Finally Snared...

We almost canceled our final Dutch Treat Family Hash of the summer because of heavy rain around noon, but by 2pm the skies were clear and it was a great day for hashing. Jimmy laid a live trail through the center of Leiden during the Rembrandt Festival. What fun it was to run through the quaint historic streets, along canals, and through a medieval crafts market complete with 17th century beggars and jesters. We had a great turnout with several new kids, including the two below who had the thrill of throwing flour on Jimmy because they caught up with him on trail. We ended the afternoon with down-downs at a small cafe next to a park with great climbing trees.

A Great Farewell Party...

Although the other 125 people at the American Book Center were there to bid farewell to “Harry Potter,” we were also there for a farewell to our friends who are moving to Tokyo. We started the evening with a wonderful sushi dinner, then went to Susan’s for champagne and to get in our costumes. Veronica was very excited about being a Dementor; luckily she’s patient since I still need to read her books #5 and #6 before she'll get to find out Harry's fate in #7 (spoiler alert--the butler did it). We walked to the store at 11:30pm, but had to wait for our books until 1am, which is midnight in England. The girls all managed to stay awake and enjoyed themselves despite the fact that there were very few children there. Apparently most expats are gone for the summer or have too much sense to keep their kids out so late. I still remember laughing at my neighbor Dave for taking Katie years ago to Barnes & Noble for one of the earlier launch parties; little did I know then that I’d be doing the same thing but in another country.

Transfiguring into the World of Harry Potter...

It didn’t take long to decide who Jimmy would be after we prepaid for “Harry Potter #7” and committed to going to the launch party at the American Book Center in Den Haag with friends Susan, Hannah and Tenaya. And what better way to convert his skinny body into the obese Vernon Dursley than with rolls of bubble wrap that Susan’s movers left behind. Although Ashlynn doesn't know who Dursley is because she hasn’t read the books or watched the movies, she was very happy to help fatten her daddy up.

I Miss...

As we get ready to return to the States tomorrow for the first time since November 2005, it’s time to reflect on things we miss (besides the obvious family and friends):

* Air conditioning – while we don’t really need A/C in our home since it’s rarely too hot, a bus or train without A/C on that rare 85° day is not fun

* Air filters – we can’t believe how dusty our house gets; we might not have dust bunnies, but we definitely have dust mice

* Window screens – we don’t have the big mosquito problem that we had in Cary, but it would be nice to keep other flying critters out

* Harriette’s Book Club – I’m enjoying the two book clubs I’ve joined, but they still don’t compare

* Target, Michael’s – I know it’s shallow to miss stores, but I think many expat moms will agree that there’s just no replacement for Target or a large craft store here

* Screened Porch – we miss spending time on our screened porch amongst the trees

* Washer/Dryer – sadly, the Number 1 thing I miss is my high capacity washer and dryer; not sure if you can tell how tiny this thing is since the outside looks normal, but it’s a fraction of the size, takes hours longer to do a load and doesn’t have a lint filter

Our Little Fish…

After all of Veronica’s hard work to get through the three beginner swimming diplomas, she figured it was time for some fun so she signed up to take snorkeling. She’s really enjoyed the crazy mix of drills they do including retrieving items from the bottom of the pool, tying knots along the bottom, clearing her snorkel, and removing /replacing her gear in the water. Not only will all of this will come in mighty helpful when she takes scuba lessons, but she’s having a blast. While Ashlynn was earning her “A” in one part of the pool, Veronica finished her Snorkel-1 Diploma in another.

“A” is for Ashlynn

We knew it would take a lot of persistence, determination and skill for Ashlynn to progress from not knowing how to swim to being able to pass her “A” swimming diploma in just 15 months. However, we didn’t expect it would also take a lot of bravery, but it did after Ashlynn had the misfortune of getting her foot stuck in Jimmy’s spokes while riding side saddle on the back of his bike. While I was afraid I’d toss my cookies when I rode up and found my sweet daughter’s foot trapped in a bike tire and thought for sure her ankle was broken, she didn’t even cry. Once Jimmy got her foot unstuck and was confident that nothing was broken despite the instant bruising, we asked her if she wanted to go home or to the pool to get her “A”. You can see by these photos which she chose. Not only is she a good swimmer, but she’s one brave little girl.

Dutch Food...

Let's be honest -- the Dutch aren't known for their food, especially compared to neighboring Belgium and France, as evidenced by all the Dutch restaurants in your town. Anyways, some of the local specialties include:

* Herring - served raw sprinkled with raw onions (haven't tried this, but do like raw mackerel sandwiches)
* Erwtensoep - split pea soup with ham (Jimmy loves)
* Hutspot - mashed potatoes, onions, carrots and mystery meat (Jimmy likes, but the meat scares me away)
* Mosselspot - mussels steamed in a wine broth with veggies (delicious, can't wait to eat at the beach tonight)
* Uitsmijter - sunny-side up egg and cheese served over toast (yummy)
* Fillet American - raw ground beef (how this is American, I have no idea)
* Stroopwafel - thinly sliced waffles with a caramel syrup (the girls can't resist at the market)
* Pannekoeken - our favorite Dutch food is pancakes, which can be served either sweet or savory (the one above was for Veronica for dessert with apples, ice cream and whipped cream)

Eet smakelijk!