Our home

We moved into the house Wednesday of last week and it has been busy trying to transition in. We have rental furniture until our things arrive and have been living with the basic necessities. It's nice to have more space to spread out in - and the area around the house is so charming. There are a few bakeries, cheese shops, antique dealers along with the necessary grocery store, dry cleaners, shoe repair shop, etc... A mix of old world and new.

I wanted to wait until our things arrived from the US to take pictures, but I have gotten so many requests that I will be happy to oblige!

A little bit about the house...

It was built in 1883 in an area of The Hague called the Archipel. The Archipel was one of the few areas of The Hague that was not destroyed by one of the world wars. The street is Surinamestraat. Many of the streets are named after Indonesian cities because of the sheer influence of the Indonesians in this area. I don't know anything about the man who built the house, but I do know that the man who bought it from him in the early 1900's was a diamond dealer and built a small hiding room in which he stored his diamonds. The tenant just before us is the Russian ambassador to The Netherlands. There are many ambassadors on this street and in this area because the embassies are nearby. The landlord has promised me some materials on the history of the home. I feel very honored to live here and be able to take care of the place.

I love that the landlord has kept many of the original features of the home, as many homes here are gutted and modernized - with only the exterior being preserved. With that; however, comes a few unpleasantries, none of which are a major problem. The house is four stories with 5 bedrooms, 4 toilet rooms and 3 full bathrooms with showers. It is an ordeal to climb the full lot of stairs - they are quite steep. Here's hoping to a good looking rear end by the time we leave!

Enough said - you can see the pictures here:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=846208254408%3A1189991969&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharer

The Tortoise and the Hare

I am finding the pace of life here to be much slower than what we are used to. Probably an amazing thing... but a bit frustrating all the same. I have heard and read that the Dutch (especially the children) are the happiest in the world.

The working hours here are typically 9:00 to 5:00 with most stores opening around 10:00 to 11:00. I have gone to visit a few gyms and they all open around 8:00am with the exception of one or two days where they open early at 7:00am. I cannot get a cell phone until I have a residency card. We applied for one 2 weeks ago, hopefully it will be here soon. In order for our things to be released from the port of Houston, The Netherlands requires a customs clearance which I applied for last Wednesday. It will take three weeks for that to even process. SO in the meantime, our things are sitting in a container on the Gulf of Mexico. I called last Friday to set up internet and cable in our home that I get possession of tomorrow... it takes about 10 days for that.

The days are really short in the wintertime which may contribute to some of the ways of life here. It finally starts to get light about 8:00am and it is pitch dark around 5:30. The grocery store closes at 6:00pm on Sunday, so you need to get the kids stocked for school before then. Most businesses are closed on Sunday and open late on Monday.

I love the "city" feel of Den Haag - even though it is quite small. I love to walk around. It's a great way to see everything. I found a Dutch school right by our home, so I will probably sign up for classes after we move in. I have finally driven 3 days in a row, and "Champa chameli", my GPS lady has become the person I speak with the most during the day. We ate at a fairly decent Indian restaurant right outside of our street last weekend and was happy to know that there was one nearby. I am waiting to hit all of theses gorgeous boutiques - they have great sweaters and dresses!

It is expensive here. As an expat, it is a little easier to afford some of these things. As a local, I don't know how they do it. Food, clothing, dry cleaning, and other basic items are about 50% more than what we are used to paying in the States. I have said it before.... most people in the US do not realize how lucky they are. Affordability is taken for granted. Most of the rest of the world pays double what we do in gasoline for cars. Most people here in Den Haag do not own a car. They bike everywhere. Public transportation is amazing.

Maybe some of this laissez faire attitude will rub off on me in the near future. I considered myself a pretty laid back person... until we moved here ;-)

My baby turns 10!

We are sitting here, relaxing after having a very early morning celebration since Daddy had to leave for the States this morning. S is a little under the weather and with the actual weather being foggy and cold today, we are still trying to decide whether it's worth bundling up and going out.

A LeBron jersey and some legos later, I am watching this beautiful boy play with his big brother... I have said this many times, but every year is so bittersweet for me when we celebrate S's birthday. It brings me back to 10 years ago when he was born. I don't mean to dwell on it, but I just can't believe how far we have come.

So, instead of remembering what WAS... I want to tell you what I have learned about this incredible child in the last 10 years.

I have learned that wherever there is a ball, he will find it. I have learned that he is the commander of the playground. He remembers everything you tell him, so if you don't mean it, don't say it. He has a short temper. He needs constant entertainment - and is a source of constant entertainment. He plays it cool, but deep down is a very very caring child. He loves his brother more than anything is this world. He creates a basketball game wherever he is. He worries about everything. He pretends to be sleeping and secretly hides upstairs so he can hear what mommy and daddy talk about after we THINK he has gone to bed. He is street smart, book smart, and everything else smart. He knows how to get what he wants. He is particular about what he wears. He doesn't let any of the health problems he faces day to day get him down, EVER...

I am so proud to be his Mommy!

Happy happy birthday sweet boy!!!

Happy Wednesday

I am sitting here in the apartment - looking out on Den Haag and a beautiful day. It is sunny, not too terribly windy and not too terribly cold. I love seeing the sun. When I lived in Jersey when V was a baby - I was one that was affected by SAD (seasonal affectation disorder). I was not happy when we went days without seeing the sun. I think getting through this first winter here will be tough - but it can only get better... right?

Had a wonderful morning running around with our lovely relo representative trying to get customs papers and parking permits in order. I conquered my slight fear of riding the local tram and of course, it was as easy as I thought it would be. After many laughs and good conversation, I left her around lunchtime to find S some presents for his birthday. I was very successful, it didn't take me long at all. I cannot believe my baby will be 10 this Sunday - double digits!

I still marvel at the bike riding abilities of the Dutch. I am still working on not walking in the bike paths - I get "belled" once a day. People here are very friendly - and even more so if you try to speak the language. Wish me luck as I get behind the wheel of a car for the first time here on Sunday... I saw a biker that was almost hit by a car today - my biggest fear!

It has been a good day :-)

First day of school

Today was the first day of school for the kids - a VERY hard day for Mommy. I walked them to the bus platform outside of our apartment building for a 7:27 am pick up time. They were the very first stop and I put them on the bus and watched it drive off. I left feeling very unsettled, hoping that they would be able to find where they needed to go. S to the playground, V to the middle school office. Worried cannot even describe how I was feeling.

B had been asking me a few days before if I wanted the car that day to take them, but I know my children. They are smart, independent, amazing little creatures and I knew deep down they would be fine. I just had to keep telling MYSELF that.

I was paralyzed for about an hour before I actually decided to get up and go down to the workout room. After a very quick 45 minute workout, I decided to quit - my heart was just not in it. I showered, dressed and went out for the day. Walked around the city, finished a few errands, and came home. It was a very long 2 hours before the kids got back.

They were FULL of chatter when they got off the bus with stories of friends they had made, their teachers and all the other things they had experienced that day. They were so proud of the new school that they get to attend. S has already become a hit a recess and V was so excited about all the people he met, the technology at the school - and the fact that they all get their very own Mac for school use.

I am just so proud of them - I know their experience here will be amazing and will help them to become well rounded, culturally sensitive, experienced young men.

A good day :-)

It was a good day today. First off, we got to see the sun! It was a crisp 39 degrees, but the sun was shining. After lunch, the kids and I ventured out into the city to take pictures and get some supplies. We seem to go to the grocery store everyday, mainly because I end up realizing that I don't have something (salt, pepper, garlic, oil...). Things that we are used to having in the house all the time. I was lucky enough to come across Chinatown and found some lentils and long beans to make for dinner... without my Indian spices mind you, but Indian nonetheless.

We found a few school supplies, we were able to get our U.S. line up and running, we trekked over to the train station and inquired about how to ride the train/tram/bus system, found a dry cleaners, stopped in hair salons to inquire about prices for haircuts, etc... A productive day overall. We miss B though - we have had him at home for a week. He went to work today for the first time since we came and it's definitely quiet around here.

It doesn't get light until about 8:00 to 8:30 and it starts to get dark around 5:00. The days are short. The kids are wonderful - no issues there. I am nervous for them to start school on Monday. I am just going to rip off the bandage and let them ride the bus Monday morning. Just kill me now.

Here are a few pics from our outing today :-)

Yummy sandwiches

The Asian grocery store I found:

Brrrrrr...

Our apartment building:

The local shopping mall:

Leaving Houston :-(

The last couple of days have been a blur. The movers came last Thursday and packed and loaded everything - so quickly in fact, that they were done before either one of the kids came home from school. The next few days were spent buying last minute things for our trip or shutting down the house.

We all said our goodbyes - it was hard.

As we were all set to leave on Sunday, B and the boys were getting the car packed up and I took one last look through the house. My chest got heavy and I started to breathe really hard. I didn't want to upset the boys, so I pulled it together and locked up the house. The minute the garage door shut, I started to cry. My head was screaming "TURN AROUND, TURN AROUND!!!" I didn't think it would be that hard.

It was a quiet ride until we hit the airport. Then the comedy began.

Our large bag was WAY overweight - 15 pounds to be exact. In all efforts not to pay TSA to buy a new bag, I pulled my bags over and started shifting weight. After dropping various pieces of lingerie on the floor - I finally got it.

We checked in 6 bags and left in the biggest fit of laughter - I think the weight of the sadness we were feeling finally cracked.

We get to security and B is pulled aside WITHOUT his shoes and belt and bags to be checked. They very sternly take him into a little room to interrogate him and he leaves having made 2 new friends - how he does it, I'll never know. It turns out that the forgot that he had a Leatherman in his old bag that we brought along. Someone in TSA is enjoying it now.

The flight was wonderful - no glitches.

We get to Schipol airport early Monday morning local time. We have so much luggage that we cannot all fit into the rental. S and I take a train and decide to meet up with the other 2 in Den Haag at our rental apartment. We end up being separated for about 4 hours - a lifetime when you are in a new place with no phone to call them by. B and V got lost WITH a GPS - it turns out the street was not on any navigation system.

The long and short of it is, we are settled... Jet lagged, but settled. We have spent yesterday and today getting groceries and toiletries, applying for our residence permit, getting passport pictures taken for various other government applications, and getting to know the lay of the land.

Tomorrow, we get to go the the school for orientation. I am excited for the kids and have very high expectations for the education that are about to receive.

The weather here has been typically Dutch - rainy and about 42 degrees.

We don't have our phone hooked up yet as the apartment does not have one. Once we buy one, we'll let you know. I was more concerned about not having a hairdryer - that was my FIRST purchase!

Love you all - till later...

S