waiting at the door for the clock to show 7:00 and then racing to watch Tom and Jerry, he is now lingering in bed a bit longer and heading straight to the lego once he does wake up. His goal is to get his lego masterpiece just right so we can shoot a pic and maybe he'll get into Lego magazine. Dare to dream.

Aiden is Aiden. School has been interesting this year with a school bully in his class. He has been in the wrong place at the wrong time on a couple occasions. I have tried to emphasize looking the boy in the eye and saying, 'Stop!'. Tom, as any dad would do based on my survey around town, has told Aiden to haul off and hit the kid. As Tom was telling Aiden this, I sat behind him shaking my head as much as I could and mouthing, 'NOOO!!!'. Think Aiden got the point. At school his teacher talked to all the kids about telling bullies to stop. Aiden then raised his hand and said, 'My daddy told me I should just hit the person, but I'm not going to do that.' Try explaining that to the headteacher!

Aiden's big news this week was learning to ride his bike without stabilizers. I've never seen a kid so happy. If I could bottle up that excitement, I'd make millions! You can see a glimpse of it at the end of the video. (BTW, I was requested instead of daddy, who ran Aiden into a bush!)


Jeb is two. Need I say more? He really likes to tell me what to do and if it doesn't get done in a timely manner (aka seconds!), I am then screamed at. Let me tell you, this happens a lot. The only thing that gets me through is my memory - which I really can't believe I still have! I can actually remember Aiden at this age and wanting to ship him back to the states. But, we got through it and there are no signs of that impatient two year old. However, if you do live in the states, keep an eye out for a large package with muffled sounds of telling you what to do! (Usually, I WANT A BISCUIT!!!)

I'm including a picture of the Palm Sunday service from last week. The kids played out Jesus on the donkey. Aiden was the donkey - I've never seen such a happy donkey in my life!