Road Trip Day 1: A pit stop along the Rhine

Months ago, we had in mind a road trip for Pete's Fall break. We wanted to take advantage of our car and see some of the surrounding countries. Then with the move and some potential visitors, we didn't make any plans. After the closing date was moved up, we realized we would be free to travel so we started piecing the trip together. 

Our destination was the Alsace region of France and we wanted to split up journey down to give the kids a break from the drive. Well then I got totally overwhelmed with the task of picking a place roughly halfway. Luckily, our procrastination meant that most good, budget options were booked so it narrowed down our search considerably. I realized that halfway landed up somewhere near the Rhine in Germany and got very excited to see the Rhine in the Fall. We settled on an apartment outside of the town of Oberwesel. We had a very warm welcome from the hosts, a good play in their playground and headed off for dinner to a guesthouse/winery they recommended. The selling point of the restaurant was that they make their own wine and have a cellar where you are welcome to try all of their wines at your leisure! The drive took us through Oberwesel, which seemed as charming as described. I was really excited to explore the following morning. 

We enjoyed some delicious dry Reisling and then sampled responsibly while taking turns playing with the kids in a playroom. We returned home and a huge, full, orange moon was on the horizon. A good omen for the trip!

13 different wines to try! Wish we hadn't been driving!

The apartment had one bedroom with a double bed and a twin bed and a living room with a pull out sofa. Not knowing how to configure ourselves with Maeve still waking multiple times at night, we settled on all sleeping together in the bedroom. Not a good night's sleep for anyone. That is for sure!

We look pretty perky for having gotten so little sleep!

Figuring we'd catch up on sleep some other time, we checked out early and drove down into town so we could spend a few hours there before continuing the drive to France. While the previous day was beautifully sunny and clear, this morning was very foggy which limited our views of the area. 

The Rhine behind the fog below. 

The town was ridiculously cute. We strolled through and then circled back along the river until we reached the town playground. It was cloudy, but still such a nice fall day with leaves changing and crisp air. Castles dotted the hillsides and I was fondly reminded of the Rhine cruise I took the summer I interned in Germany in 2005 where we passed by castle after castle with a finale of fireworks. 

Rhine-side playground. I hope Jude knows how spoiled he is!

Who is having more fun? 

We warmed up in a bakery while stuffing our faces with chocolate, sugar and cinnamon goods! The Germans really know how to do baked goods! Then it was time to hit the road for France!

One Month in our House and Feeling Settled

We left two days ago for our Fall break road trip to Germany, the Alsace region of France and Luxembourg. It is a well deserved vacation! After a busy, busy month we are mostly settled into our new home. Time to relax and enjoy time together without the pressure of "getting stuff done around the house."

Friends and family have remarked how quickly we've settled in. The urgency to get our place set up was threefold. I was not functioning well living out of boxes, not knowing where things were. I got locked out of our house, showed up in the city with no diapers for Maeve and Pete had to wear the same outfit two days in a row when he couldn't find his work clothes! This way of living was driving me crazy so we worked our butts off to get unpacked quickly. We had the wonderful help of Oma and Opa for a limited time and wanted to accomplish as much as we could while they were around. And lastly, we borrowed all sorts of tools from our friendly neighbors and I am feeling badly that we've hung onto them for so long already. A few weeks back, while Maeve was at a settling in day at creche, I set my mind to hang our artwork on the walls. I knew exactly where I wanted things so I figured I could bang it out (literally) very quickly. Well, our cement walls were impermeable to nails and even to our neighbor's drill and try as I might, I was getting no where. Frustrated, I sought the advice of a new neighbor who I figured must have walls like ours. She shared that they used a hammer drill and kindly sent her husband around to let us borrow it! That was the happiest day of the whole move and I felt pretty bad%^$ donning the ear protectors and using the serious power tool.

Our house was more of less move in ready, but we still had plenty of projects to keep us busy this past month. Mostly planned: remove hideous bathroom fixtures, hang curtains, install blinds, run mosquito netting under heater grate to prevent toys from falling through the cracks, spray paint some furniture and decorative items. And unfortunately some unplanned: caulk the siding to prevent more water from leaking through the window frame. While I've felt like Mrs. Fixit lately, I have failed miserably with our lighting fixtures and will likely admit defeat and hire someone to properly hang them all.

I'd love to share some photos with you, but the place is still strewn with tools so it will have to wait until we are back from holiday.

I will tide you over with some very Dutch things about our new place:

The box.

Occupying a corner of the living room

When I moved here with Jude and learned that most Dutch homes with babies have a crib-like furniture piece in the living room to put the baby in called "the box" I was a bit appalled. It seemed really prison-like and confining. So we didn't get one for him. Well I am a convert. Now I see it as a safe place to put Maeve if I need to run upstairs or leave her alone with Jude momentarily. She likes being up high and is very content to play on her own in there.

Our bikes.

They say that there are more bikes in the Netherlands than there are people. Well, we are contributing to that statistic. We now have 5 adult bicycles in our garden. Poor Pete did not have good luck with the first two used bikes that he bought here so he finally bought a new, sturdy Dutch bike to commute with Jude to school. The old two remain. We got another really solid female bike with a basket from one of the furniture pick ups included for free. That is now my "shopping bike." We are getting ridiculous we know.

The stairs.

Our hideous cork stairs are long gone and we love the new carpet, but boy are these stairs steep. Much more so than our last place so we are still getting used to them. I know that they could be much worse though so I won't be complaining!

Dank Je Wel, Oma en Opa!

It is an understatement to say that we would not have made it through this move without the help of Oma and Opa. We are so fortunate to have parents who are willing and able to come and help us when we need it. They earned their nightly whisky and wine with all of the time they spent with the kiddos so that Pete and I could get things done around the house!

Jude continues to be obsessed with Oma and Opa. Mainly Oma, though. No one else will do. So Oma gets the fun jobs (take to gym class, read stories, play) and the not so fun jobs (help on the potty!). On their last visit in May, when it was time for them to go, Jude accepted this and didn't let on any sadness with their leaving (despite being attached to them at the hip while they were here). This time, though, on the morning of their departure, he was very subdued. He wasn't running to them as he usually does. He barely gave a goodbye. But then, as their taxi was pulling away, he broke into tears, sobbing with sadness. It broke Pete and my hearts. We wondered when he would show emotion over saying goodbye to loved ones and the answer is 2 and 1/2 years old.

Jude knows that Oma and Opa will be back for Christmas. Along with Nana, Pops, Santa, Father Christmas and Sinterklaas! A true multicultural (albeit Anglo) child! When we asked him where everyone would sleep in the new house, he proclaimed that Oma would sleep with him in his bed. When asked where Opa would sleep he replied that Opa would do the dishes :) Ok, but where will he sleep? "On the sofa!" Yesterday, while climbing the stairs, Jude tells us "Oma is my favorite. Then mommy. Then Opa. Then daddy." It's good for all of us to know where we stand :)

Pumpkin Patch 2016

On Saturday, we made our annual pilgrimage to the pumpkin patch. When we told Jude what we'd be doing that morning, he insisted on wearing all of his orange King's Day attire to look like a pumpkin :) 

We were 6 and the car only holds 5 so Oma and Opa rode the bikes there and Pete and I rode them home. The pumpkin patch is a straight shot down the Amstel river and was a super scenic 30 minute trip. So nice to enjoy the ride and scenery on a crisp, fall day! 

It is a small spot that we go to, but there are pre-picked pumpkins, gourds and squash and a little cafe which serves coffee and cream tea (!!) in the sweet garden next to the playground. They will be having a halloween event in a few weekends so I have a feeling we'll be back to this fun spot. 

Selfie on the Amstel

Maeve's first outing in the carrier facing out. She drenched it with drool! 

Since he was dressed like a pumpkin, we actually got him to pose for these pictures, joking that he blended right in.

Cream tea and Maeve- a sweet combo!

The ride home with Pete through the polders to our house.

Jude wasted no time in carving his little pumpkin and loved watching it glow with the candle. 

Friday Lunch with the Hedgehogs

Every Friday at Jude's school, a teacher or a parent cooks lunch with and for the children in the Hedgehog classroom. Taking advantage of Oma and Opa's help with Maeve, I signed up for this past week. I have been taking Jude to school every Friday and staying to play so I have got to see him and his friends in action in the kitchen. But it was really special to be the one in charge. Jude spent the whole morning in the kitchen with me while the other kids rotated through. He was so excited! 

We are supposed to cook one of their favorite meals so I went with tacos, a big hit in this household. The idea is also to expose the kids to new flavors since it is such an international mix. I gave the kids the tasks of shredding lettuce, cutting cherry tomatoes, adding the meat to the pan, setting up the rice cooker, mixing and stirring the spices and finally, making guacamole. The range of behaviors and abilities in the group is striking and I left feeling very thankful that Jude is our toddler! The kids were so cute. While they were helping, they would be sneaking food. Stuffing their little mouths with cherry tomatoes and eating lettuce like little rabbits! I loved it. 

Shredding lettuce

A selfie with my little helper. I promise he was really happy to have me there, he just hates having his picture taken!

Note the green face. Little guacamole fiends! 

The teachers make Friday meals special for the kids with fancy table cloth (perhaps not the best choice on taco day...), matching hedgehog plates, bowls and fancy cutlery. They serve them minuscule portions as they know that the kids may not like the new foods. Many kids went back for seconds so it seemed like a hit. And if they finish their food or eat enough, they are offered dessert. We had baked a mini pear pie the night before and it was tasty! Again, it was fun to watch the others kids eat and compare behaviors. 

Eagerly waiting to come in for lunch.

The spread

At school, there is a section of one of the rooms with little cots. I got to help Jude into bed. He stripped to his undies, crawled into the sheet sack, bundled up with his blanket and night night! A busy morning in the kitchen wore him out!

Kroller-Muller Museum Day Trip

This week, while Jude was in school, Oma, Opa, Maeve and I drove out to the Hoge Veluwe National Park to visit the Kroller-Muller Museum. The museum is home to the second largest collection of Van Gogh paintings after the Van Gogh museum. Opa is a big Van Gogh fan and was excited to check it out. The museum is the former private collection of the Kroller-Mullers and is in a beautiful setting in the middle of the national park. Apart from the main building housing the Van Goghs and other works, there are extensive grounds filled with outdoor sculptures. It reminded me a bit of Storm King, without the views of the Hudson River. It was a perfect, crisp fall day. We don't get the dramatic leaf changing colors of the US here, which I miss, but every now and then I catch a spot of color and it makes me really happy. 

Coffee break

Country Road in Provence by Night- love this one!

Georges Seurat

Bridge at Arles- We drove to see this bridge last April in Provence

It was ~1.25 hours each way to the park and Maeve was a dream- playing and then sleeping, barely making a peep. Such a change from our road trip days with Jude. A good omen (I hope!) for our fall break road trip in 10 days!