The End of the School Year is Always Crazy!

We leave Saturday for 5+ weeks away and we're trying not to freak out about it. We've been working really hard this past month to organize and square away our lives so that we can enjoy the long vacation without any lingering stress. Throw in lots of end of school events for Jude and Pete, a short visit from friends and the arrival of pal Gia today and things have been busy to say the least! The weather has turned gorgeous and Amsterdam is seeming like heaven on earth. Sunset is around 10pm and it isn't truly dark until well after 11pm. I've taken to biking as much as possible and something about the sunshine in your face, biking along the Amstel river, pumping endorphins... there's nothing like it!

Pete's crowning achievement of the past week- turning our fridge in the shed into a kegerator :) 

At the library. Children's book are great for learning Dutch!

Open day at the local firestation.

Last weekend's highlight was the Hedgehog class picnic in the Amsterdamsebos organized by another parent. Getting to watch Jude interact with his classmates is a real treat and getting to know the parents from around the world is great for us, too. It was a beautiful afternoon after a cloudy morning so we had the Grote kinderbad splash pool all to ourselves. I have felt pretty removed from Jude's class/ISA these past few months as Pete has been handling all of the drops offs and pick-ups, so it has been nice to reconnect at the various events this week.

Follow the leader

In the midst of the craziness, Pete and I were able to schedule a date day using his last personal day of the year on Monday. We had a voucher to do high wine at the Dylan hotel from Christmas. I vowed that when I was done nursing (I am! I think...), we would go! We started the day with a couple's massage, lingered over coffee at a cafe, completed some shopping for our upcoming trips and then the fabulous high wine. You are served 4 wines with food pairings and we enjoyed it in their secluded courtyard. A really lovely day with my guy.

Alone during the day in the city for the very first time.  

 

Maeve's current favorites are standing/cruising, eating and BIRDS. I knew she'd love a visit to the Broersepark- our favorite park by our old apartment with bird aviaries.

She loves to share her food now. Nintje biscuit mama?

She also loves cooking in the kitchen and putting things into bigger things

Two weeks ago, Pete sent me the picture below, which was a full size poster on the walls of ISA promoting the movie Jude's class made. There was a lot of anticipation and excitement for the premier last Wednesday. It was a 27 minute film with 6 chapters with each kid in at least 3. The teachers did an amazing job directing and producing it. It was all green screened so there were these great back drops and the kids in costumes. The best was when you could see the outline of the teacher's arms picking a child up to put them in the correct position. Jude was baby bear in Goldilocks, a monkey in the Animal Boogie, and a sleeping bunny with all the hedgehogs. A lot of effort went into making the premier really special for the kids. There was a red carpet and a teacher interviewed some of the kids. We were served popcorn and ice cream. The kids had a grand entrance on tricycles and scooters. The audience was packed with the heads of the lower school and other teachers in attendance. Jude's class has been paired with buddies from a 2nd grade class and all of the buddies were there. At the end of the show, each of the buddies gave the parents a letter they wrote about our LOs. Jude's buddy went on and on about how cute he was :) What parent doesn't love a letter like that!

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Interview on the red carpet. 

Jude's buddy presenting her letter 

Stardom is exhausting- refueling in the cafeteria

Hedgehog excitement continued with their end of year trip at the Elsenhove Farm the following day. I needed to leave early to take Maeve to montessori class so Pete came with and it was a fun family day.

  

They got white t-shirts with pictures of all of their classmates. And then they were given paint... 

Scavenger hunting

I didn't realize kids formed cliques at such a young age. Jude's crew is just the cutest. 

With all his besties

Thursday night we saw Jude Law in Obsession at the Carre theater. His acting and shirtless bod were phenomenal. Fun to see Jude's namesack in the "flesh." :) The theater is right on the Amstel. The contrast between this scenic location and that of crazy Times Square is remarkable. 

Pete cooked lunch with the Hedgehogs on Friday, the final Friday lunch of the year. It was a celebration with burgers and sweet potato fries. I met them there at the end of the day with Maeve so we could attend the faculty and staff end of year party. Jude and his classmates looked spent from the action packed week. Maybe a little too much fun and excitement all at once for 3 year olds! We had fond memories of last year's staff party in the courtyard, where we brought 3 week old, baby acne covered Maeve in her best party dress :) It was really nice to see so many of Pete's coworkers before the start of the summer.

16 baby burgers :) 

Hellos and Goodbyes

On Friday, our friends Kevin and Jess arrived en route to their belated honeymoon, thus ending our dry spell of hosting friends. A number of delays cut our already too short time together even shorter. But we'll take 18 hours with good friends over nothing any day!

Kevin and Jess are living the life we left behind, raising their son in brownstone Brooklyn, juggling jobs and day care and family visits. We loved hearing about their life in the city and look forward to seeing it first hand when we visit New York next month. After a much needed sleep in from a super long day of travel plus 21 months of being parents, we finally allowed Jude to wake our guests. We had prepped him that they would be there when he got home from school, but in the end he was asleep before they arrived. So he just couldn't contain his excitement. He saw them both the last time we were in NYC, two summers ago so he didn't remember them, but was still so excited that they were here.

Having both been to Amsterdam before, our guests were happy to just hang with us and the kids. We took the tram into the city and wandered de Pijp, stopping for a typical Dutch lunch with beers before it was time to say goodbye. Thankfully it is not goodbye for long. Jude wanted to know when they would be coming back and told us that he wanted them to stay forever and ever. Us, too!

Seeing friends who are living our old life caused Pete and I to reflect a lot yesterday on our decision to move here. There is a lot we miss about Brooklyn, New York, our friends and family, but we are so so happy to be here, living this dream.

Which leads me to our next goodbye. Pete's coworker/boss-man Paul, who got Pete the job that allowed us to realize our dream of living abroad, is moving back to the US with his family. The decision was made this spring and surprised us all. While we don't see each other as much as we'd like with work, life and travels, knowing that someone connected to our past was here was really comforting. It is hard to imagine an Amsterdam without them. Thankfully last night's going away party also was not "goodbye" as we will be overlapping for a few days in Sardinia later this month and staying at the resort that Andrea found. They are now representing the future chapter of our lives where we say goodbye to expat life and repatriate to America- something that we know will be really bittersweet when the time comes.

And in between the goodbyes yesterday, yet another "pre"-goodbye. An Amstelveen British expat friend who has been here for ages also shocked us all with her news of moving to London for her husband's work. We have a few more months left together so we will capitalize on that time- starting with their son, Oliver's 3rd birthday party yesterday. A super sweet Planes themed party at the Robbeburg International Play Group. This Sarah and James are moving near our other Sarah and James friends in London (not to be confused with our other British Sarah and James friends who are staying in Amstelveen!!) so we are sure we'll meet up again after their move.

Our Long Pinksterdagen Weekend

That's a wrap on a super, long Pinksterdag weekend! Sunday was Whit Sunday and today was a national holiday. We probably would have made plans to go away, but Pete had to be here for ISA graduation on Saturday. I'm so glad we stayed as the weekend was jam packed with social engagements and a lot of fun with the kids.

Maeve Montessori-ing 

Really enjoying having a garden with this weather!

We had three birthday parties on tap, which sounded overwhelming, but each was really fun. It started off Friday after school at a birthday party for one of Jude's classmates at the ever fun Monkey Town. Jude had worn his superman outfit all day long at school and kept it on (mask and all) through the whole party! 

My little superman

Speaking of on tap, Pete hosted the guys from Texel for a dude's brew night Friday evening. Jude was really into it, helping out where he could.

Proost!  

Saturday morning was the only bad weather of the weekend. Pete took Jude to soccer so I could nap with Maeve and try to kick my cold to the curb. In the afternoon, when Pete went to graduation, I took the kids to birthday party #2 for one of Jude's former Compananny day care friends turning 4. It was held at the Clara Maria Cheese and Clog farm and a who's who of the international Amstelveen 3-4 year old scene :) Seriously so many kids! Fun to see one of our new neighbors there unexpectedly as well. The kids got to play in the hay barn, feed the cows, pet the 1-day old calf, eat lots of cake, and take a ride on the tractor to a field to play tag

It's all fun and games until your kid falls in a pile of cow dung... 

Pete arrived just in time to rescue me from a not-so-pretty bath scene! And we got to enjoy a night in together for the first time all week after busy social schedules all week.

Sunday morning it was off to Boerderij Meerzicht, the pancake house in the Bos, to meet friends for lunch. Such a gorgeous day for the 20 minute bike ride. Maeve is obsessed with birds and spends most of the time on the bike pointing in the direction of birds and squealing. Love it!

In addition to meeting our friends, we ran into 2 other sets of friends and a fellow ISA teacher. I love the small feeling to Amsterdam.

Yum!

Maeve is loving cruising around with her walker. I can't wait to see her excitement when she learns to walk! And that toddler toddle! Hopefully sometime soon!

A little rest at home and off to the final birthday party of the weekend, pal Coen's 3rd held at a great little park across from his house in the city. We had the place to ourselves and it was completely closed off so we could let the kids loose without worry. They are really into the dress up phase and of course, being boys and turning anything into a potential weapon (our boy at least!).

A nice cold Heineken, good for those teething babes. Should definitely be their next ad campaign. 

Pete's fun continued with a night out with friends while I tucked in with a bad Nicholas Sparks movie :)

And finally, today, the bonus Monday off. The crew from Texel reunited for a trip in Brad and Audra's boat down the Amstel all the way to Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. Some strong head winds made the journey longer than anticipated. And then toddler melt downs all around on the way home from exhaustion, but a good time was had in between! 

Captain Brad extremely patient with his "co-captains"

Yummy lunch at Loetje on the waterfront. With a small early birthday celebration for Audra. 

And finally, a solo trip into the center to meet a former grad school clinical supervisor for a beer at Arendsnest. I will never tire of the canal views of this wonderful city!