Playing with gnomes

We made a return trip to the Kabouterbos (the gnome woods) on Sunday, with our Kampen family, the Cooke's.  Perhaps you will recall my post about our first trip, which we took in early October.  The Kabouterbos is 15 km away, which living in the flat lands of the Netherlands, is not terribly difficult on bike.  However, add in the weight of two children up against steady wind gusts, and it is a pretty decent workout.  We packed a lunch and hit the road, with some very delighted kiddos (the trip was spontaneous, so when news broke that we were going on this adventure, I'm sure the squeals leaked though our concrete walls to all of our neighbors' delight!).  We had a great afternoon!

We sat down to eat lunch at a picnic table in the parking lot.  Maddie said, "This is great; it's kind of like we're having a picnic!"  Smart kid, that one! :)

Owen left his gloves at home, so he sported his daddy's.  

Oh, the love relationship between a child and a ball pit.  Indescribable.  

And the love relationship between a boy, his stick and puddles?  Even more indescribable (not to mention how wearing rubber boots seems to make no difference whatsoever in his ability to keep his entire bottom half dry...).

Blissfully happy.

Geoffrey could hardly stay standing with both girls jumping - he thought it was great fun; so did they!

Maddie has always been very good at climbing and balancing on various equipment, even in clunky rubber boots.

The weather was perfect for February!  

There she goes again.

Peek-a-boo!

Our littlest gnome.

Swinging on the giant rope became a family affair.

The biggest highlight of the day, and continuing throughout this week...Brant's bike has officially turned into a "Papafiets!"  On Maddie's request, he placed her on the back of his bike (where there is no seat), and she proceeded to balance and ride the 35 minute ride back to Kampen by just holding onto the bar beneath his seat, with one hand.  She would occasionally switch hands, while the other would just rest in her lap, and her feet rest in his saddle bags.  This is very common with a lot of kids around here, but Maddie has never shown an interest.  Geoffrey and I were equally happy with this new discovery, as he was bumped to a bigger seat for the ride home, and I had a lighter haul.  Brant was also happy to be sharing the load.  Win-win for all of us!!

No, really. My kid speaks Dutch.

Here is the video I posted on Facebook earlier today, with Maddie showing off some of her Dutch skills. :)

No language barriers allowed!

Every single day, I am reminded that I am living in a foreign country.  The biggest reminder of all is hearing the Dutch language being spoken at the park, outside my window, at the market, on the television, by fellow bikers, by the salesperson at the front door, or by the people surrounding me at Maddie's school, to name a few.  I have adjusted, but that hasn't taken away from the fact that I am still different and there is still a large barrier between me and most every other person in Kampen.

My daughter seems to be the exception to this rule.  

I'm pretty convinced that Maddie does not feel different in Kampen anymore.  There was a time, particularly the first few weeks we were here, where she made it apparently clear that she was feeling out of place.  Not long after our second month here, she was declaring with extra exuberance, "I'm a Dutch girl!"  It has been nothing short of astonishing to watch her transition, adapt and fully embrace her life in this culture.  

We have been fortunate to have several play dates occur over the past few months, whether at a friend's house or our own.  Last Friday, Maddie had a friend who asked to come over to play with her after school.  The two girls share a particular fondness toward one another, although they do not share the same language.  Maddie's friend does not know any English words, which one might assume could cause a bit of a hiccup in the play date's success.  This was definitely not the case!  

I picked the two girls up from school, both of who were adorned with big grins and ready to play.  Maddie blew us out of the water with her ability to translate simple words and phrases with her friend.  No, really, we were stunned.  The two girls were not engaging in highly imaginative play, but they were simply engaging, no matter if their words were few.  Maddie would turn to her friend and ask her simple questions or comments in Dutch, and would get a response in return.  It was an incredible thing to witness.  We were told to expect this to happen, but I think it has still caught us both off guard.  (Geoffrey is trying hard to keep-up with his big sister...when he hears her speaking in Dutch, he pipes up, and with a perfect Dutch accent declares, "Acht!"  That means, "eight." :)  That's the main word he has mastered.).

Maddie and her friend, showing off the projects they brought home from school - they have been doing a restaurant unit, that has been a lot of fun!  

Smiles, giggles and play are all so universal - no common language is necessary.

Maddie came up with the idea to teach her friend Yoga.  Check out their downward dogs!

Maddie was taking it very seriously, and her friend was just giggling and happily going along with whatever Maddie was instructing.  Sounds about right. :)

I think it was a success!

Our family is having such an unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime season over here.  I know Geoffrey will not have a memory of any of this, but I hope that some things will stick in Maddie's memory forever.  She has truly taken advantage (without even realizing it), and is embracing this experience to the fullest.  There are no barriers that are standing in her way, particularly the most obvious one, and we are so very proud of her.  Goed zo, Maddie Mae!

Caught on camera

It has been 4 weeks since our last big adventure, which is one reason it has been a bit quiet on the blog.  I sort of needed to take a break after several large posts in a row.  At the same time, after so many big adventures, remembering to take pictures during the day to day has somewhat taken a backseat, leaving me with little to really write about.  

That being said, I did not completely neglect to record some of the things we have been up to these days...  

Just a typical look at what it's like to go to the grocery store without a car.  My trusty side-kick joins me on this adventure every 2-3 days.  

It wasn't particularly warm, but that didn't stop an impromptu play picnic in the backyard.

I took on a tie-dye project with some girlfriends just for fun.

Play-date dress up fun with a friend from school.

We haven't had snow in Kampen, so we created our own snow-scene on the window (great sensory project for kids - contact paper attached to the window using painter's tape, and cotton balls and q-tips create the snow!).

Maddie went to a friend's house for a play date, and had her first experience with mascara...

The sign of a faithful younger brother - he will play whatever his big sister wants him to play, because he idolizes her.

I absolutely adore this picture for so many reasons! :)

We fed some ducks, and very bold geese.

"Cheeeeeese!"

Taking a walk and playing sticks with friends.

Not camera shy at all.  Must be my kid!

Valentine's Day is not really celebrated in the Netherlands.  We had some friends over to play that afternoon and decided to bring a little Valentine fun to the day.

Cookie decorating!  

It was a big hit.

Most importantly, a yummy hit!

Paris Getaway: part 3

Sunday was our second, and final day to use our museum passes, which meant we had another big agenda.  We packed the day full again, but it was certainly nothing quite as filled as Saturday had been.  After a yummy breakfast of baguette, cheese and fruit (we didn't make the same mistake two days in a row - we nourished ourselves this time!), we took the metro over to the Notre Dame Cathedral.

This Gothic cathedral was just as incredible and beautiful as I was expecting.  I am also a fan of the Disney movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, most specifically because of the gorgeous soundtrack.  Throughout our entire visit of the cathedral, I was quietly singing the music and picturing scenes from the movie.  It sort of made it a richer experience for me (I mean, I for one love having a "soundtrack" running in my head for just about any activity I am experiencing!).

Kind of too bad there was a giant tree blocking some of the view.  I bet it was beautiful all lit up!

The official center point of Paris, located on the square in front of the cathedral. 

We waited in line for about 40 minutes (which is nothing when you don't have kids with you), to be able to climb to the very top.  That was one of my favorite experiences from our trip.  To be among the gargoyles, staring at their unique and funny features, while at the same time looking out over this city from one of the oldest vantage points, was quite extraordinary. 

The famous, "Spitting Gargoyle," looking down upon the square below. 

A view of the spire, from the first level we climbed to.  It was hard to take your eyes off of the incredible architecture.

I guess this is kind of the same picture, just including us. :)

Some more of our gargoyle friends...

Each one is so incredibly unique and different, and quite honestly, some were ugly.  But that's what made them so cool!

We made the final climb up one of the towers, to the very top of the cathedral.   Amazing.

Looking across the way to the top of the other tower.  I wasn't kidding when I said that we climbed to the very top.

Sacre Couer would become our destination later on.

So many things to look at, between architecture, landscape, colors...

I'm glad it wasn't raining, but it would have been pretty cool to see rain coming out of his mouth.

The flying buttresses; view from above.

The nave and spire, from a pretty impressive vantage point.

We didn't know it at the time when this picture was taken, but we ended up eating lunch at the corner cafe located on the very bottom, center of this picture.  I could have looked out over the streets of Paris for hours.  I was enchanted by seeing so many clay chimneys and rooftops, and thinking about how many different people live and work and play in this city.   

We made the descent down from the tower, and headed into the mighty cathedral.  Being Sunday morning, there was a service taking place.  It was an odd sensation to be walking around inside the cathedral, with hundreds of people, taking pictures, watching a sermon take place, all the while remembering that I was at the Notre Dame in Paris.  Amazing.

It's just such a beautiful place.

And it can really make a person feel quite small, on so many levels.

We walked outside, across the main square to the Archeological Crypt of Paris.  The crypts were created in 1965 to protect a range of historical ruins, discovered during construction work and spanning from the earliest settlement in Paris to the modern day.  It was pretty fascinating to walk through and imagine life during that time.  The crypts contain a large exhibit combining detailed models of the architecture of different periods, and how they can be viewed within the ruins.  I only have one picture, but it shows that we were there!

After the crypts, it was time to find some lunch.  As I mentioned above, we ventured to a little corner cafe, perfectly situated across from the cathedral. 

Another glorious view.

This is taken from the window table we scored.  Not too shabby!

 We left lunch and began to take a self-guided history walk found in our tour book.  This also meant more opportunities to take pictures.  My sweet husband - I don't know how many times I threw the camera in front of the two of us, and he complied with my requests for pictures each and every time. 

I love this man more than life itself.

The street vendors were all around the river, making the scene even more surreal.

 Entering the Latin Quarter.

Winding around the streets of Paris.

This is the smallest building in Paris.

The Place Saint-Michel is a public square in the Latin Quarter, and is the site of the Fontaine Saint-Michel.  This statue is an image of Saint Michael, the Archangel, slaying the devil, with two dragons that spout water into the fountain and figures of the four classical cardinal virtues. 

The mighty Seine River.

From here, we walked over to the St. Chapelle Cathedral.  This cathedral is located in the courtyard of the La Conciergerie, and was built to house Louis IX's collection of relics of Christ.  The most famous features of the cathedral, among the finest of their type in the world, are the great stained glass windows.  Fifteen huge mid-13th-century windows fill the nave, and were an absolute wonder to absorb.  We stayed for well over 20 minutes, simply taking in these works of art.

The exterior of St. Chapelle, right up against La Conciergerie. 

This is the city's oldest public clock, from 1334.

Aww.  Another one.

We walked to the metro station and rode it up to Montmarte, where we climbed the hill to Sacre Couer, just in time for another glorious sunset.  We sure were lucky all weekend with the weather and the sunsets!

Sacre Couer, or "the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris."  It is perched on the summit of butte Montemarte, the highest point in the city.

Yes, we will tackle yet another climb, at least up to the building.  We went into the basilica, but did not climb anything once inside.  I could not take any pictures, but the interior of the building was astounding, and the mosaic, which is among the largest in the world, was incredible.

I love this one.

Enchanting, no?

The final thing on our agenda for the evening was to walk down through the Montmarte neighborhood, in search of something very touristy.  We were both charmed by this neighborhood, and when we come back to Paris someday, we would like to spend several hours exploring all of it.  However, with the combination of exhausted feet, the sun setting, and wanting to be back near our hotel for the later part of the evening, we decided to just walk through a few of the streets this time.

Street artists in abundance.

It sort of lures you to walk down and discover.

After making it to the bottom of the hill, we found our "something touristy"....

That's right!  The Moulin Rouge - no, we did not see a show, but seeing the exterior and taking a few pictures was on my Paris to-do list. 

When I say, taking a few pictures, this is precisely what I meant.  Cue the music!

I think this is my "go-to" pose.

Awkwardly not knowing how to pose.

I was standing on top of a wind tunnel from the subway below.  Not quite Marilyn Monroe, but it was still fun.

Can't help myself!

Trying to save face and not embarrass my photographer-husband with my antics. 

That didn't last long!

Okay, this is just too silly, and even embarrassing for me.  Time to leave.

We took the metro back to Champs d'Elysees where we would find something to eat and possibly wander around a bit more.  We were in a bit of a dilemma because our feet were really hurting and we were tired, but we also didn't want to end our last night with no kids too early!  As luck would have it, as we were looking around for a place to have dinner, we saw a movie poster for The Hobbit, playing in English.  Yes - you are connecting the dots correctly.  We bought tickets to go see a movie after dinner, on our last night in Paris.  It could not have been better!  We haven't seen a movie in the theater since my birthday last year, and we both have been wanting to see this particular movie.  And bonus?  Our kids were already with a babysitter, so that was taken care of.  What better timing?


We had about an hour and a half to enjoy a nice dinner before our showtime.  We found a cafe just off the main drag, where we enjoyed another amazing Parisian salad and delicious ravioli. 

It had been another incredible day, and we were going to end it watching a great movie and not standing on our feet. :)

On Monday, we leisurely woke up and packed our room.  We walked down to the Eiffel Tower for one last look (I figured I had taken so many pictures the first night, I would hold off this time around).  Then we headed back to Champs d'Elysees to shop for some treasures to bring home.  We had lunch, made our way to the train station, and were headed back to Amsterdam by mid-afternoon. 

Paris was a dream.  Paris was a treasure.  Paris was a gift.  For both of us.  It was as if we were on a second honeymoon, and it was glorious.  For the past 9 years, graduate school has been a big part of our marriage.  Brant has worked his tail off pursuing his dream, and I have stood by his side, supporting and living his dream with him.  And we are so close.  This trip allowed us to take time-out from all of that.  Time-out for us.  Time-out to get re-charged and energized to make it to and through the finish line.  We made forever memories together on our getaway, and it was unforgettable.