Dutch- Om Twee!!! English-Round Two!!!!!

Well, here we are!!! The three of us, together again, in Holland. Olivia and I arrived one day before Matt. After a crazy ordeal at MSP airport (including a search of our plane by the Bloomington K9 unit and a three hour delay!!!) we made our way to Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. We stayed at a nearby hotel, at which Olivia had an elevator experience that has left her terrified of European hotels! The 2am fire alarm at a Euro Disney hotel this spring is partly to blame for her fear...... thats a whole other trip! She and I made our way by bus and train into the city for dinner, pasta of course, and back to the hotel for much needed sleep. The following morning we were up and out to Schiphol, where we met Matt and his colleague, Ad, for the train ride to Eindhoven. It was fun to run into our neighbor, Jose, at the grocery store that same day, made it feel a bit like home.

We have been here two weeks and Olivia has managed to have two play dates and spend one full fun day at her school. She also managed a fairly significant wipe out on her bike. After which we parked our bikes and I carried her home, luckily it wasn't far! Since she's nearly as big as me!!! Her knee took the brunt of the fall and it was enough that Matt and I debated whether or not to take her in for stitches, we didn't and it seems to be healing okay.... but, man she was hurtin'!

We had a drink with neighbors Hettie,Peter, Frank, Jose, Len and Andre (who is the owner of the house we are renting) one night after we arrived. It was good to see them all again, fun for Olivia to see their chocolate lab puppy, Senna!!! Peter will be 50 next week and there will be a party, we will celebrate with them.

Yesterday we went to an old dutch town called Zanse Schanse. There are nine working windmills, typical 1700's dutch homes and shops all set on the canals. It was pretty nice but, Matt and I both agreed that it was not as cool as we thought it would be. It was more "tourist trap" like than we expected. Also, it was kind of right in the middle of a fairly modern industrial area. We are not, however, sorry that we went. It's fun just to explore a bit.

Today Olivia and i are deciding what we will do with the rest of our week. First of all, we need to get a birthday package in the mail for Tony, he'll be 19 on the 10th!!! WOW! Matt leaves for Italy tomorrow thru Friday. We were going to go along, but we have Liza and Peters birthday party this weekend. There will be another opportunity for us to go in a few weeks. Liv and I might got to the Delta region of Holland, near the sea. We could leave in the morning and be there in a couple of hours.... maybe Wednesday.

Signing off for now, this was a pretty big post considering it's the first one since October!!! More soon!

Dutch-Grootmoeder en grootvader English-Grandma and Grandpa

Part two of the previous post is our visit with Sharon and Cal. I have to start out by saying these two are tough!!!! They made the trip and didn't even skip a beat as far as jet lag!!!! When they arrived on Friday we had about enough time for a hug and a sip of Pepsi before I had to leave to pick Olivia up. So, without second thought Grandma jumped on Matt's bike to join me for the 4 mile ride!Which was a great thing because Olivia ran out of the school, threw her bag to me and jumped into grandma's arms!!! It was too sweet! I took a photo but, it was with Sharon's camera. So, the kodak moment will remain a private one! I'll share some other highlights with pictures.....

Olivia and Grandma going through the "goody bag" that Grandma is well known for!!!! This was not just any goody bag though.... It was a suitcase!!! No, seriously A SUITCASE!!!! Pink, too! Olivia definatly wanted to hog G.&G. to herself for the first twenty four hours!!! She felt pretty good about having some of "her" people around!!!!



Walking in the woods near our house. We were trying to recreate a favorite family photo taken eight or nine years ago in northern Minnesota. The difference is the location and the people!!!! Obviously, Holland is different. Olivia is in this one and Jennifer (Matt's Sis) and Tony are not!!!

We made a pot of steamed mussels. Which we have found to be about as close to "Dutch" cuisine as it gets. They turned out well and proved to be a great appetizer. Fun to put the dutch oven in the middle of the table and "dig in!".

A night of Guesstures with the neighbors, Frank and Jose was very silly and fun. Jose and Olivia were a perfect team!!! Grandama took a liking to thaem and they liked the Wilson's too! Enough that they invited them for a goodbye drink at their home on Sunday night. Some authentic Dutch hospitality!!! Perfected with a live music performance by Frank!!!

Grandpa and Olivia making fresh squeezed orange juice from oranges that we bought at the market, yummy!

Olivia warming up with tomato soup and hot cocoa at the watermill cafe, after a very long, cold bike ride to Valkenswaard!!! and then back!!!

Dinner at a Mexican Tapas restaurant in Eindhoven after a full day of shopping.

Olivia with Grandma and Grandpa in Maastricht, where the three of them and Matt spent the day on Saturday after our early return from Paris. The flowers were Olivia's idea to get for me since I had a bum knee and couldn't be with them. She paid for them and carried them around the whole time! Bless her heart, she's still as sweet as pie in July!!!!
The last day of Wilson's visit Sharon and Matt spent shopping and preparing food. Since we weren't sure how long I would be "off my feet" they made sure we were covered in the food department. The other part of our visit was spent in Paris with Anne and Pete. Stay tuned for part three of the Late October Post!!!!! (Maybe done in time to start a mid November!!!!!)

Love to all and God Bless!

Dutch-Maand English-Month

Welcome to Dutch Word of the Month!!!!! Formerly, Dutch Word of the Day however, that proved to be WAAAYYY too much for me! I think a more "do-able" task is Dutch Word of the Week. Sometimes I may not even include a Dutch word!!!!! That being said, do you think I should change my blog name? If I change it to "month", it could be DWOTM- Dutch Words Olivia Teaches Me!!!!!! Okay, so I think the best way to go about this is to just post some photos of this past month with BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS (a term not typically found in my vocabulary!!!) Maybe just a random list of things we've been up to, highlights of our time with Grandma and Grandpa and our trip to Paris to see Anne and Pete. Ready? Set? GO!!!!

This is one of the stops on the"Lichtsroute Eindhoven". They light up a route about 20 kilometers long, that was the route of the American soldiers when they liberated Eindhoven at the end of World War Two.

Olivia's first ice skating lesson. Tuesday afternoons are International lessons, therefore taught in English!!!

The largest market of the week, 500+ booths, is on Saturdays. There is everything from fresh fish to bicycle parts to gourmet olives to socks!!!! You name it! Fruits, vegetables, flowers, fresh baked goods, Holland souveniers, the list goes on....... Sharon and Cal visited the market with us the first Saturday that they were here.

I'd like to introduce you to our neighbors, Frank and Jose, who live across the carport from us. Also, Len, who lives across the street. One Sunday in October we all rode bikes together. They took us to a watermill cafe where you can take a bus to Belgium and canoe back down the canal to the cafe. Although we didn't do the canal trip, we enjoyed biking and having drinks with our new neighbors. We definately plan to canoe this spring. You're welcome to join us!!!!!

Olivia at her second horseback riding lesson...IN THE RAIN!! The children did not mind because when it rains they go into the woods on a trail ride, for shelter, instead of doing riding drills in the arena.(sorry for the poor photo quality, I was desperatly trying to stay under my umbrella!!!)


Olivia and friends at school during a "farewell party" for Mihir, one of her classmates, who is moving home to India. Top to bottom: Olivia, Jillian, Miss Gootnick (U.S.A.), Alma (Sweden), Katja (Finland).
Olivia and her teacher, Sarah Gootnick. This is her first year teaching independently in her own class. She "interned" here at the international school last year. Sarah is from the U.S.


These are REAL!!!!! In Dutch they are called Vliegzwam, English- Fly Agaric. They are called this because originally they were left out in bowls to kill flies. Apparently, the flies would experience a brief period of disorientation!!! Then, MAGICALLY they would fly away..... Aside from the psychadelic fact and fiction, they are very cute and fun to search the forest floor for!

Dutch-goed nieuws English-good news

My mom and I last Christmastime...

My mom can talk!!!!!! As I mentioned a month ago, she was having some tests done because she had not had a voice for three weeks. Now, after eight weeks and MANY tests, specialists and unanswered questions she can speak. This is, amazingly enough, the result of only one "voice therapy" session!!! She was shown how to do some self massage from her jaw down to her collar bone and apparently she was talking after a few minutes! Isn't that wild? I have not spoken to her yet but, am interested to know if it is tension/stress related or what. If that's the case I am surprised she's been able to talk for the last forty years..... You know what I'm sayin?

Thirty years ago.....

Chrissy and I Bigger.

Not so long ago!!!!

THREE LOUD CHEERS FOR VONNIE!!!!!

Check this out!!!

I saw this cool map on Anne's blog so I tried it myself. Can't wait to have Matt do it later. Should we start a poll as to what we think his percentage will be? I'll say 20%.

Dutch-BMW English-BMW

Today is the day we finally get a car of our own!!! We have been driving a rental from ASML since the trip to Amsterdam a while back. Although it's a decent car, it'll be nice to have our own. It's a used BMW, not even sure what year. Matt said they didn't ship this model to the U.S. so, it could even be a fun "souvenier" to bring home!!!! Ha Ha Ha. Olivia's ice skating went well, she was delighted to find out that the entire Tuesday afternoon session is dedicated to students from the RIS (Regional International School). Kind of an oxymoron, isn't it? Regional....International. Anyway, she was concerned that the lesson would be given in Dutch and my assurance was not enough for her. So, when we arrived at the Ice Center, she saw one friend after another and could not believe that they would have "special" lessons, in English, for her and her friends. Too cute!!! However, she did not skate to her full potential as her girly friends are beginners and she did not want to stand out and be seperated into the intermediate group. She'll soon find out that it will be boring to shuffle back and forth across the rink until April while the other children are learning spins and the like. I imagine she'll decide to show 'em what she's got in a week or two. Matt is busy with work and has really slimmed up quick... I guess it's true what thay say about excercise. He starts and ends his day with a 20-25 minute bike ride, even in the rain!!! He's become a true Nederlander. I just had deja vu.... either that or I have already said that in a previous blog. Oh, well that is nothing new. Since we all know that I have a tendency to repeat myself. Just ask Tony! Just ask Tony! Just ask Tony! "Jeez, mom!!! I heard you. You've already said that twelve times!!!" I get it from my Mother. We miss you, Tony!!!:( If any of you see him soon, give him a ton of extra hugs from us!!!!


So, that's all i have for now. Maybe this weekend I'll get to the slideshow. Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow.... remember that old commercial about procrastinating to get a college degree? Tomorrow..........
Over and out!

Dutch-bijen steek English-bee sting

Last week on Dutch word of the day.........
Jennifer said that they loved every minute of their Germany trip except that one. "What could it be?" you ask, Stay tuned for this weeks episode of "As My Face Swells". So, We go to Heiko and Barbara's Saturday morning before our trip to a little harbor town called "Great Seal" (not really how it's spelled, but how it sounds). Heiko says "Wanna see my bees?" (in German) so we go back to the bee boxes. Heiko raises bees and thay make honey to sell. Anyhow, we get back to the bee boxes and Heiko lifts off the top...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!! LOUD AND STEADY BUZZ! Thousands of bees. So Matt says, "Jen, you should get a picture of that." Being the inteligent young lady that I am, I stick my head in there with the camera. Next thing I know, bees in my hair!!!! I do not want to appear foolish so, I simply take the picture and calmly say, "There are bees in my hair." Heiko says, while I am gently running my fingers through my hair, "They're not stinging you are..........." before he could finish his sentence a burning fire torch impaled my head and all hell broke loose!!!!! Jumping, Screaming, thrashing both hands through my hair OWWWWWWIE! Then, as quickly as it started, I calmed down. Somebody pulled the stinger out, Barbara the Medicine Woman ran to the weeds, picked some leaves, crushed them up and insisted that I put them on the sting until we could get back to Mutti's for some cream. Barbara also boiled Stinging Nettles into tea for Olivia to drink three times a day for what we thought might be a bladder infection, she was fine after two cups!!! I was impressed.


We spent a couple of hours in "Great Seal" and then Barbara called a friend who has an old windmill on his property that he and the Windmill association have had restored. He graciously welcomed us and not only let us in, but took us on a tour through it. A tour like you would get during a school field trip!!! It was fun and educational. It's not what you know it's who you know!!! Full day..... bee boxes, harbor town, windmills, pig roast, bonfire, beer tent. Thanks to the Schitthelm's for a lovely time.
The best part about the bee sting story is that my face swelled until I could have successfully landed a part on Planet of the Apes, just in time for our meeting at the town hall on Tuesday. At which, of course, we needed our photos taken for our residence permit!
I'll try the photo slideshow later, gotta run to the market. Olivia starts ice skating lessons after school so I need to get my errands done now. Check back later for some photos of the weekend.
Tot Ziens!!