Easter and Spring Break: Week 5 Social Distancing

Good Friday started our 10 day Spring Break, which turned into our very first "stay cation" of nearly 6 years in Europe. We treated it like we were really on vacation where the kids get pretty unlimited screen time, so Pete and I got lots of breaks and rest, too. The Netherlands has remained open and free during this time, with keeping 1.5 meters from people not with your family being the only legal requirement (or risk a fine, which are freely being given out, children under 12 apparently exempt). Parking lots for beaches and recreational areas were reported to be blocked off on the weekends to prevent overcrowding. The tulip farmers decided to head (chop down) the tulips earlier than usual to try to dissuade people from coming, with concerns about too much car traffic on the smaller roads leading to congestion for the walkers/runners/cyclists- forcing them to get too close together. We had beautiful weather and peak tulip blooms most of the week, so we got out, but as responsibly as possible, visiting midweek, staying on main roads and not coming into close contact with anyone. It is much harder to avoid people staying close to home, just going to local parks, given the crowds.

Easter was a really fun day. The kids loved their egg hunt of course and then we biked into the city to drop a birthday present off at Jude's friend's house. Another friend arrived shortly after to do the same and it was a breath of fresh air to talk face to face (from a distance) with other adults. The kids ended up running around together on the sidewalk and we were more relaxed about it than maybe we should have been. Later, we sat 1.5m from a set of friends in Beatrix Park as the kids splashed around a giant mud pit. Just being honest. Judge if you'd like, but hopefully we can all cut each other a little slack as we try to make the best decisions in these crazy times. The Dutch government has been conducting a study on if/how children transmit the coronavirus and they'll use the results to determine if schools can open (announcement expected tonight!!).

Jude helped Maeve find eggs, counted to make sure they had an even amount and gave her his eggs when they were not even. 

Can't go out to Easter brunch? Cook yourself a feast- cheddar cheese scones, bacon, pancakes, scrambled eggs, banana bread and hash browns! 

She took advantage of us being distracted talking to friends to sneak Easter candy from the bakfiets! 

Mud pitting

An ISA mom friend made and sold these cookie decorating kits. YUM! 

When schools closed, Pete's parents offered to send us some things to help entertain the kids. Oma choose a puppet theater and a puppet making kit, which were excellent choices. We saved the surprise for Spring Break. Jude dove right into the project, designing characters and coming up with a story to perform. He decided he wanted to invite people over to see the show. When I reminded him that people couldn't come over right now, he replied, "I know! We'll put on the show for friends in the garden." Then he wrote and delivered invitations to two neighbors with young kids, inviting them on different days to come see the show. The first showing was the following afternoon! We lost a certain puppeter at the last minute, but were able to rework the plot line without two of the characters ;) 

The reviews were in! 

I posted the project to instagram stories and one of Jude's teachers who is a friend, asked if she could bike down to see it with her son. Jude was so thrilled!! 

Anyone local is invited to come to a viewing!

We got our car back on Wednesday and made straight for the tulip fields! My favorite day. Mostly a drive by this year, but we stopped in one field for our annual family pics (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019). Friends went on Monday and pinned a location off of the main road for family pics. We were worried we wouldn't find any fields still intact, but there were still plenty.

Our Sassafrass near Sassenheim

The heading tractor at work on the pink field

Thursday afternoon we were back at Katwijk, to the Northern section of beach where there was a nice tidal pool for the kids to splash in. I forgot their swimsuits! We saw people go by on horseback and later, two people being pulled in a cart by a pony. Strange times indeed. 

These lovely strandhuisjes (beach houses) were empty. If only we could have rented one for the week! 

The prettiest field off the highway on the drive home

I hung this print about a month before all this and I find myself staring longingly at it daily. 

Love these fringed tulips and especially the mutant white one!