Even though we're living in Amsterdam, we're still doing our best to keep up on news from the U.S. ...plane going down in the Hudson river, Obama being inaugurated as President, and of course, the Steelers making it to the Super Bowl. :) Aunt Stacie was quick to share on Monday, the 19th, that her favorite team had made it to the SB. We obviously didn't get to see the game, but Ben put on his new Steelers sweats (Christmas gift from Aunt Stacie) to celebrate the victory - see the 'victory dance' photo. Although, the sweatshirt only lasted a few minutes..."Mommy, sweater off please", he said.
Tuesday, January 20th, was girl's night out at the College Hotel (a 4 star hotel that is actually run by students) to say goodbye to Sara and Jessica. Sara and her family were leaving at the end of the month for another ex-pat experience in Tokyo, and Jessica's family was moving back to the States, New York. Ex-pat life can be fabulous - you really come to rely on each other for shopping tips, playdates, and friendship. But, it is clearly very hard when it comes time to say goodbye to these women - and Sara and Jess will be missed!
Later that week, we had our last class of the session at Little Gym. Party day - lots of streamers, balloons, and pictures. Look at our little daredevil running down the balance beam with soccer ball in hand. I barely got the photo snapped before I had to reach out and grab him from falling off. :) I also thought I would include a photo of his teacher, Annegeen, who I think Ben has developed a little crush on. I think she accidentally knocked him over 3 times that day - he was always right by her side! We are definitely signed up for the next session, which runs January through June, so you haven't seen the last of Ben as a budding and fearless gymnast.
I have to share that Ben and I have started "muffin Fridays". Before our daily trip to the grocery store, we walk around the corner to Bagels & Beans for a latte and a muffin. It feels like a treat for both of us, and I was surprised at how quickly Ben has caught on to our new outing. I asked him, "are you ready to go to the grocery store?", and he says, "muffin!". One minor glitch in this plan though. I love how the Dutch always bring little treats when they bring the bill - gumdrops, candy hearts, etc. Well, I think we are going to have to grocery shop before muffin time from now on, because Ben was holding his red gumdrop on the way to the store, not wanting to eat his last candy. Long story short, he dropped it at least twice on the way to the store, then started to eat it and dropped it out of his mouth. I couldn't find it, so major meltdown (in the store, ugh) ensued. We got home, and as I was taking off his coat, I found the red gumdrop stuck to his shirt. So, he got to finish it, but then another meltdown when he realized that the gumdrop was all gone. Thankfully, and surprisingly, I was able to reassure him that we would have more gumdrops next week. Sheesh! How such a small candy can wreak so much havoc!
Saturday, the 24th, started Greg's 32nd birthday festivities. That morning, we went to the Rijksmuseum. The Rijks main building is currently being restored, so they have "The Masterpieces" all displayed in one wing. It is actually the perfect way to see this museum, especially with a 2 year old. We covered all the highlights, including Rembrandt's De Nachtwacht (The Night Watch). It was sunny as we were leaving the museum, so we let Ben run around a bit. He was also feeling very creative that morning, picking up small rocks and deciding which bench hole to drop them through.
Ben was still snoozing as we left the pancake house, so we tried to walk off at least a few calories. It was a gorgeous, sunny day in the Dam, and so I snapped some photos with my handy new tiny camera as we strolled: Prinsengracht, Noorderkerk (North Church), corner of Prinsengracht and Brouwersgracht, and a couple more on Brouwersgracht. Have we mentioned lately how beautiful we think this city is??
Wednesday the 28th was our last playdate with Sara (Andrew) and Jessica (Emily & Sophia). Lots of gals and babes turned out to give one last hug and wish them well. Good luck ladies, we'll miss you!! (Note, Jessica is holding Emily and baby Asher, not Sophia).
Yesterday (Saturday the 31st), we were excited to continue our Amsterdam exploration. We took the bus to the Scheepvaartmuseum (first photo below), which is a museum devoted to the Netherlands' ties to the sea through commerce, fishing, yachting, exploration, and war. There is also a lot to see regarding the United East India Company. More simply, we read that there were lots of boats and ship models, and we thought Ben would enjoy that. (Interesting note, there is also a receipt for the land that now surrounds Albany, NY.) Well, we get to the museum, and there is a sign above the doorway - gesloten. CLOSED?! Yep, for renovations until 2010. Um, I guess we should have checked the website or called before coming, huh? At this point, it was only about 10:30 a.m., and we had already ventured out into the cold, so we decided to take a short walk to the Amsterdam public library (2nd photo below). They have a fabulous children's floor, and after finding some English books, we hunkered down in their big, cozy chairs and had storytime. It's like we always say...when life hands you a closed museum, go read a book! ;)
OK family and friends, you are now officially caught up in the life of the Zabikows. Hope you enjoyed reading and seeing what we've been up to for the past few months. We begin our 2009 family travels next Saturday - to Rome, Italy. We got a referral for an apartment rental near the Vatican, so we are excited to have a little extra space (versus a hotel room) for Ben to run around, as well as a kitchen to make mealtimes a little cheaper.
Hope you are all staying warm and happy Super Bowl Sunday!! For Aunt Stacie, go Steelers!!
Meanwhile, back on the Amsterdam home front, Ben was wearing his Mommy ragged. Still not back on a normal sleeping pattern, and lots of "terrible 2" activities to keep me busy...throwing his plate of food and cup of milk on the floor, coloring on the table and floor. Ugh. But, we had lots of good times too. We had an afternoon playdate with Kirsten and her son, Ethan. Since both our hubbies were traveling, we stayed for dinner. It was nice to have some adult interaction at mealtime, and it's always nice to be with friends. Also that week, Ben had a GGD appointment (similar to doctor, more of a 'wellness' check-up). He got a meningitis vaccine, as meningitis is more common among 2 year olds here - versus age 11 when the U.S. vaccinates. Just like in the States, what a champ, no tears!! Finally on Wednesday evening, Ben slept the whole night - 9 p.m. until 7 a.m. on Thursday morning. Hurray!! So, it officially took one week to get him back on track, exactly what other moms had told me. Greg got home safely on Thursday evening, and it was so good to have him home (even if only for a few days).
Went to church on Sunday, the 11th, and I helped out in Ben's new class - he moved up to the 2-3 year old English speaking class. It was great to see what he is doing now. Playing, story time and song time (Zacchaeus was a wee little man!), crafts/coloring, snacks. I think Ben really thrives on structure, and the class is much smaller than the younger age group. Greg left later that day for Oslo, Norway for another work trip. We decided not to join him - who wants to go North for a winter vacation? :) 
