The Other "Dam"

A few weeks ago, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Greg attended a finance conference here in Amsterdam. He was a presenter and a panelist, and it went really well. He really enjoyed meeting some new people at the conference that he plans to stay in touch with. The conference also hosted an evening event at the House of Bols in Amsterdam on Tuesday night. House of Bols calls itself "a cocktail and genever experience", revolving around the history of Lucas Bols distillery, taste/smell/feel experiments, and bartending fun. What a neat way to treat conference attendees!

Near our apartment is a swing that Ben and I visit at least once a week. About 3 weeks ago, on the way home from swinging, Ben tripped over a bicycle wheel and fell to the ground. Edward (a Thomas train) was in one hand, and a snack in the other - so he had no hands left to break his fall. He ended up with a very bloody lip, poor guy. All healed by now, so we made another visit. No injuries this time (thank God), just lots of giggles!

Last Saturday, March 21st, we traveled by train (1 hour) to Rotterdam. The weather forecast was dry and sunny, and it stayed that way all day! We arrived around 10 a.m. and headed for the Euromast. The Euromast is a tower that was built in 1960 and is now 185 meters tall (was only 100 meters tall in the 60's, but additional height added in 1970). We only went to the 100 meter (328 feet) mark, but the views were incredible. We saw the Erasmus bridge, the harbor, and the 'skyscraper' city of Rotterdam. Such a different look and feel than Amsterdam. My guys were pretty brave - Greg had to work himself up for a peek over the edge, but Ben gladly stuck his little head out for a look.

It was now 11 a.m., and Greg's co-worker, Pauline, was meeting us at the base of the Euromast. Pauline lives in Rotterdam and had offered to be our "tour guide" for the day. Fabulous!! We took the tram to Delfshaven (Delft Harbor), a pretty corner of the city that the German bombs of WW2 missed. It was very 'Amsterdam-like' with the canalhouses and canalboats.

At the end of the canal was a working windmill that still produces flour. Pauline and I climbed the steep stairs to see the flour pouring into sacks. Another set of stairs up, we saw the grinder. I can appreciate that this was probably amazing technology back in the day - it was pretty cool. Then, another set of stairs up, we walked out into the sunshine and stood on the platform. Even though it was much lower to the ground, it felt much scarier than the Euromast. The floorboards were widely spaced, the railing very open, and huge windmill blades spinning around. Yikes! But I got a nice picture of the canal that we were walking along.

From Delfshaven, we rode the tram back into the city center - and this is where we really appreciated having Pauline with us. She walked us by a very bizarre statue - Santa, leprechaun...you decide. We stopped into her favorite bakery, Specker, for some fabulous apple pastries and traditional Easter marzipan/walnut treats. Then to her favorite ice cream place, Capri. Ben was thrilled with this part of the tour!

We walked by the town hall and then through the Beurstraverse shopping mall - better known as the 'Koopgoot' (Buying/Shopping Gutter) because it is below street level. Pauline mentioned they had some flooding problems when it first opened - whoops! Then past a really beautiful church (didn't catch the name), through the Blaak open-air market (one of the largest in the Netherlands), to see the library (structure with yellow piping) and the "Pencil House" next to it.

By now, we were getting hungry for lunch, so we walked toward the Oude Haven (Old Harbor). On the way, we passed by the Kubuswoningen (cube houses), built in 1982. Much of Rotterdam was bombed during WW2, so the city is full of modern, unique architecture - not all of it as crazy as this. Pauline told us that years ago, she almost bought one of these! My only Rotterdam regret is that we ran out of time to explore the inside - I just can't figure out how one would live in a house set at such a funky angle. We walked along the Old Harbor and found a place to have pannekoeken, yummy!

After our late lunch, we hurried to catch the 3:30 p.m. Spido boat tour (last one of the day) around the main harbor to see the action. The boats were beautiful, and we had a great view of the Erasmus Bridge (nicknamed The Swan), which was completed in 1996. The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and was the busiest in the world from 1962 through 2004. We sailed along the Nieuwe Maas (river), looking at all the containers, cranes, docks, etc. Really impressive!

All good things must come to an end. We had a great day, and we loved that Pauline was willing to spend the whole day with us. We enjoyed Rotterdam; there is much more to see than what we could in just 7 hours, so we hope we did it justice. We have heard some sayings about Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and The Hague (where the government is located)...

**The self-image of Rotterdam is that of a no-nonsense workers' city. In that sense, there is a healthy competition with Amsterdam, which is often viewed as the cultural capital of the Netherlands. There is a saying: "Amsterdam to party, Den Haag (The Hague) to live, Rotterdam to work". Another one, more popular by Rotterdammers, is "Money is earned in Rotterdam, divided in The Hague, and spent in Amsterdam".**

To finish out the weekend, we enjoyed a 'make-up' birthday party for sweet Kaia on Sunday. As the guests were arriving, we noticed that of the children in attendance, Kaia was the only girl. Not a bad way for a gal to ring in her 2nd birthday...surrounded by handsome boys. :) Kaia and Ryan were the cutest 'ring around the rosie' partners I have ever seen, and she and Ben enjoyed being loud with the party kazoos.

The P's Have It!

Over the past few weeks, there have been lots of 'P'activities to keep us busy - pink markers, party fun, playing at the park, and pizza with the Podulkas...

Recently, Ben has discovered a new treat - markers! His favorite color is still pink, as you can see by the marker that is held securely in his hand (so as not to be used by Mommy or anyone else!). Hands, shirt, and face all ended up a bit messy that day, so now we color with his shirt off - and I enjoy wiping off the 'bodyart' when we are done.

Sunday, March 8th was a birthday party for Ben's friends who are turning 2 - Kaia and Madison. Sadly, Kaia was sick for her own party! But, we still had a lot of fun celebrating with Maddie at the Little Gym. What a fun place to have a party! The kids loved getting to run off some energy in the gym before enjoying snacks and cake together.

The morning of Saturday, March 14th was bright and sunny - finally! I told Greg that my mood was becoming seriously affected by all the gray. I know that we get a lot of snow and cold in Chicago, but at least the sun shines every now and then. Not so much here, so we definitely had to get out and take advantage of the sun. We made our way to Vondelpark for some play time - and of course, it turned cold and gray once we arrived. Oh well, we still had a great time running around the park, dribbling the soccer ball, playing in the sand, and blowing bubbles.

The next day, we tried something new - no stroller on the way to and from church. We end up folding it up once we get on the bus anyways, and Ben usually walks to the busstop on his own after church, so we thought - let's just give it a try. Worked out great, and our load felt very light from being stroller-free. Ben is learning to hold hands, which is hard because his only speeds are 'go' and 'fast'. Here are a few pictures as we wait for the bus - I always love how quiet the city is on Sunday mornings!

That evening, we had our friends, the Podulkas, over for dinner. They are moving to Aarhus, Denmark at the end of the month, and we wanted to be able to spend time together and say goodbye. Ben and Ryan played really well together, and they were cracking each other up over a game of peek-a-boo. Kristen was one of the first women to reach out to me and 'take me in' at our first Moms & Tots, and I am so grateful for her friendship. Joe and Greg have gotten to know each other pretty well too, enjoying Ajax games and guys nights out. We will miss them tons but are already planning a summer trip to Aarhus!

When the Cat's Away...

Greg traveled to London again for work from February 23rd thru February 26th. I know he loves his work, getting to use his knowledge and skills on a new project. But, I think he loves exploring the city even more. He couldn't wait to tell me all the things he had planned for his trip - to do in the evenings after work. Here is how my hubby spent his London nights...

1. Jack the Ripper tour. Greg said the tour was very informative, and surprisingly "entertaining" given the topic of the tour (for all those who may be unaware, Jack the Ripper was a serial killer in London in the late 1800's). The guides have the same style as the Tower of London "beefeaters", so there is a lot of humor woven into their history lesson. Greg also said that he wouldn't have gone to any of these spots by himself at night...pretty creepy.

2. Tuesday night was his "flight" on the London Eye. A huge deal for someone who is not so sure about heights. At the highest point, Greg was flying almost 443 feet in the air! Amazing views of the city though, so well worth conquering some fear for a 30 minute trip (that's how long it takes for the Eye to fully rotate one time).

3. I think I can expose this secret...Greg has become a fan of musicals. And, what better place to see one than in London! On Wednesday night, Greg saw "Chicago", playing at the Cambridge Theatre. He really liked it. Poor guy only had a few to choose from...he is "restricted" from seeing Phantom or Les Mis until I can be with him. :) And, check out this awesome night photo of the Tower Bridge...definitely frame-worthy!

4. On Thursday morning, before his flight in the afternoon, Greg visited the Sherlock Holmes Museum at the famous 221b Baker Street. He saw the well-known first floor study, still furnished as if in Victorian times.

Alas, all that hard "work" must come to an end, and he arrived home safe and sound that afternoon. (For those who may have heard of the Turkish Airlines plane crash at Schipol, his flight was about 24 hours later...so we were both relieved when he landed safely.)

But - while the Cat was away, the Mice got to play too. Ben and I kept pretty busy that week with fun and friends!

1. On Monday, we met friends at the Amsterdam Library. Sounds like a nice, quiet morning of reading to our children, right? Wrong! After lots of hugs and playtime with the polar bear, the kids found a "tunnel" for running. Yep, running in a library...this place is great! We did get a few quiet moments too, like up in the "tree house" where I tried desperately to snap a photo of Ryan, Kaia, and Ben looking at the camera at the same time. I included one of the trial shots...believe me, there were many, many more besides this one!

2. Tuesday and Wednesday activities come without photos. I hosted a playdate at our home on Tuesday morning. Ben loved having his friends over to play, and he did really well with sharing his toys. Wednesday afternoon was swimming, our little guy is a fish! His new thing that day was laying down on his back in the kiddie pool, his whole head immersed except his eyes, nose, and mouth. He'd close his eyes and lay still for a few seconds, then pop up and start giggling like crazy. Glad he loves the water, maybe he'll take after his swimmer Dad!

3. Thursday morning was "spring break" from Little Gym, so we met our LG friends at the zoo instead. The monkeys were a big hit, and so were the penguins. The boys had a great time running around, playing with the dinosaurs, and petting the sheep and goats.

Lastly, here are a few photos and stories of what our little man has been up to lately:

1. "Watching" music. Most other kids know how to listen to music, but not Ben. We do have a small clock radio where we listen sometimes, but he prefers to hear all his favorite songs (mainly his Justin Roberts CD, thanks Betsy!) on the computer or DVD player, because that is how we are able to play CD's here. So, he gets himself comfy in the desk chair or stands in front of the TV to "watch" some tunes!

2. Snack time friends. It is nearly impossible these days to get Ben to the table for any meal or snack. There is just too many other exciting things to do other than eat. So, I admit to letting "friends" join us - hey, whatever works, right? I thought Ben sharing his pretzels with piggy and sheep the other day was pretty cute. Ben shared some kisses too. Even funnier, Greg told me this morning that it looks like Neville (one of the Thomas the Train friends) has pasta sauce on his nose. Ben may not be eating too much these days, but at least his toys will all be well nourished!

3. Potty time! The first photo is from early February...Ben was exploring his potty, but maybe not quite right. Now, just a month later, we are having actual 'sit on the potty' time (how funny is the face he's making?). He was "successful" for the first time on March 4th - after 836 days of changing diapers. But who's counting, right? We just hope it doesn't take another 836 days to potty train!