My Newest Challenge...

Although you all probabally enjoy my public transportation stories, I decided to take matters in my own hands and try biking all around town like the Dutch women. I had baby seats installed on the front handle bars and on the back of the bike. It doesn't look that hard- but I haven't quite mastered how to dismount off the bike at a stop. The other day, I had to jump off the side of the bike to stop. I guess I didn't expect my bootie not to fit between the baby seat and my seat. (I'll blame that on the Curtis side of the family!) So, here I am at a busy intersection with two kids on my bike. I have to find a park bench, and stand on it and lower myself onto the bike. It was quite embaressing and a bit unsafe, so I haven't ventured out on the bike since then. I'm waiting for my dad to get here to lower the seat an inch or so. (Since Erik and I can't get it to budge!) Then I'm hoping this will be a better means of transportation than dealing with the crabby bus drivers! I'll keep you posted!

Music

Erik invaded the blog and added two of his own songs this afternoon. Per request of some friends who are SICK of my music! Although, they aren't my favorite songs, the first one goes along with the pics...so I'll leave it for a few days. If you don't enjoy the song much, then just click on a song that you do like on the bottom right of the blog. I know my sister Megan will be listening to Wing Beneath My Wings with tears in her eyes thinking of her FAVORTIE sister in Europe!

Biking and Farm

We had a nice weekend. On Saturday we went biking in the Dunes National Park to Katwijk. Round trip, the bike ride was 16 miles. The whole trail is paved and very nice. It goes right up the coast of the North Sea. We stopped for lunch at a cute little cafe. As for the kids, Curtis is a champ and does great biking! We got him a Mickey Mouse bell for his bike and I swear we listened to him dinging it for about 2 hours.

Johnny on the other hand did well but, whinned most of the way home. He was bored and tired. So, I gave him two sticks to play with. He was satisfied for a little bit. Then, shortly after I gave them to him, I felt something on my back side. Johnny stuck one of the sticks down the back of my pants and yelled, "Oh NO Mama, where'd STICK go?" After he continued doing that, and I told him to knock it off, I had to take the sticks away and throw them onto the trail. Not to worry though, Johnny found another activity. He started hitting my bottom and singing, "Spank Spank Spank, your BOOTY!" Erik was yelling from behind me that it looked like I was getting abused. I definitally got the "Booby Prize" with Johnny on the back of my bike. We really did have a nice time though.

On Sunday, we found a great little farm park for kids. It is near our house and free. You can bring lettuce, carrots, and apples to feed the animals. They also have playground equipment. We had a great time, and I'm SURE we'll be back VERY often! (Don't worry Mom, I SCRUBBED the kids hands with anti-bacterial soap many times before they touched ANYTHING!)

Fun Friday!

These are right outside our front door!

That Crazy American...

Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL day. We spent a good portion of it on the beach and had a great time. I thought I'd bring the boys there for about an hour before their naps. Six hours later, we dragged ourselves back to the apartment. The boys were in bed by 6pm. I'm sure I'm known as that Crazy American...and here are some stories to back it up.

-Right when we get to the beach, Johnny looks at me and says, "Mommy, I POOPED!" Just what I wanted to hear. So, I changed him, wrapped up the diaper really tight, and left it on our blanket and headed for the water. Down at the water, all of a sudden, Curtis starts SCREAMING and pointing to our blanket. Everyone is looking at us, and I think EVERY black crow and seagull from all of Europe was on our blanket. They were ripping a part the messy diaper and it was ALL over our blanket and the beach. Now Curtis starts running towards the birds yelling, "Scat!" I'm disgusted, as I'm sure most people near us are. So, I have to go clean it up. I'm gagging, and yelling at the boys, "Do NOT touch ANYTHING!" Curtis continues scolding the birds whenever he sees them all day long.

- Johnny get's naked on the beach (pictures go with story). First he hates wearing a diaper and keeps taking it off. Then he kicks it off. Finally he walks around strutting his stuff like he is saying, "Enough of THAT!" Curtis said, "Mommy, I want to be naked boy TOO!" Some things just aren't as cute when you are 3 years old.


-Curtis tells me he has to go to the bathroom. So, I take them to these little bathrooms. You have to pay 50 cents for EACH person who goes. This is standard in Europe. They have bathroom attendents who keep the restrooms clean and wiped up. So, we go, put the money in. I have to hold Curtis up to the toilet to go. As he is going, Johnny goes ALL over the floor next to us! I was dying! I'm yelling at him in a whisper to STOP it! I'm holding Curtis and he is going, and I can't get to Johnny soon enough. Now I'm DYING! These stalls are NOT made for 3 people. So, pretty much we just High-Tailed it out of there. We won't be using that restroom again this summer! The attendent was NOT happy with us! I didn't pay for Johnny, is that bad?

- On the way home from the beach, Curtis was running ahead of me. He falls face first into the concrete. He is screaming. Then he turns over, looks down at his knees and sees BLOOD. Then comes the HIGH PITCHED, EAR PIERCING SCREAMING! No lie- we are by all the tourists. I'm dying! Johnny is crying- "Hold You" which means "Hold Me." Curtis- Mr. Drama King, now thinks he broke his leg and can't get up and walk. This is getting LONG and dragged out. I'm starting to lose my patience with Curtis. I'm whispering in his ear in that "MOM" voice, "Get up RIGHT now and quit screaming." It didn't work. So, I have our beach bag on my back, I scoop Curtis up on one side, I scoop Johnny up on the other, as I am holding two buckets and a big shovel. I'm SO mad. I walk forward not looking at anyone, acting like this is NO big deal. Inside I'm dying at how heavy everything is. When we get off the main road and back to the path to our place, I put everyone down and we had a line of crying kids following me home.

At home I turned on the TV, put them in front of it, and fed them dinner there. Then I whisked them off to bed very early and enjoyed a quiet night not having to act like that CRAZY AMERICAN!

Bunk Bed...

Erik and Curtis disappeared to IKEA on Thursday night to return some items we had bought. At 10:00pm when they hadn't returned, I was starting to get a bit worried. IKEA closed at 9pm. At 10:15 they walked in and Curtis came RUNNING in to tell me that Daddy bought him a Bunk Bed! (Just what I needed- something else to add to my list to worry about!) Anyways, Curtis was SO excited. We decided to put both boys in the same room, so we could be closer to them. I was having a hard time hearing one of them on the other side of the house. So, on Saturday,after only 5 hours (It's no TC, but I was pretty impressed). Erik got the bed put together and the boys have been LOVING it ever since. The picture above is Curtis's face when he first saw the bed. I swear Johnny and Curtis lay in the bed half of the day. It's great! Now if I could only get Curtis to stay in bed ALL night long, and not be afraid of the "Coffee Man!" (Do you think I drink a lot of coffee- my kid is afraid of the "Coffee Man!")

Father's Day was fun. Erik is modeling the tie that the boys made for him. Curtis keeps reminding him that it's to wear to WORK. Erik told him he is saving it for the most special occasions. Can't wait for the next family wedding!

Public Transportation

I want to start this entry out by telling everyone this time around in Holland, things are MUCH, MUCH easier than last time! Getting around town is easier, the kids are easier, sleeping is easier, ect! But, it is still much more difficult for me, than in the USA. We have a car, but I'm too afraid to drive until I learn what the street signs mean (Erik who drives claims there are no stop signs- Yeah , RIGHT!) and brush up on my stick shift! So, until then, I'm doing what most of the Dutch do, and I'm biking, or taking public transportation.

Whenever I ride the tram or bus, I ALWAYS have some sort of story! I was going to a playgroup at a friends house and the only way for me to get there was to take the city bus. Curtis thinks this bus is just about the coolest thing EVER. So, the first time we take it, was a nightmare! I am carrying Johnny, holding my folded up stroller over my shoulder, and Curtis is holding my free hand. The bus comes and I go to the back door, and it won't open. When you take the tram, you just push a green button and the door opens for you to get in. So, when the door wouldn't open, I looked for a button. On the side of the bus, there was a small button with something in Dutch written above it. Now I'm in a panicky hurry- because this bus driver was NOT happy with how long we were taking. I turned the button and nothing happend, so I did it again. The bus driver is yelling something in Dutch, so I go to the front of the bus to get on and thank him for helping me. Well, we get on the bus and he is SCREAMING at me in Dutch. Curtis and Johnny go sit down by themselves. I turn to the bus driver and say calmly, "I only speak English". He starts SCREAMING at me...."Did you push the button, Did you push the BUTTON!" I told him that I did. He starts pushing EVERY button on the bus- yelling at me that now the bus won't work! That was an emergency stop button for the bus!

Now, I COMPLETELY forget that I even have any kids at ALL! I'm almost in tears. I feel REALLY stupid and I'm SO mad at the driver. I tell him I've never rode on a bus before. He tells me to "SIT, " like I'm a dog or something. Now I'm really steaming, but what can I do. I can't even whisper about how crabby he is to anyone around me...because I don't speak their language. So, I go to the back of the bus, and thank the little old lady who took over watching my kids for me. Although we didn't speak the same language, I could tell from her eyes that she was a mother, and felt bad for me. After about 7 minutes or so, the bus driver got the bus moving again. He stopped just long enough for us to BARELY get off on our stop. Curtis turns and looks at me and says, "Let's do that again tomorrow!" With a BIG smile on his face! Then Johnny chimes in "YEAH, TOMORROW!"

Tomorrow rolls around and we have another playdate where we need to take the bus. This time, it goes a bit smoother, since I now know you need to go in the door by the driver to get on. After playgroup, we were walking to the bus and I was totally dreading getting the stroller over my shoulder, and getting on the bus with the crabby driver again! When all of a sudden this YELLOW MOBILE comes into view and Curtis says, "I want to ride on that!"

I had heard though the grapevine that there were new, cheap taxi's in town. So, I went up and asked the lady if I could get a ride, and if it was indeed a taxi! She told us she would take us home, and it was pretty reasonable! So, the afternoon ended up great, with no new bus stories to tell...but pictures from a fun taxi ride home! Oh, the adventures you deal with on public transportation and I'm sure this is just the beginning of them!