Photos from February

Time is going quickly as we prepare to go back to the US.  The kids are just busy with normal life and don't have any idea of the busy times and big changes ahead.  We won't tell them until April around the time the packers come to pack up our life in a shipping container.

Checking out the weather for the day.  The mornings are getting lighter and we are enjoying more daylight and chances to get outside in the afternoons.

They are changing so much!  Sylvie looks more different every month.  She is turning into a little kid and not so much a toddler.  

We spent a day in Brugge, our last trip there.  It was a nice cold sunny day, perfect for exploring.  We had a really nice time wandering around and seeing parts we had missed before.

And we stopped in to McDonalds for coffee and a toilet break.  They are good for that.  We were SHOCKED at the place.  By far the COOLEST in the world.  It is in a 16th century old building that is completely preserved on the inside.  The structure is exposed and old fireplaces part of the dining area (which is all quite modern).  The kids had a great time standing in the fireplaces and exploring the 4 story building.

Striking a pose

At our local Kinderboederij (farm for kids).  It has been a great place to visit while living here and we hope to get there a couple more times before we leave.  The kids love it.

Archie just loves the tractors

Chatting with the cows

Archie made special snacks at school and wanted to eat them at home.  The chocolate had hardened around the cheerios so he was trying to bite them out.  Sylvie is passed out on the couch beyond!

And it is Carnaval time here again.  The south of Holland goes crazy and the schools have a party before the winter break.  Sylvie was happy to dress up as a ballerina.  Archie is still not into dressing outside the house.  So he wore a hat.  Because I was there to help, Archie wouldn't leave my side.  Sylvie, on the other hand, joined into the singing and dancing.  She loved it.  She is in the front row.

Dancing to the "Let it Go" song in Frozen.

More dancing.

Photos from January

With the start of the new year brought Sylvie to the Nursery Class at the International School.  It was a great way to head back to school.  Sylvie had a tough time when Archie left the daycare to go to Nursery in September.  She was a little lost without him for while.  Plus the daycare moved to a dutch daycare center with lots of other kids.  So she was a bit overwhelmed.

Now she is super happy and loving her class.  She LOVES her teachers Ms. Kerri and Ms. Marianthi.

First day....Elise wanted to be in the photo too.

After the photo, they joined hands to go and play without me.  Didn't even look back to say goodbye.  It was a great start.

I usually pick the kids up right before lunch to go home.  They only spend the mornings there.  Some days we stay for lunch with the class.  It is a special treat and the kids love it.

And this is our favorite Ms. Kerri when we were at a party at MonkeyTown (appropriately named).

We had a lot of snow in January.  The kids had a great time being outside and enjoying it.  The love putting on their boots to go out.  

And we have been getting outside more to try and get fresh air.  The afternoons can get a bit crazy if we do not get out.

Right outside our door  and ready for a walk.  

We went for a walk and there was a cat in the neighbor's window.  He was pawing the glass as the kids were talking to him, saying, "hi cat.  How are you cat?  Want to play cat?"

And then the weather picked up for a couple days and we had some sun and warmth. So we headed to a playground to have some fun.

Watching Wallace and Grommit.  They love their shows and Archie giggles so loudly.  

After a big day out

Lining up our toys to watch us dance

And Sylvie received an achievement award at school for her first week at school.  She  adjusted well and so for the week, she received the award for her class.  And she stood up in front of the entire school to shake Ms. Kerri's hand and receive her award.  I was so impressed and proud of her for being so confident.

Christmas Photos The New Year

Opening presents Christmas morning.  We spread them out over the day so the kids wouldn't get too overwhelmed.  Sylvie didn't understand why there weren't more when she stopped.

It was a fun morning and the kids had a great time.  It was their first Christmas they really understood that something was going on.

Archie and his guitar, shaped like a dog.  He loves it!

Archie with Santa at school.  It was the first with Santa.  He chatted with him and told him about the letter we wrote to him.

Archie decided to wrap himself.  You can see his feet sticking out!  He really liked wrapping presents and it was fun having the kids involved.

And the right after the holiday, we had a great amount of snow.  The kids had a great time building snowmen with Daddy.

I enjoyed the fun from the warmth of the kitchen.  This was their first snow to play in.

We were a little unprepared with the footwear.  So Archie is wearing boots that are meant for Sylvie in another year or two.  He doesn't even notice that pink is for girls.  He calls them his boots!

View from our window.

We spent a morning in Rotterdam to visit the maritime museum.  They have a great kids area and we had a great time with the kids.  Outside at the canal there are old boats and cranes from the old shipyards.  A kid's dream!

View back to the museum from the docks.

It was so windy and really cold but we had a great time walking around.  We would have explored a bit more but we were tired and a little cold.

And then we had a nap in the afternoon to end the day of fun.

Next up will be the start of January and school for the kids.  It will be Sylvie's switch to the Nursery class with Archie.  A big step for everyone!