We are SO Dutch!

Wow, it's August...where has the summer gone? The Zabikows are back into our Amsterdam routine after traveling and having visitors in July, and we've added a few new items to our schedule now that summer is coming to a close here and fall events are picking back up. Let me fill you in on the FUN we've been having these past few weeks...

-Dinner guests. We've had a couple families over for dinner - nothing fancy, just burgers on our little smokey joe. (Actually, a treat for them since neither have grills of their own here.) It's been nice for me to put on my "hostess" hat again, I have missed that. And, we really enjoy the quality time to share a meal together, share some laughs, and just plain get to know each other better.

-Out & about. Greg and I have each had a "night out" with friends. Last Friday was "80's night" for the girls, helping Wendi (the woman with her head on my shoulder) celebrate her 20th high school reunion, since she couldn't join in the fun back in the States. Lots of laughs and girly time (and mojitos)...I am really lucky to have found such great gals to giggle and sing some Guns & Roses classics with. Greg met up with some of their husbands a few nights ago to see the new Batman flick. Not quite as crazy as 80's night, but it was still nice for him to go make a few new friends and to relax at a movie for a few hours.

-Church guests. Our friends, Karen & Larry, joined us for church last weekend. Greg and I were serving in Ben's class so we didn't get to be with them during the service, but we were glad they wanted to come, and look forward to having them join us again when we can chat about the message afterward. Side note, it was really fun and "informational" to serve in Ben's class. It's interesting to see how he interacts with the other children and with us, especially when we are paying attention to other kids. :)

-Mornings runs with Karen. Ben and I are LOVING our morning runs with Karen. It's great to have someone (in addition to Greg) keeping me accountable to get out of bed and go get some exercise. And, the best part is the coffee break and chat afterwards. ;) We meet at 7:30 a.m. to run, and the other morning during coffee when we checked the time, it was 10 a.m.! Time flies when you're spending time with a good friend.

-Poffertjes in Laren. Ben and I traveled with 5 other Moms & Tots to a little town called Laren for the "best poffertjes in North Holland". Wow, they don't lie, because these little pancakes were amazing!! Melt in your mouth good - the secret ingredient is beer to make the batter rise, but it could also be the glob of butter and powdered sugar that they are topped with. I must have gained 5 pounds in just 30 minutes! (Good thing I've got those morning runs, huh?) It was pouring rain when we got there, hence Ben looking like a drowned rat since he has started boycotting his stroller cover. (He's not even 2, and Mama has already stopped fighting some battles...if you want to be soaking wet, then go right ahead!) It had stopped raining after pancakes, and Laren also has a little deer preserve where the deer come right up to the fence and eat out of your hand. Ben loved getting his hand "kissed" by the hungry deer!

-Gymnastics and swimming. Ben started his gymnastics class last Thursday at the Little Gym. It is a bit of a haul for us to get there, but he LOVES it! He is now a master at log rolling and hanging on the bar. (Watch for him at the 2024 Olympic Games!) A couple of his friends from Moms & Tots are also in the class, so it is so fun to watch all of them running around together. And, I love that we are making new friends too! Ben and I are also signed up for a parent/child swim class that starts next week (look out Michael Phelps!), and there is a playgroup that meets around the corner from our home starting in September on Tuesday afternoons that we plan to drop in on. I'm really looking forward to making some more Dutch connections near our home. And, of course, American Women's Club also starts back up in September, so we'll get to see all of our Moms & Tots friends real soon every Monday morning.

-Bike shopping. Last, but certainly not least, Greg and I are officially Dutch - we have purchased bikes!! With Greg being a triathlete and very comfortable on a bike, I don't think it will take him very long before he is getting all around Amsterdam. I, on the other hand, have not ridden a bike for at least 15 years and am a bit rusty, to say the least! So, I've got a bit of practicing to do before being allowed (yes, ALLOWED is the right word to use in this case) to tote around our precious son in the back. (No fear grandparents, he will be wearing a helmet, I PROMISE!!) We purchased some good quality used bikes, not too expensive. Getting to Know Amsterdam tidbit - a bike lock will cost around $90. You want to spend that much to get a good quality lock, as bikes are stolen very easily without one. And, this is also the reason to get a used bike - new ones are more likely to be stolen. Greg found a bike with pedal brakes, and I got one with hand brakes...I guess I figure that my "oh sheesh I need to stop before I run into that person" reaction will hit my hands faster than it will reach my feet?! :) Really, we are excited to have a new mode of transport that we believe will open up a whole new world of Amsterdam to us - and it should make us quite a bit more efficient in getting places. (Don't get me wrong, we still absolutely LOVE the public transport system here...so clean, cheap, and easy to get around!)

Well, hope that sums up our last few fun-filled weeks, and you can see that we are feeling quite immersed into our new culture - can you believe that we've been here over 4 months now? We are traveling on Tuesday morning, via plane, to Hamburg Germany. Greg will have work meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, but we will have the rest of the time to explore together as a family before coming back on Saturday morning. We'd love your prayers for safe travels, and I'll be sure to update the blog with our travel adventures - and probably photos of us eating hamburgers in Hamburg. :)

Doei!