"Dutch Story of the Month"

During my midwife appointment this week, I believe my midwife was having an off-day. In the practice I use, there are four midwives, and the one I saw this week was one I hadn't seen before. The appointment was rather unusual. At every other appointment, they check my blood pressure, do a dipstick in the urine sample, and then I hop up on the exam table (clothed) for a touch exam of the belly to check baby position and response before they listen to the heartbeat. That's it. It's gloriously brief and non-medical. They've been telling me since 30 weeks that this baby's head is down, and as you already know, at week 36 the midwife told me that the baby's head is WAY DOWN and in take-off position.
So here we are at the week 37 appointment with a different midwife than the others I've seen, and she can't tell if the head is down or not. "Oh, you're engaged all right, but I just can't tell if it's the head or the behind." Hmph. People, I can tell that the head is down (when I reported this to my girlfriend here, she said even she could tell just looking at me that the head is down, so what the???). When the feet are in your ribs, it's a good hint; an even better hint is a soft bumpy mass (butt) up near your ribs instead of a hard round mass (head). But then she proceeds to acknowledge the elbows as the feet (um, wrong end, wrong side) and says she's not sure of position even though my belly is lopsided with the baby's back clearly on the left. Her exam continues with enough pressure to be mildly painful, and still she can't tell. So now comes the joy of an internal exam. This is really not fun, and after that, she STILL can't tell. Now I have to get an ultrasound to be sure the baby isn't breech. Of course, they don't have ultrasound equipment, so I have to make an appointment somewhere else and it must be done this week (if you know anything about life in the Netherlands, getting an appointment for anything straight away is a laughing matter). All this, and she doesn't even check the heartbeat. I just have to go with the she-was-having-an-off-day assumption, because otherwise I will hate her and she will be the one to show up for my delivery. Despite the large inconvenience of all this to me, I can't blame the midwife practice for insisting I have another ultrasound. After all, it IS important to be sure the baby isn't breech. Although I'm convinced there is no problem, it would be rather awful to be wrong on such an important issue. If the butt was indeed wedged in take-off position instead of the head, it could be an emergency situation calling for a C-section and risking the baby's life if we didn't know until pushing started, so being sure with an ultrasound is a good thing, though in my opinion completely unnecessary.

Well...the ultrasound was today, and here's where the good story begins.

Due to the "emergency" nature of my ultrasound, the midwife practice had to make the appointment for me. They insist on using my maiden name on all my records (standard practice in Holland) although my name is legally changed and I don't use the maiden name at all. They made my ultrasound appointment at the Westeinde Hospital rather than Bronovo, which I can only assume was done because it would have been TOO OBVIOUS to use the hospital close to my home where I'm already registered (okay, it's possible they were booked, but really it was very silly). The only appointment they could get this week was for 10am. I drop Ellie off at school at 9am in another part of town. It took me 50 minutes of nothing but red lights to reach the hospital, where I still had to register before my appointment.

The registration process hands-down wins my "Dutch Story of the Month" award.

When I was called up to the desk, I told her I have an appointment made for me by my midwife but I need to register with their system, as I've never been to their hospital before. The registration lady asks for photo ID and my insurance card; I hand her my Dutch drivers license for ID and my health insurance card. She starts typing in info. She looks at her screen. She looks closer. Then she looks at me and asks the street name where I live. When I tell her, she tells me I have been to the hospital before. Surely I would have remembered this, but somehow I don't. I say cheerfully that I'm sure I haven't been there, but then she tells me in a voice dripping with annoyance that indeed I have or I wouldn't be in the computer. I ask if it's possible my midwife gave them that information to make the appointment, and she doesn't answer because now she's glaring at my driver's license. "What is your name?" Ignoring the fact that she's staring hard at a photo ID of me with my name in bold type, I tell her. She says, "No, it's not." Apparently, I fail the pop quiz on my own name. Stubbornly (while trying not to giggle), I insist that I'm pretty sure that's my name. "No." Hmmm. How to respond? Finally, she looks up, glaring at me with total annoyance and sharply demands my family name. I give it to her. "NO." Grasping at straws for the right answer, I offer my maiden name and hit the jackpot. "Yes, IN HOLLAND, we use our father's name, not the husband. Your driver's license is wrong." She looks at me hard, but I just don't know what response I'm supposed to offer here. Getting a driver's license in this country is no walk in the park and requires excessive documentation, so surely someone at City Hall would have caught my error had I made one. I told her that none of my legal documents (passport, residence visa, etc.) use my maiden name, but she is still holding my license hostage. "Well, your license is wrong." She won't give it back.

Am I confused? Did I have a traffic accident and wind up in traffic court with my license being legitimately questioned, or am I just registering for an ultrasound appointment?

At length, her colleague decides to jump in. She has an apologetic tone as she explains that in Holland, they do indeed use the father's name, but they know that "in America AND Turkey" (with emphasis, so I know this insanity isn't limited to one country) they don't use it after they marry. She tries explaining to the peeved registration lady that it's okay that I don't use my maiden name and that it's all right to enter my married name in the system. Peeved Registration Lady is having none of it. She holds my license in her colleague's face and insists that I have a DUTCH license so it should be the DUTCH WAY. Again, Colleague Woman is apologetic. She explains gently to me that they believe this practice of changing names is "ridiculous" and "cannot understand it." After all, people get divorced and then women still have their husbands' name and then what are they supposed to enter into the computer?! At this point, all I can think about is blogging the whole encounter as a way to suppress my giggles. Could this have gotten any less relevant to reality, I ask you? At least Peeved Registration Lady decides that calling me "ridiculous" (however indirectly) is satisfying enough that she returns my "wrong" license.

The ultrasound was fine, by the way. The man looked stupified that I was even there. At the end, the best he could offer was maybe the midwife just couldn't tell because the head was "so far down. This baby is really engaged!"
Yes, I know.

Place your bets!

In less than 4 hours, I will officially reach the 37 week mark of this pregnancy, which is the starting point for home birth potential. Before 37 weeks (even 36 weeks and 6 days), the baby is considered too pre-term and risky to have at home or even in hospital with a midwife, and the mother would be transferred to a gynocologist (whom she's never before seen or even met) at the hospital and left to labor in a hospital room with a monitor and occasional checks from a nurse until go-time. Sounds awfully impersonal and medical to me, especially since at 37 weeks I can at least keep my midwife even if I go to the hospital...so this is the mark we've been waiting for in recent days. Why do I even bring this up? Baby 2 has dropped WAY DOWN. My belly resembles a ski slope. Kiddo is in position and ready for take-off. Of course, the midwife pointed out last week that this doesn't mean the baby will come early. Second babies tend to get into position faster because the body knows where to stuff them. That being said, she eyeballed me and said she didn't think it would come that week. Uh-huh. Then, our prenatal class teacher last night repeated the same info to the group (as I'm the only second-time mom in there and they were all eyeing me with trepidation lest I give birth before the coffee break)...but then she remarked later in the class that she isn't sure I'll be there next week. The professionals won't say it directly, but they clearly think I'm going early.
Early on in the pregnancy, I had a dream that the baby would come at 37 weeks. My mom recently had the same dream. As did a girlfriend of mine. This particular girlfriend is convinced I'm going to go into labor sometime tomorrow. She thinks my body is just waiting out that 37 week mark, and then it will just go wild. She's so convinced that when I called her to ask a quick question, she picked up the phone breathless and asked if I was in labor already. I think she's more prepared for this than we are. I feel like she should win a prize if she's correct, which brings us to the subject line of this post: place your bets.
For those of you who are pregnancy rookies, the typical pregnancy lasts between 38 and 42 weeks. 40 weeks is the "due date" (for us, that's Feb 27), but statistically few people actually deliver on that date. Every Wednesday rolls over another week (37, 38, 39...). When do you think this baby will come? If you guess correctly (gotta have a date, but don't bother with a time unless you're feeling very Type A), you win a prize! I promise it won't be anything gross. Enter your guess in the comment section (only those with names visible to all will count, so no email guesses) and we'll see who's right. Bonus prize if you guess the gender too (though you must have the date to win). For now, only baby knows for sure.

Big girl bed

Every day at naptime, Ellie wants to sleep in the big girl bed...but as I mentioned in a previous post, she doesn't tend to stay there once I leave the room. To date, I don't know that I've ever checked in during her nap and found her in the bed. She's usually on the floor (since we've taken away the changing table), though never in the same spot. I think she just plays or complains about her imprisonment until she passes out where she stands. It's pretty darn cute, actually. Even cuter are the carpet marks in her cheek each time she wakes up.

Saturday afternoon fun

Now that our little monkey is happy again and the weather was pleasantly sunny (though freezing!), we made good use of the afternoon having serious fun in the back garden with bubbles and later inside with ball catching.

bubbles are meant to be stomped


Bandit does some bubble chasing of his own


Ellie taking seriously Papa's advice that she watch the ball carefully



While we're on the subject of afternoon fun, a few weekends ago, Ellie got her first kite, which we took for a test run on the Malieveld (big grassy field) near our house. After she and Papa got it high into the air, she was so proud to hold the string herself and control her kite on her own. "By self" is very important these days, and handling the kite independently was extra joy for her (watching her little proud expression was extra joy for us).




Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Better days

After the typical feet-dragging on the part of our real estate agents, we did get a repairman to fix the heat yesterday afternoon! Hooray! I hopped in the shower within 15 minutes of his departure...what a treat! A hot shower feels like a bigger reward than usual when you have to wait for it like that. Plus, the house was starting to get quite cold. Ellie and I were both bundled up quite a bit for the indoors, so I was relieved she held out for her nap until the heat came back on. Apparently, the high winds came down the chimney and blew out the pilot light in the basement. It's not something that can be re-lit by a civilian, so I'm glad the repairman came when he did (and the wind didn't blow it out on the weekend, when no one would come).

As for the other part of the rough week, we seemed to get our girl back today. We had been caught in a bad cycle related to her cold from last week. She couldn't breathe well because she was stuffy, so she didn't sleep well, so she was cranky when she was awake, so she'd eventually cry and tantrum causing more stuffiness... The lack of good sleep had her waking up every day at 5:30 or so, and then she'd get overtired and wouldn't nap well... It was a mess, but it seems to be passing. She was a happy critter all morning, even when we had a sitter come for a few hours so Markus and I could attend a refresher infant & child first aid/CPR course.

Sleeping in the big girl bed continues to be a happy novelty. At night-time, she tends to stay put, but naptime is a different story. The ability to get up and play when she is meant to be sleeping is too much to resist, and she almost always plays quietly in her room for at least 30 minutes after I put her down. The beauty of it is she is super-quiet to avoid detection and feels she's getting away with something, while I'm just happy she's happy and quiet and I have downtime. Today, we had to take the diaper changing table out of her room. Two days ago, I entered her room after her nap to a terrific stench. She was already up on the changing table on her back ready for a change, announcing "Ellie made poo-poo!" Yesterday, I peeked in during her naptime, and she had climbed up and fallen asleep there. Not the safest perch (horrors if she had rolled over and fallen off!), so out went the table. We needed to move it for Baby 2 anyway.


On the Baby 2 front, we are now half-way through week 36. Getting close! We are now in the last month, so who knows when blast-off will be. Keep tuning in for the latest.

Rough week

Ever since Ellie brought home school germs, she's been a bit of a tantrumy monster, at least compared with her usual self. It's been exhausting in a "please-remind-me-that-this-was-easy-when-she's-a-teenager" kind of way. Some days, like today, our four story house acts as her co-conspirator in all attempts to unravel the thin shreds of sanity I have left. Since each floor has only two rooms, traversing floors to accomplish much of anything is required...and NOT traversing them as required (or stopping mid-way between or reversing direction) has become Ellie's forte. Tonight after Ellie went to bed, I can only suppose the house felt the need to make up for the lost mischief during this potential downtime by killing the furnace. No hot water. No heat. The wind outside is gusting to 45 mph and the wind chill is below zero. The earliest we can call for a repairman will be tomorrow morning after 9am. Excellent.

Happy Birthday, Papa!

We love you!

It was to be expected

Now that Ellie has happily settled into her new playgroup, she brought home new friends on Friday: germs. Like it or not, little kids are little disease mongers, and she's brought home a cold that someone thoughtfully shared at school this week. She was quite teary during the car ride home Friday, which gave me my suspicions. 24 hours later, she looks miserable and can't breathe through her nose. Of course, she wants the pacifier for comfort, which really makes breathing a challenge. This leads her to "snarking" (my word, because that's the noise she makes when she tries to suck up air through her nose and gets snot instead). I've said "poor little girl" so many times today that it has become her pity mantra (usually every time she snarks). Darn it if we don't think she's crazy adorable despite her germy state.

"Education"?

The past two years have been the first since preschool that Jennifer has not been enrolled in school of some kind, and frankly, it's driving me crazy. I am obsessed with learning, which I happen to think is a good thing. I always want to be learning something new or at least exposing myself to new ideas. One could easily argue that the past two years without school enrollment have actually been overly full of learning in the practical sense: these have been the first two years of Ellie's life, and what a learning curve that continues to be! Despite this, I have had the bug to start an online course for a while now (there are several intriguing options through Open University), though the timing is still not right. With most of those courses starting in February with moderate to high intensity workloads, the timing coincides with the arrival of Baby 2, which doesn't seem so smart. Instead, I have opted for an online Montessori teacher training program that covers birth to age 3 (right up my alley these days!) with a workload of approximately 2-3 hours per week (no sweat). As a parent of (soon-to-be) 2 kids in this age group, I figured this course could at least provide me with some practical ideas to add to the home repertoire. Add that to the company bonus of partially-funded spouse education, and I submitted my order just before Christmas.

Last night was the first night I sat down with my materials and looked over my first assignment (due in March). The first assignment covers materials from the "Classroom Manual: birth to 3", "Infants: Manual A" and "Infants: Manual B". Before opening any of the manuals, I decided to read over the assignment itself to get an idea of where I was headed with this. Consider it an understatement when I say that I am gravely disappointed. The work consists of three parts (one per manual), and it is all tedious busywork questions. Judging to harshly? The first question is "What is the purpose of this manual?" The second is "Summarize the section entitled 'Introduction'." You have got to be kidding me. The questions for the first manual alone number 123. I decided to answer these crappy questions as I read, and only five pages into the manual, I was already on question 6. This is ridiculous. By the time I complete the assignment, I will have a document almost as long as the manuals, repeating everything the manuals said but this time "in my own words." Spare me. Maria Montessori would be HORRIFIED!

At the end of this (this assignment, plus two others...assuming I can stomach it), I will receive a teacher certification for Montessori: Birth to Age 3. No wonder there is such variation in quality among Montessori-labeled schools! Parents beware! Montessori preschools can be amazing havens for young children, and I cannot understate my enthusiasm for a quality Montessori program under age 5...but quality is the key word! Methinks it is not to be found in the certification program available on a distance program. Alas.

At least I have my new piano lessons to fall back on for intellectual stimulation. Learning as an adult is a challenge, not least because of finger dexterity issues. Thanks to an English major as an undergrad and then tons of work at grad school, my hands know their way around a keyboard...a computer keyboard. Just getting my thumb to behave itself on a piano and stay up where the other fingers are (rather than flopping around looking for the space bar) takes some re-training. Add in that I have no musical background (except my career as a kazoo specialist), and I have some big obstacles. I love every minute, of course! I'm already working on pieces using both hands (though my hands don't seem to agree yet) and the sight reading is improving slowly. I keep telling Markus that I will be playing the classics in no time...I just need to start by understanding how to read sheet music. Better go practice.

Lost concept

This morning, I needed to pour excessive amounts of Euro into the gas tank of our car, so I drove out of my way to reach the only local gas station that offers "pay at the pump." For some reason, pay at the pump hasn't caught on here, but it is the best thing for parents. On a cold rainy day (or any day, really), I really don't want to take Ellie out of the car seat just to go inside to pay and rush back out, and there's no way I'm leaving her in the car while I go in alone. Pay at the pump is my friend, so to the one specific gas station I go. Out of their 10 pumps, only 2 have readers...and only one of those was working today. Wouldn't you know that the guy in front of me looks at 6 open pumps, drives up to the only pay at the pump...and then PARKS AND GOES INSIDE. Come ON, people!

Swimming "by self!"

We did make it to the pool this past (miserable rainy cold) Saturday, and Ellie was so proud to show off her swimming for Papa! The video clip is a bit dark and grainy (using an older camera in a room meant to be lit by absent sun), but you can still see her having great fun! We also managed to catch a blurry belly shot in this photo of the two swimmer girls. We're so happy that her confidence is back, and we hope to keep it up!

Whew!

In the recent past when I've lapsed between posts, it's been largely because there hasn't been much going on. Not so these past two weeks! We have been busy busy busy (and tired tired tired), so the blog has fallen to the wayside. I thought I'd grab this opportunity to catch you up on the latest goings-on.

The biggest change we've seen in the past two weeks is Ellie has started playgroup. In Holland, it's common for children of preschool age to attend playgroup, which is a sort-of preschool program that only lasts 2.5 hours each day. I have been looking into playgroups for Ellie in The Hague, and she was/is on waiting lists for three. The waiting lists are atrocious here, and I wasn't expecting much to come of it, which didn't bother me much because I'm excessively picky about where she would go and wasn't overly excited about anything I'd seen. An added struggle is that playgroups in The Hague require children to be at least two and a half years old, which happens for Ellie in March...but playgroups follow the school year and start in September. It made placement awkward. Still, we felt it was important to try. We wanted Ellie to have playgroup three days a week in the morning, especially after the baby comes so she'll have opportunities to play with other children that she can look forward to and I don't have to arrange.
Last Monday, I decided to contact a highly recommended British model playgroup in Voorburg, the next town over. I sent an inquiry email and received a call-back that afternoon with an invite to visit the following day. On Tuesday morning we went for a visit, and Ellie joined right in! After learning about the curriculum design and daily routine and seeing the environment for myself, I felt this would be a great spot for her. As it turns out, they just resumed after the holiday break and had openings immediately, only requiring children to be age 2 (smaller towns don't seem to sweat that extra 6 months). Ellie started on Thursday, and she will attend every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday morning.
This has been a big adjustment for both Jennifer and Ellie. I had initial big Mama guilt about sending her straight off, since I've always planned on that happening in March or April. I wasn't ready! But she was, and that's what cinched it. This was the first school (I call it that instead of playgroup) that fit all my picky picky criteria, but even better was that it seemed to fit Ellie's. She was happy there during the visit, and we decided to keep the momentum. We're happy too that this can be an established routine before the baby comes, so it's not going to be one more change for her to accept.
The adjustment for Ellie has been a bit touchy. She has never expressed unwillingness to go or claimed to be unhappy there, but she has expressed unwillingness for me to leave. I have waited until she was distracted each day and literally run away back to the car before she notices. She has been teary through smiles each day when I've picked her up, partly because it's all so new and partly because it just wears her out! This morning, though, that all changed. As soon as I'd taken off her coat, she walked off into her classroom and didn't even look back to wave good-bye. Routine established; Mama is old news.

The timing of the playgroup has been great as I've entered third trimester exhaustion. Sleeping soundly just doesn't happen anymore, though thankfully insomnia has been minimal. I've been so tired most days that I nap when Ellie naps and am a useless lump on the couch after she goes to bed (a big reason why blog-posting has fallen to the wayside). Last Wednesday night I had an unscheduled trip to the midwife at 8pm to check on some vicious Braxton-Hicks contractions. They were too irregular to be labor, but boy were they strong enough! Luckily, they subsided again and haven't returned. Baby is very busy in the belly, and we are getting close! 34 weeks this week! We got a reminder at the scheduled midwife appointment that Markus has to come with me next time so they can share all the labor/birth information with him. I can't believe that's where we are! We even started a "childbirth in Holland" course last week (one more thing on the busy schedule pile).
Although it feels like this topic should be a post of its own, I'm going to keep plugging along while I'm on a roll here. A few weeks ago, we changed midwife clinics from Bronovo hospital to a small practice called Mundo. Why? The Bronovo midwives only do hospital births, and we wanted to give ourselves the option of birthing at home. Home births are still incredibly common in Holland, and we felt if we were to try it, this would be the place. It's very safe and they have very strict eligibility requirements. If they decide at any point in my labor that we need to go to the hospital, Bronovo is only 10 minutes away at most. The nice part is I can also decide right up until the last minute if I want to birth at home or in the hospital. The midwife will just come with me if I change my mind. I like the flexibility, but I really like the idea of a home birth. If we are expected to have a normal, natural birth anyway, why go to the hospital at all, especially when they typically send mom and newborn home again after only a few hours? Once labor starts, the first requirement we have to meet is being at least 37 weeks along. Even 36 weeks and 6 days is too early and they will make me go to the hospital. Of course, there's no way of knowing when this baby will decide to make an appearance, but it's amazing to me that in less than three weeks, we could have the baby here at home if it decided to come. Wow.

Last but not least on the news front is that our water baby has finally regained her confidence in the pool and started swimming on her own this week (with the help of floaties)! When we lived in Qatar, Ellie was in the pool every day and LOVED it! Unfortunately, one awful moment in a swim class here ended all that. The instructor wanted the children to swim unassisted (excepting the floaties) to the other side of the pool. Ellie was new to the group and had never done that before, so I walked right behind her with my arms outstretched so she could touch me for confidence. When the instructor saw what I was doing, she came over and told me to step back, and without any notice, she grabbed Ellie and pushed her away from me in the water. Naturally, Ellie was terrified and began to cry. The crying lasted all that visit to the pool...and has taken MONTHS to undo. Since that moment, Ellie has been timid about the water. She clung to me like velcro in the pool and has been very nervous when it was crowded with other children. I've tried taking her at least once a week to get her reacclimated at her own pace, letting her set the speed and depth we enter the water and the duration of our stay. Sometimes it was as short as 5 minutes; other times, she lasted up to 20.
This week, she spontaneously asked to "do it by self" and paddled happily next to me for a minute or two before clinging again, though the fear seemed to be gone. I was so excited that I brought her back to the pool again two days later, and she walked right in and didn't stop for nearly 25 minutes! She swam and swam and swam, only taking a few short breaks to rest at the side of the pool or on my arm. She was so happy and proud! I wish there had been some way for me to record it on video or with a photo, because her smile was incredible! She wasn't at all interested in me guiding her or holding onto her. She is a free water baby once more!

So, yes, that's it! Whew! What a full two weeks we've had! We have plans for every day this weekend as well, and then next week it all begins again. We hope to take Ellie to the pool on Saturday morning so she can show off her new skills for Papa. If we make it (it's supposed to be rainy so the pool may be too crowded for her), we will take some pictures to share. Hope all is well on your end! Please keep the comments flowing. We enjoy hearing from friends and family!

Putting life into perspective

Recently, Markus and Jennifer watched the movie "Blood Diamond" on DVD. Amazing movie. In addition to all the discussion it provoked, we couldn't help but be reminded that the destination for most of those diamonds is Antwerp, where we occasionally go on a 1.5 hour comfortable drive in our luxury car to buy expensive chocolate for kicks (quite a different experience than had by people at the other end of the diamond route). Each day, we read the International Herald Tribune, which is conveniently delivered to our door. Lately it has been filled with awful stories of Kenya (the deadly election outcome readily contrasted by the soap-opera-style campaigns in the US) and goings-on in various places around the globe where we are blessed by birth not to live. On the back page of the weekend paper is the art exhibition section, where we find information about the safe haven in which we live: there are shows at the Mauritshuis (a 5 minute walk from our home) and at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which we visited today on a whim. I'm not really sure what to say here or where I'm going with all this, except for the fact that every once in a while getting such a stunning reminder of how beautiful and doggone easy your life really is deserves at least a moment's pause, if not serious recognition.

blitzpampers family weekend

This morning, we took advantage of the beautiful sunshine to explore Kaag on foot. Kaag is a water-centered community close to Amsterdam that Markus discovered recently. It's a hot spot for sailing in the summers, and he's been wanting us to take a look around. The area is truly beautiful and very peaceful this time of year. A small car ferry took us across to a residential area, and Jennifer liked it so much she wrote down the phone number for a house for sale (as if we could afford a weekend house in a community where all the cars were BMWs, Volvos and Porsches).



After Ellie's nap (and a bit of convincing), we all went to the playground to burn some energy before sundown (which we are now happy to report occurs around 5:30 instead of 5). Ellie was quite reluctant on the outset and could only be convinced to go once her hairstyle was updated. A girl has to accessorize.




And when planning her look, a girl really needs to consider her shoes. Markus purchased these cowgirl boots for Jennifer on our weekend trip to Austin during our post-Katrina Houston residence. There is a famous boot shop there, and I wanted to try some on for a laugh. Two years later, I had to get the boots resoled because I actually wore holes right through from such frequent use! These boots are sooooo comfortable...and fabulous too! Ellie was helping to condition the leather this evening when she remarked that the boots are "not too big" and proceded to try them on. These boots are made for walkin', after all.

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!

Happy New Year, everyone!

We don't make resolutions here at blitzpampers headquarters, but we do enjoy the opportunity to start new projects. With that in mind, Jennifer is taking the Art Card Challenge. The idea is to commit yourself to creating small art every day. The card is just a format/size goal to get you started, and you can use any media you like (paint, pencil, digital, photography...whatever!). You can start with a week-long commitment and expand to a month or a year if you like. There's no sign-up, so no one keeps track of my participation but me. I just made my second card, and I'm really enjoying this! It hardly takes any time at all (depending on how elaborate you'd like to get), and it's very satisfying to get the creative juices flowing even for just a short while each evening. When I complete the challenge, I'm not sure if I'll keep the cards and use them myself or if I'll gift them to a friend. Either way, I'll take pics of the results and post them when I'm done. If you decide to take the challenge, please let me know! It would be fun to see your work if you'd like to share!

Another project we're starting is a second blog: "eating blitzpampers-style." By now you know about my obsession with food (healthy and otherwise), and I've really enjoyed the feedback I've gotten on my little "Cooking" sidebar. I thought I'd start a little food blog to share recipes and get more feedback from foodie and wanna-be-foodie friends out there. You'll have to be patient with me on the photography. I have become addicted to several food blogs on the web, and the food photography is gorgeous. I can't quite seem to take the pictures I want to of my food, but I will be working on technique as time goes on. Bear with me and please check it out over at http://blitzpampersfood.blogspot.com.

Burger's Zoo

In search of a new activity, we drove to a nature preserve in the north of Holland and visited the Burger's Zoo. The drive took about an hour each way, but the zoo made the trek worthwhile. What a great zoo! The weather was crap (cold grey drizzle with wind), but the great part of this zoo is the major exhibits are all indoors and are connected by tunnels...so the weather didn't matter! What is special about this particular zoo is that it is designed to allow the animals to move as freely as possible in their natural habitats. The animals there aren't too spectacular (they have to be small and harmless for this to work), but the environments they've set up for them (especially the rainforest-like Safari section) are incredible! The three main zones/exhibits are Desert, Safari, and Ocean. Desert and Safari are connected by underground tunnels that look like they've been mined, with small exhibits on various stones and a climbing area inside the walls for kids. Ellie just had fun running through and listening to her voice echo. The Ocean exhibit was of course an aquarium, but the tanks were set up in the most natural, realistic ways we've seen. The largest tank (containing sharks and other fish) contained half a sunken boat with sea life all over it. The stingrays swam around in shallow tanks beneath docks and among large boulders. We had a great time!







Ellie also now has a new friend. She is a HUGE fan of Sesame Street podcasts on iTunes (if you have a toddler, I can't recommend these free video podcasts more highly). Each week features a new word-as-subject, and one of her favorite podcasts is "Squid." Well, at the gift shop, Mama found a small stuffed-animal squid made by the World Wildlife Federation. Ellie LOVES it!!! She has been named Sally the Squid, and Ellie has not let her go since her purchase. Sally is up there in status with Monkey and Lolo. Ellie carried her all around the rest of the zoo, holding Sally up high so she could see the animals. She also made sure to make quick and proper introductions to Monkey and Lolo, who were in the stroller. Sally loves to dance and twirl her tentacles. Doing the Hokey Pokey with Sally is a very involved business. I hope to catch a picture of them soon, and I will post it when I do.

Happy New Year's to all you revelers out there! We will be celebrating at home, probably happily sacked out on the couch wearing earplugs to drown out the firecrackers that have been going off here since 10 this morning.

Plodding along

Hi there! No new posts from us because there isn't much going on. Things are very slow during the time between Christmas and New Year's, and we are just plodding along through the days. I wanted to post anyway, because I keep checking various other blogs I like and coming up dry. Now, technically those who check on us can't say the same thing...though we know in reality we're giving you nothing new to chew on. Next week should bring some news. We have a few appointments and some big phone calls (waiting for businesses to reopen after the holidays), so keep an eye out for new things on our end. For now, we'll just keep doing our thing and counting the days until New Year is past. Why so? The locals have an affection for small-scale fireworks that they have indulged in for days already. Intermittent loud explosions through the evening and night hours do get a bit old after a while, though it's nothing compared with New Year's Eve itself when we've been warned to tape our doorslot mailbox shut so revelers can't toss small firecrackers into our house to have them explode in our entryway. Excellent.

Prettige Kerstdagen!

Merry Christmas and a joyful new year to you!



From the dipe squad here in Holland, we wish you happy holidays!




Of course, just because it's a holiday doesn't mean there aren't chores to be done...

Heat Wave

The temperature was sunny at a whopping 8 degrees Celsius today, which felt mighty fine after a week of below freezing temps. We took the opportunity to do some playing outdoors, first at the Scheveningen beach this morning, then the Rosarium park this afternoon, and then at the Kijkduin beach this evening, where 140 lighted globes are scattered in the dunes for the months of December and January in an annual "LightArt Kijkduin" display. Because the sunshine was so pretty and the weather made us happy, Jennifer will be forced to share lots of photos now...

Winter Wonderland and other happenings

Today the trees remained beautifully frosted all day, as the sun never quite made it through the clouds/light fog. It was too grey to capture a good photo, but all around we could see a lovely winter wonderland. Every branch, every blade of grass...lightly frosted and purely white. Beautiful.


Of course, Ellie's crazy mama decided we would go to the zoo on a playdate this morning, despite the fact that it was -4 degrees Celsius and snowing intermittently. At least it wasn't crowded! The kiddos had a blast! They don't care that it's cold, and we stayed in the indoor Oceanarium most of the time anyway.
We also had our first appointment with our dentist here this afternoon. We had been seeing the dentist back in New Orleans since we were making such frequent trips, but one has to admit that gets silly when one lives on a different continent. The new dentist here is very nice and sweet with Ellie too. Markus and Jennifer had check-ups and cleanings, and Ellie had her first experience of sitting in the dentist chair, reclining and seeing some of the equipment. The dentist wants to acclimate her slowly, so today she just gave Ellie a handmirror to look at while reclining and showed her the small dentist's mirror she uses to look at teeth. Not surprisingly, Ellie was not in the chair alone. She was in Papa's lap and none too thrilled about the process...but she did enjoy the little mirror and she got to turn off the exam lamp when she was all done. Our dentist even had a little treat box, from which she procured a ring that somehow exactly fits Ellie's finger. What a proud girl she was wearing that!

Christmas cookies

Jennifer has been baking again. As if I needed one more reason to love this time of year...

New Family Photo

Our Christmas cards are out and about in the world's postal systems, and as usual, we like to include a family photo. Unfortunately, we've lost quite a few addresses over the past two years as more friends have moved to far-flung locales, so we thought we'd post the latest picture here for you to see. We took it during our last trip to Ocean Springs on one of the many gorgeous beach days the weather afforded. Can you believe we were in short sleeves and no shoes during the last week of November? We didn't even get that mid-summer in the Netherlands this year!

The House

It's done at last. As of the last day of our Ocean Springs stay, the errrant contractor is gone! He is out of our lives! Now we just have minor things to attend to from a distance, which would be true even of a brand-new house. Setting all nasty commentary aside, the errant contractor did do good work when he worked. The house is beautiful. It has gone from being an eyesore to the crown jewel of the neighborhood. Seeing the house finished was an emotionally overwhelming experience which left Jennifer in tears much of the day. Part of it was the release of two years of stress and aggravation. Most of it was knowing the house now looks better than my dad ever dreamed it could, and he isn't here to see it. While we know he would have been more fired up about the contractor woes than even we were (and we were pretty darn fired up), we also know the house would make him swell with pride...and it makes us feel his absence in a way we hadn't felt as yet.
Thank you to all who have offered and given moral support during this ridiculous process, not least to Mary who has repeatedly housed and fed us and listened to the griping throughout. Without further emotional ado, here it is:







We hope to settle in for a good hiatus from Ocean Springs now, planning to return by fall next year to visit friends only (and not deal with any house issues, inshallah!). In January, the house will be on the market for renters (no good trying to sell in this market, even if we wanted to), so please keep your fingers crossed we get some good ones. Of course, if you have a hankering for small town life with good community and a family-friendly atmosphere where the weather is lovely this time of year, you know who to call. There could be a brand-new, fully inspected and certified four bedroom house on the bayou with an amazingly huge back porch with your name on it.

We're Back!

Back in The Hague.
Markus has a bad cold and we all have severe jetlag ("severe" because Ellie has it and therefore no one sleeps).
Will write more once things normalize!

The Latest Antics

With one more stateside day to go, I thought I'd post some pictorial highlights of the visit.

Is there anything better than a Tatonut doughnut? The answer is yes: a Tatonut DOUGHNUT with CHOCOLATE and SPRINKLES eaten as part of a PICNIC at the PLAYGROUND (words in caps are Ellie's emphasis and must be said with a tone of joyful reverence).


Just in case you were wondering what the start of month seven looks like:


And tonight's entry to the history books: Crazy women crash a Christmas party. The Muses had their annual pre-ride get-together tonight. Most ladies were dressed in smart casual holiday party attire, but nothing so simple for the ladies of the title float. Oh no. We had wigs (white girls in afros, black girls in Farrah), glasses, disco ball earrings, and beware the tie-dye. See if you can spot Jennifer "Where's Waldo" style hiding amongst the 'fros.

Bald Eagle or Ostrich?

Yesterday while I was at the local post office, I had yet another opportunity to marvel at the way people in this country are happy to keep their heads stuck in the sand. My fellow Christmas card fiends out there know that every year the US post office produces a choice of holiday stamp designs. There is a religious Christmas stamp, a generic holiday stamp, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and yesterday I also noted they sell stamps for Eid. While a beautiful stamp (blue background with gold Arabic writing), the Eid stamp leaves me a little puzzled since the timing is off by a couple of months, but hey...it is an important religious holiday so I suppose they threw that in for good measure. Before we go any further, you may be asking yourself, "What is Eid?" It's not a surprising question, and if you're interested, you're already one step ahead of the ostrich crowd that prompted me to write today.

As I waited at the counter, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between the postal worker and the customer next to me. The customer wanted some Christmas stamps and had asked to see the designs. From those, she instantly selected a sheet of the religious Christmas stamps and, much to my initial surprise, a sheet of Eid stamps. She held up the Eid stamps to get a better look and was remarking on how pretty they were, what is it supposed to be, etc. The postal worker was happily joining in with "Aren't those nice 'Ed' stamps? I think they're so beautiful..." The customer started looking even more closely and asked again what the image is supposed to be. Candles? No, Arabic. That was it. She put them down as if they were infectious and said she didn't want them. The postal worker, trying to make good, reassured her loudly and repeatedly that while she didn't exactly know what "Ed" is, the stamps "have nothing to do with those terrorists"...but all was already lost.

Just the night before, Markus and I had been lamenting the absence of education in major world religions. World religions shape not only cultures but also actively shape world events, and a little understanding of the drivers behind these political, cultural and personal interactions could be awfully beneficial. The American media portrays whatever they can sell, and by the time it is edited and filtered down for the public, most "news" is far more opinion than fact. This results in a great deal of misinformation and even solid beliefs based on shaky ground. Not long ago, we had the opportunity to live in a (very tolerant, highly Westernized) Muslim country for several months, and it was an eye-opening experience for which I am very grateful. I suppose this is why I couldn't resist chiming in to the conversation next to me at that point.

I explained that "Eid" (not "Ed") is a major celebration at the end of Ramadan. It is a joyful, thankful, family-oriented celebration in the Muslim faith. While I wasn't sure why the stamps are available now since Eid has long passed for this year, it really is a lovely holiday. The customer was not interested and clearly wasn't listening; she took her two sheets of Christmas stamps and walked away, an ostrich exercising her rights. The postal employee was very intrigued and asked a few questions, since she didn't know what Eid was until then. She told me that they can't get anyone to take the stamps, even though she's sure to tell everyone that they "have nothing to do with those terrorists."
Important point, to be sure.

I don't write this post to advocate the purchase of Eid stamps or Hannukah stamps or any stamps at all. I am not suggesting the customer should have bought Eid stamps instead of her two Christmas sheets just to prove her worldliness; after all, she clearly doesn't celebrate Eid and wouldn't buy any religious stamps other than those that represent her own faith. The problem here is the ostrich factor. The dumbing down of our nation occurs across the board, and I find information on world religions a serious omission in social studies. When it comes to world events and the effects on everyday life for millions of people (more specifically, America's policies affecting global events and people around the world), people in this country don't know, but what's worse is they don't seem to care. Should we really be so content with our heads buried deeply in the sand? Even if that position seems peaceful and secure for the ostrich, keep in mind the image. An awful lot remains exposed that way.

Up Down Baby

One of Ellie's all-time favorite pasttimes is a game she calls "Up Down Baby", which involves Markus tossing her into the air and catching her over and over and over again. I was lucky enough to catch this sunset shot today.


Ellie has been soaking up every second of having Papa on holiday with us, and she is a happy critter all day long. It's obvious someone feels this is a vacation, and that adorable laughter is awfully contagious.

In the time since I originally posted this photo, it has been viewed by hundreds of people all over the world, who enter the blog directly onto this page. Somehow, this photo is circulating the internet. Is it a mass, generic email? What does it say? Please take a moment to leave a comment as to what brought you here. I'm very curious. Thank you!

Mystery Solved

The week we gave the contractor is up, and yesterday we went to the house to meet, preparing to let him go. I let Markus do the talking while I chased Ellie, and the ultimate result of his conversation was that the contractor now has until Monday morning for another evaluation. The contractor had crews hired for Saturday and Sunday, as well as a load of supplies freshly purchased. Our new contractor couldn't start til next week anyway, so Markus gave him more time. He swears he can finish everything completely by Wednesday, which cuts it fine for my liking so we are meeting Monday to evaluate. He has accomplished more in the past four days than he's done in months. It's very odd, though appreciated.
Last night, we learned the truth behind why our contractor is working harder than ever to finish this project. While I'm under orders not to reveal details, let's just say it's good to know people who know the right people in a small town...and having a belly on in a Southern gentleman's world doesn't hurt either. There is still a lot to be done, and we have many little meetings and appointments to attend to before we can go. However, at the risk of jinxing it, this house might actually be completely finished by the time we leave. Stay tuned.

Why We Do This

In case you are wondering why we haven't jumped ship on this house ordeal ages ago (a question we often ask ourselves), know that during the last week of November, we've gone to the beach or playground or both every day...and today we played at the beach in short sleeves. It was a gorgeous, warm and sunny day, and look at the day's beautiful conclusion:



That alone is worth the flight.

Head Scratching

First thing Monday morning, we met with our contractor. We did a walk through, and without really nit-picking, we still came up with four hand-written, letter-size pages of items that needed to be finished. He walked through with us and agreed to all items. It was a very polite and relaxed exchange. Then we sat down to talk, and we told him point-blank that we had no confidence that he would finish the job. Given all the delays, he is owed no further money at this point, and there will be no more coming from us. If he wants to try to finish, he has until Friday morning, at which point we will hire a new contractor. If he wants to walk now, the end result is still the same, since we will pay him nothing more whether he does more work or not. I've never seen him so quiet and pale. He clearly wasn't angry; he was stunned. After months of abusing his position with us, he just didn't see this coming. We weren't angry or rude, but we were united and firm...and he knows he doesn't have a leg to stand on. In his shock, he even signed an agreement I wrote up on the spot setting our terms in writing. Now here's where the head scratching begins: he still wants to keep working. He doesn't think he can finish by Friday morning, but he does think he can finish by Monday. He wants us to meet with him Friday to evaluate his progress and consider allowing him to finish completely, even though he acknowledged he wouldn't be paid either way. This is most puzzling. The best we can come up with is he wants to somehow preserve his reputation and avoid being reported to the state as an unscrupulous contractor (thereby risking loss of his license and insurance). Honestly, we want him to walk so we can get another, more reliable crew in there ASAP, but we'll give him the week. Our back-up, highly recommended contractor (who was not available for over a year after Katrina because he was too in-demand) can't start until next week anyway. Still, it is all very strange. He is working. He even has a crew over there, doing detailed paint touch-ups and who knows what else. There's no sabotage. He really seems to be trying. I don't get it, but there it is. We'll keep you posted.

Once more with feeling

Tomorrow, we head back to Ocean Springs for another two weeks of trying to finish the house. This time, Markus will come along to physically restrain Jennifer from throttling the contractor with her bare hands. Of all the times we've said this will be the last trip, this one really has to be. It's silly how close but how far the house is from being done. If someone would actually do his job, it would be ready to go in a week or less. It's insane. But we have to go back to police the work (or get the police involved, either one). On the upside, it is a treat in itself to have Markus with us for two weeks, so we're trying to focus on that. Ellie will be thrilled. She's such a seasoned traveler at this point that as soon as I started setting out clothes, she said, "Packing. Airplane."
Right-o, kiddo.

Happy Thanksgiving!

While I am most sulky about missing the big meal (not cooking it here until mid-December), I am trying to remember that giving thanks is what it should be all about (though giving thanks over copius amounts of really delicious food helps). We, the members of the dipe squad, have a great deal to be thankful for, and we remember that each and every day. I could write up a big sappy list for ya, but the posting would be awfully long and it's mostly for ourselves anyway. The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year because it makes us all remember to appreciate what we have and what we can share. We hope you will enjoy this day and share it with friends and family you love! And, if you can squeeze it in, have an extra slice of pie for me!

New arrival

Our dear friends Laura, Peter and Cy welcomed a beautiful, healthy baby boy into their family this past Sunday afternoon. We are so happy for them and wish them all the best!

These friends close out the 2007 bumper crop o' babies among those we know. We will kick off the 2008 marathon but will be closely followed by four others we know of within a month or two. Whew! Must be something in the water. Drink it filtered, people!

Not just for babies

These popular infant videos don't limit their appeal to humans...

Sinterklaas

This morning, Sinterklaas arrived in The Netherlands from Spain on his steamboat, the S.S. Madrid. The dipe squad, along with thousands of other families and the Spanish ambassador, was in Scheveningen harbor to greet him. Sinterklaas lives in Spain, but he makes the boat journey to the Netherlands and Belgium with his helper, Swarte Piet, to deliver presents and goodies to all the good little children on his feast day, December 6th (except in Holland, the 5th has evolved as the big present day).




Once he disembarks and greets the crowds of singing children, Sinterklaas parades through town on his white horse and alongside his helpers dressed as Swarte Piet, who are already passing out special cookies and treats.




For the next few weeks, Sinterklaas will ride his white horse over the rooftops, listening in at chimneys to check children's behavior. Children leave their shoes by the fireplace, usually with carrots for his horse. Swarte Piet climbs down the chimney (gets covered in soot, to explain his blackness in a PC way) and leaves presents in the shoes, usually chocolates or marzipan shaped like Sinterklaas or large chocolate initials for the children's names. On December 5th, children receive their big presents from Sinterklaas. Tradition has it that the gift should be wrapped in an ingenious way, and there should be an accompanying poem written specially for the recipient.
In the meantime, Sinterklaas keeps very busy, visiting hospitals, offices, businesses, and even both houses of Parliament. Since we'll be out of the country for most of his special season, we were happy to see him twice today, once in the harbor and once during his ride through town. The children's excitement on both occasions was electric, and it was fun for us to take part in a different cultural holiday tradition.

Process of elimination

Ellie looked outside this morning, turned to me with a very serious expression and said,

"Not raining.
Not dark.
Not windy."

She paused.
Then, her expression brightened into a big grin as she declared, "Sun is out!"

Must be a squeaky mat...

There is a distinct disadvantage to being the only pregnant person in a regular yoga class.
I am a human whoopie cushion.
And everyone knows it's me.

Having a baby in Holland*

*apologies to our Dutch friends for treating this as an odd topic, but it's just different over here and people want to know

Since we've announced our pregnancy, I've heard questions and concerns from many of you about where we plan to have the baby and what the process is like in The Netherlands. From what I gather, most of you are apprehensive about (if not outright opposed to) our having the baby here versus back in the States, so I thought I'd lay it all out in a post for those who are interested in the hows and whys of birthing in Holland.

First off, yes, we plan to have the baby here. Bronovo hospital is a fairly new hospital in The Hague, and if it makes you feel good to know this, the royal family uses it for their births too (in fact, they celebrated the arrival of princess #3 earlier this year). The system here is set up for women with normal, healthy pregnancies (no obvious risks) to see midwives. Only those with obvious medical concerns see gynocologists during their pregnancies, but even then, their doctors are usually not present at deliveries; those deliveries are generally attended by whichever resident is on duty, with a specialized OB on call in case of emergency. Thankfully, I am in the former category. I had a great pregnancy with Ellie, and things are going very well this time around too. That means we see midwives. I use the plural on that, because we don't actually have a particular midwife we see. Bronovo has a midwifery practice right in the hospital, and there are seven midwives on staff. Appointments are set up with the goal of the pregnant woman seeing a different midwife each visit, so you can get to know each face and therefore not greet a total stranger while in labor (since you get whomever is on call that day/night; there's no picking favorites).

At the first visit to the midwife, I was asked if I preferred to have the birth at home or in hospital, and I went with option B. After all, who needs the mess? Since that first visit, I've been seen fairly infrequently (once every 4-6 weeks). The appointments rarely last more than 10 minutes. They take my blood pressure and measure my weight, and the midwife feels my belly and listens to the baby's heartbeat. That's it! We had an ultrasound at 10 weeks to determine due date (Feb 27) and another at 20 weeks to check organs, spine, etc. No more ultrasounds are expected. I had a blood test last week to check for gestational diabetes. No nasty sugary drink beforehand. No peeing in a cup each visit to the midwife to check sugars. The big key to birthing in Holland is their approach: pregnancy is not a medical condition. You are not sick; you are pregnant. This is a normal, healthy process for most women, and they strongly believe in being hands-off. This is actually something I really like, but this is also the scary part for most expats, particularly those who come from the US and are accustomed to birth plans and calling the shots as much as possible. I'm thinking specifically about pain medication, and how we Americans (and many other foreigners) clamour to get our hands on it.

Rumor has it that in the not-too-distant past, the Dutch system barred women from pain relief (specifically epidurals, which are common in the US). We have friends (who are not Dutch) who gave birth in Holland within the past few years, and they report being denied any form of pain medication, even when repeatedly requested during labor. While I personally am all for going with a natural process, I am a fan of knowing there is help if I need it. The idea that they would tell me I couldn't have it just because of a cultural boundary made me a little nervous too...initially. Since then, my fears have been put to rest. At least in The Hague, the expectations have changed. There are so many international people here that the cultural belief in being hands-off and the expat desire for pain assistance have found some common ground. Although the midwives prefer for women to do their best on their own with the labor, pain medication is now available if needed. Other more mild forms of assistance are tried before epidurals, which (though available) transform the birth into a very medical process requiring catheters, IV drips, monitoring, etc. as well as transfer into the hands of a doctor (no longer birthing with a midwife).

Last night, I attended the first-ever in English presentation of "Birthing at Bronovo", for which there was an apparent need given the size of the audience. I swear, I've never lived in such a pregnant place as The Hague. There are bellies everywhere! But I digress...
The presentation was given by a midwife, a doctor, and an obstetrical nurse. They combined efforts to let everyone know what to expect for the birth and labor process, as well as the time after the birth. It was a very useful evening, particularly when (like me) you just like knowing what to expect.

This leads me to another point that has worried some of you: going home soon after the birth. If all goes well, it is common here that mommies and new babies go home within a few hours. "WHAT??!!!" you say. Actually, they have thought this through beautifully. When you have a baby in the US, you are in the hospital for at least 24 hours afterwards, during which time nurses come in and bug you miserable every few hours taking your temperature and blood pressure and generally keeping you from what little sleep your newborn allows. In my case with Ellie, add to that a FREEZING COLD room with no temperature controls, a shared room where papa couldn't stay, and fights with the nursery staff about breastfeeding and no bottles or pacifiers. It was crazy. In Holland, they believe you will recover best at home, so they send a nurse there. This nurse is a "kraamzorg", and she comes to your home (often is there when you arrive from the hospital) to care for the mother and newborn for a few hours every day of the first week. She will often help with household chores as well. Some even take care of grocery shopping and meals! Of course, the level of service is up to you and your insurance company. We're just going for maternal and baby care. The kraamzorg we have works independently of an agency and she works almost exclusively with expats. The upside to this is the fact that she speaks English, knows what people tend to expect, and also knows how to allay fears or concerns following the Dutch system. In addition to the kraamzorg, a midwife will check in on mama's recovery three or four times to make sure all is well.

Just as in the US, there is a follow-up appointment at six weeks to make sure everything is okay. You can always call and ask questions (before or after the birth), and you can come in to see them if there are any big concerns. All in all, the system seems excellent. Perhaps this is why Holland has a stellar health record for moms and babies (higher than the US, I might add). We feel confident about staying here for baby #2, and we'll be sure to let you know how it goes! Of course, you'll have to give us a few more months for that posting.

Thoughts of winter

Today, the temperature is the coldest it has been thus far (around 7 Celsius) with a strong wind (according to weather.com, it "feels like 38 Fahrenheit"). The kicker has been the alternating bright sunshine and heavy downpours of hail. This has been going on for hours, and it's the craziest thing. Literally from one minute to the next, the sky goes from beautiful clear blue to near black and hailing...and back again. When it does come down, the hail comes down so hard that at times half an inch builds up from a single shower in our garden. Then it melts in the sun, and the process is repeated. At least the hail is tiny.
All this cold weather has me thinking wintry thoughts, and I've started addressing our Christmas cards. Those of you who know me well know I am a big believer in cards and non-bill or junk mail by post. I love birthdays. I try to get anniversaries when I know them. And I am a big sender of Christmas cards. However, that's not always easy in these days of email and internet, where most correspondence is done electronically and I lack postal addresses on a number of people. This is your notice! If receiving Christmas cards (and birthday cards and whatnot) gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, be sure I have your address! Unless you're sure I already have it, just send your address to my email (which I'm not going to post here for my own privacy; if this message is meant for you, you should have my email already). Before too long, we'll be sure to send some holiday cheer (and a new family photo!) your way.

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!