Busy Busy Busy

The past month has been super busy. We have discovered so many new places, said goodbye to dear Madelyn, and watched rain turn to snow. There is a lot to catch up on so lets get going.

Alex was a pirate for Halloween. The Dutch don't really celebrate Halloween over here. Our neighborhood is one of the few exceptions and they have a mini carnival and trick or treating. All the kids are dressed as scarey things such as spiders, vampires and witches... oh and pirates. No doctors or clowns here, unless you want to get looks for not dressing appropriately. We went over to our New Zealand friend's house for dinner and by the time we were about to head out for the carnival and trick or treating --- it was super cold and raining. Shocking I know. So we decided to stay all nice and toasty inside and hold off on the kids learning the wonders of large bags full of candy until next year. Nadja (Alex's lady) was a witch and Leo was a spooky spider.











There is a really cool petting zoo close by. They have some of the most ginormous rabbits I have ever seen, goats, ducks, donkeys, pigs....etc. You can buy food and go in and feed all of the animals. We just love going there - Leo and Alex were sharing in their excitment as we drove over there.



This pic should be good for blackmail a few years down the road.





Alex made friends with an especially hungry goat.




Cute - isn't he?






There is also a HUGE building filled with trampolines, climby things, balls, balls and more balls. I know, it's like Alex's dreams have come true! We went on one of the few sunny days we have had lately and no one was there. Literally - no one. It was just us and the guy behind the counter. I guess everyone was out enjoying the pretty day.... either that or we missed the news
report telling everyone about the slime in the ice machine.
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Taking my lady for a drive. Nevermind the creepy elf in the background.




Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! Couldn't wait for Mom and Leo to slide with me.










One of our last adventures with Madelyn before she left us... :( ..... we went to the minature museum. Many of the most famous sites in Holland have been consolidated right here in minature form. If you only have 24 hours in Holland - you can come here and see all that Holland has to offer. Personally I believe that someone's hobby has gotten wayyyyyy out of control - but it was fun. Oh - and in case you are wondering after viewing the next few pictures - No, you are NOT supposed to touch the minatures.




Listen super close - you can hear him say "WOW"!!




Hmmmm... I think this car may look better...










here, on the roof of the church. It's asthetically pleasing and solves Holland's parking crisis all in one! Pure genius.






Windmills - windmills - windmills. It is always about the windmills with Madelyn. Ooooo I need to touch the windmill.

Chilling with Madelyn on one of our last nights together.

It has already started to get really chilly. A few days before Thanksgiving it snowed. We were all tucked inside fighting colds. But it looked so cold outside... I'm not sure we are up for all of this jsut yet. Alex stood by the window pointing and saying "wain" (translation - rain) and "brrrr cold". The snow only stuck around for a day or so. We felt bad for the ducks out on the pond so we took them some extra food. Alex will start school in January. I can't wait to have to bike him to school in all this mess.



Crazy person walking in the snow.

Nothing much to report in the way of Thanksgiving. Funny the Dutch don't really celebrate the American tradition of giving thanks for the blessings of life and remembering the indians that saved the colonists from starvation. We had chicken and snowpeas and potatoes. The following weekend we did go to some friends house for turkey and dressing. It was wonderful but still had nothing on home.

The Dutch are in full swing of preparing for Sinterklaas to make his appearance. Sinterklaas and his helpers Zwart Piet (black Piet) come to the Netherlands via boat from Spain. They go to schools and shopping centers and hand out candy. Small toys are left in children's shoes laid by the fireplace. It starts in November and the big day is December 5th. They also celebrate Christmas on the 25th.

Here is Alex getting ready to go meet Sinterklaas and his Zwart Piets.

Pretty excited for the big meet and greet.








Not too sure about the Zwart Piet









Making some crafts with my friend Eleanora. She was brave and got some black paint for her face.





It's hard to believe the end of the year is here. Alex is about to turn 2. We are going to have a little party with a few of our friends we have met. Check back soon for some pics.

Look what Madelyn has taught me

To play nicely with others.... well except the girls. Girls have cooties.

eat my veggies

to stop and smell the hydrangeas

play with bugs.... does anyone know if this guy is poisonous??

wear mommy's lipstick and like it

go nighty night in my big boy bed

smiling pretty for pictures

lovin' the ladies... I actually got this move from watching uncle Jarrod.

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And last but definitely not least................

When I am thirsty, I can get my own water - all by myself!

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Oh, did you think I meant getting water out of the toilet? Come on now... that's just gross people.

Amsterdam

Welcome to Amsterdam! Ryan and I waited until Alex was asleep and made a skeedaddle up to Amsterdam for the weekend. Don't worry, Madelyn stayed behind to watch the little feller. See next blog entry to see all the tricks she taught him while we were gone....

Soooo, we get to Amsterdam and decide that we should see the Ann Frank house.

We stood in this line

It curves around the building, and is just as long on around the corner. In case you were wondering... YES it was cold and very very breezey. My nose was frozen by the time we got in. Luckily we had some young college age whipper snappers behind us that were discussing their previous night in the Red Light district. I'm pretty sure that they were also working off the effects of visiting one of the local "coffee" shops. At least we were a entertained while we froze.

We took this picture of Ann Frank's house




We found out later that this is not the house. But rather a building later added. So let me amend the the caption. We took this picture of a building later built to hold the majority of the Ann Frank exhibit. Her real house is a couple doors down. Whoopsie. :)

As we were walking back to the hotel I spied this little boy with his grandma.

The little boy has a baby doll strapped to his chest!! AWESOME!! Now that is something you would never see in America.








The next day we decided to take a tour on the canals.


The hotel had a private boat for their guests. It was just us and one other couple. Very nice.






Here is one of the regular boats that tour the canal.


Eeekkk! Look at all those people crammed in there. Our boat was wayyyy better and they knew it. In fact they were so jealous that they drove by really close and really fast...... and.......




Ha Ha Ryan got wet


That there is some cold water. Still worth it though... our boat is still better.





We saw lots of cool stuff, most of which I can't remember, so here are a couple of shots.


These are 7 identical bridges all lined up down a canal. The picture doesn't do it justice, it was really pretty.

There are house boats that line some of the canals. Here is a look in one of those boats. These folks are pretty tidy. Some boats had garbage strewn everywhere, and dirty dishes in the sink for everyone to see. I don't think I could live on a houseboat where hundreds of people pass by everyday and look in your windows. Some "house boats" were nothing more that a flat bardge with a tent and some lawn chairs. CRAZY!!

We tried to take a picture Shawn and Ann style.

Shawn must have some crazy long arms for his body, cause we could never seem to get as good of an angle or picture as they are able to get.





We then went to the Van Gogh Museum. Can't take pictures in there so unless you wanted to see the massively long line we waited in to get into the museum... well you'll just have to take our word on it that we were there. Tip for future, always check to see if you can purchase tickets online. Almost all attractions have this option and you don't have to wait in the cold to get in. Then on to the flower market, which should be really called the flower bulb and trinket market.

Of course we strolled through the Red Light District. It was rainey and cold so we dind't hang out there very long. Funny... they didn't let us take pictures there either. To bad, we were thinking of some great Christmas card captions to go with those pics.

Oh, and we went back to the Ann Frank house.

This is the real Ann Frank house.

Now we have to go home to Rotterdam. See ya.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2008









Madelyn and I made a quick escape over to Germany for Oktoberfest. The prize of the trip --Madelyn was able to replace her long lost mug from the Hofbrau House.




One man's trash is Madelyn's treasure.





We met some folks from Texas and Holland. Apparently we are drawn to what we know.

These are our Oktoberfest buddies

Really big beers........ don't let the amount left in the glasses fool you. I was wayyyyy ahead of Madelyn.

Madelyn was proposed to.... looks like she will be staying here with me. YAY!!!

Not everyone was in liederhosen.








Woooo Hooo... drunkin bumper cars














Soooo many possible captions sooo little time.














A picture to make her daddy proud.







We missed our plane, slept in the airport, and what does Madelyn get a hanker'n for???? 5:00AM Airport Bratwurst.... ewwwww

Pics of the month - September