"Home" for the Holidays

Howdy strangers! I've been long gone from the blogging world...a trip back to the States, a trip back to Amsterdam, jet lag, husband work travel (aka wife single parenthood), and getting out and enjoying Amsterdam will do that to you. Let's get caught up on December...January to follow at a later date.

As you can tell from the title, we went "home" for Christmas. I have "home" in quotes because we consider Amsterdam to be our home now, that is where our stuff is and where our daily lives happen. But, there is a part of our hearts still in IL, and so we were thrilled to be coming to our "home away from home" for 3 weeks to celebrate Christmas with family and friends. Here's the play-by-play of our whirlwind adventure.

Monday, December 8th: Ben woke bright and early (4:30 a.m.) and was whiny and cranky while we rushed to get ready and finish packing by the time our cab arrived at 8 a.m. By 7:45, we were tempted to just leave him in Amsterdam. :) This was not a good start to what would be a very long day. But, God heard our desperate prayers for travel help, and the rest of the day was great! (Side note, as we left the house at 8 a.m., the skies were still completely dark. The sun doesn't show it's face these winter days until around 9 a.m. or after. Makes it super-duper hard to get up - unless you're Ben, apparently.) Our flight took off on time at 11 a.m., and Ben fell asleep in his car seat around noon - about 2 minutes before lunch was served. So, Mommy got to have a nice, quiet lunch and watch a movie before getting a very short nap. Ben slept for about 3 hours (those keeping score at home, 4 hours down, 5+ to go!). The flight attendants were awesome, very helpful in bringing him milk, crackers, bananas, etc. We played, colored, sang songs, read books - everything in our bag of tricks had been used by the end of the flight. But, he did amazing...he was pleasant, content, and as quiet as a 2 year old can be nearly the whole rest of the way. And, sat in his car seat almost the whole time...simply unbelievable!

We were all ready to get off the plane at this point (8:30 p.m. Amsterdam time, 1:30 p.m. IL time). As we landed, we could see snow on the ground - yep, definitely back in the Midwest. Greg's parents met us at O'Hare - and they were met with lots of clapping and smiling from Ben. They drove us to Streamwood, it was good to be home. Nick and Megan (and dog Zoe) are living in our home right now, and Ben loved having all the extra playmates, especially Zoe! We relaxed, unpacked a little, and just enjoyed being together. Had Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza for dinner (of course!) and put Ben to bed around 6 p.m. (1 a.m. Amsterdam time). What a trooper!! Greg and I weren't far behind, we collapsed at 7.

Tuesday, December 9th: Ah, and now it begins...the work of getting a 2 year old's body clock re-adjusted by 7 hours. He slept from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m., wide awake until 5 a.m., then slept until 7. Not too bad, I guess. Greg went to work, and Ben and I ventured to Woodfield mall for some new shoes, a visit with Santa, and a bit of Christmas shopping. I have to admit I was a little nervous getting behind the wheel of a car - it's been 8 months! We got the shoes, smiles and high-fives for Santa, and success with getting a few gifts. That night...more snow!

Wednesday, December 10th: Greg to work, while Ben and I spent LOADS of $$ at Target, how I've missed that store!! Dad, my sister Stacie, and her boyfriend Shane came to visit that morning. Went for pancakes at Richard Walker's, yummy! Ben wasn't too sure about Aunt Stacie at first, but they were good friends by the end of the day. Left that night for Greg's parents in Rockford - Greg had a doctor appointment for his knee on Thursday morning. We got to see our kitty, Peanut! She looks thinner - probably all the chasing and being chased by the other animals. :) On the drive to Rockford, I commented to Greg that everything felt very familiar. It did not feel as if we had been gone for 8 months. In fact, our life in Amsterdam felt like years ago. Funny how quickly we get immersed into old ways - makes sense I guess, 8 years in Chicago vs. 8 months in Amsterdam.

Thursday, December 11th: Greg's doctor appointment went well. He had an MRI, results to come. Mom Z, Ben, and I went to the mall to say hi to her work friends and to see Santa again. More smiles and high-fives, whew! Dad Z joined us for lunch. Greg took Ben home for a nap, while Mom Z and I got to spend some 'girl time' shopping. Had an added adventure of Greg locking the keys in the car once he got to their home (thankfully, Ben was out of the car already). So, we now have an extra key to the Lancer. :) Had dinner together, then we drove back to Streamwood.

Friday, December 12th: Greg to work, got his knee results. No surgery (hurray!), just therapy, so we needed to work in a couple more trips to Rockford for that. Ben and I went grocery shopping. Funny to notice all the changes - the store has been rearranged a bit, odd to put Ben in a shopping cart, odd to find everything on my shopping list, and odd to spend more than $20 at a time. (I can't really spend more than that in Amsterdam because then I wouldn't be able to carry it all home while pushing a stroller.) That afternoon, Ben and I joined Nick and Zoe for a game of catch in the park. It was freezing, but lots of fun. (Notice that I couldn't get a photo of Ben and Zoe at the same time...neither would stand still long enough.) :) Ben still isn't napping or sleeping well, which means we are all very tired!

Saturday, December 13th: Picture day! Had Ben's 2 year photos and some family shots taken. They turned out really well (even with the slight windburn on Ben's cheeks from our romp in the snow on Friday, oops!). Enjoyed dinner and gifts that night with Betsy and Marc. She made yummy risotto and chocolate chip cookies. So good spending time together!!

Sunday, December 14th: Went to Willow that morning for church. Ben did ok in Promiseland, and he nearly burst when we picked him up...rattling off all the things he did/learned while we were away..."toys, ate goldfish, pulled hair, Jesus, born, manger". That afternoon, we were so blessed to share time and a meal with our small group friends. It was great catching up on everyone's family, and we LOVED getting to meet the newest member of the group, Claire! She is the beautiful Chinese girl that you see with Jeff and Helena, and apparently she is going to be quite the rock star!!

Monday, December 15th: Doctor day. Dentist appointments in the a.m., eye doctor appointments in the p.m. Also, we stopped by Babies R Us to pick up a new stroller for Ben. We love the one we have, it's small and folds up great for travels on public transportation. But, the wheels were designed for Illinois suburban shopping malls, not uneven Amsterdam city sidewalks. We were fairly certain that the one we had would not last another 10 months, so we got a replacement.

Tuesday, December 16th: Greg went to work, and Ben and I went to visit with friends Robin, Drew, and Leah. Robin and I used to work together at Experian, but we're both stay-at-home mommies now. Cannot believe how big the kiddos have gotten, and once Drew got comfortable, he was quite the chatterbox! Robin has recently become hooked on stroopwafels (apparently you can find them at Costco for the holidays). Good thing we brought some from the motherland to share. :)

Wednesday, December 17th: Greg at home today, Ben's doctor appointment. He weighs 28.4 pounds, is 36 inches tall, and is one tough little boy! Got 2 shots, and didn't cry at all!! That deserved pancakes!! Uncle Jon came to visit that night, and I left all the Zabikow boys for Caribou coffee night with my small group gals. We closed the place down...how I miss our long chats!!

Thursday, December 18th: We were intending to leave for Towanda to spend Christmas with my family on Friday morning. Given the ice storm that was prepared to hit central Illinois Thursday night, we made a last minute change of plans to leave Thursday afternoon. We got packed as quickly as we could, and Ben and I were off to visit Experian friends. It was great seeing everyone, and Susan was sweet to buy pizza for lunch. We hated having to cut our time short, but we had to rush home to pick up Greg and load the car, then we were off to Rockford for knee therapy appointment. After therapy, we got on our way for Towanda around 3:30 p.m. We made it to Dad and Sherry's around 6 p.m., and the ice came at 8:30 p.m. It was a long day of traveling, but good thing we changed our plans!

Friday, December 19th: We were supposed to meet with Amy, Lily, Clara, Debbie, Wes, and Lauren this morning, but that was not going to happen with all the ice! We made plans to see each other over the next few days, so it was better to stay safe. The ice was thick, but beautiful. There were lots of tree limbs down from the weight of it. By early afternoon, the roads weren't too bad, so Greg and I made it out for a little shopping. We all had Tobin's Pizza for dinner with Aunt Stacie and Shane, then a visit to cousin Eric, Di, Megan, and AJ for dessert. Exchanged gifts, and Ben loved chasing the cat under the tree (see photo of his bottom sticking out from the Christmas tree) and playing peek-a-boo with AJ.

Saturday, December 20th: Shipley Christmas Day! Debbie, Stacy, and the kids came by in the morning for a quick visit. (Bummed I didn't get a photo!) We hadn't seen Lauren since she was only 2 months old...now she is almost 1!! Stacie and Shane arrived around noon, Ben fell asleep at 1 p.m., so we ate without him. It's always so weird (yet nice) to eat on my own - without helping put food on utensils or making sure milk doesn't spill. Ben woke around 4 p.m., finally! Poor Aunt Stacie was ready to dig into the presents (remind me again, who is 2 and who is 32?)! We had a great time sharing gifts and time together. As you can see, Stacie is a huge Steelers fan, and Shane is a huge Cowboys fan. So, Ben ended up with really cute sweats for both teams! Mommy likes the Bears, and Daddy likes 'anyone playing the Bears', so Ben is going to be one confused little football fan. Ben wasn't too interested in opening gifts, until he got to a Thomas the Train DVD. He really enjoyed relaxing later that evening on the couch, pointing out Thomas to Shane. :)

Sunday, December 21st: Went to church with Dad and Sherry, enjoyed a yummy brunch, a quick visit to some neighbors, and then we packed up and left for Pontiac to visit the Armstrongs. We made it just in time to meet baby Clara (7 months old) before her nap time (but I wasn't quick enough to get a full family photo). Lily was fantastic at sharing all her toys with Ben while we visited. We made it home to Streamwood that evening and were exhausted! A very busy 4 days, but well worth all the time spent with family and friends.

Monday, December 22nd: Work day for Greg, while Ben and I stuck close to home. That evening, we went to Joe and April's for dinner and were very excited to meet their twin girls (5 months)...Gabby (with April) and Olivia (with Joe). Just adorable!! Eric and Christine joined us as well, so it was a great night of catching up with old friends.

Tuesday, December 23rd: Greg made it to Rockford and back for a therapy appointment, while Ben and I braved the snow to shop for one last gift...that's right, more snow! We got all packed up that afternoon for our Zabikow family Christmas in Rockford, but decided that given all the snow (and it was still falling by late afternoon), it would be safer to travel in the morning. We went to Willow that night for Christmas Eve service, and Ben added to his baby Jesus story with "stable, Mary, Joseph". Probably a crazy idea given the weather, but we went for pancakes after church. It took us 3 attempts to get into the parking lot - after sliding, etc. - but we made it and clearly Ben was glad we did!

Wednesday, December 24th: Headed to "GreeMa and PeePa's" today for Christmas with Greg's family. It was a great day of just relaxing, making cookies, and being together. Peanut had found a spot under the tree where she liked to sit, and it turned out to be a good hiding place from Ben terrorizing her.

Thursday, December 25th: Christmas Day!! Gifts preceeded breakfast, so notice Ben playing with his new dump truck and munching on a sugar cookie...who wouldn't love Christmas? :) GreeMa and PeePa had set up a train around the Christmas tree downstairs, which we had found yesterday. So, Ben wasn't too interested in opening gifts upstairs...the first thing he said as he woke up this morning was "choo choo". Lots of wonderful and thoughtful gifts from everyone. Ben will be looking quite stylish now with all his new clothes. Greg got me (or rather, us) a smaller camera, hurray! I always say "I wish I had my camera" when we are out and about, but don't carry it with me all the time because it doesn't fit in my purse with all the diapers, wipes, toys, books, snacks, etc. Well, this new camera does, so you can look forward to many more random photos hopefully!! We spent the rest of the day eating, playing, and relaxing. I had to share the photo of Jon teaching Greg to play Guitar Hero. It was pretty fun to watch, and don't worry...I don't think Greg missed any calling as a musician (sorry babe).

Friday, December 26th: Shopping! Got some good deals, and then packed up and headed home. It was really foggy that night as we traveled. Poor Greg has driven in some pretty terrible weather since we've been here - snow, hard rain, gusty wind, ice, fog. Crazy! We miss our Midwestern family, not our Midwestern weather.

Saturday, December 27th: A little more shopping, and then we started our huge task of trying to pack all that we have accumulated into our suitcases for Amsterdam. Yikes! Went to church that night...Ben now knows "shepherds, wisemen, myrrh". :)

Sunday, December 28th: Greg and Ben had a playdate with Nate and his kiddos at McDonald's playland while Mommy got some girl time with Betsy. More pancakes for everyone!! That afternoon, more packing. Nick and Megan had given us a wonderful gift of dinner and babysitting, so we took them up on that offer. Ate at Big Bowl and then walked to the theater nearby to see "Marley & Me". Very cute movie...even Greg "I'm not a dog lover" Zabikow liked it. :)

Monday, December 29th: Speaking of dogs, I can't end this blog without sharing some photos of the new best buds - Ben and Zoe. At the end of most days, both of them were exhausted from chasing each other all day long. Zoe was really great with Ben, very gentle, even when Ben developed a fascination for trying to hold her paws. Zoe had it pretty good too...lots of snack sharing by Ben. Snack and meal times became me having to say "this bite is for Ben, this bite is for Zoe". Otherwise, all bites seemed to go to Zoe. Monday was spent packing, and dinner with Dad and Sherry later that night. It was sad and hard saying goodbye again. I felt thankful that Ben didn't quite understand that this goodbye meant not seeing them for another 7 months...otherwise I think it would have been even harder. Thank goodness for Skype!

Tuesday, December 30th: Departure Day. Cleaning the house, packing suitcases. Then weighing the suitcases and re-packing suitcases...could only have 50 lbs. in each. Thank goodness for that extra suitcase we borrowed from Dad and Sherry!! Mom and Dad Z came to help and drive us to the airport around 3 pm for our 6 pm flight. GreeMa tried to dance her blues away with Ben before we left and made sure to get in lots of snuggles in the car. More sad goodbyes, but Mom Z is already planning a trip to visit us again in June!! Can't wait!

Wednesday, December 31st: Another successful flight with Ben! Took off at 6 p.m. Tuesday night, had dinner, and he was asleep by 9:30 p.m. None of us slept very soundly, but we at least slept on/off the rest of the way to Amsterdam. Arrived at 9 a.m. Amsterdam time (2 a.m. central), one of our bags made it to Frankfurt, Germany instead. We can't really complain...with all the traveling we've done and all the bags we had on this trip, we were bound to lose one eventually, right?

We had a fabulous time being in the States, and we wouldn't have changed spending the holiday with family and friends for anything else in the world. As you can see, we had a very busy 3 weeks, so although it was sad to leave, it was very good to get home, stop living out of suitcases, and get settled back into our normal routine. And now...here we go again with re-setting body clocks!!