An update in pictures

It's been a long week of not much newsworthy to report. Typical Dutch weather has settled in, making our short days cool, windy, grey and often drizzly. The skies seem to magically clear up after dark (alas), which sets in at around 5pm now. Markus goes to work and comes home again in the dark, which leaves him longing for a vacation in Maui (Gail, do you have room for visitors?). Ellie and I try to keep our days as busy as possible, which really isn't too hard with a 2 year old. She's busy all on her own, and she has definite ideas about what should be done and when. We're thinking of having T-shirts made regarding Ellie's CEO status as soon as we can take dictation on the corporate logo.

The most newsworthy item is that Ellie has started potty training. Notice how I wrote "Ellie started" not "we started." This is all her idea, as everything must be. Ellie first showed interest in using the potty at around 18 months, so I took her to the shop and bought her a little potty...at which point the idea became mine and not hers, and she lost all interest. About two weeks ago, Ellie spontaneously asked to sit on her potty...with results! Every time she asks to sit, she has success, which makes her bubble over with pride and excitement! Of course, since we are doing potty-training her way, it is not for anyone else to dictate (or even suggest) when she sits on the potty. When she wants to sit, she does; when she doesn't, forget it. So she's still in diapers for now. We'll see how much longer they last. I have a feeling that someday she will just tell me she's done with them, and that will be that.

Our week has been filled with happy Ellie routine. As particular as she can be, she is a true joy and we have lots of fun! We go to the playground, the zoo, music class, and even the pool (where she is the cutest girl in a swimsuit hands down!). I brought my camera along to the zoo today, which made me realize I have a small backlog of photos to share, starting with Halloween. Here's a brief update in pictures of our past week or so:

Contemplating the jack o'lantern


Clingendael playground and fall colors



If I were a penguin, which one would I be?


The most common view of Ellie these days

Tradition revived

This past Sunday, we started our morning right with some hot-from-the-oven, dripping-with-butter sweet potato biscuits. The recipe is from Jennifer's great grandmother on her dad's side, and the biscuits are a tradition for guests and lazy weekends. We don't often find sweet potatoes in the store here, so I had put the recipe out of my mind. Our hot weekend breakfast of late has been yogurt pancakes, and while I stand by those, they just don't hold a candle to the buttery goodness that is a well-made sweet potato biscuit. Hooray for tradition!



My great grandmother didn't have an actual "recipe" for these, so she just told someone in the family what she did, they wrote it down, and that's now what I have. Without actually having eaten any from this recipe before you try to make them, it might be hard to gauge if you are making them right, but give it a whirl anyway. I promise it's worth it! We have yet to meet someone who doesn't love them.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Bake 3-4 large sweet potatoes until soft.
Cool.
Peel (no strings!).
Mash.
Put some flour* in a bowl.
Add sweet potato mash, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup shortening**.
Mix together with wooden spoon or rubber spatula, adding more flour as needed until the mixture becomes tacky, but NOT dry.
Sprinkle dough lightly with flour and pull off a chunk. Roll it lightly in your palms to make a smooth ball (you'll probably need a little extra flour for this), and then press it onto a greased cooking tray or cookie sheet. Repeat until tray/sheet is full.
Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes or until tops are nicely browned.
Set rack at lowest position in oven if you want crispy brown biscuit bottoms.

*The old "recipe" calls for bread flour/self-rising flour and then letting the dough sit in the fridge overnight. We have skipped the overnight or used all-purpose flour and haven't found any difference, so do what works best for you. I can't give you a measurement on how much because I eyeball it as taught, but I guestimate around 1 cup (maybe?).
**We use real butter, not Crisco or margarine, but that's personal preference
As for the extra browned bottoms, that's all personal preference. Members of my extended family are settled into firm camps on this, but there is no consensus. I just set the rack in the middle and go with simple.

I bake the sweet potatoes the day before. Otherwise, you'll be looking at almost 3 hours from start to finish on a lazy morning...not so nice for the cook or those hungry people waiting. As it is, give yourself a good hour for preparation and baking. With a recipe so imprecise, it's hard to say how long the baking will actually take until you master the technique and ratio of flour to mash. In case your biscuits remain gooey in the center the first few times, take heart. They aren't "biscuits" as such, but they are still REALLY tasty and there's no reason why you can't eat them gooey. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

"Zurueck!"

Yesterday afternoon, we went for a stroll in the dunes of Wassenaar. At first, it seemed the walk would be a failed venture, because Ellie (in proper 2 year old fashion) stopped every two steps to collect or examine something for long periods of time. The walk was saved when Papa had the brilliant idea of getting her to chase him, which she loves! Of course, no idea is a good idea until she makes it her own, so soon she was calling the shots. Markus would run, Ellie would chase him, and he would scoop her up in a hug. Then, she would push away and order him, "Zurueck!" (German for "Back!") and he would have to "move back" (run again) on command. The process was repeated for the entirety of our dune venture, a loop walk that was possibly for a mile or so. For your viewing pleasure, we have a snippet on video:



There were also mandatory "Up Down!" breaks for baby tossing.

Pics of the Week

Just when I thought life with a 2 year old couldn't get any more challenging, Ellie caught a cold. We had a little micromanager with a situation she couldn't control. She found the copius snot beyond comprehension, and the last-day chest-clearing coughing just made her mad. Ellie seems to agree with her papa that being sick is a complete waste of time and energy, and being germ-ridden is no good. Thankfully, it was just a little cold, and she is (nearly) back to full steam after a trying four days.

Ellie is becoming more and more 2-year-old-y every day. She completely runs the household. I say that you always wish for your children to be really smart until they are. She is a CEO, and she manages her two staffers like you wouldn't believe. When baby #2 comes, I'm sure baby will be managed as well. There will be none of this conform-to-the-newborn's-schedule foolishness!

Speaking of baby #2, the pregnancy is going really well! The exhaustion of the first trimester is behind us, and the heavy sluggishness (and insomnia) of the third trimester has yet to begin. The second trimester is the place to be, and I'm very comfortable here!

Settling back into routine has felt wonderful. Children thrive on a schedule, and so does this full-time mom. Ellie resumed music class this week. While we were away, the teacher changed locations to accommodate for the larger group size. She also was able to add a closed session for regulars, and we got into that one. Hooray! Now the group is not too big, the songs are all new, and Ellie is so happy to be back! This week, we celebrated Halloween a little early in music class and the kids dressed up. Ellie wore her new princess dress for the first time. The dress is a birthday present from Mimi (thank you, Mimi!) that Ellie picked out herself (see her carrying it daintily out to the car).


Until this week, she hasn't wanted to put it on, but instead has been fully contented with stroking the big glittery skirt in appreciation. Of course, once she had it on, she didn't want to take it off. Ellie was far too interested in all the new songs and sights of her music class this week to stop and pose for mama paparazzi, but I will try to get more pics of her on Halloween.


Being home again has also meant visits with friends. Ellie had a playdate with her friend Hannah, and Mama had a playdate with her friend Katja (whom Ellie loves). Mama and Katja met up for kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake), and Ellie enjoyed her "baby-chino" (steamed and frothy milk sans coffee).


Yesterday morning, we even made a trip to the zoo. It had been a long time since Ellie had visited her favorite animals, and she was anxious to check in on the giraffes, elephants, "kitties" (AKA tigers), and butterflies. Unbeknownst to us, right now is school holidays for Dutch kids, and the zoo was indeed a zoo. We opted for visiting our favorites and running away home, which wasn't such a tough call on a cold foggy Dutch day.


One more tidbit of new activities to report: Jennifer has started piano lessons. I have wanted to learn since I was in grade school, and I figured it was time to stop saying, "I wish I knew how to play" and just do it! My lessons are only 30 minutes each week and no recitals (HOORAY!), and I'm very excited! I also resumed yoga class after three months' hiatus and was made to regret my lack of discipline in not practicing on my own while I was away (so sore the next day!). I'm very lucky to have such a supportive partner who not only encourages me to take time for myself, but also takes such good care of Ellie while I do that I can really enjoy it (she doesn't miss me at all).

That's about it for us. What's new with you?

Spontaneous Monday fun

This afternoon as Ellie and I were taking a leisurely stroll across the way to play ball on the Malieveld (that's Dutch for the big grassy field near our house), who should we run into but Papa returning home from work on his bicycle! He had a day of training that ended early, so he hot-footed it home to see his girls. Although we had gone to the Malieveld to kick around a little pink ball, there was no neglecting the huge red circus tent that has been there for over a week. The Circus Hermann Renz is in town, and we have been debating catching a show (would there be Disney-level trauma or would Ellie really enjoy it?). Well, it just so happened that a show was starting in less than 30 minutes, so Papa raced home to stow his bike and change clothes, and we went to the circus!

The first moment we stepped into the big tent, our hearts were gripped with Ellie's panic as, you guessed it, Disney-level trauma set in. Oh the trauma! The drama! The woe! The...popcorn. Hmmm...they have popcorn. And a carousel. Hm...this needs reevaluation. So the panic ceased, the interest was piqued and to our seats we went. It was just a small traveling circus, so no big animals to report (though there were some impressively trained white horses, three goofy white geese, two sea lions and a couple of penguins). Markus and Jennifer were wowed by the trapeze artists (their athleticism was truly amazing!). Ellie quickly decided that the circus was almost as good as music class because they play music all the time, and everyone claps along. She took almost as much interest in the other kids in the audience as she did in the show. Close to intermission, we noticed that our little party girl was pooping out. The circus can be a very overstimulating place, and she was getting tired. As fate would have it, a clown came along and picked Markus and three other grown-ups out of the audience to "help" with the next act. This caused Ellie no undue amount of apprehension (though no tears of woe); she decided as long as she could see him, she could allow it. Yes, Markus joined the circus today, just for one act. Where are the pictures, you ask? Don't we wish we'd had the camera, but as the subject line reads, it was spontaneous Monday fun. We thought we were going ball-kicking, so the camera was at home. Incidentally, Markus was instructed to play a gong as part of a musical act. He was supposed to beat his chest and yell like Tarzan first, but a day of software training must have made him too reserved. We'll have to work on that.

When the lights came up for intermission, we headed home with a worn-out toddler for some hot chili and homemade biscuits, a perfect ending to a very fun, very COLD day (around 40 degrees by nightfall!). If only every Monday could be this fun!

How To Win Friends and Influence People

Call and announce you have made pecan pie.
I'm expecting a pie-eating guest within the hour.

Not just doughnuts

You may be looking at this photo thinking Jennifer has gone overboard on desserts of late (not an unsafe assumption if you know me at all).



Nonetheless, we figured it's time to come right out with the truth and tell you we are half-way to being a family of four! Baby #2 should be joining us toward the end of February (due on the 27th, but who knows?). The 20-week ultrasound gave us a great profile shot (head on the left with a wee fist near baby's mouth), so for those of you who, like Ellie, want to "SEE!!!!", here you go:

Back to our regularly scheduled programming

Apologies for the long absence! We appreciate our devoted blog readers, and I hope our absence hasn't deterred you from checking in on us. It's been a bit of a whirlwind. As I wrote in the last entry, adjusting to jet lag on the return to Holland took us nearly a week. Ellie really struggled with it, which meant everyone else did too. She's always a good and happy child (hallelujah!), but nights were a real challenge for a bit longer than was comfortable. That left us mostly hanging around the house with little to blog for several days (unless a chronicle of Jennifer's exhaustion is thrilling reading for you, count yourself lucky for being spared). We did make it to Delft for a glorious fall afternoon on Thursday, where we visited the cathedral but were far more enthralled with our warm soup, bread, and dessert waffles at a cafe later in the day. On Saturday morning, Jennifer and Mary took the train to Paris for a four day weekend. We were cultural fiends (Louvre, Notre Dame, St. Chapelle...), and of course Mary had to visit Disneyland Paris, being the huge Disney fan that she is! Meanwhile, Markus and Ellie held down the fort in Holland. They visited a nature reserve, did a lot of cycling, partied on a few playgrounds, and made sure the duck and geese populations of The Hague were well fed. They also visited with Andrea and our friend Tony, who was back in town for the week on business. Wednesday was another attempt to return to normal, with Jennifer and Mary still battling aching feet from our Parisian marathon weekend and Ellie readjusting to our return/Papa's return to work. Yesterday, we took the train to Amsterdam for yet another glorious fall afternoon and visited the Anne Frank House (not for those disinclined towards stairs or traumatic subjects).


Today was a day's visit to Antwerp, made necessary by Jennifer's incessant rhapsodizing about the chocolate (of which we obtained much). Tomorrow, Mary heads home again to catch her breath (three countries in two weeks!), and we are excited to welcome our friends Meghan and Eric on Sunday! Whew! Now you are all caught up. What have you been doing these past two weeks?



For those interested in Paris pics, these are a few of my favorite things:

Cupid and Psyche


The Winged Victory of Samothrace


the sparkling Eiffel Tower (10 minutes at the start of every hour; green for the Rugby Cup finals)

Home again

We're back in The Hague! Actually, we've been back since Sunday, but we're still trying to normalize. Ellie's jetlag has been a bit of a bear for all of us, and we're just trying to get through the week. She should be back to her regularly scheduled programming by Sunday, so I'll try to update with something fun and interesting next week. Thanks for checking in!

Last day

Today was our last full day in Ocean Springs. It felt a bit like the last day to get things done on the house, because you know once I leave, the work usually stops...but we won't go there. I've been feeling a bit Milton-esque about the house of late ("abandon hope, all ye who enter here"), but the fact is whatever work has actually been done looks really good. As of today, the carpet and tile are finished, so the remaining work is screening the back porch, all the finishing (repainting dings, spots,etc.) and trim. If the work were to progress in any realistic fashion, there's no way it could take any more than two weeks to finish from here out...but we know reality has had little impact on this work as yet. We shall see. The landscaper is set to begin in mid-October, and I have stressed to my contractor that under no circumstances will I be amused if he is still working on the house then and drives his truck on my brand-new lawn. He will be paying for the landscaping in that event, and I think he may actually understand that I mean business.

Other than that, we're just trying to wrap up. Ellie has been incredibly patient with all the to-ing and fro-ing and dragging around I've had to do with her on this trip. I've been so lucky! I'm very happy to be taking her home to a normal routine, so she can go back to car-free days, music class and playtime in the pool. She has been starting to ask about the latter two recently, so I'm particularly glad I won't have to deny her much longer. And of course, the best part will be being with Papa again! We have really missed him! Although most of the time Ellie readily accepts his absence (she'll tell anyone who asks that he's "arbeit"...at work), she also knows this excuse wears thin at nighttime and on weekends.

Wish us luck for smooth and pleasant flights tomorrow! We'll be back in Holland on Sunday morning!

A great day off

Today was Jennifer's birthday, so we celebrated in a happy, low-key way. The first treat of the day was sleeping in late a la Mary (thank you again!), a birthday wake-up call from Markus in Dubai and then (a few hours later) lunch out with Mary, Ellie, my friend Becky and her son.



After lunch, we decided to maximize Ellie's naptime with a drive to New Orleans. Being in the city would have the built-in bonus of keeping Jennifer from the house and its related stress, and who wants stress on her birthday? It was a lovely day in the city. Although I couldn't reach anyone I knew while there (it was a spontaneous trip, after all), Ellie and I had a great time running around in Audubon Park, chasing squirrels and geese, meeting doggies and other children, and generally getting nice and dirty. We ate a simple dinner of ready-made stuff at Whole Foods before trekking back to Mississippi. It almost felt like we were home again...almost.



Ellie was an excellent birthday companion, and we had a very fun, relaxing day.

Stop the presses!

I've been meaning to pull out my soapbox to report several serious infractions of spelling and grammar of late (to the owners of "You Niquely U Weight Loss": you should be ashamed of yourselves!), but that will have to wait for another day because I have new and even better material! One of the three cover stories of today's Sun Herald newspaper must be shared. No, there are no serious infractions as such to report, though one has to admit it must be a very slow news day indeed to print a headline that proclaims:

"Catty teens pitch a hissy"

I am not making this up, people (I've attached a photo for proof)! My favorite line from the (two page) story reads:

"Witnesses said the fight erupted with two potty-mouth girls exchanging wild haymakers near the front entrance and ended with several of the bunch tangled in a hair-yanking, face-scratching nest of rage."

I don't know what "wild haymakers" are, but this is journalism at its best! Presidential campaigning, politics, war in Iraq, Afganistan, Iran...please, step aside! I now know all I need to know for the day. I am done. Please excuse me while I dissolve into dismay (and giggles).



p.s. for those of you who notice the prime headline of little boy hero with a bit of dismay, try to keep in mind Southern values and realize that is to be considered valid top story material here and is not to be mocked

The House (continues)

Some of you regular readers out there have been asking (and rightly so) what is the deal with the house. As it is, after all, the big reason why Ellie and I are stateside at the moment, I figured it was time for an update.

The good news is when you've abandoned all hopes and expectations, things are a lot less stressful. On previous visits, I arrived expecting progress. After all, the house has been a couple of months away from completion since February! Only two or three weeks away from completion in May! I had intended to come back in July to see it finished. But more delays and more excuses were reported, and I began to realize (and accept) that nothing was EVER going to be done without my being here. So, here I am again, this time without hopes or expectations and therefore slightly more sane than could be imagined. Thank goodness I arrived with these thoughts, because (surprise surprise) nothing much had been done since I left in May. I'm happy to report that now, however, we are much closer to the (apparently unattainable) goal of a finished house. The tile for the downstairs arrived last week and installation began. Once the downstairs is done, the kitchen cabinets and countertops will be installed (the cabinets are ready and waiting), and the bathrooms should be finished off (though I haven't seen any supplies for that as yet). Carpets are scheduled for installation upstairs tomorrow (but as rain has moved in, my faith in that has moved out).

On my end, I've had six trees felled (one VERY fortunate choice there; I had one relatively small one taken out because I didn't like its proximity to the roof, only to discover upon removal that it was completely rotten on the inside and could have fallen at any time). I found and paid for a landscaper for the front yard, and that work will happen at the end of October (by which time one could reasonably assume the house could be finished at long last!). The house has been treated for termites and pests, and yesterday I ordered a houseful of appliances that should be delivered and installed on Tuesday. We're getting there, people. Now all that's left is to show you some pictures, so here they are.

The Hokey Pokey

Our little one has been giving directions and commanding an audience since before she could talk. This morning, Mary's sister and friend stopped by for a visit, and it wasn't long before they were enlisted in providing some world class entertainment! Ellie has been a bit stuck on the hokey pokey of late, and she was thrilled to have two new singers/performers (and a few stuffed animals) to add to the ranks!

Size does matter

Today, Ellie convinced herself (and therefore everyone else) that she needed to be accompanied in the day's work by a very large stuffed doggie of Mary's. I tried to dissuade her as she could barely walk and hold it, but she soon proved why this was important.

Little Shedheds

Last night, Ellie, Mary and I met friends for dinner and "got fed at The Shed." If you know us, you know we are big fans of Shed BBQ, a dedication that brings us under the fan club of "Shedheds." Now we have matching t-shirts to prove our loyalty that proudly proclaim: "I'm a little Shedhed. I only look sweet and innocent."


For some added cuteness, here's a shot of our wee one in her very colorful new shoes.

Way down South

Here we are once again in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The fact that we were in Paris a week ago seems a bit surreal from here, but whatcha gonna do? There are things I have to love about being here: the small-town,community feel; the genuinely warm and friendly people; the manners; the peacefulness of the bayou and the waters of the Mississippi Sound; still being treated a regular at a favorite lunch spot despite the fact that I live an ocean away most of the time; the kid-friendly environment; of course, eating at The Shed BBQ...

But it is all a bit of a trade-off when at age 30, I'm called "ma'am" because I really am that old. Alas.

Paris

Last Thursday, the dipe squad boarded a train in The Hague bound for Brussels, where we changed over to another train headed directly to Disneyland Paris. Yes, there is a train station right at the entrance to the park. As our hotel room wouldn't be ready for another few hours, we stowed our bag and headed into Disney. Ellie was soooo excited! She'd been talking about Mickey Mouse for a few days already, and she knew something interesting was bound to happen in the park. We entered on Main Street USA (just like in Florida, though much smaller I'm sure) and grabbed a bite to eat (having been starved on the train). Before we could even get to lunch, Ellie was a proud owner of a large mylar Winnie the Pooh balloon and was watching a parade of characters through town. Of course, it only got better from there, because after lunch, we got ice cream with sprinkles. We probably could have given it all up and gone home at this point and still have called it a great trip, because if you know Ellie, you know that a balloon AND ice cream with sprinkles is just about as close to Paradise as any of us will ever get. But oh...it got better. Disneyland Paris also has a carousel. With a short line. YIPPEE!!!!! AND the Dumbo ride (AKA "the elephant carousel")! AND the teacup ride! AND we can ride on the carousel more than once! WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN HERE BEFORE??!!!




Markus and I had naively presupposed that Ellie would only last two or three hours in the park before she was completely exhausted and overstimulated, but really that applied more to us. She LOVED it! She was so happy and excited! In fact, the only way we bought ourselves a little rest was taking a break for kettle corn (or as Ellie called it, "pop-maize"). I haven't been to Disneyworld since I was 9, but I believe it must be much bigger than Disneyland Paris. This was actually okay for us, because Ellie's realm of enthusiasm encompassed the three above-mentioned rides that were all conveniently located right next to each other. When we finally saw her wearing down, we plunked her in the stroller and wandered to a different section to see what we could see. We decided to risk one more ride and go on the Pirates of the Caribbean, because I had liked that the most when I was a kid in Disneyworld and Markus had never been. Despite the fact that it was pitch black most of the time, had all kinds of animatronics and included more than one small dip in the dark, Ellie was completely mellow in her exhaustion until the end of the ride, when an animated skull and crossbones gives instructions for disembarking. She was having none of that!!!! Luckily, we were at the end, so we left the trauma behind and headed out to Frontierland, where we wanted to take the steamboat ride before going to the hotel. We nearly made it too. Mama spotted Mickey Mouse posing for photos with almost no line, so we gave it a go. Ellie had been talking about him for days, after all. She would be happy, right? WRONG! Mickey Mouse is a fun, loveable character friend who is most safely admired at a distance. He is not to be trusted, this Mouse. He has big shoes. We know this, because approaching him resulted in SEVERE trauma and Ellie is still days later recounting the tale of "Mickey Mouse. Big. Shoes. Sad. Ellie. Go."


The next day, Ellie took a late morning nap, so we decided to eat lunch at the Disney Village before heading into Paris. Disney Village is just outside the park, and it's a collection of chain restaurants (McDonalds, Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Cafe...), movie theaters and shops. We opted to eat at Cafe Mickey because the menu looked the most acceptable. We had been told that on birthdays, you can request a special cake and the characters will bring it out and sing and dance and take pictures with you. It was indeed Ellie's birthday, so we asked about this and the hostess agreed we could just let them know closer to the end of our meal whether or not we wanted it, since we were a bit afraid of the trauma returning. So we settled down happily in our booth. Ellie started coloring with the set they gave her. We ordered lunch. All was happy and well. UNTIL. What they had neglected to tell us was birthday or no birthday, the characters come out anyway at Cafe Disney. They mingle through all the tables, pose for photos and TOUCH PEOPLE (horrors!). It was all over before our food even came. Ellie was climbing me like she wanted to hide under my skin and her misery was so extreme that we had to leave (and maintain at least a 100 meter distance from the door). Markus quickly ate his meal, and then he took his turn outside while I rushed through mine. Ellie refused to return. At least I didn't have to eat all alone. Goofy came and sat with me for a while, but given the level of trauma in our little one, I opted not to pose for a photo with him. I'm sure you understand. At this point, it was fairly clear that it was time to leave Disney behind and head into the city. Ellie really did have fun in the park, and we can understand her trepidation about the characters. They are pretty big and strange and intimidating. And, as we have been repeatedly informed, they wear big shoes.


Our Paris hotel was just off of the Royal Palace Gardens, and despite its central location, the room was blissfully quiet. We checked in, wandered through the gardens, and made our way to the Louvre and the adjoining Jardin de Tuileries.


Ellie was a huge fan of running along the Louvre fountains, watching the boats in the Tuileries fountain, and of course the "piece de resistance": ice cream in the gardens. We were on a mission for some cake and coffee, and we headed to the recommended locale only to get caught up in rush hour madness (even on foot, the manic panic was stressful). Markus managed to find a restaurant in a little out of the way alley in a seriously upscale shopping district. This made for some very interesting people-watching (boy, were we sore thumbs there!), and Ellie was all about helping Mama consume the molten chocolate cake.


We headed back to the hotel and cleaned up a bit for dinner. Our concierge had recommended a little spot around the corner. He said our (very) casual dress was fine and they were okay with children. The restaurant was "Le Grand Colbert" on the Rue de Vivienne. If you have seen the Diane Keaton-Jack Nicholson movie "Something's Gotta Give", yes, this is the restaurant where they meet in the end. And it's good! The staff were so welcoming and friendly that we were amazed to still be in Paris. The food was fresh and well-prepared, and the atmosphere was charming (you've seen it if you've seen the movie). Markus had the foresight to pack our portable DVD player, which also helped make for an enjoyable meal.

We woke up on Saturday to a gorgeous summery day. We used the morning to take a boat tour of Paris, something we hadn't done before and truly recommend, especially with a small child. It was a great way to see the beautiful architectural highlights of a huge city. It was also a great way to enjoy the sunshine.


We walked back to the hotel via Ile de la Cite and discovered a peaceful little square near the point with some nice bistros. Based on menu, we wanted to eat at the Cafe George, but they were full so we kept moving (we did return to it for dinner, though, and we HIGHLY recommend it!!). We ended up eating lunch in a restaurant off of the Royal Palace Gardens, and that was a great choice. Ellie ran around in the dirt while we ate and kept herself more than happy. Afterwards, we headed across town on a mission for "the best chocolate cake in Paris" at Pierre Herme and on to the Jardin du Luxembourg so Ellie could play. At Pierre Herme, the line was out the door and down the corner, and let me tell you people, THERE IS A GOOD REASON FOR THIS. All of the pastries looked beautiful and amazing, and the chocolate cake is out of this world! But I digress...
Ellie had good fun in the gardens. The Jardin du Luxembourg is a great spot for families, with lots of open playspace and some big playgrounds. Being such a gorgeous day, the playground was completely overrun, so we put Ellie on the carousel (another carousel! hooray!). We watched the boats in the fountain. We ran on the paths. And we went back for dinner and bed.

By Sunday morning, we were all partied out, but we had a few hours to kill before our train so we headed to the Musee d'Orsay for some beautiful Impressionist paintings and impressive sculptures on the ground level. Even the building itself is nearly worth the entry fee. What foresight to transform a huge old trainstation into a fabulous museum!

All in all, we had an amazing fun trip! We were all happy and relaxed, which is the only way to survive Paris. There is far too much to see and do to try to do it all. Visiting the city with Ellie forced us to slow down and just take it as it comes, which made for the most enjoyable Paris visit to date. So, Happy Birthday, Ellie! We're sure you'll wonder when you're 16 why we took you to Paris for your birthday when you were 2, but trust us: you had fun.

Back from Paris

Yesterday evening, we returned from our four day birthday weekend in Paris. We had SUCH A GREAT TRIP!!! We have a bit of work to do getting caught up with chores and the to-do list before Jennifer and Ellie head stateside on Wednesday, but be on the lookout for a new post with photos. One will be coming soon!

Parenthood

We're not quite to this point yet, but we can already identify...and benefit from the giggles and commiseration!

September

Today is yet another gorgeous fall day in The Hague. Somehow it feels a lot more sane to say that now that it's September instead of July. The trees must agree. Yesterday, we noticed the leaves are starting to turn. They've been waiting all summer 'til now so they don't look too confused, but September 1st was the kick-off. Not that we're complaining. After almost 5 years of summer year 'round, our shorts have earned a rest. And although it's been rather cool, the weather has been relatively good to us with lots of sun and little rain by Dutch standards. Between England's flooding and Greece's heat and fires, we are most content with our fall weather (even when it was July).

MIA: Spices of any kind

Tonight, I munched a "Cajun chicken sandwich" in a department store eatery while doing some Thursday late night shopping (the only night shops are open past 5 or 6). While the sandwich was fully edible, I must say that they wouldn't know Cajun if an alligator crawled out de bayou and bit them on the behind.

Hello out there?

Are you a family member or friend reading this? Total lack of commentary is demotivating! You check in on us; the least you could do is say a little something from time to time! Come on, people! Bloggers need love too!

Bumper Crop

In the past few weeks, three of our friends have had babies. Next month, we're looking for two more. And another in November. It's a bumper crop o' babies! Welcome to the world, all you beautiful sweet little ones! Wowsers.

Deep thoughts

Why are McVities chocolate biscuits called "digestives" when one side is slathered in milk chocolate goodness?
That's the kind of digestion I'm talking about!

Wednesday fun

Every Wednesday morning, Ellie and Jennifer go to music class. Music class is really a playgroup where the parents sit on the periphery singing songs while the kids dance and play with (or chew on, depending on age) instruments. Ellie LIVES for music class. She talks about it from the moment we leave until the moment we go again. We listen to the CD ad nauseum in the car. She is a baby obsessed.
Lately, music class has gotten a little too popular for us, and the crowded room has resigned Ellie to my lap for a few weeks. Don't you know she was thrilled when it was closer to the norm this week and she could party her booties off! Ever since she learned to jump unsupported, bouncing has become a huge part of Ellie's day...and her dancing! The ultimate excuse for bouncing comes in the "Sleepy Cows" song, which starts with all the cows (kids) sleeping on the floor and continues with the scarecrow jumping up and dancing around. Well, you must see it for yourself...(you will get a chance to meet Mieka, who proves Ellie isn't the only one interested in seeing the camera in use).



Also on Wednesday mornings, we have been fortunate enough over the past month to have had help with housekeeping. A woman named Kathia has been coming to help clean, and Ellie really likes her. She also, of course, likes to help. Ellie is a big fan of housekeeping.



Her vocabulary has exploded recently, and Ellie talk talk talks all the time! She is such a chatterbox, and it is delightful! I will try my best to capture some of it on video and post it for those of you who are interested. Again, it's tricky taping her, because as soon as she sees the camera, she stops whatever adorable thing she is doing and demands I turn it around so she can see the baby or watch the movie I made.

As you may or may not know, we adopted two kittens (Smokey and Bandit), and life with cats is going swimmingly. They are from the same litter, and they play hard together all day. They are inseparable most of the time, which is great. They have the best temperaments we could have hoped for: they play, they aren't destructive, they wear each other out and then they come to us for snuggles, purring and happy as clams. They are very patient with Ellie and have yet to retaliate when she pulls their tails or whacks them overenthusiastically. Despite this, we know their favorite part of the day is after Ellie goes to bed, and they join us in the living room for what we've dubbed "Kitty Love Fest." They lounge all over us, purring away.


Bandit didn't want Markus to get lonely or cold laying on the floor all by himself.

Last but not least, Oma arrived today for a week-long visit!


Tante Ulla will be arriving on Saturday, and she will stay for a week as well. Everyone will be here to celebrate Oma's birthday next Tuesday! This also marks the start of completely claimed days for the dipe squad. From today until the end of October, there is not one day we don't have out of town plans or houseguests. Amazing. Wish us strength!

Warmest welcome!

Our goddaughter has been born! Carolina Irene Duarte-See was born on August 13, weighing in at 7lb 9oz. Isn't she beautiful? Welcome to the world, little one!

Weekend outside

Summer came back yesterday (hooray!), so we spent most of the day at the beach. Ellie LOVES the beach! There is something magical about running around naked, splashing in the water and playing in the sand (and if you think Ellie is the only one who thinks so, check the post from a few weeks back). Once again, there was a cool wind, but fortunately we have a sun tent that blocks wind as well. The sun was nice and toasty, and we had a great time burning energy and digging holes. Ellie is quite intent on Markus making "kuchen" ("cakes" AKA sand castles from overturning a bucket), which she usually knocks down, trounces or tosses by the fistful with glee. Yesterday, she was entranced temporarily with decorating the kuchen with shells. The beautification efforts were quite impressive and thorough until she remembered that stomping kuchen with gusto was loads more fun.


This morning, we took advantage of more good weather with a day trip to northern Holland and a visit to Apenheul ("Monkey Hill"?), a part of a nature preserve that is an open monkey zoo where several monkeys are allowed to roam free.





We saw many, many monkeys, but the best for us was the glorious weather. The nature preserve is beautiful, and Apenheul is so well-designed. Ellie was not really in the mood for monkey viewing, so she exerted most of her efforts acting like a monkey herself, climbing things, jumping around, inspecting the plants, and chewing on her shirt. We didn't last too long, but we did go twice around the Rainforest merry-go-round on our way out (and experienced many tears when we left that behind).

Old Fart, but Young at Heart!

On Thursday, Markus suggested I take the evening to myself and go see a movie I've been wanting to see while he stayed with Ellie. The very idea was such an indulgent treat, particularly because I can't remember the last time we watched a movie in the cinema. The only problem was my movie started at 8:30...SO LATE! I wouldn't even be home before 11! My goodness, how would I cope with the exhaustion?! Would I fall asleep in the movie? What to do?!
The real question is: when did I become such an old fart?
(the answer: when I gave birth)

I feel somewhat redeemed because the movie was the latest Harry Potter (which I ended up watching Friday at 5; hooray!).

Visitors!

We've been off the blog for a little while, because we have been playing our days away with some fabulous house guests! Laura, Peter and Cy came to visit for almost a week on their way home to Qatar, and we had a wonderful time with them!


Cy is about 6 months younger than Ellie, so we were all a bit curious how the sharing-toys-and-space thing would go. Happily, all went well, most of the time. The few meltdowns we experienced were so dramatic and traumatic on both sides that the adults couldn't help being amused.
Our friends' visit coincided with actual summer-y weather here, which was a real treat! There was even one day that we felt hot outside. Let me tell you, after four years in New Orleans and nearly one in Qatar, I never thought being hot outside would be a novelty...but it was! Temps here have been autumnal for most of our Hague tenure, so 7+ consecutive days of sunshine and warm weather was wonderful! Conveniently, we own four bicycles, so trekking around was easy. The kiddos really enjoyed riding in the Chariot together.


We went to the beach, Clingendael, Blijdorp (by car), and Antwerp (by train). Clingendael was a huge hit, because there are wide open spaces where the kids can run and run. Farm animals are a big bonus (more for Cy than Ellie, who remains unsure about the wisdom of getting close to large creatures), and Ellie loves sitting in the grass and picking wildflowers. In Antwerp, adorable Mr. Cy became a tourist attraction when he was drawn to a puppet street performer and did an interpretive dance.




Most of the time, we just played with the kiddies and had big laughs over the fun things they say and do. Cy's obsession with "ca-ca" has no end; Eddie Murphy may have a rival in the bathroom humor department. Cy certainly added a new dimension to bathtime and alerted us to the dangerous window between diaper removal and being placed in the tub. They do look awfully cute running around half-naked, though!



The kids seemed to have a blast having each other to play with, and playtime just before bathtime was the best!


All in all, it was a fabulous time! Such a treat to have wonderful friends to share our days and evenings! Ellie was certainly out of sorts when Cy left. On that day, she wouldn't eat certain food items with her lunch because she was sure they were Cy's. She also picked up a few words he uses (the favorite being "BUM!" when she falls down), and it makes us smile to know she has a good friend, even though we can't visit nearly as often as we'd like.