June 2012

A typical and favorite lunch of mine

Femke had some event at her school...tho for the life of me I can't remember what it was.

Femke is a climber.

Dutch to the max.

Marlies always would sing "If I Could Turn Back Time". So this time I was singing it and Michiel (spoke no English) would join in on the chorus. It was adorable and fantastic.

May 2012

Oh man Michiel - he and I played in the park for hours. He basically demanded a photo shoot. I have no kidding like 75 photos of him from this day.

An old friend of mine was in Amsterdam for a business trip so he came by to say hi. He didn't speak a word of English but my kids fell in love with him. They had such a good time.

The neighbor kids also loved him. Just shows language isn't a barrier when it comes to kids. It was really fascinating to watch.

Femke and me

April 2012

The AuPair before me and now one of my dear friends. Sara from Sweden.

When the boy eats, we celebrate

Femke

Getting his swim diploma - must show that he can swim with his clothes on

Occasionally would babysit neighbor kids.

Statues on the beach... no idea. This represents how the Dutch eat herring.

No idea.

Hans saving Holland.

March 2012

This was just down the street from the house on Ijburg

  

February 2012

The Ijmeer froze over

Off to school. They were not thrilled.

Canal froze over.

Football field froze over

Skating and walking on the canal in Vlaardingen.

Standing on water like Jesus. In Vlaardingen

He did not want to eat so he slept.

January 2012

As I'm getting ready to go off to the fatherland again, and since my other photos were lost because I don't know what external hardrives are, I'm posting snippets from each month I was there last time in preparation for round 2.

Three of us

 Best orange fans ever

Canal is starting to freeze and so are we

                                       

I call it "Basement, two inches to the left." It's like, "Whoa, where is it?" and man, it's 2 inches to the left. And you'll try to find it, and you'll call me, and I'll say, "Look 2 inches to the left. Tell your friends."

One Headlight

the story behind the song

I've been with less than two headlights before. It all started with the right headlight. That one was only out for a few days. I went straight to AutoZone (best place for buying headlights, especially if you dont know what you're doing), told the guy that I had a car and this was when it was born and this is its race and he knew exactly what it needed. Excellente. He even replaced it for me. I gave him a tip.
Now, my left head light is out. It has been out for 3 weeks. Second events (borns? nawww) never get the prompt attention that they should. Life lesson. I finally went to AutoZone. No such luck as before. I found what I needed but the guy did not offer to help me. I guess the guy I tipped did not spread my good reputation around. He must have hid his tip. He probably wanted to be the only person who helped me. So I have this headlight. It sits on my passenger side. Hey come on try a little, nothing is forever.

*Intermission.
in which something does not go right.
-I go to my station. I ask my buddy how to change my headlight. I shut my car door. He guesses at what I should do. I close the hood. I can't open my car door. My car locked me out. Embarressing. I spent an hour at my station (embarresing), finally found a spare key. Hooray

I then go home to change the headlight. Get a call from the station that i left my headlight there. I go back to the station. I come home.

I tried lots of things. I could have replaced the right headlight. That one was easy. But the left one has the freaking battery right in front of it. Wasn't quite sure how to remove the battery so i left it. I tried other stuff to remove the light and I failed. Embarresing, x2. My fingers hurt. (ps i can never spell embarressing. embarrassing? inappropriate.)

This is me after I tried and failed changing the headlight. I tried for an hour. Notice i have the same expression as normal, only a bit dirtier, and a little more frustrated. This is because it gave me a headache. This car has been war all day. I even filled it up with expensive gas and this is what I get. Ok Herbie. I see how it is. We can drive it home with one headlight.

Maybe if the cops pull me over they'll change it for me since I'm a poor ignorant woman who doesn't know how to do anything to her car but change hubcaps tires and fill up the oil. Oh and I can pump gas too. Yes officer. Please and thank you.

UPDATE:
2 hours later my uncle who is great volunteered to replace it for me. Kind of embarressing because I gues I just didnt try hard enough. But I am now safe. I drove by a cop on my way home from my uncle's house. And I drove past him saying "Ah right. Whatchu got on me now, foo?"

Also. as embarressed as I have been throughout this post you'd think I'd actually spell the word right. Nope. You think wrong.

With two headlights and a peace symbol, I bid you all a goodnight.