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.