Sneak Peek at the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam...

When I found out that a member of the AWC was the Director of Operations at the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam, I contacted her about the possibility of planning a private tour for the club. While it took just 9 months to build in 1656 (it was a marine warehouse at that time), the building had been closed for a remodel for over 4 years (just by coincidence, we had visited the museum on its final open weekend in January 2007). Much to my surprise, Lara arranged for a sneak peek of the museum two weeks before its official opening in early October. Several of the exhibits were still off-limits, but it was clear that this was a much improved museum. I was especially impressed with the new roof, consisting of 1,200 pieces of glass, which is strong enough to walk on; robots are used to clean the glass with 3 men holding the hoses. Afterwards, a few of us went to the antique district for lunch and some window shopping. I then dashed back to meet Ashlynn at school as she returned from a 2-night school trip to an adventure camp in Holland.

Last of Our Summer Fun...

During our first few weeks back in town, we attempted twice to host an outdoor movie after Jimmy borrowed a projector. As this photo shows, our first try failed as it started to pour just as dinner was ready and we had to cram six adults and ten kids in our tiny house and show the movie on the wall. Luckily, the weather cooperated on our 2nd attempt and we had a big crowd on our lawn.

One Sunday afternoon, Andrew came to hang out with the girls while David was at football. Ashlynn decided that it would be fun to make pizza. Of course, the kids needed help to clean up the royal mess, but they did manage to do all the cooking themselves.

John and Sally weren’t able to join us, but dropped David off after football so he could enjoy some pizza, too. It’s cool that the girls like to entertain.

Placing Our First Geocache...

Although our family had only gone geocaching (a hide and seek game using a GPS to find containers called geocaches) a few times over the years, Jimmy thought it would be fun to hide a geocache near our yard. Around 8 p.m. on a rainy evening in early September, Jimmy and the girls uploaded information about a geocache they placed in the woody bit between our house and the apartment parking lot. They had dug a hole to hide an ice cream container, which held a notepad and pen (for geocachers to record their find) along with a few small trinkets for trading. Much to their surprise, about an hour later six men (one opted not to be photographed) arrived in the rain to search for the cache. Apparently these die-hard cachers got a text message as soon as the cache went live and rushed over separately in an effort to be the first. The girls got out of bed to greet them.

A Big Day of Firsts...

September 5 was a big day of firsts for all of us girls: Ashlynn started middle school (with blue sweatshirts), Veronica started high school (with black sweatshirts) and I was freed from having to do the school run. Ironically, despite being three years apart in school, their home rooms are side-by-side. Luckily for Ashlynn, Veronica is actually excited about having her little sister at her school. She’s also excited about having a lot of her favorite teachers for the two years of GCSEs. And Ashlynn’s excited to have two good friends in her class and starting cooking classes. Needless to say, I’m excited about not having to have my schedule rotate around school pick-up, but I will miss those great conversations while cycling with Ashlynn.

First Race of the School Year...

The day before school started, Ashlynn ran her first race of the season along with David and Andrew at the Voorschoten Vlietloop 5K. She was a bit out of practice and suffered from the heat, but still managed to run a pace of 8:03 minutes/mile. David won the under 17s, while Andrew’s times keep improving with each race. Jimmy hadn’t actually planned on racing, but a friend had an extra run number, so he joined in with a 6:43 pace. Veronica had a lot of fun shooting video, which she made into this great movie. Afterwards, we had a relaxing lunch at a restaurant in Voorschoten next to a farm.

One Wild Ride...

We were completely shocked when we found out that we got to ride in the above crane (we were with the driver in the white box, which had a clear acrylic floor). This crane is used in conjunction with lifting containers from/onto trains. After our awesome ride, the bus dropped us back downtown. We walked along the river to see some of the other World Port Day exhibits including touring this giant sand dredger, which was used to expand the beach in Scheveningen. So impressive!

Tour of Euromax...

We got up early to head to Rotterdam as I’d registered us for a tour of a container terminal as part of World Port Days. Ashlynn, who brought along her friend Masha, and Veronica were skeptical, but even they admitted it was really cool to see in action one of the most sophisticated, fully-automated container terminals in the world. We got to witness the whole process from the container being removed from the big rig truck (which is currently done with human assistance) to the loading of the deep sea vessels by automated cranes. It was definitely worth waking up early for. 

Braceface...

A few days after we returned from California, it was time for Veronica to get her bottom braces. Poor thing had a difficult time eating for the next few days as the braces changed her bite. Luckily the orthodontist is near her school so it’s convenient for her to go to her regular appointments without me. I know it’ll be a few years before the big unveiling, but can’t wait to see the results.

Scrapbooking Buddies and Sticker Junkies...

It meant a lot to me that Darlene was able to go on this getaway with me. I’ve really missed her since she moved back to California in December 2009. During the four years that Darlene lived in Holland, we spent a lot of time scrapbooking together, so it was fitting that we were able to visit the Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory together. There was a mix-up about our tour time and we ended up with a private tour. We weren’t allowed to take photos of the factory itself, but here you see us holding a roll of the first sticker that Mrs. Grossman designed in 1981. Sadly, I haven’t worked on any of my scrapbooks since Darlene moved, but still couldn’t resist buying some stickers. Afterwards, we wandered around Petaluma and had some lunch before heading back to my parents’.

A Touch of Tuscany in California with Darlene...

I was thrilled to be able to spend some extra time with Darlene. I took the train up to Martinez. She picked me up and we headed up to the wine country. Her husband Mike was sweet enough to give us an award certificate for a free night at a Holiday Inn just a little south of Napa. We dropped off our luggage and explored St. Helena and Calistoga. Along the way, we stopped at this cool castle, the Castello di Amorosa, where we did a chocolate and wine tasting.

Turning 14 in California...

As crazy as this sounds, after visiting Massachusetts, we flew back to California to spend another week at my parent’s (Jimmy was already back at work in Holland). We arrived just in time to celebrate Veronica’s birthday with my family at a Chinese restaurant. Sadly, we forgot to include Ashlynn or my brother-in-laws in the photos. As usual, the girls spent much of the week in the pool. I went to a few movies with my parents without the girls. Then the three of us went to a slumber party at Leigh and Mike’s.

I Could Have Stayed Longer...

The younger girls didn’t always include Veronica in their plans, 13-year-old Chris stuck to himself and I was busy chatting with Lisa, but Veronica managed to entertain herself.  She enjoyed swimming out to the swim platform despite the chilly temp of the water; occasionally Ashlynn would join her. She convinced me and Lisa to go with her once; I made it, but had help from a boogie board since I didn't have fins. Our time at the beach came to an end much too quickly, but we needed to head into Providence on that last night to check into a hotel because we had such an early flight in the morning. It was Joe’s birthday, so we all went for a nice dinner in the Federal Hill area (known for its good restaurants and its mobsters). After dinner, we did a quick walk around and the girls enjoyed dancing to a swing band in a plaza. We might have arrived nearly strangers, but left good friends.

A Sweet Friendship...

Ashlynn and Ally might be six years apart in age, but they formed a very sweet friendship when they met in Bonaire. Ashlynn seemed to thrive in the role of the big kid and was very excited about visiting Ally. They started their beach adventure with some crabbing. First, they dug out some mussels as bait, which they tied on strings and dangled among the rocks. Then they collected the crabs in a bucket so they could show us their catch before throwing them back.

Much of our day and a half in Mattapoisett was spent at Crescent Beach, which was very laid back and relaxing. In addition to crabbing, the girls swam, took walks and went shelling. After a sushi dinner, we went back to the beach to watch the beautiful sunset and to set off some fireworks.

Off to the Beach...

Joe and Lisa both had to work in the morning, so I had the task of driving the four kids to the beach in Mattapoisett. Luckily it had stopped raining and the path back to the freeway took us through some lovely countryside. Their charming cottage was just a block from the beach in a area with no thru traffic; they said the terrain in this area is quite similar to Cape Cod without the craziness that comes with the influx of tourists. They’ve only owned the house for a short time and are in the process of updating it; the new oven and indoor shower had both arrived but weren’t hooked up yet. Of course, no one complained that we had to eat out or use the outdoor shower, which was fantastic. Shortly after we arrived, Lisa joined us and we headed down to the beach, which was really beautiful.

A Detour to Massachusetts...

Planning this summer’s itinerary was complicated already, but then I had the crazy idea of taking a detour to Massachusetts to visit some folks that we met in April while scuba diving in Bonaire. It was a risk for both families because we really didn’t know each other well, but it was a risk worth taking as we had a great time. The original plan was to head straight to Joe and Lisa’s cottage at the beach, but due to torrential rains, they decided it would be better to spend the first night in their home in Rehoboth. It was a really special treat to have a dinner cooked in the Italian pizza oven that Joe built (he even studied masonry for the task). We started with tomatoes and courgettes, then shrimp cooked in cast iron pans, followed by a variety of pizzas. What a great way to cook!

Brunch at Weaver Street...

Another home leave tradition is going to Weaver Street Market in Carrboro for their jazz brunch. Unfortunately, due to some early morning rain, the band was cancelled, but we still enjoyed the delicious food. I didn’t manage to get to a hash while in town, so was extra happy that a few hash friends (Carolyn H., Jim and Suzanne with little Celia) were able to join us.

We were thrilled that Erika, Rachel and Ben joined us in Carrboro for the first time. There might not have been a band to dance to, but at least the folks were there with their giant hula hoops.

Dinner with the Ladies...

It’s now a tradition to go for sushi with the ladies when I’m in town. Of course, the group varies depending upon everyone’s schedules (unfortunately, both Theresa and Carolyn S. were out of town), but typically there’s several Harriettes (Carolyn H., Jeannette, Anna and Carolyn V.) and some of my scrapbooking buddies (Karen and Debby). This year was a small group, but it was a lot of fun as it was much easier to chat with everyone. Kristine wasn’t able to join us, but luckily was able to meet me for lunch at Neomonde, one of my favorite places.