Tiptoe Through the Tulips

We went to Amsterdam over the Easter break.
We got so very lucky with our timing, as the tulips were in bloom while we were there. There is only a 2 week window that they bloom every year, and no one knows when it will be. It could be anytime March-May, so we were so thankful that we could see them in all their splendor. We took a trip to Keukenhof, the royal flower garden about an hour outside the city. All around Keukenhof are the commercial growers, and the tulips, hyanciths, and daffodils were literally just like a carpet of vibrant color.



Kate is really into making these funny faces for pictures lately.

We took a ride in the canal boats:



We also did a bike tour out into the countryside, which was really fun.
We stopped to learn about windmills, the national symbol of the Netherlands. This particular one is well known because it used to be sketched by Rembrandt.


We also went to a Clog Factory, where they made the clogs. The clogs were traditionally worn because the city is below sea level, and made up of dikes that get very swampy when it rains. The clogs enable one to walk on top of the mud, instead of sinking into it. Now, rubber wellington boots are used instead. However, clogs are still worn by farmers as a means of protecting their foot from an errant foot stomping by the odd cow or horse.







There was also a cheese factory, which we really enjoyed too. They had the cows they use for the milk on site, and both of the kids really liked them. There was this small calf who liked to eat bread right from your hand.







Michael did his usual trick of falling asleep on the bike.



At Keukenhof, they had a small petting zoo that my animal crazy kids loved. There was this little 2 week old lamb:



the Easter Bunny:




and a turkey:


Michael thought the turkey was really funny, until it gobbled. Then he didn't think it was quite so funny.




We also passed this Hilton Hotel.


It is kind of hard to see in the photo, but on the third window down on the left side is some writing.
This is the room that John Lennon & Yoko Ono held their famous "Bed-In" after their marriage to promote world peace. The writing they did is still there, and you too can stay in this room for the low price of 1800 Euros per night!


But Kate's favorite thing about the whole trip? Getting to use her new suitcase.

Hoppy Easter

Rice Krispies are to your pantry what a white button down is to your wardrobe. Every time I make Rice Krispie treats, I think to myself, "Self, you should make these more often. They are so yummy". And I love thinking of new things to do with them.

A few weeks ago, I made mock sushi for a small get together we had, and those were really fun. The kids seemed to really like them.



Today, we made bird nests for Easter. Aren't they cute?




The bird eggs are Cadbury Mini Eggs. They would probably be even more authentic looking if you made them with Cocoa Krispies, but I'm not quite ready to introduce my kids to that deliciousness yet.


We also made these little bunny boxes to put Easter cookies in. You can see that Kate did a very thorough job with her painting. She didn't want to cover up Peter Rabbit on the box, since "he is a bunny too".

Coram's Fields

There are some things that the the US definitely does better than the UK (iced tea, Mexican Food, replenishment at grocery stores), but there are of course some things that the Brits do better than us (looking after the environment, chocolate, putting extra letters in words like 'favourite').

One such thing is Children's Parks/Playgrounds. This is somewhat surprising, given that the climate here is so disagreeable to being outside 10 months of the year (to a cold-natured Texan like myself, anyway). But when the stars align and the weather is right, you will always find the numerous parks busy beyond belief.

The playscapes are much more intricate and involved than ones I have seen at home. I believe there are liability issues at play, as many of the ones here feature tall, open areas that would make an American lawyer's eyes gleam. There are also often adventure items like zip lines, climbing walls, etc.

Last Friday was one of those rare days when it was possible to leave the house without a coat, and so we headed to a favorite park of ours, Coram's Fields. This park is especially wonderful because it is not only close to home, but also is a closed park, which means that adults are not allowed unless they are accompanying children.





They have goats, ducks, sheep & chickens wandering around. They have a paddle pool in the unlikely event that it breaks 80 degrees. They have a sand pit.


They have a tall huge shooter slide. They have open grass for ball games.



They have these cool log see-saw things.

They have a water fountain, that you can splash in if you are wearing your wellies. Kate & Michael were not, so they had to settle for just sitting on the side for a photo.



On Friday, it even had her "favourite friend in the whole world", Luke:


It has sheep statues that you can pose on.

Alone...



...or with Luke, while he smells your hair:

Like, Totally

You know what is like, so totally rad?

Spending a rare beautiful sunny day shopping at Covent Garden amongst approximately 1 million other people, 3 year-old meltdowns, and near-potty explosions for an for an appropriate party outfit.
Spending ample time getting dressed in said outfit and venturing out on a series of public transportation, enduring countless stares and quizzical glances from passerbys on your clothing selection.
Then, finally, at long last you arrive at your destination: a birthday party being held at a club. It is an 80s Theme Party, and when you find the party inside the very crowded club, not ONE other person has dressed up. Not even the birthday boy, who organized the party and selected the "80s Theme". Oh, and did I mention it was my first time meeting many of Danny's coworkers? Totally awesome. I'm sure I made quite the impression.



Clearly, I have been living away from Texas for too long. Despite endless teasing and half a can of hair spray, I failed miserably at Big Hair.

Family Dog

We took Dexter to the park last weekend and I snapped a few photos.

We're trying to acclimate Michael to walking short distances. I am far from comfortable letting him walk on busy streets, as he has no awareness of the street or the cars.
He is also quite enamored with the cars parked on the street, and loves to go up to them, bang on them, and try to rip off the side view mirror. But we'll keep working on it.


Clearly, getting a decent photo of 1 dog and two small children is no easy task .But at least I tried.








Michael is "all done" with the photos. Put the camera away mom.

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday

How the kids entertain themselves while I cook dinner.
Be sure you have your sound on!

You take the good, you take the bad, you take it all...

..and there you have the Facts of Life.
We believe in giving our kids honest, age-appropriate answers about most things, but I did think I had a fw more years before needing to have the old birds & bees discussion.

Our friends the Kains came to visit us for 2 weeks in March. We had a lot of fun hanging out with them, and Kate loved having another little person to boss around. Jill is pregnant, and this fact sparked many interesting conversations with Kate.
Apparently she doesn't remember my being pregnant with Michael, although she does know about the big belly I had from seeing pictures.

Questions that were asked:
- How does the baby eat?
- How does the baby get out?
- Does the baby have a mouth?
- Can the baby hear me if I sing her "Jingle Bells"?
- How does Jill sleep with that big tummy?
- What does the baby eat?
- Does the baby have nipples?
- Where does Jill's food go if the baby is taking up all the room in her tummy?
on hearing TJ (their 15 month old son) crying: "I think that is the baby in Jill's tummy. She is ready to come out".
And of course,
- How did that baby get in there?

Don't worry, we gave her the most simple of answers, and she did not press the issue further. So next time you see her, she won't be spouting off about sperm or anything like that.


We took them to Hampton Court Palace for a day of Tudor fun, and here are some of the photos we took in the gardens.

Kate took this one of all of us:


In front of the Smurf trees:



I was trying to get a pic of the kids together, and this is how they posed themselves. They thought it was hilarious.




I tried to get down to take a picture like that too, but I'm too old. All that gravel really hurt my stomach.